Has anyone pictures of the Detroit street circuit?

[Meddle]

I've always wanted to make a driving game out of the freeways of downtown Detroit, and then have the two race courses bonus rounds if the freeway system was mastered. We've got some of the greatest sweeping ramps of ANY city, THAT is where they should've run races.

I wanted to see a circuit using the Chrysler, Ford, Lodge and Fisher. Nice loop including the ramps.


I drove the downtown circuit a few times in a '78 Fury while they were putting the barricades up before they put the last gates in place and sealed it off for the race.

[Mikeg]

Here is the web page I made with 32 of the photos I took during the 1982 Detroit GP practice runs. From that page, you can enlarge each image by clicking on the filename in the caption. Scroll all the way down the page to view some additional shots of the downtown area minus the race cars.

Whitehouse, let me know if you can identify any more of the cars and drivers in those images.

[Downriviera]

I hope you don't mind if I jump in and try a couple. Image 0022 is Keke Rosberg/Williams and Nelson Piquet/Brabham. 0023 is Rosberg and Michele Alboreto/Tyrrell. 0024 is Derek Daly/Williams and Rene Arnoux/Renault. 0025 is Alboreto and Didier Pironi/Ferrari

[Whitehouse]

Scan 0022:
Finnish Keke Rosberg in fromt of Brazillian Nelson Piquet, who would win that years Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal. Rosberg would win the Swiss Grand Prix, which was run on French soil. The Swiss authorities don't allow racing in Switzerland.

Scan0023:
Rosberg again, this time he's got the Tyrell of Italian Michele Alboreto. In 2001 he would fatally crash at the Lausitzring in Germany driving an Audo Sportscar. His tire exploded at high speed.

Scan 0024:
Rosberg's teammate Irishman Derek Daly exits the corner with Frenchman Rene Arnoux in a Renault following him. In the background there a March driven by either Jochen Mass or Raul Boesel. [[I'm about 60% sure it's Boesel.)

Scan 0025:
Alboreto again with a Ferrari on his tail. From 1984 till 1989 Alboreto would himself be on the helm of that car with the prancing horse.

scan 0027:
There's the second Tyrell, driven byBrittain Brian Henton. Following him is 1975, 1977 and 1984 champion Niki Lauda in a McLaren. Can't see who the last car is.

Scan 0028
From left to right, Derek Daly, Rene Arnoux and US driver Eddie Cheever.

Scan 007:
Niki Lauda again in fromt of Manfred Winkelhock.

Scan 009:
That's a McLaren, but not in the 1982 colour scheme.

Rest later.

[Mikeg]

Thanks, guys!

I've added your caption information, plus one of my own: Elio de Angelis in scan00012.jpg.

If you can identify any others, just post them here and I'll add them to the web page.

[Downriviera]

On closer inspection, image 0009 is not a Mclaren but the Alfa Romeo of Bruno Giacomelli. Both teams had Marlboro sponsorship and the color scheme was similar.

[Downriviera]

Attachment 6538

This pic is from the starting grid of the 83 race. Driver is Johnny Cecotto from Venezuela. Standing next to the car is Theodore team manager Jo Ramirez. The team folded after the season and Ramirez then joined Mclaren. Cecotto was a former World Motorcycle Champion that made the switch to cars. He helped me get a job with Toleman for 84 where he was teamed with Aryton Senna.

[Oldbru]

I was at most of the F1 races in Detroit. I had a photo pass in 1984 and took a few hundred pics over 3 days. This photo is of Ayrton Senna, his rookie year. I found this photo on a newly found roll I didn't get developed until 2001!

[Whitehouse]

.....Wow!!! That's so crispy clean. I hope you have the time to post more shots like these!!

More links.
Grand Prix flaskback: Detroit, United States 1982

Vintage F1 1985 Detroit Grand Prix
Look at that great Youtube clip!!!

Elio de Angelis interview on the Detroit Grand Prix 1984.

Pbase collection.

Track details.
Including the Belle Isle track.

Eddy Cheever in a wet practice lap!!



10 minute CBS clip!!


Virtual racing!

[Downriviera]

oldbru,

Thats a great pic of Senna in the Toleman. Would love to see more pics of Toleman if you have them as I worked on that team. That is the TG 183 Senna is driving, a real nice double wing design by Rory Byrne. The car was underpowered with the Hart turbo engine. Hart was a small engine company that didn't have the funds of the big teams. Great memories.

[Lowell]

Thanks for sharing those great photos MikeG. I was sorry to see the downtown Grand Prix moved but understand why. There was something special about the thunder and reverberations in those building canyons.

I was a little disappointed with the track choice. There was next to no opportunity to pass and if you got pole it was yours to lose. It was also the slowest track on the circuit and seemed to come down who could pit best and keep their cars running. I thought it could have benefited by adding in a section of expressway.

One year I was as a party atop the since demolished Detroit Screw Works building look straight down the starting position where, as soon as the race started, there was huge pileup that must have damaged 15 cars.

It is no wonder Brazilians were doing the samba in Detroit, Brazilians won 4 out of the 7, Aryton Senna 3 and Nelson Piquet 1.

[Guideboat]

I worked at a food concession stand at the Grand Prix. I saw little racing, but I did take a load of hot dogs down to a French Team's pit. It always amused me that we think of the French as huge gourmets, but they wanted to chow down on hot dogs! I also remember forging Aryton Senna's signature on a Grand Prix t-shirt that a friend was wearing to impress the rest of our concession buddies.

[Mikeg]

Thanks for sharing those great photos MikeG......

My Pleasure!

Click here to view my completed web page with all of my 1982 practice session photos including the caption information contributed by Whitehouse and Downriviera, plus links to the full-size version of each photo.

I've recently gotten several e-mails and Facebook messages from European F1 enthusiasts who have found that page to be very interesting. I've responded by including a link to this thread.

[Whitehouse]

My Pleasure!

Click here to view my completed web page with all of my 1982 practice session photos including the caption information contributed by Whitehouse and Downriviera, plus links to the full-size version of each photo.

I've recently gotten several e-mails and Facebook messages from European F1 enthusiasts who have found that page to be very interesting. I've responded by including a link to this thread.

I think I'll try to find some google or bing views for current locations of you scans.

Scan0001.jpg.
St Antoine and Woodbridge. [[bing)

Same corner [[Google maps)

Scan00033.jpg
Rivard and Franklin. [[Google Maps)


Scan00018 to 00021.jpg
Turn at Cobo and hart.
[[Note; back then the Peoplemover wasn't there yet.)

Scan0006 and 0007.jpg
E. Congress [[Bing)

Scan0005.jpg
Jefferson and Chrysler, the hairpin corner. [[Google maps)

Scan0002.jpg
BC/BS building. [[Bing)

[Oldbru]

oldbru,

Thats a great pic of Senna in the Toleman. Would love to see more pics of Toleman if you have them as I worked on that team. That is the TG 183 Senna is driving, a real nice double wing design by Rory Byrne. The car was underpowered with the Hart turbo engine. Hart was a small engine company that didn't have the funds of the big teams. Great memories.

Thanks.. Over the next couple of weeks I'll scan more negatives and post them here.

[Oldbru]

Here are some pics I took of the downtown area from the Ren Cen,while they were setting up for the 1982 race.e.

[Oldbru]

Billboard for the 1983 race.

[Oldbru]

Here are a few more shots from the 1984 race..is a few

[BagAJellyDonuts]

Had the best seats at the races. Took step ladders and set them up outside the first turn for the first year. Had a beer with Bill Bonds at that race [[it was around 10:00 in the morning and he was thirsty before the local broadcast he was going to do.. Never bought a ticket for the race. Got a few free ones here and there, had great views every time including when they moved the race to Belle Isle. Took ladders into the Arboretum which was a fantastic setting. That was great until some jerk saw what we had set up and decided to copy us. He took off on his bicycle and came back a but later dragging a garbage can he lifted from someplace else on the island. The Arboretum staff got mad at him and threw us all out.

[black gold man]

330 in that's NEWMAN on the scooter.

[Honky Tonk]

Those were the days, great times! Thanx for the post.

[black gold man]

I re watched 4 times more Detroit in the other Audi videos on ytube

[black gold man]

Here is one with NEWMAN I don't think it has been posted here.

[black gold man]

Bob Sharp Nissan Diet Coke - Detroit Grand Prix maybe 1986

[Hastings]

I saw this from the Wayne county jail.about half way up.