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Grand Prix of Miami (sports car racing)


The Trans-Am Series, Rolex Sports Car Series, and American Le Mans Series have all held races in the Miami area.

Promoter Ralph Sanchez brought auto racing to the Miami area in 1983. A course at Bayfront Park featured the IMSA GT Championship and the inaugural Grand Prix of Miami. A 1.85-mile (2.98 km) circuit was laid out on the park roads and Biscayne Boulevard. The 1983 was almost a failure both competitively and financially. A severe rainstorm turned the circuit into a quagmire. However, a year later, the event returned, and grew into a huge success.

IMSA races were held at the first Bayfront Circuit from 1983 until 1985. For 1986, the event moved to a new layout at nearby Bicentennial Park. The Bicentennial Park circuit was a semi-permanent layout which featured purpose-built roads in the park area, along with a temporary segment taking it out on Biscayne Boulevard near the entrance to the Port of Miami. The event continued though 1993, at which time IMSA itself was experiencing a period of decline and reorganization.

For 1994, the event at Bicentennial Park switched to the SCCA Trans-Am Series. This event lasted only one year. In 1995, the CART series utilized the course for one race, then the course was partially razed for the construction of American Airlines Arena.

The ALMS and Champ Car held a joint race on a new circuit at Bayfront Park. The event took place in 2002 and 2003.


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