Every year, as part of the Formula One circuit, a Grand Prix is held in Austin, Texas. This has been intermittently occurring since 1908, and since 2012 it has been hosted at the Circuit of the Americas in Elroy, which is close to the city of Austin.
Formula One, officially known as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seat auto racing, and has been a vital part of the automotive world since it's birth in 1950, although there have been a number of similar competitions that preceded the official inauguration and happening alongside the F1 until 1983. It is a yearly circuit of races, referred to as Grand Prix, featuring 20 drivers competing in over 20 races internationally on purpose built raceways and occasionally on public roads. Formula One is also the most popular annual sporting series worldwide.
While Europe is the birthplace and the traditional base of Formula One racing, it has come across the sea to America where the competition encompassed the United States Grand Prix, originally known as the American Grand Prize, which has been happening intermittently since 1908. The circuit itself is 3.4 miles, and is completed 56 times by the racers during the event, and is one of the last races in the series.
The event in Austin attracts a lot visitors, and has been reported as very successful due to the unique atmosphere that the Texans provide coming from a cultural background of music and art. in 2016 the event had record attendance figures, seeing some 270,000 people enter the grounds, despite the return of the racing event in Mexico City which drew a lot of potential internal attendees south of the border. Despite suffering some funding cuts, the race seems to be going strong.
Attendees can not only expect some high class racing action and edge of your seat entertainment, but also a certain level of glamour and prestige. As soon as the race begins, driving is non-stop and exceeds 220 miles per an hour. The grounds are filled with spectators, celebrities, drivers and their teams, and the atmosphere is unforgettable. Outside of the race grounds, the city of Austin comes alive as bars and restaurants host parties and special events to accomodate for the spectators and to keep the atmosphere alive. The actual event last for three days, including practice runs, qualifying and the race itself, although the day preceding practice runs also sees a press conference at the race grounds and some promoter activities for three day ticket holders. Qualifying laps and practice runs are broken up by the Masters Historic Racing and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup competitions to ensure a bit of diversity amongst events. The race concludes on the Sunday with the presentation of the trophies and the national anthems of the winning teams.
Accommodation and race entry packages are available through the grandprixevents.com website near to the start of the event, along with exact dates of all of the upcoming races on the Formula One circuit.