Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Fiesta Friday at the Grand Prix of Houston

Fiesta Mart and Lowe’s to sponsor a celebration that will include acclaimed musical act Los Super Reyes

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January. 30, 2008) The Grand Prix of Houston will open with a bang this year when the three-day festival kicks off on April 25 with “Fiesta Friday Presented by Lowe’s”, a celebration of racing and music spotlighting Houston’s vibrant Hispanic community. The event will feature a concert by Los Super Reyes, one of the hottest names in Latin music, and will be sponsored by Fiesta Mart and Lowe’s.

“We are very excited to be introducing Fiesta Friday Presented by Lowe’s to the Grand Prix of Houston,” said Michael T. Lanigan, owner/chairman of the Grand Prix. “With the open-wheel racing tradition in Central and South America and the many popular Latin drivers, the Hispanic community is an important market for us. We also believe that Los Super Reyes is a band that will be entertaining not only for the Hispanic community, but for all of our fans.”

After a day of racing and opening acts featuring top local talent, headlining act Los Super Reyes will bring their energetic sounds to the main stage at JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park. Led by veteran composer/producer and keyboardist Cruz Martinez, Los Super Reyes consists largely of former members of the legendary Kumbia Kings, who became international stars after forming in 1999. Martinez and other bandmates first cut their teeth as band members for Selena, the vocalist widely credited with popularizing Tejano music throughout North America. Once that musical pursuit was put to an end by Selena's untimely death, Martinez and A.B. Quintanilla put their heads together to blend popular urban styles with their native Mexican music, creating Los Kumbia Kings. Martinez’ newest creation Los Super Reyes is continuing to perfect the Kumbia Kings’ irresistible blend of traditional Mexican cumbia sounds with urban hip-hop and dance. The 12-member group has enjoyed major chart success with their 2007 recording industry debut “El Regreso de Los Reyes”, and maintains a busy performance schedule in support of the album.

The Los Super Reyes concert and Fiesta Friday are made possible by the support of the two major sponsors, Fiesta Mart and Lowe’s, which are providing not only corporate sponsorship but also key promotional support.


“We are proud to announce Fiesta and Lowe’s as the primary sponsors for Fiesta Friday Presented by Lowe’s at the Grand Prix of Houston,” said Michael Heckman, Director of Corporate Sales for the Grand Prix. “Fiesta and Lowe’s are trusted brands that are true leaders in marketing to the Hispanic community, so they are perfect partners for us in this effort.”

Fiesta will serve as the event’s title sponsor and will activate the sponsorship in their thirty-two Houston-area locations. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase two-for-one Fiesta Friday tickets at any Houston-area Fiesta Ticketmaster location.

“Fiesta is excited that it is Grand Prix time once again and what a great event for this city,” said Keith Jacobsen, Fiesta’s Director of Advertising and Marketing. “Fiesta is very proud to be a partner of the Friday evening festivities and we are looking forward to a great event. This has the opportunity to bring race fans and music fans together for one great evening.”

Presenting Sponsor Lowe’s will also provide valuable promotional support by leveraging their relationship with Lowe’s Fernandez Racing and driver/owner Adrian Fernandez, one of the most popular Mexican racecar drivers.

“Music and racing are two things our Hispanic customers are passionate about,” said Bob Gfeller, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing and advertising. “Fiesta Friday brings both together in a family-friendly venue, where we can both communicate with consumers and celebrate the Hispanic heritage in Houston.”

To promote Fiesta Friday, the Grand Prix has partnered with Univision, the leading Spanish-language media company in the Houston market. Univision will advertise the event across many of their radio and television properties and will provide promotional support across all platforms. Univision radio station KLTN “Esterio Latino” will be the anchor station for the promotional efforts, with popular morning show personality Raul Brindis serving as spokesperson for Fiesta Friday and the Grand Prix’s Spanish-language advertising efforts.

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