Circuit of the Americas facts for kids
 Full Grand Prix circuit
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| Location | Elroy, Texas, 12 miles (19 km) south of Austin, Texas |
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| Time zone | UTC−6 / −5 (DST) |
| Coordinates | 30°7′58″N 97°38′28″W / 30.13278°N 97.64111°W |
| Capacity | 120,000 |
| FIA Grade | 1 |
| Owner | Circuit of The Americas LLC |
| Broke ground | December 31, 2010 |
| Opened | October 21, 2012 |
| Architect | Hermann Tilke Miró Rivera Architects |
| Major events | FIA Formula One United States Grand Prix (2012–present) FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix of the Americas (2013–present) FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas (2013–present) V8 Supercars Austin 400 (2013) American Le Mans Series International Sports Car Weekend (2013) Rolex Sports Car Series Grand-Am of the Americas (2013) IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Lone Star Le Mans (2014–2017) Summer X Games (2014–2016) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Length | 3.427 mi (5.513 km) |
| Turns | 20 |
| Race lap record | 1:39.347 ( Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 2012) |
The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is a famous place for car and motorcycle racing. It is located in Elroy, Texas, which is just south of Austin, Texas. This track is super important because it has a special license (FIA Grade 1). This means it's one of the best tracks in the world for major international races.
COTA is the home of the United States Grand Prix for Formula One racing. Since 2013, it has also hosted MotoGP races, which are like Formula One but for motorcycles! In the past, it also hosted races for V8 Supercars, which are popular touring cars from Australia.
One cool thing about COTA is that it's one of the few Formula One tracks that runs counter-clockwise. This means it has more left turns than right turns. This makes it extra challenging for the drivers. Their bodies, especially their necks, have to work harder because they are used to tracks that mostly turn right.
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What's Cool at COTA?
The Circuit of The Americas has some amazing features that make it special.
Grand Plaza
The Grand Plaza is a huge open space, about 20 acres (0.081 km2) big. It's surrounded by the race track on three sides. This area was designed by architects from Austin, Texas. It has a big reflecting pool, a grassy lawn, and different types of plants.
Along one side of the Grand Plaza, you'll find places to buy food and drinks, shops, and restrooms. There are also entrances to the spectator seating areas. If you want to explore other parts of the circuit, two pedestrian bridges cross over the track. They help visitors get around easily.
Observation Tower
COTA also has a very tall observation tower, standing 251 feet (77 m) high! You can take an elevator or climb 419 stairs to reach the top. The observation platform is 230 feet (70 m) above the ground.
From the top, you get an amazing 360-degree view of the entire race circuit. You can even see the downtown area of Austin, Texas, in the distance. The platform is open to the public for a fee. It can hold up to 70 visitors at once and has glass railings and even a partial glass floor, which is super cool!
Fastest Laps (Lap Records)
Race tracks keep records of the fastest laps ever completed. These are called lap records. They show how quickly a car or bike has gone around the track during a race. Here are some of the fastest times at COTA:
| Event | Class | Time | Car/bike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 United States Grand Prix | F1 | 1:39.347 | Red Bull RB8 |
| 2015 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas | LMP1 | 1:47.412 | Porsche 919 Hybrid |
| 2013 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas | LMP2 | 1:54.559 | Oreca 03 |
| 2013 Grand-Am of The Americas | DP | 2:00.026 | Corvette |
| 2013 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas | LM GTE | 2:03.520 | Ferrari 458 Italia |
| 2014 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas | MotoGP | 2:03.575 | Honda |
| 2017 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas | Moto2 | 2:09.948 | Kalex |
| 2017 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas | Moto3 | 2:15.583 | Honda |
| 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike/Superstock | Superbike | 2:09.173 | Yamaha |
| 2013 Austin 400† | V8 Supercar | 1:33.5951 | Holden VF Commodore |
| 2015 Formula Sun Grand Prix | Solar EV | 4:30.444 | Iowa State University Phaeton |
| Road legal production car | Production car | 2:11:30 | Nio EP9 |
| 2017 Autonomous Electric Car | EV | 2:40:33 | Nio EP9 |
† This record was set on a slightly shorter part of the track, which was 3.7 km long.
Images for kids
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The 251-foot (77 m) observation tower under construction at Circuit of the Americas
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Hairpin Turn 11 before completion
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The Circuit of the Americas facilities in 2018
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Main straight and turn 1 hill
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Crowd at COTA on race day
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Circuit of the Americas during the 2018 US Grand Prix
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Pit lane
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COTA on race day
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Collective Soul performing at the Tower Amphitheater
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The Germania Insurance Amphitheater as seen from the top of the tower
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World RX layout of Circuit of the Americas
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See also
In Spanish: Circuito de las Américas para niños
