Baltimore Grand Prix
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| Location |
Baltimore, Maryland, USA 39°17′N 76°37′W / 39.283°N 76.617°WCoordinates: 39°17′N 76°37′W / 39.283°N 76.617°W |
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| Corporate sponsor | Street and Racing Technology |
| First race | 2011 |
| Last race | 2013 |
| Surface | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Length | 2.04 mi (3.28 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Lap record | 1:17.5921 (Will Power, Dallara DW12, 2012, IndyCar) |
The Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT was an IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series race held on a street circuit in Baltimore, Maryland. The inaugural race was held September 4, 2011. ESPN said it was the best inaugural street race in North America in the last 30 years. The races are contested on a temporary street circuit around the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore.
Baltimore Racing Development signed a multi-year contract with IndyCar and the City of Baltimore to organize the race, but the city terminated their contract with BRD at the end of 2011 due to unpaid debts. On February 15, 2012 it was announced that the city of Baltimore had entered into a five-year agreement with Downforce Racing to manage the race. However, Downforce failed to fulfill their obligations to the city. On May 10, 2012 it was announced that Race On LLC. and Andretti Sports Marketing, led by racing legend Michael Andretti would take over the organization and promotion of the event. Race On LLC is owned by Gregory O'Neill and J.P. Grant III. On September 13, 2013 it was announced that the race would not be held in 2014 or 2015 due to scheduling conflicts.
The circuit is a 2.04-mile (3.28 km) temporary street circuit that is run in a clockwise direction, with the start-finish line located on Pratt Street, passing by various Baltimore landmarks, including the Baltimore Convention Center, the Inner Harbor, and Camden Yards. The cars travel east along Pratt Street to Light Street, where they turn right and travel south along the northbound lanes to the intersection between Light and Lee Streets. This forms the slowest corner on the circuit, a right-hand hairpin turn that leads the cars back north along Light Street's southbound lanes to Conway Street. The cars turn left here and head west along Conway Street to the Camden Station. They then navigate a chicane designed to slow the cars down before the pit entry — the circuit is unusual in that the pits are not located on the main straight — and turn left again. The cars circle around Oriole Park at Camden Yards stadium to Russell Street, where they turn north once more. This short straight feeds into a pair of sweepers, right and then left, that lead to Pratt Street and the 0.5-mile (0.80 km) long main straight. Finally, the cars navigate a temporary chicane placed at the junction between Pratt and Howard Street as they cross train lines.
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