Detroit Grand Prix officials held a press conference on Tuesday to share their vision for the future of the race as the event will move to Downtown Detroit from 2023 from its current location on Belle Isle.
The new event will take place in Downtown Detroit from June 2-4, 2023 and will take in the iconic areas of the city such a Jefferson Avenue, Bates Street, Atwater Street, St. Antoine, Franklin Street, and Rivard that will make up the ten turn, 1.7-mile street circuit.
Bud Denker, Chairman of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear said:
“We are very excited to bring the Grand Prix back to Downtown Detroit beginning in 2023,” “Bringing this annual international event back to the streets of Detroit will help our businesses Downtown, will shine a light
on our beautiful Riverfront with an inclusive summertime festival and it will open up new opportunities to engage and connect with our local neighborhoods and communities.
The Detroit Grand Prix began as a Formula One race on the streets of Motor City in 1982. Formula One raced annually in Detroit from 1982-1988. In 1989, the Detroit Grand Prix welcomed Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) as its primary series and the first INDYCAR races were hosted on the Detroit street circuit from 1989-1991. In 1992, the Grand Prix transitioned to Belle Isle with INDYCAR races on the island annually through 2001. After a six-year hiatus, the Grand Prix returned to Belle Isle thanks to the vision of Roger Penske and through the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Following successful events in 2007 and 2008, the Grand Prix paused for a few years due to the national recession and returned in 2012 with support from General Motors and Chevrolet serving as the event’s title sponsor. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear was hosted each summer on Belle Isle since 2012, before the global pandemic forced the cancellation of the event in 2020. After returning in 2021, the Grand Prix will celebrate its final event on Belle Isle, June 3-5, 2022, before returning to its home in Downtown Detroit in 2023.
Denker went on to say:
“We appreciate all that Detroit’s first responders do every day to help keep our city safe. “We would not be able to bring the Grand Prix back downtown and host a world-class event in the Motor City without the help of the Detroit Police Department and the Detroit Fire Department and we feel it’s so important to support everything they do year-round through the important work of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation
Bud Denker
Ben's News Round-Up 