Construction of the Circuit of the Americas outside of Austin, TX has resumed, after the track finally secured its contract with Formula One for a 2012 round. Work at the Circuit of the Americas had been suspended indefinitely after a contract between F1 and CotA was not signed by its appropriate deadline. However with Formula One Boss Bernie Ecclestone now getting his blood money, construction can once again resume in Texas.
Announcing that Formula One would race on a street course in New Jersey, along the shore of the Hudson, Eccelstone sent an all-too-clear message to the Texan venue that it was not the only option for F1 in the USA. While entirely an issue of posturing within Formula One’s circles, the spill-over affect of the Circuit of the Americas shutting down construction had obvious ramifications for MotoGP’s intention of running a Texan GP in 2013. From the looks of things, the Texan MotoGP round should not be affected by stoppage in work, and should proceed as planned.
“Our investors have believed all along that this project has tremendous benefit for our region, and provides a strong economic engine for the future,” stated Bobby Epstein, Founding Partner of the Circuit of The Americas. We remain committed to reaching our goal of being valuable community partners as we establish a platform for sports and entertainment. We’re glad that Tavo’s vision of bringing F1 to the people of Texas will become a reality.”
This means that the US will secure three rounds of GP racing on the 2013 MotoGP calendar, a much welcomed sight for North American motorcycle racing fans. The Austin track is a large piece of MotoGP’s bigger plan to engage the lucrative US market with MotoGP racing, as the United States has always proved to be a difficult area for the premier class to gain traction. We’ve already seen the paddock embracing more American involvement, and having three circuits on MotoGP’s racing agenda will hopefully garner more support for the series in the USA.
Source: AutoSport; Photo: Circuit of the Americas
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