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Circuit of The Americas today announced that it has been declared ready to host the 2012 F1 United States GP by Charlie Whiting, who directs racing, safety and technical matters for the FIA. Whiting visited the Central Texas racing circuit as part of a scheduled pre-race inspection and approved the circuit for “Grade 1” status, hence appropriate to host an F1 race.
Luke,
Support races are to be announced at a later date and must be approved by FOM.
Thank you for your interest.
Leonie Weerakoon
Circuit of The Americas Acquisition team
“It is clear that the significant resources Circuit of The Americas has committed to completing this facility on time and to FIA specifications is making a difference,” Whiting said, according to a statement from the circuit. “The more than 500 construction workers on site daily are making great progress, and I plan to return to Austin at the end of August for an update.”
Whiting said a formal pre-race inspection is set for Sept. 25, 60 days before the start of U.S. Grand Prix, which is scheduled for Nov. 16 through 18.
Promoter in holding pattern in attempt to bring MotoGP race to F1 track
By John Maher
Updated: 7:38 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Published: 7:27 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Motorcyling legend Kevin Schwantz said he would still like to have a MotoGP race run at Circuit of the Americas, and that negotiations no longer would have to go through promoter Tavo Hellmund.
But Schwantz also said he's still waiting to hear from officials with the circuit, which is still under construction and slated to host its inaugural Formula One grand prix in November.
In response to a query, Schwantz emailed the American-Statesman: "Several weeks ago, Tavo was nice enough to step aside and asked COTA to talk directly with me about a MotoGP contract for them. To date, COTA has not had any meaningful discussions with me regarding MotoGP at COTA.
"Your question is probably better addressed to COTA. I, of course, hope that there is MotoGP in Austin and have offered COTA multiple options in how to achieve that."
Schwantz did not say what those options were.
On Tuesday, circuit officials said there's no update on the MotoGP situation at this time.
Schwantz, the 1993 world champion, and his company 3FourTexas have the rights for MotoGP in Texas. Hellmund, a longtime friend of Schwantz, and Hellmund's company, Full Throttle Productions, had a deal to be the promoter. It was assumed Hellmund's rights would then be assigned to the Circuit of the Americas at some point.
The 10-year deal beginning in 2013 was announced at a splashy news conference last April at the Long Center. Landing both Formula One and MotoGP — motorcycling's equivalent of F1 — was considered quite a coup for the circuit. But a serious rift between Hellmund and other circuit investors and officials developed, and the promotional rights never changed hands.
Much the same thing happened with the rights to F1's U.S. Grand Prix, but Hellmund's deal was declared void late last year by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, who then cut a new deal with the circuit.
This February, Schwantz sent a blunt letter to circuit president Steve Sexton saying, "I urge you one final time to contact Mr. Hellmund about obtaining the rights to host a MotoGP race in Texas, after which I would be glad to open discussions with you as the new promoter. If you have not obtained such rights from Full Throttle, then unfortunately Circuit of the Americas will not be included as a round of the FIM Grand Prix Road Racing World Championship."
This year, MotoGP has 18 races in 13 countries. It is quite popular in Europe and has two races in the United States, at Indianapolis and Laguna Seca in California. At both U.S. locations, the three-day weekend can draw 130,000-140,000 fans, including 60,000 or more for the Sunday race.
Laguna Seca's CEO/general manager Gill Campbell has estimated the MotoGP race creates about $100 million in revenues for that area, about one-half of the economic impact of that track for an entire year.
While American drivers have been a non-factor in Formula One for the past two decades, Americans have been successful at MotoGP.
Last year two Texans, Ben Spies and Colin Edwards, finished in the top 10. Spies was at the MotoGP news conference last year when circuit investor Red McCombs proclaimed, "This is a big deal."
A MotoGP logo still adorns a door at the circuit's downtown offices, but there has been no mention of it for months in the track literature or in its seat licensing plans.
How do I find out where to go to catch the shuttles? I’m about 30miles from the track.
If they add other shuttle locations I'll do my best to let you know. You can also watch the COTA site, but they tend to update after we already hear things in the news.Mr Alcatraz wrote:I have my hotel and my plane ticket, I think the airfare was a little higher than it should be $327 round trip San Diego to Austin, but I'm guessing it will be higher as it gets closer to November. I have to wait since my package is coming from CoTA through a foundation fund raiser.
Let me ask you this Hairy. I took the room in San Marcos, as you said it is on the right side of Austin to avoid traffic. I know the drill, so I will not be at all surprised when the "High Speed Wifi" that is included is as slow as a dial-up and you have to upgrade to get a real high speed signal.
I have a very simple answer for that: J-e-a-l-o-u-s-y. Look at where the complaints are coming from. I would estimate that 90 percent of the negative comments come from, the UK and other Northern Europeans. They like to make broad sweeping generalizations about everything that is wrong with the USA (which is plenty) but I never knock them for being from wherever they are from, I look for the good. I will say that many negative comments about the facility are probably founded in truth. However most of the negativity is simply premature thinly veiled jealousy. Abraham Lincoln said something when he was 28 before he held any public office, after the burning of a black man in St. Louis by a mob. I find one excerpt very profound for Americans or anyone else that has an opinion about us:godlameroso wrote:It's amazing that we get an F1 quality track with a great layout, in basically our back yard, and somehow people don't think it's awesome or even remotely a good idea?!
Snap!Honest Abe wrote:At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
=D>Q: When Formula One goes back the United States, does it have to adapt? The American fans are used to a closer interaction with their heroes…
MA: My advice: don’t change a thing! (laughs)
Brilliant! All Americans that follow sports are exactly the same.WilliamsF1 wrote:=D>Q: When Formula One goes back the United States, does it have to adapt? The American fans are used to a closer interaction with their heroes…
MA: My advice: don’t change a thing! (laughs)
