Round 2: IndyCar Classic, Circuit of The Americas. Austin, Texas. March 22-24.
This will be IndyCar's first and much anticipated visit to the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and replaces Phoenix, after it was announced on June 22 last year that the Arizona venue would be dropped from the 2019 calendar, having only returned in 2016 after an 11 year hiatus.
The Circuit of The Americas, was created with the sole intention of reviving the USA's hopes of hosting an F1 Grand Prix. The initial plans were first proposed in a news conference on July 27, 2010 by Promoter and former Formula 3 racing driver Tavo Hellmund, who had competed in the 1990s. Hellmund announced plans to build a new race track on an 890 acre site (3.6 km2) of undeveloped land in southeastern Travis County, having secured a deal with Bernie Ecclestone for a US GP from 2012 onwards.
The final plan of the circuit was released on September 1, 2010 and building began on December 31, 2010 and was due to be completed by June 2012. The circuit's final master plan, was developed by US architects HKS Inc. and Hermann Tilke, with Austin architects Miró Rivera, designing the main grandstand, the observation tower and amphitheatre. At a press conference on April 12, 2011, the track's name was announced as "Circuit of the Americas" .
Problems arose with securing funding from the Major Events Trust Fund (METF), a state sporting fund designed to attract major sporting events to Texas, that would be used to pay the Formula One sanctioning fee. Opponents of the race filed a lawsuit against Texas State comptroller Susan Combs, claiming she had promised the funding to the circuit, without having been legally authorized to do so, though the promoters responded stating that all necessary guidelines had been followed.
On July 1, 2011, a state district court judge declined to enter a temporary restraining order against Combs, preventing payments from the METF. However, Combs reconsidered and chose not to make the July 31 advance payment to FOMC/Bernie Ecclestone as previously agreed for the first year's sanctioning fee. In November 2011, Ecclestone issued an ultimatum to the owners and promoters to find a solution by the following month or be dropped from the calendar.
This led to a dispute between the circuit owners, Helmund's Full Throttle Productions, and Formula One Management. Construction was temporarily stopped. However, on December 7, 2011, the World Motorsport Council released the final calendar for the 2012 season, with COTA retaining its November 18 date. It emerged that two investors, Bobby Epstein and Red McCombs, had reached a new arrangement with Ecclestone, ensuring payment up front and cutting Hellmund's company from promoting the event. Hellmund announced plans to sue Epstein and McCombs, with Hellmund claiming that he was still a part of the management company and had not been paid since September. In June 2012, the dispute was reported to have been settled out of court.
The inaugural race, the 2012 United States GP, was held on November 18 and was won by Lewis Hamilton, driving for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in a McLaren MP4 27-Merecedes FO 108Z.
Lap Record:
Lewis Hamilton, 19 September, 2018. 1:37.392, 126.624 Mph (203.782 Km/h). Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+ - Mercedes-AMG F1 M09 EQ Power+
Layout:
The initial track layout was conceived by Tavo Hellmund and 1993 FIM 500cc world champion Kevin Schwantz, with assistance from renowned F1 circuit designer and architect Hermann Tilke. Inspiration was taken from other F1 circuits, with the first section taking its cue from Silverstone's, Maggots-Becketts-Chapel complex. Other sections mimicked the stadium section at Hockenheim and Istanbul Park's Turn 8.
Originally the circuit was to be 3.4 miles (5.5 km) long, though the actual length is 3.427 miles (5.515 km), with 20 turns. There is also a considerable elevation change, with a steep rise of 133 feet (41 m) to Turn 1. The circuit runs anti-clockwise.
Length:
3.427 Miles (5.515 km)
Turns:
20
Race Broadcast:
NBCSN. March 24, 1:00pm ET.