V8 Supercars Agrees to Five-Year Deal With Austin's Circuit of The Americas™ to Host Championship; SPEED™ to Broadcast Races

AUSTIN, Texas, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- V8 Supercars and Circuit of The Americas, along with Texas Governor Rick Perry and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, announced today a five-year agreement to bring the famous Australian V8 Supercar series to the new Circuit of The Americas beginning in 2013.

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"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," said Governor Rick Perry. "V8 Supercars now joins Formula One, MotoGP, NASCAR, the NFL, NBA, NCAA and USTA, among the many that have chosen Texas to host major events in the last few years. This is more good news for the Lone Star State, and will provide a significant boost to the economy of Central Texas."

"The addition of V8 Supercars into our lineup at Circuit of The Americas will add to what we already know will be a rich and exhilarating fan experience," said Steve Sexton, President of Circuit of The Americas. "We're thrilled the racing world is so excited about our facility. Austin is poised to become the premier North American destination for international motorsports. In addition to hosting the 4 wheel and 2 wheel world championships, the United States will now enjoy the world's best touring car series here in Austin."

V8 Supercars is among the fastest growing motorsports in the world. The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) recently sanctioned it as an international series. The series is enormously popular in Australia and New Zealand and will be making its first entrance into North America at Circuit of The Americas.

V8 Supercars joins the already existing 10-year agreements Circuit of The Americas has to host the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ beginning in 2012 and MotoGP World Championship™ beginning in 2013. This first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States is currently under construction in Austin, Texas.

Additionally, SPEED™ will televise the two 200-km (124-mile) races live and in full throughout North and South America.

"I can't describe how excited we are to bring the V8 Supercars race to such a spectacular facility. With Formula 1 racing, MotoGP and now V8 Supercars, it's obvious Circuit of The Americas will be a top-notch destination that houses the best racing on earth, and we are thrilled to be a part of it," said Tony Cochrane, Chairman of V8 Supercars.

"We have expanded V8 Supercars' geographical influence over the past few years with plans to stage up to six races each year to complement our existing events in Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East," added Cochrane. "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."

Formerly the Australian Touring Car Championship, the current series was devised in 1993 and branded as "V8 Supercars" in 1997. The cars are based on modified versions of Australia's two most popular – and most rivaled – passenger cars, the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore.

V8 Supercars continues as one of Australia's largest sports both in attendance and television viewership. In 2010, approximately 1.7 million people attended V8 Supercars events, including V8 Supercars' 20 millionth spectator at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

About the V8 Supercar Championship

The V8 Supercar Championship is one of the worlds' largest and best-known touring car categories, recognized internationally as a leader in motorsport and entertainment. The Championship consists of 15 events across Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East in 2011, as well as racing at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix™.

In 2010, more than 1.8 million people attended a V8 Supercar event. Every race is telecast live on the Seven Network across Australia and the TV3 Network in New Zealand. In addition, more than 130 countries telecast V8 Supercars live, as-live or on delay, dependent on time zone and programming. The massive SPEED™ network in North and South America and ESPN Star throughout Asia are among the sport's major international broadcasters.

In 2011, V8 Supercars was granted 'international status' by the world governing body of motorsport, the FIA, which enables it to race at up to six international destinations outside of Australia and New Zealand each year, elevating the sport to the top tier of all categories worldwide.

The Championship's world-renowned races include the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Armor All Gold Coast 600 and the season-ending Sydney Telstra 500 on the streets of Olympic Park in Sydney.

Backing for the sport is at an all-time high with annual sponsorship in excess of $150 million across the 18 teams and Championship series. V8 Supercars' major sponsor is Australia's largest Internet service provider, Telstra BigPond. Its sponsors also include multinational companies, with FMGC partners becoming increasingly prominent. Etihad Airways recently became the official international airline of V8 Supercars.

All V8 Supercars run on 85 percent CSR Ethanol, a renewable fuel bi-product of the sugar refining process.

More information can be found at http://v8supercars.com.au

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. It will 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 (5.5-km) 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 and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com.

SOURCE Circuit of The Americas