1982 United States Grand Prix North

The **1982 United States Grand Prix North**was a Formula One motor race held at Road America on 27th June 1982. It was the seventh race in both the 1982 Drivers' Championship and the 1982 Constructors' Championship.

## Background

Following the cancellation of the previously scheduled Detroit Grand Prix, Formula One headed to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the seventh round of the championship.

Prior to the start of the weekend, it was announced that Renault reserve Danilo Koren had secured a drive with Alfa Romeo for the remainder of the season. The team had struggled to find a replacement for the injured Joao Coutinho.

The struggling Smythe team attended their first race since the Belgian Grand Prix, with Armando Munos representing the team. Team owner and driver William Worchestershire-Smythe was absent due to a court hearing over a sponsorship dispute.

## Qualifying

Chuck Dingley dominated qualifying en route to his fifth pole position of the season, qualifying over a second quicker than second place qualifier Fabiano Margheriti. Stefan Van Damme qualified third, less than a tenth of a second slower than his teammate, while Bruce Kerrigan impressed the entire paddock, qualifying 5th in his Arrows.

Sid Donnelly was unable to set a time during qualifying after spinning on his first lap, and being blocked by Dingley on his second lap. As a result, Donnelly was forced to start 18th.

## Race Summary

The majority of the grid got away well off the line but there was a massive incident at the entry to the first corner when James McLean swerved across the nose of Brett Spiros, sending both into the outside wall. Just moments before, Veikko Nyquist had been caught out by the slow-starting Armando Munos. Nyquist was forced to lift off the throttle before he was hit from behind by Spiros. Nyquist had a small impact into the wall but continued the race.

Stefan Van Damme moved up into 2nd at the start, ahead of his teammate Fabiano Margheriti, before attempting to take the lead from Chuck Dingley at turn five. On cold tyres and brakes, Van Damme locked up on the entry to the corner and went wide, allowing Dingley to pull away and build a small gap.

At the end of lap three, Santiago Reyes lost control of his McLaren car at the Kink and slammed into the wall at high speed. The car was destroyed in the impact with the concrete wall and Reyes broke his femur in the crash. Pietro Martins had a similar crash at the same corner on lap 10 but escaped without injury.

Dingley and Margheriti both pitted at the end of lap 11 for tyres and fuel, leaving Van Damme to stay out and inherit the lead of the race. The Belgian driver pitted a lap later, coming out roughly five seconds behind Dingley but ahead of Margheriti. Suddenly, Dingley's pace dropped by several seconds as he was forced to save fuel after an error by the McLaren pit crew. Van Damme closed the gap, before overtaking the American at the start of lap 18. Having managed to save enough fuel to get to the end of the race, Dingley pushed hard to keep up with Van Damme and the pair were equally matched as they started the final lap. Dingley went wide through the first corner and gained on Van Damme as they approached turn two, pulling just alongside the Belgian driver on the entrance to the corner. Van Damme pulled slightly to the left of the track in an attempt to squeeze Dingley but they made contact, with Dingley spinning off onto the grass. Van Damme half-spun but was able to continue, going on to take the 30th win of his Formula One career.

Van Damme's teammate Fabiano Margheriti came through in 2nd, whilst Williams' Sid Donnelly finished on the final step of the podium after an amazing fightback through the field. Dingley had pressured Donnelly on the final lap but made a mistake at the final corner and came through to finish 4th. Nate O'Brien finished in 5th, taking his first Formula One points and Lotus' first points finish since the South African Grand Prix. Bruce Kerrigan wrestled his underpowered and heavy Arrows into 6th. This was Kerrigan's first points finish and Arrows' first point of the season and it also brought them ahead of Alfa Romeo in the Constructors' Championship.

## Championship Standings

 2
 3
 4
 5

 2
 3
 4
 5

## Lap Leaders

Chuck Dingley (Laps 1-10, 13-17)

Stefan Van Damme (Laps 11-12, 18-21)