San Jose race approved.

The projected 2005 race in San Jose will become a reality after city officials gave their approval to a new street race in the Californian city next July.

The month of July will see the Champ Car World Series visit two new venues in Edmonton and 'The Capital of Silicon Valley,' with the inaugural San Jose Grand Prix penned in for the weekend of July 29-31.

The San Jose City Council approved an as yet un-confirmed street circuit layout based around the HP Pavilion in downtown San Jose, the race forming round eight of the 2005 Champ Car World Series Championship.

"The San Jos? Grand Prix will bring world class racing excitement to our downtown streets, and it will bring San Jos? to the attention of millions of people across the nation and around the world," said Mayor Ron Gonzales.

"The event will also benefit our local businesses and generate revenues that help support vital city services for our residents."

In addition to the auto race itself, plans for the San Jos? Grand Prix call for a week of activities including concerts, fairs, charity events and promotional activities. The festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans to Northern California's largest city.

Under the proposal, the City and the San Jos? Redevelopment Agency will invest $650,000 toward the $3 million infrastructure costs to install and remove barriers, equipment and street improvements needed for the race.

Over the next ten years, revenues from the event would repay the public investment with interest. Event revenues and Canary Fund Enterprises would pay the balance of the project cost.

Canary Fund Enterprises, an affiliate of Canary Fund, will produce the San Jos? Grand Prix. Canary Fund, founded by Don Listwin, is dedicated to advancing the science of the early detection of cancer.

"On behalf of Canary Fund, I thank Mayor Ron Gonzales and the city council for their support of this project," said Listwin. "The San Jos? Grand Prix will provide Canary Fund with an exciting platform to raise awareness and money for its unique new approach in the battle against cancer."

Canary Fund collaborates with cancer research centres including the Stanford University Medical Centre in Palo Alto and the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Centre in San Francisco. Canary Fund was also recently announced as the "Official Social Cause" of the Champ Car World Series.

"Today the city council has made a decisive statement in favour of bringing a historic event to the City of San Jos?," said Bob Singleton, San Jos? Grand Prix General Manager.

"The San Jos? Grand Prix will be much more than a race. It will be a weeklong festival of activities that will generate significant revenue for the local community and businesses. Whether you're a fan of racing or not, I guarantee that people throughout Northern California will put this week on their calendar as a 'must-attend event.'"

The confirmation of the race comes at the same time as San Jose is named as America's safest 'Big' city (population over 500,000) for the fourth consecutive year.