CANADA
Grand Prix of Baltimore
Baltimore is known for many things - Edgar Allan Poe, the genesis of the Star Spangled Banner and H.L. Mencken, but Grand Prix racing is its new claim to fame. First held on Sept. 4, 2011, the Baltimore Grand Prix loops around the Inner Harbor area, the Baltimore Convention Center and Camden Yards, among others. While this white-knuckle race will have the octane running high, spectators will have a hard time finding Baltimore Grand Prix parking unless they book Baltimore Grand Prix parking ahead of time, and leave the laps to the pros.
The race has had a rocky history, as the City of Baltimore had to deal with two race organizers before finally settling on both Race On LLC and Andretti Sports Marketing for planning and promotion. The first promoter, Baltimore Racing Development, folded soon after making a deal with the city, with many of their debts left unpaid. The second promoter was Downforce Racing LLC, but that organization also imploded, leaving the city of Baltimore with egg on its face. As the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series have a reputation to uphold, this set of circumstances was unfortunate.
Like most races, the Grand Prix follows a circular pattern. It begins at the Baltimore Convention Center, flying past the Hyatt, then the Royal Sonesta Hotel, the Baltimore Sheraton, the Hilton and Marriott before reaching the finish at the Convention Center once more. After the first race and 2011, a sticking point by several drivers was that the chicane on the main straightaway was not needed; its purpose is to slow drivers down so they don’t go dangerously fast. When it was removed for some practice runs for the 2012 race, two drivers named Simon Pagenaud and Oriol Servia flew over the train tracks, and as a result the chicane was put back into service. In 2013, the IndyCar winner was Simon Pagenaud of Schmidt Motorsports. While all the souped-up racecars speed around the track, it wouldn’t be fun having to go around and around a parking lot while trying to find a Baltimore Grand Prix parking spot. If your pit crew plans correctly, you can book a spot for parking at the Baltimore Grand Prix with ParkWhiz.
ParkWhiz makes it easy to find Baltimore Grand Prix parking; select the race, select what time you want to park at the Grand Prix of Baltimore on the event date, print out your Baltimore Grand Prix parking pass (or use your mobile pass) and enjoy your day at the races!
Baltimore parking at other popular destinations:
