Advance Tickets Sales Start For Inaugural Grand Prix Of Boston (Update)
Walsh last November had blocked Grand Prix of Boston from selling tickets to the Labor Day weekend event, saying they needed to get signed final approvals from the city and state.
But the mayor’s office said yesterday he was informed that Grand Prix of Boston would start selling tickets to the public next week, and a spokeswoman said he did not object.
It’s unclear why Walsh reversed himself, but race promoters have been under pressure from nervous investors to get the necessary permits to hold the race. That pressure led to the promoters, city and state signing an “intent" agreement last December.
Promoters have refused to disclose their investors but say they have enough financial backing to make the race a success.
Race officials yesterday said a final agreement was imminent. It’s at least the third time promoters have asserted that deals with Walsh and state agencies were imminent or close to being signed.
The Grand Prix group also asserted in December that tickets could go on sale before the end of the year, but three months later no agreements have been signed. The promoters also may need approval from environmental agencies to build the course over a contaminated waste site behind the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
A spokesman for the EPA did not return calls from the Herald for the past two days to answer questions about whether race promoters need to get permits from the federal agency.
Walsh personally brought the race to the city despite getting no input from Seaport District residents and he has staunchly defended it despite a series of stumbles and a change in leadership from the promoters.
Walsh’s original agreement with Grand Prix of Boston would have forced the city and state agencies to pay potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars for repaving and other street improvements. After being criticized for that deal, Walsh and promoters agreed to revoke it and now no public money will be used for the race. Boston Herald
03/11/16 Grand Prix of Boston Powered by LogMeIn announced that advanced tickets have been put on sale today for thousands of fans who have signed up for advance sale notice through the Grand Prix of Boston website. Sales to the general public begin Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Tickets for the inaugural Labor Day event September 2-4, 2016 in the South Boston Waterfront area will be available at www.indycarboston.com or by calling 857-598-5566.
“It is fitting that we put advanced tickets on sale this weekend, which is the season opener in St. Petersburg," said John Casey, President of Grand Prix of Boston. “There is huge excitement in the IndyCar community, and it is matched by the enthusiasm we have been met with in Boston. Thousands have signed up for advance ticket sales, sponsorship interest is off the charts, and the number of people looking to find ways to participate is amazing."
The three-day festival of speed and entertainment will feature the Verizon IndyCar Series along with support racing events including Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, Lamborghini Blancpain Trofeo Series and the Traax Stadium Truck Series. The September 4 Verizon IndyCar Series feature race will feature open-wheel cars reaching speeds of up to 180 miles per hour around the 2.2-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit through the South Boston Waterfront Area.
The tickets that will be available for advance purchase are standard 3-day reserved grandstand tickets in Grandstands 3, 4, and 5; 3-day General Admission tickets and Paddock Passes to the Verizon IndyCar Series paddock. Three-day reserved grandstand tickets are priced from $150- $205 that gives attendees event access and a reserved seat for all three event days. Attendees may add on a paddock pass for $20/Friday, $30/Saturday, $40/Sunday or $60 for all three days. The paddock pass provides access to a separate area where all teams prepare their racecars and house their equipment, race transporters and spare racecars.
General admission tickets may also be purchased in advance and are priced at $99 for a three-day General Admission ticket, which gives attendees access to the event venue but no reserved seat. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by a General Admission ticketed adult. Tickets may be purchased online at www.indycarboston.com/tickets or by phone by calling 857-598-5566.
New England area Veterans, Active Military and First Responders can skip the ticket line and participate in Freedom Friday at the Grand Prix. In November, the Grand Prix of Boston powered by LogMeIn announced a partnership with Global Partners’ Alltown convenience stores and ExxonMobil that will give away a minimum of 50,000 tickets for Freedom Friday to Veterans, Active Military and First Responders in the New England area. Freedom Friday will be held on Friday, September 2, 2016 and features the first on-track activity for the inaugural event. Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes Fund and the Veteran Homestead will be participants in Freedom Friday and will have an onsite presence during the event. Freedom Friday ticket distribution will begin in early summer 2016, and more details will be announced closer to that date.
VIP Hospitality Club tickets will go on sale to the public at a later date and will give attendees the option to purchase tickets that include circuit access all three days, all food and beverages, premium view suite seating, and paddock access.
In addition to the races happening on the track, the Grand Prix of Boston Powered by LogMeIn will also include three days of non-race activities for fans and members of the public alike to participate in and enjoy. Over the course of the weekend multiple events will be scheduled including musical concerts, a Family Fun Zone and a “Walk, Roll and Run 5K" on the race circuit. Details will be released on the line-ups for the concerts and registration for the 5K at a later date. For tickets and more information please visit our website at www.indycarboston.com