Story By: ASHLEY KELLER / CHEVROLET – DETROIT, MI – The sixth round of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2024 season takes the competitive field to the Streets of Downtown Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix May 31-June 2.
Located in the shadows of GM World Headquarters at the Renaissance Center, the newly refreshed 1.645-mile, nine-turn temporary street circuit features a unique dual-pit lane and features three full days of activities and excitement on some of Detroit’s most popular and active Downtown areas. Additionally, the track straightaway that runs along Jefferson Avenue is the longest of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES street circuits, with the field reaching speeds of up to 189-plus miles per hour before diving onto Bates Street before heading back onto Atwater Street.
In its second year on the Streets of Detroit, the Bowtie brand has raced to victory lane on nearby Belle Isle eight times during the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 engine era, additionally capturing eight NTT P1 pole awards, 22 podium finishes, and 556 laps led. In the return to downtown Detroit in 2023, Chevrolet captured one podium finish with Team Penske’s Will Power, along with 18 laps led.
“Racing on the Streets of Detroit is an important weekend for the Chevrolet powered teams in the NTT INDYCAR Series,” said Mark Stielow, Director of Motorsports Competition Programs. “Coming off a successful Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, our Chevrolet engineering group as well as our teams and drivers are facing an entirely different set of challenges coming from the 2.5-mile oval to a short, tight street course with one very long straight. Continuing the dedicated effort by the Chevrolet engineers working with our teams, we will be prepared for the competition in the shadow of the Ren Cen.“
Before the field takes the green flag for the main event on Sunday around the 1.645-mile nine-turn temporary street circuit, the Bowtie brand will pace the field for the second week in a row, leading the pack in the beautiful Arctic White Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. The first electrified and fastest production Corvette ever, the E-Ray pairs two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V-8 power with electrified responsiveness powered by eAWD, making it one like none. A 6.2L V-8 is complemented by the electric motor that channels an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels for 655 combined horsepower. Designed for year-round performance, the Corvette E-Ray and its electrified All-Wheel Drive (eAWD) capability is up for any challenge, and the exterior and interior of the Corvette E-Ray will be on full display as the car fulfills responsibilities on and off the track.
Featuring a full line-up of cars, trucks, SUVs, and the Corvette E-Ray, the Team Chevy display will be open all weekend long from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Located in Spirit Plaza, Chevy is ready to rev up fans’ experience at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.
The 100-lap, 164.5-mile Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the Streets of Detroit takes the green flag live on USA Network at 12 p.m. ET. Additional coverage is carried by Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes):
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:
Discuss Detroit’s unique features…
“I would say the pit lane, definitely unique. Obviously, most pits are quite technical and challenging as is this one, but I will say that it is very fun to have the dual pit lane. I think it kind of changes your strategy. We want to definitely be on the left side of pit lane this year compared to last year. I think it’s fun to be racing your competitors in pit lane as well under yellow. Overall, I like Detroit because it’s a very pretty track, very scenic. I would say the two best places to pass are down Jefferson Avenue into turn three and into turn eight, coming down towards pit lane down by the water.”
Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:
“I said this even at the beginning of the year, that May can be a big momentum shift for anyone, and I was betting on that for us. We showed what this team is capable of doing and with slightly different strategy at the end of the race, we would’ve been fighting for the top spots. I see the morale boost on the team, and it is so good. “We were promoted to the front of the field (the first time) via staying out on the race track when everyone jumped to pit lane during a caution. That was a big surprise. When I was sitting there and the only car in front of me was the pace car, I had a slight moment of excitement. Definitely not what we had expected to happen at that point in the race.”
On racing in Detroit…
Personally, I loved Belle Isle. To see that leave the schedule was sad. However, I was surprised to see how good the racing actually was at the new circuit. There are a lot of straights to hard 90-degree corners which means big brake zones, so a lot of passing opportunities. I’m looking forward to rolling off this year with more experience for this event.”
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“This weekend we’re back on a street course, and it’s a challenging one. It’s a big event for all of us, especially our friends over at Team Chevrolet. We’re going to try and do our best for them and hopefully have a good reason to celebrate at the end of this weekend.”
Théo Pourchaire, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“I’m really happy to be back behind the wheel of the No. 6 onsemi Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. It’s great to discover a new track, and I really enjoy racing on street courses. Hopefully we can have a good race and get a great result for Arrow McLaren and Team Chevy.”
Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“This is a wild time of the year as we have back-to-back races coming off the biggest month in racing. We’re pushing hard as a group, and I’m proud of the effort that everyone is putting in. I can’t wait to get back on the streets of Detroit and hopefully get a win for the bowtie family.”
Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:
“Even though the results from last weekend are still a bit fresh, we have very little time to dwell on those – we have a race to get ready for this Sunday. Detroit presents a great opportunity for us to build on the momentum we’ve created over the last couple weeks, especially considering how competitive we were there last year when we placed two cars in the top five. Pato (O’Ward) and Alexander (Rossi), and frankly everyone here at Arrow McLaren, are excited to get back out on track this weekend to fight for the win we were so close to last weekend, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Théo (Pourchaire) back for the remainder of the season.”
Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:
“I can’t wait to get back to Detroit! I think it will be super special, especially as a Team Chevy driver. It was an event I really enjoyed last year running in INDY NXT. I’m looking to build on the momentum we have from the pace we’ve shown in our previous races and the Top 12 result we secured at the Indianapolis 500.”
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:
“Detroit is going to be fun! Definitely going to be a tired group of people throughout the whole series, but I think we are going to have a good weekend! It’s another opportunity for us to do well, we have a good street course package. With the track changes that have happened since last year, it should be a good race. And driving around the Chevrolet headquarters is always a plus! I am looking forward to it and going for a great result!”
Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:
“We are happy to be back racing in Motor City. It’s a challenging track and we will try to keep up the good work we have done so far this year on street courses.”
Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:
“We arrive to Detroit with good expectations, because we were able to be fast in the latest street courses, and the last year was good for us here. It is a very tricky track, and still new for the series. In 100 laps. you never know.”
CHEVROLET IN DETROIT:
Wins on the Streets of Detroit: 0
Wins at Belle Isle: 8
2014 (Race 1): Will Power
2014 (Race 2): Helio Castroneves
2015 (Race 2): Sebastian Bourdais
2016 (Race 1): Sebastian Bourdais
2016 (Race 2): Will Power
2019 (Race 1): Josef Newgarden
2021 (Race 2): Pato O’Ward
2022: Will Power
Earned Pole Awards on the Streets of Detroit: 0
Earned Pole Awards at Belle Isle: 8
2014 (Race 1): Helio Castroneves
2015 (Race 1): Will Power
2015 (Race 2): Juan Pablo Montoya
2016 (Race 2): Simon Pagenaud
2019 (Race 2): Josef Newgarden
2021 (Race 1): Pato O’Ward
2021 (Race 2): Josef Newgarden
2022: Josef Newgarden
Number of Team Chevy Podiums on the streets of Detroit (V6 era since 2012): 1 (Will Power, second – 2023)
Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Belle Isle (V6 era since 2012): 22
Number of laps led by Team Chevy on the Streets of Detroit (V6 era since 2012): 18/100
Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Belle Isle (V6 era since 2012): 574
2024 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:
204: NTT INDYCAR Series races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.
114: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012.
130: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 135 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather.
8: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.
7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.
13: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
6: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.
32: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 50 times since 2012 in the V6 era.
26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.
9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.
46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.
*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.