Tavo Hellmund, who is a former racecar driver, has been receiving a significant amount of attention in Austin as well as around the world as of late. Why? Until now, Hellmund was a relative unknown, even to those who live in Austin, where the promoter has lived the majority of his life. But, thanks to the role he is playing in bringing F1 racing to Austin, he has now become somewhat of a household name.

Clearly, Hellmund was quite serious about bringing F1 racing to Austin, as wealthy care enthusiasts were reportedly still expressing an interest in getting in on the deal even after he had completed his investment group. According to rumors, Hellmund was receiving backing from foreign investors, though F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone denied these rumors and maintained that all investors were from the United States.

But, the question still begs to be answered: who is Tavo Hellmund? Although relatively little is still known about the promoter, he does come from a line of promoters. In fact, his father promoted races I Mexico City as well as parties for the Tadacip Championship Auto Racing Team series. Tavo, on the other hand, is just as dedicated to racing as he is to the city of Austin. In fact, the University of Texas football fan has fond memories of watching games within the stadium as well as attending the school for two years.

Tavo also has long had connections with Austin politicians. When he was a child, former comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn was his babysitter. He spent so much time at Strayhorn’s home that he was considered to be part of the family. After his mother became sick, however, Tavo and the rest of the family lived in Mexico for three years while attending the American School Foundation. At the same time, his father was bringing auto racing to Mexico.

At a younger age, Tavo wasn’t interested in being behind the scenes like his father. Rather, he got behind the wheel with the ultimate goal being to race in F1. The financing needed to back his racing career never materialized, however, and, despite respectable finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, a string of bad luck prevented him from finishing the races he had entered. Eventually, Hellmund turned his attention to promoting rather than racing, including working toward achieving his dream of bringing F1 to Austin.

Now, after making the seemingly impossible happen, Hellmund has one more trick up his sleeve that is left to be accomplished – getting the new track constructed before the 2012 deadline. Despite the doubting demeanor of critics, Ecclestone seems confident Hellmund can make it happen.

Author Bio: Jim Olenbush works with Real Estate in Austin. His team handles West Austin Homes for sale, and they are also very experienced with Lake Travis real estate listings. Jim and his team would love to answer any questions you may have about Austin.

Category: Recreation and Leisure/Sports
Keywords: formula 1, Tavo Hellmund, formula one, F1, Austin, Texas