IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix 2026 | Schedule & Sessions | MotorSportRadar

IndyCar - Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

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Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

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30 May - 1 Jun

Detroit Street Circuit

Detroit Street Circuit

Some session times for IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix 2026 have not yet been finalised, they represent possible times in which each race session could occur. Please check back later for more accurate times.

Practice 1*
03:00 - Sat, 30 May
Practice 2*
23:00 - Sat, 30 May
Qualifying*
03:00 - Sun, 31 May
Warm Up*
23:00 - Sun, 31 May
Race (Broadcast Start)
01:30 - Mon, 1 Jun

Where To Watch IndyCar in United States

Where To Watch IndyCar in United States
FOX English; primary U.S. TV home for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2026, with live races and race-weekend coverage.
FOX One English; U.S. streaming access for live INDYCAR coverage alongside FOX broadcasts where supported.
INDYCAR LIVE Official INDYCAR streaming service outside selected local broadcast markets; includes live races, practice, qualifying, highlights and INDY NXT access, with some territories subject to delays by session type.
NordVPN
Stream IndyCar securely from anywhere with NordVPN Traveling abroad or using public Wi-Fi? Protect your connection and access your usual coverage more securely.

Upcoming in IndyCar

Upcoming in IndyCar
Sonsio Grand Prix (IMS Road Course)
9 - 10 May
110th Running of the Indianapolis 500
23 - 25 May
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (WWTR)
6 - 8 Jun
View More

Track Info

Detroit Street Circuit - Downtown Detroit, USA

Temporary waterfront street course in the city center - clockwise - long Jefferson Ave straight, wide Turn 3 hairpin and a unique split pit lane

First Race
1982
Downtown Detroit hosted its first top-tier street race in 1982 (Formula 1). The current shortened downtown layout’s first race was 2023.
Circuit Length
2.647 km
1.645 miles - present Grand Prix course used since 2023. 100-lap IndyCar distance: 264.737 km.
Turns
9
Jefferson Ave frontstretch into the wide Turn 3 hairpin, then Bates St and the Atwater backstretch by the river.
Lap Record (Race)
1:01.941 - Kyle Kirkwood (IndyCar), 2023
IndyCar - fastest official race lap on the 1.645 mile downtown layout. 2024 fastest race lap: 1:02.709 - Colton Herta.
Pit Lane
Split, dual-sided
Teams service on both sides of pit road before merging back into a single exit - a modern rarity.

When was the track built?

Detroit’s street-racing story began with a downtown circuit in the 1980s, then moved to Belle Isle Park for most events from 1992 to 2022. In 2023 the Grand Prix returned to the heart of the city on a new 1.645 mile route that threads Jefferson Avenue, Bates Street, Atwater Street, St. Antoine and Franklin/Rivard, pairing fresh pavement with temporary walls, bridges and grandstands.

The hallmark of the modern course is its long Jefferson Avenue run into a deliberately wide Turn 3 hairpin built for overtakes, plus a unique split pit lane that services cars on both sides of pit road.

When was its first race?

The city’s first race downtown was in 1982 (Formula 1). The current downtown layout debuted in 2023 with IndyCar’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, bringing major-league racing back from Belle Isle to the streets.

What's the circuit like?

  • Jefferson slingshot: Roughly 0.7–0.9 mile of full throttle along Jefferson Avenue funnels hard into the Turn 3 hairpin - the lap’s prime passing zone.
  • Riverfront rhythm: After the hairpin, cars head back up Jefferson then dive down Bates to the Atwater backstretch by the Detroit River before the technical closing sequence.
  • Split pits strategy: The dual-sided pit lane compresses margins on entry and exit and can shuffle order during cautions.
  • Street-surface bumps: The new layout is still bumpy and evolving; grip builds rapidly across the weekend.
  • Benchmark pace: IndyCar race lap record 1:01.941 (2023). 2024 pole was 1:00.548, underlining how quickly the surface has come in.

Lap records and benchmarks (by series)

  • IndyCar (race lap): 1:01.941 - Kyle Kirkwood, 2023 Detroit GP - 1.645 mile downtown layout.
  • IndyCar (2024 highlights): Pole 1:00.5475 - Colton Herta; fastest race lap 1:02.7094 - Colton Herta.
  • IMSA SportsCar Championship: Returned to downtown in 2024 for the Detroit Sports Car Classic on this layout (GTP/GTD PRO sprint format).
  • Historic downtown eras: F1 raced a longer downtown course from 1982–1988 (Ayrton Senna era), with CART on similar streets 1989–1991 before the Belle Isle years.

Why go?

Grandstands in the middle of a major American city, free viewing zones, riverfront scenery and constant restart drama. The Jefferson-to-Turn 3 complex delivers divebombs and switchbacks, and the split pits add tactical suspense you won’t see anywhere else on the IndyCar calendar.

Where's the best place to watch?

  • Turn 3 hairpin: The overtake magnet at the end of the long Jefferson blast - best for starts, restarts and late-braking heroics.
  • Jefferson Avenue frontstretch: Feel the top-speed approach and drafting before the pack compresses into T3.
  • Bates-to-Atwater section: See cars drop toward the river, then accelerate along the waterfront backstretch.
  • Pit lane grandstands: Unique sightlines of the dual-sided stops and the merge - a strategy theater during cautions.

Not just IndyCar: Detroit’s street-racing slate

IMSA SportsCar Championship: Detroit Sports Car Classic on the downtown course since 2024.

Indy NXT & ladder series: Support races showcase future IndyCar stars threading the walls.

Heritage note: Detroit also has the Belle Isle chapter (1992–2001, 2007–2008, 2012–2022) and the original 1980s downtown F1/CART eras - a rich lineage now back where it started: in the streets.

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