“Awkward” new Detroit IndyCar track has less grip than expected – Kirkwood

Having raced on nearby Belle Isle Island from 1992, Penske Entertainment Corp decided to revive the downtown circuit for its IndyCar event with a new 1.7-mile, nine-turn layout in the shadow of the General Motors Renaissance Centre.

It utilises some sections of the 2.5-mile track used by Formula 1 between 1982 and 1988, and teams and drivers got their first taste of the circuit in a 90-minute session on Friday afternoon headed by Pato O'Ward.