GRAND PRIX OF HOUSTON TO ROAR BACK
TO RELIANT PARK APRIL 20-22, 2007 American Le Mans and Champ Car to return to Houston as part of three-day
Festival of Speed and Entertainment
HOUSTON, July 20, 2006 – Officials announced today that the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston has been scheduled for April 20 – 22 at Reliant Park. The event will once again feature a spectacular combination of racing with world-class events from the American Le Mans Series and Champ Car World Series.
“We are very pleased to announce these dates for the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston,” said Chuck Kosich, General Manager of the Grand Prix of Houston. “We could not ask for a better slot on the racing schedules, and moving back three weeks will not hurt our chances of having great weather for the fans!”
The dates mean that the Grand Prix will move to a traditional Friday through Sunday format rather than Thursday through Saturday as in 2006. Next year’s Grand Prix will once again feature night racing, as the American Le Mans Series event will take place in the evening on Saturday, April 21. The event will culminate with the Champ Car race the afternoon of Sunday, April 22.
“We believe that the combination of a Saturday night American Le Mans race and a Sunday afternoon Champ Car race gives our fans the best possible weekend of racing,” said Kosich. “Our night races this year were very well received so we wanted to bring back that element of the event, and Sunday afternoon is the perfect time for the Champ Car race. This time frame also gives us the best opportunity for network television exposure.”
The 2006 Grand Prix of Houston took place on May 11 – 13 and was a tremendous success, with over 127,000 fans in attendance during the weekend. The event, which marked the return of world-class motorsports to Houston, was extremely well received by fans and racing participants alike. However, the Grand Prix is not resting on its laurels.
“We were extremely happy with our inaugural event this year, but we also learned a great deal so we are evaluating all aspects of the event to determine where we can make improvements,” said Kosich. “It is our goal to upgrade the fan experience next year to make the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston even better.”
Many of the improvements will come as a result of a formal survey of ticket buyers that the Grand Prix conducted immediately after this year’s event. Fan response was overwhelmingly positive, but a number of fans made helpful suggestions and provided feedback that will help officials plan for 2007. Fans should expect new innovations and improvements in areas such as fan mobility, hospitality offerings, entertainment options, team paddocks, and fan seating.
The 2007 Grand Prix of Houston will once again be much more than a race, and officials are planning to build on the “festival of speed” theme. In addition to the high-speed thrills of world-class racing, fans will enjoy a wide variety of entertainment and activities including live music, extreme sports demonstrations, interactive rides, a Family Fun Zone, and much more.
Tickets for the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston will go on sale later this fall. For more information on the Grand Prix of Houston, please visit http://www.grandprixofhouston.com.
The Grand Prix of Houston
1111 Bagby, Suite 1950 | Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-659-RACE | info@grandprixofhouston.com
acrossley@grandprixofhouston.com