New Jersey officials confirm Formula One race planned for 2013

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Gov. Chris Christie and other New Jersey officials and promoters Tuesday confirmed plans for a Formula One street race along the Hudson River in June 2013.

The Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial would be a 3.2-mile course in Weehawken and West New York on the west side of the river across from Manhattan, with elevation changes up to 150 feet.

‘I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone told Bloomberg.com. ‘You’ll be able to see the Manhattan skyline on TV.’

It would be the second new Formula One race in the United States, which has been without F1 racing since the widely followed international racing series left the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the 2007 U.S. Grand Prix.

Formula One already plans to add a race next year at Circuit of the Americas, a track in Austin, Texas, being specifically built for an F1 race.

Christie said at a news conference at the track’s proposed site that ‘there’s no public subsidy that’s being put into running this race’ in New Jersey, with expenses being covered by race promoters. Officials also said the average price of a three-day ticket to practice, qualifying and the race would be about $360.

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-- Jim Peltz