http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/on ... o-d/nSgH3/
One month out from Austin’s inaugural Formula One race, there’s still plenty of work to be done before the F1 circus arrives for the Nov. 18 race that could attract as many as 120,000 fans.
A staggering amount of preparations already have been completed at the $300 million Circuit of the Americas, which two years ago was just scrub pastureland. On Wednesday, Braedon Box, project manager for the circuit, said, “Everything track-related is done. We could have a race right now. Everything else isn’t done … I’m certain everybody would like to be a little further along and putting their feet up right now.”
Box added that the circuit in southeast Travis County will be completed on time.
Late last month, the track cleared a huge hurdle when Charlie Whiting, race director for the governing body of world motorsports, FIA, gave the circuit a glowing review in his final inspection.
In recent years, Whiting has inspected all the new F1 tracks, and some have gone right down to the wire on before receiving his stamp of approval. For his part, Whiting focuses on the F1 race, the track’s condition and safety issues. He’s not concerned whether the concession stands will be ready, all the grandstand seats will be installed and a key road will be completed.
Work in all those areas, and more, continues at the circuit.
One of the biggest projects still unfinished is a three-lane extension of Kellam Road, which is still not paved.
The two-thirds of a mile extension will create a northern entry for the track off Pearce Lane and should help ease traffic flow. A graded dirt road was punched through weeks ago.
“They got some heavy iron and knocked that out in two weeks,” Box said. “(Then) there was a lot of start, stop and pause.”
He said the new road passed over three gas lines and a water line. Overhead utility issues also cropped up, and the last of those issues was resolved this week, Box said, adding that once paving begins it will take only a few days.
“As long as it gets done by Nov. 16, we’re aces,” Box said.
The 3.4-mile track had its final coat of asphalt applied last month, a few days before Whiting arrived. After a spin in a Ford GT, “Dr. Asphalt” — Dr. Reynard Hart, a specialist used by the German engineering firm Tilke GmbH – pronounced the circuit ready for some great racing.
Box said the pit area and the medical and maintenance buildings are essentially completed. The team garages will be finished by the individual teams, which will paint and partition them.
The main grandstand and media center are scheduled to be completed by Oct. 22.
Box said the media center’s construction was altered some time ago, on orders from F1 management, to include a television commentators booth with a view of the track.
Concession stands are likely to be completed in a few days. Box said FIA-required safety fencing for the track was completed while 75 percent of the other fencing — including that bordering the property — was about 75 percent completed.
A big change in the next few weeks will be the greening of the track.
“Landscaping is going in,” Box said. “It’s going from a construction war zone to finished landscapes.”
He added that “over 1,000 trees are being planted. Everything that doesn’t get paved has to get re-vegetated.”
One of the consequences of the tight construction schedule, Box said, was that the circuit missed the window for planting Bermuda grass and will use rye for the rest of this year.
“Certain parts of the parking lots look like Ireland,” Box said.
VIP lounges will be about the last thing to be completed, he said, and the installation of seats in the amphitheater won’t begin until after the race weekend.
Box said he expects the F1 event will be “incredible and imperfect.”
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