Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s pair of IndyCar races in the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle (information courtesy IndyCar media relations):
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, June 1 - Sunday, June 3
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 Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear (PDF)
Push-to-pass parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. (for each race)
Firestone tire allotment: Nine sets primary, four sets alternate (weekend). Teams must use one new set of primary and alternate tires in each race.
Twitter: @DetroitGP @IndyCar, #DetroitGP, #IndyCar
Event website: http://www.DetroitGP.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2017 race winner: Race 1: Graham Rahal (No. 15 SoldierStrong / TurnsForTroops.com Honda); Race 2: Graham Rahal (No. 15 SoldierStrong / TurnsForTroops.com Honda)
2017 Verizon P1 Award winners: Race 1: Graham Rahal (No. 15 SoldierStrong / TurnsForTroops.com Honda) 1:13.9681, 114.374 mph; Race 2: Takuma Sato, (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda) 1:13.6732, 114.831 mph.
Qualifying lap record: Takuma Sato, 1:13.6732, 114.831 mph, June 4, 2017
ABC race broadcasts: Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 (3:30 p.m. ET)
Allen Bestwick is the lead announcer for ABC broadcasts alongside analysts Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever Jr. Rick DeBruhl and Jon Beekhuis are the pit reporters.
Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Anders Krohn 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 214, 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 and qualifying for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will stream live on RaceControl.IndyCar.com and on the INDYCAR YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/indycar)
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, June 1
11:20 a.m. -12:05 p.m. - Verizon IndyCar Series practice #1
3:10 - 3:55 p.m. - Verizon IndyCar Series practice #2
4 - 4:20 p.m. - Verizon IndyCar Series pit stop practice
Saturday, June 2
10:55-11:25 a.m. - Race 1 qualifying for Verizon P1 Award (two groups/12 minutes each), IndyCar.com (live)
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 3
10:45-11:15 a.m. - Race 2 qualifying for Verizon P1 Award (two groups/12 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 24th and 25th Indy car races conducted at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park and the 27th and 28th Indy car races held in Detroit. A 2.5-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit hosted CART events from 1989-1991.
* Sebastien Bourdais, Will Power and Graham Rahal have each won twice at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park, the most by an active Indy car driver at the track. Helio Castroneves won three times at Belle Isle, the most of any driver. In addition to Bourdais, Power and Rahal, other previous Belle Isle winners entered include Tony Kanaan (2007), Scott Dixon (2012) and Simon Pagenaud (2013, Race #2).
* There have been 16 different pole winners in the previous 23 races. Pole winners entered in this year’s race are: Graham Rahal (2017, Race 1), Takuma Sato (2014, Race 2; 2017, Race 2), Simon Pagenaud (2016 - both races), Will Power (2015, Race 1) and Scott Dixon (2008 and 2012).
* Four drivers have won the race from the pole: Graham Rahal (2017, Race 1), Scott Dixon (2012), Helio Castroneves (2001) and Robby Gordon (1995).
* The driver who has gone on to win the championship has won at Detroit four times. Will 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 won the championship. They are: Dario Franchitti (2009, Iowa), Scott Dixon (2008, Texas, and 2003, Richmond), Sebastien 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 won the championship. They are: Franchitti (2011, Milwaukee; 2007, Iowa), Bourdais (2007, Edmonton; 2005, San Jose), Hornish (2006, Kansas; 2002, Richmond), Tony Kanaan (2004, Nashville), da Matta (2002, Toronto), Buddy Lazier (2000, Kentucky), Gil de Ferran (2000, Portland), Ray (1999, Pikes Peak), Alex Zanardi (1998, Detroit) and Brack (1998, Pikes Peak).
* Tony Kanaan has competed in 15 previous races at Belle Isle, most of any driver. Thirteen drivers entered have led laps at the track (Graham Rahal 107, Simon Pagenaud 93, Scott Dixon 83, Will Power 47, Takuma Sato 44, Sebastien Bourdais 38, Kanaan 30, Marco Andretti 24, Ryan Hunter-Reay 20, James Hinchcliffe 11, Josef Newgarden 7, Charlie Kimball 3 and Alexander Rossi 1.)
* There have been four different winners in six Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2018. Sebastien Bourdais (Streets of St. Petersburg), Alexander Rossi (Streets of Long Beach), Josef Newgarden (ISM Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park) and Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Indianapolis Motor Speedway) have won races in 2018.
* There have been six different Verizon P1 Award winners in 2018. Robert Wickens (Streets of St. Petersburg), Sebastien Bourdais (ISM Raceway), Alexander Rossi (Streets of Long Beach), Josef Newgarden (Barber Motorsports Park), Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course) and Ed Carpenter (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) have won poles in 2018. The record for most pole winners in a season is 12 set in the 1999 CART season.
* The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will be the fifth and sixth races on a road/street course in 2018. The first four races were won by Sebastien Bourdais (St. Petersburg), Alexander Rossi (Long Beach), Josef Newgarden (Barber) and Will Power (INDYCAR Grand Prix).
* Six drivers will race Verizon IndyCar Series cars at the Raceway at Belle Isle for the first time: Rene Binder, Santino Ferrucci, Jordan King, Matheus Leist, Zach Veach and Robert Wickens. Ferrucci will be making his series debut.
* Tony Kanaan seeks to start his 290th consecutive race this weekend, which would extend his Indy car record streak that began in June 2001 at Portland. Scott Dixon has made 230 consecutive starts heading into the weekend which is the second-longest streak in Indy car racing.
* Drivers may engage their “push-to-pass” for a total of 150 seconds during each race, with a maximum duration of 15 seconds for any one activation. The push-to-pass is not available on the initial race start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. The feature increases the power of the engine by approximately 60 horsepower.