Austin, Texas, April 30, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Circuit of The Americas today confirmed that its world-class sports and entertainment venue, along with the Circuit's hometown of Austin, Texas, has made the final four list of North American host sites in contention to hold the prestigious summer version of the ESPN X Games for a three-year period beginning in 2014.
After months of competition via site visits by representatives of the X Games and an intensive application process, Austin has advanced to the final round of cities under consideration.
Austin's proposal included utilizing the 1500-acre Circuit of The Americas facility, located in southeast Austin near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, as the primary site for the competition. With the on-site infrastructure for hosting tens of thousands of fans, entertainment amenities such as the Austin360 Amphitheater and park-like Grand Plaza, and lots of space to stage a variety of competitions, X Games officials determined the site is well-suited for the massive event.
"This is fantastic news for Austin and Circuit of The Americas," said Paul Thornton, leader of the effort on behalf of Austin extreme sports fans and the Circuit. "ESPN's X Games are hugely popular, large-scale sports and entertainment events that have become an important part of the annual major events calendar. Bringing the X Games to Austin would mean a significant economic impact for our community, bringing fans, competitors and media representatives from around the world to our hometown while once again putting Austin in the international spotlight."
"We are thrilled that Austin is on the short list," said Matthew Payne, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission. "We feel that the world-class venue at Circuit of The Americas is the perfect location for the ESPN X Games. If we are selected, the exposure for the city of Austin would be great on all fronts."
"The X Games have grown significantly and has been enjoyed by millions of fans over the past 10 years in Los Angeles," said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president, programming and X Games. "Our partners AEG and the city of Los Angeles have been instrumental in our success. As we embark on a year of significant global expansion and transformation for X Games in 2013, we are excited about the potential each of these cities bring, and look forward to identifying our next host city for the X Games."
ESPN will next schedule site visits to the four
cities on the list of finalists, with a visit to Austin anticipated
the week of June 3-7. ESPN will announce the new host city for the
summer version of the X Games later this summer.
Fans and community members can do their part to help Austin land
the ESPN X Games by visiting the dedicated Facebook fan site,
www.facebook.com/xgamesaustin,
clicking "Like" and sharing messages of support that will be read
by ESPN officials and X Games fans worldwide. There is also a
dedicated Twitter account, www.twitter.com/xgamesaustin,
for supporters that want to keep tabs on progress and participate
in the discussion.
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.com or the Circuit's dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com.
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A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=18423
