Philadelphia race hangs in balance
Plans for a new street race for Champ Cars in Philadelphia hang in the balance after meeting opposition from locals.
Film star and Champ Car team owner Paul Newman recently presented plans for a street course based around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to enthusiastic city officials last month.
The proposed circuit would pass by the city's Art Museum, Logan's Circle, Pennsylvania Avenue and other nearby streets in a 1.8 mile course. City officials say a race could bring millions of dollars in hotel, restaurant and shopping revenue from tourists who would flock to the event.
.JPG "A view down Benjamin Franklin Parkway towards City Hall")
The race would be centred on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, overlooked by City Hall.
Picture: Jeffrey M. Vinocur
The plans include widening, by as much as 10 feet, sections of the Parkway and a portion of Race Street in front of the Moore College of Art and Design, costing around $800,000.
Other modifications would also be needed, with several streets to be reconfigured. Temporary grandstands would be erected for the event and five pedestrian bridges built across the proposed race course.
But opposition groups claim the race would damage the area and put back plans to make it more pedestrian friendly. In a letter to city officials, the Parkway Council Foundation, which has spearheaded a multi-million dollar effort to improve the area, said: "The idea of widening roadways and reducing public space is completely contrary to the vision we all hold for the Parkway".
But Champ Car executive vice president Joe Chrnelich joined in a live radio debate with opponents recently and revealed that a revised layout had been drawm up which would not require the contentious structural changes.
If the race does go ahead, it will not be the first in the area. The city's nearby Fairmount Park hosted an annual road race through West Fairmount Park from 1906 to 1911, attracting pioneers such as Ralph DePalma, Ray Harroun and George Robertson. The penultimate event drew in a crowd of some 600,000.
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