March 27, 2007
Governor's Island...Raceway?
Two long-festering plans could come together: Redeveloping Governor's Island and bringing car racing to NYC. The NY Sun reports that the Indy Racing League might be interested in including a Governor's Island race in its circuit. A spokesman told the Sun:
"Governors Island certainly is something that has come up, but in terms of definitive plans, we still have a long way to go. We've had some discussions with people in the greater New York City area [ including the agency overseeing the island's development]. No single idea has been approved or shot down."Huh, "Greater New York City" could mean anything. And thought Indy Racing says there's a long way to go, given the way the development of Governor's Island has been going, waiting probably isn't a problem.
The Sun also reports that the head of the Governor's Island Preservation and Education Corporation told the city that developers would be asked to design different parts of Governor's Island (previously, developers offered overarching plans for the whole island's future). In January, GIPEC announced five finalists for the park and open space design.
One interesting thing is that apparently the Indy Racing League (which includes drivers like Dario Franchitti (Mr. Ashley Judd), Sam Hornish Jr., and Danica Patrick) started to allow courses with city roads. We've never understood the allure of watching a car on an oval track, but a car race on city streets is something else. Of course, last December, NASCAR's plans to bring a racetrack to Staten Island came to screeching halt.
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I would support this only if it didn't mean building a permanent race track. It'd also be cooler if it was Formula 1 and not stupid indy-cars. Not that either one will end up happening...
A racetrack on Governor's Island?? C'mon, already.
Just move the United Nations there and be done with it. Then the city can reclaim that section of town and there won't have to be gridlock whenever the UN Assembly meets.
How completely ridiculous.
Talk about ridiculously inefficient--I mean think about ferrying required just to move the cars and the semi trailers that carry the cars onto the island.
The idea to move the UN there is the best one.
It eliminates gridlock and all the malparkers can be on their own little island.
Plus, it would make security for the UN much easier.
You have GOT to be kidding. That would be a heinous waste of that beautiful space.
It's certainly an unusual idea for Governor's Island, but keep in mind that the Indy Racing League is very much a minor-league entity. When it comes to motorsports there is a huge between (1) NASCAR and (2) everything else.
I am convinced that the failure of the Staten Island NASCAR plans was a huge mistake that will come back to haunt New York big time. NASCAR has grown far beyond its regional roots to become America's second most important sport, trailing only the mighty NFL. Baseball is your Dad's sport, with a storied history but lacking in modern in-your-face buzz. Without NASCAR, New York will never be a first-class sports city.
Yeah, Peter, you're dead on - let's build a nascar track over the AY. The Atlantic Yard 500 has a good ring to it, doesn't it?
If you love Nascar so much, move to Atlanta, Dallas or go back to wherever the fuck you're from. NYC doesn't need a permanent racetrack.
Definitely -- NYC's economy will collapse because of our failure to lure NASCAR with a permanent race track that would be used three times per year.
I thought I hadn't heard anything dumber than putting a IRL track on Governor's Island until I read:
"Without NASCAR, New York will never be a first-class sports city."
ARE YOU F***ING SERIOUS???
I mean, Jesus, where do you start?
The greatest baseball team in history plays here.
Some of the greatest prizefights in history have happened here.
Any list of the greatest sports events of the 20th Century would have to include:
Willis Reed's hobbling onto the court
Secretariat's winning the Triple Crown
Ali-Frazier I (MSG)
The '69 Mets
The '56 NFL Title Game (Colts/Giants, Yankee Stadium)
Louis-Schemelling (YS again)
Joe Namath's boast
... I could go on, and if anyone has any to add, please PLEASE do.
Saying "Without NASCAR, New York will never be a first-class sports city" is like saying "Without malls, New York will never be a first-class shopping city."
Don't mean to go off, Peter, your other points are well-taken, but... c'mon... you are either woefully misinformed on this point or you have a vastly overinflated opinion of stock car racing, which last I looked is the #5 sport in the USA (okay, maybe a slight edge over the NHL, though most NHL fans I know would knock your teeth in if you tried to make that argument).
A few things relevant to considering the likelihood of this actually happening:
* Back in the 1980s Formula One negotiated with Henry Stern (head of Parks) to hold a race in Flushing Meadows Park. Never happened.
* Recently a consortium that included Paul Newman (a major team owner in the ChampCar series) made efforts to stage a race at Gateway National Park. That never went anywhere.
* In the 1990s ChampCar's predecessor, CART, made half-hearted efforts to come up with a street course incorporating part of the Financial District. That never went anywhere.
* In the 80's CART held races at the Meadowlands. That survived for a few years, then was dropped from the schedule (but not before a driver, Arie Luyendyk, went off-course and almost found himself on Route 3).
Point is, the stories of open-wheel series trying to make inroads into NYC are legion. The success rate is very slim, and this proposal poses more challenges than others that never reached fruition.
This will never happen.
I thought they were going to deport all the drunken NYU campus kids there.
Peter, this is terrible news. I've ALWAYS wanted New York to be a first-class sports city. Now I'm crushed.
Without mac and cheese and Wal-Mart, NYC will suffer while the rest of America "benefits" from these cultural behemoths.
Take your fucking NASCAR and shove it up your hick ass.
Why would anyone want to build a race track on Governor's Island ? It's got to be the stupidest idea I've ever heard .