Circuit of the Americas will have app

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Circuit of The Americas has selected Phunware, Inc., an Austin-based company, to create a new mobile app to give viewers the racing venue experience on their smartphones or other mobile devices.

The COA mobile application will feature a 3-D interactive map and virtual tour of the venue, a guide to Austin with area information and news, alerts and videos highlighting activities throughout race weekend.

Phunware has developed mobile applications for NASCAR, the National Football League and ESPN. Applications developed by Phunware have received multiple awards, including two People’s Choice Webby Awards, two CableFAX Awards and a feature as CNN and Time Magazine’s Top 10 iPhone Apps of the Year.

" Phunware is a leader in the industry for creating amazing branded mobile experiences," said Geoff Moore, chief marketing and revenue officer for Circuit of The Americas. "We look forward to working with them in our continued effort to bring fans the ultimate race experience leading up to the 2012 Formula One United States Grand Prix."

“We are extremely excited for the opportunity to bring Circuit of The Americas and the Formula One United States Grand Prix to life through the circuit’s mobile application,” said Alan S. Knitowski, chairman and CEO for Phunware. “Circuit of The Americas will be a world-class venue providing an unparalleled race experience in the United States and our aim is to create an application that complements and enhances the fan experience.”

London Mayor Boris Johnson and Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, along with other politicians and diplomats, discussed F1 and its presence in Austin at a recent meeting in London.

“Austin continues to be recognized around the world for its leadership and innovation in the technology industry,” said Gray Hancock, head of Trade and Investment for the British Consulate-General in Houston. “The upcoming Grand Prix is just one more example of Austin’s growing importance on the global stage.”

Leffingwell and representatives from the city of London reviewed the possibility of a direct flight between Austin and London to support the F1 teams, as well as travelers to the event. The creation of such a nonstop flight could result in accelerating a permanent route, one of the many benefits on the horizon as a result of F1 returning to the United States.

“Austin is making tremendous strides as a destination city and world-renowned center for technology,” said Leffingwell. “I look forward to the inaugural Formula one United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas and to downloading the app to go with it.”