This January, Detroit's Michigan Central transforms into the ultimate racing headquarters full of racing-inspired experiences, events, and vehicle displays. Building off the much-anticipated season launch for the 2026 Ford Racing season, Michigan Central Race Days is a two-week event from Jan. 18-30 where Detroit’s deep roots in motorsport intersects with cutting-edge technology. Learn more about the event details, including the various activations here.
As part of Race Days, from Jan. 23-25, Michigan State University's College of Engineering and the Spartan Motorsport Performance Lab led by David Ferguson, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, College of Education, will be on full display. We'll show not only how we engineer the vehicle with our Indy Autonomous challenge car and SAE Formula 1 cars for all to check out, but also how we help engineer the driver (in the famous words of Dr. David Ferguson!) as we display some of the items that help prepare our racers for what's needed on the track and off.
Some additional cool Race Days events to gear up for if you make it with friends, classmates and/or family:
- Jan. 21 at 4:30 p.m.: Join in on an exclusive after-hours networking event featuring a panel discussion on trends and tech in motorsports with leaders from Ford Racing, Oracle and Red Bull Racing who are shaping what’s next on and off the track. There's also a chance to learn more about the latest career opportunities in Ford Racing with the Ford Careers team to match the continued growth of global motorsports. Registration required here by Jan. 19.
- Jan. 24 at 1 p.m.: Engineering the Driver at high speed: The science behind modern racing safety. Aidan Davis, a second-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and researcher in the Spartan Motorsport Performance Lab under Dr. David Ferguson, will host a conversation with Dr. Trifun Dimitrijevski, a.k.a. “Dr. D," a Wayne State University physician, Chief Medical Officer of the Detroit Grand Prix, and emergency medicine physician at DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, on what it takes to keep drivers safe.
We hope you stop by to see us, but Michigan Central Race Days starts this Sunday, January 18, 2026, every day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. until January 30, 2026, at The Station at Michigan Central, 2001 15th Street, Detroit.