Abu Dhabi: For six lucky Formula One fans, the dream of a lifetime came true when they found out that they had beat out thousands of other hopefuls to win the coveted Golden Ticket, a six week luxury prize package that is valued at between $15,000 (Dh55,000) to $20,000 per winner.
"We had been talking about making the Yas Marina Circuit (YMC) more fan-centric… Formula One fans are very loyal so we wanted to something extra special for them," Paul Quinn, YMC's international media manager, said.
Die-hard fans
"We decided to try and find die-hard fans, people who would really appreciate the prizes that they would get as a part of the Golden Ticket package… and we got very lucky with this group, everyone's amazing and it's great being with them every step of the way as they start experiencing the different activities and prizes of the package."
The event started on Saturday and will run till race day of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 14.
Golden Ticket holders will be get a chance to speed down the YMC, or stay at the luxurious weekend stay at the Yas Hotel, or have breakfast with a Formula One champion to attending the Yas island concerts and many other surprises that have yet to be announced.
"I was already a fan on their Facebook page… When I went to Marina Mall to buy my tickets, I had to wait in line for an hour so I had plenty of time to answer the questions on the form," Scott Wynkoop, an elementary educator at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi and one of the winners, said.
"Then one day while I was at school, Paul [Quinn] called and told me that my tickets were invalid… I thought something had gone wrong but then he revealed that I was one of the winners," he said.
"I was shocked and excited because last year I didn't get the chance to see the F1 race but now I can experience all of this, plus, this year, the Eid break at my school falls on the weekend of the race so I have Sunday off to go to Race Day." There will also be a YMC team and a television crew to help winners share their experiences on the ‘Me and My Yas' section of the YMC website.
Winning path
To follow the winners' adventures throughout their Golden Ticket journey, please visit
http://www.yasmarinacircuit.com/ymccomm/en/MeAndMyYAS.aspx
