[Arizoni]

Some folks in India are going to be jumping and dancing in the streets.

This year on October 28-30 they will hold their first Formula 1 race at their brand new F-1 track near New Delhi.

IMO, F-1 is just about the only real race left between drivers and factories anymore.
With all of the Indy cars running the same engine, chassis and tires it has all of the competition of a Formula Renault race (where everyone has the same cars and tires and the only thing the teams can change is the paint job).  Hell, in Formula Renault they couldn't even change their sparkplugs.
NASCAR isn't any better.  About the only thing they can change is the suspension settings and the paint jobs (and lets not forget the same body with different headlight and grill decals).

F-1 on the other hand has many restraints but each car and each engine is unique and allowed to take advantage of everything and anything not regulated  from carbon fiber gearboxes which can change gears in a few thousandths of a second to aerodynamic features which give up to 4 "G's" of downforce to carbon brakes that give up to 6 "G's" worth of stopping power.

For those who don't know, Force India has been running their F-1 car this year  with moderate success.
They have finished in the first half of the pack in most of the races and quite frankly that's not to shabby.  Far better than team Lotus has been able to do this year.
About the best thing Lotus has pulled off is getting Renault to paint their cars gold and black like the old John Players car and paint a big LOTUS on the side.

Of course the front running Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes powered cars still outclass the rest of the pack but teams like Force India and Renault  keep them honest and make the race more interesting.

Now, some will say, "Who gives a sh**?" but I find that owning a Royal Enfield has given me a new interest in the goings on in India and, in a small way, a personal link to the country and their people.  Call me weird.    I've been called worse names.

Below is the F-1 schedule for 2011

http://www.formula1.com/races/calendar.html

[GlennF]

F1 is generally the only motor racing taking seriously anywhere else in the world.

Interestingly the US is actually hosting a Grand Prix in 2012, it will be the first time in maybe 4 years or more F1 has been hosted in the US, it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

[olhogrider]

F1 is generally the only motor racing taking seriously anywhere else in the world.

MOTOGP. 150,000 fans show up at venues all around the globe. Even here in the land of NASCAR it sold out. Next year they bring back the 1000cc bikes and a "claiming" class.

Were you talking CAR racing? Try World Rally Championship for excitement.

[barenekd]

I have been an F1 fan since the '50s. There is no better racing in the world although MotoGP is a close second.
I generally hate American racing, Cars and Motorcycles. Too many full track yellow and Red flags. Those guys advertise 500 mile races. They've NEVER had a 500 mile race, just a series of sprint races.
I do usually watch the Indy car spec races.
I give World rally this, I think they are the best drivers in the World, bar none. I do watch it occasionally. Wild stuff!
And a pic of part of my Ferrari F1 collection

[Ice]

owning a Royal Enfield has given me a new interest in the goings on in India and, in a small way, a personal link to the country and their people.

Just wait till you try Indian food, its just as addicting as the Bullet ! If you have then you know just what I am talking about      

[kauai1800]

I love F1 as well. I pay more attention to it some years than others, but I'll be sure to TiVo the India race.
And that's great Ferrari collection bare! Cool acrylic shelves too

[barenekd]

Just wait till you try Indian food, its just as addicting as the Bullet ! If you have then you know just what I am talking about  Wink  Grin  Cool

Indian cuisine is one of my favorite ethnic foods. Love the stuff. Wish my wife did.

Bare

[barenekd]

Just noticed the new movie, "Senna", just started playing here now. It's a documovie about Ayrton Senna. Supposed to be a great F1 movie. Gotta catch that one next week.
Bare

[Arizoni]

Every once in a while I make a curry but I don't know if the people in India would approve.
My curry powder is imported from Vietnam and I use a Coconut Milk base along with various vegetables and chicken and soy sauce.

Getting back to F-1, I didn't mean to imply that MOTOGP or other motorcycle road races aren't good.  I just can't get too excited about the U.S. auto racing.

I wonder if the earplug market is established near India's new  F-1 track?

F-1 racing was held in Phoenix for 3 years and I went to all three of them.

As a teenager I was in a rock band (guitar) and I've shot high powered firearms all my life.  I attended a few NASCAR, sports car, vintage sports car and drag races for years.  With all that my hearing has definitely been damaged but I NEVER could have believed how LOUD those F-1 cars are.
I've been going to some drag races starting back in the '50's and as anyone who has been to them can tell you those Top Fuel cars are LOUD!
So loud that the ground, the grandstand and  your whole body literally shakes but it is a low frequency ROAR.

The first F-1 race I went to I payed high bucks to sit in the covered grandstand at the start/finish line.  I noticed at the first day practice there were vendors selling earplugs and I thought, "No Way!  I can take some noise."
Within less than 1/2 hour my ears were splitting.  My head was pounding and I was looking for any earplugs I could find at ANY price.

The F-1 cars have a high frequency SCREAM that is as loud as a TF Dragster or even a military fighter jet and the sound cuts right thru fingers stuck in the ears like they weren't even there.  Totally unbelievable and AWESOME.

To give further insight into just how loud the F-1 cars are, I worked at a place that was a 2 1/2 miles (4 km) away from the race and people at work could hear the cars loud and clear.

Anyway, when the race returns to the U.S. in Texas I urge anyone who can go to do it.  It's something you'll remember the rest of your life.

[Ice]

Every once in a while I make a curry but I don't know if the people in India would approve.
My curry powder is imported from Vietnam and I use a Coconut Milk base along with various vegetables and chicken and soy sauce.

I don't think they would mind too much. I was told by few Indian fellows that curries in G.B. are quite a bit hotter than in India and that coconut, coconut milk and seafood become more common in the cooking the further south you go In India

[single]

Well,I am with y'all on Formula One.I have not been following but I will soon be able to upgrade the cable so that I can do so.
The one thing I really wish for is more in car video at all the tracks as I would love to "learn"the tracks.No sensible reason,I just wanna.
I pretty much like racing that has a lot of foreign flavor.I do not like dodge 'em or demo derby style "racing".
It is impressive to me that India will host A Formula One race.I,too,have developed a better attitude about India thanks to the RE association.Never gave 'em a thought before,one way or another.I like the British connection,but the bike was made in India,after all.And they are making better bikes with modern methods,seem really motivated to improve and all that.

[olhogrider]

It would be worth a trip to Texas to see F1. Is it coming to that new track they are building outside of Austin?

[Arizoni]

Yes.  The new track is in Austin
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/9/11198.html

They hope to have it ready for the 2012 season.

[barenekd]

The one thing I really wish for is more in car video at all the tracks as I would love to "learn"the tracks.No sensible reason,I just wanna.

When you get to watch F1 again, you will not be disappointed with in car cameras. To me, sometimes it's too much! It's pretty hard to tell exactly where you are on the track with a lot of shots. You have to know the layout very well to recognize the corner.
But the racing, particularly this year has been fantastic, very close racing with with close finishes with a surprise or two thrown in.
You won't be disappointed.
Sure beats the hell out of watching the NASCrap jalopy racing that reminds me of watching freeway traffic--go like hell side by side with a lot of tailgating going on, then slow to a crawl. I will have to admit some of the crashes are spectacular! And as the old story goes, went to the Fights the other day and a NASCrap race broke out.
Bare

[olhogrider]

Bare, every year they come to Sears Point ( I refuse to call it Infineon) where they have to make right turns, go up and down hills and shift gears. It always results in spectacular crashes. I always say I'm going but I never plan my schedule around it. Still haven't been. I think it would be fun to see NASCAR on a sportscar track.

Ben Spies has been promoting that new Austin track. I would go for F1 or MOTOGP.

[Desi Bike]

Heck, I want to see top fuel dragsters race to the end of the quarter mile, do a three point turn and race back.

[barenekd]

I did make it to "Senna" yesterday. It was a pretty decent documentary. It's nice to have something good to see about F1, or racing in general, than most of the crap they've been releasing in recent years.
RE content: I did put 52 miles on the Olde J-3 to make the round trip. The movie is showing at one theater down in South County, so I took an interesting route to get there. Then had a dinner date with my wife, so had to do a bit of freeway running to get home.
I had the front wheel off the other day and when I tightened everything up I didn't bounce the forks first. I tried them out as I got ready to go yesterday and they were really grunchy feeling, so I had to loosen the pinch bolt and bounce it a few times, then retighten the bolt. Works well now.
Bare

[dogbone]

I attended Watkins Glen until the last race. The international crowd, the "bog", and the sweetest sounds coming from those exausts. Alas the track became too narrow,and the US promotors mucked up the relations ,,,