Austin, Texas, Sept. 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Circuit of The Americas and the Circuit Events Host Committee today announced that two-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (2013's Rush) will be the special celebrity guest at The Starting Grid, the official kick-off luncheon for festivities leading up to the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX™. The luncheon is set for Thursday, Nov. 1, at the downtown Hilton Hotel, located at 500 East 4th Street in Austin. KTBC FOX 7 Sports Anchor Dave Cody will serve as master of ceremonies for the event, which begins at 11:30 a.m. CST.
Ron Howard has become an entertainment legend as a director, producer and actor. He has directed worldwide blockbusters including A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Backdraft, Cinderella Man, Cocoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Parenthood, Ransom, Splash, The Da Vinci Code, and many more. He received Oscars® for Best Director and Best Picture in 2001 for A Beautiful Mind and was nominated for Best Director in 2008 for Frost/Nixon.
Howard will give luncheon attendees an inside look at his upcoming epic-action drama, Rush, which stars Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers) as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Formula 1™ Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives. Rush is currently in postproduction and will be released on Sept. 20, 2013.
"We are thrilled to have Ron Howard, a gifted entertainer and true American treasure, as our special guest for the official kick-off to Formula 1™ festivities in Austin, said Circuit Events Host Committee Executive Director Sandy West. "F1™ will make its grand re-entry to the United States in Central Texas this November, and it's serendipitous to have one of the most dramatic, real-life F1 stories debuting on the big screen shortly after. While he was directing Rush, Mr. Howard spent several months immersed in the world of Formula 1, learning about its history, politics and personalities. We look forward to learning more about his on-set experience and his insights into the sport's past and present."
Texas Governor Rick Perry and Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell are expected to address luncheon attendees, along with two of Circuit of The Americas' founding partners, Bobby Epstein and Red McCombs.
Tickets for The Starting Grid start at $55 per person or $500 for a table of eight and may be purchased online at
https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/cota/EN/link/buy/browse.
VIP tables are also available with the purchase of a sponsorship package. VIP ticket holders and all sponsorship tables receive priority seating for the luncheon and an invitation to attend a VIP Reception featuring special guest Ron Howard. Interested parties should e-mail Sandy Walker at cehc@circuitoftheamericas.com for descriptions and additional benefits of the available sponsorship packages.
Proceeds from The Starting Grid will benefit Seton Breast Cancer Center and Dell Children's Blood and Cancer Center.
The FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX will be held Nov. 16-18, 2012, at Circuit of The Americas. Premium seating options are still available. For more information, contact a Circuit sales representative at 512.301.6600.
About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas will be a world-class destination for performance, entertainment, 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 is the U.S. home to the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX™ Nov. 16-18.
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. Other support buildings will include an expansive outdoor live music space, a conference center, banquet facilities and a state-of-the-art medical facility. 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.
About Rush
Two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon), teams once again with fellow two-time Academy Award nominee, writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen), on Rush, a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
The epic action-drama stars Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers) as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives.
Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, Rush portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed--handsome English playboy Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Lauda. Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. If you make one mistake, you die.
Also starring Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy) and Alexandra Maria Lara (The Reader), Rush is produced by Andrew Eaton (A Mighty Heart), Howard, Academy Award winner Brian Grazer (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind), Eric Fellner (Senna, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Morgan and Brian Oliver (Black Swan) and executive produced by Cross Creek Pictures, Exclusive Media, Todd Hallowell and Tim Bevan. Universal Pictures will distribute the film in North America.
Rush was shot on location in the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria. For more information, visit www.rushmovie.com.
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