Baltimore Grand Prix

The great Charm City with its celebrated and rich history in horse racing is unfortunately a bit unfamiliar to the automotive racing industry.  Around the world auto racing is known to be exciting, thrilling, competitive, dangerous, and is growing in popularity each year!  With many different types of racing venues here in the United States alone, there’s a series for everyone!

Baltimore Racing Development (BRD) has been working tightly for several years now with the city of Baltimore and the Indy Racing League (IRL) to establish a road course through the streets of Baltimore.  Can you imagine 1600lb, 650hp race cars flying through the streets at speeds in excess of 165mph!!!  As the prospect of auto racing in Baltimore has become closer and closer a reality, BRD has considered the possibility of attracting other racing leagues as well.  One of which is the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

The American Le Mans Series is a racing league comprised of nine scheduled endurance races for the 2010 season beginning with the infamous 12 hours of Sebring and concluding with the 13^th annual Petit Le mans.  One race will be held at Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, Canada.  All other races are held at cities within the US.  Characteristic of sports car endurance racing, there are four classes of cars all racing on the track at the same time; Le Mans Prototypes 1, Le Mans Prototype 2, Grand Touring 1 and Grand Touring 2.  The Le Mans Prototype cars are purpose-built race cars utilizing the most innovative and advanced technology in closed-wheel auto racing today.

The Grand Touring (GT) cars are production-based sports cars which have been heavily modified in almost every aspect for the purpose of competitive racing.  Except for the Petit Le Mans, races are won and points awarded to teams by completing the most laps, or distance, in a specified amount of time.  The Petit Le Mans is currently the only race on the 2010 schedule won by completing either 10 hours or 1,000miles, whichever comes first.

Overall race wins are good – beating all four classes, but class victories award more points and these are just the basics.  Teams including multiple drivers per race must abide by many rules, regulations, inspections and parameters in order to even qualify for a race much less take the checkered flag or be awarded points.

Only having been around for about 10 seasons, the American Le Mans series is fairly young.  It’s also about as exciting and formidable as almost any league in the country.

As a Baltimore native and resident, I would love to see this series add a race in Baltimore to its schedule.  Maybe ….2011?

The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first race of the IRL season will kick off on March 26, 2010.  For the first time since the event began in 2005, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will have five classes of motorsports racing. As in past years, the main event will be the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights.

This year, the World Challenge Championship will return, including GT and Touring classes, the open wheel race of the Star Mazda Championship Series and the U.S. F2000 National Championship series.

The Grand Prix will feature a number of hands on activities for race fans in the Bright House Speed Zone and concerts on the stage in the Honda Plaza.  Some other events include a parade, fireworks, beer gardens, driver autograph sessions, Challenge paddocks open to all spectators, interactive games and exhibits, live music, and the tallest ferris wheel in St. Petersburg.

Tickets for the event range in price from $25 for adult general admissions tickets to $110 for an adult three-day reserved seat pass. Three-day general admission passes are $45 and a general admission ticket for the Sunday featured races is $40. Sunday reserved seat tickets range from $60 for seats in the lower rows to $80 for seats in the upper rows and three-day reserved seat passes start at $85.

Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of U. S. Central Command, will be the grand marshal.  He will give the command to start the race and will participate in pre-race ceremonies and the awards presentation.

Event organizers also are planning another program with McDill Air Force Base and area military and their families.  Special tickets programs are in the works for active military and their families.  In addition, the traditional Honda Grand Prix Kick-Off Luncheon, held on March 25, will include a salute to wounded veterans.

This event will be similar to the Baltimore Grand Prix in terms of it being a street race and the kind of entertainment Baltimoreans can expect.  Its a great tradition in the city of St. Petersburg and hopefully we can start one just like it here in the Charm City!