F1 USGP at Circuit of The Americas™ named ‘Sports Event of the Year’

The 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX at Circuit of The Americas has won the coveted “Sports Event of the Year” award at the 2013 SportsBusiness Journal/Daily Business Awards held, Wednesday, May 22, at the New York Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. More than 265,000 fans attended the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, which was conducted Nov. 16-18, 2012, in the brand new $400 million world-class sports and entertainment complex that opened only days before its first multi-day, international event. Circuit President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Sexton accepted the award on behalf of the Circuit’s owners and staff and noted the many challenges that were overcome to complete the state-of-the-art facility, assemble a team of professionals to manage and operate the venue, and successfully reintroduce Formula 1® racing, the world’s most popular motorsport, to the United States in a matter of months. “From the very beginning, there was some doubt whether our project would happen, but we hustled and we had a great team and a great group of owners behind us the whole way,” Sexton noted. “We embarked on a nine-month journey, pulled the construction together, pulled the race off amidst a lot of complicated logistics—and had a great group of fans. I’m really proud of the team that pulled this off.”

View press release

Circuit to work with Pike Powers Lab on energy and transportation technologies

Circuit of The Americas today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Pike Powers Laboratory and Center for Commercialization to conduct research, development and commercialization activities for a number of environmentally focused projects at the Circuit’s 1,500-acre sports and entertainment complex in Central Texas. The Pike Powers Lab is operated by Pecan Street Inc., a premier research institute based at The University of Texas at Austin. The Pike Powers Lab began operations in April; its official grand opening will take place in June.

View press release

Circuit Notes by Peter Hubbard:  Coulthard stops Whincup winning streak, but not for long

Fabian Coulthard piloted his No. 14 Lockwood Racing Holden to victory in the first of Sunday’s two afternoon races, proving that Jamie Whincup and his No. 1 Red Bull car were not infallible. But Whincup re-claimed the top spot in the last of the four V8 Supercars Austin 400 races, with Coulthard finishing second. By winning three of the weekend’s four races and finishing third in the other, Whincup clearly claimed the title as the event’s star performer. But Red Bull Racing Australia teammate Craig Lowndes in the No. 888 Red Bull Racing Australia vehicle was no slouch, claiming three consecutive second-place trophies before finishing fifth in the final V8 competition of the weekend, Race 16. Overall it was a great weekend for all three drivers, with Coulthard leaving Circuit of the Americas™ with a first-place trophy, a second and two thirds. He finished second behind Whincup in Sunday’s final race after collecting two third-place trophies in both of Saturday’s 100-km races.

View press release

V8 Supercars Austin 400 Fans

Photos by Dillon Fleharty and Jaclyn Hill

Austin Supercars Austin 400—V8 Race 16 highlights, including podium and post-race news conference

Hot on-track action and temps mark V8 Supercars Austin 400 event at Circuit of The Americas™

Circuit of The Americas gave U.S. motorsports fans their first taste of V8 Supercars’ mad scramble, bumper-to-bumper style of racing, as Australia’s most popular motorsport made its debut on U.S. soil at the new world-class sports and entertainment complex in Central Texas May 17-19 during the V8 Supercars Austin 400. Attendance for the three-day event, which was marked by record temperatures in the mid-90s, was 68,891. Approximately nine percent of fans who purchased tickets in advance of the race came from Australia to watch their Supercars heroes compete under the red-hot Texas sun. Circuit of The Americas sold tickets to the event in more than 30 states, including Texas. “We would like to thank our fans, employees and vendors; the V8 Supercars series managers, teams and drivers; the Pirelli World Championship family; and our incredibly accommodating host city of Austin for helping us stage another spectacular event,” Circuit President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Sexton said. “V8 Supercars lived up to its billing for dynamic racing and a fan-friendly environment—and we had some die-hard fans here given the very warm temperatures. Our Australian visitors were good sports and loads of fun, and we’re glad that people from around the world had a chance to visit Central Texas and our new state-of-the art facility.”

View press release