Grand Am racing makes Austin debut

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The roar of powerful engines is filling the air at the Circuit of the Americas race track as Grand-Am racing makes its debut in Austin.

Friday was all about qualifying for Saturday's big race.

There are two series within the Grand-Am series, and two divisions within each series.

One of the most noticeable things about this event is how fan-friendly the circuit is. Unlike Formula1, more areas of the track are open to spectators.

Fans are allowed to walk through the paddocks, meet the drivers, and get an up close and personal look at the race cars.

For Austinite Jason Saini, who races for Austin based CJ Wilson racing, getting to know the fans is one of his favorite parts of racing in this series.

"It's great, we talk to fans all weekend long," he said. "One of the things with Formula1 and NASCAR, some of those are so closed off...this is the opposite."

"We're excited about it," Saini added. "We want to share it with the fans and I think it is really special. It's awesome to interact with our fans at that level."

Cars in the series range from sports cars that are similar to the ones you see on the roads to more experimental prototypes.

The entire Grand-Am series is owned by NASCAR and all of the races throughout the season take place in the U.S.