Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 1990)
Des Moines throws party with Grand Prix By John Payne Senior Editor I read somewhere once about a man who, down on his luck, pulled his broken-down car into a Texaco station. He asked the attendant if he could spare a few dollars worth of gas to get him to his destination. Against his better judgement, the attendant did, with only the man’s promise that he would someday repay him. To make a long story short, the man who had once begged for gasoline went on to build an air freight company (Burlington Air Express, 1 think). Not only does his company buy fuel ex clusively from Texaco, but he also insists that his employees use only Texaco gasoline. wnai s me moral nere ' l m not sure, but one thing’s certain: If some quirk of fate should make a rich man out of me, I’ll have a great deal to pay back to the city of Dcs Moines, Iowa, specifically to the media coordina tors for the Ruan Greater Dcs Moines Grand Prix. This was the second year for the weekend event, and the good people who organized it let my photographer and I pose as journalists tit rough these three days of thunder. Actually, one couldn’t swing a dead cat there with out hitting a member of the press, so we were able to remain pretty incon spicuous. Grand Prix style racing is emi nently more exciting than the oval track racing of stock or sprint cars. City streets provide the race course, and the entire city is the arena. People watch from high-rise balconies, park ing complexes and rooftops. They sit and watch as professionals haul ass through town the way spectators always have wanted to. And all the while they wait for some poor soul to get a little too brave on one of the course’s more treacherous turns. It’s an amaz ing spectacle. Friday, as time trials were just getting started, Cadillac-sized craters had opened up in the middle of 'wo downtown streets. One of the sink holes appeared less than a block away from turn number 6, so many of the locals knocked off work early to see if any part of the track would give way during the race. This year, the Grand Prix Com mittee had wised up a bit. They found out that even in the sweltering heat Dcs Moines endured last year, people would still pay to see an event of this magnitude. They really had clamped down on the distribution of free passes, which were so abundant last year. Most ot the windows on the city s three-mile skyway system had been painted over to keep spectators from overloading them to cop a better look at the action on the track. The press credentials my photographer and I received were like gold. There was absolutely nowhere that we couldn’t go with these laminated babies, in cluding the pit area and several cru cial turns. More importantly though, the passes gave us access to the hospitality suites reserved for local banks, insurance companies and retail stores. The pro cedure was always the same: We would walk up the stairs to suites overlook ing the finish line, grab a bite of whatever delicacy was on hand, help ourselves to the champagne and scotch, then mingle with those who HAD paid good money to be there. The hospitality suites were an especially good spot to watch the , race, because when the cars were out I of view, one could see exactly what | was going on by look ing at one of the | many television monitors. See GRAND PRIX on 14 I I I-— "-— — — — — — — — , □ ( (rand pa's Ribs I & Secret Sauce J HliKSDAV OM.Y All you can eat Country Style ribs w nh side orders and tree * rel ill on beverage order all lor only (on premises only) KVjTkV SUNDAY .25v Taco's Catch-A-Ray LTanning Salon 10 Tans for $30 Offer expires August 15,1990. ^ JWJtiui _ . nMWTf 233 N 48th - Between Target and Super Saver 464-4386 Photos by Craig Scvay for tia Daily Nebraskan
