DETROIT (WWJ) – For one final time this summer, the Detroit Grand Prix will be held on Belle Isle, and tickets are now on sale.
The race has been held on what many call the city’s “jewel” in the Detroit River since 1992, but will head to the streets of downtown in 2023.
Tickets, which went on-sale Wednesday, are available for purchase on detroitgp.com, starting at $40. The Free Prix Day will be Friday, June 3, with the race running June 4-5.
As the three-decade run on Belle Isle comes to a close, the big question is: what happens with the paddock area that race crews use as their garage area?
The paddock, which sits in front of the Belle Isle Casino building, could be utilized in a variety of useful ways, according to Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix and Penske Corporation President Bud Denker.
Denker tells WWJ they’ve had discussions with the Belle Isle Conservancy and Michigan DNR, and one thought that came to his mind:
“Why not set up basketball courts there?”
“What a great 3-on-3 basketball tournament we could have there; thousands of kids down there,” he told WWJ.
That area is currently used for a lot of event parking on the isle, according to Denker, and he says one idea would also be putting up temporary structures for events.
“We’re always selling out the pavilions down there for homecomings, for gatherings down there,” he said. “Why not put up some temporary structures there in that area?”
Denker says ultimately the decision will be up to the DNR and he hopes they’ll find a good use.
The race chairman says they've already committed along with DTE Energy to ensure the Scott Fountain continues to operate. The race chairman and Penske official says what additional assistance will look like is still being determined.
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As for the future of the race, officials laid out the plans late last year, unveiling a 1.7-mile, 10-turn street circuit that will give fans “unprecedented access.”
More than half of the race’s footprint along Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit Riverfront will be open free of charge to the public, with plenty of opportunity for fan engagement and festivities.
“Nowhere else does that happen, but it’s gonna happen in Detroit in 2023, and that’s what I’m most excited about,” Denker said at the time.
The final race weekend on Belle Isle is set to feature concerts and new viewing areas and platforms.
"We learned last year during COVID that our fans love watching the race from different parts of the area that we haven't allowed before," Denker told WWJ.