Every year, we like to take the team on a fun trip. For the past four years, we’ve been going to SEMA in Las Vegas. We’ve always had a good time there because we like to win free tools, and every year, we’ve won something great: OTC diagnostic tool, Hunter tire balancer, and CP power tools. Not to mention, Vegas is a fun location…there’s always a little something for everyone to enjoy in Vegas!
This year, we wanted to do something different. With half the team following Formula 1, and the other half just recently discovering it through the Netflix docuseries, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, it seemed like the best thing to do was watch a Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX.
When it came down to choosing what type of tickets we wanted, it was a little overwhelming. We’ve been to COTA before for a NASA race, but F1 was something new to all of us. We’ve read that COTA is one of the best F1 tracks for General Admission tickets, so we settled for GA. Plus, this gave us the opportunity to explore different areas without feeling “stuck” to one seat.
We figured our best option for a big group in Texas was an Airbnb. We found a nice place in South Congress, which was within walking distance to so many good restaurants, a 10 minute drive to downtown, and a 20 minute drive to COTA. We went out and ate so much good food but it was also nice to cook a nice meal at home when we were too tired to go out.
F1 Event at Banger’s
ESPN hosted an F1 event at Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden. They had F1 PS4 simulators, race slot cars, an official Aston Martin Red Bull F1 car and a life-size Lightning McQueen. The food was also delicious, and surprisingly they had a vegan brat!
They also gave out free hats, free brats, and free beer.
Karting at COTA
You really can’t go to COTA without trying out their karting. The night before the F1 race, we signed up for some night karting. The track is all outdoors and so much fun!
After karting, we went onto the main grandstands and were able to take a peak into some of the garages that were still open.
F1 Sunday Race
The day of the actual race was exciting. There was so much to see and explore. So many merchandise booths, games, and FOOD! We came across this pit challenge, and of course, we had to do it. Our team did so well, and finished in 2.1 seconds! Unfortunately, another team was slightly faster so we got 2nd place.
COTA Tower
We highly recommend going up the tower at COTA. Most people went up by elevator, which meant there was a line but we didn’t wait too long. The view at the top is AMAZING. You can see almost the entire racetrack. Of course, on raceday, there is a $30 fee. You can pay $45 for VIP, which means you go in a VIP line that moves faster, and you get champagne when you get to the top.
Walking the Track
After the race ended, everyone flooded to the gate that the staff was opening so people can walk the track.
Takeaways
Totally worth it if you love motorsports.
General Admission: COTA is a great track for general admission because there are tons of grassy spots to sit on, and most of them are on a good slope. It seemed like any area you went to, you felt close to the track.
Bring a chair! There doesn’t seem like there are restrictions on how big the chair is. If you’ve already explored the track on the days prior and just want to get good seats for the race, I would bring a nice big comfy chair. If you think you’re going to be walking around a lot, I would bring something small and light. I brought a light backpacking chair.
Picnic blankets can work too if you have really good spots on the grass, but if you’re in the back, it may be hard for you to watch.
Also, make sure you find a spot that is next to a speaker and a large screen, so that you can actually follow the race. There were spots near Turn 19 where you couldn’t hear anything the announcers were saying, and can barely see the screen.
Fri-Sun: Practice and qualifying were on Friday/Saturday, while the race was on Sunday. If we were to go on this trip again, we would definitely purchase GA tickets for the whole weekend instead of just Sunday. This would give us time to do all the fun games, buy merchandise, and explore all food vendors on the days before the race, so that on Sunday, we would have time to get good seating on the grass for the actual race.
Sign up for karting online: The COTA website lets you register for karting two weeks beforehand. We recommend doing this because the time slots are limited and fill up fast.
You can bring your own water bottle and snacks.
Definitely bring a hat and a backpack if you plan to buy merchandise.