Austin, Texas, April 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Circuit of The Americas™ today made history again by hosting the first NASCAR driver and Gen-6 racing vehicle on its 3.4-mile purpose-built Grand Prix racetrack. 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Kurt Busch took his No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS out for test laps first thing Tuesday morning, then traded rides and notes with Australian V8 Supercars racing star James Courtney (2010 V8 Supercars Champion) and his custom-wrapped Circuit of The Americas V8 Supercars Chevrolet SS.
The drivers participated in a number of media interviews as part of V8 Supercars Media Preview Day at the Circuit, which will host the debut of Australia's most popular motorsport, V8 Supercars, in the Austin 400 race May 17-19.
Video content from today's on-track activity, including hot laps with the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS and the V8 Supercars Chevy SS and interviews with NASCAR's Kurt Busch and V8 Supercars' James Courtney and Fabian Coulthard, is available for download at media.circuitoftheamericas.com in the folder labeled "V8 Supercars Media Preview Day Videos." No user account or password is required to access the high-definition videos and high-resolution images available from today's V8 Media Preview at Circuit of The Americas. Additional video files will be added throughout the afternoon to media.circuitoftheamericas.com, including GoPro camera POV video from the V8 Supercar.
Video Interviews:
1. Kurt
Busch - Furniture Row Racing (NASCAR)
TRT: 16 seconds
Out Cue: "...very forgiving."
"The Austin track is somewhat comparable to Sonoma. It's tight, flat, very technical corners - point and shoot. It really was a blast. And the track is very forgiving."
2. James Courtney - Holden Racing Team (V8 Supercars)
TRT: 17 seconds
Out Cue: "...momentum worldwide."
"The sport has really grown. It is the second or third most watched sport in Australia.... interest in V8 and the momentum has grown worldwide."
3. Fabian Coulthard - Lockwood Racing (V8 Supercars)
TRT: 13 seconds
Out Cue: "...privilege."
"We are all about the crash and bang - hard and robust - and it is an awesome experience to come here in the USA and have Americans watch us in their home country. It's really quite a privilege."
Video Footage:
- Kurt Busch gets into No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS in Circuit's Pit Lane
- Busch drives circuit
- Busch exits vehicle
- Busch, James Courtney and Fabian Coulthard enjoy view from Circuit's 251-foot Observation Tower
- On-track interplay between Busch and Courtney in vehicle
- Busch and Courtney trade notes following on-track exchange
Three-day tickets for the V8 Supercars Austin 400 start at $69 and are available at http://circuitoftheamericas.com/v8-supercars. Children age 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.
About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas is a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. It is 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 home to the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX while also hosting MotoGP™, V8 Supercars™, GRAND-AM Road Racing™, American Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance 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 is a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings include the Austin360 Amphitheater, an expansive outdoor live music space; an iconic 251-foot, 25-story tower with observation deck; an events and conference center; a banquet hall; and a state-of-the-art medical facility. For more information and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com, www.Austin360Amphitheater.comor the Circuit's dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com.
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