Drivers, charge your batteries and start your engines!
With the city and Formula E giving away 1,000 complimentary passes, Red Hook later this month is bracing for the world’s first fully-electric single-seater auto racing series.
The 1.947km (1.21mile) track will feature 10 turns and will wind its way around Pier 11 and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The course will be entirely off-street, ensuring safety and minimizing disruption for the surrounding community.
“Brooklyn is ‘revved up’ to host thousands of fans at the inaugural NYC ePrix. This race promises to blend the heart-pounding exhilaration of open-wheel competition with the forward-thinking innovation of electric vehicle technology, something that is truly exciting as our borough continues to be a standard bearer in advancing clean, sustainable energy,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.
The New York City ePrix double-header will be the first FIA-sanctioned open-wheel race to take place within the five boroughs of New York City and is part of the FIA Formula E Championship.
“Partnering with Formula E is a great way to promote sustainable technology, a key part of Mayor de Blasio’s One NYC plan,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President James Patchett. “It’s also an opportunity to drive more visitors – and more spending – to local Red Hook businesses. And with these complimentary passes, we’re making sure that community members can access this exciting event.”
In addition to providing free tickets to community members, Formula E will provide additional community benefits including investing millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, hosting a job fair to provide hiring opportunities for Brooklyn residents, highlighting local small businesses and hotels and working with local schools to help engage students around engineering, technology, and automotive trades.
“There’s a lot happening here in Red Hook and our working waterfront continues to be a place where we need to activate for the benefit of the neighborhood. There’s a real economic opportunity for our [Red Hook] businesses and secondly it [the Formula E track] created an opportunity and a pressure point to get the NYC ferry here [Red Hook] for access to residents. We’re a month in now and ridership is steadily increasing which means Red Hook is getting the attention it deserves,” said City Council Member Carlos Menchaca (Red Hook, Sunset Park).
The complimentary passes provide access to the Allianz eVillage fan zone, an entertainment area for fans of all ages to watch the race and features driver autograph sessions, race simulators, and live music.
The free passes will be available at Council Member Menchaca’s office as well as Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adam’s office, Community Board 6 office, The Red Hook Public Library, Joseph Miccio Cornerstone Community Center and the Red Hook Community Justice Center.
The main championship race will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday July 16, with a preliminary race slated for 4 p.m. on July 15.
