Race car experiences in Austin in 2024: Formula 1, NASCAR, and private coaching.

Welcome to the heart of motorsports in America: Austin, Texas. Car racing in Austin offers die-hard fans an exhilarating blend of professional showdowns and hands-on racing experiences.

For everyone gearing up for a race car experience in Austin, let this article serve as your starting line. From the NASCAR at COTA weekend in April to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in October, we cover Austin’s racing events in 2024.

Plus, we offer a bit of guidance on securing your box suite and private jet charter well in advance of the fanatic crowds expected to descend on the city each weekend.

The racing scene in Austin, Texas in 2024.

Austin is one of the few cities around the world that boasts a world-class Formula-1 racetrack. Every year, millions of superfans descend on Austin to experience race car driving, whether from the grandstands or behind the wheel at one of the city’s technical or amateur training tracks.

Austin’s crowning motorsport jewel is the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) course. Every year, this purpose-built track sees plenty of action from the world’s most significant racing events, including big draw weekends like NASCAR at COTA and the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

But this isn’t the only space for fans to get a taste of wheel-to-wheel action. At COTA and farther afield at the Harris Hill Raceway, motorsport hobbyists, trainees, and amateurs alike can get behind the wheel with private lessons, coaching, and educational opportunities.

Yes, COTA may be a relatively new feature in the Austin landscape, but it has only ignited the city’s fever for fast cars, motorcycles, and thunderous, adrenaline-pumping races. If you’re a die-hard motorsports fan, Austin must be part of your annual speedway pilgrimage.

Moto and car race tracks in Austin, Texas.

There are currently two open car race tracks in Austin, Texas. For anyone uninitiated with international motorsports, the city boasts one of the most prestigious tracks in the world, but you’ll also find a smaller, technical training track just outside city limits.

If you’re revving up for the high-octane Formula 1 Grand Prix, eager to burn rubber on the track yourself, or looking to fine-tune your skills with private race car coaching, Austin’s tracks offer the perfect mix of hairpin turns and gas-fueled competition.

Circuit of The Americas (COTA)

9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd

COTA is Austin’s premier racing facility, featuring annual events from MotoGP, NASCAR, and Formula 1. Nestled in 1,500 acres of rolling hills, this 3.41-mile track features 20 turns and noticeable elevation changes throughout the course. As COTA proclaims, this circuit “was designed to challenge the world’s most exacting competitors while providing a thrilling spectacle for audiences.”

Since its opening in 2012, COTA has expanded beyond the circuit to create an all-encompassing entertainment zone with the Germania Insurance Amphitheater, RV park, carting, and soon a clubhouse complex with specialty vehicle housing.

Harris Hill Raceway

2840 Harris Hill Rd

Twenty-six miles outside of Austin, you’ll find Harris Hill Raceway, a technical track designed by David Donovan. It’s widely considered a safer, accessible option focused on training and education for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and amateurs alike. Situated just off the IH-35, this is 150 acres of land with a 1.82-mile circuit, 11 turns, and substantial elevation changes.

Harris Hill Raceway has a vibrant coaching community and is open for use for sports cars and motorcycles. Check their calendar for Member Days and track schedules, including the H2R Challenge, which promises “Grassroots Racing at its Best.”

Driveway Austin Motorsports

Closed

After 16 years of car racing and training in Austin, Driveway Austin Motorsports sadly closed its doors in 2021. Its track and lands were sold to Oracle Corporation in cooperation with the City of Austin, with the eventual goal of transforming the property into parkland. With this vision, the former race track will eventually see cyclists and walkers take over the former tread of race cars.

Time for the big event: Annual races in Austin.

Like clockwork, a handful of high-adrenaline racing events regularly cycle through Austin. These national and international races have made COTA their home in Texas since its inception, and fans from near and far can’t get enough.

Beyond regional, amateur, and one-off events, the big three races in Austin to keep on your motorsport calendar are:

• NASCAR at COTA (Spring)
• MotoGP (Spring)
• Formula 1 Grand Prix (Fall)

Car racing events in Austin in 2024.

What car races are in Austin this weekend? Of course, for amateur drivers, every weekend is race weekend. With a quick trip to the Harris Hills Racetrack or a private lesson with Skip Barber Racing School at the COTA track, you can always find track time to fit in a quick lap, whether this weekend or next.

But, when it comes to the main events — NASCAR, MotoGP, and Formula 1 — you’ll need to plan well in advance to beat out the hundreds of thousands of fans that flock to Austin.

NASCAR at COTA

March 23-24, 2024

NASCAR returns once again to the greatest course in America for a two-day all-out event, packing in the second-tier Xfinity Series 250, XPEL 225, part of the Craftsman Truck Series, and finally, the Texas Grand Prix.

With VIP experiences like the Fairmount Paddock Club and the eight-person Lodge Boxes situated on the home stretch, make this year’s event one for the books.

Tickets are on sale now.

MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas

April 12-14, 2024

In April this year, COTA is hosting the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. This is three days of world-class motorcycle action, including epic events on and off the track. Expect to witness the world’s greatest riders battle it out for the win across MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 classes.

You’ll also find a stacked lineup of musical acts and post-race entertainment between the big events. Don’t skip on upgrading your weekend with exclusive packages, including access to the COTA club or the Main Grandstand Lodge Boxes.

Tickets are on sale now.

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

October 18-20, 2024

This three-day event is more than just a car race. As any Formula 1 fan will tell you, this is the pinnacle of car racing, especially in Austin. It’s always heart-stopping action on the track as the world’s fastest cars and celebrated teams combine strategy and skill to reach the finish line.

But off track, it’s just as exhilarating, with music, entertainment, and special fan events. For the annual Formula 1 weekend, it pays to book in advance. With epic course views, baked-in wait staff, and security, plan to upgrade the weekend to a LOGE Box for you and your crew.

Tickets are on sale now.

Heading to Austin for the next big race?

Rev up your plans for Austin’s major racing events this year. From locking in your box tickets to making private travel arrangements, plan well ahead of the 400,000 fans expected to descend on the city for race events like the F1 weekend this fall.

• Book hospitality and private box seats now

While the grandstands can accommodate a sea of spectators, the pit lane of premium seating — Loge Boxes and VIP hospitality — is where you want to be. Located at Turn 20 with an excellent elevated view of the starting area, Loge Suites are the best option for intimate groups (up to 8 people).

Packages vary depending on the event, but for the upcoming F1 race, Box Ticket holders enjoy VIP Pit Walks, servers, awning covers, parking passes, and full-time security. Leave the grandstands for the hundreds of thousands of others and watch the race in the private company of your chosen crew.

• Skip the travel chaos, fly private to Austin

With so many people heading to Austin for the weekend, you can expect a travel nightmare. Traffic is heavy, and airports are swamped. Commercial flights to and from Austin are crowded, and you can expect delays.

But you can easily avoid this headache for a more seamless race weekend with a private jet charter to and from Austin. Skip the lines and security quagmire by heading to AUS’s private terminal. With the added time savings, you’ll have much more time for the main event and exploring Austin at large.

• Don’t sleep on your accommodation

With your private box deposit and transportation secured, finding suitable accommodations near the race track is your journey’s final leg. Yes, most major events happen during Austin’s shoulder season, but for the big race weekends, you won’t want to leave it to the last minute to find a place to stay.

A quick search tells us accommodations in Austin’s downtown core are already few and far between. In early 2024, the options were quickly disappearing for the main F1 weekend this fall. This means it’s time for you (or your travel agent) to take the wheel and secure a place to stay.

Thankfully, outside the downtown core, the closest accommodations to COTA are those closest to the airport. Sometimes, the airport hotels are within walking distance of the track. The Hyatt Airport and Hilton Airport are just two comfortable high-end accommodation options in the vicinity of the course.

For Volato guests, our Experience Concierge Team would be more than happy to help you navigate race weekend. From a private jet charter to private ground transportation, prepare yourself for a seamless event.

Gear up for race car experience in Austin, Texas.

If the last few years have proven anything, Austin is the epicenter of racing in this country. World-class race tracks, critically acclaimed private racing coaches, and a packed schedule of top-tier competitions have put this Texas city on the global motorsports map.

For the die-hard F1, MotoGP, and NASCAR fans, it’s time to put Austin on your 2024 bucket list. Now is the perfect time to secure the details. Book your flights with Volato to ensure you get more time at the track this year and less time fighting traffic.

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