Fans eagerly gathered for the first 2012 Austin Grand Prix Downtown Watch Party on Sunday afternoon to kick off the season with the 2012 Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix.

One of Austin's most iconic downtown restaurants, Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill, welcomed F1 fans from Austin, Dallas, San Francisco, New York, Kansas City, DC, London, Germany and beyond. Fan enjoyed the delicious brunch buffet of southwestern and Tex-Mex fare, including an item I can't seem to find anywhere outside of Austin - Migas. Migas are eggs scrambled with tortilla chip strips, japanelos, salsa fresca and cheese - delicious! The location was ideal, the staff attentive and friendly, and the food and service, world-class. Thank you Z'Tejas!

In the multi-level private house fans had multiple options for enjoying the race - including a downstairs viewing room with a 10' high-def screen and 60" LCD complete with heart-pumping sound system. Upstairs, guest had the option to stay indoors or venture to the outdoor patio and enjoy the perfect Austin weather while still keeping up with the action on a large LCD screen nearby. Special thanks to IES for outfitting Z'Tejas into a rivaling F1 media center!

Our fans were lucky to be some of the first in Austin to meet the crew from K1 Speed - the nation's largest indoor kart racing chain that runs on high performance, zero-emission European electric karts. In just a few short weeks, Austin's own K1 Speed loction will open and our 15 lucky K1 Speed gift card winners will be able to put them to good use. On Sunday fans were able to check out one of their karts on display and hop on in. Everyone is excited about this new venue and we'll be sure to keep you up to date on their grand opening. I must admit, I can't wait to get out there and take one for a spin...Thank you K1 Speed!

We'll continue to share the F1 excitement with friends and fans throughout downtown Austin this season. We've chosen a handful of races to host watch parties, with China being the next race on the calendar on April 15. Stay tuned for more details.