West Michigan Grand Prix
| Location | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
|---|---|
| First race | 1998 |
| Last race | 1999 |
| Distance | 101.12 |
| Laps | 64 |
| Most wins (driver) |  Bill Saunders (1) Brian Simo (1) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet Corvette (1) Ford Mustang Cobra (1) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.580 mi (2.543 km) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Lap record | 1:15.062 ( Todd Snyder, Reynard 98E, 1999, Barber Dodge Pro Series) |
The West Michigan Grand Prix was a weekend of professional auto racing held at the Scott Brayton Memorial Street Circuit in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first edition was held in 1998 and the final edition in 1999. The Grand Prix was sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing.
History
[edit]The West Michigan Grand Prix was first announced in 1997 by SCCA Pro Racing.[1] As part of the promotion of the event three Trans-Am Series cars raced down Fulton Street. A Ford Mustang Cobra, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Chevrolet Camaro passed Grand Rapids mayor John H. Logie waving the green flag. Alan Wilson designed the 13-turn track named after late IndyCar Series driver Scott Brayton. Brayton suffered a deadly crash during Indy 500 practice in 1996.[2] Before the inaugural Grand Prix weekend official pre parties were held at the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Van Andel Museum Center. The Trans-Am Series was the headline event of both West Michigan Grand Prix editions. The first edition saw 31 Trans-Am cars take the green flag. Bill Saunders won the race with a margin of victory of over 44 seconds. The largest field was that of the SCCA Spec Racer Ford Pro Series in 1999. 40 cars participated in the race. The fastest overall racelap was set by Todd Snyder in the 1999 Barber Dodge Pro Series. Snyder passed polesitter Sepp Koster for the lead on lap 17. Koster left a gap coming out of turn one and Snyder could pass him for the lead.
Without backing from a major corporate sponsor the Grand Prix folded after 1999. Despite attracting more than 100,000 racefans both years, there were also complaints about the noise and the large number of streets that were closed.[3] The track is now home to the Grand Cycling Classic, an event part of the United States National Criterium Championships.
Winners
[edit]Trans-Am
[edit]| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998[4] | Bill Saunders (Chevrolet Corvette) | Paul Gentilozzi (Chevrolet Corvette) | Paul Gentilozzi (Chevrolet Corvette) |
| 1999[5] | Brian Simo (Ford Mustang Cobra) | Chris Neville (Ford Mustang Cobra) | Brian Simo (Ford Mustang Cobra) |
World Challenge T1/GT
[edit]| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998[6] | Peter Cunningham (Acura NSX) | Peter Cunningham (Acura NSX) | Terry Borcheller (Saleen Mustang) |
| 1999[7] | Peter Kitchak (Porsche 911 RSR) | Peter Kitchak (Porsche 911 RSR) | Peter Kitchak (Porsche 911 RSR) |
World Challenge T2/TC
[edit]| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Lance Stewart (Acura Integra R) | Michael Galati (Acura Integra R) | Michael Galati (Acura Integra R) |
| 1999 | Will Turner (BMW 328) | Michael Galati (Acura Integra R) |  Pierre Kleinubing (Acura Integra R) |
Barber Dodge Pro Series
[edit]| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998[8] | Will Langhorne (Reynard 98E) | Jeff Simmons (Reynard 98E) |  Victor Gonzalez, Jr (Reynard 98E) |
| 1999[9] | Todd Snyder (Reynard 98E) | Todd Snyder (Reynard 98E) |  Sepp Koster (Reynard 98E) |
Spec Racer Ford Pro Series
[edit]| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998[10] | John Strickler (Spec Racer Ford) | Warren Stilwell (Spec Racer Ford) | Warren Stilwell (Spec Racer Ford) |
| 1999[11] | Neil Tilbor (Spec Racer Ford) | Keith Scharf (Spec Racer Ford) | Warren Stilwell (Spec Racer Ford) |
Keller Ford Vintage Grand Prix Race
[edit]| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Steve Prewitt (1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe) |
References
[edit]- ^ "Pro Fax 97-07-30". motorsport.com. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "West Michigan Grand Prix to Debut in 1998--SCCA Trans-Am Championship to Headline". The Auto Channel. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "West Michigan Grand Prix 10th anniversary". WZZM13. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "1998 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Pro Racing. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2010.
- ^ "1999 Trans-Am Box Scores" (PDF). SCCA Pro Racing. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "1998 World Challenge" (PDF). SCCA Pro Racing. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "1999 World Challenge" (PDF). SCCA Pro Racing. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "Daring inside move puts Will Langhorne in Victory Lane". Barber Dodge Pro Series. Archived from the original on October 4, 1999. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "SNYDER MAKES IT THREE IN A ROW AT WEST MICHIGAN GP". Barber Dodge Pro Series. Archived from the original on January 15, 2000. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "1998 Spec Racer Ford Pro Series" (PDF). SCCA Pro Racing. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2010.
- ^ "1999 Spec Racer Ford Pro Series" (PDF). SCCA Pro Racing. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2014.