Another Austin-area sporting event has been called off as the rate of COVID-19 cases increases daily in Texas. This time, it’s the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.

Circuit of the Americas announced the race’s cancellation Wednesday morning in a now-deleted tweet posted on the venue’s account. The race was already pushed back to Nov. 13-15 after the coronavirus began spreading nationally in March. The original event was to take place April 3-5.

COTA did not immediately release a statement regarding the event’s cancellation. A spokesperson for the venue declined to comment Wednesday.

COTA’s website claims $3.1 billion is brought in annually by its major sporting events, including MotoGP, Formula 1 and more. It does not indicate how much of that revenue stream is attributed to MotoGP specifically.

According to COTA’s tweet, the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas will resume next year, from April 16-18.

The tweet read “The Horsepower Rodeo will return next year for an even bigger and better MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas...”

MotoGP’s 2020 calendar on its web site now lists the Tour of Valencia (Spain) taking place on the Nov. 13-15 weekend. COTA’s website does not allow fans to purchase tickets for the 2020 event any longer and now displays an option to sign up for alerts regarding 2021 tickets.

In 2013, MotoGP signed a 10-year contract with COTA to race in Austin. It has become one of the venue’s longest-running events since its opening in 2012. Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez won the race during each of its first six years. Last year, Álex Rins, captured his first career MotoGP victory at the event.

COTA does not currently release attendance numbers for the event, but in 2016, the venue announced that 131,881 spectators attended the MotoGP races over a three-day span.

As of now, COTA is still scheduled to host its Formula 1 United States Grand Prix race October 23-25. Nearly all of the venue’s concerts scheduled to take place through the end of the year at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater have been canceled or rescheduled.

Original Source [statesman]

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