Grand Prix Gets Port’s Approval

The San Diego Unified Port District on Tuesday unanimously approved the concept of moving the Grand Prix of San Diego from the Del Mar Fairgrounds to downtown streets.

Despite a 6-0 vote, however, the commissioners noted concerns over liability, parking, airport impact and the planned expansion of the Convention Center. Commissioner Raymond Burk was absent.

The port also voted to name the city of San Diego as the lead agency in preparing an environmental impact report, which must be filed before final approval for a downtown auto race is given. The port will list its concerns and send them to the city for review.

Del Mar Race Management will take its plan to the City Council next Monday.

If the move is approved, the first downtown race could take place as early as Labor Day, 1993, Del Mar Race Management president Christopher Pook told the port commission.

Pook said the race, which has been run at Del Mar for the past six years, could have an economic impact of $10 million to $14 million each year.

Pook and DMRM are asking for a five-year contract with the port and city, and have agreed to vacate or move the track if and when the bayfront Convention Center is expanded.

Several representatives from downtown business organizations spoke in favor of the plan.

If the city and the port cannot jointly approve the plan, then DMRM will be in danger of losing its right to run the 1993 race at Del Mar.

The environmental impact report is expected to take at least 30 days to complete, and DMRM has until Nov. 11 to tell Del Mar whether it will be back. DMRM already has television contracts for coverage of the 1993 race, Pook said.

“It’s not a big gamble,” Pook said after the hearing. “This event is generally wanted by all parties.”

Pook owns the rights to stage Indy-style racing in San Diego, and, in seeking a five-year agreement with the city, wants the races downtown to showcase the city. He said the first two days of racing would be covered by the ESPN cable network, with the finals--on the Sunday before Labor Day--being carried nationally on NBC.

The national exposure to San Diego, Pook has said, would have “a positive effect on the entire tourism industry and bring a lot of corporate people to San Diego as well.

“Motor racing produces a tremendous following of corporate entities,” he said. “That, I would suggest, is very positive for San Diego.”

Del Mar officials do not object to the race moving from their area. In fact, they encourage the move. Council member Brooke Eisenberg said officials imposed noise and traffic restrictions during the races, which made the race less interesting to watch.

City fathers also have scoffed at Pook’s suggestion that the event brought Del Mar more than $14 million a year, pointing to the city’s $10 million budget and claiming, in the words of the mayor, that “we don’t even see much of a blip.”

The proposed downtown course would start and finish on the south side of Harbor Drive, make a right-hand turn onto 5th Avenue, a left-hand turn onto Convention Way, a left into the surface parking lot next to the Convention Center, and exit the parking lot with a left-hand turn onto 8th Avenue.

It would continue left onto the north side of Harbor Drive and follow Harbor from 8th to 1st Avenue, where a hairpin turn would put the races back on the south side of Harbor and near the start-finish line.