Detroit GP 1983

Here's a video of the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix, back when it was sanctioned by F1. I was just under two months old. And I was by this area yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI2y4gm6R90

Thanks for posting this. It was great when they used to have the GP, and F1, downtown. I was at this race and we did a big all night party thing out by the race course for the first few races they had here. For this race we pulled down an alley to Beaubien to a free spot on a sidewalk next to the track. My friend's family was in the construction industry, so we borrowed a few pieces of scaffolding and set them up on the sidewalk with a few lawn chairs on top, and, voila, we had our own private grandstand!

This proved to be a great spot, as Alboreto made his pass to the lead right in front of us. His win was the last one for the normally aspirated [[i.e. non-turbo) Ford Cosworth engine. I have a tape of this race and we can be glimpsed in the back of some of the shots, although not in this excerpt.

What great memories I have of these races. I had been a big fan of this form of racing for many years going back to when I saw the movie "Grand Prix" on the big screen at the old Summit theater downtown as a kid. I worked as a marshal in turn 1 for the last 3 F1 races downtown, and remember well the smell of racing fuel and sun glinting off the brightly painted skin of the cars as I walked through the pits to my post early in the morning. It was like a dream come true.

Thanks for the post Dan. I worked in the RenCen when the race was "in the streets" Alot of fun....best view was from our office window.

oh geez, just noticed you said you were 2 months old!

My favorite place to watch practice was from the stairwell in the NE tower of the Ren Cen. Could see most of the track from there.

I was in my last year with the DPD and was assigned to supervise a squad on E. Jefferson. All I really remember about the event was that we had our hands full of drunks. Was glad to check out and go home that night. Naw, we tried to make as few arrests as possible, but most of them sure were obnoxious.

I was working as a gofer for the Theodore F1 team at this race, mostly working with the tires. Got to race a rental pickup truck around the course, big fun. Even raced golf carts with some of the other team mechanics. Rode my bike around the old circuit about a month ago, great memories.