Champ Car World Series Street Race in Downtown San Jose, California To Benefit The Canary Fund
SAN JOSE, CA - - DECEMBER 8, 2004 - - Yesterday's city council approval
of a Champ Car World Series street race in downtown San Jose was the
first step in what will prove to be an historic weekend for the city.
Benefiting the Canary Fund, the San Jose Grand Prix will be the first
open-wheel street race in northern California. The plan, which was
brought before the council by San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, calls for the
circuit to be designed around the HP Pavilion and the surrounding
streets. The San Jose Grand Prix, which will be contested July 29-31,
2005, will be the eighth stop on the 2005 Bridgestone Presents The Champ
Car World Series Powered by Ford schedule and is expected to attract more
than 100,000 spectators to downtown San Jose.
Canary Fund, which was founded by Don Listwin, is dedicated to advancing
the science of the early detection of cancer. Canary Fund collaborates
with cancer research centers including the Stanford University Medical
Center in nearby 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.
"On behalf of Canary Fund, I would like to thank Mayor Ron Gonzales,
Councilwomen Cindy Chavez and the city council for their support of the
San Jose Grand Prix," said Listwin. "This is going to be a very
exciting event, which will not only benefit the city of San Jose, but
will provide Canary Fund with an exciting platform to raise awareness and
money for its unique new approach in the battle against cancer."
In addition to the auto race, plans for the San Jose Grand Prix call for
a week of activities including concerts, fairs, charity events and
promotional activities. The
week long 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.
"I want to thank Mayor Gonzales and the city council for their hard
work in bringing this historic event to San Jose," said San Jose Grand
Prix Vice President and General Manager, Bob Singleton. "I would also
like to thank Dean Munro of the San Jose Sports Authority for his efforts
in support of this race and the City of San Jose staff who have worked
tirelessly on the design and construction of the race track," Singleton
noted.
Singleton went on to say, "The San Jose Grand Prix will be much more
than an auto race. It will be a week long festival of activities that
will generate significant revenue for the local community and
businesses. Whether you are 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 race car 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.
The specific route for the San Jose Grand Prix has not yet been
finalized, but it would follow city streets in the downtown area.
Tickets for the San Jose Grand Prix are on sale now and can be purchased
through ticketmaster. You may reach ticketmaster at the following phone
numbers:
408-998-tixs or 510-625-tixs or 415-421-tixs
www.sanjosegrandprix.com-
