{"id":31845,"date":"2023-12-14T10:23:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T14:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31845"},"modified":"2023-12-14T10:23:37","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T14:23:37","slug":"detroit-grand-prix-gears-up-for-2024-with-new-pavement-more-racecars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/detroit-grand-prix-gears-up-for-2024-with-new-pavement-more-racecars","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Grand Prix gears up for 2024 with new pavement, more racecars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It&#8217;s December in the Motor City, but June&#8217;s Detroit Grand Prix is already warming up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Asphalt paving machines have laid down a new Turn 3 braking zone at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Griswold Street, tailgating spots have been added, and \u2014 just in time for the holidays \u2014 tickets are on sale for the May 31-June 2 event, the sixth race on the 2024 NTT IndyCar calendar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">After a successful return to downtown streets last summer, the 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear expands to include the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, featuring wicked-quick prototypes from Detroit icons Penske-Porsche and Cadillac and an angry herd of GT racers including Corvette, Mustang and Porsche. Like IMSA, IndyCar is going hybrid in 2024 \u2014 but don\u2019t expect the IndyCar hybrid machines to be ready in time for the Detroit GP (or IndyCar\u2019s signature event, the Indy 500, the weekend before).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/06\/04\/PDTN\/542f8cde-ce32-49ec-b450-8e315c85e196-MicrosoftTeams-image_23.png?width=660&amp;height=495&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Team Penske\u2019s Will Power, reigning IndyCar champion, with rapper Flavor Flav on the pit lane prior to the 2023 Grand Prix in Detroit on June 4. The race is adding extra features for its 2024 run in downtown Detroit.\" width=\"521\" height=\"391\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/06\/04\/PDTN\/542f8cde-ce32-49ec-b450-8e315c85e196-MicrosoftTeams-image_23.png?width=660&amp;height=495&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/06\/04\/PDTN\/542f8cde-ce32-49ec-b450-8e315c85e196-MicrosoftTeams-image_23.png?width=1320&amp;height=990&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Team Penske\u2019s Will Power, reigning IndyCar champion, with rapper Flavor Flav on the pit lane prior to the 2023 Grand Prix in Detroit on June 4. The race is adding extra features for its 2024 run in downtown Detroit.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Team Penske\u2019s Will Power, reigning IndyCar champion, with rapper Flavor Flav on the pit lane prior to the 2023 Grand Prix in Detroit on June 4. The race is adding extra features for its 2024 run in downtown Detroit.\" data-c-credit=\"Jakkar Aimery, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe\u2019ll have a lot more on-track action this year,\u201d said Bud Denker, chairman of the GP, in an interview. \u201cWe\u2019ve added the IMSA series with the Porsches racing against the Cadillacs, Acuras and BMWs on Saturday. Then the IndyCars are the stars on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Spectators and a national television audience were treated to a thrilling, 100-lap shootout in &#8217;23, but drivers still saw room for improvement.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Turn 3, the hairpin at the end of the long back straight, was judged difficult to pass by drivers due to the rough braking zone. So organizers have paved the full 750-foot patch leading into the brake zone for better grip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe real metric of a competitive track is how many passes did you have? We had 189 in last year\u2019s Sunday race,&#8221; said Denker. \u201cThe feedback we got back from drivers was: can you do more paving on Jefferson Avenue into the braking zone? They\u2019re going from about 185 mph there to about 30 mph.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/16\/PDTN\/71209800007-imsa-petit-le-mans-porschepenske.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Porsche Penske hybrid prototype will headline the IMSA Weathertech series' return to Detroit next June.\n(Credit: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)\" width=\"522\" height=\"294\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/16\/PDTN\/71209800007-imsa-petit-le-mans-porschepenske.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/16\/PDTN\/71209800007-imsa-petit-le-mans-porschepenske.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The Porsche Penske hybrid prototype will headline the IMSA Weathertech series' return to Detroit next June.\n(Credit: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Porsche Penske hybrid prototype will headline the IMSA Weathertech series' return to Detroit next June.\n(Credit: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">A big change coming to IndyCar next season is a switch to Chevrolet and Honda hybrid engines with an electric motor and battery paired with a twin-turbo, 2.2-liter V-6 engine for an expected 850 horsepower \u2014 100 more than last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cLook at the manufacturers and what\u2019s important for them: electrification,\u201d said Denker. \u201cWe will introduce hybrid tech sometime after the Indy 500. We need more testing and units \u2014 we want to make sure that, when we go racing, the technology is bulletproof.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He noted that IndyCar is the first race series to run 100% renewable fuel \u2014 a biomass-derived formula that debuted last year and is rated as carbon neutral by the U.S. Department of Energy \u2014 a key metric for manufacturers like Chevrolet and Honda that are the backbone of the series. The international Formula One series follows in IndyCar footsteps with a synthetic fuel in 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Don\u2019t expect IndyCar\u2019s hybrid engine to debut in Detroit. IMSA\u2019s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on Saturday, June 1, will feature hybrid prototypes that debuted in 2023. Typically a part of the Detroit event, IMSA missed last year due to a scheduling conflict with France\u2019s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indy 500 of the international sportscar world.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/05\/31\/PDTN\/8fd1b796-bc1b-4afa-929e-9154a2907c9b-DetroitGP-trackwalk_denker-armstrong-pit-straight.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Detroit GP Chairman Bud Denker (lft) and IndyCar driver Marcus Armstrong walk the pit straight ahead of the 2023 Detroit GP.\n(Credit: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)\" width=\"525\" height=\"296\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/05\/31\/PDTN\/8fd1b796-bc1b-4afa-929e-9154a2907c9b-DetroitGP-trackwalk_denker-armstrong-pit-straight.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/05\/31\/PDTN\/8fd1b796-bc1b-4afa-929e-9154a2907c9b-DetroitGP-trackwalk_denker-armstrong-pit-straight.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Detroit GP Chairman Bud Denker (lft) and IndyCar driver Marcus Armstrong walk the pit straight ahead of the 2023 Detroit GP.\n(Credit: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Detroit GP Chairman Bud Denker (lft) and IndyCar driver Marcus Armstrong walk the pit straight ahead of the 2023 Detroit GP.\n(Credit: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The 2024 IMSA race will pit Detroit icons Penske and Cadillac against one another. Penske manages the Porsche 963 race team, while Cadillac\u2019s fleet of GTP racers will be looking to win in GM\u2019s backyard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI\u2019ll be a little bifurcated,\u201d laughed Denker, who is also president of Penske Corporation. \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for General Motors, Chevy, and Cadillac we wouldn\u2019t have the event downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Penske Corp also owns IndyCar, and the series benefited from a six-episode TV series, \u201c100 Days to Indy,\u201d that debuted in 2023 on The CW network and tracked IndyCar stars through the 500 \u2014 the last episode airing just before the Detroit GP. The series drew a healthy 4 million viewers, and Denker expects its renewal in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Also new to IndyCar last year was the dual pit lane \u2014 a Detroit GP innovation with a total of 28 pit stalls to house the different series on tap. Surrounded by downtown buildings, the pit lane is a beehive of action where races can be won or lost. Event organizers have expanded fan viewing of the area with new-for-2024 Tailgating ticket packages.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe weren\u2019t sure how (the dual pit lane) was going to work out, but it worked well,\u201d smiled Denker. \u201cParking decks were loaded with fans \u2014 seven decks full watching the action \u2014 so this year we\u2019re going to put a party deck on top of those rooftops plus a tailgate area. Bring your car, SUV, and we\u2019ll give you the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Just like a UM football game, fans will be able to purchase a tailgate pass for the event. Unlike Michigan football, tailgaters can back their vehicles right up to the action in Franklin Garage, overlooking the pit lane and main straight.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/06\/04\/PDTN\/f0a30d31-13d5-415c-9e08-f54108b6b260-duMond--230604-00188_.JPG?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Beth Boles of Indianapolis, mother of Ed Carpenter Racing's Conor Daly, prepares to take a two-seater IndyCar ride with driver Sebastian Saavedra at the Detroit Grand Prix on June 4, 2023, in Detroit.\" width=\"525\" height=\"351\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/06\/04\/PDTN\/f0a30d31-13d5-415c-9e08-f54108b6b260-duMond--230604-00188_.JPG?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/06\/04\/PDTN\/f0a30d31-13d5-415c-9e08-f54108b6b260-duMond--230604-00188_.JPG?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Beth Boles of Indianapolis, mother of Ed Carpenter Racing's Conor Daly, prepares to take a two-seater IndyCar ride with driver Sebastian Saavedra at the Detroit Grand Prix on June 4, 2023, in Detroit.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Beth Boles of Indianapolis, mother of Ed Carpenter Racing's Conor Daly, prepares to take a two-seater IndyCar ride with driver Sebastian Saavedra at the Detroit Grand Prix on June 4, 2023, in Detroit.\" data-c-credit=\"Chris DuMond, Special To The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Those rooftop locations have been expanded as well. In 2023 rooftop views were offered atop the Renaissance Center Garage along the Detroit Riverfront, overlooking Turns 5-7. This year, Franklin Street Garage gets a rooftop deck as does the Port Atwater Garage for expansive views of the Detroit skyline as well as track action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The circuit\u2019s seven grandstands were sold out on Sunday last year, yet fans still had free access across half of the venue, bringing weekend attendance to an estimated 150,000. Free areas include Hart Plaza, Spirit Plaza, Detroit Riverwalk and the Jefferson Avenue straightaway. Organizers credit the free access and steady stream of live music for the biggest 25 to 30-year old-demographics in the event\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Motown is Corvette town and owners can purchase tickets to a Corvette Corral that includes on-track parade laps. Other pay-for-view options include a Turn 3 Hospitality Club and Pit Lane Suites. In addition to IndyCar and IMSA, fans will get a look at open-wheel racing\u2019s future stars in the INDY NXT series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Sunday\u2019s IndyCar feature will be televised by USA Network. Tickets are available online at www.DetroitGP.com\/Tickets or through the event\u2019s Ticket Hotline at 866-464-PRIX (7749).<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s December in the Motor City, but June&#8217;s Detroit Grand Prix is already warming up. Asphalt paving machines have laid down a new Turn 3 braking zone at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Griswold Street, tailgating spots have been added, and \u2014 just in time for the holidays \u2014 tickets are on sale for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31845"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31846,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31845\/revisions\/31846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}