Can you imagine what this might be like?
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...netianView.jpg
Photo credit: formula1.com
Can you imagine what this might be like.
Yes, I think we'd better have a significant RTA Contributors viewing section someplace.
and a bunch more renderings of the Strip here.
Wow.
Mark
Trying very hard to imagine it ! WOW !!
Very hard to imagine these machines going past the Bellagio at 200mph !! Great image.
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Yes, I think we'd better have a significant RTA Contributors viewing section someplace.
Now that would be something !
Dave.
It could of been worse !!
The 'Halo' was only introduced in 2018 and wasn't much liked by many drivers. The photo below shows how it seperated the drivers head from the tarmac !!
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The car at rest !
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The driver was checked out and released with no harm done !
Dave.
Hard to know what "no harm" actually means
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Originally Posted by
Southwest Dave
The driver was checked out and released with no harm done !
Dave.
sheesh, looking at how that "cab" crushed around the driver -- hard to believe that he wasn't hurt. I bet he wasn't able to self-exit from that scene?
So, since I made this original post, I have seen this scene a few times on the Netflix series. Remarkably, he was OK and is doing fine.
Mark
The car didn't do so well !
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Originally Posted by
Mark Sedenquist
sheesh, looking at how that "cab" crushed around the driver -- hard to believe that he wasn't hurt. I bet he wasn't able to self-exit from that scene?
Mark
He was extracted in a concious condition by medical experts and taken on a stretcher to the medical room and then flown to hospital to get fully checked where he was declared 'fit and healthy' !! It has been described as a miracle but it's a big pat on the back for all those that take care of the design and construction of all the safety features in the car and around the track ! (Plus a bit of luck!!) I think the outcome would of been different if this had been at a street circuit such as Monaco, Singapore or (coming soon) Las Vegas.
Dave
Plans for race teams and spectators.
News on the development of a 300,000sq ft paddock for the Formula 1 teams pit area with spectator floors above. The land has been acquired but with only a year to go before this huge event returns to LV, I suggest they get a move on !Article here
The Venetian is a presenting partner to the Grand prix and the racetrack goes right past it. They are talking about a $1B restoration project to be completed before the GP and will offer suites and experiences connected to the race.
Dave
I had no idea that this happened.
That is so weird, I was in town on November 5th, but I had no idea that this happened.
Thanks for the video post.
Mark
Really, really purty cars.
Really, really purty cars.
You going to come to Las Vegas for the race??
Mark
I drove most of the race route today:
Dave,
In honor of you, Megan and I drove most of the race route today:
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The only parts that we couldn't really drive were the short section through pit row and the loop around the Sphere.
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Courtesy of F1 Racing -- Las Vegas
It's pretty darn amazing the work they done on this route thus far.
We should have shot some photos.. I will do that sometime later in the week and post here.
And here is some information about the tickets for viewing the event!
Mark
Not quite race pace I hope!
Very cool Mark! I have been keeping an eye on the development progress as race day edges closer. F1 has a new world champ with Max Verstappen having already sewn up the title but there has been some good competitive racing going on behind him. Can you imagine touching close to 200mph down the Strip?
I can't believe some of the prices being charged for the event!
Dave
it was only for practice sessions.
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Originally Posted by
Southwest Dave
I can't believe some of the prices being charged for the event!
Dave
Yeah, too rich for me. There were some $200 per ticket prices "reserved" for locals, but it turns out it was only for practice sessions. That hasn't made a lot of locals very happy.
I don't know when we can go get those photos -- but will try and get it done in the next week or so.
Mark
Fancy the paddock ? YIKES!
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There were some $200 per ticket prices "reserved" for locals, but it turns out it was only for practice sessions.
Yeah, I'm seeing cheapest tickets for the 3 day pass at $1248 standing room only and close to $30,000 for a VIP paddock pass !!
Dave
some of the hotel room rates have dropped a bit.
It is true that some of the hotel room rates have dropped a bit. But the other reality is that some of the Strip hotels are 100% booked for the weekend.
The local paper is reporting that:
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four Caesars Entertainment properties have fallen as much as 75 percent leading up to race weekend Nov. 16-18., since first posted in November 2022.
Paris Las Vegas is sold-out, no more rooms available for the weekend.
but the last known rate for four days was $1513.
The four day stay at the following hotels are now listed at:
The Linq was at $2694 in November --> Now at $778.58
Planet Hollywood was at $4336 in November -- now is at $1083
Caesars Palace was at $5232 in November -- now at $2182
So, yes, there has been some dropping of the rates -- but I expect all of the seats will be fully full.
Mark
F1 Racecourse -- Photo Spread #1
All photos by Megan Edwards, captured from the car on November 11th at about 7 am PST.
Parts of the course can't be driven by mere mortals, but here are some photos from the line of march of this race course.
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This is the start of the new pits facility and the start finish line
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This isn't part of the course, per se, but they built a new bridge the goes over the race course at Flamingo and Koval
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The race course is basically traveling north on Koval here -- (right in front of us) and we'll turn north to follow it.
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The race course is off to our left -- but you can see some of the brand new sky boxes built along Koval Road. In about 3 seconds the cars will turn right (east) on a new access road that drives around the Sphere.
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Another view on Koval looking north -- notice the Sphere on the right. This is the corner of Koval Road and Winnick.
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At this corner the race cars turn east (right) and race around a brand new road around the Sphere, eventually rejoining the roadway on Sands Blvd.
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Have to imagine that you've seen the cars exit the Sphere road and are now going west on Sands Blvd. Now west-bound heading for the Strip.
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Roaring past the Palazzo, west-bound on Sands about 2 seconds from the Strip.
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Still going west-bound. Palazzo on the left, Wynn Hotel on right. And you can see the "Cloud" at the Fashion Show Mall at the Strip.
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Slowing down (slightly) for the left-hand turn from Sands to the Las Vegas Strip
More photos on next post...
Part II of the F1 Race course
Continuing our "roadtrip" down the F1 Course... (Scroll up to see the course in the complete order)
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Hard, braking left-hand turn from Sands Blvd to Las Vegas Blvd. After the left-turn will be going south on the Strip.
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What race car drivers will have to avoid when they make that turn onto the Strip.
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Speeding up now as cars zoom south on the Strip. Palazzo on left and TI on the right.
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Getting closer to maximum speed passing the Cromwell on the left and Caesars Palace on the right.
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Really flying now as they pass Paris on the left and the Bellagio Sky Boxes on the right
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Zooming past Aria Hotel southbound, getting ready for the left-hand turn (east) onto Harmon.
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Left-hand turn from the Strip onto Harmon -- looking at the Polo Towers.
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Here is a better view of that sweeping left-hand turn onto Harmon from Las Vegas Blvd. There are two cars turning left just as the race cars will be doing.
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Tight corner exiting Las Vegas Blvd onto Harmon the track goes around the light island to the right of the frame.
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Ramping up speed again going east on Harmon heading for the pits/ start and finish lines
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Another view heading east on Harmon
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Nearing the pits and start finish line -- that is Top Golf on the right
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And then we are back at the Start/Finish Line.
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One more bonus image: -- This is on Las Vegas Blvd looking north at the Harmon turn -- just to see some of the work done to get ready for this.
I hope you enjoyed this little road trip!
If you would like to see the entire trip in one post go here.
drove the Strip portion last night about 12:00 am PST
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Originally Posted by
Southwest Dave
Dave (Wishing he was there)
Yep, we were thinking of you when we drove the course.
We actually drove the Strip portion last night about 12:00 am PST on the way home after dinner out. It's going to be wild.
And the timing will be a lot more convenient for you to watch. Practices and Qualifying will be ~ 6 am UK time and the actual race start will be 4 am in the UK.
Mark
Megan and I drove the Strip again this afternoon about 2 pm.
Megan and I drove the Strip again this afternoon about 2 pm. Traffic actually seemed lighter to us than normal and delays were minimal.
The weirdest thing to me is that the county plans to reopen the Strip every day.
As planned:
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The roads that make up the circuit will start to shut from 5pm on each of the three days of F1 track activity and reopen from 2am.
What I can't imagine is how they will keep the track clean if cars and trucks are allowed to drive on it for several hours each day. Plus the crash fences will have to be built and take down three times over the course of the F1 schedule where they cross the Strip. Seems crazed to me.
Mark
"Froogs Camp" might be more amusing
There are plenty of locals who are directly impacted by this event -- especially hospitality workers who don't think that there will be a sufficiently good weekend to offset the pain of not being to easily get to work.
I think the FI organization and Liberty Media badly mis-judged the level of interest in this event. I looked around at the grandstands and there are seats available at all of them. Prices have dropped significantly. If the pricing had been reasonable from the outset, I think all grandstand seats would have been purchased. I, personally, would have attended -- I like F1 -- but not enough to spend thousands of US dollars for an uncomfortable seat with limited visibility. I also think it very tacky that the FI organizers have blocked all visual access from ground level of the Strip properties. They also had the questionable judgment to insist that the hotels pay them thousands of dollars for visual access of the race from hotel rooms. Most of the resorts told them--appropriately--to "pound sand."
The concern about traffic has led most of the ride-share drivers (Uber and Lyft) to "stand down" this weekend and so finding an Uber for tourists is likely to be a nightmare.
I think the attitude of the local F1 organization will set back fan interest in this sport ten-fold here.
On the plus side, it is amazing what they have built for this race. And having driven on the race course 5-6 times in the last few days --the smooth paving is pretty cool.
Next year, I am going to look for for deals and will probably attend -- but the hubris of the F1 organizers might well keep me away.
One of the nice effects is that locals are "terrified" of the possible traffic hassle and so we expect traffic around the Strip to be much reduced this weekend. Making it easier for us to attend a special "Froogs Camp" event on the Strip on Friday.
Mark
The cross-overs would still put the race course at risk
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Originally Posted by
Southwest Dave
As an afterthought. Could it be possible it's a limited opening and the actual race track will be off limits? ( I'm thinking if the track is one side of the Strip they open the other)
Dave
Yeah, I thought of this too -- except that the race course crosses over the north-bound Strip in two places -- Sands Blvd and Harmon and so north-bound traffic would drive right through the race course.
Mark
Our litmus test for evaluating weekend events
Our litmus test for evaluating weekend events is to drive past the corporate jet parking lot on the Las Vegas Strip. It was nearly empty last night. There were several jets, parked in the first row, earlier in the week.
So we will keep an eye on this. The lack of high-rollers flying in is worrisome-at best.
Mark
Megan and I just drove the Strip again.
Megan and I just drove the Strip again. Almost no one on the road!
We also drove to the private jet staging area at the Henderson Airport -- clearly, that is the place for the intended F1 traffic. They have reserved parking spaces for about 50 jets. There are 5 or 6 in there now.
Lots of limos!
And we spoke with a local friend who is going to the watch the practice tonight at the Sphere Grandstand -- he is really looking forward to it.
Mark
