Now is the time to plan if you are thinking of traveling to the WEC’s only stop in the states – the Lone Star Le Mans. This is an incredible race weekend filled with an awesome diversity of racing classes throughout the weekend – WEC, IMSA, GT3, Continental Sports Car Challenge, and BlancPain (not sure if the same events will all be there this year yet, but it’ll be a full slate). The facility at Circuit of the Americas is top notch. While the F1 event is crowded, the WEC and IMSA event is a much more comfortable experience if you're crowd averse; offering unprecedented viewing opportunities and great access in the paddock. I traveled from PA with other Audi fans to check out the weekend events first hand. Let’s get the rough part out of the way; it’s usually HOT in Austin in September. Some sensible clothes and good planning make it manageable. Also, the WEC race is in the evening into the night. The city of Austin has incredible nightlife and it was easy to find stuff for the ladies to do while the guys got their gear-fix.

Audi is fielding an all-new R18 this year and with Silverstone and Le Mans coming up quick, we should have a good handle on what the season will hold for Lotterer and the rest of the team by the time the Austin race rolls around.

You may scratch your head about why I am posting this advocating for people to attend. No, I am not working for the Austin Bureau of Tourism or the PR department at COTA. Rather as a race fan and Audi enthusiast, I see this as an amazing event - a chance to drink in motorsports through the fire hose. While the subdued crowds are awesome for people who want to take advantage of the unequalled access, I hope that better attendance will ensure that the WEC continues to hold an event in the US. So if you’ve thought about going, make this the year to go.