Grand Prix expected to move to prime time

[¡As-de-mim!]

01/11/03
Elton Alexander
Plain Dealer Reporter

The news conference invitations are black, making it pretty obvious the next Cleveland Grand Prix will be held under the lights.

The annual race at Burke Lakefront Airport, traditionally run on July Fourth weekend, is expected to be held on a Saturday night. The official word will come Thursday morning at Burke in an announcement of "significant developments that will revolutionize the face of racing in Cleveland," the invitation said.

Officials at Cleveland-based IMG, which promotes the race, would not give specifics on what has been in the works since at least the end of the last summer's race. IMG, the city and Championship Auto Racing Teams, which sanctions the event, have long said a new deal was in the works. But no official announcement has been made for the event or a race date.

Privately, those close to the negotiations say they are "excited, thrilled and ecstatic" about the expected changes for the 22nd annual race. Night racing on the open-wheel circuit has been common for several seasons, but whatever IMG, CART and the city of Cleveland have in store apparently will go beyond that.

"Cleveland will definitely be making history," Bud Stanner, president of IMG/Motorsports, said yesterday. "Our announcement will be the first of its kind in the world in both magnitude and scope. This will truly put Cleveland at the head of the pack, and add tremendous excitement for our sponsors and race fans."

[macdaddy]

I just posted this on the "DarkSide" thread, where I made note that the Saturday night race would run head-to-head with the Pepsi400 at Daytona, which is also a night race. That certainly won't help TV ratings.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Yeah, you can count the Pabst Blue Ribbon crowd out that night.

[Jordi]

Nice idea!

But at what time will that be in Europe? 5 am??

[¡As-de-mim!]

The UK will be 4-5 hours ahead. So if it starts at 7:00pm it will be 11pm-midnite UK.

[djb]

I dunno, all i can think is the poor chumps driving these cars in and out of bright areas, catching lights head on perhaps at some times. I see it as a real gimmick,not for open wheeled race cars.

[Snrub]

Does Cleveland have enough spectator space to justify the cost of lights? Wasn't the attendance 40K last year? Milwaukee was making a stink about the costs, can Cleveland pull it off?

iAs-de-mim: Now you know how we feel about F1 races being on at 6:00AM.

[Flatspot]

The quote above "Night racing on the open-wheel circuit has been common for several seasons..." makes it sound like the lights are already in. I like the idea of a night race.

[Paul Rayner]

That's got to be the most difficult track to put lights on - you can't put any permanant stands in because it's an airport! (Unless they're just going to use the runway lights, now that would be interesting)

[indycool]

It's going to cost someone a lot of money to fully light that place.

[Tiresmoke]

I've heard the lighting contract is for $400K.