Passion for
Promoting

Entrepreneur’s vision launched
Michigan International Speedway
50 years ago.

TONY SPINA/COURTESY MARK LOPATIN

jews in the d

F

opers and executive vice
ifty years ago, just
president of Windsor
three days after
Raceway.
our Detroit Tigers
It wasn’t a passion for
basked in the glow of
pacers that drew LoPatin;
their dramatic come-
it was strictly his pas-
from-behind World
sion for promoting. “He
Series victory over the St.
Alan Muskovitz could have developed any
Louis Cardinals, another
number of entertainment
1968 sports milestone
venues,” said his son
was being celebrated in
Mark LoPatin, who still runs the
Brooklyn ... Brooklyn, Mich.,
family’s Farmington Hills-based
that is.
real estate development compa-
It was the opening of the
Michigan International Speedway ny, LoPatin & Company. “It just
so happens a cousin of ours in
(MIS) on Oct. 13, 1968, the
Windsor wanted to open a race-
brainchild of Detroit entrepre-
track, and my father was drawn
neur and a true visionary, the
to the promotional aspect of it.
late Lawrence LoPatin. Before a
As a developer, he helped raise
sold-out crowd, the innovative
the funds to make it a reality.”
new track hosted the Michigan
However, because the geo-
Inaugural 250.
graphic area was already support-
Imagine a race so long ago
ing three summer harness race-
there was no sponsorship tacked
ways — Hazel Park, Detroit Race
onto its name; unlike the race
Course and Northville Downs —
this past Aug. 12 that commem-
Windsor Raceway was licensed
orated the golden anniversary
to run only a winter schedule.
of the track: Consumers Energy
Looking to monetize during the
400, part of the Monster Energy
summer months, LoPatin began
NASCAR Cup Series.
pitching the idea of building
The inaugural race had to
share headlines with several other an auto race track in Windsor;
major sports stories that October a proposition the Windsor
Raceway Board rejected.
weekend in ’68. The summer
If not Windsor, then surely the
Olympics opened in Mexico City,
the University of Michigan broke Auto Capital of the World would
support it, right? Not so fast. Said
a three-game football losing
Mark, “My father was always
streak to their rival Spartans, Al
Kaline was honored with a World frustrated the Detroit area didn’t
Series parade in Franklin Village, have a first-class, high-speed
track; especially with auto racing
and his manager, Mayo Smith,
was awarded a $20,000 raise with reaching a fever pitch among fans
in the1960s.”
a new $60,000 two-year contract
But there were no takers in the
for winning the championship
Motor City and LoPatin’s plans
(about what Miguel Cabrera
were running on fumes — until
makes for one plate appearance).
he headed for the hills, the Irish
For LoPatin, the idea for MIS
Hills nestled on the borders of
came from his exposure to an
Michigan’s Jackson and Lenawee
entirely different kind of racing
counties. Actually, the hills came
horsepower — harness racing.
He was one of the original devel- calling on him.

continued on page 30

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October 11 • 2018

jn

Lawrence LoPatin, visionary real estate developer and entrepreneur
behind the building of Michigan International Speedway