Piecing It All Together: From the White Board to the Dirt Mound

Out of all the photos from last week’s site visit at Circuit of The Americas, only a few adequately capture the magnitude of the project. In fact, it takes 17 frames compiled together to create the following high-resolution panoramic photo. This is a panoramic photo taken from atop Turn 1, the most south-eastern point of the circuit, facing west. The far left of the photo is the south side of the property, and as you pan your view to the right, you are looking north.

Compiled from 17 photos, this panoramic shows the racetrack site from atop Turn 1.

We rode down the hill and made a pit stop in the temporary job site offices. Inside, we were greeted by grandstand seating options, restroom hardware and miscellaneous fixture options. Though it might seem trivial, selection of this hardware is a critical part of the project, and when done right, each doorhandle and light fixture intgrates seemlessly with the design. Just behind us, a detailed and colorful ten foot long rendering was tacked onto a white board, but it extended well past it. This was the first full size print out availible, so I also compiled numerous frames of it to deliver this high-res panoramic rendering, which mirrors the above panoramic shot from Turn 1.

Panoramic view from the top of Turn 1. Conceptual rendering from COTA, all rights reserved.

WOW! What a view! From this position, you can see the start/finish line, the pit and paddock building, and Turns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20.  Very few tracks in the world offer this comprehensive of a view from a single location.  The seating from this vantage point will be highly coveted and possibly limited; but there will be numerous seating options throughout the circuit that provide multiple views of the track, versus a 5-second drive/fly-by.

The magnitude of this project is starting to sink in, rivaling the scale of an Olympic complex or a Walt Disney World theme park. As the Austin Commercial construction team works towards an August deadline, daily progress amounts to significant visual changes, and the reality of the project inches closer to (pardon the pun) the finish line.

In case you missed our first article of this update, Turn 1: Austin's Zenith, check out the gallery below.

Update

on 2012-01-20 23:07 by Kevin Olsen

If you're having trouble seeing the high-res photo, follow these steps:

1. Click on the photo from the article; it will open in a new window.
2. In the new window, right click on the image and choose "View image." This will shrink the image to fit on one page. Hover your mouse/cursor over various areas of the image and you will see a "+" magnifying glass.
3. Click once on the "+" magnifying glass to zoom in on the desired area, and then click again on the "-" magnifying glass to zoom out.
4. Repeat the zoom in and zoom out process on various areas of the image.

Turn 1: Austin's Zenith

From the temporary observation platform at the top of turn number one, looking back at the whole project. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But the only word I can utter after yesterday's tour of Circuit of The Americas is: WOW.

Not having been inside the construction zone since April, I was semi-prepared for a different perspective. The last video we shot in Elroy was back in October, but it was outside the fence; we've been keeping up with the photos floating around in cyberspace like vultures circling their prey, but nothing could prepare me for this.

Paddock Building view on the way up to turn number one.From the open-aired comfort of our off-roading taxi, our Austin Commercial guide started pointing out the favorite features of his outdoor office. Bits and pieces started to look familiar: that's the tunnel, I recognize it from COTA's Facebook photo album; those are retaining walls, and there's Turn 1.

My whole perspective shifted when we were halfway up the incline of what's sure to be the United States GP's zenith: Turn 1.

The miniature city grew smaller and smaller on our steep ascent. Bulldozers and Tonka truck lookalikes whizzed by. This looked very different from our first trip up Turn 1 back in April; what was once large masses of dirt has taken shape. Turns are easily identifiable with large numbered flags and berms have been carved out which will one day seat many of us reading this. You finally get a grasp on the magnitude of this project from atop Turn 1 because you can see it all: the 300-400+ construction workers, the positioning of the future Grandstand and Paddock building, the downtown Austin skyline in the background, and my new favorite feature: The Grand Plaza.

To put it simply, the Grand Plaza is going to rock. In the past 3 days they have created a sunken ampitheater by digging a hole that is roughly the width of a football field, the length of two football fields, and 50 feet deep. At the east end of the ampitheater will be a round tower that will soon make its way to the top of Austin's destination list. A large observation deck, designed by the Austin architecture firm Miró Rivera Architects, will give viewers a panaromic perspective of the entire Circuit of The Americas dreamland set against Texas Hill Country. To the west you will have unparalleled views of our iconic Frost Tower and its neighboring buildings in downtown Austin. The tower and observation deck should be complete the first year with future plans to finish it out to include a banquet hall for 600 people, a club on the top floor, a museum and unrivaled suites on the first floor.

Excavation for the grand plaza started this week...and the site is huuuge!
To the west of the tower and observation deck sits the ampitheater. I was immediately reminded of one of my favorite places in the world, Chicago's Millennium Park. COTA is working to have our newest Austin ampitheater ready this year and should accommodate 14,000 live performance viewers. Like many ampitheater settings, there will be floor or standing room tickets for 1,500 (sometimes also referred to the mosh pit), then directly behind that, 3,500 permanent seats, and then it opens up to about 9,000 lawn seats. Continue moving west and you'll hit the reflection pond which might tempt unwanted swimmers when we hit our famous 100'F+ heat streaks.

I'm a huge live music fan so it's no surprise that I'm drawn to the outdoor ampitheater. But I think COTA is doing something very smart by creating an expansive and multi-use space in their mini-city. How many visitors will come to see Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett perform and be intrigued by the racetrack? Or parents bring their kids to the observation deck and the kids get a different view of the world than from Austin Duck Tours? Huge potential to introduce non-oval style racing to an entirely new fanbase.

We covered a lot of ground out at the Circuit yesterday and this is just part of it. Over the next week we'll hit on the pit/paddock area and share our interview with COTA spokesperson Jeff Hahn as he goes into more detail about the progress. Until then, enjoy our photographs taken at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on January 12, 2012 - 311 days until our United States Grand Prix, in case you're counting (and we know you are).

We Don't Hibernate in Austin, Texas

Austin Music Legend Stevie Ray Vaughn basks in the sunny delight of a January afternoon along the shores of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, TexasAustin is known as The Live Music Capital of The World, but an alternate description might be "The Get-Outside-And-Do-Something Capital of The World."

Public festivals, performances and showcases pack our social calendars, and our 75' F temperatures in January make it nearly impossible to stay indoors for a long period of time. (Yes, it's actually 75' F or 24' C in Austin right now.)

With that in mind, we wanted to share a new feature on our website, a free resource calendar for Austin community and motorsport events.

The calendar contains a diverse collection of events that we think you will enjoy in our fair city. Additionally, all Formula 1™ race weekends are plugged in for the 2012 season, and we'll also list MotoGP™, V8 Supercars™ and other motorsport events (because they will be in Austin in 2013!).

Click here for The Austin Grand Prix Community Calendar

Just like our Pinterest site, the calendar will be updated frequently, so continue to check back for updates (or subscribe via the Google Calendar button in the lower right corner). The calendar currently has events listed through March 2012.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to email us at Calendar {at} TheAustinGrandPrix {dot} com.

The Year via the Rearview Mirror

As many of us look back on 2011, what stands out as your favorite memory?

From time to time I take a look at what we were writing about on this site at the same time last year. Imagine my surprise to discover it was the aerial photos of the racetrack site, before any construction had begun. From my window seat on a flight into Austin, I was surprised how many times I had flown over the land before and never really noticed it, but honestly, there wasn't too much to stare at in Elroy from an airplane window. However, just a day after our photo release, first signs of work appeared on site as a construction crew met with Tavo Hellmund for a photo-op and official ground-breaking of the site. It wasn't quite the gold shovel event we were hoping it would be, but naysayers and 'boondoggle' speculators were hushed as Tavo showed the world that construction was underway.

Since this announcment, looking back at 2011 has revealed a truth, it's been a fantastic year, both as fans of motorsports and as a team here at AGP, we have constantly been surprised with each of this year's exciting happenings. From early on in the year, the connection we made with Asif Kapadia facilitated the introduction of SENNA at the SXSW film festival, opening up the life of Ayrton Senna for fans and non-fans of motorsports. From my point of view, it truly changed my life, not only seeing the immense technical and competitive war within the sport, but personalities that extended far beyond the track. It opened up the sport to me in a way that even Kevin couldn't explain, and many we talked with as well, were also just so surprised with the way the movie effected them.

Following the SXSW festival, the formal announcment of Circuit of The Americas at the press conference in April came quicker than expected, with the added bonus of MotoGP and growing evidence of major site construction and heavy equipment at the track. The summer's city council meetings along with the MAKE IT HAPPEN campaign we started, helped drive the community to rally to support COTA and the City of Austin to move forward.

During the one month Formula 1 break, the SENNA movie returned to Austin as the hype for Formula 1 grew and getting a chance to speak with viewers of the film just following their experience at Violet Crown Cinema was a real treat. To add icing on the cake, Red Bull Racing and former F1 driver David Coulthard visited Austin for a commercial shoot which roared throught the streets of downtown and the county roads outside. This was a great chance for many to get their first glimpse at an F1 car in person. It was quite a treat and undoubtibly was a great sucess in opening the eyes (and ears) of many curious Austinites.

The final leg of the season segwayed into a downtown watch party location at SIX Lounge, and started a new venue for fans and non-fans to get together and watch, learn, and relax on a Sunday afternoon. Opening up an additional location was critical in our mind to help expand the reach of motorsport to new fans.

As the one year countdown to the innagural race approached, things began to shake up a bit between Bernie Ecclestone and the officals of COTA. Things finally were ironed out just a few weeks later, and on December 7th, the official placement of the Formula 1 race in Austin was secured, along with a revised contract with the officials of COTA and F1. It was an early holiday treat, but a very welcome one as the fate of Austin's race was surely going to effect the fans in the US.

So where are we today? Looking back at this past year and the magnificent things that have happened, it's hard to not be so anxious for 2012 to begin. Only a few hours away and we'll be counting down the days to the first race at COTA and the return of Formula 1 to the U.S. after several years. It should be no surprise that more and more attention will be paid to what's happening here, likely to cause some headaches, but nontheless, we are proud to welcome everything that will be happening in 2012. It's likely to get 300% more exciting, and we at AGP are ready for 2012! Are you?

How Long for Formula 1 in Austin?

We've read a few reports suggesting that the ten year contract for Formula 1 in Austin may not have been drafted as originally anticipated.  With recent quotes from Bernie Ecclestone playing to the rumor bandwagon, speculation on the future and stability of the race contract have been brewing around the world.

Just to give background, the finalized F1 contract between Circuit of the Americas and Mr. Ecclestone was rumored to be executed a day before the World Motor Sport Council met last Wednesday.  Following a deadline extension by Bernie himself, the deal was reached in private with little details about the terms negotiated between the two parties - but rightfully so, as this is a private business venture, after all.

In the days following this release, Jeff Hahn (speaking for COTA) spoke with local news channel YNN, and said the details about the new contract with F1 were confidential but there is "an agreement, and the agreement calls for a ten year run of Formula 1 here at the United States Grand Prix."  This was very welcome news to local and worldwide fans, all excited to see the return of F1 to America in 2012.

Recent details from Mr. E, however, have suggested that the financial aspect of the contract with COTA does not include a ten year commitment.  Pit Pass reports Bernie said:

They gave us the money for next year and guarantees for the future but not for the whole ten years. 

Pit Pass also asked if he's confident the 2012 race will happen...

They've paid us the money.  I'm confident we'll keep the money if the race doesn't happen.  It's an incentive isn't it?

 Pit Pass let Bernie continue with some positive remarks...

I don't think they would have paid the money and given us the guarantees we wanted if they weren't sure the race would happen.

From these quotes it sounds like the ten year term may not be guaranteed in the signed contract, but there's a missing link in this Bernie-Quote-A-Long.  Given that Bernie is speaking almost exclusively about money in his three quotes in the Pit Pass article, we believe his first quote is in regards to the financial, and not time, aspect of the contract, which probably does not equal up to ten years of monetary commitments. 

It seems as though Bernie shed more light on the matter while speaking with Al Jazeera UK (via Statesman):

"We’ve been there, years ago, and it’s a little bit like the rest of America, they want to see a profit before they start something and it’s not easy to do that. Ecclestone said, according to the Press Association. "When you consider the country is as big as Europe and we’ve got (eight) races in Europe, it’s difficult. If we had a lot more races there and a lot more television, it would be OK."

KEEP CALM AND RACE ON (shirts available for sale!)

With Bernie's recent quotes in mind, it sounds like these ramblings about money are being exaggerated quite a bit.  I mean, come on; it's pretty obvious that COTA is planning on taking in some profit before the end of the ten year deal with F1. Since this is a private venture with almost limitless potential, one would expect them to build a sustainable business as quickly as possible. Heaven forbid a private company make some profit along the way and reinvest it into the long-term success of the facility! <insert sarcasm>

The bottom line is that only a handful of people know the terms of the contract between COTA and Bernie Ecclestone. The World Motor Sport Council ratified the 2012 calendar and it includes our Austin race at the Circuit of The Americas on November 18. Although we'll probably see more rumors of this type surface before race day, it's important to Keep Calm and Race On.

//Updated to include reference from Austin-American Statesman article, "F1 Boss Makes Waves over U.S. Grand Prix"

"Formula 1 and Circuit of The Americas Ready to Roll"

Adding to the positive news from the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting earlier this morning, Circuit of The Americas has issued a press release confirming:

COTA has reached an agreement with F1 Management, ensuring the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix remains on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship race calendar.

Bernie Ecclestone "received his check today" (Joe Saward believes the price tag to now be $35MM).

Construction will resume immediately, ensuring completion for the 2012 race date.

Tavo's vision is referenced but as reported earlier, we do not see his information on the COTA website any longer.

You can read the full release here.

Congratulations to our friends at Circuit of The Americas! We are hopeful that the Texas weather will continue to cooperate so construction can progress at full steam ahead.

We are already reading your mind. You're thinking: "When do tickets go on sale!?" You should sign up for their official email list by clicking HERE.

//UPDATE

Formula 1 adds the news to their front page