Now here’s how to get to the USGP

Since my last foray into the USGP got such rave comments, I thought I’d check back in on the track.

Well, to be more precise, I’m checking in at the Austin American-Statesman, since in one respect it seems to have up news that the Circuit of the America site doesn’t.

There’s going to be an history grand prix to support the Formula 1 race. Here’s from the Statesman:

“The series is the first support race announced for the weekend of Nov. 16 through 18.

“Formula One races generally have several support series as part of a full day of events. Other series are possible during race weekend, circuit spokeswoman Ali Putnam said, though she could not say what else was planned.

“Historic Grand Prix “allows our fans to see the technical and innovative progression of Formula 1 racing cars,” circuit Executive Vice President Bruce Knox said in a statement. “Historic Grand Prix is a series that was widely requested by our customers and we are pleased that it will be included as a USGP support race.””

Not sure why the statement doesn’t seem available at COTA, but there’s the news.

The other — and arguably bigger — news gets to one of my concerns about the race: getting in and out.

Let me pause for a second, since it sure seemed like I was misunderstood in my last post. I talked about my kinda, sorta lack of enthusiasm for the race, a free-floating ennui, if you will, that I can’t quite pin down.

I do know that I’m concerned about everything being ready, although not for the reasons I suspect most people think I am. Getting a track together and than all the infrastructure needed is a huge job. I’d be skeptical about it no matter who was doing it. And the rumors of hours of traffic to get in and out, well, as someone who already has survived Carmeggedon in Los Angeles and now faces the Rampture, I can’t help thinking: Ugh.

Perhaps it’s just a self-protection mechanism. We’ve all been burned before.

Still, this story at the Statesman perks me up.

“With roads near Austin’s soon-to-open Formula One track predicted to be backed up for miles on race weekend, some of the 120,000 expected attendees are looking skyward.

“Austin Helicopter Tours, a spin-off of San Antonio-based Alamo Helicopter Tours, recently opened for business and has a waiting list of more than 100 people interested in taking a copter to the festivities on Nov. 16-18, according to owner Randy Riggs.

“But Riggs said the company, which is already conducting flyover tours of the F1 construction site, isn’t sure just yet whether it will be able to land at the track this November — or if its pilots will need to drop passengers at nearby sites instead.

“”People have been calling us for more than a year,” Riggs said. “Right now, we’re kind of waiting to see what happens, so I’m just taking names. I’m not taking any money.”

“If things work out as Riggs hopes, he said his helicopters could ferry as many as 60 people an hour to the race from the company’s base at the Bud Dryden Airport off FM 969 in East Austin.”

Todd, can we work this into my weekend contract? You know Bernie would let me add it to any deal with him and FOM.