craig71188 Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Hey, on the idea of staging a race in Columbus, does anyone have a course map of the old Columbus Ford Dealers race circuit? The one they ran downtown? I still have some old programs, no postable map, but the course went south from Broad in front of what is now COSI, Left over the Town St bridge, left on Marconi(?-street name) back to Broad then right (east) and left (north) on Front to Spring. Left on Spring (west) out and under the railroad bridge, then made a 180 degree turn out about Neil. The course then came back in to Marconi and turned right on Broad. The pit area was on Broad street in front of Vet's Memorial - it also featured a 180 degree turn at the west end (about the entrance to Vet's). The first year workers met up at the old Ohio Penitentiary on Spring - they actually held the worker party there. Mayor Buck Reinhart was a big supporter. Some photos of the race can be found about midway down this page: http://www.pbase.com/mwphoto Some great memories of working that race over the years. In fact my wife designed the program cover one year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturg1647545502 Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 living in UA, that used to be my favorite part of the day riding to downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suffocateXfaster1647545505 Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 I drive this daily but never looked at it like this. I'll have to swing by and give it a go tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted June 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Took a drive of it last night, there are a few problems: -Topography; the apartment people will be stuck, there's no way to get them out onto Grandview without using the course. -Bloody landscaping. Where Watermark hits Grandview, there's a plater smack-dab in the middle, one one lane passes on each side. This will have to dug up. -Onramp; As noted before, it will have to be widend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanello Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 I would love if we could get something like the old Columbus 500 going, and I'm willing to help get it started. Here's a picture of my friend Lynn Hanover's old IMSA GTU Mazda RX-2 running the Columbus 500. http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/stanello/RX_2_edited.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHaze Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Brilliant idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOS50 Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 I'm old enough that I drove to the Columbus Race.I remember they didn't secure(weld) a man hole cover down and a car went over and it flew way up in the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cptn janks Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 someone posted this "track" on here a while back and called it "the concrete canyon" i like it http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=17903682115925121442,39.953497,-83.003922&saddr=I-70+W%2FI-71+S+%4039.953497,+-83.003922&daddr=39.953499,-83.003918&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=20&sll=39.953504,-83.003469&sspn=0.00045,0.001175&ie=UTF8&ll=39.962912,-82.995186&spn=0.028814,0.075188&t=h&z=14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted June 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 someone posted this "track" on here a while back and called it "the concrete canyon" i like it http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=17903682115925121442,39.953497,-83.003922&saddr=I-70+W%2FI-71+S+%4039.953497,+-83.003922&daddr=39.953499,-83.003918&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=20&sll=39.953504,-83.003469&sspn=0.00045,0.001175&ie=UTF8&ll=39.962912,-82.995186&spn=0.028814,0.075188&t=h&z=14 That would have been me. I forget what my best time was. lol Bit o' history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcMhBTTuSWg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig71188 Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 I'm old enough that I drove to the Columbus Race.I remember they didn't secure(weld) a man hole cover down and a car went over and it flew way up in the air. TRUE! The ground affects on those cars was huge! I believe it was the first event - they welded all night. Corner worker friends of mine heard more than one "rattle" in its opening the first day of practice - it only got pulled up a "little". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cptn janks Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 i found that other thread: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34843 post 12 you are right about counter clockwise too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avenger1647545502 Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 We sat in the stands at Broad and Marconi the first year. Good viewpoint, I couldn't believe that there were actually empty seats though. 86 was better, we were halfway down Marconi. 87 sucked, we were up in the Leveque Tower, and couldn't see crap. Sounded damn good though. God, I'd love to see a race back in Columbus again. But I would NOT want to deal with the traffic consequences of shutting down major chunks of freeway and downtown for a week or more. It was a major hassle back in the 80s, and that was with a THIRD of the traffic we have now. I've run that "Concrete Canyon" a few times. About 330am Sunday night/Monday morning is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.COS Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 I went to the Columbus race when I was a kid. I don't remember much but the Jaguar cars, and it being crazy loud. Of course I was only 10-11 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted June 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 We sat in the stands at Broad and Marconi the first year. Good viewpoint, I couldn't believe that there were actually empty seats though. Looked dead in those vids, I didn't see one confirmable grand stand (meaning they were small). Methinks now would be a better time for motorsport in Columbus, as well. In the 80's all anyone wanted to do was coke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cptn janks Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 I've run that "Concrete Canyon" a few times. About 330am Sunday night/Monday morning is best. haha i was just thinking that same thing... maybe ill take my bike out there. id like to have someone waiting in a car in a parking garage somewhere so i can dip off and park the bike and let the heat die down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avenger1647545502 Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Yeah, the stands were just football bleachers or something like that, but we had canoe seats with us so at least we weren't sitting on raw metal. There were a few good passes right in front of us, and one of the turbo Mustangs popped the largest shift fireball I've ever seen all of 10 feet from me. It's really impressive when you can actually FEEL the heat..... I'm looking through the old pics to see if I can spot myself, that would be neat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badasskylark Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Lol when 670 used to end at grandview the 33 to 670 east side of the freeway was closed for many years, people from Grandview always raced there and called it the 1/4 mile. A friend of mine has a video of his 69 Mach 1 mustang racing a Nova, GTO, and a 5.0 there from the late 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 That would be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOS50 Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 http://www.pbase.com/mwphoto/1986columbus A buddy of mine found this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04silvrz Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 That would have been me. I forget what my best time was. lol Bit o' history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcMhBTTuSWg wow, i had no idea this was here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattsn2o281 Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 here's the old course : http://www.pbase.com/mwphoto/image/68328493 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GonneVille Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Another great possible route...tons of room for grandstands, and you can even leave High St and Front St open to traffic, so you don't have to entirely shut down downtown. http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/GonneVille/ColumbusGPcrop1.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/GonneVille/ColumbusGP2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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