The Verizon IndyCar Series will return to the Northeast on the streets of Boston, Massachusetts on Labor Day weekend in 2016 and beyond.
The inaugural Grand Prix of Boston will run on September 4, 2016 and will be the first IndyCar race in New England since the 2013 Baltimore Grand Prix.
The race has been in the planning phase for the last three years under the work of Mark Perrone, the CEO of the Grand Prix of Boston and things started to progress further just a few months ago.
“We’re very, very excited bringing the Verizon IndyCar Series to Boston,” Perrone said. “We thank them for their involvement and their support and certainly their effort.”
“We have had great support in the city, city agencies, the community. We’ve been very careful to engage the community and businesses. We’ve had just absolutely terrific support.”
The circuit features an 11-turn, 2.25-mile layout, designed by NZR Consulting that races through the South Boston Seaport. The circuit is unique in that it will have a “double lane” pit road with separate entrances and exits before blending back onto the circuit.
2014 series champion Will Power is one of only a few drivers that have seen the layout and gave it high praise.
“Just looking at it, it looks like a well laid out track for passing,” he said. “That’s what’s important for a street course.”
“I think street course racing is really awesome. It brings the racing to the people. Just the fact that you’re racing these super fast cars with a lot of horsepower around the streets, I think people are going to love it.
To have a race there on the East Coast I think is very important for the series. I think the city is right behind it. They’re talking about repaving it and all that. I think when you get that sort of support behind it, it’s always a successful event.”
While the race is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, where the season finale was scheduled last year and again this year, Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles said that it is not definite that the Grand Prix of Boston will be the season finale.
See the track layout below:
Image: IndyCar
