Will Power delivered Chevrolet’s first victory at The Raceway at Belle Isle behind the wheel of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Power capitalized on a restart with 10 laps to go to claim the lead, and he scored his second win of the Verizon IndyCar Series season.  Power is credited with leading three times for 21 laps on the way to Victory Lane for Race One of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit.

He took the lead for the final time on lap 60, overtaking fellow Chevy driver Ryan Briscoe in turn eight. The win pulled him within three points of the overall lead in the Series point standings. This is Power’s 23^rd career IndyCar win.

Tony Kanaan, No. 10 Energizer Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, finished third to give the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 two drivers on the podium.

Simon Pagenaud set the bar high in the second 45-minute practice session for the Detroit Grand Prix with a lap of 1 minute, 17.6502 seconds on the 2.36-mile, 13-turn temporary street circuit.

Pagenaud, who earned his first Verizon IndyCar Series victory in Race 2 of the 2013 doubleheader on Belle Isle, was less than two-tenths of a second off the circuit record in its current configuration set by Mike Conway in Race 2 last June.

Conway, who won Race 1 and was the Verizon P1 Award winner for Race 2, was .0647 of a second behind Pagenaud in the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka car for Ed Carpenter Racing.

"I think it's becoming an interesting track in terms of racing, not just qualifying, but there's some good places for passing -- Turn 3, Turn 7," said Pagenaud, a Frenchman who won May 10 at the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports car. "It's breathtaking after being two weeks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You really get your hands full. It's certainly hard work. You just push yourself as hard as you can and try to do a good lap."

Helio Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar V6, was the third fastest in combined practice sessions Friday for the Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle.  Castroneves is third in IndyCar Series points.  Simon Pagenaud paced the practice session in the No. 77 Honda. (Photo by Phillip Abbott/LAT for Chevy Racing)

Mike Conway, driver of the  No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka / Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet IndyCar V6, was the second fastest in combined practice sessions for the Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle. Conway was a race winner in Detroit last year.

 (Photo by Phillip Abbott/LAT for Chevy Racing)

Simon Pagenaud celebrates 2013 win in Detroit Grand Prix.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports returns to the site of its first Verizon IndyCar Series victory this weekend for the Detroit Grand Prix, and the team hopes to defend a win on Belle Isle with drivers Simon Pagenaud and Mikhail Aleshin.

Pagenaud’s victory in Race 2 at the 2013 Dual in Detroit was the first  IndyCar Series win of the Frenchman's career. But it wasn't his first taste of success on the 13-turn, 2.36-mile temporary street course. Each of the three times Pagenaud has competed at Belle Isle, he has found the podium. In 2008 he placed third in the American Le Mans Series race with de Ferran Motorsports, in 2012 he placed third as a Verizon IndyCar Series rookie with SPM, and he found victory circle in 2013 with SPM.   

"I'm happy to be back in Detroit because it's a place where I enjoy driving," Pagenaud said. "It suits me very well, and I've had good results there my whole career, whether it be in sports car or IndyCar."

Pagenaud and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports also won the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10, which was the most recent Verizon IndyCar Series race on a road course.

"We're going to Detroit with a very aggressive approach, which is to try and win the race again," he said. "There's no reason why we shouldn't be competitive. I like the fact that the Belle Isle track is narrow and that the tarmac changes. It's a track where you really have to attack. There's a lot of grip on the course after we run a few laps, and you really have to commit to the corners to succeed there."

Pagenaud's No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car will feature a bright orange livery to promote its primary sponsor for the race weekend, Oculus Transport. Pagenaud is also excited to race near the U.S. headquarters of Magneti Marelli in Auburn Hills,  one of the team's associate sponsors.

"Magneti Marelli makes high-tech electronics for cars, among other things, and they are very involved with our team and with Honda," Pagenaud said. "I'm excited to represent them so near to their home base. It's a company I've grown up knowing about because they have a factory very close to my hometown in France."

Detroit Grand Prix notes:

The Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit will be the sixth and seventh Verizon IndyCar Series races conducted at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park. Previous Detroit winners entered include Helio Castroneves (2000-01), Tony Kanaan (2007), Justin Wilson (2008), Scott Dixon (2012), Mike Conway (2013, Race #1) and Simon Pagenaud (2013, Race #2).

The Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit are the 16th and 17th Indy car races at The Raceway at Belle Isle and the 19th and 20th Indy car races held in Detroit. A 2.5-mile street circuit in Detroit hosted CART from 1989-1991.

The driver who has gone on to win the championship has won at Detroit three times. Alex Zanardi won on Belle Isle in 1998, Bobby Rahal won at Belle Isle in 1992 and Emerson Fittipaldi won in downtown Detroit in 1989.

Since 1994, seven drivers have won the sixth race of the season and also won the championship. They are: Dario Franchitti (2011, Texas-1; 2010, Indianapolis), Sebastien Bourdais (2004, Toronto), Scott Dixon (2003, Pikes Peak), Cristiano da Matta (2002, Portland), Alex Zanardi (1998, Gateway), Jimmy Vasser (1996, Michigan) and Jacques Villeneuve (1995, Indianapolis). Eight drivers have won the seventh race of the season and also won the championship. They are: Dario Franchitti (2009, Iowa), Scott Dixon (2008, Texas and 2003, Richmond), Sebastien Bourdais (2005, Edmonton), Sam Hornish Jr. (2006, Richmond), Cristiano da Matta (2002, Chicago), Greg Ray (1999, Dover), Kenny Brack (1998, Charlotte) Tony Stewart (1997, Charlotte) and Al Unser Jr. (1994, Portland).

Helio Castroneves has competed in nine previous races at Detroit, most of any driver. Ten drivers entered have led laps at the track (Helio Castroneves 175, Juan Pablo Montoya 117, Mike Conway 78, Scott Dixon 78, Tony Kanaan 30, Ryan Hunter-Reay 20, Simon Pagenaud 18, Justin Wilson 18, Charlie Kimball 3 and Will Power 3.)

Three drivers - Mikhail Aleshin, Carlos Munoz and Jack Hawksworth - will be making their first start at Belle Isle in any series.

The Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit will be the fifth and sixth races on a road/street course in 2013. The first four races were won by Will Power (St. Petersburg), Mike Conway (Long Beach), Ryan Hunter-Reay (Barber) and Simon Pagenaud (Grand Prix of Indianapolis).

2014 CHEVROLET DETROIT BELLE ISLE GRAND PRIX FAST FACTS

WHAT: 

The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix May 30 - June 1. The event will feature the cars of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the Pirelli World Challenge Series and the trucks of the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series. The weekend collectively is referred to as the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and it will be highlighted by the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans IndyCar doubleheader.

WHEN: 

Friday-Sunday – May 30-June 1, 2014

WHERE: 

The Raceway at Belle Isle Park street circuit

TRACK LENGTH: 

2.3 miles

BROADCAST COVERAGE: 

Saturday, May 31 – Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans Dual #1 

(Verizon IndyCar Series)

Live national television coverage: ABC (Time – 3:30 pm ET)

Live local television coverage: WXYZ, Channel 7

Live local radio coverage: WDFN (1130 AM) 

Live national radio coverage: IMS Radio Network and Sirius Satellite Radio 213/XM Satellite Radio Channel 209

Sunday, June 1 – Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans Dual #2 

(Verizon IndyCar Series) 

Live national television coverage: ABC (Time – 3:30 pm)

Live local television coverage: WXYZ, Channel 7

Live local radio coverage: WDFN (1130 AM)

Live national radio coverage: IMS Radio Network and Sirius Satellite Radio 213/XM Satellite Radio Channel 209

EVENT SCHEDULE: 

Below is the detailed weekend schedule (subject to change):

Friday, May 30 (Gates open 7:30 a.m.)

- Comerica Bank FREE Prix Day

- Access to the venue and the Fifth Third Bank Paddock is FREE of charge

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series Practice/Qualifying - Race 1 

8:50 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Pirelli World Challenge Practice (GT/GT-A/GTS) 

9:35 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (Prototype/GT Daytona) 

11:20 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Practice 1 

12:20 p.m. - 12:50 p.m. Pirelli World Challenge Practice 2 (GT/GT-A/GTS) 

1:35 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Practice 2 (Prototype/GT Daytona) 

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pirelli World Challenge Driver Autograph Session -Meijer Fan Zone 

3:20 p.m. - 4:05 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Practice 2 

4:35 p.m. - 5:05 p.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series - Race 1 

5:05 p.m. - 5:20 p.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series post-race ceremonies 

5:25 p.m. - 5:40 p.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GT Daytona)

5:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Qualifying (Prototype)

Saturday, May 31 (Gates open 7:15 a.m.)

7:10 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. Pirelli World Challenge Qualifying - Race I (GT/GT-A/GTS) 

8:00 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Warm-Up (Prototype/GT Daytona) 

8:35 a.m. - 9:35 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Qualifying - Dual I 

9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Drivers Autograph Session - Meijer Fan Zone 

10:05 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. Cadillac V-Series Challenge presented by the Metro Detroit Cadillac Dealers – Race 1

11:05 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. Pirelli World Challenge Post-race ceremonies 

12:00 noon - 12:10 p.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Formation Laps/IMSA Hot Lap Experience 

12:10 p.m. - 1:55 p.m. Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers 

1:55 p.m. -2:15 p.m. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Post-Race Ceremonies 

2:10 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series Moto 

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series pre-race

3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans - Dual I (70 laps) 

5:45 p.m. (estimated) Verizon IndyCar Series post-race ceremonies 

6:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Concert: Lifehouse on the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage

Sunday, June 1 (Gates open 7:30 a.m.)

7:35 a.m. - 7:55 a.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series Qualifying - Race 2 

8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Pirelli World Challenge Warm-Up - Race 2 (GT/GT-A/GTS) 

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Qualifying - Dual II 

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Cadillac V-Series Challenge presented by Metro Detroit Cadillac Dealers – Race 2

12:00 noon - 12:20 p.m. Pirelli World Challenge post-race ceremonies 

12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Drivers Autograph Session (Verizon IndyCar Series Fan Village) 

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Concert: Shaggy (with Rayvon) on the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage

1:55 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series - Race 2 

2:25 p.m. - 2:35 p.m. SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Truck Series post-race ceremonies 

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Pre-race 

3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans - Dual II (70 laps) 

5:45 p.m. (estimated) Verizon IndyCar Series post-race ceremonies

TICKETS: 

Tickets are on sale for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. To view information on ticket plans and to purchase tickets, please visit www.DetroitGP.com. Tickets may also be purchased by calling 866-464-PRIX (7749) or visit the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix office in the GM Renaissance Center, 300 Renaissance Center Drive, Suite 2311, Detroit, Mich.

Here are storylines for the weekend IndyCar Series races in Detroit:
Verizon IndyCar Series prepares for Detroit doubleheader
The Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit will mark the first of three doubleheaders on the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Drivers will contest a pair of  70-lap races Saturday and Sunday on the 2.36-mile temporary street circuit, posing a unique challenge for drivers and teams. Will someone sweep the races and be crowned king of the streets in Detroit?
Hunter-Reay looks to continue surge at Detroit
Ryan Hunter-Reay scored the biggest win of his career when he won the 98th Indianapolis 500 on May 25. Hunter-Reay, who finished second in the first of two races on Belle Isle in 2013, took the lead in the championship standings and looks to maintain his momentum. Can he continue his climb towards a second championship with at least one win in Detroit?
Helio returns to site of his first fence climb
Helio Castroneves returns to Belle Isle, hoping to climb the fence at the circuit where he won his first Indy car race in 2000. Castroneves has two victories and two poles at Belle Isle for team owner Roger Penske's team. Can he win again at the Captain's home track?
Watch for Wilson
Justin Wilson is familiar with victory lane at Belle Isle, having won the race in 2008. Wilson returns to the circuit with a team also familiar with victory lane in the Motor City, Dale Coyne Racing. Can Wilson, who won the team's first race in 2009 at Watkins Glen, bring the team back to victory lane at Belle Isle?
Second-generation stars hope to add to family legacy
The latest generation from two of open-wheel racing's most familiar families comes to Belle Isle in hopes of adding to the family legacy. Marco Andretti - the grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti and son of two-time Detroit winner Michael Andretti - comes to Detroit in search of his first win of the season. Another son hoping to return his father's team to Victory Lane is Graham Rahal. The son of inaugural Belle Isle winner Bobby Rahal hopes to turn around a slow start to the season with strong races on Belle Isle.
Detroit native look for win as team owner
Verizon IndyCar Series team owner Roger Penske calls Detroit home and brings a strong chance to win the home race for engine manufacturer Chevrolet. Penske played an active role in bringing back the race to Detroit, and his Team Penske has Will Power, former Belle Isle race winner Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Generation Next
James Hinchcliffe, Simon Pagenaud and Charlie Kimball all scored their first win in 2013, finished top 10 in the championship standings and established themselves as the next stars of the sport. Will 2014 be the year a new, young star becomes a champion?
Conway aims for second victory
Mike Conway was a surprise winner at Long Beach, inheriting the lead with three laps remaining and returning Ed Carpenter Racing to the winner's circle. Now, the Englishman looks for another milestone - helping the team win its first entrant championship. Can Conway win again at Belle Isle and help the team stay near the top of the standings?
Follow the Frenchman
Simon Pagenaud claimed his first Indy car win on the streets of Belle Isle in 2013. Now he hopes a strong performance in Detroit can springboard him to the Verizon IndyCar Series title. Can Pagenaud, who won the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10, maintain his top form on street circuits and gain ground in the title race?

Eric Lee of Macomb  Township is for the second consecutive year running the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour for template-body, crate-motor late models. A multiple season champion at Flat Rock Speedway, Lee posted a career-best fourth-place finish in the Cabin Fever 100 at Springport Motor Speedway on May 4. Lee, driver of the No. 5 Action Drywall Ford, was the fastest qualifier for the event.  J.J. Haley, a 15-year-old from Indiana, won the race on the 3/8-mile paved oval in Springport, Michigan.

Justin Schroeder of Canton won the Joy Fair Memorial 100 outlaw late model race at Flat Rock Speedway on May 24. Paul Pelletier finished second and Brad Riethmeyer took third on the quarter-mile oval. Jeff Ganus was fourth and Dakota Carlson fifth. Frank Jiovani (Harrison Township) had the pole position, but he did not complete the 100-lap race due to mechanical failure.

Kody Swanson won the Hoosier Hundred, a USAC Silver Crown sprint car event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on May 22. Taylor Ferns of Shelby Township was unable to qualify for the feature race after the motor in her vehicle blew up during practice. Swanson is the Silver Crown season points leader after three events, two of which he has won. The Californian has 180 points, and runner-up Tracy Hines has 168.

Kody Swanson won the Hoosier Hundred, a USAC Silver Crown sprint car event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on May 22. Taylor Ferns of Shelby Township was unable to qualify for the feature race after the motor in her vehicle blew up during practice. Swanson is the Silver Crown season points leader after three events, two of which he has won. Swanson has 180 points, and runner-up Tracy Hines has 168.

The more laps Taylor Ferns turns in a 410-winged sprint car, the faster she seems to get. The Shelby Township resident has improved on her finish in each of her first two starts this season in the high-horsepower machines, highlighted by a sixth-place run last weekend at Atomic Speedway in Ohio, according to Ferns Racing PR. Ferns looks to get twice as many laps in this weekend as she makes her debut at Attica Raceway Park and Brushcreek Motorsports Complex, both in Ohio.

Ferns will make her first start at Attica Raceway Park on Friday in the Jimmy’s Towing/Indy Race Parts Maxim. She will follow that with her first appearance of the season with the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association (OVSCA) at Brushcreek Motorsports Complex in Peebles on Saturday.

Attica Raceway Park, located in northwestern Ohio, is a high-banked third-mile. Brushcreek Motorsports Complex is a high-banked three-tenths-mile in southern Ohio.

“I’ve been to Attica (Raceway Park) a few times when I was younger to watch some races, but that was a long time ago,” said Ferns. “Since I’ve never been Brushcreek (Motorsports Complex), I was getting some pointers from Cole Duncan last weekend about the track, since he has raced there before. I’ve watched a few videos online this week to see both the tracks and what they are like and that should help a bit as well.”

Last weekend, after a last-minute decision to switch venues and race at Atomic Speedway in Ohio, Ferns qualified third-fastest among 21 entries. She finished second in the third heat race at the high-banked three-eighths-mile, after lining up fourth. In the main event, the 18-year-old started on the outside of the third row and ran as high as fourth, before crossing the line in sixth to record her best finish of the season.

“It seems like every time I get in the car I am getting more comfortable and have the confidence to try new things,” she said. “Going back to Atomic (Speedway) for the second week in a row last weekend really helped and I had a good idea of the tack. It’s hard to put into words how much fun I am having in the winged car right now. It’s been a blast.”

That’s one.

Frank Jiovani posted his first Flat Rock Speedway outlaw late model victory when the won the 50-lap ARCA Moran Chevrolet feature on May 3.

The Harrison Township native nipped three-time track champion Paul Pelletier by inches at the finish line.

Jiovani, who started seventh, overtook Pelletier coming out of turn 4 and took the checkered flag at the quarter-mile paved oval.

Jiovani had the fastest qualifying time for the 19-car field at 11.764 seconds.

After nearly four full years between starts in a 410-winged sprint car, Taylor Ferns looked like a veteran last weekend at Atomic Speedway in Ohio, aboard one of the nearly 900-hp machines. She was leading her heat race until a mechanical problem forced her to the pit area, and then blasted through the field during the main event, passing 11 cars, according to Ferns Racing.
The high school senior looks to build on that foundation this weekend, as she makes her second winged start of the season in the Jimmy's Towing/Indy Race Parts Maxim. Ferns will visit Skyline (Ohio) Speedway for an event with the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association on Saturday, May 3.
“It feels great to be back in a winged sprint car,” said Ferns. “I kind of had forgotten what it felt like to be in a winged car, especially with other cars around, since it had been so long since I’d raced one. I had been wanting to race a winged sprint car for a while and it is great to be back in the seat.”
The native of Shelby Township  made three appearances at Skyline Speedway in a 410-winged sprint car in 2010, with a best feature event finish of 13th. Skyline is a high-banked three-eighths-mile, located in Stewart, Ohio.
“The one thing I really remember about Skyline (Speedway) is that it gets dry/slick pretty fast and stays that way all night long,” she said. “The key is to be prepared to race on a slick race track. I’ll have to be patient and get used to passing cars and getting through traffic. It kind of worked out starting at the back last week, because I was able to be in traffic quite a bit and get re-acclimated to it. The closing rate in winged cars is so fast, due to the horsepower, so that definitely took a little getting used to again.”
Last weekend at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, Ferns was 10th-fastest in time trials of the 24 entries at the high-banked, third-mile. She was leading the second heat race when the crank trigger on the engine broke, leading to some repairs prior to the main event. She lined up on the inside of the 11th row for the A-Feature and steadily worked her way through a solid field of cars to finish 11th.