November 15, 2012. 11 Photos

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    Watch for the swirly race car: New signs especially for visitors attending the United States Grand Prix have started cropping up around Downtown Austin.
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    Banners on the street signs mean it’s real: The inaugural Austin United States Grand Prix will be held this weekend, Nov. 16-18.
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    Police block off streets as workers start constructing the stages and tents for Fan Fest, the Downtown festival celebrating the inaugural United States Grand Prix in Austin.
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    After two and a half years of waiting, the first tourists arrive for the inaugural United States Grand Prix in Austin. The city estimates a total of 300,000 guests over the three day race weekend.
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    Checkered racing flags join the traditional rainbows outside of Oilcan Harry’s as Austin’s warehouse district prepares for the United States Grand Prix.
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    Lotus F1 Team lends one of their cars to the celebrations at Austin City Hall for the city’s inaugural United States Grand Prix. The British-based team fought a long legal battle to bring the classic black-and-gold livery back to the starting grid.
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    Austin City Hall prepares for the first United States Grand Prix in five years. The city is the official host of the race.
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    Mayor Lee Leffingwell presents the forces behind the United States Grand Prix in Austin – Financiers Red McCombs (seated) and Bobby Epstein, and Circuit of the Americas president Steve Sexton – with chocolate race cars after reading a proclamation for Formula One Day.
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    Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell holds a pre-race reception for the United States Grand Prix at City Hall. Guests included council members Laura Morrison, Bill Spelman and Chris Riley, House Appropriations Chair Jim Pitts and State Senator Judith Zaffirini.
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    With the United States Grand Prix imminent, workers start pulling up the canvas on one of the tents for Downtown festival Austin Fan Fest.
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    With the Frost Bank Tower on the skyline, workers prepare one of the metal framed tents for Austin Fan Fest, the downtown festival celebrating the United States Grand Prix.

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