Indycar

28th February 2022

McLaughlin wins his first IndyCar race on the streets of St. Pete

Scott McLaughlin led nearly half the race to take his first career IndyCar win after holding off Álex Palou in the final two laps. Starting from the pole, he led the first 25 laps before a yellow came out for rookie Malukas hitting the wall coming out of turn 3. Scott Dixon led 26 laps but was on a three-stop strategy while McLaughlin led the two stop drivers out on track. McLaughlin retook the lead with 22 laps to go when Dixon made his final stop after a 41 lap stint.

McLaughlin doing the shoey (Photo by Chris Jones/IndyCar Media)

A crucial moment that led to McLaughlin’s victory was a successful overcut by the Kiwi on Rinus VeeKay on lap 65, who had been leading the middle stage of the race, after making his final stop and just barely getting out in front.

In the final 20 laps, we saw a performance out of McLaughlin that was very reminiscent of his Supercar days, the Australian series that he won three years in a row with Team Penske, and promoted him to the IndyCar Series. Reigning champion Palou kept him honest and the gap to under a second. Both were barely able to use push-to-pass due to a lack of fuel. With two laps to go, Palou was piling on the pressure, before McLaughlin caught backmarker rookie Devlin DeFrancesco who refused to move out of the way. McLaughlin and Palou were still trapped behind him in the final corner but McLaughlin held off Palou in the hairpin and took the chequered flag.

Scott McLaughlin and Álex Palou (Photo by Chris Owens/IndyCar Media)

The only yellow of the day came out for rookie David Malukas on lap 25 when he hit the outside wall after he ran across the marbles coming out of the first chicane. This flipped the field order as the top 12 drivers had yet to make their first stop which handed the lead to Alexander Rossi.

Will Power came home in third and was hovering at four seconds behind the leaders for the last 10 laps of the race in no man’s land. Power was the only driver to start the race on the primary black tyres and got squirrelly as he lit them up when taking the green flag. Power lost the position to Palou on the restart when he was the only one on the softer red tyre. The street course masters’ outright pace combined with a unique strategy that allowed for easier overtaking throughout his runs, resulted in two Roger Penske cars on the podium.

Podium; from left to right: Álex Palou (2nd), Scott McLaughlin (1st) and Will Power (3rd) (Photo by Chris Jones/IndyCar Media)

Colton Herta came home in fourth position but perhaps we could have seen him closer to the front three. Herta was frustrated to learn halfway through the race that his team pitted him extra early due to not getting enough fuel in the car on the first stop, denying him from being able to get the most out of his primary black tyres.

Romain Grosjean had a great Andretti Autosport debut coming in fifth place however one heart raising moment for him came on pit road during the first wave of pit stops when Marcus Ericsson hip-checked Graham Rahal into Grosjean and narrowly avoided being put into the pit wall. Veekay managed to convert his three-stop strategy to one less after pitting on lap 61 earning him sixth place. Rounding out the top 10 were Rahal, Dixon, Ericsson and Takuma Sato in his debut for Dale Coyne Racing with RWR.

Jimmie Johnson (Photo by Chris Owens/IndyCar Media)

Christian Lundgaard had a quiet race but was the highest finishing rookie in 11^th place. Jimmie Johnson had his best IndyCar race to date and was legitimately competing over 15^th place at one point but came home in 23^rd place in the end. Tatiana Calderón also had a successful debut and had multiple battles with her teammates Dalton Kellett and Kyle Kirkwood. Kellett fell well off the lead lap in the latter stages due to gearbox issues. Malukas retired from his crash on lap 25.

Full finishing order: (1^st) Scott McLaughlin, (2^nd) Álex Palou, (3^rd) Will Power, (4^th) Colton Herta, (5^th) Romain Grosjean, (6^th) Rinus VeeKay, (7^th) Graham Rahal, (8^th) Scott Dixon, (9^th) Marcus Ericsson, (10^th) Takuma Sato, (11^th) Christian Lundgaard, (12^th) Pato O’Ward, (13^th) Jack Harvey, (14^th) Helio Castroneves, (15^th) Simon Pagenaud, (16^th) Josef Newgarden, (17^th) Felix Rosenqvist, (18^th) Kyle Kirkwood, (19^th) Callum Ilott, (20^th) Alexander Rossi, (21^st) Conor Daly, (22^nd) Devlin DeFrancesco, (23^rd) Jimmie Johnson, (24^th) Tatiana Calderón, (25^th) Dalton Kellett, (26^th) David Malukas.

Featured Image: Scott McLaughlin celebrating in victory lane (Photo by Chris Jones/IndyCar Media)

26th February 2022

Scott McLaughlin comes from down under to take St. Pete pole

Scott McLaughlin came from down under in the Firestone fast six to take pole position in emphatic fashion. The battle appeared to be between street course pole master Will Power and defending St. Pete pole winner Colton Herta but out of nowhere in the final lap after Power and Herta had completed their final run, McLaughlin went from sixth to first to take his first P1 pole award with a :59.4821 pole time. The kiwi was the first driver to break the one minute lap time of the weekend in practice two with a :59.734. Talking to NBC about starting from the pole, he said “I’m used to braking with cars in front, so I better not overshoot like an idiot tomorrow.”

Street course pole master Will Power (Photo by James Black/IndyCar Media)

Qualifying second was nine-time St. Pete pole winner Will Power with a time of :59.6058. Colton Herta, Rinus Veekay, Romain Grosjean, and Simon Pagenaud qualified third, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. It was quite the rollercoaster for Grosjean so far as he was fastest in practice one but in practice two, he drove hard into the back of Takuma Sato, his old Dale Coyne Racing car, when he failed to slow up and avoid contact with the pack up of cars warming up ahead of him. There was significant damage to the car but the team got Grosjean and the car back out there for qualifying and initially in the fast six, posted the fastest time on the first run.

Making up sixth to twelfth place on the grid is Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Graham Rahal and rookie Kyle Kirkwood. Talking to NBC, Dixon said he “mistimed the peak” of the softer red tyre and like many others during the day such as Palou and Harvey, had hit the wall in turn nine. During qualifying round one, Pato O’Ward had also smacked the wall coming out of turn nine.

Kyle Kirkwood was the only driver in the fast 12 to not post a time under the one minute mark but was still the fastest rookie and has been all weekend. His rookie teammate Tatiana Calderon, had gained over a second on her best time in practice with a 1:00.939 qualifying 25th, beating Jimmie Johnson. Calderon told NBC she had “found a ton of grip” in qualifying.

Making up the rest of the field, from 13th to 26th place are as follows: Alexander Rossi (13th), Dalton Kellett (14th), Christian Lundgaard (15th), Pato O’Ward (16th), Helio Castroneves (17th), Devlin DeFrancesco (18th), Callum Ilott (19th), Conor Daly (20th), Felix Rosenqvist (21st), Takuma Sato (22nd), Jack Harvey (23rd), David Malukas (24th), Tatiana Calderon (25th) and Jimmie Johnson (26th).

The green flag for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg flies at 12pm ET (5pm GMT) tomorrow.

Featured Image: Scott McLaughlin racing around St. Petersburg (Photo by James Black/IndyCar Media)

26th February 2022

IndyCar Race Weekend Preview: St. Petersburg

The first race weekend of the IndyCar season gets underway at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a 26 driver entry list for the NTT IndyCar Series race and a record 14 driver entry list for the Indy Lights race this Sunday.

The 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit is rather unique in that it uses a runway of Albert Whitted Airport for its front straightaway before entering downtown St. Petersburg. What follows are several tight corners before two 90 degree right handers that lead onto a fast flowing final sector that runs down to a hairpin, taking drivers back round onto the airport runway.

Will Power racing down Bay Shore Drive (Photo by Joe Skibinski/IndyCar Media)

Turn 1 has been a spot for drivers to get their elbows out and makes passes before entering the downtown section. Before the hairpin, there is a heavy breaking zone that drivers use to their advantage to get runs on the leading car down the main straightaway. Due to the narrow twisty corners that the track possesses, overtaking is a challenge so varying strategies are implemented in an attempt to get to the front by leapfrogging the field; in the pits or finding clean air out on track. This year will be no different.

The NTT IndyCar Series drivers will complete 100 laps (180 miles) for their race on Sunday while the Indy Lights drivers will complete a 60 minute timed race. This will be the 19^th running of the race that first began in 2003 under the CART series. Paul Tracy won the inaugural event.

Recently, there has been a trend of back to back winners of the event. Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015 and 2016, Sebastien Bourdais in 2017 and 2018 and Josef Newgarden in 2019 and 2020. Therefore, Colton Herta, the 2021 winner, hopes to keep this streak alive this weekend. Surprisingly, Scott Dixon, the six-time champion has yet to win here but has four runner-up finishes, most recently in 2019. If Dixon wins the race this weekend, he will tie Mario Andretti for second for all-time wins with 51.

Scott Dixon practising at St. Petersburg (Photo by Joe Skibinski/IndyCar Media)

The NTT IndyCar Series practice gets underway on Friday at 3:40pm ET. Saturday is comprised of another practice session at 9am ET, followed by qualifying starting at 12:30pm ET. Warmup on Sunday is at 8:45am ET, engines are fired at 12:23pm ET and The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding race goes green at 12:30pm ET.

The Indy Lights practice gets underway on Friday at 10:05am ET followed by qualifying at 1:40pm ET with a final practice session starting at 5:40pm ET to wrap up Friday. The 60 minute race starts at 9:30am ET on Sunday.

Featured Image: Taking the green flag at the 2021 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Photo by Chris Jones/IndyCar Media)

26th February 2022

2022 IndyCar Season Preview: The Year of the Rookies

This week, the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series championship gets underway in St. Petersburg, Florida. The 2022 roster of drivers includes no less than six rookies, and 20 veteran full-time drivers in total, making it the largest full-time field of competitors in IndyCar for a decade.

IndyCar never fails to disappoint, with a diverse array of tracks from across the United States and drivers from all over the world, to a traditional points based system where all positions count, oh and not to mention it has one of the most welcoming fanbases you’ll find in motorsports; there’s every reason to watch IndyCar this season whether you’re a veteran or rookie yourself. Let’s get you up to speed with what’s new for IndyCar in 2022.

Continue reading “2022 IndyCar Season Preview: The Year of the Rookies”

17th August 202117th August 2021

Formula 1 drivers moving to IndyCar elevate the whole series

image courtesy of IndyCar/ Matt Fravor

Alexander Rossi, Marcus Ericsson, Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean, and most recently Kevin Magnussen (and potentially Alex Albon).

Marcus Ericsson Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix by Chris Jones

All these drivers have at least one thing in common: they used to be Formula 1 drivers who moved to the IndyCar series in the past few years.

It is by no means the first time that we see this pattern: drivers from Formula 1 have consistenly looked outside Europe for their future endeavors, and IndyCAR (or CART for a brief period of time) was an attractive option. Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi did the same, and they became CART champions and, in the case of Emmo, an Indy 500 champion.

However, in recent years, a lot of proper talent has been left with no F1 seat – these drivers have to find an alternative, a way to move forward with their careers.

Excluding Alexander Rossi, who is an American and had always the opportunity to jump ship, should he need to, every other F1 driver who raced or is currently competing in IndyCar, is not from the US, nor has any firm connections with the other side of the pond.

This is especially telling of the appeal IndyCar has these days to a lot of drivers, like Ericsson or Grosjean, who came from F1 and are podium finishers and winners of their own in the series.

McLaren’s commitment is also a significant step into making IndyCar a prime opportunity for drivers, young or not, to get their names heard and their abilities shown to a broad audience. Colton Herta, for example, has become a household name in Europe, even though he is an American, driving in an American racing series, for an American team, just because so many European drivers have moved there and brought attention to the sport.

Fernando Alonso’s Indy 500 participations, although not successful, inspired other drivers try this route, see where it leads them.

Even before Romain Grosjean was out of F1, he was contacted by Coyne Racing to drive for them in 2021. A Swiss-born Frenchman did the unthinkable – or so it was a couple of years ago – and went on to become an IndyCar driver, and a podium finisher with solid chances to win his first race in the series this year. He is so impressed and enthousiastic about the championship, he even considers racing in ovals in 2022, despite denying such a proposition after his horrific accident at Sakhir last November.

Couple that with the TV deals to broadcast IndyCar in Europe (namely the Sky Sports one in the UK and the DAZN one in other countries in the continent), and you have a solely-American championship going international, at least in its appeal and recognition.

And believe me when I say it is important for IndyCar and the whole organisation that Roger Penske presides over, to find global recognition. That is, because even though the recent Music City GP was watched by 1.212 million viewers on NBCSN, the NASCAR races have consistently more viewers, topping to 2-2,6 million viewers on average. But, NASCAR has next to zero international audience – IndyCar must take advantage of that.

It is a paradox. IndyCar prouds itself to be an all-American single-seater series, yet it has a broad international (mostly European) audience, with an ever growing European grid. NASCAR will hold the US market, maybe until F1 takes over in the next years (if we take into account its current trajectory).

And let’s not forget that former F1 drivers joining IndyCar make the series more competitive, less predictable. Big names, such as Will Power, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden have taken over the championship for the past few years, and they are all great drivers, don’t get me wrong on that one. However, they do not possess the kind of talent that Grosjean or Magnussen (who’s considering a move there), or even Lundgaard (who did an one-off appearance last Sunday at IMS, despite him having a food poisoning the night before) have. They are staples of the grid, they are champions, record-holders, winners. But, they are not the ones that will move Indy forward, let’s be honest.

IndyCar is in a prime position to get to the next level, attract new names, maybe new manufacturers, become global, get the respect it deserves, win over even the most skeptic motorsport fan out there – just because the current F1 grid is so saturated, it can’t afford to give every talent a racing seat.

Drivers know that, IndyCar knows that, Penske does too.

27th May 202116th August 2021

Is the Indianapolis 500 ACTUALLY the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ ?

The Indianapolis 500 has become one of the most famous racing events over the past century, combining scintillating speed and unmitigated bravery that is quite unparalleled in motorsport.

With speeds topping over 220mph, drivers are at full throttle for approximately 3 hours, experiencing forces of (4G) across an incredible 200-lap distance.

But with speed comes danger, and hero can turn to zero in a heartbeat. The sport is recognised as one of the most dangerous with over 40 deaths occurring at The Brickyard.

Fox and Cheever 1995 Indy 500. Photo Courtesy of IndyCar.

While there has not been a death at the Indy 500 in almost a decade, serious injuries are still a reality for many. During practice for the Indy 500 in 2015, James Hinchcliffe famously flipped his No.5 Honda after touching the barriers, resulting in a burning inferno and a piece of the car’s suspension piercing his left thigh as he hit the wall. The Canadian driver would survive this incident but missed the rest of the IndyCar season as a result.

The Indianapolis 500 is a race like no other, with incredible technology and deep traditions which make it an event like no other.

But is it *REALLY* the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’?

WHAT IS THE COMPETITION?

The Monaco F1 Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours can be considered its closest competitors. To win all three is what is known as the ‘Triple Crown’ – suggesting they all share qualities as the toughest races in the world. All of these races present unique challenges, and with that, different audiences.

Monaco is widely seen as the jewel in the crown of motorsport. Since its inception in 1929, the most richest and famous grace the presence of ‘The Principality’ for a week of festivities, boat parties, and galas. If there’s anything that epitomises the socioeconomic legacy of Formula 1 – its Monaco.

No other race can compare to Monaco in terms of the beauty of its surroundings. Wedged between the natural beauty of the Mediterranean Sea and the Maritime Alps, the Circuit de Monaco winds through the tight streets of the principality.

The race presents its own challenges. Like the Indy 500, one mistake can mean the end of your race. The tight, windy streets produce one of the most exciting qualifying sessions in motorsport. It tests every inch of a driver’s concentration and skill to perfect, which is why only the very best see repeated success.

However, they also make it very difficult to overtake which detracts from the overall entertainment of the event. Many people comment on the “dullness” of Monaco and the lack of racing that occurs.

Likewise, you could make a case for the Le Mans 24 Hours, staged at the semi-permanent race course: The Circuit de la Sarthe since the very first race in 1923.

The 38-turn, 8.5-mile track takes around 3min 25sec to complete for LMP1 cars. It’s unbelievably quick and challenging, with tricky corners like the Porsche Curves and plenty of long straights.

Each team is pushed to its technological and physical limits to race through the day and into the night. Machine and humans alike withstand incredible attrition and exhaustion if they want to win this star-studded race.

Moreover, the vast number of cars on track make it an incredible spectacle to watch with: Hypercars, LMP2 Prototypes, and GT cars racing side by side. The sheer variety of teams, drivers, nationalities, and races on show is unmatched.

Now, throw in the likes of the Isle of Man TT and The Dakar Rally – Indy has some stiff competition.

COMPETITIVENESS

While it is a misnomer that IndyCar is a ‘spec-series’, it certainly would fool you to think it was.

It is common for drivers to fight through the field from lowly positions, sometimes even fighting for the win.

Not only did Louis Meyer charge through the pack in the 1936 Indy 500, moving from a starting position of 28th to a final position of first, but he also led 96 laps while capturing his third Indy 500 win.

Moreover, three out of the last six races have seen some of the closest finishes in racing, 15′, 17′, and 19′ all with winning margins of less than 0.25s.

Anything can happen at the 500′ as can be seen this year with Penske’s Will Power nearly failing to qualify, a fate that was all-too-real for two-time Formula 1 Champion Fernando Alonso in 2019.

This unpredictability adds to the entertainment of the event and speaks volumes of the challenges facing teams who are all competing at a very similar level.

TRADITIONS

The first Indianapolis 500 race took place in 1911 (Older than *both* the Monaco GP and 24 Hours Le Mans). Since then, numerous traditions have been created. For many fans, these traditions are an important part of the race experience that they look forward to every year.

Harroun wins the first ever 1911 Indy 500. Photo Courtesy of IndyCar.

But perhaps one of the strangest traditions of the race is the winner chugging a bottle of chilled milk in victory lane.

It’s a unique tradition that has appeared in every race since 1956 and has become a snapshot moment defining the elation of victory after winning one of the world’s most iconic races.

Likewise, the presenting of the Indy 500 rings is a special moment for all drivers who compete, a momento that only a few can say they have received

There are many traditions that may seem odd to those unfamiliar with the event, but they only add an endearing quality to it. You can tell how much this race means to drivers, teams, and fans alike by the way they celebrate and look forward to these moments. It adds richness, built upon years of hard work, achievement, failure, and redemption. This history is personified in these moments which make it hard to resist.

VIEWERSHIP/MARKETS/TV

While comparisons are difficult to make, there is certainly a gulf in global viewership between its nearest competitors.

While a 2018 report by NBC shows figures of around 5 to 6 million average viewers for its domestic audience, this puts it well short of other US events such as the Super Bowl. In other words, that is around 1.6% – 1.8% of the US population.

How does that stack up against other domestic sports events? Well, if you compare this to 3.5 million UK viewers who tuned in for the British Grand Prix – that is approximately 5% of the UK population!

Moreover, according to a report by Nielson Sports in 2017, the Monaco Grand Prix reported saw a 10% rise to 110 million viewers.

While they are no solid sources estimating the worldwide ratings for the Indianapolis 500, they all fall short of the Monaco Grand Prix’s global reach.

It is without question that the reach of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ dwarfs that of Formula 1. There really is no competition.

GET INVOLVED

But what do *YOU* think?

We want to know whether you think the Indianapolis 500 is ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’. And if so, why?

Let us know in the comments section below or interact with us on Twitter!

23rd May 202116th August 2021

Scott Dixon Snatches Indianapolis 500 Pole from Colton Herta. Will Power and de Silvestro Narrowly Qualify.

Scott Dixon keeps his remarkable momentum going with a fourth pole position at the Indianapolis 500. His four-lap average of 231.685 mph topped the Fast Nine Shootout and will start on the front-row alongside Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay.

Colton Herta initially set a blistering four-lap average of 231.655 mph to take provisional pole, but Dixon had other ideas. Dixon was the last to run, and when he landed a 232.757 on his opening lap it was clear that Ganassi’s six-time IndyCar champion had the potential to earn his fourth pole. His drop-off was around 1.1mph across the four laps, so his final margin over Herta was only 0.03mph – after 10 miles of flat-out driving around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – but the job was done.

The next closest threat came from Rinus VeeKay, one of two drivers for Ed Carpenter Racing in the Fast Nine Shootout in what was a remarkable day for the team. Despite a small wiggle coming out of Turn 1 on his fourth lap, the Dutchman’s 231.511 was enough to start ahead of teammate Ed Carpenter (231.504 mph). They made up the only Chevrolet cars in an afternoon that was dominated by Honda.

Tony Kanaan (231.032 mph) starts ahead of his Spanish teammate Alex Palou (231.032 mph) to round out the second-row. For the Brazilian to out-qualify two of his full-time counterparts is nothing short of sensational.

The third-row will be shared between Ryan Hunter-Reay (230.499 mph), Helio Castroneves (230.355 mph), and Marcus Ericsson (230.318 mph). Meyer Shank Racing will be incredibly happy with Castroneves’s performance to pip the final Chip Ganassi driver in the session.

This afternoon also saw the final-row shootout for those who failed to make the Top 30 in yesterday’s qualifying. Will Power, Simona de Silvestro, Sage Karam, Charlie Kimball, and RC Enerson were all at risk of not qualifying for this year’s Indianapolis 500.

de Silvestro qualifies for the Indy 500. Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens.

It was Karam, Power, and de Silvestro who eventually qualified for the final-row in what was a significant milestone in the history of The Brickyard. de Silvestro and Paretta Autosport become the first female driver and all female-led team to qualify for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Motorsport’.

Team Owner Beth Paretta was full of elation and had this to say on their achievement: “This is just the beginning!”

Consequentially, that means both Kimball and Enerson fail to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

Some other shock performances in Saturday qualifying came from Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud. Newgarden made multiple qualifying attempts but was forced to settle with a 230.071 mph four-lap average, good enough only for 21st. Likewise, Simon Pagenaud closed the day in 26th after setting an average of 229.778 mph in what was a difficult day for Chevrolet-powered teams.

Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato will start from 15th. The last to win the 500′ after starting outside the Top 10 was Alexander Rossi in 2016. Incidentally, Rossi just missed out on the Fast Nine Shootout and starts 10th.

With the grid now set, teams have two more practice sessions before the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, which will take place next Sunday 30 May at 17:00 (BST.)

FULL CLASSIFICATION:

Dixon
Herta
VeeKay
Carpenter
Kanaan
Palou
Hunter-reay
Castroneves
Ericsson
Rossi
Jones
O’Ward
Fittipaldi
Rosenqvist
Sato
Hinchcliffe
McLaughlin
Rahal
Daly
Harvey
Newgarden
Hildebrand
Ferrucci
Montoya
Andretti
Pagenayd
Bourdais
Wilson
Chilton
Kellet
Karam
Power
de Silvestro

20th May 202116th August 2021

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing: The Indianapolis 500 Preview

It’s here. The ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ is just around the corner as the eyes of the world descend on Indianapolis. A race that is etched into motorsport folklore with unbridled, full-throttle, commitment, and speed. We are, of course, talking about the Indy 500!

May is an incredible month of racing with the Monaco GP on May 23 before Indy 500 on May 30, although the latter is more like a two-week event as practice and qualifying start the week before the intense 500-mile, 200-lap race.

In fact, qualifying is set to take place across both Saturday and Sunday, beginning with the general shootout with the ‘Fast Six’ on the final day.

We also return to some form of normality, with the Indy 500 returning to its rightful place at the end of May – following last year’s postponed event that took place in the middle of August. Unlike last year, we will also have spectators with 135,000 in attendance, a whopping 40% capacity!

DRIVERS! DRIVERS EVERYWHERE!

This season truly has been one to remember. The 2021 campaign has had five race winners in five races with three of those being first-time winners in Alex Palou, Patricio O’Ward, and Rinus VeeKay.

Current championship leader Scott Dixon and Colton Herta won the other two races and the six-time champion will indeed be pushing for his second Indy 500 win having last achieved it in 2008.

The last seven winners are all present this year including Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Juan Pablo Montoya, and defending 500′ winner Takuma Sato. Both Sato and Montoya head into this race seeking an incredible third win which would put them tied fourth on the all-time winners list alongside the likes of Bobby Unser and Dario Franchetti.

Three-time winner Helio Castroneves also returns to the Brickyard. A win would put him tied first on the all-time list alongside A.J.Foyt, Al Unser Jr, and Rick Mears.

While the veterans of the sport all bring swathes of experience to the event, it’s the younger drivers who will certainly share the spotlight.

Rinus VeeKay won last time out at the IMS in a spectacular display of racecraft, cutting his way through the field to beat pole-sitter, Romain Grosjean, to the chequered flag. Last year, the Dutchman qualified inside the ‘Fast Six’ on his first attempt at the Brickyard, setting one of the fastest speeds ever seen at the 500′ in the process.

Scott Dixon followed by Alex Palou. 500 Practice. Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens.

Alongside him in last year’s Fast Six’ was Alex Palou, who likely caught the attention of his current outfit Chip Ganassi with his performance that weekend. Heading into this weekend second in the championship, Palou has an incredible opportunity to capitalise on the double points on offer.

Graham Rahal was one of the fastest in the pre-season test at the Brickyard and showed a similar pace in this week’s practice. The American driver has shown some incredible pace this year putting in two top-five finishes at the double-header in Texas.

There really are contenders everywhere you look. With Patricio O’Ward. Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, Josef Newgarden, Jack Harvey, Conor Daly, and Scott McLaughlin also looking incredibly sharp coming into qualifying.

FRESH FACES

As ever, we welcome a host of fresh faces to the 500′. Among these are rookies Pietro Fittipaldi and RC Enerson and veterans Pablo Montoya, Tony Kanaan, Santino Ferucci, Stefan Wilson, Ed Carpenter, and JR Hildebrand.

Marco Andretti returns with Andretti. He was last year’s pole-sitter and will be looking to repeat that feat this weekend.

Simona De Silvestro. Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens.

Simona De Silvestro also makes her Indy 500 comeback with the all-female Paretta Autosport outfit. This marks De Silvestro’s first run since the 2015 edition of the race. The Swiss driver has made hints that she could make further IndyCar outings with Paretta in the future.

Both Romain Grosjean and Jimmie Johnson will not be taking part this weekend with both set to return at the Detriot GP.

HONDA VS CHEVY?

So far in practice, there doesn’t seem to be an overall advantage in what is set to be an incredibly competitive battle. Will Power with Penske Chevrolet topped Tuesday practice while Scott Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Honda topped Wednesday.

Honda, and Chevy have three wins apiece in six attempts. While the only oval comparison we can make this year at Texas was slightly skewed due to qualifying being canceled with the championship standings used to set the grid for the race. Both races were one by an Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and Chip Ganassi Honda.

This race truly could be anyones for the taking.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS.

Thursday, May 20
5-11pm (BST): Indy 500 Practice

Friday, May 21
5-11:00pm (BST): Indy 500 Practice

Saturday, May 22
6-7:00pm (BST): Indy 500 Qualifying

Sunday, May 23
6-7.30pm (BST): Last Chance Qualifying
7.30-9.30pm (BST): Fast Nine Qualifying

Friday, May 28 3-5:00pm (BST): Final indy 500 Practice

Sunday, May 30 4:30/4:45 (BST): Indy 500 Race Start

14th May 202116th August 2021

Romain Grosjean defies the odds to take first career IndyCar pole at IMS

Romain Grosjean defied all odds to take his first career IndyCar pole position at the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The rookie edged out two-time champion Josef Newgarden in only his third weekend with Dayle Coyne Racing. This marks the Frenchman’s first single-seater pole since his GP2 days in 2011.

It is also the first pole position for Dayle Coyne Racing since 2018, when compatriot Sebastian Bourdais topped qualifying in Pheonix.

Penske’s Newgarden lost out by only 0.128s but starts in a promising position for the race tomorrow. Seven out of the last eight here have been won by Penske, will they add to that tally?

GMR Grand Prix, Scott McLaughlin. Photo Courtesy of Joe Skibinski.

Scott McLaughlin was arguably just as impressive, sneaking into the Fast Six for the first time in his career and starting in fifth position after his incredible weekend at Texas Motor Speedway behind Meyer Shank’s Jack Harvey in third and Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou in fourth. Ed Carpenter’s Conor Daly rounded out the Fast Six.

Grosjean only just barely made it through Round two, following a surprise exit from Indianapolis Road Course expert Will Power. The Australian spun on the penultimate corner and was prevented from restarting with a clutch issue. He had previously made it into the Fast Six on eight of the last nine attempts at this circuit. The four-time IMS winner will have some work to do starting tomorrow’s race in twelfth.

Colton Herta, who today signed a new multi-year contract extension with Andretti Autosport, missed out on the Fast Six in seventh, while Rinus VeeKay starts just behind in eighth.

Ed Jones made it two Dayle Coyne Racing cars in the Top Ten, outpacing Penske’s Simon Pagenaud in tenth, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Graham Rahal eleventh.

GMR Grand Prix. O’Ward. Photo Courtesy of Joe Skibinski,

Free Practice pace-setter Alexander Rossi will start fourteenth after just missing out on Round Two, ahead of reigning champion Scott Dixon, who starts two places further back in a disappointing sixteenth. Second-place driver in the championship, Pato O’Ward starts a further two places back 18th.

Jimmie Johnson was slowest in his qualifying group but will start twenty-third ahead of Dalton Kellett and IndyCar returnee Arrow McLaren SP’s Juan Pablo Montoya, who had his two quickest laps deleted for holding up Alex Palou.

STARTING GRID:

Grosjean
Newgarden
Harvey
Palou
McLaughlin
Daly
Herta
VeeKay
Jones
Pagenaud
Rahal
Power
Rosenqvist
Rossi
Ericsson
Dixon
Sato
O’Ward
Hunter-Reau
Bourdais
Kimball
Hinchcliffe
Johnson
Kellett
Montoya

3rd May 202116th August 2021

O’Ward Seizes Long-Overdue First IndyCar Win at the Texas XPEL 375

Sunday saw Arrow McLaren SP’s Patricio O’Ward clinch victory at the Texas Motor Speedway, his first IndyCar win – and with it, a chance to drive at the F1 Young Drivers Test in Abu Dhabi.

O’Ward had been in incredible form all weekend, coming off the back of a podium at the Genesys300. With 50 laps to go, O’Ward looked set to take the lead of the race when teammate Felix Rosenqvist brought out the final caution following a pitstop in which his right rear tyre failed to attach.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens. Josef Newgarden. Texas.

However, Josef Newgarden could not have timed the undercut better. He was in pit-road as the caution was brought out and emerged ahead of Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, and O’Ward who had been battling all evening.

On the restart, Newgarden made it past Takuma Sato who was still yet to pit, however so too did his nearest rivals. Behind them, O’Ward made quick work of Graham Rahal to move up to second.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens. O’Ward. Texas.

Newgarden failed to pull away from the attacking group and came under relentless pressure but it was with 20 Laps to go where the race was won. O’Ward, with steely determination, kept the accelerator planted into Turn 3 and seized the lead of the race.

O’Ward, who prior to this had come second on three occasions, finally broke the duck as he charged on to take the chequered flag, 1.5s ahead of Josef Newgarden.

Pato becomes the first Mexican to win in the American series since Adrian Fernandez at the Auto Club Speedway, 2004. Additionally, this marks McLaren’s first win since their return to IndyCar and the first since Johnny Rutherford at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1979.

As an extra reward, McLaren CEO Zak Brown will give O’Ward an opportunity to drive for the McLaren F1 Team at the post-season, Abu Dhabi Young Drivers Test.

Graham Rahal had been in the mix all race pulling off some audacious moves and benefitting massively during the earlier caution brought on by Meyer Shank driver Jack Harvey. Havey had been running in the top five, even overtaking IndyCar champion Will Power in the process until a wheel-bearing failure forced the car into the pits – leaving oil all over the road.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens. Dixon leads Power, Rahal. Texas,

Rahal and Power, who had pitted earlier were able to jump a number of cars – including Newgarden – as the field collectively pitted under yellow. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver found himself in fifth. Despite both drivers being taken by O’Ward on the restart, Rahal fought bravely against Scott Dixon who had led from pole.

During the final pit stop and caution which was brought out by Felix Rosenqvist, Dixon held on to his advantage over Rahal. But back on track Rahal eventually cleared the Genesys300 winner to take his first podium of the season.

Colton Herta had a brilliant race – starting way down the field after an unfortunate brake issue forced him to retire from the Genesys300. Herta made great use of the undercut pulling off a great move on Simon Pagenaud to take fifth.

Alex Palou, who had started on the front row lost a lot of position after Jack Harvey’s caution. Like yesterday, the Spaniard never looked like he was going to trouble his six-time champion teammate. Despite finishing in seventh, it rounds off a decent weekend for the Barber Motorsport Park winner who finished inside the top ten in both races.

Scott McLaughlin followed up his maiden podium with an eighth-place, well ahead of Rinus VeeKay and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who rounded out the top-10.

Power had been in the battle at the front, but having dropped back slightly by the time of the final restart, but came off worst in the three-wide battle as Herta passed Pagenaud.

The Australian was pushed wide onto the high side and crucially – into the slippery ‘PJ1’ section. The Penske driver veered uncontrollably wide, hitting the barrier and finished down in 13th behind Ed Carpenter and Marcus Ericsson.

Takuma Sato, who decided to try the overcut came up short. After briefly leading after the final pit stops he eventually would eventually fall down to 14th

Photo Courtesy of Chris Owens. First Lap Crash. Texas.

However, the most dramatic moment of the race came during Lap 1 in the form of a horrendous seven-car pile-up. As the field concertinaed, Pietro Fittipaldi was caught out by the late braking of AJ Foyt’s Sebastien Bourdais. His Dayle Coyne entry sent both drivers into a spin collecting: Ed Jones, Alexander Rossi, Dalton Kellett, Tony Kanaan, and Conor Daly in the process. Daly found himself upside down in a scary moment for the Carlin driver but was left relatively unscathed.

Scott Dixon leaves Texas with the lead of the championship while Patricio O’Ward sits 22 points behind. Alex Palou has slipped to third while Newgarden continues his relentless charge up to fourth.

IndyCar gets back underway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the 15th May for the GMR Grand Prix.