This could be exciting.....

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-sp.indy07jul07,0,348301.story?FORM=ZZNR

However this city can screw up trash / recycling pick-up. Not sure how well they'll be able to pull it off.

-Keith

Partial thread-jack. How do you get from 95N to 83N to get to Johns Hopkins or other points north of downtown WITHOUT going right through the inner harbor area?

I think the problem with this plan is that it shuts down the entire city for days. They can't isolate that area enough to avoid city-wide gridlock.

I'd love to be told differently. Headed there in a couple days.

They talked about that in DC too, never happened and that made me sad, cause there's some routes I had planned in my head for that one!!! I find the idea to be unrealistic, too much risk, for little potential gain to commerce, plus baltimore sucks anyway

bludroptop wrote: I'd love to be told differently.

As would I. Remember the ALMS course they laid out near RFK Stadium in DC?

For that matter, Marlboro has laid fallow for approx 40 yrs...

They had a race in DC at RFK stadium's parking lot. Spent a lot of money making a race course and barriers and such.

Had a 10 year contract and everything...Race weekend came around and the crowds were pretty good for a hot July in DC. BTW it was ALMS and Trans Am racing.

It was deemed a success by local govt leaders, but because some decrepit old farts in the 'hood complained about the noise at all hours of the day and night (?) re. I didn't see my payoff, the races went away.

If you ride the Blue/Orange line on the Metro when you get to Stadium / Armory you can still see the course right before the train goes underground.

Now the Redskins played there at RFK for a long time, no neighbors complained about all that football noise...hmmmm

edit: This race in B-more will probably never happen...The city would have to pave the streets downtown and that hasn't happened in about 30 years.

Yeah there was an ALMS race around RFK. There is a real good video of Gigliotti having his Trans-AM car towed into one of the barriers during their support race. I heard the ALMS event was not renewed because of complaints of noise.

And from what I hear, with Baltimore's plan, the streets would only be close Sat & Sun. The other days, "the track" would be open during rush hour.

And Baltimore doesn't suck (well, maybe the baseball team and dog fighting). I think the people in City Hall are just plain not getting the job done. Its pretty aggrivating when you sit in a hearing City Counsel has about a committee the mayor put together to study ways to reduce property taxes and they are upset that she has done nothing with the committee's findings. However, neither have they at this point.

Someone please give me the winning Powerball or Megamillions numbers so I can A) run for mayor and B) make this race thing happen

Now as far as directions, truthfully, I am not sure what streets to tell you. I've only lived in the city for a few years and unfortunately I am in that stage where, if I have to go from A to B, I can get there but can't give you directions cause I don't know the names that well. If you tell me specifically where you are going, I might be able to help you though.

CamaroKeith wrote: Yeah there was an ALMS race around RFK. There is a real good video of Gigliotti having his Trans-AM car towed into one of the barriers during their support race. I heard the ALMS event was not renewed because of complaints of noise.

Hahaha! I was sitting not more than 50 feet away when that happened. The tow driver pulled his car into the jersey wall and it got wedged between two sections. Instead of swinging the boom up and out, the driver just kept giving it more gas 'til he ripped the anti-roll bar and the radiator right out of the car.

I thought Lou's head was gonna explode !!

kpm wrote:

CamaroKeith wrote: Yeah there was an ALMS race around RFK. There is a real good video of Gigliotti having his Trans-AM car towed into one of the barriers during their support race. I heard the ALMS event was not renewed because of complaints of noise.

Hahaha! I was sitting not more than 50 feet away when that happened. The tow driver pulled his car into the jersey wall and it got wedged between two sections. Instead of swinging the boom up and out, the driver just kept giving it more gas 'til he ripped the anti-roll bar and the radiator right out of the car. I thought Lou's head was gonna explode !!

Yeah, him and AJ Foyt - two fiery Texans

of interesting note... if this thing works out you can thank the same people who organize the autocrosses out here in Cumberland. When they were trying to get the Polish Mountain Hillclimb to happen one of the things we had to do was get some politicians to push through a change in laws that allowed sanctioned, insured racing to occur on public roads in the state of Maryland.

This is an old story. Decades old. Same group same people promising autoracing in or around Maryland. They've never pulled it off yet, and I've no reason to think they will this time either.

foxtrapper wrote: This is an old story. Decades old. Same group same people promising autoracing in or around Maryland. They've never pulled it off yet, and I've no reason to think they will this time either.

See above.

I've not heard about this story before. The city is in a financial crunch and I think they will do anything to get investment into it again. City Counsel is to vote on it next Month & the counsel members interviewed for it seem really excited about it. Baltimore & Long Beach mayors have been in contact.

bludroptop wrote: Partial thread-jack. How do you get from 95N to 83N to get to Johns Hopkins or other points north of downtown WITHOUT going right through the inner harbor area? I think the problem with this plan is that it shuts down the entire city for days. They can't isolate that area enough to avoid city-wide gridlock. I'd love to be told differently. Headed there in a couple days.

From the east or west side, 895 (toll) on the east, Rt 40/Orleans St. from the west.

Or 295/Russel St. to MLK Parkway. It will be gridlock anyway. That happens when the Yankees or Red Sox are in town.

Sometime in the mid-'90s thre was a buzz about a NASCAR track btwn Balto and DC. Obviously didn't happen. Part of the reason may have been that not even NASCAR could cram a few extra weekends into a 52-week year.