Tickets are Selling Fast and Furious for Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival 2015
SAN DIEGO, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tickets for the 18th annual Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival are on sale now at www.fleetweeksandiego.org. Come out to Naval Air Station North Island for vintage auto racing at its finest featuring Trans-AM, Porsche and historic stock car, September 19-20. The festival is one of San Diego's most successful fundraisers for the military and offers a variety of pulse-quickening events.
The outstanding array of attractions at the "Race At the Base" can't be beat for an exciting way to spend a day or an entire weekend that's fun for all ages.
Marquee Attractions
Return of the Trans-AM – The Big Boys are back! There's never been a more hard fought race series than the Trans-AM races of the late sixties and early seventies. The intent of these Historic Trans-AM enthusiasts is to recreate the original Trans-AM racing series as it appeared from 1966 to 1972.
Grand Marshal Joe Mantegna – The award-winning "Criminal Minds" actor is a long-time supporter of the U.S. Military as co-host with Gary Sinise of the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC, among many other military-related charities.
Honoring 70th Anniversary of the End of WWII – Local WWII veterans will co-host Coronado Speed Festival as Grand Marshals along with Joe Mantegna to honor the legacy of service and sacrifice of the men and women of WWII.
Navy Open House – Each year, Naval Air Station North Island is the gracious host to this wonderful event. This is the only Navy Open House on the West Coast. Naval Base Coronado is home to over 20,000 active duty military and over 4,000 civilian employees. The general public only gets a glimpse of the daily activities happening at the base. This is San Diego's opportunity to interact with the young men and women who defend our freedom. Climb aboard and tour an active Navy ship berthed at NASNI, visit command displays, watch flyovers and see military vehicles in action.
Military Displays – A multitude of current Navy helicopters, special boats and hovercraft, will be on display at the entrance of the event, with pilots eager to answer questions, show you the craft, and allow access into them. This is a perfect opportunity to take pictures and ask questions.
7th Annual Car Procession – don't miss 40 hand-selected race cars proceed off Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) through the streets of Coronado on Thursday, September 17, beginning at 3:30 pm. These cars – all of which will be racing over the course of the weekend – will travel down Orange Avenue then park at the Rotary Plaza at Isabella Avenue for closer inspection. This event is free! After gazing at these racing beauties, do a little sightseeing, shopping and dining in one of Southern California's most charming tourist destinations.
Red Bull-sponsored Endurocross Rider and Multi-time Trials Champion – Geoff Aaron's mastery of racing around in an arena on diabolically placed rocks and logs makes him a can't-miss spectacle. An X Games regular, Aaron is making his eighth appearance in Austin 2015 and his first at Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival!
Ride & Drive – Would-be racers test-drive high-performance vehicles from two of the auto industry's premier manufacturers: BMW and Jaguar. Drivers ages 18 and older are accompanied by trained product specialists who point out vehicle features and answer questions as you get the feel of their top-of-the-line cars.
Car Show Showdown – See Southern California's finest examples of muscle cars, hotrods and sports cars battle it out for Best in Show. Who will it be: Chevy, Ford or Mopar? Or will we have a European or Japanese champion? Come visit the 10th Annual Car Show in the Car Club Corral to find out.
Military Pit Crew Challenge – Stock Car Pits Beware! 16 Navy command teams will race against each other in a full pit stop (tire change, fuel) relay to the finish in times that rival the pros.
Military and Kids FREE
Once again, all active duty, active reserve and their direct-dependent military ID-holders will enjoy free admission to this year's event. Active duty military, active reservists and dependent ID-holders will not need tickets and will enter through a specially designated gate. Admission is free for children 12 and under, both military and non-military. Thanks to our sponsors who have enabled this event to honor our nation's military in this way.
For the public, tickets cost $25 for one day and $35 for both days, in advance. Tickets will also be available at the venue ($35 one day and $45 for both days).
Garage Tours
One of the Coronado Speed Festival's most unique attractions is the Garage Tours. Unlike most racing events, visitors are encouraged to freely explore the garage area, inspect the cars and talk with owners and drivers of these fascinating vehicles.
Learn about the history of these magnificent cars straight from the pros that drive and maintain them. Witness first hand mechanics prepping the classic machines for racing on the 1.7-mile track.
About Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival
The Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival is Fleet Week San Diego's preeminent event featuring fast-paced, thrilling auto racing and exhibitions for car enthusiasts of all ages. Staged at one of racings' most distinctive locations – Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of Naval Aviation – it's the only place to see live racing on an active U.S. Navy runway. Proceeds for the event benefit the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation and the Navy Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) program.
Find Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival at www.facebook.com/coronadospeedfestival or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SpeedFestSD.
About SVRA
The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is the premier vintage racing organization in the United States. Founded in 1981 by Ford Heacock III, the SVRA has 2,000 members. It currently sanctions 14 events at some of the finest racing venues in the United States, including: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen, Auto Club Speedway, Road Atlanta, Pocono Raceway, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Sonoma Raceway, Portland International Raceway and Virginia International Raceway. The rapidly growing organization also hosted the first U.S. Vintage Racing National Championships in 2013 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Further information on SVRA can be found on our website, www.svra.com, on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/sportscarvintageracing, and on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/SVRAcom, featuring more than 70 action packed videos of SVRA events.
SOURCE Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival
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