Every race track that is a part of the Cup Series honors the drivers who are able to reach the victory lane. But not the Michigan International Speedway. The 2-mile race track in Detroit chooses instead to honor the manufacturer of the car that the drivers reach the victory lane in. The track does this through one of NASCAR’s most coveted prizes, the Heritage Trophy.
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The track introduced this iconic trophy, which is 3 feet tall and 30 pounds in weight, in 2013. Designed by Fortress Studios artists Steve Kuypers and Steve McShane, it features a base that is similar to landmark Detroit buildings such as the Fisher Building. Atop the base is a sculpture of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Since introduction, the trophy has been awarded to either Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota.
Former track president Roger Curtis said at the time of the trophy’s advent, “We really wanted ties to Detroit and the state. To me, it was still very logical to have this celebration, rivalry of the competition of the manufacturers here in Michigan, but part of that tie is we wanted to include what the future of the automobile might be.”
For each race on the track, the logo of the winning OEM, the driver’s name, and the date is sculpted on one of the 200 windows on the trophy.
The importance of Michigan in the history of NASCAR
Detroit is the mecca of the global automotive industry. With its rich history for making automobiles, the city was bound to come NASCAR’s way and the year it did so was 1951. With multiple car manufacturers watching with a keen eye as to what stock car racing entailed, Bill France brought his product to the Michigan Fairgrounds.
A field of 58 cars kicked off to race each other in front of a reported crowd of 16,000 and Howard Thompson ended up the victor in a Chrysler V8. Notably, also on the track that day was Richard “King” Petty’s father, Lee Petty. The fateful day began what would turn out to be an illustrious period of motorsports in Michigan.
The Michigan International Speedway was inaugurated in 1969 and NASCAR has been there since. Since the Heritage Trophy was brought into the mix, it has become the biggest bragging point for manufacturers. As they have been for nearly a decade now, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford will continue their battle to take the prize home in 2024 as well.
