Detroit Grand Prix guide: Free events, parking and more
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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).
- Several city bus routes that use Jefferson will be rerouted, per DDOT.
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.
What's next: Fox will broadcast the main event starting at 12:30pm Sunday.
- Local radio coverage will be on 910 AM.
- Ticket prices vary.