Austin COTA (Circuit of the Americas) - Who's a race fan?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://circuitoftheamericas.com/

IMHO, up 'til now, the most professional racing in Texas was done at TMS (Texas Motor Speedway)
in North Fort Worth, next to I-35W. This is a Nascar track.

About November, 2012 the Austin COTA (Circuit of the Americas) F1 (Forumla One) track is opening.
This track will host many international racing cars using open wheel cars.

The tickets are going to be expensive, but this track has been designed from the ground up to be a
premier site.

Even if the prices weren't so high, and the location so far from me (about 220 miles), I would not be
attending these races. At times I have gone to drag races, and I watched some qualifying heats
at TMS on a $10 special, but I find that after the first hour I'm ready to hit the parking lot and go
home.

Who out there is psyched about this kind of racing coming to Austin?

SIA

[RHenriksen]

I'm psyched, but I'm also dismayed that the ONLY method for getting into & out of the racetrack on the F1 race day is going to be by bus. I'm anticipating HOURS of waiting for a bus to get me into the racetrack, and HOURS more to board a bus to get back to my car.

I was really hoping to ride a two wheeler up from Houston in the morning, take in the race, and ride home again.

[The Annoyed Man]

Can't say I'd attend a race there or not. F1 and Indy/Champ car roadraces are a lot of fun, but I REALLY hate big crowds. What's more interesting to me than the big races are whether or not the facility will be available the rest of the year for club racing and open-track days.

[RHenriksen]

You're not alone - everyone else is salivating at the thought of a track day there!

[The Annoyed Man]

Makes me want to invest in a beater car and put some good shocks and sticky tires on it and go play.

[RHenriksen]

Well, you do already have MSR-Cresson close by you; you can start there.

'Beater car w. good shocks & sticky tires' - you've just described Spec Miata

[GeekwithaGun]

Fan here. I may have to make a trek to Austin for a track day once they open up to the public and clubs.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Autoweek magazine, http://www.autoweek.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, is the mag from which I clipped the original article that
prompted me to start this thread. I tried roaming around their site to find the exact article, so I could
post the link, but got discouraged by poor searchability.

So here goes with the prices for COTA:

1 seat, main grandstand (the only permanent grandstand) - $2,500 to $6,750.

Cost for the cheapest ticket is $500 for a "season pass" + $2,000 for a PSL (Personal Seating License).

The most expensive seat in the grandstand is $5,500 for the PSL + $1,250 for the season pass.

There will be 3 additional temporary grandstands. The least expensive seat now offered is $1,875, which
is broken down as ($1,500 for the PSL + $375 for the ticket).

Other prices range from a total of $3,775 to $6,750.

COTA's ticket prices will easily be among the most expensive tracks on the F1 circuit.

Do these prices give anyone pause for cause?

SIA

[74novaman]

More of a drag racing guy (used to drag race the car in my avatar for fun when it was running/I had time and money to do so).

I've never been a huge F1 fan but like the other would LOVE to go check out a track day during the off season.

[Cosmo 9]

Ticket prices are only part of the problem. I tried to make Motel reservations in Feb. and the price gouging was beyond belief ($369.00 per night for super 8 type place). Now with the lack of on site parking I think the best bet would be to charter a bus down.

[philip964]

I enjoy three kinds of car racing. Le Mans, Drag and Rally. So if this course plans an ALMS series race, I will be there.

But not for those prices. Le Mans in France is usually $30 and you rarely sit in your seat. Sebring or Laguna Seca races are maybe $120 I don't think Sebring even has any seats. The food a Le Mans is better than at Sebring or Laguna Seca.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Ticket prices are only part of the problem. I tried to make Motel reservations in Feb. and the price gouging was beyond belief ($369.00 per night for super 8 type place). Now with the lack of on site parking I think the best bet would be to charter a bus down.

Cosmo9, and everyone else:

Have you tried http://www.hotels.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, or one of the similar sites? I can stay in North Austin, on I-35, near US 183,
for about $50-$60. I don't know how close that is to COTA, but you might save a lot of scratch by using
the afore-stated website.

SIA

[Cosmo 9]

You need to put in the date for the weekend of the race. Prices from that site.
La Quinta $250.00
Comfort Inn $295.00
Holiday Inn $495.00
There's not a Holiday Inn on the planet worth $500 a night.

[varko]

I'm an F1 fan and would love to go, but the prices are way too steep for me.

BTW, MotoGP will be there in 2013 as well. Maybe those tickets will be more reasonable.

[RHenriksen]

I'm an F1 fan and would love to go, but the prices are way too steep for me.

BTW, MotoGP will be there in 2013 as well. Maybe those tickets will be more reasonable.

Just dawned on me that these ticket prices might be in response to the anticipated bottlenecks getting people in & out of the facility.

Friend told me that except for a SMALL number of paid parking spaces, ALL access will be via shuttle buses. If they only sell 20k tickets at four figure prices, then they don't have to worry about moving 80k people in & out of the track at $250/head.