A tradition for local racing fanatics wants to stay on one of Detroit's crown jewels.
The Detroit Grand Prix is in the midst of renewing its contract to keep the IndyCar race on Belle Isle for at least the next few years.
Race organizers presented their renewal proposal to a public meeting last week with the Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee.
The Grand Prix is proposing an increase of its annual event fee to $300,000 a year, plus a $50,000 contribution to the DNR for a project to be determined and a $35,000 contribution for projects and programming in the paddock area. It would be a three-year agreement starting in 2019 with an option for an additional two years.
There is also a proposed decrease in the number of days the race would need Belle Isle, from 65 days this year to 62 starting in 2019.
Detroit Grand Prix President Michael Montri tells BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that the public meeting was useful for sorting through feedback received from all people involved with the event, but it is ultimately up to a department of the state of Michigan to decide how they would like things to proceed.
"We will wait to hear from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after their review, what they see as what they want us to do going forward," says Montri, adding that it is possible the DNR may ask to see a completely different proposal based on their feedback.
The DNR operates and manages Belle Isle Park, which is part of Michigan's network of state parks. Previously, management of the island was in the hands of the city of Detroit, which still owns it.
Montri is confident that they will be able to execute a deal to keep the race on Belle Isle. He says he is still overwhelmed by the positive comments he receives from spectators, sponsors, drivers, vendors, media and others associated with the race, but there is one group that consistently amazes him.
"We always get very good feedback on our volunteer corps," says Montri. "We have over a thousand volunteers that help us out every year, and they are some of the most passionate and dedicated ambassadors for the city of Detroit and the city of Windsor that you could ever believe."
The City of Windsor has been a sponsor of the Grand Prix for nine years.
The marquee event of the Grand Prix is the Dual in Detroit, a pair of IndyCar races with one run on Saturday and the other on Sunday. Drivers Scott Dixon and Ryan Hunter-Reay were the 2018 champions.