Detroit GP tickets go on sale
WHAT: Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, featuring the cars of the American Le Mans Series and the IndyCar Series. The weekend collectively is referred to as the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. Saturday’s American Le Mans Series race is the Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch. Sunday’s IndyCar race is the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone.
WHEN: Labor Day weekend – August 31-September 2, 2007
WHERE: The new Raceway at Belle Isle Park road course
TRACK SCHEDULE:
Friday, August 31, 2007:
- IndyCar practice
- American Le Mans practice and qualifying
- Klein Tools American Le Mans Series Pit Crew Challenge
Saturday, September 1, 2007:
- IndyCar practice and qualifying
- Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch; 3:15-6:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, September 2, 2007:
- Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone; 3:45 p.m.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:
Saturday, September 1, 2007, 3:15 p.m. ET
Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch
National television coverage: SPEED Channel
Live national satellite radio coverage: XM Radio (Channel 144)
Sunday, September 2, 2007, 3:30 p.m.
Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone
Live national television coverage: ABC (seen locally on WXYZ Channel 7)
Live national satellite radio coverage: XM Radio (Channel 145)
Live local radio coverage: 101.1 WRIF-FM
TICKETS:
· Tickets for the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix went on sale June 8, 2007 through detroitgp.com, ticketmaster.com and by calling 1.866.464.PRIX or Ticketmaster at (248) 645-6666.
· Every reserved grandstand ticketholder will receive special commemorative tickets celebrating the return of auto racing to Detroit.
· Tickets are priced 15% less than they were 10 years ago, ranging from $25 (single-day pass) to $150 (premium three-day grandstand reserved seating with paddock pass).
· New to the race are discounted tickets for children. Every ticket offered in the reserved grandstands for children age 12 years and under will be $15 less than the adult price.
· The top row for all reserved grandstand seating during the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will be labeled as Row 1, reflecting that the optimum sightlines for a race are at the top of the grandstand.
ORGANIZATION & LEGACY:
· The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is being organized and promoted by a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, whose chairman is Roger Penske.
· The length of the contract is five years with a four-year option after 2011.
· A provision has been made to enable all net proceeds raised by the Grand Prix to fund measures to preserve and improve Belle Isle.
· The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix has also earmarked $100,000 in cash to a fund restricted to the improvement and preservation of Belle Isle. This commitment will grow incrementally over each year of the event’s five-year contract.
BELLE ISLE IMPROVEMENTS
The following lasting improvements have been made to Belle Isle and its race course in preparation for the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix:
· Installing over 150,000 square feet of new concrete for road improvements and other modifications for more exciting competition.
· Installing over 460,000 square feet of concrete for paddock area & fan interaction to provide a cleaner and more comfortable race experience
· New concrete areas will also be used by park visitors for parking and community events and activities
· “Best in class" chalets featuring premier hospitality service.
· Developing Park & Ride system with multiple satellite parking locations throughout metropolitan Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. A similar system was used during Super Bowl XL in Detroit.
· Utilizing downtown public parking areas to create easy access to Belle Isle from downtown Detroit.
HISTORY:
· This year’s event marks the first Detroit Grand Prix in six years.
· Formula One staged the first Grand Prix on the streets of downtown Detroit in 1982.
· The international F1 series raced on the streets of Detroit from 1982-88.
· Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) joined the Grand Prix in 1989 and continued to race at the downtown street course through 1991.
· The race venue shifted gears in 1992 to the picturesque Belle Isle road circuit and CART continued to race at the venue through 2001.
· There have been 20 Grand Prix events held in Detroit. As the Grand Prix returns to the Motor City in 2007, it marks 25 years since the event made its debut in the city.
BY THE NUMBERS:
· 2.125: Length, in miles, of the Raceway at Belle Isle
· 4: Other road courses, in addition to the Raceway at Belle Isle Park, that the IndyCar Series races on – Infineon Raceway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the streets of St. Petersburg and Watkins Glen International Raceway.
· 10: Race number for the Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch in the 12-race American Le Mans series schedule.
· 14: Number of turns on the Raceway at Belle Isle circuit – nine right-handed turns and five left-handed turns.
· 16: Race number for the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone in the 17-race IndyCar Series, meaning the race will have significant championship implications.
· 27: Miles of safety cable around the race circuit
· 173: Days between first construction on Belle Isle on March 12, 2007 and the American Le Mans Series race on September 1, 2007.
· 1,500: Approximate number of volunteers that will work the event.
· 2,000: Concrete barriers temporarily installed on Belle Isle.
· 12,000: Tires that make up the temporary barrier walls on the circuit.
· 30,000: Approximate number of seats along the Raceway at Belle Isle.
· 50,000: Feet of fencing temporarily installed on Belle Isle.
· 17 million: Combined poundage of the 2,000 temporary concrete barriers installed at the Belle Isle course.
SERIES INFORMATION:
· American Le Mans Series: Conceived by entrepreneur Don Panoz and based on the format and rules of the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race, the American Le Mans Series has become the world’s premier sports car series in just nine short years. The American Le Mans Series, like the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans race, has four classes of cars racing on the track at the same time, making for exciting passing and confrontations throughout the race. The majority of the races – including the Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch – are “timed" races of 2:45 and not based on laps completed. The car leading at the 2:45 mark wins. The American Le Mans Series includes such established manufacturers as Acura, Audi, Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari, Panoz and Porsche.
· IndyCar Series: The IndyCar Series is the country’s premier open-wheel racing series. The IndyCar Series is sanctioned by the Indy Racing League and competes at 17 races on a mixture of both road courses and oval tracks. These are the same cars that race at the Indianapolis 500 and the series features such recognizable drivers as Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti, Sam Hornish Jr., Dan Wheldon and 2007 Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti. IndyCars use Honda engines and Firestone tires exclusively while running either a Dallara Automobili or a Panoz chassis.
ENTERTAINMENT:
· Meijer Family Fun Zone, an interactive family-friendly experience featured throughout the weekend.
· Both national and local musical acts are expected to perform during the course of race weekend.
KEY WEBSITES:
· Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix – www.detroitgp.com
· IndyCar Series – www.indycar.com
· American Le Mans Series – www.americanlemans.com
· Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau – www.visitdetroit.com
· City of Detroit – http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us
· Downtown Detroit Partnership – www.downtowndetroit.org