Not worth the hassle.

Wow. Am I the only one who had no idea until just now that MotoGP is this weekend?

It’s been all over my feed for the last couple of weeks.

Well, thanks a lot for telling us, man. ;)

Edited March 28Mar 28 by wood

MM off at T10 yesterday at 118 mph. I've always been afraid of a car losing it there. Imagine coming off your back there at that speed.

Son rode the new rollercoaster yesterday….

I ended up watching the Moto this past weekend.

Mein Gott im Himmel!

That shit is insane! I still have my motorcycle license but, those guys are on an insane level of insanity.

Amazing, just amazing

Not sure I've wanted something that has nothing to do with me fail so hard before.

• 
• The ATX @TheATX1

COTA Land Amusement Park begings hiring in May. From the ABJ:

https://t.co/FPOKhA39iZ

"In addition to putting the finishing touches on COTA Land's construction, there will be a huge hiring effort for the park. Tendler said the park plans to hire around 1,300 people. Weekend

• 10:05 PM · Apr 17, 2026

Does anyone besides us even know this new amusement park exists? Maybe they are advertising but I doubt it

21 hours ago, Updawg said:

Does anyone besides us even know this new amusement park exists? Maybe they are advertising but I doubt it

It exists, and is still kind of a work in progress I guess. Don't expect too much, though.

BTW, I saw a little video clip from GT World Challenge (or whatever SRO is calling itself this week). They're out at COTA this weekend. @elfenix , you out there? Couldn't see a single fan in the shot, except for 25 or so on the T3 bridge.

It reminded me of something I think we talked about a while back.I think we mentioned that he was planning to build some big building atop the T1 hill. Luxury suites or some shit iirc. So, they're building it, and now the footpath around T1 is blocked off completely. My guess (knowing how much Bobby cares about the fan experience) is that that's permanent. So at least for now, now if you're at the Main GS or T1 and want to go basically anywhere else around the track, you have to walk around T20 & 19 to and through the Grand Plaza. He's been trying for years to find ways to funnel people through the Grand Plaza. I guess this is his latest. Or maybe you can walk through the tunnel and across the bridge if they allow it that weekend. Imagine you're at T1 and want to go check out the esses for a little while. Used to be a 5 minute walk. Now it's probably 30+ if the bridges aren't gridlocked, which they probably will be since everyone will have to use them to get anywhere.

Fuck Bobby Epstein.

Live yt here if anyone wants to watch:

Edited April 26Apr 26 by wood

Those bridges are hell. But they have 5 trams to get everyone around efficiently!

Yeah, getting around that place gets worse and worse every year. Wish I had known this event was going on this weekend because I would have gone out there

I was gonna go but it was too hot out.

Just saw this on reddit ... holy schnikes. Aftermarket. COTA wants $420 + TM fees & taxes for 3 day GA.

And apparently there's an unticketed IMSA race event this weekend at COTA. I'll post more about that in @elfenix 's sportscar thread.

Edited May 5May 5 by wood

Oops, Stefano ...

Stefano Domenicali says F1 is far from finished with US e...

Stefano Domenicali says F1 is still only at the start of its US growth journey

Domenicali: "... we were in Austin, not 100 years ago, but just eight years ago, we had around 60,000 people."

Interesting choice for Stefano to admit that COTA only drew 60,000 on Sunday 8 years ago. COTA's never admitted to drawing fewer than 110k or so on Sunday, afaik. I guess he's referring to either 2017 or 2018. Probably 2018. I looked it up here, and I said at the time that it looked like maybe 70-75K at most. In 2018, they claimed 111,580 on Sunday. In 2017, COTA claimed 258k for the weekend, so 60k for Sunday doesn't work there, either.

At some point, you'll give up the crusade against COTA's numbers, but today is clearly not that day.

1 hour ago, Mittens said:

At some point, you'll give up the crusade against COTA's numbers, but today is clearly not that day.

I gave up a long time ago hoping that anyone in a position that matters would do anything about the theft of hundreds of million$ from the taxpayers of this state. Not gonna happen in this fucked up timeline. It is funny though when they slip up and actually say something true, and it's nice to see some vindication in black and white, after all the shit I've been given about what I know for a fact to be true (and there's a lot more stuff - much worse stuff - that I've never posted about. I don't wanna get pushed out a window).

It's weird. I remember when Rick Perry's state funding corruption sparked a huge furor, even though it involved far less money than COTA's received (well over $500 million so far), and Perry's corruption was spread among a whole bunch of companies. Not just one.

The striking contrast between what Stefano says here and what COTA claimed back then is especially interesting given that the tens of millions COTA gets from the State of Texas annually are supposed to be based on their attendance numbers.

Edited May 5May 5 by wood

doesn't seem like there's any spectators out there

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

doesn't seem like there's any spectators out there

Oh, is it Ferrari Challenge weekend? My boys will probably be out there tomorrow adding to their portfolios & making contacts.

ETA: No, that's next weekend. What happening today?

Edited May 9May 9 by wood

8 hours ago, wood said:

Oh, is it Ferrari Challenge weekend? My boys will probably be out there tomorrow adding to their portfolios & making contacts.

ETA: No, that's next weekend. What happening today?

imsa airbnb club races

56 minutes ago, elfenix said:

imsa airbnb club races

Oh yeah. Forgot about that.

BTW @Mittens , I was thinking about it ... why should I give that up? Why should I look the other way and say nothing? I already knew for a fact that they drew less than 70K on Sunday in 2016, and less than 90K (or worse) each of 2017-19. They were struggling, but despite the actual low pre-covid numbers, they claimed a COTA record crowd of 270K for the weekend in 2016 (over 100k more than reality), 258K for the weekend in 2017, 112K on Sunday in 2018, and an "estimated" 120K on Sunday in 2019. All laughable. And now Stefano comes right out and admits they drew just 60K in 2018, which is just a little more than half of what COTA claimed. And as the crowds grew after covid, the lies grew just as much.

And that's not nearly the worst of it. It's a fucking criminal enterprise.

Edited July 14Jul 14 by wood

LOL. Park isn't even open yet.

COTALAND sued for $1M over stuck roller coaster incident https://www.kxan.com/investigations/cotaland-sued-for-1m-over-stuck-roller-coaster-incident/

COTA employees never called 911, even with an AFD station and an ESD 11 station less than 5 minutes away. A bystander called 911 when she found out COTA hadn't, more than half an hour after the coaster stopped. No evacuation plan ... "Go get the manual". So perfectly COTA in every way.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A lawsuit filed against the Circuit of the Americas’ new theme park is alleging “gross negligence” after a roller coaster incident we reported on in December. COTALAND, which is set to fully open this year, is being sued for more than $1 million for not having an evacuation plan during the malfunction, which is alleged to have caused one rider “serious injury,” according to the legal complaint, which park officials pushed back against claiming it is “motivated by greed.”

‘Get the manual’

Cell phone video captured the moments Matthew Cantu and Nicholas Sanchez were stuck in a 90-degree position 120 feet in the air while riding the “Circuit Breaker” on Dec. 17. The two friends were left hanging in a vertical position for more than an hour, according to the suit.

“When you’re in that scenario and you hear them call out, ‘Get the manual,’ I mean that sends shivers down the spine,” said Cantu, who lives in Austin.

The lawsuit alleges Cantu suffered injuries to his head, neck, back and other parts of his body. Asked if he felt there was an emergency plan in place at the time, Cantu told KXAN: “Oh, not at all. Not at all.”

In the legal filing, COTALAND is accused of having “no evacuation plan” in the event of a ride malfunction. Cantu’s girlfriend, Cataline Sanchez, who is the sister of his friend, told KXAN she called 911 after more than 30 minutes passed without explanation. In 911 audio, she tells a dispatcher she has “two loved ones stuck on the roller coaster and it’s been 36 minutes.”

...

COTALAND, Austin’s first major theme park, expected to open this summer

‘Systems functioned exactly as intended’

“We take guest safety extremely seriously, and the ride’s built-in safety systems functioned exactly as intended during this temporary delay,” COTALAND vice president of marketing Griffin Tendler told KXAN in a statement in response to the lawsuit. “While we understand that any interruption can be frustrating for guests, the characterization of this incident in the lawsuit is inaccurate and motivated by greed. Our focus remains on delivering a safe, enjoyable experience for every future guest at COTALAND.”

In December, park officials said a “sensor triggered a ride delay” that was “resolved and the ride proceeded without incident.”

“As with all amusement attractions of this sort, delays occasionally occur,” COTA vice president of marking and communications Allie Stone said on Dec. 18. “We regret the inconvenience and are glad that out of the 25,000 people that have ridden the coaster, only two have this badge of courage.”

“A badge of courage?,” Sanchez remarked when asked to comment on the park’s previous statement about his experience. “That’s unacceptable. I would have loved it if they said, ‘We’re very sorry.'”

After teen’s death in Florida, attorneys seek to stop Austin thrill ride

The suit cites at least five other instances of this style of “tilt” roller coaster malfunctioning since June of last year. It says none resulted in riders being kept in a vertical position as long as Cantu and Sanchez were.

Following the incident, Austin Fire Department Battalion Chief Greg Reddish asked for a meeting with COTALAND to “collaboratively discuss improvements that could be made to their emergency procedures,” according to the AFD incident report. COTALAND’s Circuit Breaker operations director said she was “open to any/all suggestions,” Reddish wrote

The operations director and a maintenance worker tried “resetting the system which didn’t fix the problem,” according to the incident report.

“I inquired about COTA not contacting 911 themselves and asked some questions about their emergency procedures,” Reddish noted. “She stated their procedure when the roller coaster gets stuck was to call the onsite COTA operations center.”

AFD estimated the two riders were stuck between 45 minutes and one hour before the ride was able to be “released.”

...

fuck that

I have only bought 3-day tix, and at that only the first 2 years. (I would love to have continued but physically not possible.)

My 13 year old granddaughter is a HUGE motorsport fan; she can tell you who's leading in just about every category. She's even starting to pay attention to NASCAR ffs.

So she and my other daughter are wanting to go this year. (Her mother would rather vacation in hell than go to a race.) I am only willing/able to pay for race day. I see that 1-day tix are not yet available.

Anyone able to say how long it might be before the race day tix might be available?

On 6/8/2026 at 9:23 PM, Fuga said:

I have only bought 3-day tix, and at that only the first 2 years. (I would love to have continued but physically not possible.)

My 13 year old granddaughter is a HUGE motorsport fan; she can tell you who's leading in just about every category. She's even starting to pay attention to NASCAR ffs.

So she and my other daughter are wanting to go this year. (Her mother would rather vacation in hell than go to a race.) I am only willing/able to pay for race day. I see that 1-day tix are not yet available.

Anyone able to say how long it might be before the race day tix might be available?

Not sure exactly how long til the public sale, but I just got an email today saying AMEX card holders can get presale Sunday-only tickets now through the 17th.

Edited June 11Jun 11 by wood

4 hours ago, wood said:

Not sure exactly how long til the public sale, but I just got an email today saying AMEX card holders can get presale Sunday-only tickets now through the 17th.

Much thanks!

On 6/11/2026 at 3:32 AM, Fuga said:

Much thanks!

Uploading Attachment...

So I buy the tix for 2 other folks, myself not going. How are they handled? They were paper tix back in the day. Still? Electronic only? Will it be a problem? Me buying but they needing to have tix?

Nevermind! Turns out Ticketmaster phone support is damn good once you get past the initial bot. Funnily, I actually got a native English speaker who spoke so fast that at times was harder to understand than a 12 year old Pakistani kid.

Thanks, wood.

Turn 12, baby!

I'm trying to line up shuttle service? Is it too early to get those tix?

I can't seem to find a site to purchase. I find plenty that have information.

On 7/12/2026 at 4:47 PM, Fuga said:

I'm trying to line up shuttle service? Is it too early to get those tix?

I can't seem to find a site to purchase. I find plenty that have information.

COTA is typically pretty slow to put shuttle tickets on sale. Maybe not for another month or two. The website seems like a bit of a shitshow this year. Looks like you can get everything including parking, but no shuttles yet.

ETA: Looks like Lot Q "Park & Ride" is available for $52/day. https://am.ticketmaster.com/cota/en/buy/2026-f1-parking But beware. COTA has a history of going in dry with sandpaper on "Park & Ride" customers. You can park, but whether or not you'll get a ride is a roll of the dice, and the lot is about a 3 mile walk along FM 812 from the T1 entrance.

Edited July 14Jul 14 by wood

Speaking of T1, with that new "Club" building they're building, looks like we might not be able to walk around T1 anymore. We couldn't on Ferrari Challenge weekend. See the sign below, where they want you to scan out & exit, wait for a shuttle, then re-enter at T3. Maybe they'll open it up again after construction is complete, but that would require more land than what they had right there. Maybe they acquired some of Mackno's field across the access road up there. Who knows. But I have my doubts.

5 hours ago, wood said:

COTA is typically pretty slow to put shuttle tickets on sale. Maybe not for another month or two. The website seems like a bit of a shitshow this year. Looks like you can get everything including parking, but no shuttles yet.

ETA: Looks like Lot Q "Park & Ride" is available for $52/day. https://am.ticketmaster.com/cota/en/buy/2026-f1-parking But beware. COTA has a history of going in dry with sandpaper on "Park & Ride" customers. You can park, but whether or not you'll get a ride is a roll of the dice, and the lot is about a 3 mile walk along FM 812 from the T1 entrance.

THANKS, @wood !

• 
• Circuit of The Americas @COTA

Two circuits join forces. A major announcement is coming from COTA and Silverstone 👀

• 4:25 PM · Aug 3, 2026

F1 Shuttle tix now on sale

Can they be transferred like race tix?

On 8/4/2026 at 9:59 AM, Mittens said:

• 
• Circuit of The Americas @COTA

Two circuits join forces. A major announcement is coming from COTA and Silverstone 👀

• 4:25 PM · Aug 3, 2026

Yep. As usual with COTA's 'big upcoming announcements', it was a giant pile of nothing.

On 8/11/2026 at 12:22 PM, Fuga said:

F1 Shuttle tix now on sale

Can they be transferred like race tix?

Sorry, brother Fuga. I have no idea. I'd refer you to COTA's people or their website for info, but unlike Indy, Montreal, Daytona, Laguna, etc, (good, well-run tracks), COTA only puts incomplete info on their website, or none at all, and they don't answer phone calls or emails on publicly available numbers & addresses (ie ones that aren't likely to bring in big bucks).

COTALAND amusement park opens near Austin in September. What to know https://www.statesman.com/entertainment/article/cotaland-austin-opening-tickets-rides-22392266.php

A Saturday night party from 4 to 10 p.m. features a first-ride ceremony and ribbon cutting with celebrity guests, family-friendly entertainment and fireworks. Tickets are $99 per person, which includes food and beverages throughout the evening. On Sunday, the park will open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for rides, attractions and family-focused entertainment. Admission is $65 per person. Tickets for both days are on sale now at cotaland.com

For comparison, Fiesta Texas is currently $39 per person or $50 for two people. $69 on Fright Night days.

On 8/17/2026 at 5:45 PM, wood said:

Sorry, brother Fuga. I have no idea. I'd refer you to COTA's people or their website for info, but unlike Indy, Montreal, Daytona, Laguna, etc, (good, well-run tracks), COTA only puts incomplete info on their website, or none at all, and they don't answer phone calls or emails on publicly available numbers & addresses (ie ones that aren't likely to bring in big bucks).

No shit RE: COTA's site. Finally just had the other folks just get their own. Why? Too damn long story.

47 minutes ago, Fuga said:

No shit RE: COTA's site. Finally just had the other folks just get their own. Why? Too damn long story.

Yep. Their s/m is also beyond useless.