CART: Walker Racing, Detroit Preview
4 August 1999
What: TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE GRAND PRIX OF DETROIT Round Thirteenth of the 20-races FedEx Championship Series for the PPG CupWhen: Sunday, August 8th, 1999 at 3:00 PM ET.
Where: The track is set up on the west end of Belle Isle Park, an island in the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario in Canada. Access is by bridge from Jefferson Avenue, just east of downtown Detroit Belle isle is a rare treat: an urban street course without all the concrete canyons. It offers tall shade trees.
Distance: 168.912 Miles - 72 Laps 2.346 Mile, 14-Turn Temporary Road Course
Derrick Walker: Team Owner: " Detroit is always been a track position type of a track, Passing is difficult so Qualifying is a very close competition. We are looking forward to the weekend; Goodyears tire selection will we hope give us the edge. Need to come away with a high points score."
About Naoki -" Ahead of schedule Naoki has worked really hard to be at the Detroit race and has made it. He will be back on track at Detroit the first event since his Homestead set back. Big thanks goes out to Memo Gidley for substituting for Naoki, he was a great help. Welcome Back Naoki!".
Track History: 1999 marks the 18th running of the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit. Originally a Formula One Series race, the event was established in 1982 by Detroit Renaissance, Inc. It transferred to the Indy car format in 1989, and has spent the past seven years as a part of the CART FedEx Championship Series. In 1992, the race moved from the streets of downtown Detroit to the scenic Belle Isle Park. The event was sold to IMG Motorsports in August, 1993. Tenneco Automotive became the title sponsor in 1999, making the official name of the race the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit.
The Circuit: The quarter mile track extension added in 1998 features a faster, wider, longer track that will continue to spark more passing and new track records. The new race course section, between turns 3 and 4 is covered with plastic mesh, dirt and grass for 11 months of the year. Approximately 2 weeks before the event the dirt and grass will be removed with front-end loaders and then swept repeatedly until the track is clean. The entire set-up and tear down of the event will take approximately eight weeks. This eight-week period breaks down to five weeks of set up and three weeks of tear down.
1998 Champion : Alex Zanardi in the #1 Target/Reynard Honda Reynard 981 Honda Turbo V8 car. Past winners include: Greg Moore (1997), Michael Andretti (1996), Robby Gordon (1995),Paul Tracy, (1994) Danny Sullivan (1993), Bobby Rahal (1992), Emerson Fittipaldi (1991,1989), Michael Andretti (1990).
Defending Polesitter: Greg Moore
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos
and racing art, please visit The Racing Image
Galleries and The
Visions of Speed Art Gallery .