Exploring the ORIGINAL Miami GP Circuit (Lost 80's Race Track)

Before Hard Rock Stadium for Formula One or Homestead Miami for IndyCar and NASCAR, there was Tamiami Park which hosted CART IndyCar races from 1985 to 1988. Racing hasn't been seen here since Al Unser Jr took the final checkered flag in '88. Thankfully for us, the track is not only mostly still here... but you can still DRIVE on most of it, and we do just that!

#FormulaOne #Miami #IndyCar

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[jbaskinger]

You just hear the passion in David’s voice in this video. This is a man who truly cares about this sport.

[DavidLand]

The speed limit has also been 15 for the last 30 years! lmao

[Tactical]

The track map on Wikipedia is a bit off, but you can overlay it on a screenshot of the park from Google Earth/maps and see that the Expo center has a diagonal paved section that matches the front straight/pit area and the kink used to be just on the opposite side of the new stadium.
Get Dale Jr to do a Lost Speedway episode of it and maybe you can make a star appearance... if they aren't up for that due to lack of NASCAR, then maybe you can get them to do Nazareth?
PS: Wikipedia's info & math of Danny Sullivan's Race Lap record puts it right around 116 MPH average.

[tomclevenger]

The last race I ever attend was the 1987 Tamiami race. My Dad was one of Gordon Johncock pit crew in 1972 Indy race and I sat in his pits marking laps times. (11 years old). And my dad was friends with the Unser, Foyt, And Rutherford. In 1987 I had the pleasure sitting in Lone Star Jr. pits. And yes I did ride around in the pace car prier to the race. Thanks for bringing back memories, . The reason I stopped going was my father died in Dec. that year and the fun was no longer there.

[michaelprzybylinski]

Your enthusiasm was infectious, one of the best shows you've done. How about more of the same in Indy during May? Maybe a tour around town showing some of the race shops in Speedway and Brownsburg, Robin Miller's Mug and Bun, the helmet collection at Union Jack's, go search for bricks in the creek, tour the original race course in Elkhart Lake, do it all again in Charlotte - I'll take you around.

[pjludda]

David's taking one for the team...By dangerously driving racing lines around ol' Tamiami...

I would imagine the excuse that he would've gave if the police caught him doing this.

"I swear officer, CART made me do it!" xD

[allstarchris]

Great video David. I'm from Jersey you should do the old Meadowlands Grand Prix raceway layout where they raced CART from 1984-1991. Most of the track is still up since it basically leads into MetLife stadium parking lot.

[MrWATM]

My memory is hazy but I seem to remember Mario winning there in a literal monsoon. He was on drys and the water was about 6 inches deep.
One of the most impressive displays of supreme skill I've ever seen.

[MrCarbonD]

As somebody from Miami, i can say you're the first person with mic and camera going around the old track lol . The track at biscayne blvd. was the same way until they built a museum there.

[awonauce]

As a Miami native I didnt not know the Fair Grounds used be 'THE Miami GP" This is Dope

[chrispraz]

And for those who don't know...Tamiami stands for the original rt.41-Tamiami trail:
(Tampa to Miami)... worthless Fla. trivia.

[parker]

This was a cool video to watch. I hope you can do more of these abandon track videos. It's so cool to see you drive old tracks and show us the experience.

[rckohla]

Why does this feel like a video from the early 90s? 😂 Cool to see the most of the track still there.

[markaboy]

Quoting Joni Mitchell while talking CART racing…you are the MAN!

[benwalter]

Cool to learn about this. Wish the NYC area can get the proposed F1 and lNDYCAR street circuit.

[Dustydog]

I had the thrill of working as a volunteer one year there for the Grand Prix, don't remember the the year, but had a blast.thanks

[OzKittyboi]

As a hobbyist historian of Indycar, this is well appreciated. While Formula One is the newest edition of this legendary round, even I wish I could have seen CART & IMSA battle it out here back in the period.

[masterdan]

Also @David Land, if you are still in the area, you could head down to the BayFront Park area and while you may not be able to drive the circuit you could definitely still walk the circuit used in 2002-2003, the circuit roads are still 100% in tact from the 2003 race (2002 parking lot area is now a building).

[glennrisedorf]

I was there for the final race at Tamiami in ‘88. The Marlboro Challenge All Star Race was run in the pouring rain on Saturday for the top ten drivers in the points, if memory serves me. Sunday’s race was held in much better weather. It was my first IndyCar race. My favorite era in IndyCar racing. Thank you David, for bringing back some great memories!

[NikeHM]

Great video! I live in the area, this is where they have the county fair every year in March. If you look carefully you can still see the word 'Bosch' painted on the curbs, funny place for a sponsorship lol. I worked the 95 race at bicentennial park making all the signs, very little evidence of that track still exists, just some curbing and a few concrete barriers.