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+1,000. I have worked on film shoots at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We were using only 3 or 4 cars on the track and the noise was unbelievable. Communication between crew members standing 3 feet apart was impossible without special headsets. Take this crap out to the boondocks where it belongs.

There is no end to the foot in mouth disease afflicting our leaders. Its a park, NOT a racetrack. Huge, whopping difference. People who live downtown, you do not want to hear the noise that would emanate from a racetrack for endless hours. Really.

instead of cutting out "ready willing and able", perhaps this is more indicative of government waste -

"The director of tourism for Destination Jersey City, a non-profit run by the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation to promote the city, compiled a proposal to entice Formula One to hold a Grand Prix at the 1,200-acre park in 2012."

"Destination Jersey City" has become a fiasco. with so much to promote and so much opportunity, time to take some ownership of our city.

After looking at the proposal, this is a really good idea. They do this in Australia every year, and in Detroit as well. For 3 days they rest, the rest of the year you have a trail for park use. You would sell it out with a world wide audience, its only the second biggest sport in the world. And the park would be in better shape then a weekend concert.

I'm not particularly for or against it, I just don't even see how it's feasible.

It would probably be a lot more exciting if they held it like they do in Monaco, on actual city streets. Its not like everyday driving downtown isn't like that anyway.

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The problem with this city isn't a lack of cash coming in. The problem is where it does and doesn't go.

As for the parking authority...they are a drain on the city. They are neither familiar nor interested in getting familiar with the ordinances they're there to upkeep. They break the existing ordinances at the expense of taxpayers. It very well COULD generate money for the city if it consisted of qualified personnel who understood and carried out their function. Instead, it's a "friends of the current administration" organization and long has been (regardless of what administration is in place).

As for this race track...have it within city limits but not in our park.

I agree that the additional revenue would be great...but not if it goes into the pockets of politicians as tax-paying residents lose one of the few nice things we have to enjoy.

They should build their racetrack on top of the chromium dumps on 440 and leave our STATE park alone.

some years ago they proposed racing at the Meadowlands...sounds like a much better place for it than Liberty State Park. There are much better ways to generate revenue for this city than formula 1 racing in a National Park. Listen to Sam Pesin...he is a wise and learned man.

This is just a stupid idea (not racing, but the proposed location).

WTF!!!!!! Where do these people live??????
Want revenue?
What about the GOLF COURSE THAT ALREADY EXSISTS????? Wait..... will anyone realize the PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCH IS IN JEOPARDY, The story of the whores trying to pick off LSP bit by bit will continue....

I thank Melissa and Ricardo for their stories exposing this shameful, sickening, outrageous, obscene plan.

At this link on the Friends website is the 3 page Proposal from Jersey City Tourism sent to LSP for approval and Friends letter of opposition to race track to Mayor Healy:

http://www.folsp.org/preservation/grand_prix.htm

To express your race track inside LSP views to Mayor Healy, please call his office at 201-547-5200 or email to MayorHealy@jcnj.org

As president of the 900 member Friends of LSP, I have urged the Mayor to end JC's support of this proposal that the Tourism official sent to Liberty State Park for approval. This tourism official is clueless about the unstructured recreation and nature purposes which the vast majority has supported since before the park opened in 1976.

The tourism official is clueless about the fact that there would have to be public hearings and a public comment period. Overwhelmingly LSP users will oppose this plan.
as with the golf course and commercial waterpark plans.

Mayor Healy was a very strong supporter of the cause of stopping the massive LSP 9/11 NYC skyline view blocking hill and walls (30 ft high by 200 ft long walls) Memorial by the Terminal waterfront location.

Once a race track is built, there will be pressure to have many car races there, which is not compatible with an urban state park needed and deserved by families like Central Park is for non-commercial unstructured activities.

I urge people to oppose this plan until city officials tells LSP officials that the plan is being withdrawn.

Sam Pesin, Friends of LSP president
www.folsp.org

This would be so AWESOME!!!!!!

full disclosure, I am a huge F1 fan

Oh My God.
Where do I donate money to stop this?

The state needs to be stopped. The last Repugnant governor allowed the Marina and drydock to go in.
Now someone thinks a racetrack is a good idea?
And after all the care and plantings over the last couple of years!

i don't even like when the st. pat's parade goes by - but all things considered JC needs to get some cash coming in above and beyond what the parking authority generates and a F1 race could be a big cash cow

Of course I don't trust the current bunch (Healy & Co) to not mess it up

Breaking: Grand Prix auto race being considered for Jersey City
May 03, 2010
HudsonReporter.com

JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND -- Jersey City officials are in discussions with officials in charge of the Formula One auto racing championship to bring the international race to Liberty State Park in Jersey City in 2012.

City spokesperson Jennifer Morrill confirmed on Sunday there were "preliminary discussions" that started three weeks ago with Formula One officials. Documents provided by the advocacy group Friends of Liberty State Park state that a 3.6-mile track would be built within the park for the race to "provide the least impact to city functions."

Also, a deal with Formula One for the three-day race calls for a guaranteed five-year contract to hold the race in Jersey City, and that the track would be used by the public between race use for activities like walking and biking, and other sporting events. City would also provide funding to build the track.

Morrill touted the advantages of bringing the race to Jersey City.

"It is a marketing tool to bring people to Jersey City such as foot traffic and revenue to local businesses," Morrill said.

However, this proposal has park activist Sam Pesin - whose father Morris was one of the creators of the 1,212-acre park that opened in 1976 - up in arms. Pesin made his displeasure known by posting information about the race at a display table during the annual Friends of Liberty State Park Luncheon on Sunday, and also encouraged the audience to discourage Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Department of Environment Protection head Bob Martin from bringing this race to the park.

"But Morrill refuted the statement on city funding of the track saying the city would ?never? commit funds for such an endeavor, if it was ever to take place." - RK

Friends of Liberty State Park oppose Formula One Grand Prix in Jersey City

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
May 03, 2010, 4:31PM

The Friends of Liberty State Park has come out again a proposal to entice Formula One to hold a Grand Prix at the Jersey City venue.

?Once you have a track there, and especially with the state?s finances, there would be such pressure on the state to have regular car racing there,? said Sam Pesin, president of The Friends Board of Trustees. ?You?d end up having the name changed from Liberty State Park to Liberty Race Track.?

The director of tourism for Destination Jersey City, a non-profit run by the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation to promote the city, compiled a proposal to entice Formula One to hold a Grand Prix at the 1,200-acre park in 2012.

Pesin, whose father helped found the park, said the Friends of Liberty State Park was not approached about the idea and is against it. He said the group has supported events like the All Points West concert, because they don't permanently impact the park.

The friends held its annual awards ceremony and fundraiser yesterday and Pesin said attendees opposed the idea, including Hudson County Freeholder Bill O?Dea who was honored at the event for supporting the park.

O?Dea compared Liberty State Park to New York?s Central Park and said neither venue is appropriate for construction of a race track.

?There?s plenty of places we can have a Grand Prix and Liberty State Park is not one of them,? he said. ?What are they going to do, pave over the cobblestone? It doesn?t make any sense to me whatsoever.?

Pesin sent a letter to Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy Saturday opposing the plan.

Healy spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the mayor called Pesin this afternoon to discuss the issue.

Healy issued a statement after that conversation saying that the city?s proposal came at the request of Formula One. The auto racing company?s corporate offices in London are closed today. No one could be reached for comment.

?This was a response to an overture made by Formula One, and Jersey City is one of several cities they are pursuing. There have been a few, preliminary conversations and this is very much in the exploratory phase,? Healy said in the statement. ?However, this may not be something that is in the best interest of Jersey City or Liberty State Park.?

The plan would need to be approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Jersey City does not own the park, the state does.

Destination Jersey City?s proposal calls for the installation of a race track and offers a five-year commitment to hold annual Grand Prix events at the park.

The CART IndyCar series held a Meadowlands Grand Prix in the Giants Stadium Parking Lot in 1984. In 1988, a court was changed to include streets around the then-Brendan Byrne Arena, now the Izod Center. The race was held annually until 1991, never drawing a large crowd.

Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop also opposes the plan.

?If you?re going to do anything for the park, the priorities should be recreation for residents,? he said. ?We could def use more ball fields, we don?t need a racetrack.?

Pesin said the racetrack conflicts with a $32 million ecological restoration project at the park that includes creating a 40-acre salt marsh, over 100 acres of forest and a network of nature trails.

The federal government is contributing $20.8 million, with the state paying $11.2 million. Pesin said work on the marsh is expected to start this fall.

?It?s going to be an amazing natural area,? he said. ?They even have part of the race track going in what is part of the natural area. It just shows total ignorance of the plans that are already well established.?