The return of the Grand Prix to downtown is being hailed as a success according to this Free Press article. I think this bodes well for future races and Detroit's image. From the point of view of visitors, Downtown Detroit has to be a completely different entity from the ghost town of ruins and abandonment it was in 1991 when the race was last held there.

As for the race, which I watched on TV, this was a far better course than the old downtown course or Belle Isle‘s. Both of those were slow and neither had practically any opportunities for lead change. By contrast, There were over 200 position changes in this race, and the long Jefferson straightaway let the big engines go wide-open, all making the race exciting.

Mid-point of Jefferson straight away.
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End of straight away turn.
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