BAHAMAS SPEED WEEK REVIVAL LURES CAR ENTHUSIASTS TO THE ISLANDS WITH $100 MILLION WORTH OF VINTAGE RACING CARS

First International Racing Revival in the Caribbean Offers Exclusive Travel Packages

NASSAU, The Bahamas – Oct. 12, 2011 – Classic racing cars that once made the circuit at Le Mans or Sebring will make their way through the streets of Nassau Paradise Island for Bahamas Speed Week, Nov. 30 thru Dec. 4, 2011. A popular racing event in the 1950s and 1960s, Bahamas Speed Week will revive the glamour and competition of open-wheel racing in the destination’s capital.

The featured event of Bahamas Speed Week will be the official race on the Arawak Cay Circuit, where a paddock “car pit” pass is $75 and general entrance into the race is just $20. Cars scheduled to race include:

• OSCAR FS375 – small capacity sports car with which Stirling Moss, who will be in attendance, won the Sebring 12 hour race in 1954
  • Lotus Eleven and Lotus XV – aerodynamic sports cars light in weight popular amongst racers in the U.S.

• Ferrari 250 Testarossa – the 1957 250TR had a 3 litre V12 engine and examples were driven be such greats as Phil Hill and Pedro Rodriguez

• Jaguar D Type – a great sports car winning the Le Mans 24 Hour Race on a number of occasions 

• Maserati 300S – perhaps the most beautiful of the great fifties that won many of the great road races

Highlights of Bahamas Speed Week will include an opening day barbeque at Arawak Cay, a social gathering place known to locals as the “Fish Fry;” dinner at Graycliff Hotel & Cigar Factory, boasting the third largest privately owned wine cellar in the world; a 007 island tour and lunch at Lyford Cay Golf Club, the exclusive neighborhood of Sir Sean Connery; and a black tie charity gala at the famed Atlantis Paradise Island resort.

Tickets to the events can be purchased individually at www.bahamasspeedweekrevival.com and spectators can also access special rates for a six-night stay at Atlantis, starting at $1,215 per person, including airport transfers*.  Spectators can also sail from West Palm Beach, Fla. to Nassau for affordable rates starting at $139 per person, plus a $59.97 tax/port fees**.

Want to enter a car in the event? The logistics couldn’t be easier. Simply drive to the docks in West Palm Beach and straight onto the Celebration Cruiser ship. For $7,500, entrants will enjoy accommodations for two at Atlantis or the One & Only Ocean Club, where much of Casino Royal was filmed, and passes to all the events throughout the week. Deadline to enter a car is Nov. 1, 2011.

To book any of these packages call The Travel Concierge at 813-382-8786. For more information on the event, visit the website or call the U.S. call center at 954-300-2820.

 *Subject to availability; **Cruise availability on 11/27, 12/1 and 12/5

The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world’s best scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It’s Better in The Bahamas. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To purchase one-of-a-kind items from The Bahamas, visit www.eshopbahamas.com.

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Media Contacts:              

Angela Cavis                                                            Anita Johnson-Patty  

Weber Shandwick                                                    Bahamas Ministry of Tourism        

(212) 445-8387                                                        (954) 236-9292                 

acavis@webershandwick.com                               ajohnson@bahamas.com