Motown Memories

In looking back to 2008, one of the most memorable races on the ALMS schedule was the Detroit Grand Prix.

The Detroit GP is held on Belle Isle, which at one time was a popular spot for Detroiters. Back in the day, Belle Isle had an aquarium, large grassy areas and from what I’ve been told, Detroit’s waterfront area (where Belle Isle is located) at one time epitomized a “renaissance city” rivaling Chicago’s waterfront area. It was a very inviting place.

When I lived and worked in Motown, Belle Isle was stripped of all of its past glory and was for the most part, consistent with other parts of downtown Detroit—vacant buildings, neglected landscaping, potholes reminiscent of downtown Baghdad, etc. Shanty town, by US standards, anyway.

But when the GP rolled into town, Belle Isle was instantly transformed back into a dynamic, energetic place where motorheads (there’s a few in Motown) came out to enjoy a great weekend of racing and forget about the malaise plaguing the city. Belle Isle regained its past glory for a weekend, at least.

Well, this year, the American Le Mans Series is not stopping in Detroit, due to obvious financial considerations of putting on the event. Perhaps the GP will not stop there anymore.

Enough of the sappy love story.

Aside from the nostalgic value, this venue is unique because of fact that the track features four different surface types and this is a keen interest and a major challenge to people like us.

There are two different types of asphalt and also concrete. Also, during the race, some parts of the track are shaded from sunlight and other parts blazingly hot. So obviously, tire choice becomes a key tactical component during the race.

If my memory serves me right, I believe we had tried a new spec at DGP and found it to be a great success. Visor can comment on the technical aspects of this track in more detail but from my perspective, this venue is great for the series because of the challenge it presents to the participants.

It is a bummer that DGP was scratched from this year’s ALMS schedule...In truly many ways.