News

DETROIT, Mich. (May 23, 2024) – Helping to highlight locally-owned and operated businesses across the City of Detroit, the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear today announced the 13 companies that will comprise this year’s Small Business Straightaway which will be featured in Campus Martius, June 1-2.

Featuring a new location in its second consecutive year as an important element of the Grand Prix, the Small Business Straightaway will highlight locally-owned businesses particularly those owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, as well as women-owned enterprises, representing the four business corridors across Detroit on Saturday and Sunday of race weekend.

With support from Grand Prix Community Partners American Axle & Manufacturing, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Delta Air Lines, Delta Dental, DTE Foundation, Henry Ford Health, Huntington Bank, Lear Corporation and PNC Bank, the Small Business Straightaway creates opportunities for neighborhoods and businesses in all areas of the city to reap the benefits from one of Detroit’s most popular summertime festivals. 

Reimagined in its new home in Campus Martius Park in 2024, the Small Business Straightaway will once again feature an eclectic display of local merchants, from startups to well-established companies. Local companies will market their businesses and sell products and services in Campus Martius on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. EDT. The area is also expected to be a popular location in the event’s new activation area down Woodward Avenue, just north of the racing circuit along Jefferson Avenue.

The Grand Prix received a whopping 131 applications for participation in the Small Business Straightaway in recent months. Interested Detroit-based organizations were selected using a points system. Crowd favorites Pink Poodle Dress Lounge and Detroit Hives will return to the Small Business Straightaway in 2024. Known for their strong presence on social media and innovative activations, these two companies served as a source of inspiration for other participants. Pink Poodle Dress Lounge owner Raeshawn Bumphers worked in the automotive industry for 20 years, moonlighting as a wedding planner, before opening a full-service bridal and formal attire shop on the Northeast side of the city. Detroit Hives – a Spirit of Detroit recipient – is a nonprofit working to create sustainable communities and bee populations by transforming vacant lots into pollinator-friendly spaces. Their mission centers on conservation, revitalization and education.

The full list of companies participating in the groundbreaking Small Business Straightaway at the Grand Prix includes: Voluptuous Bien'Aime Boutique, Jetta’s Gourmet Popcorn, Pink Poodle Dress Lounge, Yubehandmade, Kookies By Keirsten, HOT Commodity Eyewear, Detroit Hives, Simply Brittany Sweets, Pawstries, Shionne Designs, Demaciiio, Southwest Detroit Business Association and DOLLed Up By Darnishous.

Last summer's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear attracted an estimated crowd of approximately 150,000 people during the three-day motorsports festival in the heart of the Motor City. The first Grand Prix hosted in Detroit since 1991 turbocharged the local economy as an independent study revealed that the event generated a record-breaking $104.4 million in total spending for the Greater Detroit region encompassing Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

Adding to this summer’s Small Business Straightaway experience, the Grand Prix will partner with the Michigan Black Business Alliance (MBBA) to improve financial stability and well-being in Detroit's small business community. The MBBA is dedicated to promoting the growth and prosperity of Black-owned enterprises. Through the support of the Grand Prix and its partners, the MBBA will help increase Minority Business Enterprise and Women Business Enterprise certifications, build educational programs and identify opportunities to collaborate with major retailers.

The 34th Grand Prix event in the City’s history will return to the 1.7-mile, nine-turn Streets of Downtown Detroit circuit that runs along the award-winning Detroit Riverwalk, May 31-June 2, 2024. With new viewing options and entertainment packages, fans can purchase tickets at www.DetroitGP.com/Tickets or through the event’s Ticket Hotline at 866-464-PRIX (7749).