On a scheduled rest day with his team in Motown for a weekend series with the Yankees, Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander slid over to Belle Isle Park to take in the atmosphere on the Saturday before the 2012 Detroit Grand Prix begins.
↵An avid racing fan who has taken plenty of turns behind the wheel in the past, the 2011 MVP winner walked around the track meeting fans and other drivers alike before being swept away by Grand Prix chairman Bud Denker for a behind-the-scenes tour. WXYZ.com's Tom Leyden caught up with a giddy Verlander for a quick interview:
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Drawn in, obviously, by the fast speeds, the flame-throwing righty gave fans a rare treat by buying a general admission ticket and pretty much showing up at random. It's not every day that you get to see IndyCar drivers up close and meet arguably the most popular athlete in the city at the same time.