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DALLAS GRAND PRIX

By D Magazine |

“There are only three true sports: fencing, bullfighting and auto racing. Everything else is just a game.”

-Ernest Hemingway



It begins on the steamy green edge of a Brazilian rain forest, minutes from the tropical bacchanalia of Rio de Janeiro. Then, 8,000 miles above sea level to the mountains of South Africa, overlooking the city of Johannesburg.

Next, a swing through Europe: the Ardennes Forest of Belgium; a tiny principality on the Italian peninsula; an ancient city in the French wine country. It twists through the narrow cobblestone streets of Monte Carlo, perched majestically above the glittering Mediterannean.

A breathtaking slice of the Austrian Alps; the rainy Dutch seacoast; a park north of Milan where crazed fans mob the spectacle; the sundrenched south coast of Spain.

And this summer, for the first time in history, it comes to Dallas: the contest for racing’s most coveted prize, the World Driving Championship. Pursued across four continents by the best drivers in the world. Demanded by the most revered names in racing: Ferrari, Brab-ham-BMW, McLaren-Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Lotus Williams-Honda.

Drivers who defy death in a raw spectacle which defies explanation. The cutting edge of technology, state-of-the-art race cars go over 200 mph in an all-out battle for the laurels once worn by Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Juan Manuel Fangio and Emerson Fitipaldi.

On July 6-8, 1984, Dallas joins the sixteen carefully selected cities in 14 different countries chosen to host a Grand Prix. An historic international sporting event for the world’s newest international city. A weeklong social gala and street festival in the classic tradition of Rio de Janeiro, Mardi Gras and Monte Carlo, drawing celebrities, movie stars, world leaders and royalty from around the globe to the winding roads and Art Deco architecture of Fair Park.

After soccer, auto racing is the world’s most popular spectator sport. The rage in Europe, Africa and South America, Formula One racing is brand-new to most Dallasites. So, in preparation for the Dallas Grand Prix, we decided to take a closer look at the history, rules, famous places and hottest faces of Grand Prix racing.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROADS OF FORMULA ONE RACING



Listed below are details of the 16 challenging circuits that the Grand Prix players must conquer to win racing’s highest honor. (See GRAND PRIX RACING LINEUP on page 147 for a calendar of Formula One contests.) The question that’s poised on all avid race fans lips is, “Will the Monaco-inspired track at Fair Park stand up to the glamorous and dangerous lengths of the world’s best?

’83 WINNING CONSTRUCTOR COMMENTS

Brabham-BMW BRAZIL-Flat and fast. Heat and humidity hard on drivers, teams and cars. All the curves aren’t on Jacarepagua circuit-Rio famous for beautiful, scantily-attired Latin females who swamp the race each year, turning the season opener into a Mardi-Gras-style street festival.

Brabham-BMW SOUTH AFRICA-The scene of the decisive final race in 1983, Kyalami is earlier this year. Heat a decisive factor in April. Magnificent view across the Rand to beautiful Johannesburg. High altitude (8,000 feet above sea level) also key factor here.

Renault BELGIUM-Flat and featureless, Zolder shares the Belgian GP in alternate years with the more challenging circuit at Spa-Francorchamps, in the heart of the Ardennes Forest. Following a three-week break on the GP calendar after the initial two races at Rio and Kyalami, teams often unveil new cars here.

Ferrari SAN MARINO-Located in one of the world’s smallest countries, San Marino is to Italy what Monaco is to France. Team Ferrari is local favorite. Fans mob the Imola circuit in a sporting frenzy similar to World Cup soccer matches in South America. Team Brabham also traditionally does well here.

Renault FRANCE-As in Belgium, the French GP alternates between the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France and Dijon-Prenois in the wine region. This year is Dijon’s turn. The challenging Courbe de Pouas turn leading into the main straightaway offers race action as hot as Dijon’s famous mustard.

Williams-Ford MONACO-Glamour. History. Pageantry. Tradition. But most of all, wild, thrashing, heart-pounding racing through the cobbled streets of the classic Meditearranean jewel of Monte Carlo. Past La Rascasse restaurant, the Grand Casino, the Hotel de Paris. Through the harbor. A two-mile circuit between the houses, with the victor greeted personally by Prince Rainier.

Ferrari CANADA-Begins the North American leg. Unique circuit built on the grounds of Montreal’s Expo ’67, located entirely on the He Notre Dame on the St. Lawrence River. Track name officially changed last year in memory of Giles Villeneuve, Canada’s beloved racing hero, who died in a tragic Formula One crash.

Tyrrell-Ford DETROIT-The home of the American auto industry. Together with Monaco and Dallas, Detroit is the last of the GP street circuits. Tight course through downtown Motor City restricts speeds and favors non-turbo drivers. Tyrell’s best chance to win with their Ford-Cosworth dinosaurs.

New Event DALLAS -The Art-Deco museums and winding roads of Fair Park are a surprisingly good replica of conditions at Monaco. Like Rio and Monte Carlo, the Dallas race is both a splashy international sporting event and a major social affair and street festival. Watch for wicked comers, a carnival-like party atmosphere, lots of Hollywood types and cars at 190 mph in the shadow of the Cotton Bowl.

Renault GREAT BRITIAN – Despite resurfacing, Brands Hatch is still bumpy. Drivers dread Brands, which is hard on the intricate Formula One machinery. Brands Hatch alternates with the lightning-fast Silverstone circuit as the venue for the British GP. The teams must face the demanding, undulating Kentish circuit in 1984, the first race of the second European leg.

Ferrari GERMANY-The notorious speed of Hockenheim has been broken up by three chicanes on main straightaways. Still a thorough test of cars and drivers. Most of the course speeds through tree-lined avenues, broken by a twisting “stadium” section.

Renault AUSTRIA-Most scenic of all Formula One circuits. High in the Alps. Fastest circuit on 1984 GP calendar. Long straights, sweeping curves and average speeds of 150 mph during qualifying.

Ferrari NETHERLANDS-Perched on the sand dunes of the North Sea. Zandvoort known for cold winds and rain. Fast and open. Flat-out Bos Uit and Scheivlak corners vicious. Best action: a hairpin turn called “Tarzan.”

Brabham-BMW ITALY-There’s a special name for the fanatic Ferrari fans of Northern Italy-the tifosi. They dominate memories of Monza’s past and present as a major spiritual home of auto racing. Set in a park north of Milan, the crowds could see the Alps rising majestically above the circuit-if they weren’t so busy tearing each other apart to get closer to the demigods of GP racing.

New Event SPAIN-Another brand new circuit, this one on public roads in Spain’s south-coast resort area. The Fuengirola circuit was a last-minute substitution for the New York GP, a race which seems to exist only in the minds of the boundlessly hopeful.

Brabham BMW EUROPE-The famous 14-mile “Nordschleife” circuit was the most challenging in the world. After Lauda’s brush with death at Nurburgring in 1976, the circuit was closed. Now, a totally new Nurburgring circuit will host a “GP of Europe” in 1984.

DALLAS GRAND PRIX 1984: THE TOP CONTENDERS

Alain Prost, France, 29 GP Starts: S7/GP Wins: 9 First GP: Argentina ’80 Team: McLaren TAG Porsche Car Number: #7

Resides In St. Crolx, Switzerland

83 World Championship Rank: #2

Since he burst onto the GP scene four years ago, Prost has been touted as France’s great hope for a world title in the Eighties. Prost led the race for the World Championship through much of 1983, winning the French, Belgian, British and Austrian Grands Prix, but he ended the season trailing 1981 Champion Nelson Piquet by two points. Prost has won more GP races than any other French driver in history – and he opened 1984 with a bang. He won at Rio de Janeiro and San Marino and ran second to his McLaren teammate, Niki Lauda, at Kyalami. He is the early favorite to win the 1984 World Championship, and our favorite to win.

Nelson Piquet, Brazil, 31 GP Starts: 57/GP Wins: 9 First GP: Germany 78 Team: Brabham-BMW Car Number: #1

Resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco

1983 World Championship Rank: #1

In 1981, Nelson Piquet edged Carlos Reutemann for the World Championship by finishing a careful fifth at the season finale in Las Vegas, gaining exactly the two points Piquet needed to claim the title. He repeated the trick at last year’s final race at Kyalami, South Africa. Meanwhile, Prost held onto the third-place he needed to clinch the Championship – until a broken turbo in lap 35 shattered Prost’s (and France’s) 1983 Championship dreams. Taking no risks of blowing an engine at higher speeds, Piquet purposely placed third instead of first at South Africa – and won his second World Driving Championship. Although Piquet and Brabham were troubled in early 1984 races, the great Brazilian is the reigning World Champion and the force to be reckoned with in the Dallas GP.

Keke Rosberg, Finland, 35 GP Starts: 66/GP Wins: 2 First GP: South Africa 78 Team: Wllllams-Honda Car Number: #6

Resides In Cookham Dean, England, and Monte Carlo 83 World Championship Rank #5

Keke (pronounced “Kay-Kay”) Rosberg is the only Finnish GP star in history. He drove a wild Long Beach race in 1983, executing one memorable 360 spin in a reckless attempt to overtake frontrunner Patrick Tambay. However, he drove a brilliant race to win the 1983 Monaco GP and is consistently “in the points.” A tough, reliable driver, he ran well in early 1984 races and he’s a hot prospect for victory in Dallas.

Niki Lauda, Austria, 35 GP Starts: 142/GP Wins: 19 First GP: Austria 1971 Team: McLaren TAG Porsche Car Number: #8 Resides in Hof, Austria ’83 World Championship Rank: 10

Niki Lauda won his first World Championship in 1975. In 1976, he suffered a near-fatal crash at Nurburgring which scarred his face for life, but he carried on through the season and nearly won the ’76 title. He came back in 1977 to take the World Championship again. Lauda retired from racing in 1980 and devoted two and a half years to building up his own business, Lauda Air. He came back to racing and won the 1982 Long Beach GP as though he had never been away. 1983 was not a vintage year for Lauda, but he ran well at Rio this year and pulled off a dominating victory at Kyalami. The McLaren-Porsche punch of Alain Prost and Niki Lauda could dominate the field at Dallas.

Derek Warwick, Great Britain, 38

GP Starts: 27/GP Wins: 0 First GP: Las Vegas 1981 Team: Renault-Elf Car Number: #16 Resides In Alresford, England 83 World Championship Rank: 14

Popular in racing circles, Warwick labored in the GP vineyards on the Toleman team during the last three seasons. After crashing at Monte Carlo, he ended the 1983 season with four successive races in the points. Warwick replaced Prost on the vaunted Renault-Elf team this year, showing flashes of brilliance in a near-win at Rio and strong finishes at Kyalami, Zolder and Imola. Although he lacks the experience and track record of other top contenders, we think Derek Warwick is “on a roll” that could carry him to his first GP win.

Patrick Tambay, France, 34 GP Starts: 70/GP Wins: 2 First GP: Great Britain 1977 Resides in Cannes, France and Villals, Switzerland Team: Renault-Elf Car Number: #15

83 World Championship Rank: 4

Patrick Tambay took a break from the circuit in 1980 to run the Can-Am (Canadian-American Challenge) circuit, winning six of 10 Can-Am races and the Can-Am Championship in a Lola 530 Chevrolet owned by Carl Haas. He racked up considerable points in early 1983 for the Ferrari GP team and won the 1983 San Marino race at Imola, but he fell victim to three engine failures and a brake problem in the final six races, ending the 1983 season in fourth place. Tambay was off to strong starts in early 1984, but ran out of gas at both Rio and Kyalami. Like the other high-powered teams, if Tambay and Renault can conquer the fuel-economy problems caused by the new no-refueling rules, they can make a strong showing.

Michele Alboreto, Italy, 27 GP Starts: 41/GP Wins: 2 First GP: San Marino 1981 Team: Ferrari Car Number: #27 Resides In Milan, Italy

83 World Championship Rank: 12

Michele Alboreto’s stellar rise has been surprisingly rapid. After winning the European Formula Three title in 1980, he advanced to the Formula One Circuit, joining Ken Tyrrell’s spirited but chronically under-financed unit. Alboreto responded rapidly to Tyrrell’s polishing, winning two Grands Prix in his first two seasons in Formula One and finishing seventh in the overall ’83 rankings. Two of Alboreto’s GP victories were stateside: Las Vegas in 1982 and Detroit in 1983. He added a third victory in Belgium this year. Alboreto’s ’82’-83 drives caught the eye of his countrymen at Team Ferrari, and they hired him on for 1984.

Rene Arnoux, France, 35 GP Starts: 79/GP Wins: 7 First GP: Belgium 1978 Team: Ferrari Car Number: #28 Resides In Magny-Coux, France

’83 World Championship Rank: 3 (Ferrari)

Arnoux won the European Formula Two title in 1977 with the Martini team and joined their Formula One team in 1978. He went on to the Renault team for the ’79, ’80, ’81 and ’82 seasons, finishing 8th, 6th, 9th and 6th consecutively. Arnoux jumped to Team Ferrari in 1983, winning the Canadian, Dutch and German Grands Prix and finishing the season in Third place, just 10 points behind World Champion Nelson Piquet. Arnoux’s 1983 Ferrari teammate, fellow Frenchman Patrick Tambay, has been replaced by Italian hotshoe Michele Alboreto, so Team Ferrari will field two aggressive “leadfoot” drivers at Dallas.

Eddie Cheever, US, 26 GP Starts: 55/GP Wins: 0 First GP Start: South Africa 78 Team: Alfa Romeo Car Number: #23 Resides In Rome, Italy and Monte Carlo 83 World Championship Rank: #6

Eddie Cheever is the only American to race Formula One full-time this year. Cheever has lived in Italy since 1962, and the Italian fans consider Cheever something of an exchange for Mario Andretti, the Italian-born driver who emigrated to America and went on to become one of only two Americans ever to win the World Driving Championship. Cheever improved steadily in Formula One seasons with Osella (1980), Tyrrell (1981), Ligier (1982) and Renault (1983), finishing sixth in the overall 1983 standings, despite a series of Renault mechanical problems. He should feel less pressure driving for Alfa Romeo this year, and undoubtedly will make an extra push to win.

Riccardo Patreae, Italy, 30 GP Starts: 95/GP Wina: 2 First GP: Monaco 1977 Team: Alfa Romeo Car Number: #22 Resides In Monte Carlo, Monaco

83 World Championship Rank: #9

This diminutive Italian has been at the center of a controversy since entering Formula One in a Shadow-Ford in 1977, especially after a multi-car pile-up at the 1978 Monza Grand Prix, which fatally injured Ronnie Petersen. In 1981, an Italian court finally acquitted Patrese of manslaughter charges arising from the Monza tragedy, but his impetuous charging continues to irritate other drivers. Riccardo’s only 1983 victory came at the season finale in South Africa where Nelson Piquet (protecting his championship points) slowed down at the end of the race to allow his teammate to take the flag. Although Patrese is a loose cannon on deck, his wild driving style could well hit the mark for Alfa Romeo on the twisting roads at Fair Park.

GREAT MOMENTS IN GRAND PRIX HISTORY



〈Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina ran 51 Grand Prix Races and won 24 of them. He won the World Driving Championship five times in eight years, more than any other driver in history.

Fangio’s great strength was his almost supernatural concentration. Back in 1950, the first year of the Grand Prix Circuit, Fangio was leading the first lap at Monaco as he passed a blind corner called Tabac.” Suddenly, and completely out of Fangio’s vision, the drivers behind him collided in a horrendous multiple-car accident.

Coming back around the circuit at top speed on the second lap, Fangio approached the treacherous Tabac corner -completely unaware of the carnage awaiting him around the next turn. Disaster seemed seconds away. . and then, unaccountably, Fangio slowed his Alfa to a crawl before turning the blind corner and carefully wove his way through the wreckage.

Fangio later explained his eerie premonition, “There was something different in the crowd. I was leading the race, but they weren’t watchingme. All I could see was the backs of their heads. Obviously, something had happened down the road to hold their attention.”



〈The first World Driving Champion was, of course, an Italian: Doctor Giuseppi Farina. The year was 1950, when the Formula One World Championship began. Farina drove for the Alfa Romeo team, together with the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina.

The two teammates despised each other. Farina resented Fangio’s great speed on the track, while Fangio complained about Farina’s everyday driving style.

“He was okay driving on the track,” Fangio said of Farina, “but on the road he was a madman.”

In 1950, Farina edged out Fangio to win the first World Driving Championship. But Fangio’scomplaints about his teammate’s off-circuit recklessness proved correct.

Dr. Giuseppi Farina, the first World Driving Champion, was killed sixteen years later when he crashed his Lotus Cortina.. . on his way to watch the 1966 French Grand Prix.



〈 The date was August 1,1976. The place: Nur-burgring, West Germany. The event: The 1976 German Grand Prix.

The entire world looked on in horror as the reigning world driving champion, Niki Lauda of Austria, smashed into a fiery three-car collision. Lauda ended up with third degree burns over much of his upper body and face. A priest administered the Last Rites of the Catholic Church. Lauda’s face would never be the same… but the champion cared only about his hands. Lauda told the surgeon, “Just fix my hands so I can grip the wheel.”

Ignoring doctor’s orders, he ordered a helmet large enough to fit over the bandages on hisface and was in the cockpit of his Ferrari practicing for the Monza Grand Prix only five weeks after his brush with death at Nurburgnng. Battling back in a desperate attempt to hold onto the World Championship, Lauda finished fourth at Monza. By the end of the race, his scars had opened, soaking the bandages with blood.

Sadly, the story of 1976 lacks a fairy-tale ending. Niki Lauda lost the 76 World Championship by one point to James Hunt. But the world will always remember Lauda’s awesome courage and determination. He came back to win the World Driving Championship in 1977, and he is a top contender for this year’s title.



〈Even the best drivers in the world occasionally run out of gas. Take this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, the first race of the 1984 season.

Patrick Tambay of France is considered one of the top contenders for this year’s World Driving Championship. March 25,1984 was a hot day in Rio de Janeiro.. .but Patrick Tambay was even hotter. By the 57th lap, Tambay and his Renault had moved up to second place.

As he passed the pit area, his crew began making signals to him, telling him to slow downand save his limited fuel reserve for the final laps. Tambay was disgusted.

“I was driving like I was on an economy run, rather than a Grand Prix,” he said, “It was very boring for me.”

With only two laps to go, Tambay’s tanks ran dry and his Renault rolled to a dead stop in the pits, unable to finish the race.

When the average Dallasite runs out of gas, it costs you a few minutes of aggravation. When a Grand Prix driver’s fuel gauge hits empty, it can cost his team the World Championship and millions of dollars.

But at least the average Dallasite learns from experience. Two weeks after Rio de Janeiro, on April 7, Patrick Tambay recorded the fastest lap in this year’s second race at Kyalami, South Africa. By lap 65, Tambay was in third place.. when he ran out of gas.



〈 The date was October 15, 1983. The place: Kyalami, South Africa. It was the fifteenth and final race of the 1983 Grand Prix Season. At stake: the World Driving Championship.

Former World Champion Nelson Piquet of Brazil, driving for the Brabham team, came to Kyalami with 57 total points, two points behind Frenchman Alain Prost, driving for Renault. All Prost needed was a third-place finish at Kyalami to win his first World Championship.

Piquet took the early lead in a desperate attempt to seize the Championship. Piquet’s teammate at Brabham, Riccardo Patrese of Italy, was in second place. . while Prost held onto the third-place position he needed. But on lap 35, Alain Prost’s dreams of a world title collapsed when a broken turbo forced him to retire from the race.

With Prost out, Nelson Piquet now needed only a fourth-place finish to clinch the Championship, so the wily Brazilian played it safe. He backed down his turbo boost and slowed his car, allowing teammate Riccardo Patrese to pass him on lap 60 and win the race. Piquet purposely finished third instead of first, and won his second World Championship.



DALLAS GRAND PRIX PROFILES



Dallas real estate developer and investor Don Walker, 40, president of DRW Investments, Ltd., co-founded the concept of a Dallas Grand Prix in early 1983 together with Dallas businessman Larry Waldrop, 38, head of Waldrop Construction Inc.

Walker is an avid race fan and collector of vintage race cars. He’s part owner of the successful Dallas Motorsport Can-Am Racing Team, and has been licensed by the Sports Car Club of America to operate the entire Can-Am race series through the Walker-owned Can-Am Association.

Waldrop, an enthusiastic promoter and all-around sports fan, spearheaded the $2.5 million construction project at Fair Park to resurface the 23 mile street circuit and build the complex Formula One safety system.

While the two co-founders share all major decisions in running the Dallas Grand Prix, Walker’s wife, Carol, heads the day-to-day operation of the GP as project coordinator. Meanwhile, Texas-born racing legend Carroll Shelby, a former Dallasite and four-time winner at Le Mans, serves as Race Director.

DALLAS GRAND PRIX, JULY 1-8 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

For Dallas Grand Prix tickets, call (214) 458-8467.

Sun, July 1 -Willow Bend Polo & Hunt Club

Dallas GP Kick-Off/Benefits Dallas Symphony Orchestra League

GP Cup Polo Match, Concours d’Elegance, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Winds, hot air balloon launch/$10.00 Donation/5:30 pm

Mon, July 2-Bent Tree Country Club

Dallas GP Pro-Celebrity Golf Tournament benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation $300.00 Entry Fee

Lunch: noon/Tournament at 1:30 pm Cocktails/Awards presentation at 6 pm

Thurs, July 5 -Dallas Hilton Inn

Dallas GP Art Show: “Art and the Automobile,” presented by Auto Art of Sharon, Connecticut and Automotive Emporium of Dallas, continues through July 8/Free and open to public at 10 am

Club Mistral, Loews Anatole Hotel Traditional Black-Tie Race Opening honors Dallas GP Society By Invitation Only at 8 pm

Fri, July 6-Fair Park

Vintage Race Practice from 8-9 am/Formula One Race Practice from 10-11:30 am/Dallas Civic Garden Center serves hot lunch thru Sun. Six Flags Over Texas Gunfights thru Sun. Formula One Race Practice from 1-2 pm. Air shows and hot-air balloon rides thru Sun. CRC Chemicals Can-Am race qualifying at 3-4 pm. Six Flags Hallmark Shirt Tail characters perform thru Sun. Historic and Europe/American qualifying at 4:15-5:15 pm. National Folkloric American Dancing thru Sun. Renault/Channel 5 Celebrity Race qualifying from 5:30-6 pm

Neiman-Marcus Downtown Store Nieman-Marcus cocktail party and fashion show honors Dallas GP Co-Founders By Invitation Only at 8 pm

Sat, July 7-Fair Park

Vintage Race qualifying from 8-9 am Formula One Race qualifying from 10-11:30 am Kemper Military Band parade at noon Formula One Race qualifying from 1-2 pm Renault/Channel 5 Celebrity Race from 3-3:30 pm

Square dancing, shows, balloon rides, gun-fights all day. CRC Chemicals Can-Am Race from 4-5:30 pm. Europe/American Challenge Cup from 6-6:45 pm.

B.F. Phillips Horse Ranch

GP Texas Barbecue benefits Dallas Civic Garden Center/Music by Ray Wiley Hub-bard. Square dancing and Tex-Mex barbecue $137.50 Donation/7:30 pm

Sun, July 8-Fair Park

Formula One Race warm-up from 7-7:30 am Vintage Race from 8-8:30 am. Square dancing, shows, balloon rides, gunfights all day Formula One Parade Lap at 12:20 pm

DALLAS GP FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE from 11 am-1 pm

Historic race from 2:30-3 pm

For park and ride service to Fair Park-call METRO 263-1877

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