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CART Drivers Primed for Largest Purse in Racing History

26 February 1999

HONOLULU, HAWAII: The largest single day payout in the history of motorsports-$10 million, with $5 million going to the winner-awaits a select group of FedEx Championship Series drivers who participate in the inaugural Hawaiian Super Prix on Saturday, November 13 on the island of Oahu.

The announcement was made by Hawaii governor Benjamin J. Cayetano; Andrew Craig, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc., and Dick Rutherford, co-founder of the Hawaiian Super Prix.

"The State of Hawaii is very pleased to host this new and exciting race event," Gov Cayetano stated. "We are grateful for the tax and charity dollars the HSP will generate, and are prepared to provide the re carpet treatment for all the organizer and participants."

The event is not a part of CART's 20-race FedEx Championship Series schedule but a special, no-points CART-sanctioned bonus race conducted two weeks after the conclusion of the Champ Cars' regular season at California Speedway. The event is open to the top-12 finishers from the FedEx Championship Series season -- based on PPG Cup points -- as well as four additional drivers to be selected by the promoter. It will be held at Barbers Point airport, just outside Honolulu, on a 1.8 mile layout designed on the airport tarmac.

"This will be an incredible way to end this millennium," Craig said. "A $5 million winner's purse gets everyone's attention -- both drivers and fans alike.

"One of the key benefits for us is that an event of this magnitude will raise the level of awareness and presence worldwide for CART and Champ Car racing." Craig added. "It comes at a time when our regular season already has concluded so it will keep us top of mind with the public for that much longer in 1999"