BROOKLYN, MI – It has brought thousands of automotive and race fans to the heart of the Irish Hills for 55 years, and now Michigan International Speedway is being recognized with a new historical marker.
The Jackson County Historical Society is unveiling the historic marker near the Gate 3 entrance at MIS, 12626 U.S. 12, at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4.
The ceremony will kick off race weekend at the track, which is hosting NASCAR races from Aug. 4-6, including the FireKeepers Casino 400 Cup Series Race at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6.
MIS and NASCAR officials are excited to have something available for attendees to see to learn about the track’s history, MIS President Joe Fowler said.
Related: How the auto capital of the world got one of the fastest racetracks on the planet
“It means a lot to us because when you think about a racetrack in history, your brain automatically goes to the things that have happened on the track, but what I think is often unwritten is the history that’s carved into the community,” Fowler said.
The event is open to the public and will feature speakers from the historical society, MIS and NASCAR.
The track’s first race was a 250-mile USAC open-wheel contest on Oct. 13, 1968, just 13 months after the September 1967 groundbreaking. However, the historical marker will include a photograph from the track’s inaugural NASCAR race in June 1969, as well as a summary of the history of the track, said Maurice Imhoff, a founder of the Jackson County Michigan Historical Society.
After the current race weekend, the plaque will be moved to a permanent location by the main office, which can be accessed through the U.S. 12 entrance, Fowler said.
“The goal of the historical society is to acknowledge all of the historic sites in Jackson County as much as possible, and one thing that cannot be forgotten is the Michigan International Speedway,” Imhoff said. “Jackson has a really deep automotive history. And to be able to tell the story of NASCAR’s fastest track is really important.”
The track was the vision of Lawrence LoPatin, a Detroit real estate developer who developed the Windsor Raceway harness racing track. LoPatin believed it was wrong that the home of the Big 3 auto manufacturers - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler - didn’t have a high-speed car track.
After its opening, MIS was popular, but other tracks by LoPatin’s company struggled. In December 1972, Manufacturers Bank of Detroit foreclosed on a $1.3-million mortgage owed on MIS and took control of the track.
In 1973, Roger Penske purchased MIS for $2.89 million at auction. Penske poured millions into upgrading MIS, every year adding to grandstands, creating campgrounds, adding suites, expanding pits and building new garages.
Penske sold his racetracks to current MIS owner International Speedway Corp. in 1999. The company, founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, continued upgrades to the track, including the building of a new media center.
In recent years, track officials have estimated that 385,000 people visit MIS annually, generating a more than $414 million economic impact.
MIS also has opened up the track to non-racing events including the Faster Horses music festival and the Nite Lites drive-through Christmas holiday display.
More information about the plaque unveiling can be found on the Jackson County Historical Society’s website.
Follow more coverage on MIS and race weekend here.
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