L.A. REVS UP FOR STREET RACE; PROMOTER HOPES TO LURE NASCAR'S WINSTON CUP SERIES TO CITY.Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News Bill Burke knows how to put on a show. His vintage-car race last year drew 110,000 fans, and this year's Ford Los Angeles Street Los Angeles Street is a historic avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Traffic on the street travels northbound only, from the I-10 Freeway in the south of downtown, through the Fashion District, and on through Little Tokyo, where it ends after passing between LAPD Race at Exposition Park Exposition Park is the name of more than one place:
a competition in the pleasure horse sport comprising usually one day each for dressage, cross country and show jumping. culminates Monday with the Kragen Z-One 200, featuring the NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Featherlite Southwest Tour. The street race is the boldest venture for Burke, president of L.A. Events, which has put on the L.A. Marathon for the past 14 years. His ultimate goal is to bring a Winston Cup event to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . ``I am trying to get to the point where I can get those kind of sanctions,'' Burke said. ``Everybody in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. is moving in that direction and waiting in line. (NASCAR) is a huge organization, and I am sure they want to see if I can really do this.'' The Featherlite division ranks below the Craftsman Truck, Busch Grand National and Winston Cup series, but it is a NASCAR tour nonetheless. The Ford Los Angeles Street Race already has achieved milestones in NASCAR history. The Kragen Z-One 200 will mark the first NASCAR event in the organization's 50-year history on the streets of Los Angeles and the largest purse in Southwest Series history, at $153,300. Attempting to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. the popularity of the Winston Cup, Ford has arranged to bring in Mark Martin, Chad Little Chad Little (born April 23, 1963 in Spokane, Washington) is a former NASCAR driver. He holds a degree in marketing from Washington State University, and a law degree from Gonzaga University. While attending Washington State University he joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. and Ken Schrader, who will make a rare appearance in the Southwest Series. The three will be competing in today's Pepsi Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C., and will fly to Los Angeles for Monday's race. ``You want to do your best to beat them, but I am glad to have them,'' said Southwest Series driver Frank Maronski of Quartz Hill. ``I think it's great for them to come down and help promote our division. ``Everybody has their own perspective of auto racing. Some people think we're some old street stock or Jeff Gordon. We're sort of in between. Now they can see for themselves.'' It has been an expensive undertaking for Burke, the husband of Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke. Last year's inaugural Los Angeles Street Race with vintage cars, held by Union Station and Olvera Street, lost $1.5 million. Burke said he decided to move this year's event to Exposition Park to reduce traffic congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. and for a flatter race course. Staging this year's race will cost $3.5 million, and Burke expects to take a loss of $500,000, but he isn't fazed faze tr.v. fazed, faz·ing, faz·es To disrupt the composure of; disconcert. See Synonyms at embarrass. [Middle English fesen, to drive away, frighten . He plans to stick to his five-year plan to put him in position for a shot at the Winston Cup series. ``I am in the events business,'' Burke said. ``If you ask me anything about auto racing below the superficial, I don't have a clue. Obviously, it would have been cheaper to put the race in an oval with bleachers instead of a street location, but I was motivated to have a race with a beautiful location where families can get involved.'' The 1.4-mile course bordering the Coliseum, Sports Arena and University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission was designed to showcase the California African-American Museum, the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, the Aerospace Museum and the Imax Theater. The Inner City Council for Abused and Neglected Children and the Urban League Automotive Training Program are among the charities that will benefit from race proceeds. Race fans were given free admission to a motoring expo at the Sports Arena as well as the California Science Museum. THE FACTS What: Ford Los Angeles Street Race Where: Exposition Park Racing in the three-day event, which concludes Monday, continues today at 9 a.m. with races in the Porsche Pro Racing Series and American Cities Racing League as well as qualifying in the NASCAR Southwest Series Kragen Z-One 200 and Ultra Wheel Truck Series. Information: (310) 444-5544. CAPTION(S): Map MAP: LOS ANGELES STREET RACE |
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