Image courtesy of Spitfire PicturesLocal, national and international racing fans are excited as the Circuit of the Americas opens in Austin on November 15. This new event will bring lots of amazing new technology to Central Texas. SXSW Interactive is all about creative tech and to celebrate, we want to invite you to a happy hour for everyone interested in cars and racing.

Join SXSW Interactive at a 6pm happy hour meet up at the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin. SXSW will offer complimentary beer, wine, and well beverages at Stephen F's bar upstairs from 6:00pm-7:30pm on Thursday, November 15. RSVP today for a chance to talk cars before heading over to catch a sneak preview of a brand new F1™ documentary, 1, at the Paramount Theatre. (To be clear, RSVPing to the meet up does NOT include tickets to the screening. Please purchase tickets through the following link or see below for details on how you can win a pair of free tickets from SXSW Film.)

Meanwhile, our friends at SXSW Film are pleased to present a special sneak peek screening of a brand new documentary, 1. The film is directed by Paul Crowder, and produced by Spitfire, the company behind the Oscar-winning Undefeated (World premiere, SXSW 2011). Featuring interviews with F1™ luminaries like Mario Andretti, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, the film is the perfect way to kick off the opening weekend of the inaugural United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. 1 screens at the Paramount Theatre next Thursday, November 15, and you can win a free pair of tickets by checking out the SXSW Film blog.

Excited about racing in Austin? So are we! Come meet some like-minded folks and get a jumpstart on the weekend!