A new 1.645-mile track was constructed in the shadow of the Renaissance Center, the global headquarters of General Motors, and used some stretches of the Formula 1 track, which was used from 1982 to 1988.
Penske Corporation’s president Bud Denker was the mastermind of the project, inspired by IndyCar’s successful event on the streets of Nashville.
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Penske moved the Detroit race weekend from Belle Isle, where the current incarnation of IndyCar had raced since 2007, back to the area where CART raced from 1989 to 1991.
After widespread criticism from drivers after practice and qualifying over the track’s short and bumpy nature, the reaction after the race was much more positive and constructive.
“We learned a lot of lessons,” said Denker. “One thing I'll face right up front is the track. It's interesting because the drivers provided us with information from their simulations.
“We gave them the study, then ground [the track at their request] going into Turn 8, ground going into Turn 1 and we ground going into Turn 9 a lot. So, we did a lot of grinding based on the drivers' feedback.
“Interestingly enough, the driver feedback was we needed new pavement in Turn 3. Drivers are right, so we took out 100 feet by 40 feet of pavement from the 300 marker to the 425 marker.
“They all used the left side for the braking, right? We're like, ‘Okay, we should have done the left side for that braking.’ We could have done it, but your asphalt has [to have time] to cure.”
Source: Autosport