MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Known for its wide racing surface and high banking on the track, Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is one of motorsports' leading facilities. Because of these two factors at least three- and four-abreast racing are held on regular basis. Michigan International Speedway (MIS) has been witnessed many unforgettable races, after its inauguration in 1968. Because of its closeness to Detroit, it can be considered a "backyard" track for all the manufacturers as last year's second race at MIS seemed as if it was held on Dodge property. Michigan International Speedway boasts a proud 32-year history of hosting America’s best racing action, situated on 1,200-plus acres in the scenic Irish Hills of southeastern Michigan with 18 degree banking and 73-foot wide sweeping corners, Michigan International Speedway provides drivers with three and four grooves to run around the two-mile.

 

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Started in 1968, Michigan International Speedway with 12,000-seating arrangements at center grandstand stood overlooking the new 2-mile oval. The Speedway also boasts of 25,000 seats at smaller grandstands on each side. The home of the state’s largest single-day, paid-admission sporting events since 1992, Michigan International Speedway is a full of racing events. On September 28, 1967, the transformation of dirt road took place to form a paved and D-shaped oval. More than 2.5 million yards of dirt were removed. Charles Moneypenny, who had also designed the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, planned the design of the Michigan oval. The original plan comprising infield and exterior roads could be resurfaced into a 3-mile or two 1.9-mile road tracks. The tracks were designed by Formula One and are still utilizing for passenger car testing by area law enforcement agencies on a limited basis. The exterior road and interior road course race was held last time in 1973 and 1984 respectively.

 

The Michigan International Speedway has come across a long way since its inauguration and grown into a largest sports field in Michigan. In 1985 and in 1989, the center grandstand was extended and again in 1990, over 27,000 were added to the grandstand. After ten years, in 1999, with 28,000-seats, 10-1/2-story high structure was added to the center grandstand. Now the total seating capacity became 55,000 seats, more than four times of its original size. The first of two of the seven grandstands in turn 1 were built in 1990 and in 1992, the first North Concourse grandstands (turn four) were developed. The eighth North Concourse grandstand was erected in turn 3 by 1997. Michigan International Speedway has increased its reserved seating facility by 82,000, over the last decade and after 1985, the Speedway has increased its seating arrangements by nearly five times.

 

 

 

 

 

 Lawrence H. LoPatin, a land developer of Detroit-area built the speedway at an estimated cost of $ 4 million to $ 6 million was the main catalyst in the project. The saucer-shaped track with 18-degree banking provides hair-raising thrills in the racing action right from the start. On October 13, 1968, the first race took place. Ronnie Bucknum was awarded $ 20,088 as the first driver to roll into Winner’s Circle.  Cale Yarborough emerged as the winner of the first NASCAR race at the speedway on June 15, 1969, in a duel with LeeRoy Yarbrough. The two drivers battled much closed to each other for most of the final 150 laps. On the last lap, they both touched twice-entering turn 1 and Yarbrough collided with the wall. Coming out of the last turn, Yarbrough turned and crashed just 300 yards from the finish line.

 

MIS has been host to a number of historic races and many legendary drivers, including Richard Petty, Mark Donohue, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Buddy Baker, Bruce McLaren, Neil Bonnett, Davey Allison, and Rick Mears have all celebrated victories in Winner’s Circle at Michigan International Speedway. LoPatin had dreamed of owning speedways in Michigan, Georgia, Texas, California and New Jersey, hot spots for speedways, in an age well before motor sports became part of mainstream America. He selected the land where MIS is situated on today, because of its closeness not only to Detroit, the Motor Capital of the World, but also to Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Canada and the entire Midwest.

 

The American Raceways Inc (ARI) went bankrupt as the other ARI speedways were an exhaust on the company’s budget; the Michigan International Speedway became as a profitable venture. The company looked for protection under bankruptcy laws, allowing the track to maintain its racing and testing schedules in 1971. In 1972, ARI got the receivership.  Penske dreamed of MIS as a premier motorsports facility, when the oil crisis and hiked gas prices threatened all of racing in 1973. With an estimated $ 2 million Penske started work to improve the speedway to his standards, after purchasing the deed to Michigan International Speedway off the Lenawee County. Millions of dollars were invested on one capital improvement project after another with a goal of making Michigan International Speedway as one of the best superspeedways in the world. Under the Penske’s ownership, the seating arrangements were increased to over 125,000 from 25,000 seats at the grandstands with the addition of many buildings including three garages, 26 pit terrace suites, the administration building, two ticket offices, a maintenance building, Motorsports International (now Americrown) and CompTire buildings and warehouses, a sign shop and entertainment shop.

 

The speedway got a new logo in August, 2000 and declared to add “International” back to its name. In 1996, the course had been changed to Michigan Speedway to line up itself with the three other Penske-owned courses (California, Nazareth and North Carolina). ISC Creative Supervisor Jerry Stanley created the new logo. Presently considered as one of the country’s premier racing facilities, Michigan International Speedway is still focuses on constant improvements. A new 10,800-plus-seating capacity of grandstand was built in turn three with a marvelous view of the entire Speedway and surrounding Irish Hills in 2000. The track was rebuilt in 1977, again in 1986, and again in the spring of 1995. After the last resurfacing, MIS was the first track to use a polymer-enhanced asphalt especially formulated for high-banked racing and harsh Michigan winters. Previous surfaces were broken off and used to join the pave roads to the parking area..

 

TRACK INFORMATION

The magic surface of oval track of MIS, with just the right length and the right degree of banking makes both stock cars and Indy cars run competitive, high-speed events. The NASCAR weekends get the most attention of the people and makes nearly impossible to get tickets, even though more grandstands each year keep on increasing. MIS has replaced  CART to the Indy Racing League for 2002 and beyond, MIS is the first race track to offer guest services to its fans attending the weekends events. It is also the first with hospitality trams to take guests from their cars to the gate and one of the first to have 3-D views of seating to compliment ticket sales on net. Music concerts, classic cars shows, camping, amusement rides and family entertainment add to the overall mood of a race weekend at MIS.

 

Track Information
Opened	1968
First Winston Cup Racing	Motor State 500, June 5, 1969
Distances Covered	2-miles oval shaped
Banking in turns (1-4)	18 degree
Banking in front stretch	12-degree
Banking on backstretch	5-degree
Length in front stretch	3,.600 feet
Length in back stretch	2,242 feet
Owner	International Speedway Corp.
Qualifying record:	Dale Earnhardt Jr., 191.149 mph (37.667 sec.), Aug. 18, 2000
Race record	Dale Jarrett, 173.997 mph, June 13, 1999
Grandstand seating	136,384
Miles/Laps	400 miles, 200 laps

 The track opened in 1968, and its oval has been a magic surface, with just the right length and the right degree of banking so both stock cars and Indy cars can run competitive, high-speed events. The track’s name has gone from Michigan International Speedway to just Michigan Speedway. Now it’s back to MIS again. It’s nearly impossible to get tickets for the NASCAR weekends, even though they keep adding more grandstands each year. MIS has switched from CART to the Indy Racing League for 2002 and beyond, and you should have no problems if you want to see the Indy cars run. Believe us, they put on a great show. Innovation in that MIS was the nation’s first 2-mile oval with an unobstructed view of the entire track, the first race track to offer guest services to the fans attending the weekends events, the first with hospitality trams to shuttle guests from their cars to the gate and one of the first to have 3-D views of seating to compliment ticket sales on the internet. Additionally, music concerts, classic cars shows, camping, amusement rides and family entertainment add to the overall atmosphere of a race weekend at MIS.

Source: Michigan International Speedway, Official Website. NASCAR 2003

 

Area Info: From Detroit Metro Airport: I-94 West to Highway 12 West (Exit 181A). Track is located one mile west of US 12 and M-50.

 

 

 

SEATING ARRANGEMENT AND DETAILING

 

 

 

PRICES AND TICKETNG INFORMATION

 

PRICING REGULATION

All the Michigan 400 Ticket orders will be processed immediately within 24 hours in week days. Contact us at (800-451-8499) for special delivery arrangements within 72 hours.  There is also a choice to purchase other seats or to cancel the order if the Michigan 400 tickets are not available. No cancellations are provided once the order is processed.