Detroit Indy Grand Prix

[auxlepli 17]

Anybody going to the Detroit Indy Grand Prix?

Anybody been before? If you have give me some background information please. Good places to sit, etc.

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

[Packer487 3]

Anybody going to the Detroit Indy Grand Prix?

Anybody been before? If you have give me some background information please. Good places to sit, etc.

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

I used to go all the time. Didn't make it to the Indy race last year, but we went to the ALMS race the day before.

My favorite spot to sit is high in the grandstands at the end of the main straightaway/entrance to turn one. You can see quite a bit of the track right there. Turn one isn't a great passing area, but guys (especially in the ALMS race) might try to stuff it in there rather than follow a slower car for the next few turns.

The other area to sit would be high up at the end of the back straightaway. Unfortunately, due to the run-off road, the grandstand isn't far enough over that you can see the whole back straightaway, but you'd be able to see the main passing area on the track, plus the next two corners. Plus if you're up high enough, you could turn around and see them head back toward the front stretch. If the grandstand could be further to the right, it would be the best seat in the house. I prefer the end of the main straightaway.

It's a really great time. The island is beautiful and the organization was top-notch. There were a few problems with the bus transportation to the island last year, but they've assured everyone that it will be fixed this year (and by a lot of accounts it was much better Sunday than it was on Saturday even).

I highly recommend going to the ALMS race on Saturday as well. Those cars are bad. ass. You've got your Porsches, Audis, Acuras, Corvettes, Ferraris, Aston Martin, Viper. There are four classes of cars on the track at the same time, all in their own race, all going different speeds. There's a ton of passing and a lot of bumping, banging and wrecking since the slower cars tend to get in the way. The racing in that series is fantastic and it's fun to watch those guys on a tight street course.

I love going to Belle Isle. Sadly, I don't think I'm going to make it this year. But I definitely recommend going. You'll have a great time. Getting paddock passes is pretty fun also. You get to go back in the garage and watch the teams work on cars. You can get autographs if that's something you like doing, and it's pretty fun to see how the teams prepare the car.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I'm jealous. I love the Grand Prix. My dad used to take me downtown when they held the race there - we'd watch from his office or walk around. Later when it was on Belle Isle, my Scout troop volunteered to empty all the pop and beer can baskets at all the sponsor tents - we'd ride around in golf carts and replace the bags and collect the empties. In exchange we got all the deposit returns and free admission to any of the tents and grandstands.

Don't know what to tell you about where to sit....it's kind of a personal preference. Sometimes we'd just hang out on the grass away from the grandstands; a lot of times, that was a better viewpoint, depending on where. Where Packer's talking about sitting, at the end of the main straight, offers a really nice view of the city over the top of the track. I consider that a bonus.

Keep in mind you can't drive straight to Belle Isle any more. You have to take a shuttle which leaves from downtown or a couple of places in the burbs.

[auxlepli 17]

Kris Draper will the grand marshal.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...1/1064/SPORTS16

[Packer487 3]

Things are heating up in both series. Scott Dixon had a terrible race at Sonoma last week so Helio cut a big chunk out of his points lead with two races to go. It looked like Dixon winning the title was a given but if Helio can win at Detroit, things could get interesting heading to Chicago.

In the ALMS, the team of Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard has been the team to beat, but they ran out of gas on the final lap last week, opening the door for Scott Sharp and David Brabham to win the P2 class and cut Dumas/Bernhard's lead to just ten points. The battle in Gt2 is really good as well.

Should be a great weekend of racing. Last year both races were really, really good.

[auxlepli 17]

Pretty good race yesterday. To and from was really easy with the shuttles. Just wish I could've gotten there earlier. Bought a general admission ticket Saturday, and now I wish I would've bought a grandstand seat. Oh well there's always next year. Didn't get much to the Canadian side of the track, but from what I could tell between turns three and four was the place to be. That includes a Paddack pass, which I was able to scam.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I was a little disappointed in the officials deciding to hand Wilson the lead instead of first warning Helio. I've been watching some of the racing this year and Helio's my favorite driver, not least because he drives for Penske. And it's Penske's race, too.

It's a shame, by the way, that so many CART and IRL drivers jumped to NASCAR, and are not actually doing all that well. IRL would be a hell of a series with Carpentier, Franchitti, Papis, Hornish, etc. still racing. Because let's face it, E.J. Viso cannot ******* drive. I may not be the world's biggest open-wheel follower but I've seen enough races to know that much.

[auxlepli 17]

I might be prejudiced, but I thought it was a decent call. Wilson tried to pass him numerous times, and Helio blocked him, to the danger of both drivers in my opinion. So maybe that's why Helio didn't get a warning first. Helio's really earned my respect this season though. He has a great attitude win or lose, and it was exhibited again yesterday.