The US enters its F1 Era
Conquering America one viewing party at a time
HAPPY RACE DAY, especially to Susie Wolff, the longtime motorsports executive recently named Managing Director of the all-women’s F1 Academy racing series!
This feels like the right appointment and the right fit. Now, the series comes decades after it probably should have. But congrats to Wolff on getting to lead its growth.
Here’s this week’s top article.
The US is entering its F1 era
FOR YEARS, I tried to get friends to wake up early and watch F1 with me. I begged and pleaded, explaining the drama between teams and drivers. Selling them on the excitement. International glamour. I even made engine sounds. No luck.
But that was then. Now, the US is deep into F1 fever. This weekend, I had my choice of not one but TWO different viewing parties to attend in Long Beach alone! Good Time Cafe showed it live at 7am PST; Trademark Brewing replayed at 10am.
I got to Good Time at 7:05. And the place was packed. No parking. Long lines. Two different viewing sections. And not a single empty seat. There were more parties in LA, and a Google search found some in San Francisco, Denver and Virginia too.
This could become the new norm. Here are a few things that strike me about F1 viewing parties as opposed to say, NFL or UFC events:
Races are often in the morning (great for coffee shops)
Fans travel in packs and are generally affluent, i.e. ready to spend
People like to drive afterward so are not getting sloppy
Good Time made a smart move, partnering with SoCal Drivers Club to spread the word. The shop already has ties to car culture with its monthly All Makes Welcome meet. Now that connection is growing deeper.
I caught up with Joey Villalobos, co-owner of Good Time, to learn more. He said they’ll aim to host parties for every race this season, and that just like the World Cup, F1 races bring in a lot of business.
“Everything we do at the shop is for the people and the community,” he told me. “So if there is a need we’ll provide the space for it.”
That’s what strikes me the most — that this isn’t a coffee shop trying to drum up business, but instead, recognizing that there’s already demand. There’s demand to watch F1. All they have to do it supply the space and lattes.
The vibes, as they say, were immaculate. People ooh-ed and ahh-ed as Red Bull fended off the competition and Fernando Alonso made an unlikely charge for the podium. Everyone hung out afterward to recap the action and gawk at cars.
Is this fad becoming a trend? I’d predict yes. Ratings aren’t out for the season opener yet, but F1 ratings grew by 28% in 2022. Netflix’s Drive to Survive is still going strong (even if reviews have recently been crap) and US interest in F1 could skyrocket with three (!) different races here in 2023.
After Good Time, I headed over to Trademark to check out the scene, just down the street. The replay had started and the taps were flowing. People were cheering. It was packed. Now I’ve got lots of friends to watch F1 with me.
Did you hear the news? I’m heading to Japan soon to research my second book. Super stoked to tell you more, but in the meantime, check out our current selection of books and e-books on car culture and motorsports! Grab a copy! Grab two!
Culture
After watching F1 it was kind of jarring to see IndyCar race a few hours later. To sum it up: mayhem. The cars looked loose and the driving a little sloppy by comparison. It resulted in huge wrecks including one for the lead. Can’t wait for Long Beach!
If you liked our top article last week on BBi Autosport, you should check out the Overcrest podcast. They’ve posted interviews with both founder Betim Berisha and engineer Dmitriy Orlov that get into fascinating history of the company.
Interesting tweet below, and I know it’s kind of antithetical to a car culture publication. But I do sympathize. Here’s why:
With new cars it’s become fashionable, almost mandatory, to pack tons of power into bigger and bigger vehicles. They’re heavy, and need muscle to get going. But what you get is basically enormous battering rams. Smaller, lighter, quicker may be the better direction. And yes, sometimes that means slower. But hey — slow car fast, right?
Ask A Millennial! Alice Mai, 34
OVER THE WEEKEND I ran into Alice at the Women’s Cars and Coffee hosted by Ms. Motorhead at AutoConduct in downtown LA. My daughter liked her heart-shaped grab handle and boba air freshener. Alice walked right up and invited her inside. Soon we were talking about our upcoming trips to Japan, favorite street racing anime and a lot more. Here is an edited version of our conversation:
My favorite mod on the car is the TEIN coilovers — the improved handling makes a huge difference in the canyons and at track days. Oh, wait, was I supposed to say the sparkle Tiffany blue wrap? Because I love that too.
I grew up watching Initial D and drifting, and I just love the look of Japanese sports cars. They are so aftermarket-friendly (the 86/FRS/BRZ platform in particular!) and really allow for creative customizations and self expression.
This was a fun little reunion. I just met several of these ladies at Apple Valley Speedway back in January! Meeting new people (especially women!) with awesome builds is always great, and so many friendly and supportive attendees was a blast.
I love seeing organizations like Ms. Motorhead and Sparkle Motion highlighting women in this predominantly male industry. I even got my track sponsorship from Touge2Track because they welcome more female participation in motorsports. And more frequently, I meet cool enthusiasts who are simply excited to meet other enthusiasts, period.
Form and function — my vision for my car is to look bright and fun and colorful but she still has to perform. She's not fast but she's quick and that's what I love about this platform. One of my favorite car quotes is from the drift king Keiichi Tsuchiya — "Speed isn't everything, You gotta look cool on the touge too."
On the Block
BIG AUCTION HOUSES had a field day at the annual Amelia Island showcase in Florida — RM Sotheby’s and Gooding & Co. topped $70 million in sales. Each.
But the winner may have been the smallest outfit of all. Broad Arrow, in its first year of existence, served as the official auction house of Amelia. That displaced Sotheby’s, which previously held the title for more than 20 years, as the premiere event.
What’s more is how Broad Arrow positioned Millennial-era cars as a point of emphasis. For example:
1997 Acura Integra Type R for $151k
1985 Ford RS 200 for $533,000
1991 AMG 6.0 ‘Hammer’ Widebody Coupe for $885,000
There were also the regular Ferraris, Porsches and Aston Martins you see at any high-profile auction. But these three are notable for being “poster cars” of the ‘80s and ‘90s, once generally unloved and considered undeserving of the limelight. No more.
I spoke with Ian Kelleher, VP of Marketing for Broad Arrow, earlier this week. He acknowledged the effort to attract a younger demographic with cars like this, and said their internal metrics back it up. The Integra and Hammer both set all-time records.
Broad Arrow moved $31M in total sales — relatively meager compared with the big guys. But if the company can position itself as the hub for high-profile “Youngtimer” collector cars, that’s a bet with long-term potential.
After all, Millennials are still growing into their role as market drivers, and have a lot of earning time left. Our poster cars could be million-dollar cars one day, with Broad Arrow already established in the market. Seems to be working so far.
After browsing Instagram, it’s also struck me which cars people seem to want to post about the most. Here are a few examples that kept popping up:
This ultra-rare Pagani Zonda R that sold for $5M+
This high-downforce McLaren F1 looking more radical than ever
Notice anything? Youngtimer cars dominate! This feels like just the beginning.
And Finally…
Cast your vote for front-runner of the March Minivan Madness tournament. Leave your favorite in the comments below! (TEAM PREVIA ALL DAY.)
Drive hard and be safe. Black Lives Matter.
Race Day has subscribers in 29 states and 15 countries! Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.
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