theunions
07-07-04, 02:16 PM
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY SUPERSPEEDWAY OVAL TO 2004 SCHEDULE
LAS VEGAS (July 7, 2004) - When the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford decided to add another night race to the
2004 schedule, it was only fitting that the series visit a city where
nightfall merely signals the start of the show.
The Champ Car World Series announced Wednesday that it would add a visit
to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway September 24-25 for a two-day
event. The open-wheel machines will share the weekend with the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series on the superspeedway oval with both series racing
on Saturday night. The Champ Cars will close the show Saturday night
with the Champ Car Las Vegas 400, tentatively scheduled to begin at 9
p.m. Pacific Time.
"The addition of a Champ Car World Series event is great news not only
for Las Vegas Motor Speedway but also for Las Vegas as a whole," said
LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "The Champ Car World Series offers
some of the fastest and most technologically advanced race cars in the
world and the fans attending the Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck
race now will be treated to an additional adrenaline rush. We're excited
to offer such a great night of racing to the fans of Las Vegas as well
as to those who are drawn from outside the community."
The LVMS superspeedway will be the first for Champ Car since last
season's visit to EuroSpeedway Lausitz where Sebastien Bourdais (#2
McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) nipped Mario Dominguez (#55
Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9
Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). Bourdais escaped a brief ride
on the infield grass and found a way to win a race that saw the
top-three drivers covered by a scant .245 seconds.
"We have been interested in holding a Champ Car race in Las Vegas and
the opportunity to partner with Speedway Motorsports Inc., made it
attractive to us," said Champ Car President Dick Eidswick. "Television
ratings in Las Vegas have consistently been strong for Champ Car races
in the last few years and we have a strong fan base in that region."
The Champ Cars ran under the lights at the Milwaukee Mile in June in a
race that saw Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) lead from wire-to-wire in taking his
first win of the season. This will be the fourth night race in the last
two years for the Champ Cars, having run in Milwaukee and Cleveland in
2003 and conducting a night race in Milwaukee this year.
"I am really excited about the addition of Las Vegas Motor Speedway to
our 2004 schedule," Hunter-Reay said. "Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a
state-of-the-art racing facility, and I am very happy to race on another
oval this year as Herdez Competition had a record-setting weekend when I
won in Milwaukee. The diversity that Champ Car offers by racing on
ovals, road and street courses makes it the most unique and challenging
series anywhere. I can't think of a better place to display our product
than Las Vegas."
Four of the Champ Car drivers call Las Vegas home and get the benefit of
sleeping in their own beds on a race weekend. Defending series champion
Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgstone) is one of the four
and is pleased about the opportunity to race in Vegas.
"I can't tell you how excited I am about racing here," Tracy said. "All
of the local guys have been out to the track and it's a first-class
facility. It's the right type of venue for our cars. The fact that this
is right in our backyard will open up a lot of opportunities for us to
be able to test and really make this a big event."
Fans can purchase a special Champ Car ticket package for the two-day
event through the Las Vegas Motor Speedway box office. The Champ Car
Ticket Package sells for $61.50 and includes a reserved grandstand seat
in the Earnhardt Terrace both nights as well as access to the Champ Car
paddock area. The Champ Car Ticket Package must be requested directly
from the LVMS box office at 1-702-644-4444 (in Nevada) or 1-800-644-4444
to receive the offer.
LAS VEGAS (July 7, 2004) - When the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford decided to add another night race to the
2004 schedule, it was only fitting that the series visit a city where
nightfall merely signals the start of the show.
The Champ Car World Series announced Wednesday that it would add a visit
to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway September 24-25 for a two-day
event. The open-wheel machines will share the weekend with the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series on the superspeedway oval with both series racing
on Saturday night. The Champ Cars will close the show Saturday night
with the Champ Car Las Vegas 400, tentatively scheduled to begin at 9
p.m. Pacific Time.
"The addition of a Champ Car World Series event is great news not only
for Las Vegas Motor Speedway but also for Las Vegas as a whole," said
LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "The Champ Car World Series offers
some of the fastest and most technologically advanced race cars in the
world and the fans attending the Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck
race now will be treated to an additional adrenaline rush. We're excited
to offer such a great night of racing to the fans of Las Vegas as well
as to those who are drawn from outside the community."
The LVMS superspeedway will be the first for Champ Car since last
season's visit to EuroSpeedway Lausitz where Sebastien Bourdais (#2
McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) nipped Mario Dominguez (#55
Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9
Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). Bourdais escaped a brief ride
on the infield grass and found a way to win a race that saw the
top-three drivers covered by a scant .245 seconds.
"We have been interested in holding a Champ Car race in Las Vegas and
the opportunity to partner with Speedway Motorsports Inc., made it
attractive to us," said Champ Car President Dick Eidswick. "Television
ratings in Las Vegas have consistently been strong for Champ Car races
in the last few years and we have a strong fan base in that region."
The Champ Cars ran under the lights at the Milwaukee Mile in June in a
race that saw Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) lead from wire-to-wire in taking his
first win of the season. This will be the fourth night race in the last
two years for the Champ Cars, having run in Milwaukee and Cleveland in
2003 and conducting a night race in Milwaukee this year.
"I am really excited about the addition of Las Vegas Motor Speedway to
our 2004 schedule," Hunter-Reay said. "Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a
state-of-the-art racing facility, and I am very happy to race on another
oval this year as Herdez Competition had a record-setting weekend when I
won in Milwaukee. The diversity that Champ Car offers by racing on
ovals, road and street courses makes it the most unique and challenging
series anywhere. I can't think of a better place to display our product
than Las Vegas."
Four of the Champ Car drivers call Las Vegas home and get the benefit of
sleeping in their own beds on a race weekend. Defending series champion
Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgstone) is one of the four
and is pleased about the opportunity to race in Vegas.
"I can't tell you how excited I am about racing here," Tracy said. "All
of the local guys have been out to the track and it's a first-class
facility. It's the right type of venue for our cars. The fact that this
is right in our backyard will open up a lot of opportunities for us to
be able to test and really make this a big event."
Fans can purchase a special Champ Car ticket package for the two-day
event through the Las Vegas Motor Speedway box office. The Champ Car
Ticket Package sells for $61.50 and includes a reserved grandstand seat
in the Earnhardt Terrace both nights as well as access to the Champ Car
paddock area. The Champ Car Ticket Package must be requested directly
from the LVMS box office at 1-702-644-4444 (in Nevada) or 1-800-644-4444
to receive the offer.