Australian V8 Supercars Series officials have agreed to a five-year deal to hold races at a racetrack under construction southeast of Austin beginning in 2013, circuit officials along with Gov. Rick Perry said today.
Under the deal, Circuit of the Americas will hold two 124-mile races each year, though no dates have been announced, officials said.
V8 Supercars are based on production road cars, specifically the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore, and use 5.0-liter V8 engines that produce 620 to 650 horsepower. Holden is the Australian subsidiary of General Motors.
The cars run on 85 percent ethanol, which is derived from the by-products of sugar and wheat processing.
Cable channel Speed currently broadcasts the races about a week after they’re run, on Saturday afternoons.
The network does not have plans in place for coverage of an Austin race, spokesman David Harris said.
“We haven’t talked about it,” Harris said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t do it, it just hasn’t been discussed because it’s a new race.”
Calls to Perry’s office and the office of Comptroller Susan Combs have not been returned.
The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body for motor sports, recently sanctioned it as an international series. Races were held in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain last year, and events in India and Singapore are expected to be announced in the next year, the Herald Sun newspaper in Australia said. An Austin race would be the series’ first in North America, officials said.
Series officials claim that it’s the among fastest growing motorsports in the world.
“Our entrance into the United States marks a new day for the series and we’re excited for Americans to experience what has made V8 Supercars so popular in many places around the world,” Tony Cochrane, Chairman of V8 Supercars, said in a statement.
This is the third race series that has agreed to race at Circuit of the Americas. Formula One will race at the circuit for 10 years beginning in 2012, and MotoGP, the world’s premier motorcycle series will run for 10 years starting in 2013.
“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,” Perry said in a statement. “This is more good news for the Lone Star State, and will provide a significant boost to the economy of Central Texas.”
Anna Bligh, the premier of Queensland, a state in the northeast of Australia, was also on-hand for the announcement.
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This is good stuff, love to watch this series!!! In my opinion they have some of the best racing there is. The formula is one that many should look at..
I will go to at least one of these! -
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My gawd..... that sure is some kinda racin......, makes me kinda sweaty
YouTube - 2010 V8 Supercars Gold Coast Race2‏ -
This news makes me happy.
