The '14 F1 race at Circuit of the Americas "won’t clash with a Longhorns home game again, but it will fall on Halloween weekend and will go head-to-head with a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway on the same date," according to Dave Doolittle of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. With yesterday's release of the F1 calendar, next year's U.S. Grand Prix has been set for Nov. 2, "about two weeks earlier than the previous two races." COTA Chair Bobby Epstein said that overlaps between NASCAR and events at COTA are "inevitable," in part because of the "length of the NASCAR schedule." But TMS President Eddie Gossage called the scheduled date for the F1 race "foolish." Gossage said in a statement, "Our two NASCAR Sprint Cup races draw the two largest crowds in Texas sports. It isn’t the smartest move to try to compete with that" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 12/5).
MAYBE NEXT TIME: REUTERS' Alan Baldwin noted a planned F1 race in New Jersey had been due to debut in '14, "but that had to be postponed due to financial issues which continue to plague the race." Race organizers said they were working on "restructured financial arrangements." Meanwhile, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said he looked forward to the "first-class inaugural Grand Prix of America" in '15. He added, "New races can take many years to get started, but there is significant momentum and we are close to realizing a New York City F1 race" (REUTERS, 12/4). Race Exec Chair Leo Hindery Jr. shortly after the announcement said in a statement that the promoters would "aim to have the race back on the Formula One calendar" in '15 (N.Y. TIMES, 12/5). West New York Mayor Felix Roque said of the race, "I believe they're going to do it. It will happen. Sometimes it's better to wait to have it well-organized and be a big success. I would rather have something well-organized than something half-assed" (JERSEY JOURNAL, 12/5).
