• US Grand Prix

New bidder emerges for US Grand Prix

ESPNF1 Staff
May 23, 2010 « Hamilton formally charge by Australian police | »
The Monticello Motor Club circuit near New York © Getty Images
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A report in the Toronto Sun has indicated there is another bid on the table to host a US Grand Prix.

Ari Strauss, president of the Monticello Motor Club, a road course near New York, released a letter after meeting with Bernie Ecclestone about hosting the event.

"A few months ago, Bill McMichael [the club's chairman] and I met with Bernie Ecclestone," Strauss said. "We discussed the terms for an exclusive 10-year United States Grand Prix to be hosted at MMC. Shortly thereafter, Hermann Tilke, the chief engineer and circuit designer for F1, spent time at MMC and confirmed that our track and surrounding properties, with some expansion and minor track modifications, is an excellent location for a Grand Prix.

"Since receiving a letter of understanding from FOM confirming their hope to bring the US Grand Prix to Monticello, Bill and I have continued to secure the backing and support of local, state, and federal politicians and organisations."

Ecclestone has made no secret of his desire to have a race neat Manhattan, and in the that regard the MMC is not ideal as it is situated about 75 miles from the city, in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains.

The club's website states: "The track is 4.1 miles and includes 22 unique turns and 12 distinct configurations ... with over 1.5 miles of straights, the Monticello Motor Club has some of the fastest track segments available in the world."

"Securing F1 is like winning the Olympics," Strauss told the paper. "Competition is fierce, and this is not a done deal. While the prospect of F1 at MMC is exciting, we remain focused on our core business: The club and its members."

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