Champ Car World Series, an open-wheel racing organization, has sent a letter of interest to Nashville racing officials indicating its desire to bring a road-course race to the city starting in 2009.

Norm Partin, the general manager of the Music City Motorplex, confirmed the city's receipt of the letter. The proposed race would start and finish near LP Field and cover a route that includes crossing the Gateway Bridge before looping back toward the stadium.

Partin said the city would be required to pay a sanctioning fee of about $2 million to Champ, but in turn the race would generate a direct impact of an estimated $30 million for the city. He also said the race would be an annual event and likely held in May as a week-long festival to also include golf tournaments, concerts and perhaps a celebrity race.

"People at the main grandstand would be able to see about 80 percent of the course, which on a road course doesn't happen often," Partin said of the proposed main event. "You'd also be crossing a river, which also doesn't happen often."

"It would be a tremendous signature event for the city," Ramsey said. "We'll take it into a lot of careful consideration. You have to look at the logistics and do what's best."

Partin said about a month of construction before the event and another month of deconstruction afterward would be needed to hold the event.