Loss at COTA

Any chances for the Circuit of the Americas to receive an expected $25.9 million in state money were lost as of Monday when the Texas Legislature ended its 2019 session. The racetrack and event facility in Southeast Austin came at risk of losing the funding from a state fund for large events when it missed a September deadline to submit a plan for preventing human trafficking, a required part of its annual application for the funds. That money is generally thought to be used by the track to pay the licensing fee for the Formula 1 race each fall, one of the largest tourist and athletic events in the state. There had been some chance of a funding approval by attaching language to another bill, which passed the House but didn’t make it out of the Senate. COTA officials told Autoweek they plan to keep the race coming to Austin well beyond the current contract that runs through 2021.