3 days ago
Detroit Grand Prix guide: Free events, parking and more
The Detroit Grand Prix will dominate downtown this weekend, starting with Friday's Free Prix Day and ending with Sunday's final race.
Why it matters: The annual event transforms Jefferson Avenue and other downtown streets into a 1.7-mile racetrack for world-class drivers such as last week's Indy 500 winner, Alex Palou, who also won in Detroit two years ago.
The race is expected to generate an economic impact of more than $100 million, Crain's reports.
🏁 Here's our grand prix primer:
Free events: Friday's Free Prix Day allows free admission to grandstands 1 and 9.
Free, wheelchair-accessible viewing platforms will be located along Jefferson all weekend.
Hart Plaza, Spirit Plaza and Woodward Avenue will also host free fan activation areas all three days.
Downtown race footprint: Road closures will affect parts of Jefferson (between the Lodge Freeway and Rivard Street) and Woodward Avenue (between the Campus Martius area and Jefferson).
Transportation/parking: Parking garages inside the footprint will be closed except for the Franklin Garage, which requires pre-purchased tickets starting at $75.
You can park along the People Mover's route and take it to the Renaissance Center inside the Grand Prix footprint.
Another option is parking north of Campus Martius and taking the QLine to the race area.
Both services are free.
Learn the lingo: Motor sports tend to have a niche following. Luckily our Axios Indianapolis colleagues compiled a handy glossary of racing terms and other basic info for casual fans.
Penske's cheating scandal: Off the track, local businessman and racing icon Roger Penske has been dealing with the fallout of a cheating scandal that resulted in the firing of three Team Penske executives just days before the Indy 500.
The team's drivers did not fare well at Indy. One wrecked his car before it even started and another exited after 135 laps with a mechanical issue.
