A lot!
Here are the versions when the tract was located along Bourbon Street between 1998 and 2005.
Version #1 was on 78th Street, so we start with Version 2:
Version 2 had four long straightaways with the famous Corkscrew turn double backing on itself into the Canon Hairpin. A 23 foot long back straight went uphill to the corkscrew. The track also featured a train going around it. The large grandstands were replaced for more camping ground not long after construction. This version lasted for two events, the 1998 Rapids Invitational and the Indyslotcar Grand Prix won by Dan Margetta.
A view from atop the hill over the train tunnel. This was a favorite exhibit spot for the 24th Armored division stationed nearby.
Rusty Wallace oversees construction of the Corkscrew Turn.
Version 3 features the return of the "Carousel" Turn as part of turn 2. The remaining space above the Carousel Turn was parking and train track. An additional board was added to later accommodate the train as it was moved away from the main racing track as the racing track kept expanding.
The track was rebuilt at this time to slide it over to be to the edge of the base board and to be reinforced as cats arrived at the location who liked to pounce on the track. This version lasted two seasons, 1999 and 2000. It featured wins by Ev Kamikawa and John Shea in Indyslotcar and saw the first race of the International Sportscar Federation (ISF)
Several views of the pits. It featured three handmade garages with outdoor railings so fans could stand above the pits. On the back of the buildings the numbers and names of all the drivers killed since 1993 in NASCAR, F1, and Indycar were painted as a tribute.
The garages in the picture above eventually went to Walczy World and presumably have been lost to the demise of that track. The garage building below was rebuilt at Southshore Speedway and is still in use. It featured a large deck on the roof.
F1 and GTP cars of the ISF
One of the features was that turn one could be wrapped around the pits and connected to the straight behind the pits making a long oval (there would eventually be six versions of the Rapids Oval)
A look up the 23 foot long back straightaway
Version 4 featured two small straights. The above drawing isn't quite accurate. As the cars exited tiwn two and went up the short straight they entered the Carousel Turn, not a hairpin.
This is the original drawing. The Carousel Turn was omitted because it wasd thought there wouldn't be enough room. In reality there was enough room. So the cars went through Turn 2 onto the short straight and into the Carousel and back down the second short straight that was right next to the first, before turning to go up the long back straight. This version lasted for 2001 and featured the last Indyslotcar Grand Prix until 2007.
Ev gets loose in the Ferrari F40 coming out of the Goodyear Curves onto the main straight and the finish line.
Ev's Ferrari and Shea's Minolta GTP were frequent winners on the track
Mike Fitzlaff also won often
Ev took the 1999 Indyslotcar race
Jim Iverson won in GTP
Larry Rotter hits the tire barriers in Kodak Korner at the top of the hill. The tires were from previous races and bound together
Contemplating how to set up their cars
Version 5 was the last version. Featuring races from 2002 till the track was moved in the fall of 2005. The inner loops were added and make the fastest lap times over ten seconds. When buildings were added the sight lines were horrible.
Version 5 under construction
Now added the buildings
GTP cars going around the second of the inner loops.
Version six would come in 2006 at a new location.
Several more versions have been built. How many versions of Rapids have their been?
Many more than you might think!
Until Next TIme...It's not bad being in the pits...at Rapids
Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett
