From: slana@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (charles.e.slana)
Subject: Purdue Grand Prix (Re: Motorsports vs. Traditional Sports)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:21:22 GMT

In article <Bw4IEM.H6w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Perry G Ramsey) writes:
> In article <my4msB2w165w@dlhpfm.UUCP> dlhpfm.uucp!dlh@ab.com (daniel lance herrick) writes:
> >> In article <1992Oct13.205454.29245@hubcap.clemson.edu> andy@newton.cs.clemson
> >> >  I have often thought what a great sport inter-collegiate single
> >> >seater racing would be.  
> >This is not what you are talking about, but, a quarter century ago,
> >Purdue University had an annual intramural cart race.  
> 
> And they still do.  Every April.
> The cars might be described as caged go-karts.
> In the four years I've been here, I've managed to miss it every time, but
> it's taken pretty seriously.  Practice lasts the whole month on a
> permanent road course next to the football field.


The people who participate in the Purdue Grand Prix take it VERY seriously.
I crewed for a team that came in 2nd in '84 - I don't know if they can still
make this claim, but back then the race was the 2nd biggest spectator
motorsports event in Indiana (gee, I WONDER what was #1?) with around 15,000
PAYING spectators.  Drivers and crews are limited to full-time students
only, with dorms, frats, and a few independants entering karts.  In '84,
there were something of the order of 28 karts that qualified, out of
probably about twice that number which were entered.  The track is a
permanent, paved 0.3 mile road course, maybe about 8 turns or so, modeled
after some world championship kart track in Japan.  The race itself is
50 miles, complete with a pitstop.

Karts are ordinary sprint karts.  Margay, Comet, you name it.  Engines
are 100cc Yamaha 2-strokes (they were less-powerfull 100cc McCullough
2-strokes in '84).  What makes these karts unique to the Purdue Grand Prix
is that they are required to run roll-cages and harnesses.  These were
custom designed, sometimes pretty ingenious to be securely mounted yet
still allow the frame-flexing integral to the kart's handling.  Another
unique feature I remember was removable fuel tanks.  Since the race
required a pitstop for fuel, the teams discovered (and rulemakers realized
it was safer) that they could make removable fuel tanks with quick-connect
hose couplers.  Driver comes into pits while undoing quick-connect, crew
pulls tank out and pops new one in, connection is made and driver's back
on the track.  Pretty neat, actually...  I don't think much has changed
(other than the engine model) since I was there...

As for the drivers, there were some pretty talented drivers there.  Remember
that karting is big in Indiana, so a lot of these guys came to school
with mucho experience.  And it showed.  Since I graduated, I've seen
at least 4 Purdue Grand Prix alumni racing on ESPN's Saturday (formerly
Thursday) Night Thunder in the Sprints or Midgets division.  I also know
of one guy who wound up winning some SCCA Formula Continental races a
few years after he was in the Purdue race.  The '76 race was won by
Chuck Sprague, who has been a crew chief with Penske for several years
now.  Ironically, though, the most famous (IMHO) Purdue grad in motorsports,
Pete Halsmer, never had anything to do with the Grand Prix, however, picking
up the sport during or after subsequent military service.

That's it, more than anybody really wanted to know.  A truly great tradition,
spanning over 30 years.  Unfortunately, the Indiana media pays much more
attention to a little bike race around the same time of the year down
at Indiana U, thanks to the movie Breaking Away..  (but I only watch
cycling to see them crash  ;-)  ;-)   )


Chuck "self-appointed historian" Slana
AT&T Bell Labs
Naperville, IL
email: ..!att!ihlpm!slana
   or  slana@ihlpm.att.com


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