Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
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| Location | The Raceway on Belle Isle Detroit, United States 42°20′10″N 82°59′44″W / 42.33611°N 82.99556°WCoordinates: 42°20′10″N 82°59′44″W / 42.33611°N 82.99556°W |
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| Corporate sponsor |
Lear Corporation Chevrolet |
| First race | 1982 |
| Distance | 164.5 miles (264.737 km) |
| Laps | 70 |
| Previous names |
Detroit Grand Prix (1982–1987) EniChem Detroit Grand Prix (1988) Valvoline Detroit Grand Prix (1989–1991) ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix (1992–1998) Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit (1999–2001) Detroit Indy Grand Prix Presented by Firestone (2007–2008) Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Presented by shopautoweek.com (2012) Chevrolet Indy Dual In Detroit Presented by Quicken Loans (2013) Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans(2014-2016) |
| Most wins (driver) | Hélio Castroneves (3) |
| Most wins (team) | Penske Racing (7) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Reynard (6) |
| Surface | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Length | 2.36 mi (3.80 km) |
| Turns | 14 |
| Lap record | 1:10.3162 (Scott Dixon, Dallara DW12-Honda, 2012, IndyCar) |
The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear Corporation is a IndyCar Series race weekend held on a temporary circuit at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. The race has been held from 1989 to 2001, 2007 to 2008, and since 2012. The current format of the event is a unique "doubleheader" weekend, which includes two full, points-paying races, one each on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, since 2012, the event has been scheduled for the weekend immediately following the Indianapolis 500.
The origins of the event date back to the Formula One Detroit Grand Prix on the Detroit street circuit. The CART series began headlining the event in 1989, and in 1992, the race moved from downtown Detroit to Belle Isle, a park situated on an island in the Detroit River. The IndyCar Series took over the race beginning in 2007. The race has been supported by Indy Lights and Formula Atlantic and top-level sports car series such as the Trans-Am Series and the ALMS.
Open wheel racing in Detroit dates back to the 1920s–1950s, when AAA held the Detroit 100 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway. AAA also held one five-mile (8 km), non-championship race at Grosse Pointe in 1905.
The race dates back to 1982 when it was a Formula One World Championship event held on the Detroit street circuit encompassing the Renaissance Center. The original circuit was 2.493 miles (4.012 km) with seventeen corners and proved to be even slower than Monaco. The rough, demanding course included a railroad track crossing and mimicked Monaco, with a tunnel on the main straight. While officially the Detroit Grand Prix, it was referred to as the United States Grand Prix East because there were multiple Grand Prix races in the U.S. at the time. By the time of the 1988 race, FIA, the governing body of Formula One, had declared the street circuit's temporary pits and garages were not up to the required standard.
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