While the official word has not been given it seems as if the last Gran
Prix of Denver has been ran and the announcement of it's cancellation
should be made in the near future.

Grand Prix running out of fuel
By Mike Chambers
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 01/15/2007 11:57:19 PM MST


The Grand Prix of Denver appears to be coming to an end after a
five-year run on the Pepsi Center grounds.

Although the race remained on the 2007 Champ Car World Series schedule
as of Monday, an announcement today that two new European races will be
added to the circuit is further evidence of trouble in Denver,
according to Jim Hancock, former president and current consultant for
Sutton International Motorsports, co-owner of the Denver race along
with Champ Car.

"I'm fairly confident that Denver is dead," Hancock said. "I'm fairly
certain that they are announcing that (Denver) assets have been sold,
along with a bunch of other things."

Champ Car spokesman Eric Mauk said Denver has nothing to do with
today's expansion announcement, but conceded the event is in trouble.

"It's still on the schedule, (but) I know they have concerns," Mauk
said of Champ Car president Steve Johnson and co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven.


Neither Johnson nor Kalkhoven returned phone messages from The Denver
Post on Monday.

Denver-area resident Jim Fruedenberg, the 2005 Grand Prix of Denver
general manager, who owns expansion Champ Car races in Phoenix and Las
Vegas, said it is premature to say the Denver race is dead, but it
doesn't look good.

"Yeah, it always looks that way without a sponsor and a promoter," he
said, "but I think it's really too early to tell right now because
racing is a passionate sport and Champ Car has passionate owners."

Champ Car ran the 2006 Denver race on its own, after Bob Sutton, then
CEO of Centrix Financial, backed out of promoting, sponsoring and
running the event because of business problems.

"I'll be very surprised if they run it again," said John Frew, Sutton's
attorney, who served as the event's first general manager.

The Grand Prix's downtown office closed after the 2006 race, and
first-year general manager Rob Johnson resigned. Steve Johnson
previously said Champ Car would continue in Denver without a local
promoter. Hancock said he is unaware of any discussions between Champ
Car and Sutton to produce a 2007 race.

It is possible Champ Car put Denver on its 2007 schedule to keep the
rival Indy Racing League from expanding its street racing interests in
the city this year.

Hancock said he expects Denver to host future street races, but
probably not with Champ Car.

"Denver was a viable market," he said. "The struggle is with Champ Car."

ncrdbl1 wrote:
That's a shame. The promoter of the IRL's new Palm Springs centerpiece
says it's an asset:

"....Denver [and other cities] have repeatedly provided excellent
economic development trends that more than justify the respective
cities involvement."

Letter from Event Management Group to David H Ready, October 19, 2006

scottscottscott wrote:
It'll be interesting to see how Palm Springs will react to their
disapointment over the failure of the IRL to put on a good show and
attract the expected massive crowd.