1997 Dixie Crystals Grand Prix

Last updated
Flag of the United States.svg 1997 Hutchinson Island Savannah
Race details
4th round of the 1997 PPG/Firestone Indy Lights Championship Powered By Buick season
DateMay 18, 1997
Official name Dixie Crystals Grand Prix
Location Grand Prize of America Road Course
CourseParkland circuit
1.965 mi / 3.162 km
Distance50 laps
98.25 mi / 158.10 km
Pole position
Driver Hélio Castroneves  (Tasman Motorsports)
Time1:04.824
Podium
First Hélio Castroneves  (Tasman Motorsports)
Second Sérgio Paese  (FRE Racing)
Third Lee Bentham  (Forsythe Racing)

The 1997 Dixie Crystals Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 1997 PPG/Firestone Indy Lights Championship Powered By Buick. The race took place on May 18 in Savannah, Georgia, United States, on Grand Prize of America Road Course parkland circuit on Hutchinson Island; a river island in the Savannah River, north of downtown Savannah. The race was won by Hélio Castroneves for Tasman Motorsports. Sérgio Paese finished second ahead of Lee Bentham, Luiz Garcia Jr., and Naoki Hattori. [1]

Contents

Report

Background

In the 1990s, a group of local businessmen formed the Colonial Motorsport company, deciding it was time to bring back international racing action to Savannah. Major international races had last been held on the streets of Savannah with the American Grand Prize in 1908, 1910, and 1911; and the Vanderbilt Cup Race in 1911. After four years of careful negotiations, an agreement was reached for a stand-alone Indy Lights race, with follow up events in '98 and '99 offering the possibility of a future CART round. Public monies helped build a 1.965-mile county road to serve as a 10-turn circuit; the first time a public road had been pre-designed with the intention of also using it for racing in the USA. [2]

Mark Blundell quoted, after a feasibility test for future CART races, "As a drivers track, it's good, 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." [3]

The event looked like a modest success; drivers seemed happy with the course, fans turned out in reasonable numbers, and a contract was in place for future years. However, creditors and several companies involved in the construction didn't want to give the promoters a reasonable time frame to make the event profitable. The resulting lawsuit threw Colonial Motorsport company into Chapter 11, and all its contracts, including the one with CART, were dissolved. The track itself came into public ownership and fell into disrepair. [4] [5]

Classification

Indy Lights

PosQualDriverTeamLapsLaps LedPoints
11 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castroneves Tasman Motorsports 505022
24 Flag of Brazil.svg Sérgio Paese FRE Racing 5016
310 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lee Bentham Forsythe Racing 5014
43 Flag of Brazil.svg Luiz Garcia Jr. Dorricott Racing 5012
515 Flag of Japan.svg Naoki Hattori Team Green 5010
67 Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Noda Indy Regency Racing 508
717 Flag of Brazil.svg Oswaldo Negri Jr. Genoa Racing 506
812 Flag of Brazil.svg Airton Daré Brian Stewart Racing 495
95 Flag of France.svg Didier André Autosport Racing 494
1013 Flag of Sweden.svg Fredrik Larsson Johansson Motorsports 493
1116 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Dorricott, Jr. Dorricott Racing 492
129 Flag of France.svg Christophe Tinseau Conquest Racing 491
1324 Flag of the United States.svg Casey Mears Team Mears 49
146 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg David Empringham Forsythe Racing 48 Crash
158 Flag of Japan.svg Shigeaki Hattori Lucas Place Motorsports 48 Crash
1614 Flag of the United States.svg Chris Simmons Team Green 48
1711 Flag of the United States.svg Mark Hotchkis Team Green 48
1825 Flag of the United States.svg Clint Mears Team Mears 47 Off Course
1923 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg John Jones Eclipse Racing 45
2020 Flag of the United States.svg Geoff Boss Team Medlin 42 Wheel
2119 Flag of Brazil.svg Cristiano da Matta Brian Stewart Racing 16 Crash
2218 Flag of the United States.svg Robby Unser PacWest Lights 16 Crash
232 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan Tasman Motorsports 15 Throttle
2421 Flag of the United States.svg Jaques Lazier Brian Stewart Racing 8 Crash
2522 Flag of Mexico.svg Rodolfo Lavín Indy Regency Racing 1 Crash
DNSDNQ Flag of the United States.svg Dave DeSilva Lucas Place Motorsports

Notes: All teams used a Normally-Aspirated Buick V6 engine producing 425 hp, and the Lola T97/20 chassis.

Support Races

North American Touring Car Championship

SeasonDatePole positionWinning driverWinning team
1997 May 17 Flag of the United States.svg Peter Cunningham Flag of the United States.svg Peter Cunningham Honda American Racing Team
May 18 Flag of the United States.svg Peter Cunningham Flag of the United States.svg Peter Cunningham Honda American Racing Team

Barber Dodge Pro Series

SeasonDatePole positionFastest lapWinning driver
1997 May 18 Flag of the United States.svg Derek Hill Flag of the United States.svg Rocky Moran Jr. Flag of the United States.svg Derek Hill

USAC Formula Ford 2000

SeasonDateWinning driverChassis
1997 May 18 Flag of Brazil.svg Luciano Zangirolami [6] Van Diemen RF97

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References

  1. "1997 Dixie Crystals Grand Prix".
  2. "CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS, Form S-1, Filing Date Dec 23, 1997". secdatabase.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  3. http://www.hhiconcours.com/events/savannah.html
  4. "Circuit History".
  5. "Why Champ Car needs to look at Savannah".
  6. "USAC Formuła Ford 2000 - sezon 1997".