Austin during F1 is not fun, or cheap. I've done the 2 hr, one way trip to the racetrack most of the years I have attended. One year we ended up staying in San Marcos and even then, the prices were very expensive. The crowds around town are horrible and traffic is actually worse than the typical, horrible Austin traffic. I know people from White Sands that had to work at Camp Mabry on the week of the race and they do end up staying in Killen. I know some people that rent out their house for the weekend and make their monthly mortgage payment with that, or rent out for the entire week and get 2 to 3 months of mortgage paid. it's actually even worse when the Longhorns play on the same weekend. They don't call F1 the big circus for nothing. And there I go like an idiot again this year...