Lone Star Le Mans – because why wouldn’t you combine the world’s most technologically advanced racing series with the cowboy-boot-studded state? Combine the WEC (World Endurance Championship) with the Tudor United SportsCar Championship and you have the recipe for this racing fan’s favorite weekend!
Endurance racing—live—is unlike anything else I have ever experienced. My knowledge of motorsport began and ended with Formula 1. It wasn’t until Circuit of the Americas started being built that I began paying attention and learning about other motorsport series. First it was Grand-Am, then MotoGP, and of course the Australian V8 Supercars. Next on my list? American Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championship. I watched this year’s 12 hours of Sebring and 24 hours of Le Mans with serious interest for the first time. I have spent time looking things up and asking questions on Twitter. But it wasn’t until the 6 hours of Circuit of the Americas that I truly grasped just how special these two series really are.
Photos/Words – Jennifer Stamps
Often called the Formula 1 series of motorcycle racing, the MotoGP series buzzed its way through Austin last week at Circuit of the Americas with the Redd Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. With newly (re)painted stars adorning the track, the fantastic new track welcomed MotoGP and its fans with open arms. To my surprise, the house was packed, with an estimated 131,000 people in attendance over the weekend. Race day alone drew a crowd of more than 61,000 eager and excited fans from all over the world, beating COTA’s own attendance estimates.
Photos: Jennifer Stamps
So, you’re a fan of motorsports. You know all the ins and outs of many of the racing series. You know the drivers, you know the tracks, and you know the sport like the back of your hand. You know a more about IndyCar than the average fan. You even know a little about the American Le Mans Series and learning GRAND-AM in the meantime. You’ve heard about Formula 1 and their ‘styled by technology’ cars. You’ve probably also heard about all the formalities, politics, and bureaucratic nonsense that is sometimes associated with F1. If you can get past that nonsense, you’ve got some of the best racing on the planet.
Photos: Jennifer Stamps
After that magical weekend in November, anticipation for March was building! It was still kind of hard to believe that Austin had a purpose built, state-of-the-art Formula 1 track. And the exciting part was knowing that we didn’t have to wait an entire year to see another race at Circuit of the Americas.
