Vegas, Baby!

It's been 40 years since Formula One last ventured into Sin City for back-to-back races staged in the parking lot of Caesars Palace.

But come November 2023, the clock will reset to zero because the sport is officially headed back to Las Vegas, according to an announcement published late Wednesday, making the US the only country to host three F1 races in a single season.

🏎🎰 The deets… The Las Vegas Grand Prix will be run on a temporary 3.8 mile circuit encompassing the Strip and some of the city’s most famous landmarks (pictured above).

• According to the press release, the track is “a spectacular 14-turn high-speed design that will have a high average speed… It’s going to be fast and furious.”
• Cars are expected to reach 212 mph, similar to F1's current fastest race, the Italian Grand Prix.

🇺🇸 Elsewhere: Miami will host its first F1 race in a couple of months. Prior to this year, the Austin Grand Prix was the only US race on the schedule since 2012.

📸 The big picture: New ownership, slick marketing, a Netflix docuseries and a historic championship battle all helped F1 explode in popularity throughout the US.

A prime example – the race in our backyard (Austin, TX) could barely draw 100,000 spectators over a three-day weekend five years ago, according to Bobby Epstein, president of the track. Last year’s race had an attendance of ~400,000 and October’s race is already sold out.

• On that same note, F1's first race in Miami sold out in a day.

+What the drivers are saying: They seem pretty stoked about the news… except for maybe Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo. "I've been once to Vegas. When I left, I said, 'Never again.' But, I'm coming back."