Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Called Off for 2020
Photo: Nic Redhead via CC BY-SA 2.0
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced another event cancelation: the 2020 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
The annual Indy Car race held on Belle Isle was originally scheduled for May 30-31, but event organizers realized that this date wouldn’t work because of the danger posed by the virus.
Race chairman Bud Denker said that efforts to reschedule the race weekend until later this year wouldn’t work either.
Organizers worked with the state Department of Natural Resources to find new dates in the fall, but there were too many conflicts with other events scheduled to take place on Belle Isle. The island park is already a popular wedding destination, and fall dates have filled up quickly due to a large number of spring wedding cancelations due to COVID-19.
Finally, organizers decided to cancel the race altogether and bring it back next year. The new date: June 4-6, 2021.
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“It is certainly disappointing that it won’t take place this year, but the health and safety of everyone at the Grand Prix is always our top priority,” Denker said in a statement.
GM Authority notes that everyone who bought a ticket will get a full refund or, if they prefer, a ticket credit for 2021.
Detroit’s finances will take a big hit from the cancelation of the Chevrolet-sponsored race, especially considering the dire economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year, the Grand Prix enlivens the local economy with an injection of around $50 million, primarily from ticket sales and increased business at area restaurants, bars, and hotels.
The Grand Prix cancelation will also affect the Belle Isle Conservancy, which has benefited from millions of race dollars that it uses for park upkeep and improvements.
However, despite this year’s setback, event organizers are hoping that next year will see a return to normal and a race weekend that’s better than ever.
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A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.