MONTH HEADLINES
Vegas Grand Prix announces first downtown partnership with Fitzgeralds
Oct 11 \\
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 11, 2006) – The Vegas Grand Prix has announced a partnership with Fitzgeralds Casino and Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. The casino-hotel at 301 E. Fremont St. occupies a prime location for the three-day festival of speed and entertainment to be held April 6-8, 2007 in downtown Las Vegas.
“Fitzgeralds is excited to partner with the Vegas Grand Prix that will take place right outside our doors,” said Teresa Malm, vice president of marketing for Fitzgeralds. “We’ll have a grandstand at the corner of Carson and Fourth streets with a great view of Turn 9. Plus our east-facing hotel rooms will have a great view of the same turn. We anticipate the weekend will be a record-breaking one for the downtown area.”
Fitzgeralds has 42,000 square feet of gaming space, 638 hotel rooms, nightly entertainment and offers a variety of dining options including Limericks Steakhouse, Molly’s Buffet, Shamrock Café, McDonald’s and a Krispy Kreme outlet.
The Vegas Grand Prix will kick off the 2007 Champ Car World Series season. The race course, which will also host support races that Easter weekend, will be run over a
2.44-mile road course around downtown.
“We are excited about the Fitzgeralds partnership as their private grandstand area for the VIP guests will create a fantastic viewing area for the event,” said Jim Freudenberg, president and CEO of the Vegas Grand Prix. “It’s exciting to see the downtown properties capitalize on the opportunities the event can bring to their front door.”
Besides attracting racing fans and affluent visitors from around the world, organizers said the three-day event will incorporate major rock concerts, a celebrity poker tournament and a giant Easter egg hunt. The event and its variety of street races is projected to generate an economic impact of about $76.7 million for downtown and surrounding areas of Las Vegas. The event is expected to generate an additional $3.8 million in state and local tax revenue.
The Vegas Grand Prix will feature open-wheel cars that generate 750 horsepower and can reach speeds up to 180 mph on the streets of downtown. The single-seat, Indy-style cars have open cockpits, open wheels and wings providing down force.
Predicted to be one of the largest events ever in downtown Las Vegas, the Vegas Grand
Prix will include top drivers from the Champ Car World Series, which recently announced its 2007 season with 15 races in the U.S., China, Australia, Canada and Mexico.
The Vegas Grand Prix will be televised live nationally on network television and internationally in more than 180 countries, generating positive media coverage and national exposure for Las Vegas in general, and downtown in particular.
For more information, visit www.vegasgrandprix.com.
About DDB Ventures
The Vegas Grand Prix is being presented by DDB Ventures, a company based in Phoenix, Ariz. that has managed several Champ Car World Series races in the U.S. and beyond. DDB Ventures was established in 2005 by principals Bradley Yonover and Dale Jensen who have partnered to create an entertainment, motorsports and film investment entity. Yonover is a real estate and entertainment entrepreneur whose New York-based production and finance company, GreeneStreet Films, produced films that garnered many awards as well as five Oscar nominations. The firm’s other partner, Jensen, is also a co-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team and the Phoenix Suns National Basketball Association team.
-- VGP --
Media contacts: Mike Henle
702-279-3483 or mhenle@aol.com
Aimee Worth, Brown & Partners
702-853-7333 or aworth@brown-partners.com
“Fitzgeralds is excited to partner with the Vegas Grand Prix that will take place right outside our doors,” said Teresa Malm, vice president of marketing for Fitzgeralds. “We’ll have a grandstand at the corner of Carson and Fourth streets with a great view of Turn 9. Plus our east-facing hotel rooms will have a great view of the same turn. We anticipate the weekend will be a record-breaking one for the downtown area.”
Fitzgeralds has 42,000 square feet of gaming space, 638 hotel rooms, nightly entertainment and offers a variety of dining options including Limericks Steakhouse, Molly’s Buffet, Shamrock Café, McDonald’s and a Krispy Kreme outlet.
The Vegas Grand Prix will kick off the 2007 Champ Car World Series season. The race course, which will also host support races that Easter weekend, will be run over a
2.44-mile road course around downtown.
“We are excited about the Fitzgeralds partnership as their private grandstand area for the VIP guests will create a fantastic viewing area for the event,” said Jim Freudenberg, president and CEO of the Vegas Grand Prix. “It’s exciting to see the downtown properties capitalize on the opportunities the event can bring to their front door.”
Besides attracting racing fans and affluent visitors from around the world, organizers said the three-day event will incorporate major rock concerts, a celebrity poker tournament and a giant Easter egg hunt. The event and its variety of street races is projected to generate an economic impact of about $76.7 million for downtown and surrounding areas of Las Vegas. The event is expected to generate an additional $3.8 million in state and local tax revenue.
The Vegas Grand Prix will feature open-wheel cars that generate 750 horsepower and can reach speeds up to 180 mph on the streets of downtown. The single-seat, Indy-style cars have open cockpits, open wheels and wings providing down force.
Predicted to be one of the largest events ever in downtown Las Vegas, the Vegas Grand
Prix will include top drivers from the Champ Car World Series, which recently announced its 2007 season with 15 races in the U.S., China, Australia, Canada and Mexico.
The Vegas Grand Prix will be televised live nationally on network television and internationally in more than 180 countries, generating positive media coverage and national exposure for Las Vegas in general, and downtown in particular.
For more information, visit www.vegasgrandprix.com.
About DDB Ventures
The Vegas Grand Prix is being presented by DDB Ventures, a company based in Phoenix, Ariz. that has managed several Champ Car World Series races in the U.S. and beyond. DDB Ventures was established in 2005 by principals Bradley Yonover and Dale Jensen who have partnered to create an entertainment, motorsports and film investment entity. Yonover is a real estate and entertainment entrepreneur whose New York-based production and finance company, GreeneStreet Films, produced films that garnered many awards as well as five Oscar nominations. The firm’s other partner, Jensen, is also a co-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team and the Phoenix Suns National Basketball Association team.
-- VGP --
Media contacts: Mike Henle
702-279-3483 or mhenle@aol.com
Aimee Worth, Brown & Partners
702-853-7333 or aworth@brown-partners.com
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