Vegas Grand Prix Gets Green Light in Vegas

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman sent away the Vegas Grand Prix in June while aiming to cut the city's cost all together, but things must have taken a different turn recently because the Las Vegas City Council has unanimously approved the Vegas Grand Prix by a vote of 6-0.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled to race on downtown streets next April.

Aside from receiving the green light, the Vegas Grand Prix has also successfully convinced Vegas to contribute to the pilot year's cost.

Race organizers had previously asked the City Council for over $3 million, but in the final terms of the agreement between the race organizers and Vegas, a total of $500,000 will come from the Public Works Department's general fund toward first-year road improvements for the race.

The agreement contains provision for Vegas' termination of the said contract within the 5-year agreed period, but in this event Vegas would have to pay a termination fee of $1 million.

Dale Jensen, co-owner of the Vegas Grand Prix, was full of excitement when he told the media: "Why wouldn't you have an event like this. If you're going to have an event and you want it the equivalent of a Super Bowl level, why wouldn't you have it in a city like Las Vegas?" Jensen enthused, "It's the greatest city in the world!"