Courtesy of INDYCAR PR, here’s all you need to know ahead of this weekend’s Chevrolet Dual at Detroit at the Belle Isle street course. Races are scheduled scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, the seventh and eighth races of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series:
Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans FastFacts
Track: Raceway at Belle Isle Park, a 2.35-mile, 14-turn temporary street course (clockwise)
Race distance: 70 laps / 164.5 miles (Both races)
Entry List: Chevrolet Dual in Detroit (PDF)
Push-to-pass parameters: 10 activations for 15 seconds each (Both races)
Firestone tire allotment: Eight sets primary, three sets alternate (Weekend)
Twitter: @DetroitGP @IndyCar, #DetroitGP, #IndyCar
Event website: www.DetroitGP.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2015 race winners: Race 1: Carlos Munoz (No. 26 AndrettiTV Cinsay Honda); Race 2: Sebastien Bourdais (No. 11 Team Mistic E-Cigs KVSH Racing Chevrolet)
2015 Verizon P1 Award winners: Race 1: Will Power (No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) 1:16.0941, 111.178 mph; Race 2: Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), entrant points.
ABC race broadcasts: Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 (3:30 p.m. ET)
Allen Bestwick is the lead announcer for ESPN on ABC broadcasts for the second consecutive year alongside analysts Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever Jr. Pit reporters are Rick DeBruhl, Dr. Jerry Punch and Jon Beekhuis.
Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Pit reporters are Dave Furst, Katie Hargitt and Michael Young, with Jake Query and Nick Yeoman in the turns. All Verizon IndyCar Series races are broadcast live on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network, Sirius 212, XM 209,IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app. All Verizon IndyCar Series practice and qualifying sessions are available on IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app.
Video streaming: All practice sessions for the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season and this weekend’s qualifying sessions (Race #1: 3:30 p.m. ET, June 3 and Race #2: 10:45 a.m. ET,June 5) will be available on RaceControl.IndyCar.com.
INDYCAR Mobile App: Verizon Wireless puts fans around the world in the driver’s seat with its INDYCAR Mobile app. The app has been enhanced with new features to keep fans in the know of the latest race-day action. Exclusive features of the INDYCAR Mobile app for Verizon Wireless customers will stream live through the app and includes enhanced real-time leaderboard and car telemetry; the ability to follow the race in real time with the interactive 3D track; live in-car camera video streaming for select drivers during Verizon IndyCar Series races; live driver and pit crew radio transmissions during races and live Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network audio streaming during all track activities.At-track schedule (all times ET):
Friday, June 3
10:45 a.m. - Noon - Verizon IndyCar Series practice #1
3:30 p.m. - Qualifying for the Verizon P1 Award Race #1 (three rounds of knockout qualifying), IndyCar.com (Live)
Saturday, June 4
10:05-10:35 a.m. - Verizon IndyCar Series practice #2
3:03 p.m. - Driver Introductions
3:43 p.m. - Command to Start Engines
3:50 p.m. - Chevrolet Dual in Detroit #1 (70 laps/164.5 miles), ABC (Live)
Sunday, June 5
8:45 a.m. - Systems check
10:45 - 11:15 a.m. - Qualifying for Verizon P1 Award Race #2 (Two groups/15 minutes each), IndyCar.com (Live)
2:59 p.m. - Driver Introductions
3:43 p.m. - Command to Start Engines
3:50 p.m. - Chevrolet Dual in Detroit #2 (70 laps/164.5 miles), ABC (Live)
Race notes:
* The Chevrolet Dual in Detroit will be the 20th and 21st Indy car races conducted at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park and the 23rd and 24th Indy car races held in Detroit. A 2.5-mile street circuit in Detroit hosted CART events from 1989-1991.
* Helio Castroneves has won three times at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park, the most by an Indy car driver at the track. Castroneves won his first Indy car race at the track in 2000. He’s also won there in 2001 and Race #2 in 2014. Other previous Belle Isle winners entered include Tony Kanaan (2007), Scott Dixon (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2013, Race #2), Will Power (2014, Race #1), Carlos Munoz (2015, Race #1) and Sebastien Bourdais (2015, Race #2).
* There have been 13 different pole winners in the previous 19 races. Pole winners entered in this year’s race are: Power (2015, Race #1), Takuma Sato (2014, Race #2), Castroneves (2001, 2007 and 2014, Race #1), Dixon (2008 and 2012) and Juan Pablo Montoya (1999, 2000 and 2015, Race #2).
* Three drivers have won the race from the pole: Dixon (2012), Castroneves (2001) and Robby Gordon (1995).
* The driver who has gone on to win the championship has won at Detroit four times. Power won Race #2 in 2014, Alex Zanardi won on Belle Isle in 1998, Bobby Rahal won at Belle Isle in 1992 and Emerson Fittipaldi won in downtown Detroit in 1989.
* Since 1995, seven drivers have won the seventh race of the season and also won the championship. They are: Dario Franchitti (2009, Iowa), Dixon (2008, Texas and 2003, Richmond), Bourdais (2005, Edmonton), Sam Hornish Jr. (2006, Richmond), Cristiano da Matta (2002, Chicago), Greg Ray (1999, Dover), Kenny Brack (1998, Charlotte) and Tony Stewart (1997, Charlotte). Ten drivers have won the eighth race of the season and also won the championship. They are: Franchitti (2011, Milwaukee; 2007, Iowa), Bourdais (2007, Edmonton; 2005, San Jose), Hornish (2006, Kansas; 2002, Richmond), Kanaan (2004, Nashville), da Matta (2002, Toronto), Buddy Lazier (2000, Kentucky), Gil de Ferran (2000, Portland), Ray (1999, Pikes Peak), Zanardi (1998, Detroit) and Brack (1998, Pikes Peak).
* Castroneves has competed in 13 previous races at Belle Isle, most of any driver. Fifteen drivers entered have led laps at the track (Castroneves 247, Montoya 152, Dixon 80, Kanaan 30, Power 32, Marco Andretti 24, Sato 22, Ryan Hunter-Reay 20, Bourdais 18, Pagenaud 18, Conor Daly 12, Graham Rahal 10, Munoz 8, Charlie Kimball 3 and Jack Hawksworth 1).
* The Chevrolet Dual in Detroit will be the fifth and sixth races on a road/street course in 2016. The first four races were won by Montoya (St. Petersburg) and Pagenaud (Long Beach, Barber and Grand Prix of Indianapolis).
* There have been four different winners in six Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2016: Montoya (Streets of St. Petersburg), Dixon (Phoenix), Pagenaud (Long Beach, Barber and Grand Prix of Indianapolis) and Alexander Rossi (Indianapolis 500).
* James Hinchcliffe’s Indianapolis 500 pole ended a streak that saw drivers from Team Penske earn pole positions in the previous five races in 2016. Power (St. Petersburg), Castroneves (Phoenix and Long Beach) and Pagenaud (Barber and Grand Prix of Indianapolis) all earned poles through qualifying.
* At least two drivers will compete in their first Verizon IndyCar Series races at the Raceway at Belle Isle: Max Chilton and Alexander Rossi.
* Kanaan seeks to start his 256th and 257th consecutive races, which would extend his Indy car-record streak that began in 2001 at Portland. Teammate Dixon has made 197 consecutive starts, which is the third-longest streak in Indy car racing.
* The 2016 season is the second in which aerodynamic bodywork component kits are used. The aero kits, produced by engine manufacturers Chevrolet and Honda for their respective supplied teams, are the latest technical innovation to enhance on-track performance through competitive aerodynamic development. Each manufacturer produces two kits for teams - one for short ovals/road courses/street courses and another for superspeedway ovals - but within each kit, teams have multiple component options available.
* The second season of aero kit competition complements the fifth year of engine manufacturer competition between Chevrolet and Honda with their 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines. It will be another season testing speed and durability to determine the manufacturer champion.