Meadowlands Grand Prix
| Location | Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Corporate sponsor | Marlboro |
| First race | 1984 |
| Last race | 1991 |
| Distance | 182.55 mi (293.79 km) |
| Most wins (driver) | Bobby Rahal (3) |
| Most wins (team) |
Newman-Haas Racing (2) Galles Racing (2) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Lola (6) |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.217 mi (1.959 km) |
| Turns | 6 |
| Lap record | 37.772 (Rick Mears, Penske PC19-Chevrolet, 1990, IndyCar) |
The Meadowlands Grand Prix was a CART IndyCar race held at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey from 1984 until 1991. The event was the first major auto race in the New York City metropolitan area since the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup, and came with high expectations, including the potential of rivaling the Indianapolis 500 in stature, and crowds of up to 60,000.
In 1982, Formula One announced a race in the New York City area for the 1983 season. However, the race, which was to take place in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, was first postponed, then canceled. At the same time, CART and the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the help of Long Beach promoter Chris Pook, announced a race for the 1984 season. The race would take place on a 15-turn, 1.682-mile (2.707 km), temporary road course set up in the parking lots around Giants Stadium.
The inaugural event's purse of $536,000 made it the richest race in CART history apart from Indianapolis. The race carried high expectations, was televised nationally, and came on the heels of high-profile successes at former Formula One events in Long Beach and Las Vegas. A crowd of 50,000 was expected. During practice and qualifying, drivers criticized the tight nature of the course. The race began on a damp track, and Mario Andretti led all 100 laps to win. Despite the rainy weather, 34,388 spectators watched the race.
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