Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile high-banked oval in Brooklyn, Michigan. Indy car racing at the circuit began in 1968 under USAC sanctioning, switched to CART in 1979, and hosted an annual 500-mile race from 1981 to 2001. The track was purchased by Roger Penske in 1972 and remained a CART fixture for two decades before Penske sold to International Speedway Corporation in 1999.
The facility became known for its extreme speeds. During a private test in November 1986, Rick Mears set an Indy car closed-course speed record of 233.934 mph that stood for a decade. Race average speeds also climbed steadily; the 1990 Michigan 500, won by Al Unser Jr. at 189.727 mph, was the fastest 500-mile race in history at the time. The track's rough pavement and steep banking were notoriously hard on equipment, producing races with high attrition and frequent mechanical failures.
Marlboro sponsorship began in 1987, giving the summer Michigan 500 the official title Marlboro 500. On television, tobacco advertising restrictions meant the race continued to be broadcast as the "Michigan 500," but the Marlboro name was prominent at the circuit itself. From 1988 to 1991, the race formed part of the Marlboro Million promotion, a bonus prize awarded to any driver who won the Marlboro Grand Prix, the Marlboro 500, and the Marlboro Challenge All-Star race in the same year. The prize was never claimed.
Michael Andretti won the Michigan 500 twice (1987 and 1989), becoming the first son to win the race his father Mario had also won. In 1987 the Andrettis became the first father-son duo to win the Michigan 500, with Mario winning in an earlier era and Michael scoring his own pair. Scott Goodyear also won twice (1992 and 1994), his 1992 victory coming two months after finishing second by 0.043 seconds at Indianapolis in one of the closest finishes in Indy 500 history.
Notable races during the Marlboro 500 period included the 1988 edition, won by Danny Sullivan for Roger Penske in a race where only 8 of 28 starters were running at the finish. The 1992 Michigan 500, won by Goodyear over Paul Tracy, was the final career race start for Rick Mears, who dropped out with lingering wrist pain from his Indianapolis crash and retired from driving at year's end. Nigel Mansell dominated the 1993 edition, leading 221 of 250 laps before winning in his first 500-mile race start.
Michigan's high speeds generated repeated safety concerns throughout its history. The track produced career-ending or career-altering crashes for Chip Ganassi (1984), Danny Sullivan (1988), and others. A 1998 crash involving Adrian Fernandez sent debris into the grandstands, killing three spectators, and attendance at subsequent CART events at the circuit dropped sharply.
After 1986 the fall race at Michigan was discontinued, leaving the summer Marlboro 500 as the venue's sole championship event. Attendance concerns and scheduling conflicts eventually led CART to lose the contract after 2001; the race switched to the IRL in 2002 and was shortened to 400 miles. The final IndyCar race at Michigan was held in 2007.
Twelve drivers scored their first Indy car victories at Michigan over its history, reflecting the track's reputation for surprise results driven by the high rate of mechanical attrition. The Marlboro 500 name was later transferred to a new 500-mile race at the California Speedway at Fontana.