JUNE 27, 2004

On the streets of New York

While talk of a Grand Prix in the streets of New York still seems to be a distant dream, the city is showing signs of interest in motorsport and this week is playing host this week to American Le Mans Series cars.

While talk of a Grand Prix in the streets of New York still seems to be a distant dream, the city is showing signs of interest in motorsport and this week is playing host this week to American Le Mans Series cars in the inaugural Festival of Speed which will be taking place in lower Manhattan to promote the New England Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on July 5.

The event will see a variety of racing and exotic road cars on display in the plaza of the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center. The racing machinery will include an Audi R8, a Porsche 911 GT3 and Panoz and Lola prototypes. Several ALMS drivers will attend to talk to the public and sign autographs.

A static display and a street race are however rather different things, although talks are believed to be continuing between the city authorities and Bernie Ecclestone.

It is more than a year since Ecclestone said that "our friends in New York are now more open to the idea of welcoming international events" and nothing has happened.