DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The first attempt at a new venue rarely provides enough data to deliver meaningful metrics for what an IMSA race will, in fact, be like. But after two years, a clearer picture starts to emerge.
For the new downtown Detroit Street Circuit, it’s fair to say that what the track lacks in length it more than makes up for in fun, frenzied and frenetic action in the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic (Saturday, May 30, 4 p.m. ET, NBC).
The 1.645-mile, nine-turn course is the shortest on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar, and a far cry in layout from the former Raceway on Belle Isle Park where IMSA competed through 2022.
Compared to the flowing, elevation-change, switchback-heavy Belle Isle track that was more than 2.3 miles on an island with a picturesque backdrop, the new layout which runs along the Detroit Riverwalk is raw, visceral and gritty; just like the city where it resides.
One long straight anchors the track on Jefferson Ave., linked together by a series of predominately 90-degree left-hand turns (there’s only three right-handers – Turns 4, 6 and 9), with space at a premium and cars needing to pick the key moments where and when to go side-by-side.
After a one-off run of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) cars in 2023, the WeatherTech Championship arrived in 2024 and has delivered a pair of barnburners in the 100-minute race. Both WeatherTech Championship races have featured late-race, dynamic passes for the lead.
Wayne Taylor Racing pulled it off in 2024 as Ricky Taylor maneuvered his then-Acura ARX-06 past Mathieu Jaminet’s Porsche 963 at the Turn 3 hairpin for the lead. Then last year, Taylor was on the receiving end of a winning pass battle as Renger van der Zande took his No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura past Taylor’s now-Cadillac V-Series.R deep into Turn 1 for the ultimate win. Van der Zande won with Nick Yelloly; Taylor with Filipe Albuquerque.
“I know Ricky – Ricky goes for it, right?” van der Zande said in last year’s postrace media availability. “He’s the nicest guy out of the car, but in the car, you need to watch out for the guy. He was going for it, and I was like, ‘Game on. Let’s see.’”
Taylor added, “Renger being Renger, he makes it happen.”
The win passes have come in addition to a trio of viral moments caused by passing attempts and action that haven’t gone entirely to plan.
In the standalone Michelin Pilot Challenge race, Robert Megennis’ No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (G82) rode over the top of Rory van der Steur’s luckless van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 at the hairpin. A bad-looking incident at the time at least had a happy follow-up story as the van der Steur crew rebuilt the chassis to make the next round at Watkins Glen International and finished an impressive fifth.
Inadvertent contact between Jack Aitken and Richard Westbrook at Turn 1 a year later in the first WeatherTech Championship race essentially blocked the track as Westbrook’s yellow “banana boat” livery No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 needed an oar to get dislodged.
Then last year, there was the definition of “argy bargy” – a ubiquitous turn-of-phrase popularized by veteran racer and NBC Sports’ sports car analyst Calvin Fish. In Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), a late-race battle between the “Roxy” No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) of Laurin Heinrich and No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Nicky Catsburg ended when both received postrace time penalties following a last-lap collision at Turn 3.
“At Detroit, we had some ‘argy bargy’ last year with my friends over at Porsche,” Catsburg laughed, reflecting on last year’s contretemps.
“You always go for the victory if you have a chance, but you have to avoid the risks. You have to avoid those type situations.”
Catsburg’s teammate Alexander Sims noted how authentic “new Detroit” is.
“The street track here in Detroit is awesome to drive,” said the Englishman and defending GTD PRO champion, who co-drives the No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Antonio Garcia.
“The first time we came here doing laps in practice, we were getting the Corvette as close to walls as possible and chipping away at the lap time. They’re genuine streets. It’s not like some streets that are paved and smooth. These are properly bumpy, and when you’re rolling down the backstraight at 150 mph, it’s pretty amazing.”
Then, of course, there’s the home city factor. Regardless of the year, GM drivers always feel that extra importance to deliver heading to Detroit.
Aitken has finished sixth and 10th in two prior starts and will need to improve upon that to keep the momentum he’s had rolling in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R with six straight podiums since Indianapolis last year.
“I’m always excited to go back to Detroit for our home race,” said Aitken, who along with Sims also made a quick pit stop to Detroit in January to promote the Grand Prix at the Auto Show’s “Racing Day” event. It also included a trip to a Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics NBA game on NBC at Little Caesars Arena.
“What makes home races special for me is the people; you get a lot of family and friends. Whether for me in the UK or the team in Detroit, with the faces in the crowd and pits, that’s where the work and effort put in all makes it a lot more special.”
Detroit either the last weekend of May or first weekend of June has become a tradition since its first weekend on that date in 2012. IMSA has been a big part of that across both venues.
“It’s been a staple of the summer ever since that point,” said Jim Campbell, Vice President, Performance and Motorsports Commercial Operations, General Motors. “We’re so proud to feature both our products with Corvette and Cadillac here as well.”
The 36th Grand Prix event in the City’s history will return to the 1.7-mile, nine-turn Streets of Downtown Detroit circuit that runs along the award-winning Detroit Riverwalk, May 29-31, 2026. With exciting viewing options and entertainment packages, fans can purchase tickets at www.DetroitGP.com/Tickets or through the event’s Ticket Hotline at 888-811-PRIX (7749). For more information on the 2026 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, visit www.DetroitGP.com.
