Meijer Fan Zone to Feature Family Fun; New Fountain Fan Area to Include Entertainment Stage
DETROIT – The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear will once again bring world-class auto racing to The Raceway at Belle Isle Park, June 3-5, and the excitement and activities away from the track will thrill fans of all ages in the Midway, the Meijer Fan Zone and the new Fountain Fan Area.
Located near the historic and iconic Scott Fountain on Belle Isle, the Fountain Fan Area will host the Grand Prix Entertainment Stage, featuring a combination of live music and DJs all weekend long. Bands with a strong local following will perform on the Entertainment Stage including The Verve Pipe on Friday, June 3, Jr Jr on Saturday, June 4 and The Docksiders on Sunday, June 5.
When visitors first arrive at the Grand Prix, they will be welcomed by a variety of displays in the Midway, including some of the latest models, technology and racing competition featured in the Cadillac area. The Midway will also feature numerous vendor displays and official racing and team merchandise from Made in Detroit, Stylized Athletics and Legends.
After crossing the Chevrolet Pedestrian Bridge from the Midway, fans will enter the Meijer Fan Zone, which includes something for fans of all ages. The Chevrolet Racing Tour will welcome visitors to the Meijer Fan Zone with Chevy high-performance vehicles on display and appearances from Team Chevy drivers and special guests throughout the weekend. The Detroit Sports District returns in 2022 offering fans the chance to test their football, baseball and basketball skills in the Meijer interactive sports stations. Some of the top sports legends in Detroit will also be appearing in the Fan Zone and fans will have the opportunity to meet the stars and get free autographs on Saturday and Sunday. The popular INDYCAR Fan Village will provide an interactive experience for fans, including racing simulators and autographs sessions with NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires drivers.
The Grand Prix Legacy display in the Meijer Fan Zone will honor the 30 years that the Grand Prix has called Belle Isle home. With a timeline that includes some classic images and video footage of some of the greatest moments in Detroit Grand Prix history and one of the historic Indy cars that drove to victory on the island, the Legacy display will provide a tribute to the heritage of the event on Belle Isle and also offer a preview of the new era that begins in 2023 when the Grand Prix returns to the Streets of Downtown Detroit.
All Grand Prix attendees will once again have FREE access to the Fifth Third Bank Paddock – known as the “locker room of motorsports.” Fans are welcome to watch the teams and drivers prepare their cars in the paddock throughout the weekend as they compete on The Raceway at Belle Isle Park for the final weekend before the transition to the Downtown street circuit next summer.
Fans will once again have the opportunity to meet and get an autograph from their favorite racing stars at the Grand Prix. There will be three autograph sessions on Saturday, June 4. The stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will sign for fans from 10:30 am-11:30 am Saturday in the INDYCAR Fan Village while the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers will host fans for autographs from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm at the team transporters, located in the Fifth Third Bank Paddock. Featuring the rising stars of open wheel racing, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires drivers will sign autographs from 9:30 am-10:00 am Saturday in the INDYCAR Fan Village, prior to their first race of the weekend.
Great food is always an important part of the race weekend experience and the Grand Prix Food Court on Muse Drive will feature some of Detroit’s favorite food trucks including Andiamo Pizza Pie, Aruba Freeze, Chick A Dee, Cinnamon Nuts & More, Different Twists Pretzel Bakery, Detroit City Distillery, J&J Concessions, Jackson Five Start Motown Bistro and Jackson Five Star On The Go. Food vendors will also be located behind the main grandstand areas for fans to enjoy.
Adjacent to the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the new Fountain Fan Area will be a popular addition to the Grand Prix in 2022. In addition to the Entertainment Stage, the Jack Daniels Party Porch and tailgating games and activities will create a new experience for fans. On Sunday, June 5, all NTT INDYCAR SERIES pre-race activities and ceremonies will be hosted at Scott Fountain as the stars of INDYCAR will be introduced to the crowd and fans are welcome to celebrate at the Autotrader Winner’s Circle after the race when the winners are expected to take one last dip in the Fountain to celebrate their success on Belle Isle.
The Grand Prix Entertainment Stage will feature live local and national acts throughout the weekend, along with some of the top local DJ’s spinning sounds across all musical genres. Headliner acts throughout the weekend include Michigan’s own The Verve Pipe – who rose to fame with hits like “Photograph” and the chart-topping “The Freshmen” – taking the stage to close out Comerica Bank Free Prix Day at 6:00 pm on Friday, June 3. After the IMSA Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on Saturday, June 4, Detroit indie-pop trio Jr Jr will take the stage starting at 6:00 pm. Before the Chevrolet INDYCAR Grand Prix on Sunday, June 5, The Insiders: A Tribute to Tom Petty will perform at 12:00 pm with The Docksiders bringing their “Yacht Rock” sound to the Entertainment Stage at 1:30 pm. For a complete listing of the performers on the Grand Prix Entertainment Stage, visit www.DetroitGP.com.
“We want to celebrate the last Grand Prix on Belle Isle with a complete experience to say thank you to our fans for all their support over the years,” said Michael Montri, President of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. “With some of the new activities and areas for fans to enjoy, we want to make this year’s Grand Prix the best one yet on Belle Isle. We know our fans will enjoy the great racing on the track and we have something for guests of all ages to enjoy on Belle Isle to make this a special weekend to remember.”
Tickets are still available for the 2022 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.DetroitGP.com or call 866-464-PRIX (7749).
ABOUT THE DETROIT GRAND PRIX
The Detroit Grand Prix is a 501(c)3 organization and a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Scheduled for June 3-5, 2022 at Belle Isle Park, the event will include the Chevrolet INDYCAR Grand Prix featuring the cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic with the exotic sports cars of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the rising stars of racing competing in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and the historic sports cars of Masters Endurance Legends USA. For more information, visit www.DetroitGP.com and follow our social media pages at www.facebook.com/detroitgp, www.twitter.com/detroitgp and www.instagram.com/detroitgp.
Source: Detroit Grand Prix