Viewing entries tagged
Circuit of the Americas
Enjoy this side-by-side analysis of Mario Andretti driving Circuit of The Americas in his Lotus 79 and D'Ambrosio in a Lotus F1 Team R30 (2010).
"Driver's View" of Circuit of The Americas with Mario Andretti from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.
Mario Andretti is ready to roll in his JPS Lotus 79 at COTA on October 21, 2012
Media and invited guests assemble on Circuit of The Americas' starting grid
An electrifying day at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday as invited guests and media endured the Texas heat, albeit mid-October, to christen the circuit with a "First Lap" opening ceremony.
Official Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli was on hand and did an excellent job of giving members of local media their first taste of a world class motorsports venue. Pirelli signage was evident on the track, branded baseball caps were given away to guests, four Pirelli Grid Girls shuffled around with F1 celebrities, and a large Pirelli branded hospitality tent, a staple at motorsports facilities, informally greeted guests when they stepped off the shuttle in the parking lot.
The Pirelli tent was our first stop. Inside, a Lotus F1 Team R30 sat on display for everyone to Facebook/Tweet/Instagram their photos. A small group of about 30 gathered inside the tent and were snapping photos non-stop. I stood behind four younger gentleman adorning black-embroidered Pirelli polos. As they watched two men battle it out on a racing simulator, I took a closer look and realized it was Jérôme d'Ambrosio taking on Patrick Dempsey.
Thankfully I contained my shreik of excitement and reached for my camera. As I tried to overtake the group (see what I did there?), one of them turned to me and said, "Okay, we know who McDreamy is, but who is the other one?" I informed them of Jérôme's position as Lotus F1 Team Third Driver and explained that he was the only current F1 driver in attendance that day. They asked why Dempsey was here, assumingly as an actor, and I shared that he is a professional racing driver and team owner, currently competing in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and drove in the Petit Le Mans race in Atlanta over the weekend. They stood up straight and may have reached for their camera phones behind my back.
We wandered about the northern quarter of the Pit/Paddock and wove in and out of a few touring cars on display. We came across the Lotus F1 Team tent showcasing the black and gold cars du jour: a 2010 R30 and a 1978 Lotus 79. The Lotus F1 Team was welcoming and warm; most guests carefully walking around the parameter of the Lotus tent for the first half of the afternoon, afraid they were stepping into restricted, canopied space. However, as the day wore on and guests realized they could slip off their shoes and climb into the R30 (photo op!), the tent quickly became a favored hotspot.
All of the cars lined up on the grid as drivers were interviewed for the ceremonial day. The majority of media surrounded America's last Formula 1 World Champion, Mario Andretti, as he stood at the nose of his 1978 John Player Special Lotus 79 Cosworth. Although he was scheduled to run the R30, the Lotus F1 Team fired up the Lotus 79 for Mario after the "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony, as the former had engine problems. In this video, Mario describes what it is like to get behind the wheel on a new track before we watch him take off from the starting grid.
Mario Andretti Completes The First Laps of COTA from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.
After the flying laps, Mario piloted his Lotus back to the team's staging area. He had a few minutes to chat and I wanted to hear his opinion of the circuit from a driver's perspective.
Mario Andretti at the COTA First Lap Ceremony from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.
It was such an honor to speak with Mario after this momentous occasion. In tomorrow's post, we'll share interviews with the opening ceremony's Host, Bob Varsha of SPEED, and Jérôme d'Ambrosio of Lotus F1 Team. F1 drivers in the New Delhi paddock this weekend will gain valuable insight from their colleague's perspective.
Tomorrow afternoon, Mario Andretti, Patrick Dempsey, and Jerome D'Ambrosio will pilot the 2010 Lotus R30 around Circuit of The Americas as the first Formula 1 car to test the completed track. With just under one month to go until the inaugural F1 USGP in Austin, the first hot laps of the track will mark the official ribbon cutting ceremony of COTA and kick off the countdown to the November 18th race.
Mario Andretti, 1978 Formula 1 World Champion and an Ambassador for Circuit of The Americas, will "cut" the ribbon by conducting the first laps of the circuit. This will be Mario's first time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car in nearly 20 years since his departure from the sport. Beginning in June this year, Andretti has acted as an ambassador for the Circuit, working with COTA to promote the future home of Formula 1 in America. Revered as an American motorsports legend, Andretti is the only driver in history to win a Formula 1 World Championship, NASCAR's Daytona 500, and IndyCar's premiere event, the Indianapolis 500.
Along with Andretti, actor Patrick Dempsey, known to most of the American audience for his part in the ABC TV series "Grey's Anatomy," will also take the Lotus R30 around COTA for a few laps. Dempsey, an avid motorsports enthusiast both operates a Grand-Am and American LeMans racing team, Dempsey Racing, and competes behind the wheel in races such as the 24 Hours of LeMans.
Jerome D'Ambrosio, reserve driver for the Lotus F1 Team, will join Andretti and Dempsey to take the R30 around COTA as the first licensed F1 driver to officially pilot the track. Additional guests for the afternoon's event include Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, Commissioner Margaret Gomez, and Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Povera, all of whom will help welcome the first official lap of COTA.
Also on the itinerary is a showing of various race cars who will be competing at COTA in 2013. With Grand-Am, V8 Supercars, and MotoGP already announced for early 2013, this should mean we'll see at least one of each of these taking a spin around COTA. Pirelli is also outfitting 25 vintage race cars with their P-Zero tires to do a special on-track demonstration. Hopefully this means they'll fill up the grid and show off some action on track in a short race, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out for sure.
Oliver Liedgens (R) of Tilke talks with Pirelli Engineers at Circuit of The Americas (image courtesy of Pirelli)
Cool news from Pirelli as we learn how they prepared Circuit of The Americas and decided on which sets of tires the Formula 1 cars will race there next month. (Sidenote: how cool that we can now say our Inaugural race is next month!)
Saturday at the 2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 (Image courtesy of V8 Supercars, http://www.v8supercars.com.au)The following is a special guest editorial by Jon Etkins, an Australian native and Austin resident who's offered to share his knowledge love for V8 Supercars with AGP.
Circuit of The Americas' announcement this week that V8 Supercars will be racing at COTA in May next year, may have some folks wondering what all the fuss is about – who are these guys, what do they drive, and why should I care? The short answer is that V8 Supercars are the Australian equivalent of NASCAR. But there's a lot more to it than that.
A Special Message from MotoGP rider Colin Edwards from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.
We've got a very special message for our AGP readers from MotoGP Rider and Texas native, Colin Edwards.
MotoGP and Circuit of The Americas announced a 2013 race is officially set for April 19-21. COTA will be the first US circuit to host both the two-wheeled and four-wheeled championship series in the same year.
Today's announcement includes positive feedback from American MotoGP riders Colin Edwards, Ben Spies, and Nicky Hayden. Each shared their excitement for having a race close to home, and they're looking forward to being able to "drive to work" for a MotoGP race.
Colin Edwards
Adding a race to the U.S. schedule makes a statement that MotoGP is working to expand it influence on American soil. The best way to grow our sport is to add races, and with events on the East and West Coasts—and now one in Middle America—it’s the perfect opportunity for more fans to see us in action. Plus, my family is really looking forward to jumping in a pick-up truck and driving up to Austin to see me compete.
Ben Spies
Who wouldn’t be excited to have a MotoGP race in their home state? I hope all of my CMRA, WERA and AMA racing friends and family storm the track. It will be so easy for me to cruise down to Circuit of The Americas from my house in Dallas.
Nicky Hayden
It’s great for riders and fans to have another MotoGP event in the United States, and Circuit of The Americas will give us a chance to expose more of our homegrown fan base to MotoGP in an up-close-and-personal way.
MotoGP fans from across the country will be coming to Texas to see their favorite riders compete in a spectacular event in Austin. Like Formula 1, MotoGP attracts a diverse international crowd and is known for some of the most dedicated racing fans. Having another international racing series at COTA will certainly solidify Austin's position on the worldwide stage.
Tickets will go on sale on October 16th and start at $133-199 for reserved seats, and just $89 for a three day general admission ticket.
