Grand Prix of Miami (sports car racing)
The Trans-Am Series, Rolex Sports Car Series, and American Le Mans Series have all held races in the Miami area.
IMSA
Promoter Ralph Sanchez brought auto racing to the Miami area in 1983. A course at Bayfront Park featured the IMSA GT Championship and the inaugural Grand Prix of Miami. A 1.85-mile (2.98 km) circuit was laid out on the park roads and Biscayne Boulevard. The 1983 was almost a failure both competitively and financially. A severe rainstorm turned the circuit into a quagmire. However, a year later, the event returned, and grew into a huge success.
IMSA races were held at the first Bayfront Circuit from 1983 until 1985. For 1986, the event moved to a new layout at nearby Bicentennial Park. The Bicentennial Park circuit was a semi-permanent layout which featured purpose-built roads in the park area, along with a temporary segment taking it out on Biscayne Boulevard near the entrance to the Port of Miami. The event continued through 1993, at which time IMSA itself was experiencing a period of decline and reorganization.
| Season | Date | Race name | Overall Winner(s) | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfront Park | |||||
| 1983 | February 27 | Budweiser Grand Prix of Miami |  |
March 83G-Chevrolet | Holbert Racing |
| 1984 | February 26 | Budweiser Grand Prix of Miami |  |
Jaguar XJR-5 | Group 44 |
| 1985 | February 24 | Löwenbräu Grand Prix of Miami | |
Porsche 962 | Holbert Racing |
| Bicentennial Park | |||||
| 1986 | March 2 | Löwenbräu Grand Prix of Miami |   |
Porsche 962 | Bayside Leven Racing |
| 1987 | March 1 | Grand Prix of Miami | .svg.png){kind=small} |
Nissan GTP ZX-T | Nissan Electramotive Engineering |
| 1988 | February 28 | Grand Prix of Miami | |
Porsche 962 | Dyson Racing |
| 1989 | March 5 | Nissan Grand Prix of Miami | |
Nissan GTP ZX-T | Nissan Electromotive Engineering |
| 1990 | February 25 | Nissan Grand Prix of Miami | |
Nissan GTP ZX-T | Nissan Electromotive Engineering |
| 1991 | April 7 | Nissan Camel Grand Prix of Miami |  |
Jaguar XJR-10 | TWR |
| 1992 | February 22 | Toyota Grand Prix of Miami | |
Nissan NPT-91A | Nissan Performance Technologies |
| 1993 | February 21 | Toyota Grand Prix of Miami |  |
Eagle Mk III-Toyota | All American Racers |
- 1983: Race red-flagged after 27 laps due to heavy rain.[1]
Trans Am
For 1994, the event at Bicentennial Park switched to the SCCA Trans-Am Series. This event lasted only one year. In 1995, the CART series utilized the course for one race, then the course was partially razed for the construction of American Airlines Arena.
| Year | Date | Winning Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | March 5 | |
Ford Mustang | Roush Racing |
American Le Mans Series
The ALMS and Champ Car held a joint race on a new circuit at Bayfront Park. The event took place in 2002 and 2003.
For 2002, a 1.387-mile (2.232 km) circuit utilized park roads and extended onto Biscayne Boulevard and 3rd and 4th Streets. In 2003, the layout was changed to drop the 3rd/4th Street loop and add a section on Biscayne Boulevard along the north end of the park.
| Year | Date | Race name | Winner(s) | Entrant | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | October 5 | Cadillac American Le Mans Challenge |  |
Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 |
| 2003 | September 27 | Grand Prix Americas |  |
ADT Champion Racing | Audi R8 |
Grand Am
The Rolex Sports Car Series held a race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. The event was first held in 1998 as a part of the United States Road Racing Championship, but following the cancelation of that series the FIA GT Championship took over the 1999 event. Grand-Am revived the event in 2000. The race took place on the combined road course layout.
For 2002-2009, the race was held in conjunction with the Indycar race. In 2009, it moved to October and served as the Grand Am season finale. In 2010, the Indycar race was dropped, and the Grand Am race returned to the spring as a stand-alone event. It was not scheduled for 2013.
| Year | Date | Race name | Overall Winner(s) | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | May 17 | Road Racing Extravaganza | |
Dyson Racing | Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford |
| 1999 | 26 September | Miami 500 | |
Paul Belmondo Racing | Chrysler Viper GTS-R |
| 2000 | April 30 | Nextel 250 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
Doran Lista Racing | Ferrari 333SP-Judd |
| 2001 | March 3 | Nextel 250 | |
Dyson Racing | Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford |
| 2002 | March 2 | Nextel 250 | |
Doran Lista Racing | Ferrari 333SP-Judd |
| 2003 | March 1 | Nextel Grand Prix of Miami | |
Brumos Racing | Fabcar FDSC/03-Porsche |
| 2004 | February 28 | Grand Prix of Miami |  |
Howard Boss Motorsports | Crawford DP03-Pontiac |
| September 19 | Miami 250 | |
Howard Boss Motorsports | Crawford DP03-Pontiac | |
| 2005 | March 5 | Grand Prix of Miami |  |
SunTrust Racing | Riley Mk XI-Pontiac |
| 2006 | March 25 | Linder-Komatsu Grand Prix of Miami | |
Alex Job Racing | Crawford DP03-Porsche |
| 2007 | March 24 | Linder-Komatsu Grand Prix of Miami | |
Team Sigalsport | Riley Mk XI-BMW |
| 2008 | March 29 | Gainsco Grand Prix of Miami |  |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XI-Lexus |
| 2009 | October 10 | Gainsco Grand Prix of Miami |  |
Brumos Racing | Riley Mk XI-Porsche |
| 2010 | March 6 | Grand Prix of Miami | |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XX-BMW |
| 2011 | March 5 | Grand Prix of Miami | |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XX-BMW |
| 2012 | April 29 | Grand Prix of Miami | |
SunTrust Racing | Corvette DP (Dallara DP01) |
- The 1998 race was a part of the United States Road Racing Championship. No race was held in 1999.
References
- "Budweiser Grand Prix of Miami". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 3 April 2010.