The Knob of Billy Ripken’s Bat Approves
Well, supposedly there is a group, Baltimore Racing Development, is looking to bring the concrete canyons to the East Coast. They’ve even got Lil’ Al as a consultant.
Now, it seems like one of these articles come about every year. It must have been shortly before unification that the LA Dodgers Stadium race was floated about. I’m pretty sure CART/Champ Car considered every city America for a street race. The Eastern Motors Grand Prix of Washington, DC was a resounding success, lasting one year as an ALMS race (the people at the bottom of the hill despised the event). The DC course was actually a real course, and still exists next to RFK Stadium.
The Baltimore Sun has obtained the proposed layout, and it isn’t actually that bad of a layout. It’s a clockwise circuit, running from the convention center, by Camden Yards, and along the Inner Harbor. As far as I can tell it doesn’t go past any strip clubs, which is shocking since I don’t think I’ve ever driven anywhere in Baltimore without passing any less than three of them. I’m also unsure how the roads are along this specific route, but I do know that if your car had hub caps entering Baltimore, the pot holes probably took one by the time you got out.
That said, I only have Richmond. I’d support the heck out of a Baltimore street race.
And props to Jeff from My Name is IRL, from whom I completely stole the idea for the following.
July 7th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
WBAL’s website has the full proposal split into 6 PDFs. What amazes me is that the city and state are actually supporting this idea — something the ALMS race at RFK (most fun I ever had at RFK Stadium) never had. I’m no longer in Northern VA, but i’ll drive from Indy if Bawlmer is on the schedule.
Also, half the reason I left DC was to get away from those Eastern Motors ads…why would you do that to me? (I will admit that the Ovie version is pretty funny, though…)
July 7th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Hey I think helio would be great in an eastern motors ad
July 8th, 2009 at 11:41 am
I drove the course last night The streets that the proposed circuit will run on are a complete mess and will need to be repaved. The streets are very wide and the Indy Cars could easliy run 3 wide depending on the placement of the catch fences. The circuit will be very fast and feature 2 sweeping right handers, the hairpin at the science center will be a challenge as it also includes an uphilll elevation change in the braking zone (turn 14). The most exciting portion of the track will be the left turn on Pratt street from light street( turn 13), A tight left hander after a sweeping right hander. The cars could easily hit 180-190 down the light street straightaway. The track will also feature a 2 light rail train track crossing ala San Jose. If the proposed bleachers are placed at the on light street, this could be a very exciting ticket, as the fans would see the cars going in two different directions at the same time.
July 8th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I would attend
July 12th, 2009 at 9:28 am
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