San Jose ticket sales outpace 2006

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said today that he would support giving a future taxpayer-funded subsidy to the San Jose Grand Prix auto race as long as the race generates enough sales and hotel tax revenue to match the amount of the subsidy.

During last year's mayoral election campaign, Reed was a vocal critic of the approximately $4 million total subsidy the race has received this year and last year from the city. However, he said the three-day event has grown to a point where it breaks even for the city in terms of the amount of tax revenue it generates for the city.

"If we're at a break-even basis this thing can continue forever," Reed said.

Grand Prix President Dale Jantzen said so far this year, ticket sales for the race are on track to outpace last year's event, which drew 155,000 people over three days.

"We're tracking ahead of where we were last year," Jantzen said.

This year Grand Prix organizers will offer free admission to its Friday events, which include practice and qualifying runs. For more information about the offer, see the race's Web site at http://www.sjgp.com.

The San Jose Grand Prix is scheduled to run from July 27-29 with the actual race scheduled for July 29. Mercury News