Fast cars, Friday night fights and live music under the starts were three of the events surrounding the 2005 CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver presented by PacifiCare. With a lineup of eight charities that were selected as beneficiaries this year, The Grand Prix of Denver Foundation, Inc. does more than put on a race –they raise an amazing amount of funds that benefit these valuable organizations. The mission of the Foundation is to raise funds for youthoriented organizations and the organization relies solely upon volunteers in order to maximize distributions to the selected recipients.
Robert E. Sutton, Chairman and CEO of CENTRIX Financial, LLC serves as board chairman and finds he has his work cut out for himself. With past recipients including Children’s Hospital, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and current recipients including Make-AWish Foundation, YouthBiz and Children’s Hospital, the need among these charities is substantial.
CENTRIX Financial has served as the title sponsor since 2003, and acquired the event in 2004, with the vision of making it one of Denver’s premier summer events, a foundation for the city’s economic growth, and an opportunity for some of Denver’s most caring companies to give back to the community. This annual event transforms downtown Denver into the largest gathering of car enthusiasts, sports fans and music lovers. Alongside Montreal, Mexico City and Australia’s Gold Coast, Denver is one of only 14 host cities in the Champ Car World Series. The big incentive however is –it’s all for charity!
The End That Is Remembered Defending champion Sebastien Bourdais took advantage of a late crash by Paul Tracy, then pulled away from the pack to win this year’s Denver Grand Prix. “This is why we come,” says Robin Frazier, an avid race fan, “There is tremendous energy and excitement that surround the Grand Prix, and is, in my opinion, one of the best weeks of the summer!”
Although much hype surrounds the final race, it is what the Foundation puts together as a full on week long production of fundraising activities that bring recognition to the Grand Prix and it’s worthwhile causes.With a year of preparations and production, the event attracts championship racers, enthusiasts, and Hollywood-caliber celebrity sightings –and most importantly, proceeds are directed back to the community through the CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver Foundation –one of the largest philanthropic contributors in the state.
Who Gets the Mike?
Selecting the Grand Marshall for the Denver Grand Prix is not an easy task.With many race enthusiasts and serious fans lining up for the job, this year’s selection comes as no surprise. Jason Priestley, most known for his role as Brandon Walsh on the Fox Television’s hit series “Beverly Hills 90210” and the ABC Family Channel’s romantic comedy,“I Want to Marry Ryan Banks” was an enthusiastic race veteran – a perfect fit for the job.
In addition to his director, producer roles and guest appearances, this native of Vancouver, British Columbia has spent many good years on the racing circuit. into Priestley’s motives for accepting the Grand Marshall role, consequently, being the first national celebrity chosen to participate.
With a quick five minutes, it was easy to see why. Priestley, who has spent the last few years on the sidelines after a serious blow to his racing career when his race car crashed head-on into a wall at nearly 180 mph at the Kentucky Speedway, in August 2002 – breaking his back and leaving him in serious condition with a concussion and other injuries.
Priestley began racing in 1991 in the California Rally Series and won his first race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1998.
During the 2001season, he was a broadcast analyst for the IRL series, and in 2002, he joined the Kelley Racing team in the new Infiniti Pro Series, a developmental circuit with open-wheel cars that are similar but smaller and less powerful than the IRL cars.
Priestley has been quoted saying that confidence was a key to racing. He has since taken that confidence and poured it into his philanthropic efforts and has found being on the sidelines, although second to actually being on the track, a rewarding experience when partnered with a charity such as the 2005 Denver Grand Prix. For Priestley, getting introduced to many facets of racing is interesting, but ultimately he states, “Driving is definitely the most fun.”
But for a good cause, he understands the power of status partnered with your passion for the sport. “As a celebrity, the big currency you have is your celebrity status. If you can use that status to benefit other people, then everybody wins,” he says.
Priestley leveraged his status and involved his close friend, Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies who headlined the concert the Saturday before the race at the Universal Lending Pavilion. Page, who’s current tour, and highly acclaimed, ‘The Vanity Project’, understands the value of giving back. Devoting the concert’s proceeds to benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Page stuck around for the week to participate in a few of the charitable activities.
Bowling, Blackjack & Billiards
For good measure, Priestley influenced a few others to join in the BoSpoker Celebrity Bowling/Billiards and Texas Hold ‘em Charity Event the Wednesday before the race at Lucky Strikes Lanes in Denver –presented by Frontier Airlines and benefiting Cure Autism Now, YouthBiz, and The Limb Preservation. Twelve teams with two celebrities per team competed in bowling, billiards and poker.A few had more artistic talents to contribute –giving their signature to masks for display and auction during the Mask Gala benefiting Denver Hospice.
Friday Night Fights
“The Grand Prix of Denver is more than just a race, a lot more,” enthused the Grand Prix General Manager Jim Fruedenberg.“Our event is establishing itself as the event of the summer in Denver. Each unique and exciting component that we add to our marquee continues to build upon the race and festival atmosphere. We are thrilled that Coors partnered with us this year for the Friday Night Fights as well as for the Grand Prix race weekend.”
The Friday Night Fights brought a new element to the Grand Prix of Denver. Brought to Denver by Golden Boy Promotions, which is owned by six-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya, the fights featured six bouts, the final being two 10-round championship bouts, with the world’s leading boxing contenders. Held at the Pepsi Center, The Coors Brewing Company sponsored again for the fourth year. “This is our hometown, so that’s usually enough to get our interest to sponsor a big event, but this one was special.The race and all the related events made this a ‘must do’ in any town.We were proud to be associated,” said Steve Saunders, event marketing director for Coors Brewing company.
Celebrity Attractions
One of the biggest philanthropic celebrity guests to arrive in Denver during race weekend was none other than Paul Newman.With a private go-kart race (serious stakes I’m sure) – Newman kicked it into gear and proved his skill and grace around the track. And of course, when passed by a junior driver, he promptly confiscated the checkered flag and zipped around the track for a good laugh! The Mini Grand Prix go-kart track was a scale replica of the Grand Prix racetrack that was built around the Pepsi Center and was constructed for those who wished to fulfill their need for speed and support charitable causes in the process. Racing suits and helmets were provided and open to the general public for two weeks before the event. Newman also attended the opening race ceremonies and gave his team a “pep talk” before the start.
The popularity of last year’s motocross expo and the skateboard demonstrations prompted race organizers to seek out new elements like ski jumpers, stunt motorcycles and more to keep the crowd on their feet throughout the weekend.
A few celebrities to make an “extreme appearance” included Bam Margera, rebel icon, skateboarder and star of MTV’s Viva la Bam, who was scheduled to make appearances throughout race weekend and tear it up at the CYTOMAX skate park inside the race circuit. But true to form, the Wednesday before race weekend, Margera had a “Viva la Bam moment”.
But fans of the motocross expo were not disappointed. The Boost Mobile FreestyleMx.com Demo featuring take-off and landing ramps set 75 feet apart, riders attacked the jumps on their 250cc motorcycles. Special guest riders included Metal Mulisha’s Derek Garland, Jim “The Real Deal” McNeil and Jeremy Lusk.
At The Helm of Denver’s Largest Summer Event The event is a tremendous effort for Denver’s charities as well as downtown businesses – and with veterans like Robert E. Sutton, Jim Hancock and Jim Freudenberg, the last four years have continually proven to be successful. Sutton, who is the chairman and CEO of CENTRIX Financial is also the CEO of Sutton Motorsports, president and chairman of WK Capital Advisors, Inc. and managing director of Wilshire Partners. In addition to its involvement with the MB/Sutton NASCAR Nextel Cup team, Sutton Motorsports owns and promotes the CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver, is a sponsor of the Newman/Haas Racing in the Champ Car World Series and the 2005 Indy 500 and has significant promotional involvement with the SCORE Baja 1000 and the Race of Champions (Paris).
Adding to the talented mix of executives, Jim Hancock has more than 15 years of experience in senior marketing positions and specializes in brand development and corporate positioning. A critical element to bringing an event of this caliber to Denver. Prior to joining CENTRIX, where he is currently the executive vice president of strategic marketing and president of Sutton Motorsports, Hancock was a principal with Cathexis, a corporate creative consultancy. Clients included General Motors Strategic Planning Group, Automobile Magazine, Championship Auto Racing Teams, and Haymarket Publishing. Previously, Hancock was EVP of marketing with No Fear, Inc., and he was picked as one of Advertising Age magazine’s “Top 100 Marketers of the Decade” in 1995. Jim Freudenberg joined the Grand Prix of Denver in 2004 as an event consultant. In the late 2004, he assumed the position of general manager for the event and brought his vast motorsports and event sponsorship knowledge to Denver. Prior to joining the Grand Prix of Denver, Freudenberg was general manager for Kelley Racing. In his six years with the Indy Racing League team, he oversaw all commercial aspects, including partnerships, sales, marketing, public relations, hospitality, merchandising and the team Web site. Freudenberg’s experience includes management roles with seven major races in the US and Canada.
Having such a diverse management group to lead the Grand Prix of Denver is definitely a winning formula. Race fans may fondly remember that Denver also hosted Grand Prix races in 1990 and 1991. Returning to the city streets in 2002, required risk taking and a lot of talent. John Frew, was appointed general manager of the Grand Prix of Denver shortly before its inaugural race in 2002 and served in that capacity during its first three years of operation, and currently serves as an advisor to the Grand Prix. Frew was a founding member of the Grand Prix of Denver Foundation, which was created to raise funds during the annual Grand Prix of Denver for charitable causes.
Frew has played leadership roles in a variety of projects, including the development of a Central Hockey League franchise and a Continental Basketball Association team that will begin play in Broomfield’s new event center in the fall of 2006; the two-year effort that resulted in the construction of Denver International Airport; five years as president of Colorado Ski Country USA; the federal effort to force the expansion of Major League Baseball, and co-counsel to the public effort to construct Coors Field. Frew has served on many boards and commissions with a true interest in growth for Colorado – including Colorado Tourism Board, the Colorado International Marketing Organization, and the Denver Economic Development Commission.
Colorado, which is in need of great resources and marketability to bring the masses to the state, has challenged a few marketing guru’s and resulted in an effort to promote growth from within the state.
With more than 15 years of senior management experience in the consumer marketing and advertising industry, Rick Bolton, the executive vice president of marketing for CENTRIX Financial brought comprehensive knowledge of branding, creative design, advertising concept and placement, and marketing communications, as well as overall marketing strategy development and implementation to the mix. Most noted for his position as an international marketing director for a sporting goods brand and serving as creative director for consumer brands in the sporting goods industry, Bolton won Advertising Age’s “Best Superbowl Spot” of 1995. With past clients like Nike, MCI, Sprite, Tommy Bahama, Netflix, Skyy Vodka and Moslon Breweries, Bolton is taking his skills at national branding and transforming Denver as a player in one of the hottest racing events around.
All marketing aside, that cannot be bad for Colorado and with so much being put back into the community, the efforts of this powerhouse management team are a shining example of what it means to pay it forward.
For more information about the CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver Foundation, visit www.gpdenver.org.
