SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San José organizers along with Champ Car World Series team owner, race car driver, actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and Canary Fund founder Don Listwin decided they wanted to do something exciting and special during the Grand Prix weekend. That something exciting and special has taken the form of The Canary Fund CEO and Celebrity Challenge.

Newman and Listwin, along with a group of Silicon Valley business leaders and professional race car drivers will compete in a series of go-kart races on Saturday, July 30. Participants will make a $7,500 donation with proceeds from the competition benefiting the Canary Fund and The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.

Canary Fund is dedicated to advancing the science of the early detection of cancer and was recently announced as the Official Social Cause of the Camp Car World Series. The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps is the largest family of camps for children with life threatening conditions and, for the third consecutive year, is the Champ Car World Series’ Official Charity.

In addition to Newman and Listwin, some of the other participants that have signed up for the charity event include: Bryan Stolle, CEO of Agile; Dave House, Executive Chairman of Brocade; Rob Lynch, CEO of Orchard Supply Hardware; Kevin DeNuccio, President and CEO of Redback Networks; and Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Lee Hartwell of Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

"The Canary Fund CEO and Celebrity Challenge is a great way to emphasize the race against cancer,” said Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San José President Dale Jantzen. “An estimated 5,840 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Santa Clara County alone in 2005 -- an average of 112 new cases each week. Canary Fund is all about research for early cancer detection, and we are thrilled that Mr. Newman and Silicon Valley leaders are joining forces on our behalf of Canary Fund and The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps with some friendly competition on the track,” Jantzen concluded.

The Canary Fund CEO and Celebrity Challenge will be contested on a specially designed go-kart course located at the northwest corner of Plaza de Cesar Chavez on Market Street directly across from the Fairmont Hotel. The schedule begins with practice from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Racing starts at noon with Silicon Valley business leaders, celebrities and pro drivers competing in three preliminary heats. The top finishers in each driver category (business leaders, celebrities and pros) from the preliminary heats will race in the finals, which will held from 1:10 – 1:30 p.m. The public inside the confines of the Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San José circuit will be able to view The Canary Fund CEO and Celebrity Challenge from the perimeter of the go-kart track. Go-karts for The Canary Fund CEO and Celebrity Challenge are being provided by GoKart Racer of Burlingame, CA and Race Karts! Inc. from Novato, CA.

The inaugural Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San José, which is scheduled for July 29-31 on the streets of downtown San José, will be much more than a race. In addition to practice, qualifying and races for five events, the schedule calls for a week of activities in downtown San Jose. Northern California’s historic first downtown street race, the eighth stop on the 2005 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford schedule, will be contested on an approximately 1.6-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit and will draw over 100,000 spectators to northern California’s largest city generating an economic impact of approximately $20 million for the City of San José. In addition, the race will be televised live on SPEED Channel on Sunday, July 31 with a second airing on KNTV NBC 11 that evening. It will also be broadcast in 160 countries thus showcasing the city of San José to viewers around the world.

Tickets for the Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix San José are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (call: 408-998-tixs or 510-625-tixs or 415-421-tixs). Ticket plans range from a single day general admission price of $25 on Friday to $150 for a three-day Gold Grandstand seat which includes a paddock pass. Corporate and group discount rates are also available. For corporate sponsorships, hospitality and group tickets call: 408-277-9470.