Baltimore Out for 2014

[cosworth151]

The street circuit in Baltimore will be off the IndyCar calender for 2014 and 2015. There will be an amateur football game between Ohio State and Navy on Labor Day weekend of 2014. The American Legion National Convention will be held on the site in 2015.

The linked story overlooks one vital aspect of the story. The race has always been a shared weekend with the ALMS. This is the last year for that series, and the chance of Baltimore getting a date on the Tudor USCR schedule is practically nil.

I have mixed emotions about the loss of this race. The Inner Harbor area of Baltimore is a beautiful, wonderfully historic place. The city really seems to have taken the race to heart. The track, however, suffers most all of the shortcomings of city street circuits. This year, both races had multiple incidents where chain reaction shunts completely blocked the track.

There is one spot on the circuit where it is crossed by a rail line. This creates a large hump, right before the start/finish line. They put an odd chicane there to slow the cars and prevent them from getting airborne. There was a massive, track-blocking shunt there in the ALMS race this year just as the green flag was thrown to start the race.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/baltimore-grand-prix-cancelled-2014-15-20253826

[PG_Gabriel]

It is a wreck fest, but has produced some spectacular races. Ryan Hunter-Reay's charge in 2012 is still one of my favorite races.

Sad to see it go.