DENVER – Combining a gesture of civic support with a boost for all members of Colorado and Wyoming credit unions, Centrix Financial LLC, the Denver-based subprime vendor of auto loans, said it will be giving away one-day "free passes" to next month's Grand Prix event in downtown Denver. "The free tickets can be redeemed at a booth near the site of the race at the Pepsi Center," said a Centrix spokesman referring to the 1.65 mile downtown track. The 80-lap race is slated Aug. 13-15 with 18 drivers from seven nations participating. This is the second year Centrix has agreed to sponsor the race known as the Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver. Centrix officials said that in choosing this motor sport, its goal is to underscore the firm's commitment "to innovation and the management of risk taking." The free tickets for CU members, the spokesman pointed out, will be available only on Aug. 13 during the qualifying practice races. Last year 20,000 tickets were given out "but we expect to surpass that number this year." Helping in the distribution is the Colorado/Wyoming Credit Union League. Centrix noted that since 1998 when it began its subprime program with CUs the Colorado/Wyoming League was the first to endorse the program which nationwide has 200 CU clients. The tickets will be available, said Centrix, to the 1.2 million CU members in the two states. Robert E. Sutton, the chairman and CEO of Centrix, said in a statement the Centrix Grand Prix is being held as a way of supporting Denver's "reputation and its business community" with an eye toward allowing it to benefit "from the attention and economic gain such a high-caliber event brings."