Circuit of The Americas has announced that one of its newest supporters and investors is John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and a key investor in the high-end tequila company, Patron Spirits.

The full press release reads:

DeJoria's involvement in CoTA is testament to the strong commitment the project has received from global business and philanthropic leaders. As a resident of Austin, Texas, and avid motorsports fan, DeJoria's interest in the facility focused on sports, entertainment, business development and recreational activities began when the project was first announced and the promise of bringing Formula 1 racing back to the United States became tangible.

"My wife, Eloise, and I attended our first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1995 with our good friend, the entertainer Cher," said DeJoria. "We were in Monaco and Michael Schumacher won that year. I will never forget that experience, and I've been in love with Formula 1 ever since. When I learned about the chance to bring F1 to Texas through a facility like Circuit of The Americas, I couldn't wait to be involved."

DeJoria's motorsports connections spread into other types of racing as well. Tequila Patron of the Patron Spirits family is the title sponsor for the American Le Mans Series, the world's premier sports car racing series. The Series gives fans non-stop action on the track and an open and friendly paddock, while providing manufacturers with a real-life laboratory to push the limits of automotive innovation and technology. Recent technology breakthroughs in the Series have focused on the environment, such as the development of biofuels, hybrid technology and tire compounds, all leading to more efficient automotive engineering.

On a personal level, DeJoria's daughter Alexis DeJoria has excelled in the motorsports world. She has been a competitive drag racer since 2005 and recently started her first full season in the professional nitro funny car division. Other past success includes racing for Tequila Patron to become the fastest female driver in the alcohol-burning funny car division, as well as the second fastest driver ever at that level. She is also the first female to ever win a national event in this division in 30 years.

Beyond the motorsports world, John Paul DeJoria's business and philanthropic interests include sustainability and green technology, and he has served as a guest speaker for the United Nations and the Wall Street Journal's Eco-Economics Summit. Environmental protection and awareness is a key component to all of DeJoria's business endeavors, and he was recently recognized for his ongoing efforts to develop clean technology in today's modern world by being named the 2009 Goodwill Ambassador by the Intergovernmental Renewable Organization. Given CoTA's commitment to sustainability in the construction and operation of its venue in southeast Travis County, becoming an investor in the project allowed DeJoria to align his personal and professional missions with a sports and entertainment franchise he's passionate about.

"I am all for supporting a project that promotes not only F1, but all forms of racing and year-round family friendly entertainment and multi-purpose community use for Texans," DeJoria added. "Circuit of The Americas will benefit the region economically and help the community in the process, and to me, that's the definition of a great investment."