Location of former Miami Grand Prix circuit (1983-1995) (Miami, Florida)

This was the original location of a racing circuit comprised of local roads which were blocked off a few days before the events, and re-opened to the public by Monday morning. The 1.87-mile circuit used nearby Biscayne Boulevard (US 1) as well as connecting roads to the Port of Miami, access roads leading to the McArthur Causeway (US 41), and link roads inside of Bicentennial Park. It was organized and designed by Ralph Sanchez in 1983, and used until 1995, for a variety of different types of racing.

It was the first IMSA "street course" in use in 1983, and although the first race was cut short by heavy rains, the race was deemed a success, drawing crowds and drivers from all over the world. It was also one of IMSA's premier events, and since it was just a few weeks after the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona, as well as only 300 miles away, it attracted well-established teams and star drivers, in part to the late-February/early-March position on the international racing schedule.

When IMSA's premier sport-car racing category, Grand Touring Prototypes, folded in 1994, an SCCA Trans-Am race was held, and in 1995, a CART race was held, although the circuit was raced in the opposite direction. All the while, Ralph Sanchez had a plan to build a 1.5-mile oval track in Homestead. With the economy of Homestead in poor shape after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and the promise of new jobs and a re-vitalized economy, Sanchez was given the green light to build his track, Miami-Homestead Motor Speedway, which opened in 1996.

Roads inside Bicentennial Park still exist, but the paddock, pit-lane, and start/finish line areas (which were mostly temporary structures) have been built over by the American Airlines Arena complex.

The close finish of the 1988 Miami Grand Prix:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkTKHgGaKCs
 historical layer / disappeared object  Add category
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:  25°47'5"N 80°11'14"W

Comments

  • Photo courtesy of me, taken in February 1990. This photo was taken in the temporary paddock area, which is where the American Airline Area is presently located. The (Miami) Freedom Tower is visible in the background, which is just to the west of this location.
  • Second photo courtesy of me, photo taken by me at conclusion of 1992 Miami Grand Prix, photo licensed as Creative Commons 3.0 license. ยป http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:FinishNissan92miami.jpg
  • The very first few races did not use this layout. The track was a few blocks further south, using a portion of Bayfront Park and Biscayne Blvd. The Garage area was an exhibition hall that has since been torn down and replaced with the Bayfront Marketplace Shops. I know. I was there in '83. It rained like hell that day.
  • Third picture also from me, photo taken at the 1987 Miami Grand Prix.
This article was last modified 11 years ago