Texas' Circuit of the America's FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES selected "Sports Event of the Year"

Past recipients include Super Bowl

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May 24, 2013, 12:44 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, May 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Circuit of the America's Formula One 2012 race beat out major national events like the Ryder Cup and hockey's Stanley Cup Finals to capture the "Sports Event of the Year" award in New York City last night. Previous winners included the 2009 Super Bowl In New York to accept for COTA at the 2013 SportsBusiness Journal/Daily Business Awards, Circuit President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Sexton, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Geoff Moore, CEO of McCombs Partners, Rad Weaver, representing Red McCombs, and Jason Asci representing investors.

Hosting more than 265,000 fans for the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES race last November, the $400 million world-class sports and entertainment complex for large scale events and festivals provided an extraordinary experience in Central Texas. International attendees were impressed and so was the U.S. sports business industry.

"The fact that we are being recognized as the "Sports Event of the Year" - over major sporting events like the Ryder Cup and the Stanley Cup really is a major win for Texas," said Red McCombs, a major COTA investor and driving force on the project. "This can be huge for economic development in the whole Central Texas area from San Antonio to Austin and the surrounding communities. Not only from more successful events at COTA, but also as a result of this recognition getting the word out that we can do this - we can play with the big boys and we have a lot to offer people looking for a great time in sports and entertainment. It's a major win for the whole state but especially for Austin and the Central Texas area."

In addition to the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES race, the Circuit of the Americas has hosted the GRAND-AM of the Americas, the Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas and the V8 Supercars Austin 400 in its first year. The facility also opened its Austin360 Amphitheater and just hosted the world-renown Dave Matthews Band - part of 15 concerts booked for the first season. The next event is the American Le Mans series in conjunction with the FIA World Endurance Championships September 20-22. The 2013 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX is set for November 15-17.

"We have some great events coming up and we can see a lot of opportunity beyond racing for COTA," said McCombs. "X Games would be great for Austin - it's a perfect fit and big event that could bring even more attention and dollars to Texas. This "Sports Event of the Year" recognition is going to help us make Central Texas the place to go for the most exciting sports and entertainment events in the country."

About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas is a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States designed for any and all classes of racing, from motor power to human power, and is home to the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX while also hosting MotoGP™, V8 Supercars™, GRAND-AM Road Racing™, American Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championships. The Circuit of The Americas' master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. Its signature element is a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings include the Austin360 Amphitheater, an expansive outdoor live music space; an iconic 251-foot, 25-story tower with observation deck; an events and conference center; a banquet hall; and a state-of-the-art medical facility. For more information and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit:www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com, www.Austin360Amphitheater.com or the Circuit's dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com.

SOURCE Circuit of The Americas