Why Not Formula 1 Racing In Boston?

[tobyjug]

I admit my bias. I love F1 racing. But what I love even more is the four day event that surrounds the two hours of the race. Skip the race if you don't like cars. Soak up the party instead. Montreal's race draws 125,000 free spending visitors.
Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 supremo is discussing racing in Paris and London with city leaders. How would Boston look in this year's line up, which includes Shanghai, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Monaco, Barcelona, San Paolo? Now that would be playing in a real "world class", as opposed to some Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce style "world class" vision that is now served up by our leaders.

Don't you think these people are having fun in Montreal?

I'll bet they are spending some money. If they were in Boston, they'd be throwing around our American pesos like confetti.

You can't get a table at Jacques Villeneuve's club "Newtown". (Just as well, Jacques needs the loot.)

It can be cultural if you want: F1 fans like art.

Or they will party. (Do not adjust your screen: the photo is blurry and so was I.)

Give our musicians some work and the visitors some tunes.

But don't confuse F1 fans with yobbo soccer hooligans. When the day is done, they go back to their fancy hotels to rest up for the night life.

Do you want to see more?

 

[Scott]

I'll bet they are spending some money. If they were in Boston, they'd be throwing around our American pesos like confetti.

I like the sound of that. (throwing money around, not the dollar being nearly worthless)

Do you want to see more?

Of course, but where could we have the race?

 

[palindrome]

This would be a dream of mine. i love f1, but don't get the speed channel!!!

 

[Ron Newman]

How do they make sure that the race cars don't spin out of control and slam into the crowds lining the streets (not to mention the historic buildings)?

 

[justin]

The race itself is on a dedicated track on an island in the St. Lawrence,

 

[Ron Newman]

OK, so bringing this to Boston means building a special one-time-use facility, not just laying out a route through the Back Bay and South End.

 

[caravaggiste]

Run it down Comm Ave, over the Harvard & Longfollow Bridges and around and then up Mass Ave, down Boylston, back down Comm Ave, Over the river to Memorial and construct some sort of temporary pathway that can be converted to pier/flea market/market type area for other months in the deep summer. Anything is possible. I would love to see a big event like this in Boston - F1 racing through historic parts of Boston and along the Harbor and Charles River. That would be a site to see. Kind of a Le Mans type race:

The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and run on a circuit containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and driver's ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24-hour period.

There are some considerably long stretches - Boylston & Commonwealth / Storrow to BU and around. Maybe even some of the land over at the airport can be used and they can dedicate the tunnel under the water for a race and make the other tunnel single laned one way for airport traffic. It would be so terrific.

 

[Ron Newman]

But that would once again raise my question - how do you protect the spectators and the buildings against accidents?

 

[caravaggiste]

The city is best known for its connection with motorsports. There are actually two separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is the Bugatti Circuit (named after Ettore Bugatti, founder of the car company bearing his name), a relatively short permanent circuit which is used for racing throughout the year. The longer and more famous Circuit de la Sarthe is composed partly of public roads, which are closed to the public when the track is in use for racing, and has been host to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race since 1923. Boutiques and shops are set up during the race selling merchandise and promoting products for cars. The first French Grand Prix took place here in 1906. The "Le Mans start" takes its name from the way racers lined up across the street from their cars and ran across the street and jumped into their cars to begin.

I'm sure there are all sorts of barriers than can be put up and in other areas where there are sharp turns - pedestrians should be advised not to stand there and have the area manned with emergency services.

 

[Scott]

how do you protect the spectators and the buildings against accidents?

It is just so darn American of you to worry about that. ;-)

 

[caravaggiste]

haha they should just make people sign a death contract before viewing so if they die from an unexpected spin off - the league can't be blamed. I'd hardly worry about the spectators right now. Mapping out a loop might be a better idea. In doing so, we can find the best wide boulevards and avenues that would be ideal for both racing and spectating. Routes around dense boulevards would be so exciting but also the hardest to maintain a steady and safe balance between safety (bah) and a good race. Under the tunnel to the airport and around onto the Zakim and down Atlantic/Cross Street, Up Stuart to Charles, Down Beacon, Over Harvard Bridge, Down Memorial, Up Longfellow. Who wants to make a route with maps?

 

[FastLane]

Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but I imagine F1 drivers might not appreciate our potholes (or is that part of the competition). Maybe we could use all the proceeds from the event to actually pave our roads properly

There has to be a way around the safety side of things. After all, this crazy sport manages to convince cities to let them fly.

 

[Lrfox]

How on earth did Detroit end up on that list?^

I love the Idea of F1 in Boston, but I can just hear the Back Bay, South End, Beacon Hill (or wherever this runs) residents complaining about the inconvenience of closed streets, noise, and (GASP!) PEOPLE enjoying themselves in masses, CLOSE TO THE RESIDENTS HOMES!

I do think it could be made relatively safe (as safe or safer than a NASCAR race). The motorsports event that used to terrify me was Monster Trucks. How do they jump giant trucks in tiny hockey arenas without people getting killed? it's a miracle there's a low mortality rate in that sport.

 

[Ron Newman]

I guess I'm a bit paranoid about safety because every time I see an auto race on TV, there's at least one spectacular wreck. Which is fine at some purpose-built place like the Indianapolis Speedway, where spectators are a safe distance from the track. It's not so cool a thing to see happen on Boylston street in front of the Prudential.

 

[statler]

How on earth did Detroit end up on that list?^

Yeah, Detroit and cars. Whoever would have made that connection?

 

[Suffolk 83]

Red Bull is Air racing and Detroit probably got on the list because I believe they do it over water, usually calm waters I think.

It could work, they do it in St. Pete every year and its a big hit down there. Dont think it would ever go down Comm ave but I could see it going down Storrow and somehow back up Boylston thru Essex somehow and into the tunnel back out to Storrow. Dont know how long that would be, but those races seem to like tunnels and some scenic views, could be a perfect place for it. It would shut down the entire city, but who cares on a Sunday.

 

[caravaggiste]

Red Bull is Air racing and Detroit probably got on the list because I believe they do it over water, usually calm waters I think.

It could work, they do it in St. Pete every year and its a big hit down there. Dont think it would ever go down Comm ave but I could see it going down Storrow and somehow back up Boylston thru Essex somehow and into the tunnel back out to Storrow. Dont know how long that would be, but those races seem to like tunnels and some scenic views, could be a perfect place for it. It would shut down the entire city, but who cares on a Sunday.

Yeah, maybe even 93 through the center of the city could be used from like Mass Ave & Newbury onramp tothe north end or government center and down the main central arteries.

 

[tobyjug]

After mild restoratives, the free spending Europeans, South Americans, Asians and others continue their prowl of the town, looking for places to lose their euro, bolivars, loonies, pounds, dinar, yen, or even the lowly greenbacks.

The visitors are amiable, and the merchants accommodate by remaining open late. The city leaders are wise. They go to great lengths to promote the event. Certain streets are closed. Street performers are encouraged. Civic leadership promotes a festival atmosphere.

The race is not held on city streets, but on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. The permanent track infrastructure is minimal. Of course there is the asphalt for the track and a few buildings for pit row. The city sets up temporary aluminum grandstands for about 120,000. Other than the very few races held there each year, the island is given over to recreation. It is quite nice. It would be as if you built a track on the largest Boston Harbor island.
Out on the island, merchants set up a temporary bazaar of hundreds of tents around the track. Food, beverage, restaurants, souvenirs, concerts, video games, its all there. Heavyweight sponsors like Honda and Toyota set up huge tented pavilions, and display everything from their full range of vehicles to those goofy new robots they only seem to show in Tokyo.

One of Toby's associates demonstrates his comradely support for workers in Montreal's justly heralded media, entertainment and hospitality industry.

Not much risk to historic buildings here, Ron. Its all out on the track, behind concrete barriers or "armco".
If you wanted to hold it in Boston, hello bland, broad boulevards of the South Boston waterfront. (Heck, they held one U.S. Grand Prix in some Las Vegas parking lots.)

Much joy at the end of the race. The F1 race lasts only an hour and a half! Can you believe that you can pack a city full of international visitors for an event that lasts an hour and a half?

Walking off the island after the race there is even something for the architecture buff. "Pardon monsieur, isn't that Habitat 67?".

Well, there it is folks. Lots of international tourists cramming your streets with money to burn. Heavy favorable media coverage across the globe (except in the U.S. of A.) World class.

 

[Lrfox]

Yeah, Detroit and cars. Whoever would have made that connection?

I was talking about the Red Bull Air Racing. Detroit is not in the class of the other cities on the list of locations.

*EDIT*
Just noticed that Suffolk already caught this.

 

[JimboJones]

I love the idea of F1 racing. More a possibility, though, would be a downtown bike race or even a speed skating race.

Didn't someone propose the bike race for a couple summers ago, only to be shot down by His Honor?