Auto Club Returns to Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The company will again sponsor the Auto Club Lifestyle Expo, which includes the Green Power Prix-View, in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center on race weekend. The Auto Club was a major Grand Prix sponsor from 1994 to 2005.
In addition, the Auto Club will be the primary sponsor of IZOD IndyCar star Helio Castroneves’ #3 Team Penske entry in Sunday’s IndyCar race, one of six racing series to scorch Long Beach’s street during race weekend. Castroneves, a two-time Indy 500 winner, was the 2001 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach champion.
“We’re excited to return to the Grand Prix as sponsor of the Lifestyle Expo and to cheer Helio on as he races in the Auto Club # 3 IndyCar," said Wendy Sabins, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Product Management and Publishing for the Automobile Club of Southern California. “The Grand Prix and the Lifestyle Expo have always provided great entertainment for Southern Californians and we believe it is an excellent venue to increase awareness of the many ways AAA helps our members with our legendary roadside assistance, auto, home and life insurance and vacation planning."
The Auto Club Lifestyle Expo, free to race ticketholders, has added an exciting new Zip Line aerial ride and rock climbing wall for 2011, to go along with BMX and skateboard demonstrations, electric car rides for kids and the expanded Family Fun Zone, packed with video games and simulators.
The cutting-edge Green Power Prix-View highlights a wide variety of exhibits, including alternative energy vehicles and energy conservation ideas for inside and outside the home.
And, several support race paddocks/garages are also located in the Auto Club Lifestyle Expo, giving race fans a unique chance to get “up close and personal" with drivers and their cars.
“The Auto Club has been a major supporter of motorsports for many years, and we’re delighted to have them back as our partner at the Grand Prix," said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “Their sponsorship of the Auto Club Lifestyle Expo reflects not only their involvement with racing, but also the many ways they interact with the lifestyles of millions in Southern California."
Tickets for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, featuring six racing events including the IZOD IndyCar Series, can be purchased from the Grand Prix ticket office by calling toll-free at (888) 82-SPEED, or you can select your seat online by visiting gplb.com. A handy ticket brochure – which includes circuit map, grandstand and parking locations, ticket prices and order form – can be obtained online or by calling the ticket hotline.