Page 14- The Michigan Daily- Thursday, June 9, 1983

Daily Photo by BRIAN MASCK
Driver Eddie Cheever concentrates prior to last Sunday's Detroit Grand Prix. Car failure forced the American to drop out of the 60-lap race after only four laps.
Wh have a Grand Prix?

P RIORITIES, priorities.
Everyone - myself included -
always seems to screw them up. My
parents think I should study more and
spend less time at the Daily. I think I
study plenty, although I do waste too
many hours in front of a typewriter at
420 Maynard. As the C+ on last
semester's transcript proves, I oc-
casionally forget the primary reason
for my attending the University - to
study and learn.
The sponsor of the Detroit Grand Prix
confuses its priorities, too. Detroit
Renaissance, Inc., which organized last
weekend's race and brought the Prix to
Motown in 1982, apparently concerns it-
self more with the city's image than
with the welfare of its residents. That's
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what the Grand Prix indicates,
anyway.
Detroit Renaissance was formed in
1970 dedicated in its own words, "to
achieving . . . revitalization by
establishing priorities for the city's

growth, identifying construction and
expansion opportunities for the central
city and residential neighborhoods, at-
tracting investment capital for these
opportunities, and reporting the city's
strengths to the rest of the nation."
The Prix accomplished only the last
of those tasks. It showed that Detroit
A W
Michele Alboreto
... won the race

can be a friendly city where people
migrate ot watch world-class racing on
a beautiful, sunny day. It showed that
Detroit can host an international event
and see to it that everyone involved en-
joys the festivities.
Detroit Renaissance made sure of
that. At the post-race press conference,
driver Keke Rosberg, who last year
criticized the city and its Prix, said,
"I'm a year older and year wiser. I love
Detroit."
The Renaissance people couldn't
have written a better script. Sensing
this, a member of their public relations
staff shouted, "You heard that. Print
it."
Push that image.
"Rosberg likes Detroit. All the
drivers like Detroit. They love the en-
thusiasm. Look at the size of the crowd.
Did someone say there are 200,000
downtown today?"
The Prix made Detroit look grand, at
least in the eyes of the racers and the
television audience.
It's too bad neither saw the real
Detroit.
While the Grand Prix racing en-
tourage stayed in a beautiful hotel and
socialized at the city's most fashionable
nightspots, Detroiters waited in line for
their unemployment checks. While the
world-wide television audience saw fast
cars, sparkling buildings, a glistening
river and merry spectators, Detroiters
stayed at home. Most couldn't afford
the ticket prices, which started at $10
for standing room.
Who were all those persons crowding
the stands and milling through the race
circuit? They sure weren't Detroiters.
They were white, upper-middle class
suburbanites who don't have to worry
about such trivia as plant closings and
layoffs.

Renaissance Center
... a false image of Detroit
Neither does Detroit Renaissance,
and that's where its priorities are lost.
What happened to residential construc-
tion and expansion? Who is attracting
the investment capital? Is
revitalization forgotten?
Detroit's neighborhoods are
decaying, many of its residents are
starving, and the leading organization
devoted to the city's physical and
economic growth is racing cars down-
town.
It's unfortunate that people don't
concentrate on their priorities. Maybe
Detroit Renaissance cold ressurect a
city. Maybe I could graduate with
honors.
bases as Kirk Gibson walked and Lance
Parrish singled. John Grubb then lifted
a sacrifice fly off Dennis Boyd, 1-1.
The Red Sox went ahead in the second
when Glenn Hoffman doubled, Remy
singled and Miller hita sacrifice fly.
Detroit took the lead for good, 3-2,
with two runs in the third. Whitaker led
off with his fifth homer. Parrish then
singled and scored on Grubb's double.
Whitaker began the fifth with a
double, moved to third on Enos Cabell's
fly out and scored on Gibson's sacrifice
fly.

I

4

BOSTON (AP) - Lou Whitaker
belted a homer, a triple and two
doubles, scored four runs and drove in
Wt e two to power the Detroit Tigers to a 6-3
W victory over the Boston Red Sox last
night.
" Jack Morris, 5-5, recovered from a
ip s S o x shaky start to pitch his fourth complete
game of the year as Detroit won its
fourth in a row. Morris scattered eight
-3 hits, walked two and struck out eight as
Boston lost its fourth straight.
WHITAKER STARTED the game
with a double, and Detroit loaded the

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