West Michigan Grand Prix
{{Short description|Sports event}}
{{Infobox motor race
|Race title = West Michigan Grand Prix
|Logo =
|Track map =
|Series long =
|Series short =
|Location = Grand Rapids, Michigan
|Coordinates =
|Sponsor =
|First race = 1998
|First series race =
|Last race = 1999
|Distance = 101.12
|Laps = 64
|Duration =
|Previous names =
|Most wins driver = {{flagicon|USA}} Bill Saunders (1)
{{flagicon|USA}} Brian Simo (1)
|Most wins team =
|Most wins manufacturer = Chevrolet Corvette (1)
Ford Mustang Cobra (1)
|Surface = Asphalt
|Length mi = 1.580
|Previous Length mi =
|Turns = 13
|Record time = 1:15.062
|Record driver = {{flagicon|USA}} Todd Snyder
|Record car = Reynard 98E
|Record year = 1999
|Record class = 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
The West Michigan Grand Prix was first announced in 1997 by SCCA Pro Racing.{{cite web|title=Pro Fax 97-07-30|url=http://www.motorsport.com/scca/news/pro-fax-97-07-30/|work=motorsport.com|access-date=5 March 2014}} 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.{{cite web|title=West Michigan Grand Prix to Debut in 1998--SCCA Trans-Am Championship to Headline|url=http://www.theautochannel.com/news/date/19970729/news004648.html|work=The Auto Channel|access-date=5 March 2014}} 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.{{cite web|title=West Michigan Grand Prix 10th anniversary|url=http://archive.wzzm13.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=98084|work=WZZM13|access-date=5 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140305104729/http://archive.wzzm13.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=98084|archive-date=5 March 2014}} The track is now home to the Grand Cycling Classic, an event part of the United States National Criterium Championships.
Winners
=Trans-Am=
=World Challenge T1/GT=
=World Challenge T2/TC=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | {{flagicon|USA}} Lance Stewart (Acura Integra R) | {{flagicon|USA}} Michael Galati (Acura Integra R) | {{flagicon|USA}} Michael Galati (Acura Integra R) |
| 1999 | {{flagicon|USA}} Will Turner (BMW 328) | {{flagicon|USA}} Michael Galati (Acura Integra R) | {{flagicon|BRA}} Pierre Kleinubing (Acura Integra R) |
=Barber Dodge Pro Series=
=Spec Racer Ford Pro Series=
=Keller Ford Vintage Grand Prix Race=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Winner (car) | Fastest lap (car) | Pole position (car) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | {{flagicon|USA}} Steve Prewitt (1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe) |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/19990219231311/http://www.westmichigangrandprix.com/welcome.htm Official website (archived)]
{{Trans-Am tracks}}
{{Pirelli World Challenge circuits}}
{{Barber Pro Series tracks}}
{{coord|42|57|40|N|85|39|20|W|region:US_type:event|display=title}}
Category:Motorsport in Michigan
Category:Motorsport venues in Michigan
Category:Sports venues completed in 1998