High-performance shade manufacturer TUUCI (Miami, Florida) was selected to provide an installation for the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, for its trackside racing VIP area. H.C. Haynes, an Austin marketing representative for outdoor products, says, “Architects were originally considering a residential-grade product for this area, which is when I was brought into the picture. It quickly became apparent to me that the track needed a highly engineered product that would also have the aesthetics you associate with international racing, and that TUUCI was the only company qualified to take on the project.”

TUUCI’s CEO, Dougan Clarke, and his engineering team visited the track and came away excited by the opportunity to tap into their extensive expertise with marine-grade shade products engineered for durability in high-wind environments. “This project was extremely challenging,” Clarke says. “The area to be shaded was huge and would require shade structures that could be mounted and tethered along an elevated viewing area. This is the type of challenge that’s a perfect fit for our capabilities in creating highly engineered products that are also beautiful.”

The custom solution created by TUUCI engineers uses 32 cantilevered shade structures that are 12.5 feet square. Not only do these structures project an international, hightech aesthetic, but they also ensure the safety of spectators as cars race by at speeds of close to 200 miles per hour.

In addition, the structures are designed to be closed easily in case of extreme weather conditions. “We built the shade structures from stainless steel and anodized aluminum and covered them with TUUCI Tough Skins materials of Sunbrella®fabric,”Clarke says. “Our team tapped into our patented designs for cantilevered structures and also developed a special mount exclusively for this project.”

The shade structures have proven highly successful for the COTA track, which not only hosts Formula 1 racing, but also sponsors numerous other high-end racing events. Comfort, safety, and the good looks of the TUUCI shade structures are enhancing racing for international spectators who demand the ultimate experience.