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San José, Ca., December 7, 2004 --- Downtown San José will be the site
of the San José Grand Prix open-wheel street race on the
international Champ Car World Series in July 2005 as a result of
today’s approval by the San José City Council.
The
San José Grand Prix, scheduled for July 29-31, 2005, will be
contested around the HP Pavilion and surrounding downtown streets.
It will be the eighth stop on the 2005
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford schedule.
“The
San José Grand Prix will bring world class racing excitement to our
downtown streets, and it will bring San José to the attention of
millions of people across the nation and around the world,” said
Mayor Ron Gonzales.
“The
event will also benefit our local businesses and generate revenues
that help support vital city services for our residents.”
In
addition to the auto race itself, plans for the San José Grand Prix
call for a week of activities including concerts, fairs, charity
events and promotional activities. The festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of
fans to Northern California’s largest city and become a mainstay
on the Champ Car World Series calendar.
Under the
proposal, the City and the San José Redevelopment Agency will
invest $650,000 toward the $3 million infrastructure costs to
install and remove barriers, equipment and street improvements
needed for the race.
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Over
the next ten years, revenues from the event would repay the public
investment with interest. Event
revenues and Canary Fund Enterprises would pay the balance of the
project cost.
Canary
Fund Enterprises, an affiliate of Canary Fund, will produce the San
José Grand Prix. Canary
Fund, founded by Don Listwin, is dedicated to advancing the science
of the early detection of cancer.
“On
behalf of Canary Fund, I thank Mayor Ron Gonzales and the city
council for their support of this project,” said Listwin. “The
San José Grand Prix will provide Canary Fund with an exciting
platform to raise awareness and money for its unique new approach in
the battle against cancer.”
Canary Fund collaborates with
cancer research centers including the Stanford University Medical
Center in Palo Alto and the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center in San
Francisco. Canary Fund
was also recently announced as the “Official Social Cause” of
the Champ Car World Series.
“Today
the city council has made a decisive statement in favor of bringing
a historic event to the City of San José,” said Bob Singleton,
San José Grand Prix General Manager.
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“The
San José Grand Prix will be much more than a race.
It will be a weeklong festival of activities that will
generate significant revenue for the local community and businesses.
Whether you’re a fan of racing or not, I guarantee that
people throughout Northern California will put this week on their
calendar as a ‘must-attend event.’”
The
Champ Car World Series features some of the greatest racecar drivers
in the world competing in the most diverse and exciting series in
the world. Champions
Sebastien Bourdais, Jimmy Vasser, who hails from the Bay Area, and
Canadian Paul Tracy along with 2004 Roshfrans Rookie of the Year A.
J. Allmendinger, who was born in Los Gatos and resides in Hollister,
are among the drivers who battle for the Vanderbilt Cup, which is
awarded to the winner of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford.
In
addition, Mexican drivers Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Mario Dominguez
will compete among an expected 18-car field.
The title is contested on oval circuits, temporary street
circuits and permanent road courses in 15 cities in the United
States, Mexico, Canada and Australia.
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