[Spridgets] Formula 1 returning to the US in 2012

[Bud Osbourne]

The USGP should be where the greatest concentration of potential spectators 
are located.  That narrows it down to the eastern seaboard and/or the west 
coast.  Watkins Glen was the perfect venue and hosted the USGP from '61 thru 
'80 or '81 (or was it '82?).  When Bernie's nose got out of joint about some 
silly detail, he picked up his toys and went home.  The USGP was never 
completely successful after it left Watkins Glen.
I think Bernie Ecclestone is probably THE worst single thing to happen to F1 
since the second world war.  It's commercial success has changed it from an 
exciting, challenging form of motor racing in which only a very few drivers 
could truly excell into a spec series with "drivers" (bunch of snot-nosed 
kids) who wouldn't have been fit to carry the driving gloves of any of the 
F1 drivers of the 60s.
Seriously, can you imagine someone (other than maybe Michael Schumacher) 
competing with Jo Siffert, Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Phil Hill, Graham 
Hill, Dan Gurney, Stiirling Moss, Innes Ireland, Jimmy Clark, Bruce McLaren, 
Denny Hulme, Pedro Rodriguez, Niki Lauda, Ronnie Peterson and, say, Chris 
Amon at Spa or the Nurburgring......as those circuits were in the 60s, and 
in the cars of the 60s?
Today's F1 bores me, terribly.  Of course, NASCAR turns my stomach.  Indy 
Car comes close to being real racing (although I don't follow it at all 
anymore), but it's just not nearly as exciting as it was back when sex was 
safe and race cars were dangerous.  I guess it's because back then, there 
were serious consequences for mistakes or errors in judgement and the top 
drivers were really god-like figures to the rest of us, instead of mouth 
pieces for big, corporate sponsors with "marketability" as their strongest 
asset, instead of driving ability.
Call me a cranky old man, if you like, but racing sure has lost a LOT over 
the past few decades.
Bud Osbourne
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <WeslakeMonza1330 at aol.com>
To: <jfishbein at snet.net>; <spridgets at autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Formula 1 returning to the US in 2012


> Donnington bid too much money which they didn't have and I can't believe
> anyone thought it was a realistic prospect. What's more it had poor 
> transport
> links
>
> Silverstone has a solid deal and good transport links and remains the UK
> premier circuit.
>
> Austin, USA sounds more like a Donnington deal than a Silverstone  deal.
>
> The French despite having a great motoring history don't seem to have put
> big money into circuit development but why bother with F1 when you have Le
> Mans?
>
> Weslake-Monza 1330