Burke Lakefront Airport, a fully functioning general-aviation facility on the shores of Lake Erie, was transformed each year into a racing circuit for the week surrounding the race. The airport's runways were shut down and carefully maintained to ensure they could withstand high-speed racing while being returned to airworthy condition afterwards. The flat, open layout allowed grandstand spectators to view nearly the entire course — an unusual luxury in motorsport.
The event was first held on July 4, 1982, originally named the Budweiser Cleveland 500. Local rookie Bobby Rahal, from nearby Medina, Ohio, won the inaugural race to the delight of the home crowd, with Kevin Cogan having started from pole.
From 1982 to 1989, the circuit measured 2.480 miles (3.991 km). In 1990, mid-event changes reshaped the track permanently: during practice, cars were experiencing problems in a bumpy section through turns one and two. Before the race started, the layout was reconfigured to eliminate that left-right combination, extending the main straight to what had been turn three. The revised circuit measured 2.369 miles (3.813 km). In 1997, a remeasurement without visible layout changes produced the official figure of 2.106 miles (3.389 km).
The circuit's most notorious feature was the first turn at the end of a very long front straight. After the green flag dropped, drivers spread across the wide concrete to gain positions, then arrived at the corner five or six abreast before being funnelled into a tight apex — the "vortex" — often triggering multi-car incidents before a single lap was completed.
The race's name shifted numerous times to reflect title sponsorship. From 1984 the generic name was the Cleveland Grand Prix; from 1992 it became the Grand Prix of Cleveland. Budweiser held naming rights through 1994. The Cleveland-based pharmacy chain Medic Drug sponsored the event from 1995 to 1999. Marconi held naming rights from 2000 to 2002. Presenting sponsors over the years included Dairy Mart, Star Bank, Firstar, U.S. Bank, and LaSalle Bank.
In 1999 it was announced the race would switch from CART to the Indy Racing League for the 2000 season, with the road course to be converted into an approximately 1.2-mile oval. A three-year contract was signed, but the plan unravelled when construction needed for the oval required FAA approval that the city deemed excessive. On September 9, 1999, Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White withdrew his support, and the IRL dropped the event. The race returned to CART in 2000 on the original road course.
In 2007, it was announced the race would continue at Cleveland through 2012. However, after the February 2008 unification of Champ Car and IndyCar, the 2008 race was cancelled and the event never returned.
The all-time unofficial record on the original layout was set by Mario Andretti — 1:04.636 seconds in a Lola T89/00 during 1989 qualifying. On the post-1990 modified layout, Jimmy Vasser set the outright record of 0:56.417 seconds in a Reynard 98I during 1998 qualifying.
The Grand Prix of Cleveland stood as one of CART's signature oval-adjacent events — a venue that delivered the spectacle of NASCAR-style side-by-side racing on an airport surface within a major American city. The combination of wide runways, fast speeds, passing opportunities throughout the lap, and a chaotic first corner produced racing that was consistently entertaining for fans even as it frustrated drivers dealing with unusually bumpy pavement and unpredictable multi-car incidents at the start.