Baltimore Grand Prix - Congratulations Will Power!

Will Power wins inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix

Will Power's #12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone

BALTIMORE (AP) – Will Power wrapped his hand around a big bottle of champagne, shook it up, let the bubbly fly and took a long drink. What better way to celebrate an absolutely perfect weekend? 

Power put on a masterful performance Sunday over a difficult street course to win the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. The Australian deftly negotiated hairpin turns and confidently gripped the wheel over bumpy roads to earn his second straight win and career-high sixth of the season.


Power had the best time in Friday's practice session, captured the pole Saturday, then led in 70 of the 75 laps to earn the $35,000 top prize. "I'm just exhausted," Power said, "but that was a championship run."


Spain's Oriol Servia finished second, 10.2096 seconds back, and Tony Kanaan of Brazil was third. Kanaan lost his brakes during a practice run Sunday morning, soared over Helio Castroneves' car and had to drive a backup. Read the rest here and other news here.

Baltimore Grand Prix, continued again

Check out the Firestone Fast 6 from Baltimore  at --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=d3pObViiY3g

and here are Will Power and Dario Franchitti on Baltimore Quals --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0SEBy4gwE8&feature=relmfu

Baltimore Grand Prix, continued

The practice runs have begun -- vroom, vroom --

The Inaugural 2011 Baltimore Grand Prix

Bleachers along Light Street

Light Street facing north

Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro's newly sponsored Entergy Nuclear Unites/HVM Racing car. Check out how she demos it in front of Camden Yards at --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlFtg2YLZ9k&feature=related

Excitement is in the air -- the Grand Prix will be taking place this Labor Day weekend on the streets of Charm City.

Check out the virtual lap of the new Baltimore Grand Prix Circuit at --
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbDXDT7Ykzg&feature=player_embedded

Also --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=963TzAaLu9I&feature=related

and the schedule --
http://www.baltimoregrandprix.com/schedule.cfm

Nicole aftermath

According to the Denver Post Wire Report

POSTED: Friday 10/01/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

"RALEIGH, N.C. — A massive rainstorm drenched the East Coast from the Carolinas to Maine on Thursday, causing at least four deaths, flooding roads and washing away months of dry weather. The rain was part of a system moving ahead of the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole, which dissipated over the Straits of Florida on Wednesday."

What a difference a few hours make! The water has now receded from the esplanade along the Pratt Street Pavilion in Harborplace.

USS Constellation, Pratt Street Pavilion (with green roof) & Baltimore World Trade Center (top right)

Remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole

Notice the masts of the partially obscured USS Constellation in the background

Baltimore World Trade Center (top left) & to the right of it(?) -- yes, the National Aquarium in Baltimore

See what Nicole did to the Inner Harbor yesterday (Thursday September 30, 2010) -- flooding the esplanade along the Pratt Street Pavilion at Harborplace!

How about in Baltimore County? Read it here.

"It's been a long time since Baltimore's Inner Harbor had wetlands and it would take a long time to bring them back." CBS

Read about it here and here.

Near Baltimore's World Trade Center

Close-up of above floating islands of rooting marsh grasses

Another location of floating marsh grasses - across from the Hard Rock Cafe

Harborplace at the Inner Harbor in Charm City celebrating 30 years

Crab sculpture - front design

Crab sculpture - back design

Mid-afternoon thunderstorm -- Mother Nature wreaking havoc at the Inner Harbor...

  

          ...and then she takes a breather. The water taxi (thirteen vessels total; 

          check here, then here) quickly departs!

          A short time later... what now?

Inner Harbor World Cup Viewing Party Today

From the Baltimore Sun ...

"Description: Watch the World Cup finals on a big screen at the Inner Harbor. Meet players from the Baltimore Blast, Crystal Palace, Chesapeake Charge, Washington Freedom, and DC United as well as local Baltimore college teams. Enjoy food, beverages, vendors, music and interactive activities for kids and adults.

When: July 11th : 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Final game scheduled for 2:30 p.m.)

Price: Free

Benefit For: The Waterfront Partnership

Recreation & Sports Activities: Soccer

Spectator Sport: Soccer"

This is early in the morning...

...and, wow, look at the crowd in the early afternoon.

Later in the day: The 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 19th FIFA World Cup, is history. “Champions of Europe and now champions of the world, Spain, captured football's Holy Grail for the first time with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands thanks to Andres Iniesta's 116th-minute strike at Soccer City" stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg.  Watch it here and read about it here.

         

          Now back to the status quo …

The aftermath and before...