motorsport travel news - Archive 04-06

Here's some motorsport venue news that I've collected in my research for grand prix cities over the years. Here's the May 2004 collection of blah blah. From here you can go back in the history of this fine website and you'll find tidbits of travel information, exciting changes to motorsport schedules especially venues and other website news that might be of interest for the sports traveler, a kind of blog of thoughts and ambitions. Of interest might be if some of my predictions are true. Not many consultants want their chrystal balls out in the open, but here goes. Knock your self out. If you've got some news that you'd like me to add to the current news page, let me know via the contact link in the left column. Godspeed on your motorsport adventures! Cvetko Ostroznik.

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'04 NEWS ARCHIVE MENU
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motorsport travel news archive may 04


May 2004

* 053004: Nurburgring rip off prices. Europeans deserting their local F1 races? Read about the dip in attendances at the Nurburg race over the past few years, and the unholy prices to watch processions and explosions (and very little racing). Nurburgring European Grand Prix Numbers this weekend were down 15% on last year and 30% on 2002. At 200+ EUR per ticket, is that surprizing? Reuters reports. If you hear about attendances at a big event let me know (with the source) and I'll add to it. Some people, me included, find stuff like that interesting.

* 052704: LAST MINUTE Tickets for the Coca-Cola 600 to be held this last weekend of Speedway at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC are still available. if you're really desperately trying to locate tickets or if you're still searching for a Charlotte hotel near Lowes Motor Speedway or other travel services for the entire week or either weekend, check my list of accommodations within 20 miles of all NASCAR Speedway Venues hotels / lodging.

Added : 2004 Grand Prix of Denver Weekend Schedule, which is to run August 13-15, 2004, in, of course Denver, Colorado around that big ol' soft drink can. Find a Hotel near the Pepsi Center + tickets too in Denver.

> On the topic of Champ Car GP, Organizers yesterday announced the provisional date for the ChampCar 31st Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is April 10, 2005. I'm booking my Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Tickets early! For more dates and series schedules for next year keep your eye on my events dates page.

> Cyprus wants to host it's own Formula One Grand Prix. No, REALLY wants to host its own GP. So says the governement, and so reports the Cyprus Mail

> Sad to hear that Southampton Motor Speedway in VA will be closed down and only opened again if a new managment take over or the track is leased for events. Any promotors out that way looking to save local racing? source: Daily Press Hampton VA

> Added several more tracks to my Maine Short Tracks and Georgia Tracks pages. Keep sending in those short tracks for inclusion in my new American Track Listing Guide... info about adding a track/s is found in the section.

* 052604: > Added full Schedule of events for the USGP, which comes to Indianapolis in June.

> Added news report of the hugely successful Atlantic City SEMA Show. Way to go SEMA! Them's good folks!

> Added new Hotels in / near Magny-Cours/Nevers page for those headed to the French Grand Prix or World SBK Championship weekends at Circuit Magny Cours and a guide to Hotels near Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. Added Hotels in / near Valencia Spain page for you motorcycle fans looking for a roof during your visit to this wonderful circuit and also a new Texas Motor Speedway Hotels page for those of you who like it to turn left!!!

> Seems we'll have to put up with the traffic to and maybe the ban on paddock transfers at Silverstone, England for the British Formula One Grand Prix until 2006. That puts paid to the great idea of there being a race through the streets of London. Source: Sportinglife.com

* 051804: > Regular grandprixcities contributors Greg and Stephanie Gerken send in their pics and race fan travel report from their trip to the Curcuit de Catalunya in Barcelona Spain and the recent Spanish Formula One Grand Prix.

* 051704: > Seems DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) will beat Formula One to the punch by racing first in Shanghai China. Not quite on the international circuit, which is not yet complete, but in the streets of one of the biggest cities in the world! Source: Interfax Chinese News Agency

> Good news out of Mansfield Speedway is that their first NASCAR Busch event was a great success with people partying hard all through a very damp Saturday night! Now, there's one I wish I was at. Next year, promise, will bells on!

> Don't forget to check out some of my new sponsors / advertisers on your way through the website! Won't hurt you to click on something, particularly if you're looking for racing tickets

> Started a list of Hotels in or near European Circuits The first entries are Monaco and Valencia. Thought it work better on one page than a dozen. Also check out my new grand prix cities travel and merchandise< a href="store.html"> Store

* 051504: > Henry Jones from the Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society tell me that that race winning Cobra CSX2260 driven by Ken Miles at Augusta on March 1, 1964 will be present for our memorial dedication of the track's Historic site on September 11, 2004. The car is currently under restoration and will be in a private collection upon completion. The current owner will transport this car from California to Augusta and have it on display as we place the monument. This is simply wonderful news! You can see this car (#15) at: the website. To keep up with this good work of preserving Georgia racing history, keep your eye on the Society's Press Release page. Check out also my growing guide to Racing Facilities and Speedways in Georgia

* 051404: > NASCAR Nextel Cup Testing is to continue at Sparta's Kentuky's Kentucky Speedway next week. The May 19 schedule features Sterling Marlin, Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers, Brendan Gaughan, Ricky Craven and NASCAR Truck Series driver Chris Horn. Marlin, McMurray, Vickers and Horn are scheduled to extend their Kentucky stay to Thursday, May 20. Fans can watch for free outside the Fan Center in Turn 3.

> Don't miss the Jaguar Wine Country Classic at Infineon Raceway at Sears Point/Sonoma, California on June 5-6, 2004. This year's weekend celebrates the Historic Riverside Raceway.

* 051404: > Added NASCAR Nextel Cup Dates and began the an updated version of my very popular motorsports schedule /events rumours page. Let me know if you hear of any dates in any major race series as soon as posible.

> Bad news today that Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania is to close after the 2004 season. Associated Press reports that President of International Speedway Corporation, Craig Rust, commented that the two remaining events in 2004, will continue as planned - the NASCAR Busch Series Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200 on May 22-23 and the Firestone Indy 225 IRL IndyCar Series weekend, August 27-29, 2004. Sad goodbye, and sadder for the Lehigh Valley Community and Economy.

* 051204: > Added hotels in Montreal, Canada, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Indianapolis, Indiana ahead of the F1 invasion of the Americas later this year. I've also added hotels for Memphis Tennessee, Charlotte, NC, Dover, DE, Valencia Spain and Shanghai, China (see exclusive areal picture of the new Formula One circuit!) and there are many more hotel guides to come. Check out also at my new grand prix cities Online Travel Center for a one stop store to get all your flights and hire cars for your race weekend. Tickets to most events can be found as well. Yes, commercialism has come to grand prix cities making it the hub for world motorsports travel!

> Added info about the Indy 500 2004 Lights, Camera, Traction Festival. Going to the IRL big show? Check out my fan guide to Indianapolis Indiana for travel info, hotels, tickets, pictures, and tips for the first or hundredth timer to the brickyard.

* 051104: > If you're in Richmond, Virginia this week ahead of the NASCAR weekend, don't forget tomorrow (Wednesday 12 May, 2004) to check out the NASCAR pit party being held at the Science Museum of Virginia Richmond. Also on my Richmond Speedway Page, find out what Dale Earnhardt Jr thinks of RIR and night racing

> Added an entire whopping page of THINGS TO DO DURING THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 WEEKEND. If you're going to the Indy 500 in just a few short weeks, remember to look at my Indianapolis guide

* 051004: > Dover International Speedway announced today that platinum-selling recording artist and American Idol co-winner, Clay Aiken, will sing the national anthem at the inaugural running in Dover of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes on June 6, 2004. I understand tickets are still available for the June 4 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, June 5 NASCAR Busch Series and June 6 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series triple header! Find all NASCAR dates

> This year's Thunder Bay Mini Grand Prix Go-Karting Event for Juvenile Arthritis will take place on Saturday, June 12th at Wildside Recreation just west in Thunder Bay, Canada. All money raised at the go-kart races will go towards research into Juvenile Arthritis. Registration is being accepted now at Canadian Tire, Auto One Car Care, or Wildside Recreation.

> Race organizers of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix at Hungaroring just outside of Budapest have announced the completion of a waterpark Aquarina - and adjacent camping behind Silver Stand One for this year's event. Good idea, dudes, it gets awful hot in August in Budapest! The hungarian race, of course, is the originator of the very popular Formula 1 Pitwalk, as now followed by several track, including Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year it occurs n Thursday, August 12th 2004, when every holder of a grandstand weekend ticket is invited to cruise the pits from 15:00 to 18:00 o'clock. Check out my Grand Prix Tickets for grandstand seating, pitwalk passes etc.

> Speaking of pit lane access. At this year's Canadian F1 Grand Prix in Montreal. The pits are open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 10. Apparently some F1 personel will be on hand to answer questions and a display car and engine will be available for looking over. Take your camera and hook on your zoom, you won't be getting that close to the action. Just close enough.

> Gateway International Speedway in Illinois is still hopefull of securing a NASCAR Nextel Cup race for 2005, says the Belleville News-Democrat

> British race series Formula Woman, which drives Mazda's hell for leather, has announced a change to it's schedule. The 2004 events will now take place as follows:
Rounds 1 & 2 June 12 Oulton Park
Rounds 3 & 4 June 27 Knockhill
Round 5 July 4 Cadwell Park
Rounds 6 & 7 July 25 Brands Hatch
Find Hotels near UK Circuits including Brands Hatch Hotels. Donington Park, Silverstone, Croft, Thruxton, Mallory Park, Goodwood lodgings and more.


> * 050904: > Going to the IndyCar IRL / NASCAR Craftsman Truck Bombardier 500k weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in June 2004? Check out the Convenience Bank 100 featuring ROMCO dirt track action. Can't find much better to do on that Saturday night. Who knows you might even see me! Need Texas Motor Speedway Hotels click here

> * 050604: > Don't forget this Sunday May 9th,2004, Don Claddy's Connecticut Bikers Super Sunday, which will be held at the Connecticut Expo Center Hartford. This is billed as the biggest motorcycle show ever. Sounds like too much fun! Find Hartford Connecticut Hotels and BDL Hartford Bradley Airport Hotels

> Added Vans Triple Crown of BMX championship Schedule & report. The tour includes Salt Lake City, UT; Denver, CO; and Oceanside, CA.

> Is Ormond Beach, not Daytona, the "birthplace of speed"? Read about the controversy at Daytona Beach News-Journal Online

> An Aussie V8 Supercar race, proposed to occur in Shanghai, China in November has been canceled. The event is now to take place at Symons Plains Circuit in Tasmania, much closer to home. Again the locally popular and very spectacular stock car sedan series fails to reach a wider audience. Source: Adelaide Advertiser Newspaper

> * 050404: > Going to the Canadian F1 GP in June? Check out the special VIP event at the Casino 'La Grande Nuit F1". If you got the cash to play with the big boys and girls, that is. For me, I'm looking forward to my gilt (guilt?) edged invitation, so I can report on the party for the loyal readership!

> Speaking of Shindigs, Brands Hatch is holding a special F1 celebrity lunch during it's CSMA Classic Festival's weekend. The luncheon is to aid Racing For Charity.com. The luncheon is to be attended by Formula One and other racing luminaries including Sir Jack Brabham and Damon Hill, Martin Donnelly, Johnny Dumfries, Julian Bailey and David Brabham. The event will be held May 22, 2004. Tickets are £175 per head, which includes entry to the circuit, an open bar and lunch. To book call CSMA on 01273 744773

> Still more by way of charity events and race traveler fun: It's a race fan's dream - driving the high banks of Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Speedway Children's Charities will give fans what they want this Saturday, May 8, 2004, from 6-10 p.m. during the annual Laps for Charity event. Laps for Charity gives race fans the rare opportunity to drive their own passenger vehicles around the 1.5-mile superspeedway under controlled conditions. Participants will get to drive three laps around Texas Motor Speedway for a $25 donation to the Texas chapter of Speedway Children's Charities. There is no pre-registration and participants may pay with cash, check or credit card. Multiple sets of laps may be purchased as well. "Laps for Charity is the only chance for the fans to drive their own vehicle around the speedway," said speedway president Eddie Gossage. "We've had folks drive everything from sports cars and the family station wagon to a UPS truck. It's a lot of fun for all the participants and anytime you can help kids, it's a worthwhile cause." Fans participating in the May 8 Laps for Charity should enter the speedway infield through the south tunnel at Gate 8. Participants' speed during Laps for Charity will be controlled by a pace car on the speedway. A driver's license is required to drive in Laps for Charity and all passengers must be at least six years of age. Fans will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken with their vehicle in Victory Lane. Speedway Children's Charities Texas Chapter assists organizations benefiting children in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin counties. More than $2.3 million has been given to hundreds of area youth organizations by the local chapter since 1997. For more information on Laps for Charity contact Speedway Children's Charities at (817) 215-8564 or at www.texasmotorspeedway.com. SOURCE: TMS Media Release 050404:

> * 050304: If you're off to Oschersleben, Germany to witness the W-SBK events later this month. Don't forget to check out the Yamaha R6 Cup event.

> Added Delaware Track Finder and one for West Virginia Motorsport. I'm making steady progress!

> * 050204: Added Exlusive grandprixcities areal photograph of Shanghai International Circuit

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> Added to my Michigan, Connecticut, Vermont & Rhode Island as well as my Georgia Short tracks guides. This is all part of my American Short Tracks listing effort. Big job. Got input? Say hi.

> * 050104: Sad day for motorsport. 10 years since the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola. RIP, Champ!

Also
> Current Motor Sport Travel News
> world sports dates calendar - Sports Travel made easy with events schedule, tickets and hotels near venues !
> World International Auto Show Listings Dates and locations
> Current Cycle World International Motorcycle Show Dates (US)

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