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Races
Before yesterday's press conference on SPEED TV, we posed a question to our fans: What are your initial thoughts on adding an F1 race to the 2013 calendar in Weehawken and West New York, New Jersey?
It's an unscientific poll, but the majority of the respondents are in favor of an additional Formula One race in the United States because of the potential to grow the American fan base.
There's some news breaking about "the future of grand prix racing in the United States" coming from Autoweek, saying that a special announcement will air on Speed TV this Tuesday. Much of the speculation about this announcement is rumored to be involving a grand prix race in New Jersey, and expected to be for the 2013 race calendar.
While little else is known about this news, we expect it to attract much attention leading up to Tuesday's press conference, but don't expect any wild speculation on our part. We don't foresee a project on the same scale that Circuit of the Americas is undertaking.
While I can say that a race across the Hudson River from New York city would be exciting, we'll have to wait and tune in to Speed TV at 2pm Eastern time this coming Tuesday, Oct 25th.
This announcement does not mean or even imply a cancellation of the return of the F1 USGP in Austin; all of our sources confirm that Circuit of the Americas is on track for a November 18, 2012 race. So lets see what happens on Tuesday and until then, Keep Calm and Race On.
Upon wrapping up their second consecutive world championship title with three races remaining in the season, most drivers probably wouldn’t be racing the rest of the field so hard that they look like they’re still competing for the title. One would also think that such a driver starting second on the grid Sunday will surely drive a bit more conservatively this weekend, trying to avoid the mayhem that inevitably ensues on the first lap while the drivers try to find their place. But then, most drivers aren’t Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Renault.
About midway through the first lap, Vettel had already attempted two passing maneuvers on pole sitter McLaren-Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton - the second which paid off – and then opened a full 1-second gap at the start of lap 2. By the end of the race he finished 12 seconds clear of 2nd place Hamilton, who struggled most of the race to keep at bay Vettel’s teammate, a quicker Mark Webber. This battle for 2nd place was probably the most interesting one on the 
Sebastian Vettel took his rightful spot at the front of the pack mid-way through lap 1. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)track and resulted in Hamilton finished a mere 0.4 seconds in front of 3rd place Webber, who could not make a couple of passes on track stick. The gutsy wheel-to-wheel driving didn’t stop there however, as McLaren-Mercedes’ other driver Jenson Button spent most of his race clawing his way back up to a 4th place finish, equaling his starting position on the grid. He also spent much of the last half of the race fending off Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished 1 second behind. Alonso’s teammate Felipe Massa finished 6th. Red Bull’s 1st and 3rd place finishes were also enough this weekend to secure their second consecutive constructors championship.
It figures. We go boasting about how construction at Circuit of the Americas is soooo ahead of schedule because of our drought, and then BAM! Rain, rain, rain. Some speculate that it is a result of the University of Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma University Sooners football game. Moving on...
Jenson Button and his Mini-Me!
Our fans still braved the rain and joined us once again at Six Lounge where we had more seating, more food and better audio setup to enjoy the Japanese Grand Prix.
And enjoy the race, we did! WOW, Suzuka, you did not disappoint! Congratulations to Jenson Button! We bet these F1 plush dolls are worth a pretty penny now! Check out Jenson's mini-me below:
And, we had a little fun with Sebastian Vettel's double World Championship win which was secured at Suzuka. Have you seen the viral Double Rainbow YouTube video? I have heard the term used over the past year, but didn't realize there was a video to match. I finally watched it last week and couldn't stop laughing.
On March 11th this year, a devastating earthquake shook Japan, displacing thousands and leaving a permanent mark on Japan. The recovery process has been long underway, but much work remains and many residents have still yet to return to their homes and start rebuilding.
With the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, the Formula 1 community is stepping up their efforts to aid Japan. HRT driver Viantonio Liuzzi will be racing tomorrow in a special edition helmet to be auctioned off, and McLaren Drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will be donating similar custom designed racewear worn during the race.
left: Jenson Button's girlfriend Jessica Michibata with a Bernie doll right: Monisha Kaltenborn, Sauber Team CEO and a Kamui Kobayashi doll (Images from Twitter)
Fans enjoy the Singapore Grand Prix at SIX Lounge in Austin, TXAlmost two weeks ago, the first downtown watch party at SIX Lounge was the initial kick-off to a central location party where fans could get together and watch the race, make new friends, and enjoy an afternoon cocktail and some food.
Not only was the race an exciting one, the party was a big hit with those who attended. We were pleased to see so many new faces who came to check out the event and learn more about F1. SIX Lounge is a great place to get together so it's no surprise that we expect this weekend's event to be even bigger. Robert DeGroff will have his iRacing simulator running the Suzuka track, so come test your driving abilities on this awesome machine!
