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2006 Denver Grand Prix geared up for race past Auraria Campus
By Jeremy Johnson
jjohn308@mscd.edu

Auraria Campus students, it’s time to start your engines.

The 2006 Centrix Grand Prix makes its return to downtown Denver August 11, 12 and 13, and although the course has changed, Auraria Campus remains a large part of the track’s landscape.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Grand Prix as a stop in Champ Car World Series. Denver–and with it, Auraria Campus–is one of eight stops across the nation with seven more races taking place in Canada, Mexico, Australia and Korea.

“It’s one of the best stops on the Champ Car series,” said Rob Johnson, executive vice president and general manager of the Denver Grand Prix. “It brings a great economic impact and visibility to the city.”

The race is visible to Auraria Campus students, to be sure. The race begins just across from the Tivoli on Auraria Parkway. The checkered flag will be waved at the corner of 9th and Auraria Parkway, next to the City Lights Pavilions.

“The advice I give people if you know racing or you don’t is to see it from as many angles as you can,” Johnson said. “See the straightaways, see the turns and watch the pits.”

But for those who could care less about Formula One racing, the Denver Grand Prix has, over the years, turned into a “grand” event in many other ways.

Along with loud sounds and the staunch smell of gasoline and burning rubber, the Grand Prix offers various other entertaining events, along with the usual merchandise and food.

Known as the Grand Prix Street Party, this event away from the event offers everything from go-karts to food vendors to the Red Bull freestyle racers.

For the casual racing spectator, perhaps the most appealing draw of the three-day Grand Prix event is the music series. This year the series offers up G-Love and the Special Sauce on August 11, at the City Lights Pavilions, and The Samples on August 12, at Larimer Square.

For those with an interest in speed sports, be sure to keep an eye on Loveland-based racing team, RuSport and their driver, Justin Wilson. RuSport sponsors Wilson and Brazilian-born driver Cristiano da Matta and looks forward to coming home to Colorado each year.

“At a certain level we are waving a Colorado flag for sure,” said RuSports team president Jeremy Dale. “You either have hometown support or you don’t.”