Have a Need for Speed? Check Out the M1 Concourse in Pontiac

Story By: Max White

If you have a need for speed, and a love for fast cars, classic cars, or just cars of any type, the M1 Concourse in Pontiac is a perfect place to spend some time.

Located along the historic Woodward Ave. (M-1), the location offers private garages and its own private motorsports club, state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor facilities and a 1.5-mile Champion Motor Speedway performance driving track.

“In short, M1 Concourse is the epicenter of all things automotive in Metro Detroit, providing a place where enthusiasts can keep, show, and exercise their vehicles in the company of other enthusiasts!” the website reads.

Below you’ll find some of the events happening at the M1 Concourse, and things you can do when in the area.

2022 Woodward Dream Show – Aug. 19-20

The Woodward Dream Show runs during the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, which draws in hundreds of thousands of people from across the world who loves cars. The Dream Cruise takes place on Saturday, Aug. 20, but the events kick off the day before at the M1 Concourse.

The Dream Show will include race, speed, track experiences with the team of professional drivers, live music and entertainment, remote-controlled car races and food and drinks.

The Woodward Dream Parade on Aug. 20 is invitation-only, so it will not be open to the public.

2022 American Speed Festival – Sept. 29 through Oct. 2

The American Speed Festival will bring people an opportunity to see race cars from every era perform on the 1.5-mille M1 Concourse speed ring as it returns to M1 Concourse this year.

The four-day event will bring together fast cars, car shows, food and much more.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, there will be the Drive & Dine Tour, where you will journey across metro Detroit with a special lunch at Stahls Automotive Foundation, plus the Motor Grille where you can dine and drink at the concourse.

The Speed Ring takes place on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, as Shelby cars, sports and race cars take to the track, and there is also a speed & style expo on Sunday, Oct. 2 showing off cars in the paddock area. Guests can also participate in race, speed, track experiences with professional drivers.

Other events

Finally, the M1 Concourse has a variety of events for the car lover out there. You can learn more on their events page, but here are some of the events that are featured.

Xtreme Xperience Supercar experience, which allows you to get behind the wheel of some of the world’s greatest supercars.

M1 Concourse Cars & Coffee, taking place on the first Saturday morning of each month. The free event allows people to see incredible cars up close while enjoying a cup of joe and the great summer weather in Michigan.

If you’re planning to spend a few days in Oakland County around the M1 Concourse, there are plenty of things you can do to have some fun.

Be sure to check out the Detroit Brew Trail, our guide to breweries throughout metro Detroit. Being along Woodward Ave. helps connect you to all parts of metro Detroit. You can cruise Woodward to the City of Detroit and hit up spots like Jolly Pumpkin, Motor City Brewing Works, Founders Detroit and much more.

In Oakland County, be sure to check out Ferndale Project in Ferndale, and Griffin Claw Brewery in Birmingham.

Another option, right off Woodward Ave. is the Detroit Zoo. Located in Royal Oak, the Detroit Zoo is spread out over 125 acres with a variety of incredible animals you can see up close. Be sure to check out the Arctic Ring of Life where you can see polar bears, or walk through the tree canopy to see the red pandas in their native habitat.

Also just off Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Hills is Cranbrook, home to a beautiful house and gardens, and science center. You can tour the house, designed by historic architect Albert Kahn, and see the beautiful acres of gardens. Then, check out the Cranbrook Institute of Science, which has interactive exhibits, a world-class collection of objects and artifacts, a planetarium and much more.

Just north of Pontiac is the Sea Life Aquarium inside Great Lakes Crossing Outlets. The aquarium features four different exhibits ranging from tropical ocean to shipwreck, and an interactive touchpool. You can get a combination ticket starting at $35.99 which also gets you entry into Legoland Discovery Center, which is also inside Great Lakes.

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