It’s widely considered the pinnacle of international motorsports, with some of the world’s top drivers competing in some of the world’s most advanced race cars for global on-track supremacy. And now it’s coming back to the U.S. Beginning in 2012, Austin, Tex., will host the U.S. Grand Prix, marking the first time in five years that the Formula One campaign has run in an American city.
The sport actually has a long history in this country, though, with the first U.S. Grand Prix being held in 1961 at the famed road course in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The Glen was on the F1 calendar until 1980, and then a number of other cities—including Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix and Long Beach, Calif.—hosted the event on temporary street courses until 2000. At that point, some twists and turns were added through the infield at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and F1 drivers raced there until 2007.
The Austin track will be a permanent road circuit built specifically for F1 racing.
In addition, two Americans, Phil Hill and the legendary Mario Andretti, are past winners of the much-coveted Formula One World Drivers’ Championship. Hill took the honors for Ferrari in 1961, and Andretti piloted his iconic black-and-gold Lotus 79 to six race wins and the overall title in 1978.
Of course, a lot has changed since then, and the machines now being run by the likes of Jenson Button—the current reigning F1 champ—are far different from Andretti’s Lotus. Today’s cars pack 2.4-liter V8s that rev all the way up to an electronically limited 18,000 rpm and produce about 800 hp, and are mated to seven-speed, paddle-shifted electronic gearboxes tailor-made for the stress of F1 racing. Powering lightweight racers that tip the scales at about 1,350 lbs, that combination is good for top speeds approaching 200 mph and blistering acceleration that catapults the cars from 0-60 in just about 2 seconds.
“This is a case of the right timing in the right place,” according to Tavo Hellmund, managing partner of Full Throttle Productions, the promoter of the U.S. Grand Prix. “Few cities if any in America could rival the connectivity of all the key elements needed for hosting a Formula 1 event as well as Austin. Now, many people around the world will have the opportunity to experience a world-class event, facility and city.”
The best news? That opportunity will last at least a decade, as Austin’s agreement to host the U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled to run from 2012-2021.
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