This is obviously great news for me and anyone else who happens to be a motorsports fan. Much more importantly, it’s great news for the city. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: short of hosting a Super Bowl (not going to happen) or another All-Star game (I wish) this is about as big as it gets. IndyCar is the third most important series in the world, second-most in the US. It’s not NFL football but it’s a significant international sport. Baltimore takes a step up with this move and that’s awesome to see.

Kudos to the city officials and Baltimore Racing Development folks who brought this thing together. I just hope they do their homework, because in order for this to work they’ve got to nail the details.

I’ve been keeping tabs on this story from the beginning and I’m stoked that it’s finally coming to fruition. Part of the reason is because I’m an unabashed auto racing fan. More important than that is the fact that hosting an IndyCar race puts Baltimore in some pretty rarified air.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, the Indy Racing League (IRL) is America’s top-level open wheel series and roughly the third most important series worldwide. It’s not as popular as it once was (save for the Indy 500) but it’s still big. The drivers are world class by any measure and only Formula One — the top-level series worldwide — is more significant in terms of open wheel racing.

By landing this race Baltimore becomes just one of 17 cities to host an IRL event. As noted in the article linked above, that means an infusion of at least 100k spectators along with a significant, national television audience. This is a chance for Baltimore to shine, and if all goes well it could eventually reach a Preakness-type level of excitement and civic pride.

For comparison, consider Long Beach, CA. They host a street course race similar to what we’ll have next year and this article from the Long Beach Press-Telegram provides some insight into the benefits an event like this can provide. They drew 170k spectators for the three-day weekend and were “delighted” with the outcome. I think we’d probably use the same term with even half that number.

Beyond that, and almost as important, this is one hell of a cool event. Finely tuned race cars turning high-speed laps with Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor as a backdrop is something I want to see. Something I’m eager to experience.

So raise a glass to victory for Baltimore. August 2011 is a ways away but when it arrives we’ll get an opportunity to both have a lot of fun and also show the world that this is, in fact, a hell of a city.

Not sure what year these are from, as that info is missing from the source. Almost certainly the fifties, and quite possibly 1955 — the year tragedy struck.

There’s no angle to take on Le Mans that doesn’t end up at “bad ass.”

I think I’ve watched less than nine total innings this year. It feels strange and not quite pleasant to care this little about baseball on the ultimate stage. WIth the Yankees poised to win it yet again, I just want it to be over. For those of you who have watched, I wonder: have I been missing anything?

– What I am excited about is the return of Terps basketball. Greivis Vasquez has something to prove beyond his worth as an NBA prospect. I think we’re going to see a man possessed out there. Already looking forward to that first Duke game on February 13.

The road to March starts tonight with an exhibition game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

– Three Orioles — Rich Hill, Jeff Fiorentino, and Guillermo Rodriguez — have refused their minor league assignments and will become free agents. According to the article, the O’s would welcome Hill back if things work out that way. It’s so strange to think that he was a serious part of our plans entering 2009.

Alfredo Simon swallowed his medicine and took the deal.

– Brandons Erbe and Snyder will rep the O’s at the AFL Rising Stars Showcase. What are the odds that Snyder gets an honest shot at winning the first base job out of spring training? And would we be OK with that, given the fact that it would mean we didn’t sign anyone for that spot? I can’t answer either of those questions. I kind of hope to not have to.

– I’m still keeping tabs as much as I can on the Baltimore Grand Prix. There isn’t much news out there but you can find the event on Facebook and on Twitter (although they don’t seem to be doing much with either).

– Not sports-related, but of interest: A Continuous Lean. I discovered this site about a month ago and it has been consistently impressive. Hard to describe what you’ll find there…stylish, rugged Americana sounds about right. Think Paul Newman. This one’s going to end up in a sidebar link here when I get them reorganized.

All that and whatever else is on your mind. Lot of lost souls stirring these days. It’s a potent time.

The report is suspect in a couple of areas. For one, BRD (Baltimore Racing Development) was formed specifically to bring a race here. The wording “has been formed to organize the race” is a little misleading, as it implies that it’s a new organization. Second, the final paragraph says that Baltimore will join two other cities “in hosting a race,” which obviously really means “in hosting a street course race.” That second point is a small one, but it does give me pause.

Regardless, I’m pulling for that Monday news conference to happen, and for this event to happen. It would be huge for the city, and on a more basic level it would be a ton of fun. I’m going to be all over this, so stay tuned.