The first San Jose Grand Prix will be changing the face of downtown July 29-31, turning the metropolitan area into a high-speed racetrack.
Champ Cars, known for their open-wheel style, will zoom around the 1.6-mile track at speeds that top out at nearly 200 mph. The number of fans is expected to exceed 100,000.
The race starts on Almaden Boulevard, between East San Carlos Avenue and Balbach Street. The track continues past San Fernando Street, where it makes a hairpin turn and continues back down Almaden before heading left on Park Avenue. It cuts right on Market Avenue, at the Tech Museum, then right on Balbach and right again to the finish line on Almaden.
Racers will be making 100 laps around the track, totaling 11 turns and the one hairpin turn, which Bob Singleton, the vice president and general manager of the Grand Prix, describes as “the most exciting part in racing.”
Changes to the downtown area include street repairs, a special asphalt paved on the Almaden-Market-Balbach block and newly erected grand stands.
Downtown businesses such as restaurants and hotels are expecting increased business. A few residents will stay in hotels for the weekend because the path of the race is so close to their homes.
“We try not to impact the lives and businesses of people,” Singleton said.
Representatives of the Fairmont Hotel said last week that the hotel’s rooms were 85 percent booked, and the Montgomery Hotel is anticipating being full for the three days.
“It will bring thousands and thousands of people all over California to visit us,” said Lina Broydo, the public relations director at the Fairmont Hotel.
Organizers estimate that the three-day event will attract about 120,000 people; most of the attendees are expected to be men ages 18 to 41.
To attract families and children, the Grand Prix will feature the Tech Museum and a variety of entertainment events will stretch as far as Santana Row.
The event was started by Silicon Valley executive Don Listwin and is a benefit for the Canary Fund, a non-profit organization committed to detecting cancer in its early stages.
The Champ Car Series consists of 14 stops, including cities such as Toronto, Cleveland, Montreal and Long Beach. Ten of those, including San Jose, are held in downtown areas.
“It is a street circuit and it showcases the city,” Singleton said about why San Jose was selected to play host.
Around downtown, people are aware of the upcoming race.
“It will help businesses highly, to the max,” said Albert Morales, the manager of Ben & Jerry’s.
Although there are a few things Morales is worried about, such as the danger of a car crashing or tires flying, he notes, “It’s an outside event and it’s going to be hot. Doesn’t everyone want ice cream when it’s hot?”
One of the owners of Hawgs Seafood Bar, Scott Grangreco, has been promoting the race with fliers and posters on the restaurant’s windows. “It’s a great event that will bring people downtown,” Grangreco said. “July and August are slow months. We are going to greatly appreciate and will thrive on the people who will come. We need more events to generate business in the late months.”
Montgomery Hotel General Manager Greg Mauldin said the Grand Prix is a “compelling event” because of its focus on helping the fight against cancer. He recalled when his stepfather passed away from cancer.
“The doctors didn’t expect him to live another three years. He was classified with lung cancer at stage four, which is terminal,” Mauldin said.
“But if there was a way to detect cancer before it started, he would probably still be here today. If more money went into detecting cancer, you’ll get to the finish line faster … like a race car.”