Ready or not, here comes Formula One

Two and one-half years after the announcement,  after a stop, a re-start, a postponement, four lawsuits and twenty months of construction, a couple of big political stinks over how much the City of Austin is kicking in (almost nothing), how much the State of Texas is kicking in (it may, or may not be $25 million dollars a year) and a last-minute annexation of the track site by the City of Austin, we are actually going to have a Formula One race this weekend.

No one is certain just how many people are going to show up, but ticket sales indicate at least 120,000 people, including 20,000 from outside the US are headed to Austin for the weekend. Officials suggest that a a bunch of people will show up just for the party; no ticket needed. This week six 747s brought more than 1 million pounds of equipment from Abu Dhabi, the previous race location; equipment needed by the Formula One management - that doesn't include the cars and the equipment that the competing teams will bring in.

ABIA is expecting fifty-eight international charters and private flights over the next few days; the airport issued 240 permits for domestic charters and private planes. A new customs facility has been opened, along with additional security checkpoints. At least three heliports have been set up city-wide, with as many as 200 helicopter round-trips scheduled for each, much to the dismay of nearby residents.

Then there’s the vehicular traffic. About 17,000 fans are expected to arrive at the track by private vehicles. The rest will arrive on 400 shuttle buses running from downtown, the Travis County Expo Center and two other lots. Some will arrive by limo, some by taxi. Bicyclists, oddly, aren’t allowed; instead they must lock up their bikes at a park near the airport and take a shuttle from there. Will all of that be enough to avoid a massive traffic jam in the Texas 130 corridor and other routes to the track? Last weekend they held a Formula One Run - a foot race on the 3.4 mile track. About 5,000 people turned out - and created a massive traffic jam. Uh oh.

Traffic jam or not, the economic benefit to Austin is astounding. Financially, it has been compared to a Super Bowl a year for the next ten years. Plus, the race is a great excuse for a party! Bring on the bands - Formula One Fan Fest will complete the total paralysis of the city with acts such as Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Willie Nelson, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel, Pat Green, Jerry Jeff Walker, Cindy Cashdollar, Del Castillo, Ruthie Foster and the Quebe Sisters.

As for the race itself, someone said, "F1 is like soccer, arranged marriages and eating dogs. Many Americans aren’t interested, but it’s huge elsewhere." Plus, the drivers turn right as well as left. That's just wrong.

Is this a great place to live, or what?