THIS WEEKEND, the Grand Prix is on! After not being able to make a left from Almaden onto Balbach for a week, and after all the palm tree transplants, the stage to test the best drivers and the fastest cars on the planet is now set. Starting this Friday the Grand Prix starts revving its engines and puts it in gear with a packed calendar of events that will be taking place on and off the track. Everything from Cinema at San Pedro to Driver VIP parties, and of course, racing—lots of it. This year's lineup includes some historic stock racing, as well as some young gun—"young" as in some pilots who aren't even legal to drive—Formula BMW racing, the world's No. 1 open-wheel, entry-level race class. And even if you missed the movie, you won't have to wait till the DVD hits the stands, because Tokyo Drift is coming to San Jose. Originating in the hills of Japan, drifting is more than speed or crossing the finish line. The stylish lines that the drivers carve through the turns require flawless skill and offer a spectacular show. And of course like last year's inaugural event, the Champ Car Atlantic Championships will lead up to the main event: The Champ Car World Series, where last year's winner Sebastien Bourdais will take on San Jose's finest A.J. Allmendinger. But all of them will have to look out for Katherine Legge; not only is she the only woman to share the circuit with the men, she is also the only driver who actually passed anyone in last year's race. And if your camera isn't fast enough to catch the cars zooming by, maybe the racy Miss San Jose Grand Prix beauty contest is more your pace. Don't let that pass you up. Get maps and schedules and see our live webcam.

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