Nassau, Bahamas - Race car engines roared in Nassau and sped on its streets for the first time in 45 years but it was a scene Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace expects to see annually from this point on.

At the official opening ceremony for Speed Week, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said he and the Minister of Culture, Charles Maynard are not interested in starting “singular events.”

“Our commitment to making this re-inauguration of an annual event is very, very strong,” Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said.

“We are convinced that by reason of the kind of people that we have, led by Jimmy Lowe and his team, the kind of efforts they have brought into this event, we have no doubt that we have the best possible local partners that we could ever want.”

Before participating in a traditional LeMans start to mark the occasion, Minister Vamderpoo-Wallace expressed his delight with the high level of sponsors contributing to Speed Week. By way of an anecdote, he said that the presence of world-renown racer Sir Stirling Moss speaks volumes and also provides a connection between the days of the original event at Oakes Field and the current event being held near Fort Charlotte.

To maximize press coverage of the tourism product, discussions are underway to extend Speed Week and keep it at the Fort Charlotte/Arawak Cay location.  Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said the backdrop of Atlantis, the historical Fort Charlotte and downtown Nassau offers a great opportunity to showcase the best of what The Bahamas has to offer.

“The idea of being able to televise this event while at the same time showing all of the magnificent surroundings that we’re so proud of in The Bahamas is something that is going to be extraordinary,” he said.

Anticipating the great benefit to tourism, Jay Michaels, moderator at the opening ceremony, compared Speed Week to the success of other racing events such as LeMans, Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500.

“The Speed Week Revival 2011 was merely an idea and a vision of so many people too numerous to mention, who wanted to capture an excitement that hasn’t occurred here in Nassau for some 45 years,” Mr. Michaels said. “It was through that vision [and] their support that we stand before you today with the first of what we feel will be an incredible annual event that will bring greater notoriety, not just to the sport of racing, but for Bahamian tourism as well.”

He said “event-driven” tourism gives people more of a reason to come to The Bahamas, and auto racing has always been one of the most spectacular spectator sports in the world.

“It is our feeling that by producing an annual Speed Week Revival that we can assure ourselves of becoming one of the most sought after locations for men and of course women who have now entered the sport and their machines throughout the world and for those racing enthusiasts who will follow their favorites and attend these events,” Mr. Michaels said.