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News & Announcements

7/31/2008 - Grattan Dog Days

August 9th and 10th at Grattan Raceway in Grattan, Michigan Western Michigan Region will be hosting the 2008 Dog Days of Summer national.


This annual event has been going on forever and the races are always fabulous as it marks the beginning of the countdown to the Runoffs.  We have had inquiries from all over the U.S. so we are hoping for a good car count and great competition.

Registration will be open from 3 to 9 PM on Friday,  7 AM to 1 PM on Saturday  and  8 AM to 12 PM on Sunday.  On-track activities start at 9 AM on both Saturday and Sunday so the flag meeting will be near the base of the tower at 8:00 on Saturday and 8:15 Sunday.

Currently 7 racing groups are planned with the traditional Grattan pig roast 30 minutes after the last checker on Saturday evening.  Worker camping is always free at Grattan and there are hot showers and a rest room located adjacent to the worker campground (and separate from the paddock shower/restroom facilities).  Coffee and donuts are free both mornings as are concession lunches.

Please contact Verne Wandell, flag chief for the event, via email at flagchief@valleyedit.com or by phone at (269) 217-2489 or register at the MTM web site, http://register.michiganturnmarshals.org to let me know you are coming.

Verne



7/21/2008 - The 24 Hours of Nelson

Our friend Erik Avendutti, the Flag Chief from the Neohio Region has requested that we post this announcement:

The 24 hour is back at Nelson Ledges for another run at the record books.  The weather should be good and the racing great.  There should be more cars and drivers than last year and for the LEC members the starting time has been moved to noon on Saturday giving the long haulers time to get home on Sunday. There is a party after the night practice on Friday, so you can sleep in Saturday.  Hope to see you all there.

Workers can register on the Lake Erie Communications website or may contact Erik at cat86@earthlink.net

7/08/2008 - Construction Begins On Belle Isle

DETROIT, MI - As the trucks hauling barrier walls, grandstands and flooring lumbered across the MacArthur Bridge this week the monumental task of creating The Raceway at Belle Isle Park had officially begun.

The green flag has waved on construction of the 2.07-mile, 14-turn street circuit with tons of materials and hundreds of workers arriving on the island over the next seven weeks, creating the home of the 2008 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, August 29-31.

Crowds in excess of 100,000 are expected to visit the island over Labor Day weekend with world-class auto racing and family fun once again putting a charge into the Motor City. The sports cars of the American Le Mans Series and the open-wheel machines of the IndyCar Series will test the Belle Isle streets in just a few weeks at the Grand Prix, but first comes the hard work and the remarkable transformation of the island.

"Constructing a first-class racing venue at a vibrant island park like Belle Isle is quite an undertaking," said Bud Denker, Event Chairman of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. "Fortunately, we've got terrific partners and landlords in the City of Detroit Recreation Department along with a great operations staff and experienced vendors and workers to help get it done."

Detroit Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams was on hand Tuesday to help kick off track construction. Adams even donned a Grand Prix hard hat and operated a forklift to move some cement barriers, signifying that the heavy lifting has started on Belle Isle. Some 2,000 concrete barrier walls will be moved into place beginning this week, creating the framework for the race track on the island. Assembly of the six massive grandstands around the circuit also begins this week.

Following the initial barrier and grandstand delivery, the installation of the elevated flooring for the luxurious hospitality chalets will commence and continue through the second week of August. More than 50,000 feet of temporary fencing will arrive on the island in mid August and will be put in place around the race venue. The Raceway at Belle Isle Park will also feature approximately 27 miles of safety cabling and over 12,000 tires will be delivered to make up the temporary barrier walls used on track race weekend. In the closing stages of construction the dozens of tents, trailers and numerous displays and activity areas will be built on site, setting the stage for an action-packed weekend. The final pieces will be put in place during the final week of August when the race competitors arrive on the island with nearly 200 massive race transporters, motorcoaches and hospitality units.

"There will be a lot of hard work and activity going on at Belle Isle over the next few weeks," said Gary Baise, Operations Director for the Grand Prix. "We invite everyone to come down, take a look and see how much things change from day to day, and enjoy everything the island has to offer."

                                                                                         Copyright ©2008 Downtown Detroit Partnership.

4/02/2008 - DBIGP Worker Registration

Applications are now being accepted to participate at the 2008 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.

Workers are needed in the following areas:
* Flagging and Communications
* Emergency Services
* Equipment
* Timing & Scoring

Priority will be given to current SCCA members who participate in Detroit Region activities:
* Great Lakes Division Drivers School at Nelson Ledges – April 18-20
* Good Times National Race at Grattan Raceway – May 10-11
* Formula SAE at Michigan International Speedway – May 14-18

Submit your application by clicking here > http://detroit-scca.org/e107/e107_plugins/survey/survey.php?4




3/20/2008 - SPEED World Challenge Returns to Detroit

SCCA Pro Racing has announced the addition of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and Road America to the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge schedule.

Although it was absent from the calendar last season, SCCA SPEED World Challenge will return to Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., August 8-10.  The SCCA SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Cars will headline Sunday’s race activities, following the American Le Mans Series race on Saturday.


Three weeks after the Road America event, the SCCA SPEED GT Championship will join the American Le Mans Series and the IndyCar Series at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, August 29-31, Labor Day weekend.


It will only be the second time World Challenge has raced at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park street circuit, the first being in 2001.
That race was won by Peter Cunningham in an Acura NSX.


“We’re excited to add SPEED World Challenge to our weekend schedule of racing,” Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Event Chairman Bud Denker said.  “Many of the cars racing in SPEED GT were conceived and built right here in Detroit, which makes Belle Isle the perfect venue to watch them go head-to-head.  This is a race and a series that our fans will have a special connection to and will really appreciate, adding to a great weekend of racing."

Both the SCCA SPEED GT and SPEED Touring Car Championships will now hold 10 rounds each in 2008.
The full SCCA SPEED World Challenge schedule can be found at > www.world-challenge.com