In 1981, the summer race was expanded to 500 miles, and the Inaugural Michigan 500 was won by Pancho Carter.

Twelve drivers have scored their first – and in some cases only – Indy car race win at Michigan.

In 1968, American open wheel racing debuted at the circuit with a 200-mile (320 km) USAC Championship Car event.

During a private test session in November 1986, Rick Mears set an Indy car closed-course speed record driving a March 86C/Ilmor-Chevrolet with a lap of 233.934 mph.

The Indy Lights series initially did not race at Michigan, but eventually made its first appearance in 1996.

The track had expanded its seating capacity (namely for its two NASCAR races) and the typical CART crowds of 50,000 spectators looked visibly unspectacular.

Despite some of the most competitive CART events in the track's history, largely due to the use of the Hanford Device, fans continued to stay away.

Series officials and track management were able to put together a deal to hold the 2001 race, but talks ceased and the contract was not renewed for 2002.

In 2002, Sarah Fisher became the first female driver to pass for the lead under green flag conditions in an Indy-style race.

Citing low attendance, and an undesirable date, track management removed the race from the schedule in 2008 and beyond.

Following the 1986 CART season, the fall race was dropped from the schedule, leaving the Michigan 500 (in July or August) as the track's lone Indy car event.

In 1996, as a protest to the formation of the rival IRL (and specifically the reservation of starting spots in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 to IRL-based entries),[4][5] the CART series scheduled a competing race on the same day as the Indy 500.

Safety was always a concern at Michigan, primarily due to the high speeds and Armco barriers.

After a couple of practice runs, it was deemed unsuitable, partially due to fear of gearbox failure, being too abrupt, and not necessarily serving its intended purpose.

In addition to crashes that damaged or ended the careers of drivers, three spectators were killed in a 1998 CART racing incident.

His right front wheel was torn off and hurled over the fence into the stands, killing three spectators (Kenneth Fox, Sheryl Laster, and Michael Tautkus) and injuring six others.

In the CART era, the Michigan 500 was the site of the first career wins for Pancho Carter (only career win), John Paul Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, Scott Goodyear, Scott Pruett, Tony Kanaan, and Patrick Carpentier.

Along with the first-time winners, a number of other drivers on the Indy car circuit achieved their career-best finishes at Michigan.

Drivers include Dominic Dobson, Mark Smith, and Hiro Matsushita, who finished 3rd, 5th, and 6th, respectively in the 1994 race.