Commenting on the deal, Paul Bellamy, Managing Director – Speedway, BSI, said: “Despite considering other alternative venues, we felt the Millennium Stadium offered us the complete package in terms of experience and facilities to continue to host the FIM British Speedway Grand Prix at its spiritual home.
“This event continues to set the standard for all our other Grands Prix in the world championship and we are delighted to have secured this contract to allow us to continue our successful relationship with the Stadium until 2011. Since the inaugural British GP back in 2001, both the Stadium and the City of Cardiff have given the event, riders and international fans great support and made us feel very welcome.”
Paul Sergeant, chief executive, Millennium Stadium commented: “The FIM Speedway Grand Prix is one of the events in our busy calendar that we are most proud of, not just because it is one of our most prestigious and exciting shows but because it shows off the full range of versatility of that the Millennium Stadium and its staff has to offer.
“We have shown that we can turn ourselves from a sporting citadel for world class footballers and rugby players into an internationally renowned concert venue in practically the blink of an eye and this endorsement from the FIM British Speedway Grand Prix – dubbing the Millennium Stadium the standard setter for its world tournament and committing to us for another five years – is the icing on the cake.
“The crowd has grown for this event in each successive year and we are hoping to achieve a record crowd at this year’s GP, in what is turning out to be a record summer of events here at the stadium. With the transformation of the stadium, Speedway brings its own totally unique atmosphere that almost lifts the Stadium’s roof. This new five year agreement also reinforces our commitment to attract and hold international sporting events at Britain’s number one sporting stadium.”
Tickets for this year’s event, the FIM FIAT Vans British Speedway Grand Prix on Saturday 03 June 2006, are available from the ticket hotline: 0870 122 00 22 or through the Millennium Stadium ticket office on St Mary’s Street and TicketlineUK on Westgate Street.
