CART creates LA entertainment office.

Building on its commitment to take its racing to the next level of sports entertainment, CART has announced that it is opening a Los Angeles office dedicated to extending its presence in the entertainment industry.

CART President and CEO Joseph Heitzler also announced that California Speedway executive Jay Lucas.has been named vice-president of sports entertainment as CART continues to evolve its marketing and communications approach.

Lucas, who has more than 20 years of sports entertainment experience in the Los Angeles area, most recently served as assistant general manager at Fontana, and his experience in public relations and marketing with California Speedway and the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as in college sports, will serve as the foundation around which CART will build its sports entertainment program.

"Jay's extensive background in sports entertainment and his relationships with media throughout Los Angeles and Southern California make him a perfect choice for this newly created position," Heitzler said, "He is responsible for developing a strategic entertainment marketing direction for CART as well as managing that function for all of our racing series.

"The job Jay did at California Speedway with Penske Motorsports and International Speedway Corporation was well-regarded within the motorsports community and it allowed him to expand his relationships in the sports entertainment field. We are pleased he is becoming a business associate at CART."

In his position with CART, Lucas' responsibilities will focus on developing, managing and expanding the entertainment aspects of CART and the FedEx Championship Series while integrating the stars of the sport with other entertainment and media entities. He will manage all events that have an entertainment focus, such as the CART Sneak Preview and All-Star events as well as the annual CART Awards Banquet.

One of his initial tasks will be to co-ordinate and extend CART's promotional efforts surrounding the 27 April release of the motion picture Driven. The Franchise Pictures film, a Warner Brothers release, stars Sylvester Stallone and utilises CART's FedEx Championship Series as a backdrop for the action drama about open-wheel racing.

Lucas, 43, has spent his entire career in the Los Angeles area. At California Speedway, which plays host to the annual CART FedEx Championship Series finale, he oversaw all public relations activities and assisted with development of marketing strategies and the day-to-day operations of the 529-acre, 90,000-seat motorsports facility.

He joined the speedway when it opened in 1996, and served as the director of public relations in the track's inaugural year. He was promoted in 1997 to director of public relations for Penske Motorsports, where he oversaw the public relations efforts of four Penske-owned race venues, including the California facility. In 1999, Lucas was promoted to assistant general manager.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to bring my sports entertainment experience to an exciting and dynamic organisation like CART and its FedEx Championship Series," he said of his latest appointment, "I have great respect for Joe and his team at CART, and I look forward to helping create opportunities for all consumers to see our product, familiarise themselves with our drivers, teams and sponsors and, at the same time, blend in the rich tradition of the past."

Prior to his stint with Penske Motorsports/ISC, Lucas worked with Los Angeles Dodgers from 1988-1996. During his last six years with the baseball club, he served as director of publicity, directing the daily operation of the team's publicity department and acting as the chief liaison between management, players and the media.

Before joining the Dodgers, Lucas held a variety of positions with the University of California, Santa Barbara; the Los Angeles Lakers; the California Angels; and Orange County-based TRW Information Services. He also served as a media liaison during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for the US men's basketball team.

Lucas graduated from California State University, Chico with a degree in Information and Communications Studies in 1981. He resides with his family in Chino Hills, California.