As
chronicled by SPEED.com early in June, the search for a venue to host the first
V8 Supercars race in the United States ranked high on the list of priorities for series CEO Tony Cochrane, and less than a month later, they've finally found a partner.
Starting in 2013, the Austin, Texas-based Circuit of the Americas will host a standalone V8 Supercars race as part of a five-year deal.
With previously announced deals to bring Formula One and MotoGP to the 3.4-mile road course, Texas Governor Rick Perry believes the addition of the popular tin-top series will benefit his state’s economy.
“While Texas has established itself as the nation’s place for business, it’s quickly becoming the nation’s place for big sporting events, as well,” said Perry. “V8 Supercars now joins Formula One, MotoGP, NASCAR, the NFL, NBA, NCAA and USTA, among the many that have chosen Texas to host major events in the last few years. This is more good news for the Lone Star State, and will provide a significant boost to the economy of Central Texas.”
V8 Supercars CEO Tony Cochrane was rightfully proud to announce his series will venture to an enthusiastic new market.
“North Americans have embraced V8 Supercars through the SPEED network in a way that is beyond anything we could have imagined,” Cochrane said. "It’s an amazing feat for an Australian-born sport, or business, to have such popularity in the world’s largest motorsport market. This is a huge deal for V8 Supercars and one that all Australians should be proud of."
The date for the inaugural V8 race at Austin is still to be determined, but the format, two 200km races, were revealed and SPEED has been confirmed as the television partner.
SPEED's Leigh Diffey, a native Australian and long-time member of the V8 family, expects the twin-200km format--which is similar to the twin-300km Gold Coast 600 V8 format used at Surfers Paradise--to attract a lot of interest from America's finest NASCAR, IndyCar and sports
car drivers.
"They have seen the Gold Coast 600 format become so popular, that I think that if the series chooses to go down that road with the Circuit of the Americas event, they'd have an overwhelming amount of interest from the best drivers we have in the 'States."
The Gold Coast 600 is unique amongst top-tier racing series, where the organizers invite major international drivers to co-drive in each of the 28
cars, holding a 300km race on Saturday and a second 300km event on Sunday.
"If they were to do an interesting format like they do at the Gold Coast, and invite guys like Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Juan Montoya, Jimmie Johnson and run down the list of the IndyCar guys and
sportscar drivers, I think you'd give fans of all forms of racing a perfect reason to head to Texas to watch V8s. With Ford and [GM owned] Holden as the two big manufacturers in V8s right now, and who knows, there could me more manufacturers by the time they come here in 2013, I think it could be a very popular event.”
Austin. UF Meat?