Gothamist: Governor's Island...Raceway?

Still Not Amused

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:24:54 -0500

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 .

anonymass

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:10:05 -0500

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.

sam

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:17:49 -0500

Peter, this is terrible news. I've ALWAYS wanted New York to be a first-class sports city. Now I'm crushed.

jork

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:42:36 -0500

I thought they were going to deport all the drunken NYU campus kids there.

Graham

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:58:18 -0500

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.

Tim N.

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:43:18 -0500

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

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:51:35 -0500

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.

moo

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:22:19 -0500

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.

Peter

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:14:05 -0500

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.

MT

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:38:31 -0500

You have GOT to be kidding. That would be a heinous waste of that beautiful space.

Toby

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:33:30 -0500

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.

bt

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:33:27 -0500

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.

mike

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:21:10 -0500

How completely ridiculous.

Nimby the Great

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:36:52 -0500

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.

jtg

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:26:57 -0500

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...