Roger Penske, Tony George, Brian Barnhardt, Belle Isle, Firestone, Andretti Green Racing, Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Penske Motorsports, International Speedway Corporation, Forbes
TEAM PENSKE
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“We’re bringing the race back to the city
for the purpose of giving back to Belle Isle,”
Denker says. “We’ve invested $10 million,
and it’s going to make a difference for our
city and our region. Our focus has been
raising awareness, getting the track ready
from an operational standpoint and then
raising the money that we need to make the
thing happen. On the sponsorship side, we’re
very pleased, especially with the fact we
have some great sponsors lined up with
long-term commitments, which helps us
fund the whole program.”
The most pressing issue was transportation:
Before, only two buses could be on the
island simultaneously during the race. At
September‘s event, 13 buses were on the
island at all times, constantly moving the
crowd on and off. The group also built a
600,000 square-foot concrete paddock that
doubles as a parking lot the other 51
weekends of the year. Overall, Penske and
the Downtown Detroit Partnership invested
$10 million to improve the island and
prepare it for the race.
“We went to Belle Isle and determined
we needed to build a paddock,” says Penske.
“Tony George and Brian Barnhart flew in and
took a look at our ideas and gave us some
good input. After getting a positive vote from
the city council and the mayor, we were off
to the races. This is something we’re putting
back into the city. When people come here
and see what we’ve been able to do,
they’ll be pleased.”
The group tore down dead trees,
refurbished the island’s central building – an
historic casino built in 1907 – and paved the
way for future improvements to the island.
“It’s a completely different environment,”
Penske says. “The entire paddock is on
cement now. We have probably 70 chalets –
big corporate hospitality – at the fountain.
We’ve redone the casino, which is the media
center. We’ve had sponsors like Firestone
who have committed and built a playground
for the children just as a matter of interest.”
In recent years, Belle Isle had fallen into
disrepair, a refuge for homeless and criminal
activity. It had enormous potential, but, like
much of 1980s and ’90s Detroit, had become
worn and decrepit. Penske wondered why it
couldn’t be what it once was: a grand place for
family gatherings and entertainment.
“Many families in Detroit use the island as
a place for gatherings,” he says. “The casino
probably has 200 to 300 weddings a year.
We took out the dead trees and raised the
vistas and took out the old park benches.
We’ve created an environment where people
can have fun again.”
Not to mention race teams. Penske‘s
involvement in the promotional side of racing
comes on the heels of another IndyCar Series
team – Andretti Green Racing – promoting the
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which had
its third run in April. Race teams, it turns out,
have a unique perspective on promotion.
“Racing people understand what the
competitors want and they understand what
sponsors want,” says Penske, whose Penske
Motorsports, Inc., used to own racetracks from
Pennsylvania to California before selling the
business to the International Speedway
Corporation. “They also understand what fans
want. I give Andretti Green a lot of credit for
the job they’ve done in St. Petersburg. We had
a number of the key Detroit city officials come
to St. Petersburg this year to understand what
it means to have a race in the city. People who
haven’t been there and touched it and felt it
don’t have any idea what it’s really all about.”
Truth is, Roger Penske didn‘t need to
revive Belle Isle or its race, which has a fiveyear
contract with the city. Listed as the
planet’s 382nd richest man by Forbes, he
could have taken some time on his yacht or
ski resort or doing anything but putting on a
race. Instead, he got involved and became a
key mover in the renaissance of Detroit.
“I wanted to be part of this,” Penske
declared. “Certainly our company and all of the
people in Penske Corp. are supporting these
events pro bono because we think it’s the right
thing to do. I get a lot of good feelings from
this. It’s like building a race car and having it
win. That’s how I look at this race.”
Good analogy. Not only has the car been
built, but it’s well on its way to winning.
The Captain
(Opposite) Detroit is
Penske’s home and
the Detroit Indy
Grand Prix on the
Raceway at Belle Isle
is one way he tries to
give back to the city
that has helped
make his fortune.
(Top) Away from
Detroit, pit lane is
his natural habitat,
especially at
Indianapolis
IndyCarSeries 2007 Review 39
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