MAY 4, 2010

Jersey City plan to revive US GP?

A report in the Jersey Journal suggests that plans are afoot to host a possible F1 race in Liberty State Park, possibly at night and with the New York City skyline as backdrop.

A report in the Jersey Journal suggests that plans are afoot to host a possible F1 race in Liberty State Park, possibly at night and with the New York City skyline as backdrop.

Preliminary talks are believed to have already taken place with a proposal outlining a 3.6-mile road course and the possibility of a Singapore-style event to run from 2012. "The incredible backdrop of the New York skyline will not only boost ticket sakes but also provide striking TV footage," said the proposal.

In a similar move to the early opposition to the Melbourne race in Albert Park, however, 'The Friends of Liberty State Park' have already written to the Jersey City mayor, complaining that such race plans fly in the face of the park's intended use as a haven, with nature areas and a habitat for walking, biking and jogging.

Mayor Healy admitted that there have been preliminary conversations but said that plans were "very much in the exploratory phase" and "may not be something that are in the best interest of Jersey City or Liberty State Park."

With the US Grand Prix missing from the F1 schedule since the 2007 race at Indianapolis, a number of teams are more than keen to see it revived and with Canada now reinstated to the schedule, believe a North American double-header still makes most sense in marketing terms. Speculation was furthered when former Indy boss Tony George, who is believed still to have some sort of naming rights, was spotted talking to Bernie Ecclestone in Shanghai.

The City That Never Sleeps could hardly claim that a Formula 1 race would be too intrusive and it could be that an opportunity to boost business activity on the more industrial Jersey side of the Hudson River could be a fit for the type of investment needed to satisfy Ecclestone's demands and make the race viable.