“City Racing” Event Held In Moscow

Williams BMW's Rosberg takes a "lap" at speed during the Moscow City Racing event. Image Credit: Frits van Eldik Fotografie – BCR (2008)

“City Racing” Event Held In Moscow

Imagine, if you will, a world class city without a major professional motorsports racing event to draw fans and sponsors to the attention of itself.

Well this is a problem solved by a group of promoters in Europe known by the name of “City Racing”. It is a pretty nifty idea but it lacks one thing – one is able to attend an event that has all the racing vehicles, all the noise, all the trappings of a major motorsports event, all the promotion … without all the messy competition!

Bavaria breweries "pitgirl" "promotion squad. Image Credit: Frits van Eldik Fotografie – BCR (2008)

This City Racing almost sounds like a perfect game of Baseball played in Japan … you know, where the teams intentionally play to a tie-score to allow all who participate to save face.

Lesser formula cars take to the circuit with local advertising on their sidepods. Image Credit: Read LJ via Look At Me

This promotional event sets up a temporary circuit area in a major city center where motorsport racing vehicles can attain racing speeds in a parade lap. This is done ostensibly for spectators to get a sense of what this motorsports stuff they have been watching on TV looks like in person. The event also provides an advertising and promotional platform for the organization putting on this awareness program. For those who attend, they become a captive audience in much the same way as fans who attend an actual race … without the benefit of a SCORE!

So, on July 13, 2008 London and Rotterdam passed the baton of the City Racing world series to Moscow.

The internationally renowned motorsports exhibition event, Moscow City Racing took place in the centre of the Russian capital.

F1 fans will witnessed a unique spectacle of Formula One cars from the AT&T Williams team among others, on the streets of Moscow.

Formula Drift exibition while driver sports a Russian flag. Image Credit: Frits van Eldik Fotografie – BCR (2008)

Other categories of race cars included a contingent of Drift cars for a demonstration, Formula feeder cars and custom full bodied Le Mans style cars including an Audi from Red Bull.

The circuit event itinerary took over the Kremlyovskaya and Moskvoretskaya embankments of the Moscow River and Mokhovaya Street, all located in the heart of the city centre of Moscow.

This excerpted from Bavaria City Racing press release –

Moscow City Racing powered by Bavaria; great Dutch success
Bavaria City Racing, Moscow, 13 July 2008

The first edition of Moscow City Racing powered by Bavaria is a fact. Today several international top drivers demonstrated their skills around the Kremlin, in the heart of Moscow. The 4,6 km track along the Vasilius Cathedral and the Presidential Residence was covered by e.g. the Williams and Red Bull team. It’s the first time that such a big event can take place around the Kremlin.

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Initiator of the City Racing concept and co-organizer of Moscow City Racing powered by Bavaria, Robert Heilbron from Rotterdam Racing: “The 13th of July 2008 is, thanks to the City of Moscow and The Kremlin, a historic day for Russian motorsports. It is our second event, besides Bavaria City Racing in Rotterdam and I am very proud that we got the possibility to let this take place in the heart of Moscow. The public was really enthusiastic and I feel Russian motorsports has entered a new era today”.

Image Credit: Frits van Eldik Fotografie – BCR (2008)

Bavaria, Rotterdam Racing and Derk Sauer are the three motives behind Moscow City Racing powered by Bavaria. Today, the result of this Dutch cooperation moved hundreds of thousands spectators in Moscow. Drivers like Nico Rosberg and Michael Aleshin were surprised by the enthusiasm of all Russian fans. The interest of the (international) media was unheard. The press-conference just before the event, which was attended by Sir Frank Williams, attracted more journalist/TV crews than the visit of President Bush.
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