Beginning in 2013, Texas will host an annual round of the MotoGP championship, and support classes Moto2 and Moto3. All of the details are in the following press release.
Dorna Sports, S.L., 3FourTexasMGP, L.L.C. and Full Throttle Productions, L.P. have signed a 10-year contract to bring MotoGP to the new Circuit of the Americas beginning in 2013. The agreement includes the three categories of the Championship, the MotoGP class – the pinnacle of motorcycling, Moto2 and Moto3. The 10-year MotoGP deal is coupled with the already scheduled ten-year deal to host the Formula 1 United States Grand PrixTM, for which the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas is currently under construction.
“We are delighted to be adding the Circuit of the Americas to the MotoGP calendar. It is an honor to expand our Championship to Texas, which has a rich history of producing World Championship riders,” said Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, S.L. “We have had a wonderful and special relationship with Kevin Schwantz for twenty years and often talked about a mutual dream of increasing the popularity of MotoGP in the U.S. and raising our already successful worldwide profile. Now, with what Tavo Hellmund is doing in Austin, we have realized that situation and are looking forward to this new venture together. The 10-year agreement is a sign of our confidence and commitment to the future success of MotoGP racing in Austin.”
Established as a World Championship by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) in 1949, MotoGP is now in its 63rd year. Its Grand Prix events have taken place in every corner of the world and in 2010, more than 2.2 million people came through the gates of the world circuits to watch a weekend of world-class motorcycle racing.
Kevin Schwantz, Manager of 3FourTexas MGP, L.L.C. and the 1993 FIM MotoGP World Champion stated, “For me this is a dream come true, that the FIM MotoGP World Championship will be in my home state of Texas. I am such a believer in the sport and know how popular motorcycling is in Texas. I am sure that this will be a resounding long term success.”
During his racing career, Schwantz accumulated 25 Grand Prix wins and he won the 1993 MotoGP World Championship. After his retirement from racing in 1995, the FIM, in an unprecedented gesture of respect, retired #34, his racing number. In 2000, the organization declared Kevin a Legend, their highest honor, as a testament to his popularity with fans and fellow drivers alike.
“We are extremely pleased to add the best motorcycle World Championship to our annual schedule,” said Tavo Hellmund, Managing Partner of Full Throttle Productions, L.P. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the State of Texas and this region and I believe it is the first time in American Motorsports history that both the cars and motorbikes world championships are held at the
same facility annually. We are very proud of becoming the United States international facility for motorsports.”
Construction of Circuit of the Americas is progressing well and is scheduled for completion sometime in mid 2012, in time for the first Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
“Kevin and I have been close friends for a long time and I enjoy a great relationship with Carmelo. I respect so much what they and the FIM have done for MotoGP globally. It’s going to be great for the State, the product is fantastic and you never know, we may even have a reigning Texan in Ben Spies as World Champion for our first event…that would be icing on the cake,” concluded Mr. Hellmund.
World-Class Riders
Ben Spies from Longview, Texas is considered among a small field of favorites to challenge for the 2011 title. He was the 2010 MotoGP Rookie of the Year and recently finished sixth in the Qatar Grand Prix, the inaugural MotoGP race of the 2011 season.
The 2010 MotoGP World Champion is factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo, originally from Palma, Spain. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) from Catalonia, Spain finished runner-up behind Lorenzo last year with seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi from Urbino, Italy placing third.
Race Weekend Schedule
A Grand Prix event takes place over three days with total attendance nearing 200,000 fans. The first two days of the Grand Prix are set aside for practice and qualification for each class. In each category the three fastest qualification-time riders take positions on the first row of the grid, with the rest lining up in rows of three behind. Traditional race days begin with the 125cc contest with the Moto2 class following and finally the premier MotoGP event. Races vary in length between approximately 60 and 80 miles and normally last 40 to 45 minutes.
About MotoGP
The MotoGP World Championship is the world’s premier motorcycling championship, with a season of 18 Grand Prix in 14 countries, across four continents, bringing together the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers and an elite crop of riders from every corner of the globe. The sport is a spectacular show, featuring the most technologically advanced, high-speed racing machinery being ridden by the most fearless and skillful riders on the planet. For more information, visit www.motogp.com.
About Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas will be a world-class destination for performance, education and business. It will be 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 be the U.S. home to both the Formula 1 and MotoGP Grand Prix World 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 will be a 3.4-mile circuit track with capacity for 120,000 fans. Other support buildings will include a medical trauma and care training facility, 14 executive meeting suites, a conference center, a banquet hall as well as an expansive outdoor live music space. Future proposed amenities include a driving/riding experience, a motorsports driving club, kart track, grand plaza event center and tower, and a trackside recreational vehicle park.
For more information, visit www.CircuitoftheAmericas.com.
hmmmn, on the hook (out the box) for a decade’s worth of sanctioning fees, related to a niche business (motorcycling), in a land dominated by nascar, historical data shows declining attendance (by-product of a devaluing consumer more than anything else), the venue has never held a single event, and new circuit NJMP recently declared bankruptcy DESPITE 4 years of brisk operation…? well one thing’s for sure, the inaugural 2012 F1 and 2013 MGP races will be awesome.
epiphany alert…! it’s just occured to me there’s a “method” to the 10 year contract “madness”. the ruthless 3 man consortium behind this project has targeted not just indy, but indy AND laguna for “termination” (YIKKESS!). think bestbuys vs.circuit city, barnes&nobles vs. borders, walmart vs. kmart, netflix vs. blockbuster. come 2014-15, the brands known as “redbull gp” and “indianapolis gp” will be no more. 🙁
Look forward to this one. Might have to do Colin Edward’s Bootcamp before that race. Make a big trip of it. Oh yeah, Go Ben!
It’s going to be a great track. Long…133 ft of elevation and…. potential to put it on the CMRA calendar for us club racers! I’ve been watching them push the dirt around for a few months and get more excited each week.
I’d like Ben Spies to challenge for the Moto GP championship, but am not holding out a lot of hope. Maybe if Stoner, Rossi, and Pedrosa get injured. Cool to see a new US track on the schedule, Austin sounds like a fun vacation!
Vrooom, Wait til next year when they switch to 1000cc motors. You will see Ben excel and win the championship. GO BEN GO!
Austin! I am very much there! California is wrong time for me, and Indy doesn’t excite me. Great music scene and Motogp! Couldn’t think of a better combo
Hot damn.
My brother lives in Austin, I’m in Fort Worth…
I’m there!
I’m guessing this spells the end to the Indy GP races. Oh well, Austin is probably a more fun place to visit anyway. Hopefully they’ll have it in April, before it gets too hot there, or October, after it starts to cool down. A summer race would be brutal.
Very cool. In these economic times, I wonder if they are going to have to travel between the rest of the world and the U.S. three separate times or if the US races are back to back to back, making it more economical and easier on the factories and teams?