Circuit of the Americas provides construction update

Circuit of the Americas provided its first 2012 construction update on Thursday, with several notable accomplishments revealed for the facility that will host its first United States Grand Prix Formula 1 race on Nov. 18.

Despite 1.75 inches of rain since Feb. 1, Scott Kahler, a spokesman for the track's construction company, said construction is back on schedule and was not compromised. Much of the track itself has been excavated, and three major infield structures are fully being erected.

Kahler said the first of six zones of the pit building has been topped out. This first zone will house race control, which Kahler said was the most important portion to have up and running. Additionally, concrete has been poured and walls starting to come up on the track's media center (near the last turn). The medical center (near Turn 1) has also had concrete poured on its slab as well.

“We're excited that in the next two weeks, the media building will be fully erected," Kahler said of the media center. “We should then get the roof steel components installed in it, then turn our interiors on and get them started."

Of the track itself, Kahler said 85 percent has been excavated, with the last 15 percent a “deep excavation to cut and sculpt into the track." The back portion of the track, from Turns 14 to 17, has not yet been excavated. Track officials plan to start laying down the asphalt surface should in April.

“We have an obligation with the FIA approval 60 days in front of the race event," Kahler said. “We'll be laying the last of the racing course prior to that. But we'll start putting in some lower levels of asphalt (there are three layers) sometime in the April timeframe. We'll get it going then so we can put other elements, like tire barriers and other FIA parts, into the track."