One of the men that negotiated Formula One's return to the United States at an as-yet unbuilt track in Texas says that the Austin venue for the race is perfect for F1, with the fans being "more of an F1 crowd than a NASCAR crowd".
Yesterday Bernie Ecclestone confirmed the return of the US Grand Prix at the Austin venue, starting in the 2012 season, in a 10 year deal.
And Tavo Hellmund, a managing partner at the Full Throttle Productions company that will spearhead the project, has said that the plan makes perfect sense for Formula One and Austin.
"Austin is more of an F1 crowd than a NASCAR crowd," Hellmund bellowed at the Austin American Statesman newspaper.
"The geography, the tech money, the nightlife, the music. It all just fits with what Formula 1 is all about."
He added that there were three prospective sites on the shortlist, as the final location for the new track is set to be decided soon.
Though no design has yet been confirmed for the track, Hellmund said that the track would be 'at least' three miles long. The report suggested that the eventual cost of the track would be as high as $250 million.
Formula One has long struggled to establish itself in America, with the recent staging of a grand prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway never really capturing the imagination of its audience, and eventually being tarnished by the 2005 'six car grid' debacle.
Hellmund also boasted of the benefits that Formula One would bring to the area, saying: "Texas has never had an annual global sporting event. I think everyone is going to be really proud of it."
In the same article, the Texas state Senator Kirk Watson, who helped with the bid, boasted that: "The economic impact is said to be almost as big as a Super Bowl, and that's every year."
Meanwhile, the excellently-named Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell was similarly boastful, saying that hosting an annual F1 event would be a huge boon for the expanding city.
"This will be a game-changer for Austin. ... We expect every hotel from San Antonio to Temple will be full," he guessed.
"This will solidify our standing as an international city. ... Hundreds of millions of people also see the broadcast, and those who don't know about Austin will."
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