Quote:
Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan
I think COTA is a great circuit and hope the WEC sticks with it, but if not I'd prefer Road America to anywhere else.
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The primary issue with COTA is that it just doesn't draw well. There are several elements to that:
1. It's still
really hot in September in Texas.
2. September is also college football season, which is a particular problem as the University of Texas is located in Austin.
3. Too many other races at the track for an area that's still new to non-NASCAR motorsports.
4. PWC having a race there a couple of weeks before the WEC date doesn't help things either.
5. Poor promotion.
The attendance issue is likely to be worse — maybe even much worse — with Porsche pulling out from LMP-1H and Toyota perhaps following suit. It's just a lot less compelling of an event, and less people will come from afar, especially when there's a series that a rather good substitute to LMP-1H-less that offers 12 races a year at tracks in the US and Canada.
Of course, if there's no LMP-1H next year, the WEC is going to have attendance issues at several other races as well.
There are rumors awhile back that the WEC was close to cutting a deal with Road America. I'm presuming that WEC would want some facility upgrades. I doubt that the WEC could get that out of Road America now.
I have to agree with what somebody said above, that it's easy to imagine the WEC just not having a race in the US. The market is already well served in GTE/GTLM by IMSA. P2 is a Pro-Am class. If any of the drivers/teams had a strong desire to do a race or two in the States, there's always Daytona and Sebring.