By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Speed Week’s president said yesterday that organisers were looking to generate 1,200-1,400 room nights for the Bahamian hotel industry from this year’s event, telling Tribune Business that they were aiming to make Speed Week the biggest ‘must do’ social event on the Bahamian calendar.

Jimmy Lowe, president of Speed Week, told Tribune Business that the second annual Speed Week Revival would be spread over two weekends, November 24 - December 2, with greater emphasis on the local audience and access to Fish Fry at Arawak Cay this time around.

“The biggest difference is we are spreading it over a two weekend period. We have a lot more things for people to get involved with. The go-carts will be back this year, that had a huge impact last year. That brings a huge excitement to the event. We definitely want to target the local Bahamian spectators to come out, be a part of it and see what historic Bahamian motor racing is all about and support the Arawak Cay vendors,” said Lowe.

“What we did last year is we went up the middle of the Fish Fry so we had to fence off the area for safety reasons. This year we will use the western bridge at Arawak Cay that has been closed. We will go across the western bridge in front of the new port and come back over the eastern bridge, past the waterfront so it will leave the Fish Fry area where the vendors are unrestricted,” Lowe said.

Mr Lowe told Tribune Business that last year’s projections of generated room nights were ‘a bit ambitious’ but that organisers were none the less looking to double on last year’s output.

“Last year we were a bit ambitious. We set our goals a little bit too high. We generated about 600 - 700 room nights last year. We want to double that this year. The event is just after Thanksgiving and leading into Christmas, kind of a slow time and it would bring people and put heads on beds in hotels; that’s whats it’s all about,” said Lowe.

Mr Lowe told Tribune Business that the Speed Week event had significantly raised the Bahamas’ profile in motor racing circles.

“Prior to the event last year, in the motor racing circles, Nassau didn’t exist since the 1960s. We were in 13 to 14 different publications. One  magazine did a 10-page article in 14 languages on the event. The buzz is out there now. That’s what it’s all about, promoting the Bahamas. What we want to do is have side by side racing. We want to use Arawak Cay as a permanent site for a temporary circuit. Our goal is to make it the biggest social must-do event on the calendar for the Bahamas,” said Lowe.

Mr Lowe said that the event also attracts a high net worth individuals.

“There are some very wealthy people that come. We are looking at the people that come in to look at investment opportunities as well, not just in Nassau but also in the Family Islands,” Lowe said.

Racing legend Brian Redman has accepted the position of Grand Marshal for this year’s Speed Week Revival. Redman, a multi-time racing champion, will join Patron Sir Stirling Moss for the second running of the Revival.