FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Contact: Steve Brown, Resource Group AV
Tel: 863-581-9364 email: sbrown@resourcegroup.org
Myron D. Stokes, eMOTION! REPORTS.com
Tel: 626-616-1655 email: globalheavyliftholdings@ymail.com
Chicago, IL – 27 September 2013 (eMOTION! REPORTS.com) – The Grand Prix Developmental Committee [of Arizona] has been created to bring racing back to the streets of Phoenix with a target date of Feb. 2015. And, with Ron Howard’s “Rush”, a movie detailing the historic rivalry between Formula One champions Niki Lauda and James Hunt premiering September 27, the timing of this announcement is fortuitous.
Proposed primary events are American Le Mans Series (ALMS, now part of United Sports Car Racing) Green Racing; the new FIA sanctioned Formula-E Electric series and Pirelli World Challenge of modified racing architecture that may very well change the face of Motorsports. Second year may conjoin ALMS, Formula-E, PWC and IndyCar events with support races. Third year, and possibly first year in the fall of 2015, could see an F1 event. Of particular note are plans to break ground for a new state of the art racing facility designed to accommodate a number of racing events including motorcycles, and a track design whereon the world may see the first sustained 300mph race.
“While this may seem like a daunting task technologically’, said Grand Prix Development Director Myron D. Stokes, “a recent interview with “Car Concerns” Harry Douglas, concerning a discussion I had with Chris Economaki in 1991. revealed that then existent Indy Car technology, given 3/4 miles of straightaway and about 33 degrees of banking, could hit 270mph.”
Stokes says it is a near term goal to initiate a 300mph experiment using C7 Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V Coupe or Mustang GT, which the committee believes will require only comparatively modest modifications/tweaking in the areas of engine, suspension and aerodynamics.
“We will not be alone in the attempt to accomplish this: Besides proposed involved OEM engineering groups, The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is assisting us in the aforementioned aspects. Initial testing is proposed at Talladega (site of Saab’s 21 Day “Long Run” of three 9000 series sedans in 1986) with its 33 degrees of banking, and the ultimate attempt at one of the European OEMs test tracks with sufficient straights. And yes, we expect Guinness to be there for this historical attempt”, he said.
Argonne National Laboratory Key Role
Argonne’s most important role in these initiatives is the development and utilization Green Racing Protocols that form the core of the project’s environmental sustainability goals. In this, it does not fall short. “Argonne National Laboratory initiated the concept of Green Racing and continues to provide technical support to these races”, said Forrest Jehlik, Research Engineer at Argonne’s Center For Transportation Research. “It is exciting that when Grand Prix racing returns to Phoenix, it will be following the Green Racing protocols. Imagine a Grand Prix race with fewer CO2 emissions than a Boston Marathon foot race; that’s Green Racing.”
Argonne GREEN Racing Camaro Image: ANL.gov
Echoing the comments of Argonne’s Jehlik, Valley of The Sun Clean Cities (Arizona) Coalition Director Bill Sheaffer noted that “The Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition is pleased to be a part of bringing Grand Prix racing back to Phoenix. This 36 hour endurance race will not only be exciting for racing fans, but will demonstrate to everyone that by using biofuels and other alternative motor fuels we can have cleaner air and reduce our dependence on petroleum fuels.”
The Grand Prix Development Team
Already within this cabal of Motorsports and automotive industry veterans is designated Race Director Peter Wearing Smith of Australia, a race management veteran and auto journalist who ran an F1 team at the MACAU GP for some years; Rod Campbell, founder of PCGCampbell, Ford’s Motorsports Agency and with extensive experience in the development of street racing venues ; Forrest Jehlik, Research Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory Center For Transportation Research; Paul Brian of WLS Chicago Radio Program DRIVE, long time Director of PR for the Chicago Auto Show, and an executive with Pegasus Marketing; Brock Yates, Jr., Event Coordinator of Cannonball Circuit, LLC dba The Tire Rack One Lap of America; Andrew Marriott, Veteran UK Motorsports Commentator and Race Management; Steve Brown, international event planner of Hall and Brown Associates and The Resource Group, AV, Inc; Robert E. Seaman III of ProAdvisory Group, Chairman of the Millennium Foundation and the primary force behind the founding of the St. Petersburg and New Orleans Grands Prix among other motorsports initiatives while possessed of a competition license; Dr. Tracy Joshua, A Global Transportation Logistics executive whose professional experience includes Ford Motor Company and Xerox; John Mealer of The Mealer Automotive Companies; Marvin LaBranche, MBA, MHRM, motorsports financials; Larry Weis, CEO of USAutoCom Associates, a top rated automotive/aerospace industry PR firm; Mr. Thomas H. Miner of Thomas H. Miner and Associates; Ben Ballout of Diplomatic Trade Ltd, an import/export firm with extensive Middle-East connectivity who will act as a bridge to collaborative motorsports activities in that part of the world; Jeff Machtig, co-Founder of DVE Telepresence, a virtual human representation technology that must be seen to be believed, Ed Possing, an established contractor specialist who will oversee street race construction activities, and who has constructed buildings around the world as part of humanitarian outreach; Greg Jones, inventor, innovator and CEO of Agsort, Inc., developers of advanced agricultural technologies that may change how the world feeds itself; Harry Douglas, award winning Nissan dealer and host of the global radio show “Car Concerns”, Bill Sheaffer, Director, Clean Cities (of Arizona) Coalition; Alan Deszcz, Senior VP, NAI Capital and an accomplished racer; Ken Sprang, Esq., of the Washington International Business Law Counsel; business and corporate law generalist & law professor.
“These are people with whom I’ve worked with over the decades in the motorsports arena”. Stokes says. “They are not in this for mere visibility, but to get the job done, no matter the difficulties and complexities with bringing a major event to fruition. Some are aware that our humanitarian assistance arm has led 3 emergency airlifts to the refugee camps of Afghanistan and in the middle of planning a 4th as we speak; so, it goes without saying that there are few tasks more daunting, complex and dangerous. As such, a mindset of successful race implementation is created and operative.”
UK based veteran motorsports commentator Andrew Marriott, looks forward to racing’s return to Phoenix and an opportunity to participate again. “Street racing is the purest form of motorsport and I welcome plans to bring it back to one of America’s great cities – Phoenix. I worked all three of the old races and remember not only Ayrton Senna’s great drives but also Jean Alesi showing his Formula 1 talent for the first time.”
Permanent Race Track/City
Concomitant with efforts towards the world’s first 36 Hour street race in Phoenix, are plans for a state of the art race track built with advanced building materials and alternative energy processes developed by the US Department of Energy. “At the recommendation of an Argonne Research Fellow, we will be reaching out to the administrators of one of the world’s premier environmental sustainability projects: Arcosanti, located in northeast Arizona off I-17 in the high desert, for architectural guidance in the building of the Race Track/City”, said Steve Brown GP Events Coordinator. “Utilizing the Arcology building design process as developed by legendary architect Paolo Soleri for this proposed racing complex/city is exciting to us, and we look forward to visiting Arcosanti as early as next month.
“We are also reaching out to tribal leaders of the Navajo, Apache and Hopi tribes to gain approval to use tribal lands for the Race Track/City. We make no assumptions in terms of their understanding an economic benefit; we are only concerned that they understand our respect of sacred and generational lands”, he said.
OEM Outreach
Given the strong potential for technological breakthroughs in the automotive, aerospace and materials sectors, the Grand Prix Developmental Committee [of Arizona] is reaching out to senior executives at Ford, GM, Chrysler, Mercedes, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman, Beechcraft, Piaggio, Cessna, BMW, Audi, Aston-Martin, Jaguar/Land Rover, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Google (driverless car initiative) major suppliers and others, for their early participation.
“As a colleague once said, an extraordinary amount of technology cross-fertilization has occurred between these industries. When one considers that the conceptualization, design, design for manufacturability, manufacturing, sustainability and life-cycle management disciplines are symbiotic, the task of addressing the effects of wind, lift, thrust and drag on a moving mass is critical to analyze as a system”, says Walsh College, Troy, Michigan Professor Dr. Sheila Ronis. As a national security strategist, “car guy” and rocket scientist early in her career, she worked with former Cadillac Chief Engineer Bob Dorn to “fix” the Division’s Allante Sport Luxury car.
“The goal of a sustained 300 mph race and all that it entails in a manner not dissimilar to the space race, ought to fire the imaginations of those involved. We invite all of the companies involved, with their hundreds of combined years of experience, to join with us and the Argonne team to make this vision a reality”, she said.
Energy Company As Title Sponsor Sought
There is consensus among committee members that the title sponsor of the world’s first 36 Hour “Green” Street Race should be an energy company with clear goals of creating fuels and alternative energy processes conducive to environmental sustainability. “We are aware of the work of Sunoco, Shell and BP, among others, in this arena, and we reach out to them to join this project”, Stokes said. “We also commend T. Boone Pickens for his CNG advocacy, and would welcome him aboard this quest as well.”
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Recommended reading: xxx_project_GREEN_ANL_8_22_2013 (1)
About eMOTION! REPORTS.com:
eMOTION! REPORTS.com (http://emotionreports.com http://emotionreportscom.blogspot.com/) is an automotive/aerospace industries research and analysis site targeting professionals within the academic, media, corporate and government sectors. The site also created a pathway through which white papers and other scholarly works such as “Crisis On Asimov: A Vision of 2085” by national security strategist Dr. Sheila Ronis; “Quantum Parallel: The Saint-Hilaire Quasiturbine as the Basis For Simultaneous Paradigm Shift in Vehicle Propulsion Systems” and “Super-Globalism: Strategies For Maintaining a Robust Industrial Base Through Technological, Policy and Process Improvement”, could be presented to a broadened yet specific audience.
Publisher Myron D. Stokes is an award winning veteran automotive/aerospace industry analyst and spent several years as an industry correspondent for Newsweek, Newsweek Japan and Newsweek International. His work as an journalist with special emphasis on business and technology has been published in a variety of other major print mediums including the Detroit News, Changing Times Magazine, Auto Week and corporate publications. Over the years, he has provided major corporations and media groups with “deep background” analyses that have helped shape the direction of some of the most significant news stories and industry strategies.
After outlining a strategy to expand industry coverage for Newsweek Magazine in November of 1991, he worked in the capacity of industry correspondent and investigative reporter. His reporting included in-depth assessments of the “shake- up” at GM, the much publicized industrial espionage charges against former GM supplier executive Dr. Ignacio Lopez; the hazards of doing business in China; the viability of Electric Vehicles which centered on advanced battery technology in both the private sector and military (Newsweek International edition); the difficulties then facing Japan’s auto industry and the comeback of the Big Three (Newsweek Japan).
In recent years, he has covered some of the most recognized stories in automotive, aerospace and general interest. These include the Kirk Kerkorian Chrysler takeover attempt; the GM C/K truck controversy; the U.S./Japan trade issue (Newsweek Japan) which required significant interaction with then Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown; data for Newsweek cover story (4/95) on Airline Safety; investigative analysis of possible collusion between the warring governments of Bosnia President Alijah Izetbegovich and Serbia President Slobodan Milosevic along with uncovering of plan to re-implement ethnic cleansing prior to Srebenica massacre (6/95); and the Oklahoma City bombing.
His ability to thoroughly and accurately report and analyze issues of substance garnered himself and former Newsweek Detroit Bureau Chief Frank Washington first place in the coveted Detroit Press Club International Golden Wheel Award for Automotive Journalism in 1995. This competition, judged by professors from the University of Nebraska School of Journalism, included entries from 110 journalists in five countries. Business Week took second place. Stokes was also privileged to function as acting Detroit Bureau Chief for Newsweek.
Stokes maintains strong interest in global affairs, and continues to be involved in a range of nation building and humanitarian/disaster relief efforts. Among these were acting as initial intercessor between UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the then warring governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia; an activity which helped lead to the cessation of hostilities in October 1999; the coordination of relief activities with US, European and Middle-East based colleagues subsequent to the Bam, Iran, earthquake of 2004, the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, and co-structuring of academic and industrio/economic base developmental programs with colleagues in Pakistan and India.
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