History of the Detroit Grand Prix
DETROIT, MI - MAY 30: The #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley DP Ford EcoBoost of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas of Mexico during practice for the Tudor United Sports Car Championship Series at the 2014 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park on May 30, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
The first Detroit Grand Prix kicked off in 1982 as a Formula One race through the streets of downtown Detroit. It became a CART-sanctioned race in 1989.
The race picked up and moved to Belle Isle in 1992, still as a CART-sanctioned race until 2001. Following the Super Bowl being held in Detroit in 2006, Roger Penske and the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) joined forces to bring an annual national sporting event the Motor City and brought the Grand Prix back to Belle Isle in 2007.
Due to a rough economy, the event was delayed after the 2008 season, but it came back in 2012 with Chevrolet as the title sponsor. The 2019 event marked was the 30th Detroit Grand Prix.
The event did not happen in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It came back in 2021 with limited attendance, to follow health and safety guidelines.
Detroit Racing Photos:
Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.