San José gets final green light
San José in Northern California will host the Champ Car World series in 2005 after city councillors approved a street circuit in the downtown area.
A 2.0-mile temporary circuit, will spring up for July 29-31 for the San José Grand Prix, based around the HP Pavillion. The revised design of the circuit has been created by D3 Motorsport Development, which is responsible for a host of current Champ Car circuits, including Surfer's Paradise, Monterrey and Mexico City. D3 designers are also working on plans for street races in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Ansan in South Korea.
"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 race itself, plans for the San José Grand Prix call for a week of activities including concerts, fairs, charity events and promotional activities.
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. Over the next ten years, revenues from the event will be used to repay the public investment with interest.
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