Formula 1 and then Champ Car, at the time the most important formula championship in the USA, searched for a venue in the New York City area during the 1980s, after Watkins Glen ran out of money. Although suggestions ranged from Central Park to Flushing Meadow, a temporary circuit on the parking lot of the Meadowlands Sports Arena was an unsatisfactory compromise, found thanks to the help of the Long Beach event promoter Chris Pook. While Formula One abandoned the idea and moved the event to Dallas for 1984, since that very same year Champ Car ended up coming to Meadowlands eight times. During practice and qualifying, drivers and journalists criticized the nature of the course. The race began on a damp track, and Mario Andretti led all 100 laps to win. The 1985 event saw better weather and better attendance, but still fell short of expectations. In 1988, officials changed the layout after collecting negative opinions about the track, being far from a street circuit stereotype. The ne...