Public Invited to Experience a Premiere at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge
To Hold Admission-Free Discovery Day on Friday August 28
Montreal, August 4, 2009 - Stock-Car Montreal, the event organizing body of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge, is pleased to announce that it has added to its race weekend schedule, a free-of-charge Discovery Day on Friday, August 28, with the general public invited to visit Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Parc Jean-Drapeau from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Those who attend the admission-free day will discover the fascinating world of motor racing and have the chance to immerse themselves in the festive ambiance that carries over to the following two days, when the stars of NASCAR take to the track for their Nationwide Series race weekend activities.
"This Discovery Day for the general public is a premiere," said François Dumontier, promoter of the event. "As far as we know, race fans have rarely been invited, free of charge, to see professional racecar drivers in action during open practice and official qualifying sessions. Visitors will be able to access all sections of the site that are open to the public; sit on the grassy knolls surrounding the track, or in the grandstands and enjoy the on-track action. Since the inaugural NASCAR race in Montreal in 2007, we have had a tremendous response from fans, and it looks like it is going to be even better this year. We thought it would be appropriate to thank them for their support with this free of charge Discovery Day, as we launch the race weekend."
It is important to note that there will be plenty of on-track action from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday August 28, with open practice and official qualifying sessions for the Formula Tour 1600 and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
"Formula 1600 is always exciting to watch, but fans have a lot to discover about the spectacular Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, especially those amazing Daytona Prototypes. I am convinced that fans will want to return to watch their Saturday afternoon race," added Dumontier.
The official schedule for August 28 begins at 9:00 a.m. with a practice session for the Formula 1600 Series, followed at 10:00 a.m., by the Rolex Series GT class sports cars. The Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes will then take to the track at 11:30 a.m. for their practice session. The afternoon action will begin with qualifying for the 1600 Series. The GTs and prototypes will go for a second round of free practice sessions starting at 1:00 p.m. Official qualifying for the Rolex Daytona Prototypes will start at 5:00 p.m., followed by the GT class sports cars. There will be a final Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series combined class open practice from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The organizers also plan to stage an autograph session for which, driver's names will be unveiled at a later date.
Fans, who intend to visit Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Discovery Day, will have to take the Montreal subway system (Métro) to access the site, as there is no public parking available on the islands. From the Parc Jean-Drapeau Metro station on Ile Saint-Hélène, the public will be directed to the Circuit via the Cosmos Bridge. All grandstands seats will be free for use on Discovery Day as the seating privileges of Saturday and Sunday ticket holders will not be in effect on Friday.
"As the saying goes: The more the merrier on Friday August 28. We invite everyone to enjoy every minute of the open house festivities on Discovery Day," concluded Dumontier.
Tickets for the NAPA Auto Part 200, Presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 29-30, 2009 are currently on sale. To order tickets and see Patrick Carpentier, Jacques Villeneuve, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and other NASCAR stars on track in Montreal, call 514 397-0007 or order online anytime at
www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca/en/. The ticket office located at the exit of the Jean-Drapeau Metro Station, on Ile Sainte-Hélène, will be open all day on Discovery Day.
Stock-Car Montreal, the event promoter is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) based in Daytona Beach, Florida. ISC is the leading promoter of motorsports in North America, hosting over 100 major racing events each year.
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Media Inquiries:
Normand Prieur
450 492-6963
nprieur@videotron.ca
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