The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
From INDYCAR Press Release…
MADISON, Illinois (Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024) – Josef Newgarden spun, and he won. But that was far from the only dose of excitement the Indianapolis 500 winner experienced Saturday night in capturing the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology Raceway.
SEE: Results
While Newgarden’s half-spin in traffic without contact in Turn 2 will be one for the ages, a late restart likely will play a role in determining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, and Newgarden was figuratively in the middle of it.
Actually, the Team Penske driver was leading the pack coming to the green flag. The pace constant and steady before there was contact behind Newgarden and second-place Scott McLaughlin.
Team Penske’s Will Power appeared to bump third-place Colton Herta, and then he checked up enough to have Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi run into the back of him. Both cars smacked the inside wall, a crushing blow for Power, who entered the 260-lap race second in the standings with a shot as his third series title.
The benefactor was series leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. At the sight of the green, the reigning series champion dove to the inside lane in a bid to advance from seventh place. That decision kept him out of the fray that became a four-car accident, and after the red flag period for cleanup, the Spaniard turned the opportunity into a championship moment. He finished fourth to add more points to his series lead.
The driver of the No. 10 Samaritan Purse Chip Ganassi Racing Honda will take a 59-point lead into the season’s final four races.
“The worst part (of the victory) is (Power) not making it home,” Newgarden said. “I hate that that happened at the very end. I watched it on the TV and it kind of looked like the green went (on) before I went – just momentarily – and it caused a big accordion (effect).
“So, I hate that that happened. That’s the last thing you want to happen with 10 (laps) to go is to create a mess.”
Power wasn’t pleased, and it cost him more than a chance to win. He ended up losing 17 points to Palou and dropped to fourth in the standings behind Herta and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. The driver of the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet led a race-high 117 laps.
“Where are you supposed to go?” said Power, who is now 66 points out of the series lead. “In between (Turns) 3 and 4 (the leader) he just waited, then he went. He went, he stopped. I knew that was going to happen. As soon as I checked up because (others) checked up, I knew I was going to get pounded (from behind).
“Man, disappointing. We had such a good car.”
Newgarden had a good car, too, as evident by his ability to recover from the spin while trying to pass Palou on the outside on Lap 196. But Newgarden’s pit crew also contributed mightily to his second win of the season. It changed four tires on the final stop in just over 5 seconds to get their driver out of the pits ahead of McLaughlin, who had been the leader.
“It was 1-on-1 with the teams on the pit stop,” said McLaughlin, who led 67 laps. “We lost track position.”
Newgarden had to hold off McLaughlin for one final restart, but this time he got away cleanly as McLaughlin said his No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet bogged down briefly.
Newgarden’s win wasn’t a surprise based on recent trips to this 1.25-mile oval. He won his first race in 2017 in his first season with Team Penske, and then he added three in succession in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Do the math: That’s five in nine tries (there were two races in 2020).
The win also became the 31st of his career, tying Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves for 10th place on the sport’s all-time list.
“I think the team needed (the win),” said Newgarden after leading 17 laps and won by 1.7260 seconds. “They’ve done a great job … on the 2 car specifically. They’ve given me race-winning cars throughout the year – even past Indy – and they haven’t materialized (into wins). So, it’s nice to get another one on the board.”
Rookie Linus Lundqvist charged through the lead group in the waning laps to grab his second top-three finish in the series. The leader in the Rookie of the Year standings passed Palou and Herta to grab the final spot on the podium. The driver of the No. 8 American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda also finished third at Barber Motorsports Park in April.
Herta had the fourth car across the finish line, but his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian was later penalized one position for a blocking attempt on Lundqvist. That gave fourth place to Palou with Herta fifth. Still, Herta moved into second place in the standings.
There was action all throughout the race, with an event-record 21 passes for the lead, a figure that smashed the previous mark of 13. Eleven drivers held the top spot as a multitude of pit strategies were in play, including a different one by each of the three Team Penske drivers.
Additionally, action throughout the field produced 676 on-track passes with 254 of those happening for position – both event records.
Herta, who started 25th in the 27-car field due to a crash in qualifying, got things going in a hurry. He sliced his way through a four-wide rush to the opening green flag, part of him grabbing six positions on the first lap.
Ed Carpenter Racing’s Ed Carpenter and Dale Coyne Racing’s Katherine Legge had early contact in Turn 1 on Lap 8, and a few laps later, on Lap 17, there was contact aplenty on the back straight.
A bobble by Carpenter’s teammate, Rinus VeeKay, started a chain reaction that saw Conor Daly and his Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet get turned from behind by Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood. Daly’s teammate, Romain Grosjean, also was collected. Grosjean and Dale Coyne Racing’s Jack Harvey also became part of the Power-Rossi trouble with eight laps to go.
Meyer Shank Racing’s David Malukas, who led 11 laps, was contending for the win when he took contact from Power with 21 laps remaining. The two were battling for the effective lead of the race in Turn 1. Malukas was in the bottom lane.
There won’t be much time to sort through the replays. The action resumes in six days in Portland.
The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff.
Press Release From IndyCar….
MADISON, Illinois (Friday, Aug. 16, 2024) – Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin earned his second consecutive NTT P1 Award at World Wide Technology Raceway, and this time he gets the prime race starting position that goes with it.
A year ago, McLaughlin’s terrific qualifying run was tempered by a penalty for an unapproved engine change, knocking him nine places deeper in the starting order for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline. That penalty proved to be significant as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver struggled in traffic, and he finished in fifth place.
Those fears won’t be present when McLaughlin takes the green flag in the No. 2 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet, but that’s not his focus. He seeks the third win of the season following victories at Barber Motorsports Park and Iowa Speedway, and he has a championship to chase.
SEE: RESULTS
“At the end of the day, tomorrow’s payday,” McLaughlin said of the 260-lap race that airs live on USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. “We’ll make sure we’re on top of things.”
With a two-lap average of 179.972 mph, McLaughlin earned his fourth pole of the season and the ninth of his career, and this one puts him in a strong position to make a dent in the 83-point deficit he faces for the series title. Two drivers ahead of him in the standings, including series leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, will have one of those nine-grid penalties that hampered him in last year’s race.
Palou qualified seventh at 178.363 mph in the No. 10 Samaritan Purse Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, and teammate Scott Dixon, who drives the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, will be moved back nine spots to begin the race. Dixon qualified 10th at 177.905 mph. The six-time series champion won last year’s race by 22.2 seconds.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist, who had the second-best qualifying performance at 179.796 mph, also will incur such a penalty.
Another benefactor of the post-qualifying movement will be David Malukas, who has scored a pair of top-three finishes at this 1.25-mile oval each of the past two years. The third-fastest qualifier at 179.503 mph will start a career-best second in Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda.
Meyer Shank Racing has a technical alliance with Andretti Global, which had the three fastest cars in the recent eight-car test at this track. Kyle Kirkwood used some of that knowledge gained to earn the best oval qualifying performance of his career — sixth at 178.417 mph — in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda, the best oval effort of his career. Teammate Marcus Ericsson qualified ninth at 178.114 mph in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda.
Colton Herta was bidding for his second consecutive pole and fourth in the past eight races when his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda spun lazily through Turn 1 on his second lap. The impact was relatively square with the rear, but the Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian driver was left with the 25th qualifying position. Dale Coyne Racing teammates Jack Harvey (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda) and Katherine Legge (No. 51 e.l.f. Cosmetics Honda) did not post times.
“It just broke loose,” Herta said of the car. “(It’s) unfortunate. I think that first lap was decent – I don’t think it was going to get us the pole, but I think it could have got us in the top five. Second lap, I don’t if we wore the tires too much or what happened. (The grip) just let go pretty early and that’s all she wrote.”
Saturday’s race is the first of five races to end the season, and with 54 points available it could go a long way to setting the tone for the frenetic stretch run. Palou leads Team Penske’s Will Power by 49 points in pursuit of his third series championship in the past four years. Power, who qualified fifth at 179.262 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet, also is driving toward a third series title.
Dixon, Herta and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward round out the top five in the standings. They are 53, 57 and 71 points behind Palou, respectively. O’Ward qualified 11th at 177.160 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet) has won this event a record four times, and he will start Saturday’s race from the third position after posting a qualifying average of 179.424 mph. Besides Dixon, Power is the only other active driver to have won this event.
The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
From IndyCar
MONTEREY, Calif. (Friday, June 21, 2024) – Scott McLaughlin led the opening practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Friday, as NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers worked to come to grips with the evolution of the asphalt since the legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was repaved last season.
McLaughlin was quickest at 1 minute, 7.6325 seconds in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit that includes the famous “Corkscrew” turn complex.
Practice Results
Numerous drivers spun or ventured off track while working to adjust to the lower levels of grip on the track this year compared to 2023, when the fresh asphalt offered more traction.
“Pretty good day in the Good Ranchers Chevy,” McLaughlin said. “The car was pretty hooked up from the get-go, and it really got on reds (Firestone alternate tires) when we turned it on. The track’s getting faster and faster, and I think it’s sort of coming to our car a little bit. More to come tomorrow.”
Colton Herta, a winner in 2019 and 2021 at this track, was second at 1:07.7316 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fielded by Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. Reigning and two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou, who won here in 2022, was third at 1:07.7371 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden was fourth at 1:07.8805 in the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.
“It’s quicker than it feels,” Newgarden said of the track. “It does feel like a lot less grip, but the lap time is not that bad compared to last year. So, it’s still really fast, but you’re tiptoeing more. Last year, the thing just felt like it was stuck on the track.”
Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, produced one of his best outings of the season in the 75-minute session. He ended up fifth at 1:08.0025 in the No. 30 Eurofarma Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Two drivers made highly anticipated debuts today in sunny, cool Northern California. David Malukas, making his season debut with Meyer Shank Racing after suffering a wrist injury during a mountain biking accident in February, ended up 25th at 1:09.0206 in the No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda. Nolan Siegel, who signed a multiyear deal this week with Arrow McLaren, ended up 27th at 1:10.0019 in the team’s No. 6 Chevrolet.
Up next is practice at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 5:15 p.m. ET Saturday. Both sessions will be live on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Live coverage of the 95-lap race starts at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on the USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
From NTT IndyCar…
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sunday, June 9, 2024) – The drought is over for Will Power.
Power earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory since June 2022 at Detroit – a span of 34 races – to lead a podium sweep Sunday by Team Penske at the XPEL Grand Prix of Road America presented by AMR. Power had won at least one race for 16 consecutive seasons from 2007-22 before going winless in 2023.
Two-time series champion Power, who started fifth, drove his No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet to a 3.2609-second victory over teammate Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Scott McLaughlin finished third in the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, 8.0148 seconds behind Power.
Power’s 42nd career victory, tying him for fourth with Michael Andretti for all-time INDYCAR SERIES wins, created one of the more emotional, cathartic victory lanes this season in the series. Power was embraced tearfully by his wife, Liz, who Power cared for during her serious illness last year, and his son, Beau, among other team members and friends.
“Massively special,” Power said of the win. “We’ve worked so hard to try to get wins. I worked really hard in the offseason. Obviously, last season was very stressful. Had half a mind at home and half at the track, so it was very difficult to perform at a high level there.
“Man, I’m just stoked. I’m very happy, man. That was very well deserved for the whole team. We worked so hard for that.”
This was the first podium sweep by a team in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since Andretti Global drivers Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay took the top three spots in September 2020 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Team Penske’s last podium sweep came in September 2017 at Sonoma Raceway with Simon Pagenaud, Newgarden and Power finishing in that respective order.
Power also took the championship lead by five points over Alex Palou, who finished fourth in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top five in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda of Andretti Global.
The race started in chaotic fashion on Lap 1 when NTT P1 Award winner Linus Lundqvist’s No. 8 American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was hit from behind into a spin in Turn 1 by the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of teammate Marcus Armstrong.
Newgarden narrowly escaped that incident, as the accordion effect of that fracas forced his nose to hit the rear of front row starter Colton Herta’s No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian, sending Herta’s car into a spin.
Kirkwood took the lead after that incident, with McLaughlin right behind. McLaughlin passed Kirkwood in Turn 1 for the lead on Lap 4 and stayed there until Lap 16, when Newgarden took the top spot after McLaughlin’s first pit stop.
By that point, Power had crept into the top five, and tire tactics began to unfold on the leaders’ respective pit boxes.
Newgarden completed the first 17 laps of the 55-lap race on Firestone Firehawk alternate tires, while McLaughlin and Power stayed on Firestone primary tires for their first two stops. INDYCAR rules state drivers must use both tire compounds for at least two laps in each road or street course race.
Alternate, red-sidewall tires had more speed but less durability. So, it appeared Newgarden was in good shape to drive to victory since he already used his alternate tires early in the race, while his two teammates had to run a stint with the alternate tires in the second half of the race.
The pivotal point came on the final pit stops by the Penske lead trio. McLaughlin came to pit road first, shedding his alternate tires for primaries at the end of Lap 42. Newgarden pitted one lap later, staying with a final set of primary tires. He exited pit road well ahead of McLaughlin, as the “overcut” strategy worked.
Power waited until the end of Lap 44 to replace his alternate tires with a fresh set of primary Firestones. The deepest of the “overcuts” prevailed, as Power exited pit lane ahead of Newgarden.
Two-time series champion Newgarden made one final attempt to pass Newgarden at the start of Lap 46, but he couldn’t finish the move. Power then cycled to the lead on Lap 49 as slower drivers on alternate pit strategies made their final stops, and he was never challenged again.
“It was a really good team day,” Newgarden said. “Will did a great job, too. Look, he deserved to win that race, as well.
“We put together a great day. We just probably misstepped there at the end. I feel bad that I came in a lap early. I probably should have stayed out.”
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, June 23 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Live coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET on the USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Full Race Results
XPEL Grand Prix Qualifying Results
1. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 01:45.1519 (137.424 mph)
2. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:45.2913 (137.242)
3. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 01:45.6592 (136.764)
4. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 01:46.4498 (135.748)
5. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, No Time (No Speed)
6. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, No Time (No Speed)
7. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 02:00.8290 (119.594)
8. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 02:00.8840 (119.539)
9. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 02:00.9035 (119.520)
10. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 02:01.2671 (119.162)
11. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 02:01.5141 (118.920)
12. (4) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 02:01.6266 (118.810)
13. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 02:02.3826 (118.076)
14. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 02:01.7626 (118.677)
15. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 02:02.6460 (117.822)
16. (20) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 02:02.0944 (118.354)
17. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 02:02.7088 (117.762)
18. (6) Theo Pourchaire, Chevrolet, 02:02.1745 (118.277)
19. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 02:03.8144 (116.710)
20. (18) Jack Harvey, Honda, 02:02.9443 (117.536)
21. (78) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 02:05.0248 (115.580)
22. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 02:03.3098 (117.188)
23. (51) Luca Ghiotto, Honda, 02:05.1341 (115.479)
24. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 02:04.8213 (115.769)
25. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 02:05.6079 (115.044)
26. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 02:04.8553 (115.737)
27. (66) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 02:09.6837 (111.428)
The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
From IndyCar…
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Friday, June 7, 2024) – No NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver has ruled Road America recently like Alex Palou, and that mastery continued Friday when he led the opening practice for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR.
Two-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou was quickest with a lap of 1 minute, 43.1709 seconds in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. The Spaniard won on this 14-turn, 4.014-mile road course en route to his season championships in 2021 and 2023.
SEE: Practice Results
“It’s a really great start so far,” Palou said. “It doesn’t mean anything; it just means that the car is really good, easy to drive. It’s great to be back here. A proper track for INDYCAR. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
NTT P1 Award qualifying is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. ET Saturday, preceded by practice at 11:10 a.m. (both sessions live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). Live coverage of the race will start at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC and Peacock and 3 p.m. on the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Colton Herta was second at 1:43.2506 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fielded by Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian, followed by Santino Ferrucci at 1:43.3618 in the No. 14 AJ FOYT RACING/SEXTON PROPERTIES Chevrolet of AJ Foyt Racing.
Two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden rebounded from a 26th-place finish last Sunday at Detroit to end up fourth in this 75-minute session at 1:43.3812 in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top five at 1:43.3984 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Championship leader Scott Dixon, winner last Sunday at Detroit, was sixth at 1:43.5340 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Luca Ghiotto was the quickest of the six rookies in the 27-driver field, 17th at 1:44.1009 in the No. 51 GAV Air Technology Honda of Dale Coyne Racing. INDY NXT by Firestone championship contender Nolan Siegel, named earlier today to substitute for Agustin Canapino at this race, was 26th at 1:45.1027 in the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet.
Less than a second separated the top 17 drivers in the field on the fast, flowing, picturesque circuit, the longest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar.
Many drivers found the grass and gravel outside of Turn 14, a right-hander leading to the long hill up the front straightaway. Romain Grosjean made contact with the tire barrier adjacent to that turn in his No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, triggering a red flag 19 minutes into the session. He was unhurt.
The following article is a Press Release from the NTT IndyCar Series and was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
DETROIT (Sunday, June 2, 2024) – Yet again, Scott Dixon created clarity from chaos to win an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.
Dixon provided another master class in devising tactics on the fly with strategist Mike Hull and saving fuel in his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, prevailing in a caution-strewn Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday on the streets of Detroit.
Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Dixon beat fellow Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson by .8567 of a second in Ericsson’s best result of the season in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda fielded by Andretti Global. Marcus Armstrong finished third in the No. 11 Root Insurance Chip Ganassi Racing Honda for his first career podium finish.
“The team called it perfectly,” Dixon said. “We were on the right strategy. We won, man. How cool is that?
“It’s just always the variables. Trying to stay out of trouble, trying to keep your car on track. We had rain. It was all over the shop out there. You had no idea how the transitions were going to fall or even the strategy. So stoked for everyone on the team. That was cool.”
Dixon took the championship lead by 18 points from teammate Alex Palou with his second victory of the season, joining his win in April at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Dixon earned his 58th career victory, pulling him within nine wins of tying A.J. Foyt’s record of 67 career wins.
“For sure; I think it always is,” Dixon said when asked if he’s focusing on tying Foyt’s record of seven series championships. “Until you’re out of it, you’re going to keep chasing it. It’s a team effort.”
Kyle Kirkwood finished a season-best fourth in the No. 28 AutoNation Honda fielded by Andretti Global, while Alexander Rossi continued his strong recent form by rounding out the top five in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi has finished eighth or better in his last three starts.
Dixon and Hull once again made magic, electing to make their final pit stop under caution at the end of Lap 56 and hope enough yellow flags continued to fly to stretch fuel until the finish at Lap 100. The strategy worked to perfection, as there were two more caution periods after Dixon’s last stop to let him save just enough Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel to reach the finish while parrying the charging Ericsson.
We’ve seen this movie before in Dixon’s legendary career – many times and recently.
Dixon pulled off an improbable fuel save to win in April at Long Beach and did the same last August at World Wide Technology Raceway, making one fewer stop than any other driver to win. That oval victory came one race after Dixon won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course despite being punted into the grass and falling to the back of the field in Turn 1, using Hull’s strategy to get to the front and his trained right foot to stay there despite dwindling fuel.
Today in downtown Detroit, it appeared Dixon might cruise to Victory Lane until the last 13 laps of the race on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit. Then Ericsson passed Kirkwood for third place and then set his sights on Armstrong while lapping nearly a second quicker per circuit than the fuel-sipping Dixon.
Meanwhile, Dixon was dealing with the turbulence and slower pace of the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of NTT P1 Award winner Colton Herta, directly ahead of him on the tail end of the lead lap. Just 1.6 seconds separated the top three on Lap 94.
Dixon finally got under Herta on Lap 95 for clean track and air. Ericsson had taken a look under Armstrong a few times but couldn’t complete that pass for second until Lap 99, falling 2.1 seconds behind Dixon at the white flag.
Still, Ericsson made the most of his final lap, cutting Dixon’s margin more than in half. Still, it wasn’t enough to catch “The Iceman” although Ericsson was thrilled to rebound from the Indianapolis 500, in which he was eliminated on Lap 1 after being caught in Tom Blomqvist’s spin.
“After the Month of May we had, it was really, really tough mentally,” Ericsson said. “I’m new in this team. I want to show myself as a top driver, as they hired me as. It was really important.
“We had so much pace. One more lap, and we might have been able to get that win. But great day.”
The first three-quarters of the race were pure chaos, with all eight caution periods and 47 caution laps in the first 73 laps. The longest stretch of green-flag racing during that span was 13 laps, making strategists’ heads spin on the pit wall as they mulled options on the fly while on the radio with drivers.
Add in a rapid change in tire strategy in the first 15 laps when the prevailing wisdom of the Firestone Firehawk alternate tire being the quicker rubber was proven wrong when Palou, who started on used alternates, lost grip far earlier than expected and to pit at the end of Lap 11.
Then toss the arrival of a passing rain shower on Lap 34, which caused strategists and pit crews to scramble up and down pit road as drivers and teams decided whether to pit for rain tires or stay out and gamble that the rain – which didn’t even appear on team radar screens – would leave the area quickly.
Dixon, Ericsson and Kirkwood were among the eight drivers in the 27-car field who never stopped for rain tires. That helped move them higher in the running order and get into position to earn top-five finishes, as their dice roll worked when the light shower left the area in a hurry.
That trio only made two stops the entire race. Dixon took the lead for the first time and for good on Lap 66 when 2023 Detroit winner Palou made the last of his five stops in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Two-time and reigning series champion Palou finished 16th, snapping his streak of 23 consecutive finishes in the top eight in points-paying events.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is next Sunday, June 9, with the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Live coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Josef Newgarden and family celebrated the win at the 108th running of the Indy 500 this weekend. As a nice bonus Newgarden also won the Indianapolis 500’s largest purse record was shattered for the third year in a row after winning $4.288 million from a total purse of $18,456,000. This year’s average payout for NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers was $543,000, which also exceeds last year’s average of $500,600.
The race was delayed due to weather which has been a variable for the drivers off and on since the Sonsio grand prix a few weeks ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden who has faced backlash all year regarding his technical regulation violations and questionable push to pass tactics responded to the critics after the win. “They can say whatever they want after this point; I don’t care anymore,” Newgarden said of critics after the violations were discovered. “I’m just so proud of this team. They crushed it. Crushed it. Luke, Tim – they’re not here today, but they’re a huge part of this. I’m just so proud for everybody at Team Penske. That’s the way I wanted to win the thing, right there.”
Full Race Results
There were seven caution periods in the first 117 laps, as the race struggled to find a rhythm. But as the intensity ratcheted in the second half of the 200-lap race, the racing was breathtaking – and clean. There were 32 lead changes alone in the last 70 laps.
Alex Palou added another asset to his title defense by winning the Sonsio Grand Prix this past weekend. Palou was in positive form after securing his 10th NTT IndyCar win. After the race he said, “It was an amazing win, It’s great to be back-to-back from last year, and we’re going to continue this May. A win helps a lot, especially if it’s a pole and a win and the way we won it. We’re going to celebrate, for sure, but we’re going to switch this afternoon our focus to the big one.”
The Two-time and reigning champion Palou drove his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 6.611s victory over the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet of fellow two-time series champion Will Power. It was his second consecutive win in this event on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS. The race was a precursor to the legendary Indy 500. Practice for the event begins on Tuesday.
Full Event Results Below
The Following Article Was Not Written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
Press Release from the NTT INDYCAR Series…
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 10, 2024) – Alex Palou started his defense of his 2023 Sonsio Grand Prix victory in the best way possible Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the pole for this year’s race.
Two-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou earned his fourth career NTT P1 Award and his first since the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear last June. His best lap today in the Firestone Fast Six was 1 minute, 9.0004 seconds in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
SEE: Qualifying Results
The pole on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course came after Palou ended up 17th and 11th, respectively, in the two practice sessions today that preceded qualifying.
“It’s been a tough day, honestly,” Palou said. “Practice 1 and Practice 2 wasn’t amazing. Even the start of qualifying, too. So, really happy to be there. Didn’t expect it. I’ll take it.
“It was my mom’s birthday today, so it’s probably a good birthday present.”
Live coverage of the 85-lap race starts at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. A 30-minute warmup session starts at 11:15 a.m., with live coverage on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Christian Lundgaard qualified second at 1:09:0921 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. This was his third consecutive front-row start on the IMS road course, as he won the pole for this event last May and started second in the Gallagher Grand Prix last August.
Two-time series champion Will Power will start third after his top qualifying lap of 1:09.1636 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Teammate Josef Newgarden will join Power in the second row of the starting grid after qualifying fourth at 1:09.2528 in the No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Chevrolet.
The strong performances for Power and Newgarden came despite working this month without their respective strategists and key engineers. Team president and Newgarden strategist Tim Cindric, Power strategist Ron Ruzewski, Newgarden engineer Luke Mason and Power data engineer Robbie Atkinson were suspended by Team Penske for this event and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for their roles in the Push to Pass technical infractions found on the cars driven by Power, Newgarden and teammate Scott McLaughlin.
Pato O’Ward will start fifth after his best lap of 1:09.3320 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:09.5270 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi qualified a season-best seventh at 1:09.0801 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet after missing the Firestone Fast Six by .0185 of a second. Rossi’s previous best start this season was 13th at Long Beach.
Series points leader Colton Herta faces a long climb in the race Saturday after qualifying a season-low 24th in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. Herta’s car ran out of fuel on his final flying lap during the first round of qualifying. He led the first practice this morning.
This is Herta’s lowest qualifying position since he also started 24th for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear last June.