Long Beach keeps Imperial Bank sponsorship.

The ITLA Capital Corporation, part of the Imperial Capital Bank, will continue to sponsor the Champ Car World Series season opener in Long Beach in 2005, increasing its overall exposure after a successful debut year.

The firm has renewed its status as Official Bank and Financial Services Provider of the 31st Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

As part of the agreement, Imperial Capital Bank will also become the title sponsor of the Toyota Atlantic Championship race during Grand Prix weekend. The race will now be known as the "Imperial Capital Bank Challenge for the Toyota Atlantic Championship."

Imperial Capital Bank was a highly visible first-year sponsor of the Grand Prix in 2004, with its logo and name garnering a lot of media attention on the pedestrian bridge near the Turn 11 hairpin and as title sponsor of the Historic Grand Prix support race.

"This year, we successfully utilized the Grand Prix to cultivate new business relationships," said George W. Haligowski, president, CEO and chairman of the board of Imperial Capital Bank. "We were able to capitalize on the event's opportunities to brand our company name and promote our business and consumer banking services to a demographically attractive audience. We plan to do even more next year. Imperial Capital Bank is extremely excited and proud of being involved once again with this fabulous event."

"It's great to have Imperial Capital Bank back with our family of sponsors," said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "Like the Grand Prix, Imperial Capital Bank has a strong heritage in Southern California and a 31-year history of customer service excellence."

With total assets in excess of $2 billion, ITLA Capital Corporation, formed in 1996 and headquartered in La Jolla California, is the largest diversified bank holding company headquartered in San Diego, California.