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Reports emerging from Austin, Texas, future home of the U.S. Grand Prix, are looking good for Stateside F1 fans. According to a local newspaper, actual digging and earthworks will be able to begin soon once a $900,000 permit is approved.
The permit fee has already been paid, and is apparently required to ensure the site could be restored to its prior condition if the Federal Emergency Management Agency ends up rejecting final construction plans.
There remain a few hurdles to the whole project even once the earthworks start, however, including $6 million in public road improvements required for the site. Figuring out who is going to pay for the road upgrades is the primary issue at this point, though the cash will be once it's decided.
Despite the long road ahead of the U.S. GP team, Richard Suttle, a lawyer for the site's promoters, says things are actually slightly ahead of schedule.
Even so, we won't see any F1 cars racing on U.S. soil until 2012 at the earliest. We're wishing them luck.
[GMM]
