In Return to Downtown Detroit, Event Focuses on Key Environmental Impact Initiatives
DETROIT, Mich. (April 21, 2023) – On the eve of Earth Day 2023 and with renewed energy and excitement surrounding its return to the Streets of Downtown Detroit, the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear today announced several key initiatives that will be featured during the June 2-4 event weekend focused on environmental impact and supporting sustainability efforts in racing.
Building on the momentum of the industry-leading initiatives implemented this year by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, designed to dramatically reduce the overall carbon footprint across the sport, the Detroit Grand Prix is focused on several key areas in 2023 that will boost sustainability and help drive the event toward a greener future.
Working with its key partners, the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear is committed to making the 2023 event the most sustainable in its 40-plus year history in the Motor City through the following eco-friendly efforts:
- The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear is striving to become the only event in Michigan to become certified by the Council for Responsible Sport in 2023. Through measured and thoughtful efforts that make a positive social and environmental impact, the Council for Responsible Sport recognizes and certifies events that take proper steps to make a difference in their communities. The Grand Prix’s increased sustainability efforts, along with its impactful community outreach programs, puts the event on track to achieve certification in 2023
- This summer’s Detroit Grand Prix will become first motorsports event in history to offset all race attendee travel emissions by reinvesting in Michigan-based forest preservation and restoration
- Teaming up with its partners at Priority Waste, the Grand Prix will also implement an enhanced and more comprehensive recycling and waste diversion program during this summer’s event
- For the first time in the history of American motorsports, this season every single car competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is driven by 100% renewable race fuel. Shell, the official fuel, motor oil, and lubricant sponsor of INDYCAR, has produced an innovative formula of second-generation ethanol that’s derived from sugarcane waste combined with renewable components obtained from non-food waste to fuel each car that will compete on the new nine-turn, 1.7-mile Downtown Detroit street circuit
- The high-tech trucks and trailers that transport the 25-plus NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars competing this season across the United States and Canada are all fueled by 100% renewable diesel, which significantly reduces travel-related emissions. The INDYCAR transporters actually made the transition to renewable diesel for the first time during last summer’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear weekend
- For the first time ever in Detroit, race cars will compete on eco-friendly tires at this summer’s Detroit Grand Prix. Longtime Grand Prix partner and INDYCAR tire supplier Firestone unveiled a domestically-sourced renewable natural rubber compound as a competition innovation in 2022. This season, the green-banded Firestone Firehawk tires featuring the new sustainable natural rubber derived from the guayule desert shrub, will be used during all NTT INDYCAR SERIES street course races, including the Detroit Grand Prix. The guayule shrub is grown in the Southwestern United States and it requires less reharvesting than traditional sources of rubber. To support Firestone’s efforts locally, the Detroit Grand Prix INDYCAR, which makes close to 100 appearances annually in Metropolitan Detroit, has been equipped with four new guayule green sidewall tires
“Our goal is to become one of the most sustainable and environmentally conscious events in Michigan, not just this year but every year moving forward,” said Michael Montri, President of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. “The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has really established itself as a sports leader in environmental awareness and impact and the Grand Prix is building on their efforts as a series while helping to raise the bar here in Michigan. We are proud of the initiatives that we’ll debut at this year’s event and we will continue to work with our partners as we focus on the greener future ahead of us.”
ABOUT THE DETROIT GRAND PRIX
The Detroit Grand Prix is a 501(c)3 organization and a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Scheduled for June 2-4, 2023, the event will return to the streets of Downtown Detroit for the first time since 1991. The Grand Prix will include the Chevrolet INDYCAR Grand Prix featuring the cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the sports cars of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the rising stars of racing competing in INDY NXT by Firestone and the iconic muscle cars of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. For more information, visit www.DetroitGP.com and follow our social media pages at www.facebook.com/detroitgp, www.twitter.com/detroitgp, and www.instagram.com/detroitgp.
