Who won the race? The city, mayor says

Sun-soaked fans fill the stands for Helio Castroneves' IndyCar victory.

By CARRIE WEIMAR
Published April 3, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - As the drivers zoomed toward the finish of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Mayor Rick Baker did a victory lap of his own.
People jumped to shake his hand and offer congratulations as Baker wandered through the stands. A woman in an orange bikini top wanted her picture taken with him; a little boy asked him to autograph his cap.
"I think people really like this race, don't you?" asked Baker, grinning.
After years of missteps, Sunday marked the first time in nearly a decade that someone has managed to stage an auto race in St. Petersburg for at least two consecutive years. And city and race officials are saying this year's race was even more successful than last year's.
The corporate suites sold out. The weather was glorious. After an exciting race, Helio Castroneves, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, nabbed the victory. Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan were second and third.
"It's only going to keep growing," said Baker, who lobbied hard to bring the Indy Racing League to St. Petersburg in 2005. "These people are going to go home and tell their friends and neighbors what a good time they had at a race. And next year we'll see those people here, too."
While attendance figures weren't available Sunday, Baker estimated about 100,000 people bought tickets over the three-day event.
No major disturbances were reported and no one was arrested for scalping, said Neal Seepersad, communications center supervisor for the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Chris Broffman, 30, of Seminole said he thought the race felt more crowded this year. A devoted fan, he's been coming to auto races in St. Petersburg since the 1980s.
"But the last two years, it's just been much better," Broffman said. "It's better put together. It's a much better experience."
His girlfriend, Sara Ryan, was at the race for one reason only: Danica Patrick.
Ryan is a huge fan of the 5-foot-2 driver. She got Patrick's autograph Saturday and bought a gray and pink Danica T-shirt Sunday to show her support.
"I just love her," said Ryan, 20. "She's so awesome. A female who can drive like that? She rocks."
By 2 p.m., more than 200 people were lined up to buy tickets at the kiosk at First Avenue and First Street S. Chris Lynch, 27, and his girlfriend, Dawn Pearson, 33, were among them.
Lynch, a St. Petersburg resident, had never attended an Indy car race. But he met several of the drivers Saturday night at the Martini Bar in BayWalk.
"After meeting them, I said, "We've got to go,"' Lynch said. "It sounds like a really cool race."
Not everyone had to fight the crowds for a good view of the race. Up on the 21st floor of Bayfront Tower, the guests at Sue Cooper-Street's elegant party could dine on shrimp, meatballs, bruschetta and pasta with pesto while watching the race from a living room window.
While many Bayfront residents are outspoken critics of the race and the noise it generates, Cooper-Street said she's an enthusiastic supporter.
Her guests agreed.
"I think it's very empowering for the city of St. Petersburg. It really shows us off," said Lisa Siver, who also lives in Bayfront.
"I hope all the people up North watching this are jealous," added Robin Doty, a guest from Coquina Key.
Not everyone was so pleased.
Emmanuel Roux, part-owner of the Garden and Redwoods restaurants on Central Avenue, said he was deeply disappointed by the lack of business generated by the race.
"The people go to the event and they come out and go to their cars and leave. Because everything they need is provided to them at the race," Roux said. "And all of our regulars are staying away."
Roux said the crowd at Redwoods Saturday night was as small as he's ever seen. He said he wished the city would do more to promote local businesses as part of the race.
"I don't really think the city values independent businesses," Roux said.
Also less than enthusiastic: the dozens of people who parked illegally in the University Village shopping center. Tow trucks were hauling away one car after another on Sunday.
A representative from A-1 Recovery wouldn't discuss how many cars had been towed.
But despite the complaints, most people said they were impressed by St. Petersburg and the three-day event.
Katie Guinta, 30, was too weary to generate much enthusiasm. She and her friends got to the race at 8 a.m. from their home in Spring Hill.
They shopped for T-shirts and collected autographs from drivers, but by midday, they were worn out from a lack of sleep and too many hot dogs.
"We have got to stop eating," said Guinta, as she relaxed in the shade.
Guinta said this was her first time at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. But it won't be her last.
"The cars are so cool," Guinta said. "The whole thing has been really awesome."

Gene Simmons Promises To Get His Licks In

By: Rod Harmon

Gene Simmons has been called many things during his 30-plus career as the tongue-wagging, fire-breathing bass player for the rock band KISS.

"Modest" has never been one of them.

With KISS, Simmons has carved out a multimedia empire by marketing the band's brand on everything from comic books to caskets. (Not to mention holding the record for the most gold records by a group.)

For the past several years, he's been branching out with numerous solo ventures, including TV shows, a magazine, and, recently, even a postage stamp. His latest venture: Simmons Abramson Marketing, which promotes the Indy Racing League.

Gene Simmons wants the world, and he wants it now.

"My mother, in her wisdom, a long time ago said, 'Life isn't going to hand you anything. You're only going to get the respect you demand,' " Simmons recounted in a recent phone interview, which was supposedly taped for his upcoming reality series on A&E, "Gene Simmons Family Jewels."
Simmons may be filming an episode for the series today, when he attends the opening-night festivities of the Sarasota Film Festival. (But don't ask him questions about it. If you do, a producer is likely to interrupt with a cease-and-desist order. Trust me, I know.)

Here's some of what Simmons had to say about the festival, and about his favorite subject: Himself, of course.

Q: Why are you coming to the festival, and what are you going to be doing once you get here?

A: Well, first of all, "Funny Money" (the opening-night film) is a nice little movie, and sometimes big surprises come in very little packages ... but the reason I'm flying down to Florida is, coincidently with my relationship with Simmons Abramson Marketing -- uh, I'm the Simmons part of it -- we've taken over the worldwide branding marketing for Indy Racing. Part of my job is to bring celebrity attention ... and to make matters better, instead of worse, I am now the grand marshal of the St. Pete Indy races, which is going to be a real hoot. (The Honda Grand Prix will be held today through April 2 in downtown St. Petersburg.)
(The film festival) is just 40 minutes outside of Tampa. The ("Funny Money") director, Leslie Greif, really deserves to get this film in front of people's eyes. And I intend to be there, because I think he's a powerful and attractive man.

Q: So you're going to be here to show support for the director of the film?

A: Yeah! And also, there'll be cameras, and girls, and what's wrong with that?

Q: Penelope Ann Miller is going to be here as well. Are you going to hit on her?

A: Well, that's the job of the male species. That's what we do ... that's why nature, in her wisdom, made sure the blueprint of the male of (the) species makes us manufacture billions of sperm every single day. If that's not a description of our, shall we say, urge to merge, I don't know what is.

Q: There is a new Gene Simmons stamp. Do you have to lick it, or is it self-adhesive?

A: It's a legitimate U.S. postage stamp. It costs 39 cents. I decided to do it partly for ego; you know, I wanted to be able to turn to Mom and say, "Hey, look what I did." But it's also actually doing some good. The proceeds, a lot of it, are going to the Humane Society, and I think that's a good thing. And it features my beautiful lips imprinted on it. It's not a KISS product, it's just a Gene Simmons thing.

Q: But do you have to lick it?

A: You know, I haven't licked one yet, but I don't think you do. I think it's self-adhesive.

Q: Really? Oh, that's kind of a bummer. You can't lick Gene Simmons.

A: I suppose you could, but don't tell anybody. You know what Charlie Rich says ...

Q: What did Charlie Rich say?

A: What goes on behind closed doors ... that's a good record, by the way.

Q: Yes, I know. But you have told what goes on behind closed doors, to a certain extent. (In his autobiography, "KISS and Makeup," Simmons claimed to have slept with more than 4,000 women.)

A: Oh yeah, my life is an open book. You know, all these poor unhappily married guys who say, "If my wife ever finds out, she'll kill me," they're just whipped. Just stand up, grab life by the scruff of its neck and say, "This is me, this is who I am, you don't have to like it, but this is me." Period ...
Which is why (when) mothers and wives and everybody else ask, "Where are you going?", we guys should stand up and say, "Who wants to know?" It's time for men to come back, don't you think? ...
Last time I checked, the only one who owns me is the mother who gave me birth. In return for life, she is allowed to torture me. No other woman is allowed to do that. They haven't earned the right!

Q: So when your mother asks you where you're going, do you tell her?

A: Well, I set my mother straight a long time ago. When the band first started going, I called her and I said, "Go anywhere and buy any house." And she did. And thereafter, I said, "From now on, you have to recognize that I am a man. You kicked me out of the nest, I walk on my own, therefore your privileges have stopped. You know the phrase 'While you're living under my roof?' Guess what, I'm not living under your roof. And here's another point: Your roof? I bought it for you."

Q: Getting back to the film festival, are you going to be singing, or giving a talk, or what exactly will be going on?

A: I'll be going around and by request, giving lap dances. I'm really good, you know. But no, I'm an only child, and I'm not from America, so I like attention. I'll walk down the red carpet and probably make an ass out of myself.

Q: Do you have any advice for guys who are hoping to get some female attention at the Sarasota Film Festival?

A: Yes. Bring lots of money. Because ultimately, guys may say, "Do you love me?" But girls will always say, "How much?" If you pull up in a Volkswagen, you're not getting any tail. Pull up in a Rolls-Royce, and see what happens.

Opening Has Glitter, Glamour

PAUL GONZALEZ VIDELA/The Herald

SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL
From: Bradenton Herald

DONNA HARTMAN
Herald Staff Writer

SARASOTA - It was Chevy Chase's movie, but KISS rock band founder Gene Simmons, sans the Kabuki make-up, caused the biggest uproar on the red carpet at opening night of the Sarasota Film Festival.

Stepping out of a black stretch limo, sporting sunglasses, black jacket and a curvaceous twentysomething blond woman on each arm, Simmons' arrival at the screening of "Funny Money" drove autograph-hunting KISS fans into a veritable frenzy outside the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Friday night.
Fans roared "Gene!" and erupted into a Beatlemania-style scream for Simmons, 56, who generously stopped to sign a few autographs and proudly told the media, "I'm all about money and beautiful women. That's what life's all about."
He refused, however, to stick out his tongue, KISS-style, but did ask Van Wezel usher Betty Morris, "Do you want to go around the block a few times?"
The demure, petite woman shot back, "I've already been."
It's spontaneous moments like these that make the Sarasota Film Festival's opening night one of the most delicious events of the 10-day affair.
A crowd of almost 200 fans gawking on the red carpet at the sold-out opening night film apparently agreed.
Simmons came to the festival to support the screening of "Funny Money," directed by Leslie Greif, who is producing Simmons' A & E Network reality show, "Family Jewels."
Chase arrived before Simmons with his wife, Jaynie, and caused quite a stir, too.
Sporting a brown leather jacket, blue jeans, a white T-shirt and designer shoes that resembled bowling shoes, Chase continually wiped his brow with a handkerchief as he stood for media interviews on the red carpet.
"It's a lot hotter here than where we live," said Chase, who lives in Westchester, N.Y., outside New York City. "I'm very flattered to be invited to the festival."
"Funny Money," a low-budget film also starring Penelope Ann Miller and Chris McDonald, was filmed in Romania, subbing for Hoboken, N.J.
"It was a heck of a shoot," Chase quipped. "I had to learn 10 pages of lines every day. I take Evelyn Wood everywhere with me to help me memorize."

By ALAN SNEL
Published: Apr 1, 2006


ST. PETERSBURG - There was no face paint or wagging tongue.

Just a marketing sales pitch: Indy racing cars are a hot sport to watch.

Gene Simmons, the frontman for the 1970s rock band Kiss and known for his garish face paint and outlandish tongue antics on stage, has a new gig these days.

Simmons, a passionate Indy race fan, and business partner Richard Abramson are workingfor the Indy Racing League - a 14-race circuit of open-wheel race cars that are in the Tampa Bay area this weekend for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Simmons sauntered into the media spotlight Friday in St. Petersburg preaching "I am Indy" - his anthem and slogan for the racing league.

His favorite over-the-top Indy marketing line: "The sleeping giant is not China. It's Indy. It's exploding like a cluster bomb. ... Indy is about life or death, literally."

Simmons has become a de facto spokesman for Indy, Abramson said. His "I Am Indy" video is played at races and in local TV commercials.

"He can get on TV, and he's famous. This is not a gimmick," Abramson said as he and Simmons watched race cars zoom at practice Friday on the St. Petersburg course.

League officials said they didn't hire Simmons Abramson Marketing a few months ago just to get media attention from Simmons. They want to develop a strong marketing campaign for the races.

League officials declined to cite specifics of what the marketing campaign will include or how much the league is paying Simmons.

"It's good to have someone from the outside the motor race world and take the glitz and glamour of the Indianapolis 500 and take it to every market on the IRL circuit," said Tom Savage, media relations senior director for the Indy Racing League.

Simmons and Abramson said they are talking with food product and financial companies about sponsoring Indy races. They declined to identify the companies but said their connections to the entertainment and corporate world will help.

They point to theircontacts with NBA star Carmelo Anthony, a high-profile Denver Nuggets player who recently became part-owner of an Indy race team.

"Do we know as much about the cars as the gear heads?" Simmons asked. "No. Do we know how to bring the spotlight to Indy? Yes."

Simmons isn't just making cameo appearances for the Indy league. He's hitting corporate sponsor dinners, chatting with media and serving as the race's grand marshal.

He's even a judge in a race beauty contest.

"It's such a simple business model. ... It's all about the emotions and less about the gears," Simmons said. "When you see a car commercial, they never show you what's under the hood. It's about the car's cool name and the interesting music."

Fans bought in to Simmons' marketing line.

"He's a master marketer. Look at what he did with Kiss, and he's still selling Kiss, and that was in the '70s," said Anthony Profenno, a race fan who checked out Honda cars Friday. Honda is the race's title sponsor.

"We love the gear heads and respect them," Abramson said. "But the bottom line is that we're trying to bring in a new audience."