Fans of the fast and furious will jet for Austin, Texas, this weekend to watch the world’s speediest circuit-racing cars attack the brand-new Circuit of The Americas track.
The 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, set for Sunday, marks the first time these cars have vroomed their engines in the States since 2007. Adding to the wow factor, this race will be the first major event held at the 1,000-acre Circuit of The Americas facility, which just opened on October 21.
Coming off of the exciting Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the beginning of November, the single-seater cars will zip around hairpin turns at the 3.4-mile Circuit at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. The track has 20 turns, a few of which were designed to resemble turns on tracks like Germany’s Hockenheimring, Turkey’s Istanbul Park and England’s Silverstone Circuit. But there’s one distinguishing section that’s expected to be a challenge for racers: the steep 133-foot climb that heads for the hairpin Turn One.
The weekend kicks off with two practice rounds on Friday, one more on Saturday morning and the qualifying round at noon on Saturday. The main event hits the track at 1 p.m. on Sunday. While the Grand Prix is largely sold out, you may still find some event tickets online.
Photo Courtesy of Circuit of the Americas LLC
