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Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Detroit Grand Prix draws fans, families from far and wide
When the doors opened on a full People Mover car at the Millender Center station in downtown Detroit, the unmistakable whine of race cars enveloped the space like a thunderclap. The passengers, some of whom had been looking down at their phones or talking amongst each other, stopped at the sound and looked toward the windows facing Jefferson Avenue. After all, people love cars, said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of Auto Intelligence at S&P Global Mobility. While the race has undergone many changes since its first run in 1982, there is still a strong draw to the track – and the city – that inspires residents across the state, even if they wouldn't consider themselves car enthusiasts. More: Detroit Grand Prix signs new contract through 2028 'Is this race important to Detroit? Yes, it is,' Brinley said. 'Because it keeps coming back. The city loves it.' The Detroit Grand Prix roared across downtown streets on Sunday, June 1, with the featured NTT IndyCar race won by Kyle Kirkwood before the organizers announced the event would stay in Detroit through at least 2028. The Grand Prix draws more than 100,000 people each year to downtown Detroit, according to the organizers. In the third year since making the switch from Belle Isle, the Detroit Grand Prix likely has more attendance than ticket sales can account for. Up in the corporate suites, Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis for AutoPacific, pointed out there were far more spectators watching the race from the parking structures than in the paid stands. 'Belle Isle is literally an island. The economic impact to Detroit may be negligible, but it is right downtown,' he said, of the move. 'You don't have to bypass the city to get to the race.' Detroit resident Lauryn Barlow, a traveling bartender, rates the Christmas Tree Lighting as the most attended event she works, with the Grand Prix falling slightly behind the Detroit Auto Show. As for those she served this weekend, she said most spectators arrived from out of town. 'Everybody that I talk to is either from Ohio, Wisconsin," shes said, "and I was just like, "Well dang, where's everybody from Detroit?'' Families congregated on Woodward Avenue and in Hart Plaza to enjoy free events throughout the weekend and the cooler weather. This is the third Grand Prix for Aaron Norton, who drove from Owosso with his son Evan, an incoming freshman of Michigan State University. 'It's something to do,' he said. 'I just drove an hour and forty minutes to get here. My other kids didn't want to come.' The two walked through to Hart Plaza to admire GM's latest vehicles and ask questions of the product specialists on staff. During their stroll, they caught a bit of the race. 'I've learned a lot watching this, and Googling to see how fast they're going. I'm blown away with how much they're worth,' Norton said. 'The safety gear, the halo, is like $17,000 just to protect their head. The crazy prices of the motor. I never knew that.' Sponsoring the race serves a dual purpose for automakers like Honda and General Motors. In addition to seeding goodwill at the community level and showcasing vehicles around the city in an open-air showroom, the race itself acts as a proving ground, S&P Global Mobility's Brinley said. Participating automakers calculate vehicle performance on the track, such as engine fatigue, steering, suspension, lift and driving dynamics, and apply what they learn to the vehicles they retail. 'Not every street car needs to drive like a race car, but lessons learned about performances and tolerances can be applied to street cars,' she said, adding that tire manufacturers also learn about tire wear and performance from extreme racing. Sitting in the center of the track and host to many media events surrounding the Grand Prix is the Renaissance Center, the soon to be former headquarters of GM, which is relocating this year to the new Hudson's Detroit building on Woodward Avenue. While the RenCen's massive office and commercial retail space remains an icon of the city's skyline, it no longer serves its original purpose, Waatti said. Because of GM's broad footprint, with offices across the U.S. as well as other countries, maintaining such a large property no longer makes good business sense. 'The Detroit Grand Prix is a powerful showcase of GM's performance brands and a celebration of Detroit's comeback story. That's what makes GM's decision to leave the RenCen all the more bittersweet,' he said. 'While the race energizes the riverfront and spotlights GM's roots, the company itself is stepping back from the landmark that defines both.' Detroit resident Travis Foster said he's 'heartbroken' that it would be GM's last time hosting the event from its RenCen headquarters. 'As a native Detroiter, I'm really hoping that at the last minute someone is either going to have a change of heart or there's some type of financial decision that will make them at least give that a second thought,' he said. 'This building is iconic when it comes to the city of Detroit. These buildings are supposed to be here, it's meant to be here, it deserves to be here, and we need it here.' Foster, a federal employee, considers the Detroit Grand Prix a pivotal part of the city's summer event schedule. He pointed to the diversity in the crowd and said the race shows off the beauty of downtown and invite tourists and other Michigan residents into the fabric of the community. Embracing change is necessary for GM's success and the city of Detroit, according to Anthony Abbott, a retired GM employee from Farmington Hills who has attended the Detroit Grand Prix 10 times. 'Belle Isle was a beautiful place to have a race, it almost seems like it was built to have a race. But I really enjoy it down here better,' he said. 'And you can watch the event from the garages and see so much.' For Abbott, changes to the Renaissance Center could improve the riverfront landscape and open up more space for future Grand Prix events. 'Embrace change. GM moved down here, I forgot how many years ago, and rehabbed the towers, did a really great job with it. They're not leaving, they're just moving down the street. They're going to blow up a few towers and really open it up,' he said. 'It's iconic, it still will be – just with one or two less towers.' Christian Romo contributed to this report. Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Grand Prix draws fans, families from far and wide
Business Mayor
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Mayor
Fox and IndyCar Put Faces to Indianapolis 500 With Help From Macy's and Letterman
Rolling into this weekend's Indianapolis 500, both the NTT IndyCar series and Fox are moving at top speed toward their goals for the collaboration. In June 2024, IndyCar announced that it was shifting partners from NBCUniversal to Fox and putting all 17 of its races, plus two days of qualifying rounds for the Gainbridge-sponsored Indy 500, on live network broadcasts. The circuit saw immediate dividends during its opening race in St. Petersburg, when Fox drew an audience of 1.42 million—a viewership level IndyCar hadn't hit since the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and 45% higher than last year's opener on NBC, according to Sports Media Watch. As Fox announced during its upfront earlier this month, IndyCar viewership is up 25% on Fox from the same time last year. That didn't happen in a vacuum, as Fox began marketing IndyCar in fall and early winter during its college football and National Football League broadcasts, using its other Fox Sports properties to boost awareness of IndyCar. 'We were able to use that platform to start advertising and talking about IndyCar and the drivers to a wide audience, and that was an important part of the liftoff of the new season and the new relationship with Indy continued that through the playoffs and the Super Bowl,' said Robert Gottlieb, president of marketing at Fox Sports. 'We've used our NASCAR broadcast, beginning with the Daytona 500, which has large amounts of motorsports fans, and we're able to talk to them a lot about IndyCar, and so that all led to a pretty virtuous circle that delivered us to our opener at St Petersburg.' Read More Goodbody Stockbrokers to cut 20 jobs amid Iseq exodus Gottlieb considers the Indianapolis 500 broadcast an inflection point for Fox's IndyCar coverage, with much of it building to this stage. During the Super Bowl, Fox's IndyCar ads focused on 26-year-old Mexican driver Pato O'Ward, who dabbles in Formula 1 with McLaren and came in second at last year's Indy 500 after a raucous final lap. The campaign also featured reigning champion Josef Newgarden, who's going for his third-consecutive victory after winning the previous two races in Indianapolis on the last lap. businessmayor May 23, 2025
Fox Sports
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
How to watch INDYCAR Sonsio Grand Prix: Schedule, date, time, TV channels, streaming
The 2025 INDYCAR season is back with the Sonsio Grand Prix, bringing high-speed action to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Indianapolis, Indiana. Keep reading for key details, including race dates, start times, TV channels, and streaming options. When is INDYCAR Indianapolis? What time does the race start? The fifth race of the 2025 INDYCAR season will start at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 10th, 2025. Where is the Sonsio Grand Prix? The race will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Indianapolis, Indiana. The track is a 2,439-mile, 14-turn road course that incorporates portions of Turns 1 and 2 and the frontstraight of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. How can I watch INDYCAR Indianapolis? What channel will it be on? The 2025 INDYCAR Sonsio Grand Prix race will be broadcast live on FOX. How can I stream INDYCAR Indianapolis? The 2025 INDYCAR Indianapolis race will be available to be streamed live on the FOX Sports website and the FOX Sports App . For those without cable, there are live-streaming services that carry FOX, including YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV. If you have an antenna in a good reception area, you can also watch INDYCAR on your local FOX station. Check out the Federal Communications Commission TV reception maps to see which stations are available in your area. 2025 INDYCAR Sonsio Grand Prix Schedule Friday, May 9 NTT IndyCar Series Practice 1 – 9:30 a.m. ET (FS2) NTT IndyCar Series Practice 2 – 1 p.m. ET (FS2) NTT IndyCar Series Qualifications - 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1) Saturday, May 10 NTT IndyCar Series Warmup - 11:30 a.m. ET (FS1) NTT IndyCar Series Sonsio Grand Prix - 4:30 p.m. (FOX) recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Axios
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Sonsio Grand Prix brings IndyCars back to IMS
The roar of engines returns to Speedway tomorrow for the Sonsio Grand Prix weekend. Why it matters: The Grand Prix is when May really kicks into high gear at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 85-lap race runs through the 14 turns of the 2.439-mile road course at IMS, bringing drivers and excitement to the track — two weeks before the main event. Driving the news: Gates open at 7:30am Friday for a full day of action on the track. Highlights include practice and qualifying for Saturday's NTT IndyCar race. Race day starts at 9am Saturday with a variety of lower-series races before the main event at 4:30pm. Pro tip: Stay through the checkered flag for a post-race track walk, where fans can stroll along the straightaway, snap pictures at the Yard of Bricks and take part in the victory celebration. The intrigue: IndyCar series' current points leader Alex Palou is looking for a three-peat, having won the event the last two years. Yes, but: Christian Lundgaard is also off to a hot start this season and gave Palou a run for his money on the road course last year. Fun fact: The road course at IMS was originally built for Formula One racing, which competed on it from 2000–2007. The IndyCar Grand Prix began in 2014 on a modified version of that original circuit, which incorporates parts of the infamous IMS oval.
Fox Sports
24-02-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
IndyCar on FOX primer: 25 key questions answered for the 2025 season
NTT IndyCar Series IndyCar on FOX primer: 25 key questions answered for the 2025 season Published Feb. 24, 2025 12:19 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Josef Newgarden is a popular driver because he has won back-to-back Indianapolis 500s. And people might wonder where he's from after seeing his name. Here's your answer: He's from the United States. Hendersonville, Tenn., to be exact. And currently, he lives in Nashville. Newgarden not only has two Indy 500 trophies, but he also has been roasted by Tom Brady in a commercial. You might have seen some of those flashy ads during FOX's NFL coverage or on social media platforms. There's even one with Alex Palou kissing bricks, which might make you wonder how many Indy 500s he's won. ADVERTISEMENT "I can almost taste it." Welcome to the fastest racing on Earth | INDYCAR on FOX Here's your answer: None. The three-time IndyCar champion has never won the Indy 500. He has never won on any oval track. Have you learned something yet? While those facts are common knowledge to the avid IndyCar fan, more casual sports fans might not have known these nuggets. But with IndyCar coming to FOX for its entire 2025 season, we know some people will be taking a closer look at the sport than they have in the past. So here's an answer to 25 questions about the 2025 IndyCar season. If you're new here, hopefully this is informative. If you're an avid fan, hopefully this gets you jonesing for the season to start. When Does The Season Start? Glad you asked. The season opens March 2 with the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. St. Pete has opened the IndyCar season for 13 of the last 16 years. Two of those were 2020 and 2021, when season schedules were impacted by COVID. How Many Races? The IndyCar season is 17 races at 16 venues, with one double-header weekend at Iowa. When Does The Season Finish? Labor Day weekend closes out the 2025 IndyCar season, with an Aug. 31 race at Nashville Superspeedway. When Is The Indianapolis 500? The Indianapolis 500 is the sixth race of the season. Qualifying is May 17-18. The race is May 25. Is Anyone Doing The Double? Yes. Kyle Larson will once again attempt 1,100 miles in one day as he drives for Arrow McLaren in the Indianapolis 500 and then fly to Charlotte for his full-time job in a Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series car. Unlike last year when Larson didn't make it to Charlotte for the start of the race after weather delayed the Indy 500 start, Larson will have to get back for the start of the 600. If he doesn't, he would lose all his regular-season playoff points, which would be devastating to his NASCAR championship hopes. Note: This isn't the place to describe how the NASCAR playoffs work, as that is its own 25-question post. Are There Any Big Changes To The Schedule? Nope. The only major change for 2025 is that the race at the Thermal Club will be a points event instead of an exhibition race. The Thermal Club, by the way, is a private club. It's similar to a golf club, except it's for those who want to live at a racetrack and joyride with their sports cars. The 2026 schedule will have at least one new event, as IndyCar has already announced a race in Arlington, Texas, at the sports complex that includes the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. What Is The Breakdown Of Types Of Tracks? The IndyCar Series competes on permanent road courses, street courses and paved ovals. Here's a breakdown: Road Courses: Barber (Alabama), Indianapolis, Laguna Seca (Northern California), Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America (Wisconsin) and Thermal (Southern California). Street Courses: Detroit, Long Beach, St. Petersburg and Toronto. Ovals: Gateway (St. Louis area), Indianapolis, Iowa (doubleheader), Milwaukee and Nashville. Are There Any New Teams This Year? Yes. Prema Racing has entered the fray with a two-car effort. Think of Prema as the JR Motorsports of Europe when it comes to developing drivers. A better comparison might be the Toyota Development Program, which has teams in a variety of series to develop talent. Prema competes in six different series, and among its drivers in its 42-year history have been Jacques Villeneuve and Valtteri Bottas, Who Are The Most Accomplished Drivers In The Series? Scott Dixon has 58 wins and six series titles, while Alex Palou has 11 wins and three titles. Will Power has 44 victories, while Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden have 31 apiece. No other active driver has 20 or more wins. Which Drivers Are New To Their Teams? How much time do you have? Here's a list: — Jacob Abel, second in the Indy NXT Series last year, is a rookie this year at Dale Coyne Racing. — Marcus Armstrong has moved from Chip Ganassi Racing to Meyer Shank Racing. — Conor Daly, who finished the season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, is with the team full-time this year. — Devlin DeFrancesco, who raced in the series in 2022 and 2023, makes his return to the series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. — Louis Foster, the defending Indy NXT champion, is at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. — Callum Ilott, who competed in two IndyCar races last year, is one of the drivers for Prema. — Christian Lundgaard moves from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to Arrow McLaren. — David Malukas, who finished last season with Meyer Shank Racing, is with AJ Foyt Racing. — Sting Ray Robb, who was at AJ Foyt Racing last year, has moved to Juncos Hollinger Racing. — Alexander Rossi, who was at Arrow McLaren last year, is now a driver at Ed Carpenter Racing. — Robert Shwartzman, who competed in Formula 2 last year, is one of the drivers for Prema. --Rinus VeeKay, who spent his first five seasons with Ed Carpenter Racing, has moved to Dale Coyne Racing. Which Drivers Have The Best Chance To Earn Their First Win? Marcus Armstrong and Nolan Siegel have the best chance to earn a first career win. Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas and Christian Rasmussen have potential. What Are The Biggest Changes To Cars For 2025? The biggest change is the one implemented last year when the hybrid engine began use for the final nine races. This will be the first time the hybrid is used for the Indianapolis 500. Are There Any Women In The Series? There are no full-time female drivers in the series. Last year, Katherine Legge competed in seven events. Who Are The Most Accomplished Drivers In The Series Of All-Time? A.J. Foyt has the most wins with 67, followed by Dixon (58), Mario Andretti (52), Power (44), Michael Andretti (42), All Unser (39), Sebastien Bourdais (37), Bobby Unser (35) and Al Unser Jr. (34). Power, who has two titles, is the all-time poles leader with 70. As far as championships, Dixon's six titles are the best since the series started in 1996 (the year of the split from the now-defunct CART/Champ Car Series, which skews some of the stats as the two series competed for drivers from 1996-2007), followed by Dario Franchitti (four) and Sam Hornish Jr. (three). Who Are The Main Manufacturers In The Series? Chevrolet and Honda are the two engine providers in the series. All the cars have a Dallara chassis. The cars run on Firestone tires. Do The Cars Have Windshields? Pretty much. There is an aeroscreen, which debuted in 2020 and was revised for 2024. The ballistic windshield keeps debris — or another car that gets airborne — from hitting the driver. While a little bit frustrating for traditionalists, it certainly is safer. Who Are The Notable Owners? Former late night talk-show host David Letterman owns a piece of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Roger Penske — the successful businessman who owns the series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and promotional rights to five events — also fields three cars in the series. Is There A Reason I Would Have Heard Of Drivers Outside Of IndyCar? Two former full-time drivers, Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe, competed on "Dancing With The Stars." Castroneves won Season 5 in 2007. Current full-time drivers Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi competed in "The Amazing Race." Graham Rahal is married to Courtney Force, who is part of the drag racing family that includes Joh Force as the patriarch. How Does IndyCar Decide A Champion? IndyCar awards points throughout the season to determine a champion. Points are awarded on a scale of 50-40-35-32-30-28-26-24-22-20 for the top 10. Then, 11th gets 19 points, 12th gets 18 points, and so on. Drivers finishing 25th-33rd each earn five points. Drivers earn two points for leading the most laps and one point for leading at least one lap. They earn one point for winning the pole except for the Indy 500, where the top 12 in Indy 500 qualifying earn points on a 12-to-1 scale. What Is The Championship Trophy? The Astor Challenge Cup is awarded to the IndyCar Series champion. The Borg-Warner Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Indianapolis 500. Who Owns The Series? As mentioned earlier, Roger Penske owns the series through his Penske Entertainment Corp. What Fictional Movie Best Depicts IndyCar Racing? Well, not sure. It's certainly not the 2001 movie "Driven," starring Sylvester Stallone. Maybe the most intriguing drama to watch is the 2003 "CSI: Miami" episode that takes place at the former Miami Grand Prix that was a Champ Car event. Is There A Support Series? The main support series is Indy NXT, which will be at 12 of the IndyCar venues, with a total of 14 races over its season. The series has two female drivers in Sophia Floresch and former NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan. It also has a car co-owned by Pro Football Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri, driven by Jack William Miller. Do Any Drivers Have Podcasts? Alexander Rossi does one with former driver James Hinchclifee called "Off Track with Hinch and Rossi," while Conor Daly co-hosts the "Speed Street" podcast on the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned Dirty Mo Media network. Who Is Calling The Races For FOX? Hinchcliffe will be one of the analysts, along with former driver Townsend Bell. Will Buxton, who fans might be most familiar with from his work on Formula 1 telecasts and the "Drive To Survive" Netflix series, will handle the play-by-play duties. Full IndyCar on FOX coverage: Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @ bobpockrass . share
