IndyCar
Pocono Raceway Ready For Exciting IndyCar Weekend
LONG POND, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Pocono Raceway is gearing up for the return of the NTT IndyCar Series with this weekend’s ABC Supply 500.
Track President Ben May says he and his staff are excited to play host to America’s premier open wheel series.
“We’re fired-up,” exclaimed May. “Really excited to have the IndyCars in town. The sense of speed is amazing. They’re fast, they’re brave, it’s a really cool event.”
Pocono is the 2.5-mile three-turn track nestled in the Pocono Mountains known as the “Tricky Triangle”. The track was designed by two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Roger Ward and each turn is modeled after three historic IndyCar venues.
“This place was built for IndyCars,” said May. “It’s fast, it’s flat, it’s really similar to Indianapolis in that regard. 220-some miles-per-hour, they look light fighter jets out there. It’s amazing.”
The three unique turns make Pocono Raceway distinctly different from Tri-Ovals like Daytona and others. Turn one and it’s 14-degrees of banking is modeled after Trenton Speedway. Turn two and it’s 9-degrees of banking, also known as the “Tunnel Turn”, is modeled after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Turn three and it’s 6-degrees of banking is modeled after the Milwaukee Mile.
“The fact that it was built for IndyCars really lends itself to being some of the best racing we have here at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ each year,” said May.
The track played host to IndyCars (under the USAC and CART Sanctioning bodies) from 1971 to 1989 and returned in 2013 and has played host to IndyCar ever since.
The track offers a number of budget-friendly options for fans to take in America’s premier open-wheel series.
“Really excited about this weekend,” said May. “Kids 12-and-under are free, a family 4-pack of tickets at $125 so a great value, good entertainment. We have a free carnival, free parking, coolers are welcome, so we feel good about what we are doing, and we’re excited to have the stars of IndyCar here.”
In addition to the value the track is offering in regard to tickets, May says racing offers something amazing for everyone that other sports do not.
“When you look at racing and motorsports compared to other sports: NFL, MLB, NBA, the access we offer to the cars and the drivers is unparalleled,” said May. “If you have a paddock pass this weekend you can get down into the garage area and you can get right next to the cars, see them working on the cars the whole weekend and on race day. The access to motorsports is fascinating. For those who haven’t been to a race live, in-person it’s one of the coolest things you will ever do. It’s something you take away, you leave going ‘wow that’s amazing. I can’t believe I was right next to a car before it was going 225 miles-an-hour’, that’s some really cool stuff.”
Fans with the Paddock Pass will quickly find out that race car drivers and crews are different from other athletes when it comes to approachability.
“That’s one of the things that separates motorsports whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCar, Moto GP, or whatever,” said May. “The fans understand that their support of the driver, the sponsor, the products and services the sponsors offer, is what keeps their driver on the track so it’s a little different from a LeBron or a Michael Jordan.”
The track is extremely fan and family-friendly and includes the nearly 6,000-square foot Pocono Mountains Inclusive Playground, which is recognized as a national demonstration site, making it one of the top 100 inclusive playgrounds in the Country!
The Paddock Pass is not the only way Kids and adults can get up-close and personal with the Teams, Crews and Drivers of the NTT IndyCar Series.
“One of the coolest things that IndyCar does as a series is where they have a full-series, full-driver autograph session in the fan zone on race day,” said May. “That’s something that we hope people take advantage of, arrive early and get to see the guys before they hop in the cars a couple of hours later.”
Campers and people who own recreational vehicle can also enjoy the weekend by staying at the track. Pocono’s huge infield is perfect for RV’s and campers.
“Weather is looking solid for this weekend,” said May. “Grab the tent, grab the camper, one last hurrah before the kids go back to school before Labor Day. As it goes people don’t use their vacation days in this country so exercise a few of those days and come check out the ‘Tricky Triangle’. Brittany in our ticket office does an amazing job in explaining the options for camping by calling 1-800-RACEWAY or www.poconoraceway.com.”
A full day of track activity for the IndyCar Series starts on Saturday with a first practice session from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Qualifications follow from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. with a Final practice session from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday’s schedule includes the NTT IndyCar Series Autograph Session in the Firestone Fan Village from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Driver introductions at 2:00 p.m. and The ABC Supply 500 (200 laps) from 2:45 p.m. to approximately 5:45 p.m.
THERMAL, CA (March 21, 2025) – Two-time defending and three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Alex Palou is atop the speed charts after the first practice session at The Thermal Club.
Palou’s fast lap of 1-minute, 40.5486-seconds in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda around the 17-turn, 3.067-mile natural terrain road course was 0.0901-seconds quicker than Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood’s lap in the No. 27 Chili’s Honda.
“A really good start to the weekend for the No. 10 DHL Honda team,” said Palou. “We didn’t get many laps because of some red flags, but the car rolled off really well considering it was very different to last year with different tires and the hybrid unit, and we didn’t test here this year. I’m really happy.”
Kirkwood wasn’t the only Andretti Global car to shine as 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson was third at 1:40.7370 in the No. 28 Bryant Honda, followed by Southern California native Colton Herta at 1:40.8439 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.
“Good start for all the Andretti cars,” said Herta. “All in the top 5. Just happy with that. This is a place where we tested, so really wanted to start off on the right foot. If we’re not quick right away after a place that you’ve tested at, it’s a little disappointing. You scratch your heads a little bit. So to start off that way is a little bit expected because we tested here, but it feels good.”
Not feeling good is the PREMA Racing team after a lengthy red flag for rookie Robert Shwartzman, who was forced to stop on track just past Turn 6 when a fire erupted in the rear of his No. 83 Chevrolet. Shwartzman quickly climbed from the car and was not hurt but the car was destroyed.
Saturday’s schedule features another practice at 1 p.m. ET, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 5:05 p.m. ET (both on FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). The 65-lap race starts at 3 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
IndyCar
Scott Dixon grabs 2nd place finish at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg despite no radio
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (March 2, 2025) – Scott Dixon has some pretty incredible accomplishments in his 25-year INDYCAR career but finishing second in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg despite losing radio communication with his team may be the most incredible.
“I’m pretty pissed off,” fumed Dixon, a six-time series Champion. “”It’s the first time I’ve ever done a whole race without a radio, so that was interesting. We had a good race going and we didn’t get it done. So it doesn’t feel good, that’s for sure.”
Imagine racing in the most competitive form or motorsports, in a concrete canyon using only your mirrors and the data on your dash.
“Kind of worked on the warm-up laps and kind of for the first 10 and that was about it,” explained Dixon about the radio issue.
The No. 9 PNC Bank Honda timing stand on pit road could only hear Dixon sometimes according to team owner Chip Ganassi.
“It was intermittent,” explained Ganassi. “Sometimes you got it, sometimes you didn’t.”
Not knowing key information to make decisions in the cockpit isn’t something that any modern day race driver wants to deal with.
“It’s nice in the race, right, just to understand who’s doing what, what strategy everybody is on,” explained Dixon. “I think when I caught Rossi and maybe Lundgaard, I kept trying to ask, how many laps have they got to go before we can get some clean air and kind of push because it’s very tough to just get a pass going here.”
Street circuits are notoriously tough to pass on so strategy often comes into play as teams try to ‘undercut’ (pit early) or ‘overcut’ (stay out long) to gain track position.
Dixon was leading the race, didn’t know what strategy his competitors were on; didn’t know who was up ahead unless he could see them and in the end didn’t have communication from his pit stand to come in a lap earlier for his final pit stop because of traffic.
“Ultimately cost us the race, I think, with not coming in when I should have,” said Dixon. “I caught about five or six cars on my in-lap. I think I lost about two or three seconds just on my in-lap. They (10 car) did the right thing; they could see the traffic coming. I had no communication, so didn’t know.”
Team owner Chip Ganassi said Dixon would’ve been on the top step of the podium if not for the issue.
“Well, if everything was 100 percent, he would have won — it was simple,” said Ganassi. “He would have won the race. The race was over. It was one stop to go, and we pitted a lap later than we wanted him to. That was the race. That was the difference between he and Palou.”
“Glad we got some good points and a nice one-two for the team,” said Dixon.
Palou leads the Championship by 10-points over Dixon as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES takes a few weeks off before the next race at The Thermal Club on March 23, 2025.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (March 2, 2028) – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou is starting off the 2025 campaign the same way he started off his 2021 Championship season by winning the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opening race, only this time it was the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
“Couldn’t be happier,” said Palou, who started eighth. “I wanted to be here in Victory Lane, but I did not expect maybe to be here in Victory Lane. That shows the amazing job that all the men and women did at Chip Ganassi Racing during the off-season.”
Palou was running second behind teammate Scott Dixon when his No. 10 DHL Honda crew called him into the pits for his final service of the day on Lap 71. Dixon came into the pits on the next lap and following that service the No. PNC Bank Honda returned to the track behind Palou.
“I’m pretty pissed off,” said a frustrated Dixon. “I had no radio, so I had no way to communicate with the team. I just came into the pits when the fuel light came one, but got caught behind some traffic on that lap and those two or three seconds ultimately cost us the race.”
Josef Newgarden passed Dixon going into Turn 1 on Lap 74 but Dixon was able to get back by Newgarden on the white flag lap to secure CGR’s first 1-2 finish since July 2023 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“Happy for Chip, happy for the team,” said Dixon. “Kudos to Alex and the guys on the 10-car for getting it done.”
“I’m really happy with what the team did over the off-season, and we came back with competitive cars,” explained Ganassi. “I think if you saw how we ran here the last number of years, it wasn’t great. It was okay, we hung on, but we were clearly being beat by some of the other teams, and that wasn’t the case this weekend. So it was nice.”
Newgarden finished third in the No. 2 PPG Chevy followed by his Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who started from the pole position. Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the Top 5.
The race was mostly a green-flag race except for Lap 1 when Team Penske’s Will Power got into the back of Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel who collected Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster in the melee.
Palou leads the Championship standings by 10 over Dixon, with Newgarden and McLaughlin 15-points back as the series heads to The Thermal Club for race 2 on March 23, 2025.
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