Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

toasty_boi12345678 OP t1_j6558fy wrote

Reply to comment by KungLa0 in Why does CT only have oval tracks or kart tracks, I feel like it would be good to have a grand prix style track for racing by toasty_boi12345678

I'm also not in a financially stable position as I don't have a job, being I'm 15, I am sure that once I do have a stable job 300 for a track day won't be too expensive, but looking at it from a money conscious perspective, $300 is a lot, I'm not saying everyone in CT is Jeff Bezos, I was wondering how CT doesn't have many GP style tracks, there's certainly some very wealthy people here in CT, so I expected the car and racing culture to be more prevalent

1

KungLa0 t1_j656b5f wrote

Well I think theres some misconceptions about who actually goes to races (especially in the US), the 1% corporate bankers and lawyers that make up Connecticut's wealthy class are not the same people buying tickets to the USGP or Indy (for the most part). Another thing is, with such a small state, land is a huge commodity (we can't make more of it, whatever is there is there) - and racetracks not only take up a huge amount of physical space, they also put a strain on the local infrastructure (Towns, hotels, highways, etc). And rich people are also not confined by locality - if they want to take the 458 and race they'll fly to Spa for a private track day or down to COTA or whatever. CTs cold weather makes it a poor place to race half the year so these tracks just sit there hemorrhaging money.

Add to that that motorsports are really not popular relatively speaking here in the US, and for the last 50+ years the main flavor here was oval track. F1 was always a european centric sport and IMSA is nowhere near as popular as NASCAR/Indy.

$300 was a lot to me at 15 too, when you're older it becomes easier to justify the hobby.

2

toasty_boi12345678 OP t1_j6575ay wrote

You are actually one of the first ones to give me a reason to why CT doesn't have many GP style tracks

1

NeOxXt t1_j68xkwz wrote

Car and racing culture is extremely prevalent in CT. Maybe only 2nd to the greater LA area. You're speaking from a perspective that lacks experience.

We're the 3rd smallest state in the country and have 2 road courses, one being very highly decorated and historical. We live in the oldest, most developed and dense part of the country. High real estate costs, lack of availability, high taxes and even still, higher insurance premiums make it near impossible for the development of a new track.

If you think $300 for entry is a lot, the upkeep of the vehicle and safety equipment in order to participate will be staggering to you.

Money conscious and any kind of racing do not belong in the same sentence. AutoX with CART, or Fairfield SCCA are good for the entry level. Track Nite in America can get you in to whet your appetite. Otherwise, start saving.

Also, they're called road courses - not "GP style". GP implies that Formula 1 has run the track.

1