Meet the Extraordinary Locals Revving Up the Community

At the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX, community is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we launched the Extraordinary Locals program in 2024 — a celebration of hometown heroes making a real impact.

From educators to entrepreneurs and everyone in between, we’re shining a spotlight on the individuals who go above and beyond to better our community by surprising them with tickets to one of the greatest racing events on the planet. In 2024, over 600 tickets were gifted to members of the community.

This year, honorees have included standout students from UNLV’s President’s Innovation Challenge, winners of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards, owners of Tacotarian who recently received the 2025 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Nevada Small Business Persons of the Year award and educator extraordinaire Casey Juliano who oversees Greenspun Junior Highschool’s robotics program:

• UNLV President’s Innovation Challenge: This year’s winners and their “Fanthropy” concept were the standout solution to this year’s problem statement, “How can professional sports in Las Vegas be leveraged to address social issues, foster economic diversity, and increase community engagement, creating a more inclusive, supportive, and vibrant local society?” Leveraging professional sports partners, Fanthropy aims to incentive and increase volunteerism in the local community by developing a rewards-based platform that volunteers can trade in points for merch or tickets to major sporting events.
  
• Henderson Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award Winners: These businesses were recognized for their influence in shaping our region and their contributions to the community. Each business was recognized in one of five categories:
  • All in the Family Award: R&O Construction
  • Business on the Rise Award: Floor Coverings International of Southeast Las Vegas
  • Customer Service Award: NetEffect
  • Outstanding Community Service Award: Gerety & Associates, CPAs
  • Outstanding Non-profit Award: Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada
    
• U.S. SBA Nevada Small Business Persons of the Year: Tacotarian owners, Kristen Corral, Carlos Corral, Daniel Simmons, and Regina Simmons have grown their plant-based taqueria into a multi-location business known for its inclusive approach to food, cultural authenticity, and public-serving mission. The Latin and women-owned business also gives 10% of their proceeds to charity.
  
• Greenspun Junior High School: Casey Juliano, a 25-year educator, has made a lasting impact by teaching problem-solving, perseverance and practical application of skills through robotics. Thanks to her dedication, Greenspun students have achieved international recognition, earning top rankings, with two teams earning invitations to the World Robotics Championships. Beyond the classroom, she devotes countless hours before school, after school and on weekends to ensure her students have the tools and knowledge needed to thrive.
  

While these honorees are truly extraordinary, we aren’t done yet. In fact, we are just getting started. Keep an eye out as we continue to honor more of these extraordinary locals. Because when the community wins, we all win.

For more information, please visit www.f1lasvegasgp.com/community.