| Location | Cambridge Township, Lenawee County, Michigan, at 12626 U.S. 12 Brooklyn, Michigan, 49230 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 108,000 (2011) |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation |
| Operator | International Speedway Corporation |
| Broke ground | September 28, 1967 |
| Opened | October 13, 1968 |
| Construction cost | $4-6 million |
| Architect | Charles Moneypenny |
| Former names | Michigan Speedway (1996-2000) |
| Major events |
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Nationwide Series Michigan 200 (June) |
| D-shaped oval | |
| Length | 2.0 mi (3.2 km) |
| Banking | Turns: 18° |
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile (3.22-km) moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) [1] in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).
Michigan is now one of the fastest tracks in NASCAR due to its wide, sweeping corners and long straightaways; typical qualifying speeds are in excess of 190 mph (310 km/h) and corner entry speeds are anywhere from 205-215 mph (320 km/h).
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Groundbreaking took place on September 28, 1967. Over 2.5 million yards (1,900,000 m3) of dirt were moved to form the D-shaped oval. The track opened in 1968 with a total capacity of 25,000 seats. The track was originally built and owned by Lawrence H. LoPatin, a Detroit-area land developer who built the speedway at an estimated cost of $4–6 million.[2]
In 1972, Roger Penske purchased the speedway for an estimated $2 million. During Penske's ownership the track was upgraded several times from the original capacity to 125,000 seating capacity. From 1996 to 2000, the track was referred to as Michigan Speedway. This was to keep consistency with other tracks owned by Roger Penske's Motorsports International before its merger with ISC.[2]
In 1999, the speedway was purchased by International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and in 2000 the track was renamed to its original name of Michigan International Speedway. In 2000 10,800 seats were added via a turn three grandstand bringing the speedway to its current capacity. In 2004-2005 the largest renovation project in the history of the facility was ready for race fans when it opened its doors for the race weekend. The AAA Motorsports Fan Plaza—a reconfiguration of over 26 acres (110,000 m2) behind the main grandstand—provided race fans a new an improved area to relax enjoy sponsor displays, merchandise, and concessions during breaks of on-track activity. A new, three-story viewing tower housing the Champions Club presented by AAA and 16 new corporate suites also awaited VIP Guests, while a state-of-the-art press box and an expansive race operations facility high above the 2-mile (3.2 km) oval welcomed the media and race officials.[3] Michigan is currently being repaved for the 2012 season. This marks the first time since 1995 that the oval was resurfaced, along with 1967, 1975, and 1986.
In addition to motor racing, the venue hosts the Michigan High School Athletic Association cross country finals for the Lower Peninsula.[5]
The track also hosts concerts in conjunction with its race weekends. A concert will be held on Saturday, June 14, and Saturday, Aug. 16.
Driving schools are held throughout the year.
The Formula SAE competition is now held at MIS.
Starting in 2010, MIS has hosted the annual Great Lakes Wine Festival. In 2011, 25 Michigan wineries and 17 breweries attended this event. The 2011 Great Lakes Wine Festival was a three day event beginning Friday May 20th until Sunday May 22nd. The festival offers different wine tasting and food pairings. MIS has camping available for festival goers to spend the entire weekend.[6]
| Record | Year | Date | Driver | Time | Average Speed (mph) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | ||||||
| Qualifying (one lap) | 2005 | August 19 | Ryan Newman | 37.069 | 193.232 | |
| Race (400 miles) | 1999 | June 13 | Dale Jarrett | 2:17:56 | 173.997 | |
| NASCAR Nationwide Series | ||||||
| Qualifying (one lap) | 2003 | August 15 | Kasey Kahne | 38.608 | 186.490 | |
| Race (250 miles) | 1995 | August 19 | Mark Martin | 1:10:46 | 169.571 | |
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | ||||||
| Qualifying (one lap) | 2005 | August 17 | Kyle Busch | 39.645 | 181.612 | |
| Race (200 miles) | 2003 | July 26 | Brendan Gaughan | 1:17:54 | 154.044 | |
| CART | ||||||
| Qualifying (one lap) | 2000 | July 22 | Paul Tracy | 30.645 | 234.949 | |
| Race (500 miles) | 1990 | August 5 | Al Unser, Jr. | 2:33:07 | 189.727 | |
| IndyCar Series | ||||||
| Qualifying (one lap) | 2003 | July 26 | Thomas Scheckter | 32.365 | 222.458 | |
| Race (400 miles) | 2006 | July 30 | Helio Castroneves | 2:03:43 | 193.972 | |
(As of 6/19/11)
| Most Wins | 9 | David Pearson |
| Most Top 5s | 21 | Cale Yarborough |
| Most Top 10s | 30 | Mark Martin |
| Starts | 61 | Bill Elliott |
| Poles | 10 | David Pearson |
| Most Laps Completed | 11212 | Bill Elliott |
| Most Laps Led | 1308 | Cale Yarborough |
| Avg. Start* | 5.4 | Davey Allison |
| Avg. Finish* | 6.2 | Carl Edwards |
* from minimum 10 starts.
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