The Verizon IndyCar Series is scheduled to make its annual trip to the temporary street circuit on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. The race was added to the schedule in the 1992 season and has been on the schedule in each season since the adoption of the DW12 chassis. What sorts of things might we have to look forward to in this season’s race?
For the sixth consecutive season and 18th season overall, IndyCar will race around the 14-turn, 2.36-mile temporary street circuit on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan.
The Belle Isle race weekend is unique in that it has hosted a full-race doubleheader since 2013. Instead of only the past five Belle Isle races being included in this article, which would only take us back to 2014, the past five seasons of Belle Isle races are included in this article.
Let’s take a look back at the past five seasons of races at Belle Isle as we prepare for the races on Saturday, June 3rd, 2017 and Sunday, June 4th, 2017.
2012
Scott Dixon led every lap en route to victory in a rain-shortened race. The IndyCar race was Belle Isle’s first since 2008.
2013 (Race #1)
Mike Conway won the first full-length doubleheader IndyCar race. He did so in dominating fashion by leading over half of the race’s laps and winning by 12+ seconds over Ryan Hunter-Reay.
2013 (Race #2)
Mike Conway once again dominated, but unfortunately he was on the wrong pit strategy. Simon Pagenaud took the checkered flag and won his first career IndyCar race in this one.
2014 (Race #1)
Will Power was able to keep Graham Rahal in his rearview mirrors despite Rahal charging hard right behind him towards the end of the race. Power took the checkered flag.
2014 (Race #2)
Helio Castroneves had a victory slip away from him in the race the day before because of pit strategy, but not this time, as he dominated much of this race. To this day, Castroneves’ victory in this race remains his latest IndyCar win.
2015 (Race #1)
Carlos Munoz secured his first IndyCar victory in this rain-shortened race. Due to the fact that he and his teammate Marco Andretti were on similar pit strategies, which included staying out on dry tires as long as the rain held off, they finished in 1st and 2nd place, respectively.
2015 (Race #2)
In another rain-shortened Belle Isle race, Sebastien Bourdais held off a pack of eight Honda cars in his Chevrolet to claim his first ever victory at Belle Isle.
2016 (Race #1)
Sebastien Bourdais took his second consecutive victory at Belle Isle as a result of a bad pit strategy from Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves, who were up front for much of the race. Conor Daly finished in a career high 2nd place.
Next: IndyCar Driver Power Rankings
2016 (Race #2)
Will Power ended his winless streak of over a year with this win at Belle Isle. While he did not dominate the race, he finally “got the monkey off of his back” in a race that started him on a six-race streak during which he won four times.