Grand Prix hits the wall

Labor Day Weekend was likely the last time we’ll see open-wheel cars racing around Pratt Street at 180 mph.

Grand Prix of Baltimore organizers—that is, the most recent group to
try its hand at putting on an IndyCar Series race here—announced shortly
after this year’s event they weren’t coming back for 2014 or 2015. With
M&T Bank Stadium set to host the Navy-Ohio State football game next
Labor Day and an American Legion Convention slotted for 2015, city
officials and Race On LLC blamed scheduling conflicts, but the truth is
the event was beset by mismanagement from the get-go.

And flagging attendance the past two years never matched the curious crowds that turned out for the inaugural 2011 show.

Three years ago, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called the Grand Prix
“a game-changer” for Baltimore and remained the event’s biggest
cheerleader, but many folks—and local businesses—will happily wave
goodbye to the month-long traffic disruptions.

“An uphill battle into the wind.” —Grand Prix organizer JP Grant on the race coming back