The Grand Prix of Baltimore 2012
The 2012 Grand Prix of Baltimore roared through downtown from Aug. 31 through Sept. 2. Compiled here are the latest photos coming in from around the track, within the stands and more.
Get your Grand Prix of Baltimore fix with in-depth racing news, video and analysis from the Baltimore Sun.
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- The start of the race from behind pit row next to the warehouse at Oriole Park. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- Car #77 driven by Simon Pagenaud finished third in the race, drives through the chicane. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- L-R Ryan Briscoe the second place finisher showers first place finisher, Ryan Hunter-Reay in the winners circle. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- Track officials remove #19, James Jakes’ car after crash on turn 12 near Pratt Street. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- Driver Dario Franchitti expresses his dismay after his car stalled out just prior to turn 12 on the final laps of the Grand Prix of Baltimore. (Robert K Hamilton/Baltimore Sun)
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- Amber Cozio, 15, holds up Steven Stewart, 6, for a better view of the Grand Prix of Baltimore race. Both from west Baltimore. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- Driver Will Power maneavers around turn 12 onto Pratt Street as rain started to come down during the first part of the Grand Prix of Baltimore. (Robert K. Hamilton/Baltimore Sun)
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- The track crew try to dislodge Marco Andretti’s car from the tires in turn one during the Baltimore Grand Prix. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
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- Shown is the pit stop that may have cost Will Power the race, when he pitted for intermediate rain tires, then very little rain came. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Will Power pitted for intermediate rain tires, but no rain came. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- A helicopter scans over the area above people on the rooftop of a building, who watch race car drivers tackle the streets in the Grand Prix of Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Race car driver Ryan Hunter-Reay gestures to the crowd after winning the Grand Prix of Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Drivers make their way around turn 3 on Light Street running next to the Inner Harbor. (Barbara Haddock Taylor, Baltimore Sun)
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- Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 Grand Prix of Baltimore, celebrates his victory while second-place finisher Ryan Briscoe, left, looks on. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- The checkered flag is waved as Ryan Hunter-Reay crosses the finish line to win the Grand Prix of Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
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- Track officials work to move Dario Franchitti’s Honda, which wiped out during a light shower at Turn One. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Track officials tug at Marco Andretti’s Chevrolet (26), which wiped out at Turn One and into a retaining barrier of tires as Dario Franchitti (10) passes. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Spectators applaud after the race crew freed Marco Andretti’s Chevrolet, which wiped out at Turn One. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)
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- Track safety workers clear James Jakes’ No. 19 car after he crashed into turn 12. (Robert K. Hamilton/Baltimore Sun)
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- James Jakes’ No. 19 car is moved off the track after an accident. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
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- The green flag starts the race, with Will Power (left) and Scott Dixon (right) leading the pack. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Enjoying their 1st Grand Prix of Baltimore, (L) Noah Nipp, 14, (Dad) Bob Nipp, and (R) Aaron Nipp, 11, from Newport News Virginia, break out the rain gear shortly after the start of the race. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Baltimore Sun)
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- Last year’s winner Will Power is introduced prior to the second running of The Baltimore Grand Prix. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
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- Sage Karam, of Andretti Autosport, winner of the Star Mazda Race gets a hug from Gloria Rubin. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)
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- A USF2000 car makes it’s way around the chicanes on the straight stretch leading into turn one. (Robert K. Hamilton/Baltimore Sun)
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- Shown are the winners of the ALMS protoype challenge class, Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow in the pit lane. They also finished third overall. (Gene Sweeney, Jr./ Baltimore Sun)
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- Shown is Christopher Bouchut, one of the winning drivers from the Level 5 Motorsports team, in the ALMS LMP2 class, getting a hug from his mechanic Albert Tormes. (Gene Sweeney, Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Shown is the start of the ALMS race and the crowd enjoying the festival of speed. (Gene Sweeney, Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Shown is the start of the ALMS race and the crowd enjoying the festival of speed. (Gene Sweeney, Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Shown is the Indycar series morning practice, partially in the wet conditions, looking south towards Camden yards. (Gene Sweeney Jr./ Baltimore Sun)
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- The IndyCar qualifying session takes place on Saturday with downtown Baltimore in the background. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- Grand Prix of Baltimore pole winner Will Power poses for a photographer. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- 11 year old Dylan Cole watches the start of the ALMS race, and plugs his ears due to the noise from the cars. (Gene Sweeny, Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Conditions were wet for part of the IndyCar series morning practice session. Here, drivers come around a turn with Camden Yards in the background. (Gene Sweeney Jr./ Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud, who caught air on the railroad tracks in Pratt Street on Friday, rounds a turn during Saturday morning’s practice session. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- The view down Pratt Street as IndyCar drivers warm up on Saturday morning. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- Ryan Briscoe, the fastest driver in this morning’s IndyCar series practice session, drives through the Grand Prix of Baltimore course. (Gene Sweeney Jr./ Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- An IndyCar driver rounds a turn during Saturday’s qualifying session, with Baltimore in the background. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- IndyCar championship leader Will Power turns onto Pratt Street during the IndyCar series morning practice on Saturday. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- An asphalt chicane gets installed by the light rail tracks at Howard and Pratt Streets. (Gene Sweeney Jr. Baltimore Sun Staff)
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- An asphalt chicane gets installed by the light rail tracks at Howard and Pratt Streets. (Gene Sweeney Jr. Baltimore Sun Staff)
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- IndyCar series driver Ed Carpenter comes down the Grand Prix of Baltimore course during his afternoon practice session. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- Five-year-old Brad Kihn from Timonium watches the IndyCars head down Pratt Street during their afternoon practice session. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- IndyCar official Beaux Barfield directs tires to be dropped on the Grand Prix of Baltimore course for a temporary chicane. The chicane was installed because cars were getting airborne over the railroad tracks on Pratt Street. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- A worker grinds the concrete on the Grand Prix of Baltimore course by the light rail tracks at Pratt and Howard streets. Cars were catching air as they passed over the tracks. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- IndyCar series driver E.J. Viso passes a temporary chicane installed on Pratt Street by Howard and Light Streets. The chicane was added because cars were going airborne when passing over the tracks. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Photo)
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- Aug. 31: IndyCar series driver Ryan Hunter-Raey drives on track for his afternoon practice session, after a temporary Chicane was installed on Pratt Street by Howard and Light Streets. This was needed because the cars were getting airborne over the tracks. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: Marco Andretti from the IndyCar series was on the track for the 2nd annual Grand prix of Baltimore in the morning warm-up sessions. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: Simona de Sivestro from the IndyCar series drives the track for the 2nd annual Grand Prix of Baltimore in the morning warm-up sessions. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais (L) and his race engineer look at the course map of the track around downtown Baltimore takes shape. This area is by pit entrance on the east side of the warehouse. The stacked tires will be used as barriers around corners. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: Andretti Autosport team members, including driver James Hinchcliffe (black shirt, jeans, hand near pocket) walk the track looking for changes along the warehouse by pit lane. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: Workers lay down the final barriers along the ramp from I395 where in enters downtown Baltimore, in preparation for this weekend’s Grand Prix. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: Team members push the locally sponsored Porsche, driven by local driver Marc Bunting, into it’s paddock area by M&T Stadium as crews were setting up for this weekend’s race. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: MTA workers (in vests) and many others were getting the area around Camden Yards ready for this weekend’s race after the early afternoon Orioles game. Shown are the scenes around the Grand Prix race track in downtown Baltimore as the track is readied and the teams are setting up. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 31: Grand Prix of Baltimore officials, the track builder and Michael Andretti (L) look at options by the Light Rail tracks at Howard and Pratt Street. The cars were going airborne over the tracks where last year a chicane (a series of speed bumps) was placed. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 30: A number of Federal Hill, Fells Point and Canton businesses came together to pay for the rental and decoration of this USF2000 racing car to participate in the Grand Prix of Baltimore in honor of McCusker. The car and its driver, Canton resident Patryk Tararuj, were both on display in the square for the celebration honoring the late Nacho Mama’s and Mama’s On The Half Shell owner. (Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 30: Isaiah Downs, 9, sits in an Indy car on the grounds of Kennedy Krieger School. Grand Prix driver Zach Veach is on left. Several drivers, along with a couple of cars from this weekend’s race visited Kennedy Krieger School this morning. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 30: Four year old Matthew Merryman of Frederick reacts with glee as he sits on an Indycar fender. Grand Prix drivers James Hinchcliffe, left, and Marco Andretti, right, were some of the drivers from this weekend’s race who visited Kennedy Krieger School this morning. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 30: IndyCar driver Oriol Servia, who is in town for the Grand Prix of Baltimore, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Baltimore’s afternoon game at Camden Yards. The Chicago White Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 30: View of the track setup looking west down Pratt Street and Light Street. (Gene Sweeney, Jr./Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 29: Simona De Silvestro, (white shirt) a race car driver who will race in this weekend’s Grand Prix, talks to Living Classrooms Foundation sixth grade Crossroads School students about IndyCar Racing and her car. Standing next to her at left is Brea Baylor; at right is Nasia Dismel Students are from Crossroads, a public charter middle school operated by Living Classrooms. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Aug. 22: Party organizer Filippo Lapides, Italia Voga Wines US brand ambassador, poses with Indy Car driver Patryk Tararuj next to one of cars Tararuj races, not the car he hopes to drive in the Grand Prix Baltimore’s USF2000 race. (Baltimore Sun)
Ryan Hunter-Reay wins 2012 Grand Prix of Baltimore
By Sandra McKee, The Baltimore Sun
5:43 p.m. EDT, September 2, 2012
IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay overcame a bad qualifying session, a less than spectacular start and the weather to win the Grand Prix of Baltimore on Sunday.
“I’ve got nothing left in me,” Hunter-Reay said as he stepped from his car. “Almost nothing to talk. I was going to win today or go into the wall. This is what’s racing is about. We’re going to have a great championship showdown at Fontana.”
Ryan Briscoe finished second. Pole sitter Will Power was sixth.
The race results tighten the championship points race, as Hunter-Reay cut his points deficit from 37 to 17 heading to Fontana, Calif., for the concluding race of the IZOD IndyCar Season on Sept. 15. the crowds.
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