The asphalt is laid, the stands are nearing completion, and the general look and feel of the home of the U.S. Grand Prix, Austin's Circuit of the Americas, is finally taking shape. With 20 turns, 3.43 miles and no shortage of fans, the race is already looking like it will be a success--provided everything is ready within the next six weeks.

Fortunately, while it looks like it will be a close thing, it will in fact happen. The latest photos from the circuit, from the Friends of Formula 1 Austin Texas fan page, show the COTA facility is well on its way to becoming one of the premier tracks in North America, and perhaps the world.

It remains to be seen what the track design will yield in terms of racing quality, especially for the notoriously parade-prone F1 cars that will grace it November 18, but with DTM, V8 Supercars, Moto GP, and more coming to the facility, we're sure to see some excellent racing one way or another.