Bernie Ecclestone’s “Head Fake!” (UPDATED)
Bernie Ecclestone is a master of many things, manipulator, arm-twister, a politician - in the worst sense of the word - he’s even given Hallmark Cards a run for their money with a series of Christmas Cards lampooning some of his compatriots and rivals.
Ecclestone has added a new skill to his repertoire, the Head Fake, a sporting skill that allows a football ball carrier to quickly move one way only to actually intend going the other way, thus leaving the pursuing defender laying in the grass as the ball carrier motors down the field to a score.
Bernie has been romancing various United States venues since the USGP left its shores.
Las Vegas, New York and New Jersey have all been pumped for cash debated as the home of any future USGP.
Enter, the Head Fake.
A little as 36 hours ago (leaked last week and published Monday) news broke of another potential F1 venue, Monticello Motor Club.
According to a letter written by Ari Straus, president of Monticello Motor Club (MMC), officials have been talking to Ecclestone “for months” on holding the USGP 90 minutes outside New York at the foot of the Catskill Mountains.
Note the word “leaked,” above. It’s a lead pipe cinch MMC track officials didn’t leak the story or contents of the letter.
It could only have been leaked by Ecclestone or a close associate of his in an effort to keep the press, pundits and bloggers busy - Hey, look over there! - while he dotted the I’s and crossed all the T’s to a deal to bring the USGP to, of all places, Austin, Texas in 2012.
(As Bernie “motors down the field to a score,” allegedly - ed)
Train robberies are an art form lost on modern man (with Bernie being the sole exception). In a simpler time when cowboys roamed the wild Texas landscape, sandblasted criminals clad in gaudy hats and bandannas would coordinate a massive robbery of trains while they were in transit. It’s sort of like robbing a bank, if a bank were coal powered, moved a seventy miles an hour and could only be escaped via horseback.
“For the first time in the history of Formula One in the United States, a world-class facility will be purpose-built to host the event. It was thirty years ago that the Formula One United States Grand Prix was last held on a purpose-built permanent road course circuit in Watkins Glen, NY (1961-1980), which enjoyed great success,” Bernie pontificated.
“Since then, Formula One has been hosted by Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all on temporary street circuits,” the President and CEO of the Formula One Group continued.
“Indianapolis joined the ranks of host cities in 2000 when they added a road course inside the famed oval. Lewis Hamilton won the last Formula One United States Grand Prix in 2007, signaling the end to eight years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
“This however, will be the first time a facility is constructed from the ground up specifically for Formula One in the US.”
Well ok Bernie. but all this begs the question; “Where in the name of Hades did this come from?”
Like a bolt from the blue a multi-million dollar F1 facility - “multi” meaning hundreds of millions - will rise in central Texas?!
Not only that it’s from an outfit called Full Throttle Productions (not associated with this blog) that has a history of stock car and Midget racing promotion, with it’s last event being the “Allstate Texas Racefest” featuring both NASCAR and USAC racing and has just now put up an F1 related splash page.
Gee, where have I heard of something similar?
Oh yeah, it was the miserable failure of USF1 who thought they could leverage their way into F1 from the heart of stock car racing in Charlotte NC. USF1 had a splash page also, and not much else.
As for Tavo Hellmund if this article/podcast is the same Tavo Hellmund he’s closely associated with the aforementioned Allstate Texas Racefest and has made a few stock car starts out west.
Aside from these questionable stock car connections there’s a little matter of location, none was given, nothing related to who designs the track - never mind Ecclestone and Tilke are like Siamese twins - and the biggest question of all, where’s the money coming from.
No mention was made of backing and support of local, state, and federal politicians and organizations for this project.
A lot of unanswered questions yet reportedly a 10 year contract has be signed, color me skeptical.
Don’t get me wrong, the return of the USGP is much welcomed by fans and many large corporations who view an F1 event as prime meat for marketing opportunities. (Bernie must be salivating!)
When all is said and done, I’ll not be reserving any airline tickets or booking hotel reservations in Austin Texas in the near future. At least not until sometime after a specific location, credible funding and track designers is announced.
Or Willie Nelson invites me down to share some of his stash, which come to think of it may make this project somewhat possible.
On a related note, only because of the American connection, Luca di Montezemolo is floating the idea of a Ferrari/USF1 tie-up that might see three, if not four U.S. based Ferrari supported F1 teams.
Hear that sound…. it’s the sound of millions of Tifosi heads exploding!
Final thought: Obviously scheduling a USGP requires the event in all likelihood be on back-to-back weekends with the Canadian GP which this year is in June.
The average temperature in Austin Texas in June is ninety degrees. Hey I’m just saying is all, don’t shoot the messenger.
UPDATE: Nothing like going to a close source, in this case the Austin American Statesman newspaper.
Tavo Hellmund says this has been in the works since 1999, with serious talks starting 4 years ago but won’t reveal who owns the money bags behind the project.
Also, and this is big to my way of thinking, no site for the projected track has been named. Hellmund says they are looking at three various locations.
Call me stupid but with a tick over two years before any “Texas GP” can be held how in the name all that’s Holy do you get it done. With no site selected, or even purchased, there’s no place to bus in the Ecco-Warriors to so an environmental impact study can be completed. The study alone can take many months if not years.
And we haven’t heard from any NAMBYs yet, they must be lurking somewhere.
“Austin is more of an F1 crowd than a NASCAR crowd,” Hellmund said. “The geography, the tech money, the nightlife, the music. It all just fits with what Formula One is all about.”
Anyone hear Willie Nelson around an F1 paddock lately - but I digress.
Hellmund said that neither city nor state money would be used to build a track.
Does that mean, whether in a financial pinch of not, he and Ecclestone will swear on a stack of Concord Agreements they will never, ever dip into the Texas Major Events Trust Fund, a fund “intended to reimburse cities for the costs they bear by hosting profitable events, such as a Formula One race or the Super Bowl.”
Yeah riiiiiiiiight… I’ll believe they won’t dip into it right after I believe all the emails I get addressed to “undisclosed recipient” are coming from Cathrine Zeta Jones.
And has anyone seen a profitable Formula One event recently? Really I have to ask, ’cause there’s damn few if any, thanks in large part to Hellmund’s “partner” Ecclestone.
If nothing else they have the local mayor’s panties in a bunch:
“This will be a game-changer for Austin. … We expect every hotel from San Antonio to Temple will be full,” Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said. “This will solidify our standing as an international city. … Hundreds of millions of people also see the broadcast, and those who don’t know about Austin will.”
Now where have I heard something similar…., oh yeah it was the Mayor of Charnwood who administers the borough where the 2010 British GP was to be held at Donnington Park.
Donnington Park’s “game changer” was estimated to cost $100 million to upgrade the existing road course not build an entire new one.
UPDATE II: Speaking of “game changers” and not so incidentally Donnington Park.
Donington Park owner Kevin Wheatcroft has revealed that a deal has been agreed ‘in principle’ with a new leaseholder to help bring the circuit back to life.
Um, doesn’t Bernie have a history of using one “mark” (or would they be called a “foil”) against the other to gain financial concessions?
Why yes he does! Not that this is the case but…. there’s that damn history.
UPDATE III:Apparently Hellmund has been in contact with F1 journalist Adam Cooper.As part of their correspondence Helmund has confirmed the purchase of land is complete. Supposedly 800 acres of prime real estate east of the city, near the airport and features “hilly countryside.”
According to him he told the local paper three areas were in play- as my update suggests - as a “smokescreen.”
Why I haven’t a clue if you’re having this big media coming-out party, in conjunction with no less than Bernie Ecclestone himself, who and why are you deceiving the media & public only to then change the story 24 hours later.
Why is all I ask.
And for you Tilke-philes… come-on there’s gotta be some out there, somewhere. Anyway as you have guessed by now Hermann Tilke is designing this track.
It’s to feature a 3 mile lap and be “a fast circuit with challenging corners that resemble those of classic established circuits such as Silverstone, Hockenheim and Spa.”
Oh and apparently this Hellmund guy is connected to F1 via Bernie they’ve known each other since he was a teen - a teen Hellmund, Bernie was a teen in the Dinosaur age - there apparently was a Hellmund Sr. and was “involved in promoting Indycar and TransAm races in Mexico City, and also helped to bring F1 back to the country in 1988.”
Funny thing though as good as the internet is it holds nothing on Hellmund Sr. although I didn’t waste too much time looking.
Well if you can believe Bernie, I have this to say
“Mark, my late father was a Nigerian General & he has left me a large sum of money, I just need you to…………”
Snark aside, the Texas rounds of the IRL have been well supported in the past, unlike the empty seats at other venues. Texas may not be that far fetched, I imagine F1 would have a large following within the Hispanic community.
The question remains, “if they build it… will they come?”
And that’s a very large “IF” knowing what we know now. As far as the Texas IRL rounds, that in large part is due to that speedway’s promoter. Eddie Gossage is a modern day P.T. Barnum who could’ve sold out the Roman Colosseum without the Lions.
As for Nigerian emails, sorry based on my account of late my name has been changed to “undisclosed recipient.”
Oh and… “a large following within the Hispanic community” that maybe, but don’t tell those that promoted a Mexican GP.
A final history lesson for you Peter:
Back in the early decades of the 19th century when pioneers settled the area now known as Austin Texas the first settlement was named Waterloo.
Take that for what’s it’s worth.
If these are business people with any intelligence I would say they own land purchase options for a track location already, possibly several. Too late to go looking for land once the deal is announced.
And if The Gnome lives up to his promotional legend, it may be the first of possibly two US F1 sites. More then likely Bernie used the Monticello “deal” as the anvil to hammer down the Texas contract.
Regarding temps in Texas, we were there at the end of April (San Antonio) and the locals told us we got in just before the heat/humidity set in. It’s the humidity as well as the temps that would raise hell with tire/engine reliability in an F1 race in Texas. (IMHO)
Gotta admit this did come outta no where!
A quick Google of the name of the “managing partner” produced this:
“Considered by many in racing to be the “real deal”, Tavo (C.T.) Hellmund has built the kind of reputation as a winner in all types of racing cars that makes people believe that he has a bright future in NASCAR. Despite always under-funded efforts, he has proven he has what it takes by winning or leading consistently in the NASCAR Winston West Grand National Division, in NASCAR Late Models, in IMCA Modifieds and in various open wheel cars. He is college educated, speaks fluent Spanish and English, and is the creator of the highly acclaimed Safe & Sober� program for high schools. He has even been commended by President George W. Bush. He is without a doubt the total package on and off the track, with only the lack of proper funding so far holding him back.”
The last line tells all we need to know…how appropriate.
Find a location, buy the land, get zoning and environmental approvals, improve road and other infrastructure, design and build the facility (including letting the asphalt properly cure), promote and sell tickets and corporate hospitality…all with 24 months. In this economy. With no government money. And unnamed investors. Sure.
This race will happen when pigs fly. Any government official who participated in this fiasco deserves to be fired or voted out of office. Calling them (and anyone who believes this fairy tale) “morons” is an insult to morons everywhere.
Oh, and for anyone who thinks this is just the view of a jaded “fan”, I have worked at races (including F1) since 1978 and I have been to more than 110 facilities in 11 countries.
The fact that supposedly reputable journalistic outlets are reporting this story and indicating the race will absolutely, positively occur is a sad reflection on the state of journalism in the world. At least this blog has the correct skeptical attitude.
What a waste of time.
George, I hadn’t thought of land purchase options, but still I fail to see how that mitigates the problem of NAMBYs and environmental studies.
BTW the comment section of the papers story - linked in the update - contains this tidbit:
The commenter “Scud” knows Ecclestone very well.
And given Ecclestone’s history I can’t help thinking this Hellmund guy is this years Simon Gillette and another shoe is gonna drop. If ya get my drift.
RacingSage I saw that bit of background on another blog with a skeptical attitude, there are a few of us, actually more than a few.
It’s the media that’s got Hot Pants over this deal not bloggers in general.
As always RacingSage, it will be down to money. If this guy can find “investors” to pony up $200-$300 million, it MIGHT happen.
And for that reason alone, I don’t think it will. Bernie’s price for bringing his circus to town leaves little to no profit for developers
after he rakes off all the cream. Who will “invest” that kind of money with little to no chance of a return??
Marc’s Reference to Simon Gillette is the perfect comparison, and Texas will more then likely follow the same path to oblivion.
My ref to Simon Gillete was MUCH closer than even I thought when I said that. I was for the most part being my normal smart ass.
That was posted an hour or so before seeing my “update II noting a new lease holder for Donnington Park.
[...] or about the third week of May Bernie Ecclestone floated the idea of holding a resurrected USGP at Monticello Motor Club. [...]
[...] All with good reason I might interject, but I won’t rehash the past, you can read it yourself. [...]