Brought to you by TJ13 contributor Adam Macdonald who is in Austin for the GP.

The Austin Fest kicks off, Buxton’s big time bash is a roaring success and 6th street is alive and kicking as always.  Friday is a morning struggle but a great day at the circuit when the fog clears.

The main show in downtown Austin started in the Texan twilight with what seemed to be only the more dedicated F1 fans present.  The Red Bull section was the main attraction drawing in crowds with its Infiniti Q50 launch test.  The chance to drive a genuine sports car with paddle shifts was too tempting to resist.

A big thank you must go to Adam Acworth, who was part of the Red Bull promotion team and made us the first competition winners of the event.  Really put the icing on a the cake of a great experience.

The next stop was in Will Buxton’s charity event in the bar, Speakeasy.  The place had a real Texan feel to it with a welcoming feel throughout the event.  I was fortunate enough to catch up with a few familiar faces.  Can anyone name all three?

The interviews and Q&A sessions offered the chance to speak to these potential future F1 stars, carrying on the accessible theme that Austin has set for itself.  Will Buxton is clearly a household name stateside, so the opportunity to meet the man on the screens was really a special one for all those present.  It really made me consider how an event like this would be received back in the UK, where F1 VIPs still seem so far removed from the general public.

Aside from this, the event was all for a really good cause and I would urge anyone who attends the Grand Prix next year to go along.  Raising money for ‘Meals on Wheels’; the figure was described as “mind blowing” by the main man on his twitter account.  What’s more is we had a great time and the format of the event is brilliant as well.  With everyone having an equal chance to win in the prize draw, it kept the attention of the crowds while not costing an arm and a leg.

Congratulations to Will who has been granted the status of Honorary Citizen of the City of Austin.  Hard work for a good cause being recognized; long may it continue.  Later we moved on to 6th street to check out the nightlife Austin had to offer.  The biggest university city in the States had a reputation to live up to and it certainly delivered.

Another great evening/night in Austin!

TJ13 has always had a very close relationship with the police