Tag: Channel 7

BELLE ISLE, MI – After four years racing has returned to Detroit with the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.  The Grand Prix features a 2.1 mile track with 14 exciting turns, and plenty of grand stands for fans to cheer on their favorite drivers.  There is even the Meijer Fun Zone for families and kids to enjoy between races.

Today was Social Media Saturday sponsored by Channel 7 – WXYZ, Detroit.  I was lucky enough to be able to attend the event.  You can see my tweets and Facebook posts from throughout the day on each of my pages, but here is a recap:

The day started out with a trip behind the scenes of the Grand Prix, so I was able to see where all the cars were with all the teams hard at work on them.  I’ve never been to a race before, so being this close to the cars are the drivers was awesome!  While back there, Channel 7 arranged for Jim Jordan, a member of the Dempsey Racing team to talk with us.  And when I say Dempsey Racing, I mean Patrick Dempsey, as in Dr. McDreamy.

For those of you that don’t know, Patrick Dempsey is not only an actor, but he is also a race car driver and was in Detroit to race in the Grand Prix.  Dempsey actually got his start in racing from doing voiceovers in Mazda commercials.  He had always had a passion for racing, and Mazda gave him his start.  I learned a lot about Dempsey Racing as well as Patrick Dempsey himself from Jim Jordan.  You can get updates from Jordan and all the other members of the Dempsey Racing team by following them on Twitter, @GoDempseyRacing.

Meeting with Jordan was not the only meet and greet during the day.  I got to meet race car driver and Michigan native, Dane Moxlow.  I got to hear about his take on the Belle Isle Grand Prix course and how he uses social media to stay connected with fans.  He especially likes Twitter because it’s a way for fans to get real-time updates during race weekends.  Be sure to follow him on twitter, @DMoxlow.

One final stop before heading to the grand stands to watch the races was the Team Chevy tent.  There was an autograph session going on, snacks, and beautiful Chevy cars to check out.  After getting my autographs, I headed to the stands to watch the races!

I did not stay for the entire Grand Prix, but the races I did get to see were pretty exciting.  This was like nothing I had experienced before.  It’s great that the city of Detroit was able to bring the Grand Prix back this year, and I’m extremely grateful that I got to experience it.  And with the help of Channel 7, I got to experience it in style!

The Grand Prix continues tomorrow where you can attend the IZOD IndyCar Series race, the Pirelli World Challenge Series race #2, and the Firestone Indy Lights race.  Tickets are limited, but available, so be sure to grab them before they’re gone.  And even though Social Media Saturday is over, you can still tell everyone about the event.  Don’t forget to us the hashtag #detroitgp when tweeting your updates!

Note: This is not a publication associated with Channel 7 – WXYZ or the Chevrolet Grand Prix.  This was written as an opinion piece by a private writer.