Ecclestone: “No doubt” over New Jersey race in 2015

2015 F1 season

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Bernie Ecclestone says he has “no doubt” a Formula One race in New Jersey will go ahead in 2015 after it was postponed for a second time.

The FIA published the official 2014 F1 calendar today with no slot for a race in New Jersey. The event, which was originally supposed to take place this year, now cannot do so until 2015 at the earliest.

“There is great demand for a race in New Jersey,” said Ecclestone in a statement released by the race promoters, “and I have no doubt we’ll be racing at Port Imperial in 2015.”

“New races can take many years to get started, but there is significant momentum and we are close to realizing a New York City F1 race.”

Grand Prix of America special assistant Chris Pook, formerly a promoter of the Long Beach Grand Prix, said: “This is a very complicated circuit and incredibly important to the overall Formula One program in North America.”

“To get it right in New York will greatly increase awareness of Formula One and motor racing across the continent. I remain very confident about this event.”

A 5.15km (3.2 mile) course for a race around the streets of New Jersey was proposed last year.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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22 comments on “Ecclestone: “No doubt” over New Jersey race in 2015”

  1. I like the fact that F1 may have two races in America. We need to show them what they are missing out on :-)

    None of this ‘keep turning left on a massive boring oval’, give me corners any day :-)

    1. Personally, I have never understood the joy of going round and round around an oval circuit… to the left.

      1. Reminds me of that south park episode…

        “I can turn left better than you!!!”

        1. There are different types of ovals; but the super-speedways (Indianapolis, Pocono) are the ovals that everyone who can appreciate racing should go to. If you ever wandered what a car averaging around 235+ mph around either one of those circuit and the fact that you can get up close to the cars going those speeds (the only kind of road circuits you can do that at are street circuits, Monaco is one) is incredible. Unfortunately, I imagine most of the users on this very nice site are British and have never been to an IndyCar race on an oval. Granted- I like road racing much more because it’s more interesting- but oval racing (IndyCars, not NASCAR) can be spectacular to watch particularly at a superspeedway.

          And there are many amazing road circuits in the United States that I am sure you and a lot of other users on this site are sadly not aware of on this site other than COTA. That’s sad, because those courses are overshadowed by the fact that American motor racing is associated with high-speed oval racing. There are tracks like Watkins Glen (one of the more famous American tracks) which F1 used from 1961-1980, is one of the best road courses in the world- I think its up there with the best European venues such as the Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, Brands Hatch, Le Mans, and Monaco; and other venues like Bathurst, Macau, Suzuka, etc. Also, a few more great circuits in the US: Road America, Laguna Seca, Infineon, VIR (Top Gear went there once), Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, Sebring, Daytona (the road course), Barber, and a number of others. Even check out Mosport Park, F1 used that venue from 1967-1977 and Mont-Tremblant, which was also used by F1 twice (both those tracks are on this site); both those tracks are in Canada. Look up any of those tracks on youtube, and I guarantee you and everyone else who hasn’t seen any of those tracks will be impressed.

          It’s unfortunate that road racing not just in the USA but North America is overshadowed by IMO mostly boring NASCAR oval racing.

    2. I want to be there in 2015.

    3. Well. i always tought Canada was in America…

    4. I’m a huge F1 fan and I live in NYC. This is the second year in a row I’ve been seriously disappointed. I really hope it happens in 2015.

      1. I hope this happens for us F1 fans on the East coast!!!

    5. I agree. Bring F1 to the East coast (USA)!!!

  2. The fact that Chris Pook is involved is one of the few things that give hope for this project. A successful venue as an interesting track with good facilities conducive to bringing in an interested fan base is more important to me than what country the vent is held in. Even as an American I say that because I would hate to see a dull street course with limited passing opportunities. The fan base should be there, if the show is good.

  3. *vent = event

  4. Is it just me or does anyone else not believe a word Bernie says to the press any more? he’s clearly just using the publicity as another bargaining chip when it comes to talking to race promoters…somehow it seems to work with the UK tax office too :-/

    1. There was going to be a Chinese gp in 1999, a Korean gp in the early 00s and so on. Bernie is an old-old school entrepreneur and somehow powerful enough to get away with it (in terms of power, the law maybe not so much). He states his wishes, rather than the results of a feasibility study.

      For what it’s worth, I think New Jersey is more likely a Disneyland gp, than a Chinese gp.

    2. Well, I do recall him saying very similar things last year regarding 2014

  5. Whay so stubborn on making this New Jersey race happen?

    1. Because New York.

      1. Exactly, Having a race in or very close to New York City has been something the teams have wanted for decades.

        The teams want/need to bring in more revenue, They need to attract new sponsors, New investors etc… So having a race so close to NYC brings real opportunities commercially for the teams.

        Its the same reason the teams put up with the Pre-2003 Monaco pit facilities/paddock arrangement for as long as they did. They all hated the cramped pit lane & everything that came with Monaco, Yet commercially it was great for them so they kept quiet.
        Had that been any other venue they would have been very vocal about how inadequate it really was by the late 80s.

  6. Is it just me, or does it feel like someone has NOT put enough money in Bernie’s personal pocket yet to make Jersey happen?

    1. Tony Soprano has to get his cut 1st. Even Bernie won’t mess with that. As much as i want it to happen, i don’t think it ever will. New Jersey and Texas might be in the same country, but they are not even close to being in the same world.

  7. Also, it’s a shame that this race got postponed again- but it was really rather inevitable; the financial situation with that event is not a good one. I hope it happens, and I think it will- Chris Pook, the man behind the Long Beach GP is involved, and that is great for the race. Hopefully the moderators of this site will allow someone to post pics of the roads and area where the track is located- its pretty spectacular.

  8. Isn’t this what he has been saying for YEARS now…. Fact is, nobody is talking much about F1 around here and certainly not about a potential race…

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