If you can't bring America to Formula One, then they'll bring Formula One back to America. So while the USF1 effort may have tanked, reports are mounting over the return of the United States Grand Prix to the F1 calendar.
In the absence of the American round of the world championship, companies participating in the series – whether as sponsor, constructor or engine supplier – have been clamoring for a return to the largest automotive market in the world. Bernie Ecclestone is reportedly on board, working up a plan to place a race near New York City. But without the support of an American racing heavyweight – say, maybe...Tony George, for example – the project seemed doomed.
Anyone who even remotely follows IndyCar racing will instantly recognize the name Tony George. As head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he led the split that formed the Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League, and then fostered its re-merger. He was also responsible for bringing the USGP to Indy. But he's since been ousted from leading both the league and the speedway, shutting down his own IRL team in the aftermath.
Now it appears George – recently spotted in Shanghai as Ecclestone's guest at the Chinese Grand Prix – could be integral to efforts to re-start the USGP. But it may not even be held at Indy, the iconic facility where he still owns part stake. With his strong ties in the American racing scene, George has the connections to make it happen anywhere, coast to coast. In fact reports suggest that we could see multiple F1 races taking place in the United States, with a potential return to the East Coast, West Coast races held decades ago. Sound ambitious? Most definitely. But as many races as are currently packed into the calendar, Bernie isn't showing any signs of slowing down – saying the series could accommodate as many as 25 in a year – and if anyone can make it happen, it's Tony George.
[Source: ESPN | Image: Carey Akin/CC2.0]
In the absence of the American round of the world championship, companies participating in the series – whether as sponsor, constructor or engine supplier – have been clamoring for a return to the largest automotive market in the world. Bernie Ecclestone is reportedly on board, working up a plan to place a race near New York City. But without the support of an American racing heavyweight – say, maybe...Tony George, for example – the project seemed doomed.
Anyone who even remotely follows IndyCar racing will instantly recognize the name Tony George. As head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he led the split that formed the Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League, and then fostered its re-merger. He was also responsible for bringing the USGP to Indy. But he's since been ousted from leading both the league and the speedway, shutting down his own IRL team in the aftermath.
Now it appears George – recently spotted in Shanghai as Ecclestone's guest at the Chinese Grand Prix – could be integral to efforts to re-start the USGP. But it may not even be held at Indy, the iconic facility where he still owns part stake. With his strong ties in the American racing scene, George has the connections to make it happen anywhere, coast to coast. In fact reports suggest that we could see multiple F1 races taking place in the United States, with a potential return to the East Coast, West Coast races held decades ago. Sound ambitious? Most definitely. But as many races as are currently packed into the calendar, Bernie isn't showing any signs of slowing down – saying the series could accommodate as many as 25 in a year – and if anyone can make it happen, it's Tony George.
[Source: ESPN | Image: Carey Akin/CC2.0]
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