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Champ Car Series Celebrates Its European Premiere With the 'German 500'

13 July 2000

Champ Car Series Celebrates Its European Premiere With the 'German 500'

    BERLIN, July 12 The community of European motor sport fans
can expect a spectacular premiere next year.  In Germany on September 15,
2001, the traditional call "Gentlemen start your engines" will mark for the
first time in Europe the start of international Champ Car Series racing.
    At a press conference today in the Berlin Hotel Adion, Hans-Joerg Fischer,
managing director of the Lausitzring GmbH, together with the president of the
Champ Car Series, Bobby Rahal and with Peter Sohwenkow, Chairman of the Board
of the German Entertainment (DEAG) announced the signing of a 5 year agreement
up to the year 2005.
    Along with the announcement of the first international motor sport event,
members of the press were also informed about the official renaming of the
Lausitzring, which is to be opened within only a few weeks, to "Eurospeedway
Berlin Brandenburg.  Fischer: "We have set for ourselves the objective of
becoming number 1 in Europe in racing and events promotion.  The name of the
grounds has an important function.  Market research analysts pointed the way
to this international, strongly explicit new Eurospeedway trademark."
    The "German 500" will take place on Europe's only 2-mile super speedway.
Champ cars will attain an average speed of over 380km/h there, making them
clearly faster than Formula 1 cars which look similar.  As well as in the USA
and Germany, Champ Cars in 2001 will run in Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australia,
Mexico and England.  International drivers like Michael Andretti, Christian
Fittipaldi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Roberto Moreno and Darlo Franchitti will be
racing these formula cars whose engines have in excess of 800 horsepower.
    Continually passing, fascinating entertainment on and near the race-way
plus the proximity of the stars to their fans characterize the Champ Car
Series.  Reason enough for the US film star Sylvester Stallone to produce a
new film around the Champ Car Series which will run in movie houses next year.
The German star Till Schweiger is also part of the scene.
    Hans-Joerg Fischer: "We are pleased to be able to offer our fans this
European premiere.  In addition to our cooperation in music festival
promotions, we have again found in DEAG a partner who will develop the German
500 with us into a grand success.
    The Eurospeedway lies directly on the BAB 13, approximately 125 km south
of Berlin and 50 km north of Dresden.  Advance ticket sales for the
"German 500" will start nation-wide at the opening of the Eurospeedway on
August 20, 2000.  Prices will be at a level of about 70 percent of comparable
prices for both German Formula 1 and Grand Prix events.