Lucas Bell 
Each and every year, the town of West Sussex, England hosts one of the single greatest automotive events in the world: The Goodwood Festival of Speed. A genuine bucket-list event for any proper motorsports enthusiast, the event is ladened with some of the rarest, most appreciated sports cars and race cars ever produced. And while we can’t help but appreciate the British event, America has long been primed for its own celebration of all things motorsports. Well folks, it appears we will be getting just that in 2021, thanks to the all-new American Speed Festival at M1 Concourse.
Hosted at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, the inaugural American Speed Festival will take place on Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2021. This event promises to be unlike any other automotive event on the continent, and will feature over 200 distinguished vehicles sourced from OEMs and private collectors alike. There will be a focus on automotive design, engineering, and the thrill of motorsports, complete with live-racing around M1 Concourse’s 1.5-mile road course.
“We’ve studied some of the best automotive events around the world, and we’re taking the
best elements of all those shows and bringing them here to M1 Concourse with the American
Speed Festival,” said Dave Sherman, interim chief executive officer of Pontiac Motorsport Exhibition. “This will truly be a celebration of racing and performance, and we will have experiences and elements that will appeal to everyone from eight to 80 years of age.”
Not unlike the show put on by the Red Coats, The American Speed Festival will celebrate a specific class of vehicle each year, as well as pay tribute to an industry icon. For the inaugural event, the organizers have chosen to celebrate Can Am race cars from the 1960s and 1970s. As one might expect based on the cars, the first “Master of Motorsports” award is slated to be bestowed on Jim Hall. Furthermore, the legend himself is said to be attending the event and is said to play a part in the festivities.
This isn’t just a car show with some awesome racing however. The American Speed Festival has made a point to include several “Dine and Drive” events throughout Metro Detroit, as well as some events aimed at informing folks about the history of the Motor City. If you’ve never spent time in this great American city, this show may just be the ultimate introduction.
Tickets for the event are on sale now, and pricing for the day’s events includes all food and beverages. Evening events are ticketed separately however, so be sure to keep an eye on that. Purchase information and a full schedule of weekend’s events are now available at the link found here.
