New student-designed murals, watch options revealed for 2024 Detroit Grand Prix

The 1.7-mile, nine-turn track of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear is returning to Detroit with a fresh set of student-designed murals.

Students between the ages of 12 and 16 from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan Digital Design Club used digital art and design tools to create mural designs filled with fast cars, checkered flags and packed grandstands to embody the Grand Prix, which is set for the weekend of May 31 through June 2, and its tie to the Motor City.

"One thing I talk about to a lot of the fans and the people I talk to about this race is the passion that you see in this city. ... It's amazing for a race driver to come here and see that passion, then be a part of it," Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet for Team Penske in the NTT IndyCar Series who won Sunday’s series race in Alabama, said of Detroit pride.

Cody and Dominic Coner, twin 11th graders from River Rouge High School, both participated in the program, spending more than six weeks working on their designs after learning about the history of the Grand Prix in Detroit and how to use Adobe Illustrator.

"It's fun to have somebody teaching me about things I didn't know, like cars and stuff. It was pretty enticing, just to be able to come out here and have our art shown off," said Dominic, whose mural depicted two race cars burning rubber on the way to the finish line.

The murals will be placed on 24-feet-long, 3-feet-high barrier walls surrounding the race circuit, as well as in front of viewing platforms that will be open and be accessible to fans free of charge.

"Our races get broadcasted to over 200 countries and territories worldwide, so our hope is that ... it's going to show the country and the world how talented our kids are and what a beautiful city and beautiful art we have here in the city of Detroit," said Michael Montri, president of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.

Additionally, the Grand Prix team revealed the final version of Alison Slackta's poster, which underwent only slight adjustments after her artwork won as the Detroit Grand Prix's official poster on April 17. While taking into account the landmarks that viewers will see from the racetrack, Slackta was inspired by murals and street art in Detroit, so she used oil paint to re-create the look of spray paint bubble letters and touched it up with Photoshop.

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The poster design will be featured on this year's race merchandise, although copies of the poster are already available for sale online.

The Detroit Grand Prix dates to 1982, although the 2023 Grand Prix was the first year since 1991 that the race took place in downtown Detroit instead of on Belle Isle, motivating organizers to approach the race from a more community-focused angle.

Last year, the event attracted an estimated 150,000 visitors and generated a record-breaking $104.4 million across metro Detroit.

"When we moved back downtown over a year ago, we really had the opportunity to imagine how we could ... reengage with the city, with the residents and with the businesses," said Montri. "We wanted to make sure that not just the downtown core, where the venue is located, benefited from the move back to downtown, and so we engaged small businesses across the entire footprint of Detroit. Last year, we had almost 30 businesses come in and set up downtown, and this year we're going to do it again, called the 'Small Business Straightaway' in Campus Martius."

Taking over the downtown again, there will also be entertainment and activities along the RiverWalk, Hart Plaza, Jefferson Avenue and Woodward Avenue leading to Campus Martius and Cadillac Square, as well as the new Cadillac Square Entertainment Stage, located adjacent to Campus Martius, where to-be-announced acts will perform and fans can watch live footage of the race on large video boards.

Entrance into the venue and more than half of the event's footprint is free. Pit lane suite reservation, trackside seating, reserved grandstand seating, general admission rooftop access or reservations for the new parking garage tailgating options can be purchased here.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Grand Prix returns with new student-designed murals, views