Interesting Flood, no great surprise really to see H. Tilke approached again as the circuit designer. With the deadline for 2012 the organisers would need to ensure there will be no delay in getting the plans approved, and he is well known to be Bernies choice designer for any track these days. I can't help but think that the sponsors mentioning of his "green" credentials is more a way to get acceptance of the fans in using Hermann for the circuit design, rather than any expectation of a particularly 'green' design.
After reading a lot of the info, I am convinced that Austin is serious in its bid, mainly because of the likening of the event to hosting the Superbowl. I have no doubt that once a year this will bring money into the local area, although for the track to be considered a success, they would need to branch out form just formula 1, and probably an IndyCar race. This track will need to be used more than once or twice a year, or I can see F1 in the USA faltering once again. I hope this is not the case, but surly to entertain the American population and really bring them into the fold what is needed is an American team, or at least an American driver?