STREETS OF DETROIT PREVIEW
FRIDAY, MAY 30 – SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2025
RACE: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
TRACK: Streets of Detroit
LOCATION: Detroit, Michigan, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.645-mile, nine-turn street circuit
RACE LENGTH: 100 Laps
PRACTICE: Friday – 3-4:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 2)
Saturday – 9-10 a.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Sunday – 9:30-10 a.m. CT (FOX Sports 1)
QUALIFYING: Saturday – 12:20-1:50 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
RACE: Sunday – 12:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 20 JAVA HOUSE CHEVROLET
ALEXANDER ROSSI, No. 20 Java House Chevrolet: “Last weekend at Indy was a tough one. The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet was strong, but things didn’t fall our way. That said, the focus now is on bouncing back strong in Detroit. We’ve shown we have the pace, it’s just about putting together a complete weekend. Detroit can be always a bit unpredictable, but the team’s been firing on all cylinders. We need to minimize mistakes, execute in every session, and if we do that, there’s no reason we can’t be fighting for the podium.”
BIRTHDAY: September 25, 1991
HOMETOWN: Nevada City, CA
RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN
DETROIT STATS
NUMBER OF STARTS: 2
TOP 5 FINISHES: 2
TOP 10 FINISHES: 2
BEST START: 13th (2023)
BEST FINISH: 5th (2023, 2024)
CAREER STATS
SEASON: 10th
STARTS: 153
WINS: 8
POLES: 7
TOP 5 FINISHES: 50
TOP 10 FINISHES: 93
OF NOTE:
- Alexander Rossi enters the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend looking for redemption after last weekend’s Indianapolis 500. In Sunday’s 109th Running, Rossi achieved a milestone as he crossed the threshold of over 1,000 career laps led. Rossi paced the 33-car field for 14 laps, swapping the lead multiple times with his teammate Christian Rasmussen as the trio ECR Chevrolets ran 1-2-3. On Lap 73, a gearbox issue and an ensuing pit lane fire eliminated the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet from contention. After post-race penalties were levied, Rossi was scored with a 28th place result.
- Both of Rossi’s previous starts on the new downtown street circuit layout in Detroit have resulted in 5th place finishes. He will look to build on a strong start to his first season with ECR as he scored three Top 10 finishes in his first four races with the team. The Nevada City, California native is now in his 10th season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver and made his 150th career start last month in Long Beach. Rossi, 33, has 30 career podium finishes, including eight victories, most notably the 2016 Indianapolis 500. Rossi’s talent has taken him worldwide, with wins in F2, World Series by Renault, and the 24 Hours of Daytona along with starts in a Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Baja 1000 and the Bathurst 1000.
- Java House made its on-track debut on Rossi’s No. 20 Chevrolet during his first test with ECR at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2024. The innovative cold brew coffee brand will now serve as Rossi’s primary sponsor at select races throughout the 2025 season, including the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. In addition to its versatile Peel n Pour™ single serve beverages, Java House owns and operates cafes in the Indianapolis and Lafayette, IN markets.
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 21 SPLENDA CHEVROLET
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet: “Coming off a strong Indy 500, I’m really excited for the rest of the season. The No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet crew has some solid momentum and we’re ready to build on that. Detroit was an awesome event last year, racing through the streets around General Motors headquarters. Even though the race didn’t go our way, we showed great pace and I’m confident we can bring that speed back this weekend!”
BIRTHDAY: June 29, 2000
HOMETOWN:
Copenhagen, Denmark
RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN
DETROIT STATS
NUMBER OF STARTS: 1
BEST START: 13th (2024)
BEST FINISH: 27th (2024)
CAREER STATS
SEASON: 2nd
STARTS: 20
TOP 10 FINISHES: 2
OF NOTE:
- Christian Rasmussen returns to the cockpit of the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet this weekend after a career-best performance in the 2025 Indianapolis 500, Rasmussen led the first laps of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career, running at the very front for eight laps. Building off of his performance last year when he was the highest finishing rookie in the field, Rasmussen remained focused and fought back from multiple issues. A solid strategy placed him inside the Top 10 in the closing laps of the race and he ultimately took the checkered flag in 8th. While that was already the best result of his career, he moved up two positions when race results became official after post-race penalties. Rasmussen was credited with a 6th-place finish in only his second Indianapolis 500.
- Rasmussen, 24, is now in his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The Danish driver joined ECR after winning three championships in four years, including the 2023 INDY NXT title. Last year in the streets of Detroit, the then-rookie turned in his best qualifying performance to that point in his career. On his final lap, he executed a stellar lap that was nearly half a second faster than his previous best time. He jumped up to 7th, missing out on advancing to the second round by only one-tenth of a second. Rasmussen started 13th, but was running 8th by Lap 17. On Lap 23, smoke began to pour from the back of his car. He safely brought the car to pit lane, but was immediately retired from the event with an engine issue and scored in 27th.
- Splenda®, the most recognizable low-calorie sweetener brand in the world, will be featured on Rasmussen’s No. 21 Chevrolet at select races throughout the 2025 season, including the streets of Detroit Since Splenda’s launch in 1991, more than 100 billion yellow packets have been sold. Coincidentally, Splenda’s packaging facility and ECR’s race shop are both on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis with locations less than one mile apart.
