DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Grand Prix is days away, and race car drivers and sports legends gathered at Campus Martius to play fowling ahead of this year's event.
Fowling combines football and bowling into one game. The sport has ties to both racing and Detroit as it was invented in the city, but got its start at a racing event.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below:
"First of all, it's a little Detroit-centric. The inventor of fowling is based in Detroit. It started here, but it was born at the Indy 500 about 25 years ago," Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix President Michael Montri said.
Montri said the fowling competition has taken place ahead of the Grand Prix for the last four years.
Race car drivers Juan Correa and Dennis Hauger both competed in Detroit last year and made it to the podium. This will be their second time racing in Detroit.
Correa joked that the fowling competition had him more on edge than the race itself.
"I'm a little more nervous for what's about to come (fowling event) than for the race on Sunday to be honest with you. We feel very out of place here. No, this is awesome," Correa said. "It’s always good to meet other athletes. It’s a bit of a weekend warm-up, I say.”
Both drivers say they found racing at a young age and are excited to be back in the Motor City.
"I've done a lot of different sports but racing and something with an engine behind me has always been the main thing. It's something I love to do, and I feel so lucky to be here," Hauger said.
NHL Hall of Famer Larry Murphy was one of dozens of pro athletes who joined in on the fowling competition. Murphy said he has been a fan of the race since his days with the Red Wings.
"It's an exciting time of year. I look forward to it. I got here in '97 with the Red Wings and actually that year in the playoffs, the Grand Prix was going on Belle Isle, and I had the opportunity to check it out. So every year, count me in!" Murphy said.
In 2023, the Grand Prix moved from Belle Isle back to the streets of downtown Detroit, where the event originally began.
"Back to where the passion where motor sports was born on the streets of the Motor City here, and it's been a great change for us. The event has an amazing amount of energy, the city embraces it, and again it's the Motor City," Montri said.
Watch our previous report about final preparations in downtown Detroit:
The three-day event kicks off at 8 a.m. on Friday. Those who are interested can still purchase tickets on detroitgp.com.
"It’s a full weekend of fun not only on the race track, but it runs down Woodward (Avenue) about 180 miles an hour. But also a lot of free entertainment, a lot of free fun starting at Campus Martius here all the way to Jefferson (Avenue).”
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