Formula 1 Update

The date is set, Austin's Formula One race moved to November

Updated August 31, 2011: The FIA, Formula 1's ruling body confirmed today that the inaugural U.S. Grand Prix will be held November 18, 2012 at the new Circuit of the Americas track being built in Elroy, just southeast of Austin.

According to the Circuit of the Americas website, "the inaugural Austin race could very well decide the outcome of the 2012 season, as it will be the second-to-last race of the season, running back-to-back with the Brazilian Grand Prix. We at Circuit of The Americas are thrilled with this announcement and look forward to hosting this world-class event at its new world-class destination."

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August 4^th, 2011:

The buzz got loud this week over proposed changes to the 2012 Formula One racing schedule. Formula One releases provisional schedules pretty regularly so changes are not unexpected. The race teams and host cities then have a chance to comment (and lobby) before the F1 governing body formally votes to ratify the schedule.

Reports say F1 titan Bernie Eccelstone wants to move the Austin race to late November, as the penultimate race of the season. Along with that change, the Bahrain race would be moved later to allow for more political stability there.

We hate to gloat, but CultureMap's Jake Dirr predicted this would happen, even getting the new date right. Dirr reported in July that Austin's Circuit of the Americas track had a wildly optimistic construction schedule that would be near impossible to meet. Further, Dirr suggested the reason for the early date had everything to do with getting $25 million dollars in state money. That money cannot be paid more than one year before the event is held. Texas State Comptroller Susan Combs planned to make the first payment this week, no payments have been made yet.

There are about 110 reasons to like the change to a November race date — as in degrees fahrenheit. The weather is about 30 degrees cooler in November. The November 18th proposed date also looks to coincide with a Longhorn away date against Kansas State. Further, a race at the end of the season could have chanpionship drama attached to it.

U.S. Grand Prix officials had little comment about the proposals which are again pretty much business as usual for F1. According to the Austin American Statesman, the USGP is continuing to prepare for the original June race date. No doubt they would love a little extra time to get the track ready though.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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