FRIDAY, OCT. 22 - SUNDAY, Oct. 24, 2021
THE WESTIN SAVANNAH HARBOR
General Admission: $ 10 to $ 45
(discount online thru 10/3)
General Admission: $ 10 to $ 45
(discount online thru 10/3)
Savannah, GA, thought of by most for its Southern charm, storied past and relaxing pace, is not typically linked to fast cars. American auto racing today is synonymous with cities such as Indianapolis and Daytona. However, unknown to most, the unlikely city of Savannah, GA is, in actuality, the birthplace of Grand Prix racing in America. Imagine back to 1908 - the unpaved city streets of Savannah filled with hundreds of thousands of spectators from across the United States; over 1,500 soldiers serving as human barricades to protect those watching from the racing cars zooming past; people traveling by train and steamship to be a part of the historic occasion; downtown hotels opening their ballrooms to serve as campgrounds for visitors; the greatest names from Louis Chevrolet to Henry Ford to the Vanderbilts all in attendance. All of this to be a part of the American Grand Prize.
From 1908 to 1911, four major automobile races were hosted in Savannah, Georgia in which automobile drivers from around the world participated in a grand prix auto racing on a twenty-five mile race course laid out southwest of the city proper.
The four Savannah races included:
From 1908 to 1911, four major automobile races were hosted in Savannah, Georgia in which automobile drivers from around the world participated in a grand prix auto racing on a twenty-five mile race course laid out southwest of the city proper.
The four Savannah races included:
- Grand Prize Race of the Automobile Club of America (November 26, 1908) - Won by Louis Wagner in a FIAT
- American Grand Prize (November 12, 1910) - Won by David Bruce-Brown in a Benz
- Vanderbilt Cup Race (November 27, 1911) - Won by Ralph Mulford in a Lozier
- American Grand Prize (November 30,1911) - Won by David Bruce-Brown in a FIAT
Convicts working on the race track, Savannah, GA.
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David Bruce-Brown in his Benz automobile, Savannah, GA.
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A driver and his mechanic, Savannah, GA.
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Photographs compliments of the Georgia Historical Society.
About the track
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The Grand Prize of America Track debuted in 1997 with the Indy Lights Dixie Crystals Grand Prix. That was the only Indy Lights race to be held on the Hutchinson Island road course, a wide, 1.965 mile circuit with 10 turns in Savannah, GA. Helio Castroneves was the winner of the inaugural Dixie Crystal Grand Prix.
According to Mauricio Gugelmin and Mark Blundell who ran on this track during a private PacWest test back in ‘97, cars can reach up to 190 miles per hour at the end of the straights. Turn 1 is like an oval - you enter at about 190, drop a gear, and get on it. It is good for passing because, since it's like an oval, you can set somebody up high or low into the following esses – a characteristic reminiscent of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. |
Tour of Grand Prize Track with the BMW Performance Driving School's Mike Renner.
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“As a drivers track, it's good," said Blundell after his time on the course. "It's quite demanding and really physical. It's a fun circuit to drive, and there are at least two and possibly three spots for overtaking. It doesn't have a street course feel — it's more of a road course feel. From a spectator viewpoint, there are plenty of great vantage points."
Since the Savannah Speed Classic reopened the track in 2008, the track has hosted racing greats such as Bobby Rahal, Hurley Haywood, Boris Said, Brian Redman, Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Tommy Milner, David Donahue, Elliott Forbes Robinson, Skip Barber and Brian Johnson.
Since the Savannah Speed Classic reopened the track in 2008, the track has hosted racing greats such as Bobby Rahal, Hurley Haywood, Boris Said, Brian Redman, Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Tommy Milner, David Donahue, Elliott Forbes Robinson, Skip Barber and Brian Johnson.
