Summer is fast approaching and with it, the midpoint of the 2006 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford, where the only thing hotter than the action on the race track, is the action going on surrounding the race track. source: champcarworldseries.com The June 18 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland launches a run of seven events that will play a key role, not only in the outcome of the championship, but also in the long-term growth of the Champ Car World Series. The summer stretch features a strong mix of established events with long and glittering histories, intermingled with newer venues that have blossomed into world-class motorsports events. The stretch begins in Portland and includes visits to Cleveland, Toronto, Edmonton, San Jose, Denver and Montreal. The seven races combined to attract more than 925,000 people trackside last season and are expected break the 1,000,000 plateau this season. The stretch will likely see Champ Car break the 1,500,000 mark for attendance in 2006 and could serve as a springboard toward reaching last year's all-time per-event attendance record of 150,858. "We continue to work with promoters to find new and creative ways to attract people to our three-day Festivals of Speed and the promoters are responding well," said series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven. "We anticipate that all of our races will maintain their patterns of growth and that the fans will continue to find great value in attending our events." The events that make up the summer stretch are doing more than simply opening the gates on a race weekend, as all have made substantial improvements and attracted new corporate support to their venues. Portland International Raceway revamped its track layout in 2005 and saw not only a safer race, but a much faster and more exciting one as Cristiano da Matta took the victory. Cleveland, Toronto and Montreal have all seen infusions of new management, which will provide bold innovations in how the races are operated.
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