Latitude 36 Bermudagrass is gaining visibility at one of motorsports’ most-watched venues. Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, has been replacing older stands of turfgrass with Latitude 36 in multiple phases across the property. Known for hosting Formula One (F1), MotoGP and NASCAR, COTA is the only permanent F1 track in the United States and sees record-breaking attendance during race weekends, exceeding 100,000 fans per day. Grass surrounds some of the venue’s most visible and heavily trafficked event spaces.
For more than a decade, Thomas Turfgrass has helped COTA upgrade high-traffic spaces with a warm-season variety known for its performance, strength, and color. Chief Operations Officer Ruben Becerra Jr. manages sod delivery and installation from the farm and worked directly with the COTA team on the latest phase, using four-foot-wide, 380-foot-long big rolls of sand-based Latitude 36 to cover roughly 20,000 square feet. Becerra said it’s always enjoyable seeing their product at COTA. “That’s our grass, our project. It pays off from a grower and sales standpoint to see your product on the world stage of television. That’s impressive and it makes me happy.”
Jordan Vasquez joined COTA in spring 2019 as manager of landscape and grounds. Before taking on the role, he graduated from Texas A&M with an agronomy degree and worked closely with the sports field management team. After a year at the University of Oklahoma, he returned to A&M full-time. That’s where he first saw the advantages of Latitude 36 and began his relationship with Thomas Turfgrass.
Surrounding spaces like Bold Field, a sand-based soccer field originally built for the Austin Bold FC, experience significant wear during events. Located next to the amphitheater, the field now serves as a general event lawn. Concerts bring 5,000 to 10,000 people across the surface, which is used as a food hall, lawn and television viewing area. F1 setups include tents and back-of-house structures that are later removed to prepare the field again. Vasquez said the grass doesn’t see constant use, but when it does, the traffic is heavy.
The most recent installation replaced grass in an area where a large tent had been set for an extended time. After installation, the canopy was removed so the new grass could grow in evenly. “Especially this last time, I noticed that by the next week it looked perfect,” said Vasquez. “It was seamless and it had grown together tightly. We had one topdress application with fertilizer and then just hit it with water until it was established.”
Vasquez was initially concerned about how Latitude 36 would transition mid-season since the soccer season ran from February through November. “Here I knew I wasn’t going to be able to chemically transition so I used nature to my advantage by adjusting my cultural practices. I hit it with a light verticut and reduced watering while the team was on road trips, hoping the Latitude would outcompete the ryegrass. Out of the three soccer seasons I was here for it was a seamless transition. The bounce back of the bermuda was so quick you’d go out there and wonder, ‘Is that still rye out there?’ I’m grateful that the transition worked every time.”
The field also hosted the Austin Gilgronis, a Major League Rugby team that played at Bold Stadium from 2020 to 2022. “I knew with soccer, they’re moving around quite a bit and it held up well. We never had any major issues. When rugby came, I was hopeful this grass could withstand the scrums and wear and tear, and it was flawless,” he said.
During the Bold’s final years, soccer matches followed closely after fall F1 setups. Vasquez said the field had to be turned around quickly. Toward the end of the season, the league inspected the field with concerns about whether it would still be playable. “We topdressed heavily, aerified and playability-wise it was great.” He noted some surface damage from temporary flooring and food operations but said the field still played great for their final games.
Latitude 36 has continued to hold up visually and functionally through seasonal transitions. “In the spring, everything looks pretty good around here. In the fall, if we’re not getting rain, we start to dry up quick and growth slows tremendously. All my Latitude 36 areas are the last to show stress. In those times we try to stay on top of them, keep them in shape.”
Working with Thomas Turfgrass has remained a consistent part of COTA’s grounds operation. Vasquez said their reliability and responsiveness stand out. He calls Becerra directly for pricing, and even when internal approvals take time, he said they’re always ready.
This article was written by Sod Solutions Media and Content Manager, Cecilia Johnson.