Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Can't keep Texas out of the news these days. The State should be pleased with the publicity, but I'm not sure this is the type they were looking for.

http://jalopnik.com/5970719/austins-circuit-of-the-americas-cancels-track-days-screws-over-racing-fans-everywhere?utm_campaign=socialflow_jalopnik_twitter&utm_source=jalopnik_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

So what gives? Is COTA going to follow India, Korea and Shanghai, and Turkey before it lost the F1 race, as F1 tracks that cannot afford to be kept open for other than the GP? The track says it is still staging major events, and is changing direction. Whatever that means. I cannot imagine that here in the US there are not enough people wanting to rent the track not to be worth taking their money. And it seems they have taken the money, cashed the check! This is becoming a pattern. First they fall out with Tavo over the F1 race, then Kevin Schwantz over the MotoGP, and now track renters.

Perhaps the noise complaints have forced this, but they did not put up much of a fight if that is so, and most of this type of use is road cars anyway.

Perhaps they are going to manage the track days etc themselves, but if so why not say so. This is creating bad feeling with the grass roots, and doubts about the viability of the track. And I can't imagine the politicians who are forking out millions to back this are going to be too happy if their constituents can't use it. Watch this space I guess. As readers know I have never understood the economics of this track.

Over to soccer, and after my blog the other day about the use of arms these days, there on Sky Sports is a discussion on "grappling." Glad I am not the only one who thinks this is a problem.