Detroit Grind Prix ?

Don't forget your ear-plugs....race cars sound like....ummm...grinders.

 

Which race? We're going on a very early Saturday morning flight for the ALMS race on Saturday (have zero interest in the IRL race). Got tickets off the website and just waiting for info about the parking locations. There will be certain places to go to catch the shuttles to the island - no cars will be allowed. Good luck on a hotel room. I got a room for us at the Westin Airport back in the first part of July. Got GA tickets to the ALMS race - for two = $126.50 via Ticket Master - be sure to get the paddock pass. The ALMS race is by far the best race of the weekend there - we were at Road America this past weekend - great battle between the three 430's and the Porsches. Corvettes will be the only ones in GT1. Have fun.

Carol

 

Saturday, is the best day. You still see everything run, Saturday will have IRl qualifing and the Alms race.

 

I think street races are a bad idea for the ALMS, but Detroit might work. I hope the maximum number of street races in ALMS for 08 will be two with just Long Beach and this one.

Organized and promoted by a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, whose chairman – Roger Penske – helped bring Super Bowl XL to Detroit, the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix has assembled a team of talented individuals excited about bringing racing back to Motown.

- http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3222

Detroit news:

http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3252

http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3513

 

I'd love to see this machine in action on a street course!
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#1-Ignore all prior posts (eg., what's her name poo-pooing IRL cars...she is a road race groupie, prob bc of all the drivers over 50). #2-All the good seats are gone. #3-Don't fret. I am sure you would enjoy a Gen Admission pass, with Paddock pass. It looks like you sit in Grandstand 1 or 5. There should be plenty of areas to sit or stand near the track if you want to wander around. There are video screens across from the stands, make sure you can see one for the start and the finish. There is a lot of pit action in IRL races, so maybe you want to find your favorite team and sit near them. Also, IRL racing seems vastly more hazardous than the ALMS races (to me, the sense of danger is palpable and exciting), and the speed is awesome. Don't miss out on seeing & hearing these cars going full out on the straights. Have fun. Use sunblock.

 

Right, you never know when one of them is going to take flight. Ask Dario Franchitti.

 

I am coming to the conclusion that the best road-racing in the US is the ALMS.

 

If you can and are interested, get downtown (very near the race course) and check out the jazz festival. It is world class and totally free. I couldn't believe they had both things going on at the same time. That is undoubtedly why hotel rooms are so hard to find.

 

Monica Ray of Detroit, who often visits Belle Isle to fish, said the preparations have ruined the atmosphere.

"This used to be an island for retreats, for beauty, for nature," she said while visiting the island this week. "Now it's just another commercial hot spot."

Rashay Crosswhite of Clinton Township disagreed.

"Anytime you can bring people, events down here to Belle Isle, I think it's a good thing," he said. "I think they need to do more things out here and utilize this Belle Isle."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070810/BUSINESS04/708100351/1017

 

No, hands down the best road racing in the US is the MotoGP at Laguna...but we won't go there cause there are no Fcars on the track.

 

I go to Laguna for the Historics every year and Belle Isle is at least as nice if not a nicer place to watch a race.

George

 

http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3568

 

Anyone going should read the info that came with the tickets on what and what not you can take onto Belle Isle. Let's hope it doesn't rain as they say no umbrellas are allowed. Cameras are okay but no video recording devices. Sounds like the USGP many years back. Hope the shuttle situation runs smoothly - on another forum the complaint was the info was lacking on the frequency of shuttles - one said they were running 9-9 - track opens at 7:30 so who knows. May be a long walk!

Carol

 

Call some of the restaurants downtown (Fishbones in Greektown, Loco Bar, etc) they usually have shuttles and are used to doing the same type of thing for the hockey games. It worked extremely well for the races before.

George

 

It cost $5 to park at Comerica and $5 for the shuttle, which worked great if you didn't believe them that there were pick up points downtown. I went down for the jazz festival and then searched for a pick up for 45 minutes before walking back out to Comerica. One option is to park out by the bridge for $20 and walk across, as very short walk (but a looong walk from downtown). The shuttles did run frequently. If you want to do more than the races this is an awesome place to go. The jazz festival is world class and free. The state fair is going on (Alice Cooper performed, Monday I think it was--darn, I missed it). The Ford museum is also awesome. A wide range of cars (Packards, RR, Dussenberg, Cord, Stutz Bearcat, Elvis's Pantera, etc); trains; (stage) coaches & carriages (I really liked these); bikes; fire engines; planes (the one Byrd took to the North Pole); guns; knives; etc, etc. I was probably most impressed with the industrial machinery like generators, steam engines, turbines...and we're talking large, LARGE!

 

rave review

http://www.sportscarpros.com/across-the-border-features-from-guests/features/the-auto-racing-promoter-s-bible/the-auto-racing-promoter-s-bible-gallery-01/default.htm

 

Rick Dole is a very very good photographer. That does not make him an event expert. I think his views are great but they are his views. A track that needs to be widen and made a hell of a lot smoother, in my view, does not make a world class event. An area that needs a race and was given one, one that was backed by tons of marketing made for a large crowd. Large crowds do not mean world class it means large crowd.

My two cents.
I will not say anything more on this subject.

 

I think the ALMS shouldn't race on street circuits. too much damage.

 

Hi Bruce - I'll match your two cents ! !

Carol