Mailing Address
12626 US Hwy 121
Brooklyn, MI 49230History
Michigan International Speedway – home of the state’s largest single-day, paid-admission sporting events since 1992 – is a track rich in racing tradition. The track is nestled on more than 1,400 acres in the Irish Hills of southeastern Michigan.

The inaugural race was a 250-mile Indy car competition that took place on October 13, 1968. Michigan Speedway hosted its first NASCAR race on June 15, 1969. 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, Jeff Gordon, Neil Bonnett, Davey Allison, and Rick Mears have all celebrated victories in Winner’s Circle at Michigan International Speedway.

Groundbreaking took place on September 28, 1967. More than 2.5 million yards of dirt were moved to form the D-shaped oval. The two-mile venue resembles Richmond International Raceway’s 3/4-mile design as both tracks were designed by Charles Moneypenny, the same man who designed Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

Michigan International Speedway has gone through three distinctive eras in its history; the LoPatin Era, Penske Era and ISC Era.

Lawrence H. LoPatin, a Detroit-area land developer, built the speedway at an estimated cost of $4 million to $6 million. LoPatin has been called a visionary and a man well ahead of his time, who dreamed of owning speedways in Michigan, Georgia, Texas, California and New Jersey. His company, though, went bankrupt, which made way for the Penske Era.

After buying MIS in 1973, Penske invested millions of dollars in renovations to the speedway, making it into a premier motorsports facility which exceeded all his expectations. In 1999, Penske Motorsports Inc. merged with International Speedway Corp. ISC has owned the track since that time.