Laguna Seca CONFIRMS!!!!

[Mags]

CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES CONFIRMED FOR 2004 GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
Grand Prix returns to traditional fall date


MONTEREY, Calif. (January 29, 2004) - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has
reached
an agreement with the new owners of the Champ Car World Series that
ensures
the open-wheel series returns as the feature event of the Grand Prix of
Monterey for the 22nd consecutive year. The 2004 Grand Prix is
scheduled
this year for Sept. 10 - 12, a return to its traditional fall date
following
two years in the month of June.

The agreement was reached with Open Wheel Racing Series, LLC (OWRS),
which
was awarded the assets of Indianapolis-based Championship Auto Racing
Teams
(CART) yesterday during a bankruptcy sale hearing for the parent
company of
the long-running Champ Car series.

“We had to wait for the bankruptcy proceedings to run their course so
we
could work out an agreement with the new owners,” said Gill Campbell,
general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “But this has been the
plan
all along. We have been on the 2004 Champ Car schedule and they have
been
on our schedule, plus OWRS has been working on the acquisition since
last
season. So today we made it official and we can both get busy
preparing for
the Grand Prix of Monterey, which historically has been one of our
larger
events.”

“We’re delighted to be bringing Champ Cars back to the beautiful
Monterey
Peninsula and one of the most famous circuits in the world,” said Paul
Gentilozzi, one of three principals with the new ownership group.
Gentilozzi, along with partners Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven,
each
own teams competing in the Champ Car World Series.

Current Champ Car World Series champion Paul Tracy begins his title
defense
April 16 - 18 with the 30th running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long
Beach.

The 2004 season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca begins with the Road &
Track
U.S. Sports Car Invitational, April 30 - May 2. The season features
four
more events: Honda Superbike Classic, July 9 - 11; 31st Rolex Monterey
Historic Automobile Races, Aug. 13 - 15; Grand Prix of Monterey, Sept.
10 -
12; Fry’s Electronics Sports Car Championships, Oct. 15 - 17.

The Grand Prix of Monterey has been a fixture on the Champ Car World
Series
schedule since 1983 when Italian Teo Fabi won the inaugural event.
Since
then, the Grand Prix podium has been a virtual Who’s Who of auto racing
greats as drivers including Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Rick Mears,
Michael
Andretti, Alex Zanardi, Paul Tracy and Morgan Hill-native Jimmy Vasser
have
won the event. Last year’s race was won by Canadian Patrick
Carpentier.

Support races for this year’s Grand Prix of Monterey include the
Motorock
Trans-Am Tour and Toyota Atlantic Championship. Additional races will
be
added.

Tickets to this September’s Grand Prix of Monterey are on sale now by
calling 1-800-327-SECA or logging onto laguna-seca.com or
ticketmaster.com.