Racing Notebook
Racing Notebook – Tuesday, January 28
PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Scott Dixon wins his 3rd Rolex watch, a recap of Kyle Busch’s Rolex 24 At Daytona as well as some NASCAR, IndyCar and Local Racing News are in today’s Racing Notebook:
SCOTT DIXON WINS THIRD ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
Five-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon is the 15th driver in Rolex 24 At Daytona history to win three overall victories in the twice-around-the-clock endurance event.
Dixon picked up his third Rolex watch this wekeend as one of the co-drivers in Wayne Taylor Racing’s winning No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R (pictured above). Only six drivers have won more.
Dixon, who drives the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series, claimed overall Rolex 24 victories in 2006 and 2015 with Chip Ganassi’s team, which did not field an entry this year.
“We had times during the race with adversity, but the team was able to rebound with strategy and the driver lineup just worked through it in a calm manner, which is hard to do,” said Dixon. “I’ve been a part of many 24-hour races in my career, but to come back from the many deficits we had in this race showed the absolute commitment from the team. I’m really proud to be a part of the team, and I have to thank Chip (Ganassi) for letting me join Wayne (Taylor), Max (Angelelli) and everyone at Konica Minolta. We’re Winners, that’s all that counts.”
Dixon went from Daytona to Australia to compete in the fames Bathurst 12-hour sports car race. Dixon will co-drive the No. 76 Aston Martin of R-Motorsport with Jake Dennis and Rick Kelly.
KYLE BUSCH IMPRESSES IN ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA DEBUT
Kyle Busch participated in his first Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race this past weekend, getting behind the wheel of AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3.
Busch completed four driving stints encompassing more than 6-hours behind the wheel. Busch was fast enough to make up last on track and had the fastest lap in the car up until the last driver change.
“There was a lot going on and a lot to learn and kind of pick-up on and figure out,” said Busch. “Overall it was good. We had a lot of fun, I enjoyed it. Unfortunately we just got a little behind with a brake change, had some issues on the right-front caliper. I guess that got us a little farther back than we wanted to be.”
Busch’s team owner, 1996 IndyCar Champion Jimmy Vasser, was glad to have the defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion behind the wheel.
“A great team effort,” said Vasser, who drove for Chip Ganassi Racing from 1995-2000. “With the troubles we had, nobody gave up, everybody pitched in and speaking on Kyle, he impressed. I’m not sure why he impressed. He’s a NASCAR Champion. He’s won more NASCAR races in the modern day than anybody but it takes a lot of confidence and guts to jump into a discipline that he’d never really done before and he did it with ease. He was really, really impressive.”
KYLE KIRKWOOD JOINING ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT
Kyle Kirkwood, the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires Champion is joining the Andretti Autosport Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires team for the 2020 season. The rookie stand-out will drive the No. 28 car for the reigning championship team.
“We are very excited about the addition of Kyle to our Indy Lights program,” said Michael Andretti, CEO and Chairman, Andretti Autosport. “We’ve followed Kyle’s career from when he started in 2018 with the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and have been impressed with his success in every race that led to his Indy Pro 2000 Championship last year. As a championship-caliber team, Kyle displays the desire and talent that we look for in our drivers and are excited to see him hit the track for the 2020 Indy Lights season.”
“I am ecstatic that I can now say I am competing in Indy Lights with Andretti Autosport this season,” said Kirkwood. “They have established a winning program in Indy Lights and we plan on carrying that reputation throughout 2020.”
Kirkwood will take to the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the Indy Lights season opener March 13 – 15.
ARROW McLAREN SP PARTNERS WITH MISSION FOODS
Arrow McLaren SP and Mission Foods are teaming up in a multi-year partnership in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Mission, the leading manufacturer of the world’s best-selling tortillas, wraps, flatbreads and other food products, will be represented on the team firesuit and crewshirts and the nose, cockpit side, in-car camera view and tire ramp of the car. The Mission brand will also be carried by team drivers Oliver Askew’s and Pato O’Ward’s firesuits and helmets.
“We are very excited and proud to partner with the Arrow McLaren SP team in the NTT IndyCar series and continue our involvement with McLaren Racing,” said Juan Gonzalez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Foods. “Both brands have a tremendous commitment to quality and the partnership gives us a great opportunity to interact with our consumers in a fun and exciting environment.”
TICKETS ON SALE FOR “FGL FEST” AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Tickets are on sale now for FGL Fest, the exciting concert headlined by global music superstars Florida Georgia Line on Saturday, July 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The concert takes place during the annual Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line race weekend, July 3-5 at IMS. Other artists in the star-studded lineup will be announced soon.
“FGL Fest” is one of the highlights of the exciting, revamped event on Fourth of July weekend.
Tickets are available at IMS.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700. General admission starts at $45, with Front Stage Concert Pit tickets $85 and VIP Concert tickets $195. All tickets include admission to all NASCAR action that day, including the historic inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series sponsored by Pennzoil on the IMS road course and NASCAR Cup Series practice. Buy tickets now, as prices will increase closer to the show.
GEORGE AND FEREE HONORED AT LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY BANQUET
Rod George and Ed Ferree are the newest members of the Lernerville Speedway Hall of Fame. Both were inducted into the HOF this past weekend at Lernerville’s award banquet.
George’s career featured 45-Sprint Car Feature wins along with 2-track Championships. Ferree scored over 20-Late Model wins and back-to-back Championships in 1985 and 1986.
SPEEDWAY, IN (May 23, 2025) – Barry Wanser of Chip Ganassi Racing and broadcast statistician Russ Thompson are joint winners of the Robin Miller Award, named after the legendary Indianapolis journalist who died in 2021.
The award honors “an unheralded individual who’s devoted a significant portion of their life to IndyCar racing while bringing unbridled passion and unrelenting work ethic to enrich the sport.”
Wanser (pictured above with Alex Palou) has certainly done that in his tenure at CGR, where he is a team manager and race strategist on the No. 10 DHL Honda, driven currently by three-time Champion Alex Palou. Wanser has worked with some of the best drivers that have ever strapped into one of CGR’s race cars including, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and now Palou.
“This is a true honor,” said Wanser. “A surprise. Robin was a close friend of mine. I’m honored to represent him in this award, and certainly the team. I prefer being a behind the scenes guy and not thrust into the spotlight, but being here today, being honored, being completely surprised… thank you.”
“Barry’s been one of these guys that’s been with us for over 20-years and he’s so much more to the team than just a team manager,” said team owner Chip Ganassi.
“Every team needs a leader and the 10-car is Barry,” Dario Franchitti, who drove the No. 10 from 2009 – 2013 winning 3-Championships and 2-Indianapolis 500’s, told RACER. “When you think about the lottery of the people you get to work with, the fact that I got to work with that guy as my strategist, as our team leader….I won the lottery there.”
“We started together working on Juan Montoya’s car,” said Ricky Davis, Crew Chief on the No. 10 Honda. “He’s got the intelligence, he knows racing, he understands it and he has the ability to deal with things that most people – their heads would probably explode.”
Thompson has been a statistician for 35-years and has provided the television broadcast talent the little nuggets of information that fans soak up during broadcasts.
“On behalf of myself and my family, this award just means everything to us, to think that all of you honor (Robin) once a year, these incredible people that are part of this fabulous race and this fabulous race track,” said Robin Miller’s sister Diane, who was on-hand for the award ceremony. “And this is Robin’s home. I mean, he might be sprinkled here a little bit, but he’s always here in spirit, and I know this week he’s really been here in spirit. I can’t think of two more deserving individuals to get this award.”
The first recipient of the award was Miller himself (2019), followed by Bob Jenkins (2021), Judy Dominick and the late T.E. McHale (2022), Ziggy Harkus (2023) and Anne Fornoro (2024).
Racing Notebook
Racing Notebook: Porsche Penske again in IMSA; Alex Bowman on NASCAR Cup Pole; Andretti locks out INDYCAR front row and more
(April 13, 2025) – Porsche Penske Motorsports remains perfect in IMSA competition in 2025 plus Hendrick Motorsports Alex Bowman wins the NASCAR Cup Series pole position in Bristol. The USF 2000 and USF Junior’s take on NOLA Motorsports Park. Chip Ganassi Racing and Journie Rewards announce their driving academy class of 2025.
Porsche Penske Win At Long Beach
- Porsche Penske Motorsports (PPM) is perfect so far in 2025 in IMSA as Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy captured their third consecutive overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class win in Saturday’s Long Beach race. PPM completed its second straight 1-2 finish, with Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell again finishing second in their No. 6 Porsche 963. The No. 24 BMW, started by Dries Vanthoor and finished by Philipp Eng, came home third for both the pair and the team’s first GTP podium finish of 2025.
Alex Bowman on Bristol Cup Pole
- Alex Bowman’s fast lap of 14.912-seconds (128.675 mph), the fastest lap ever run at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series Gen 7 race car, was good enough to hold off Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 0.013 seconds (128.563 mph) to earn the pole position for Sunday’s Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. Kyle Larson (128.511 mph) qualified third. Denny Hamlin, winner of the last two Cup events, was fourth at 128.460 mph and Ryan Blaney topped all Ford drivers with a fifth-place qualifying lap at 128.305 mph. Bristol Cup Lineup
Journie Rewards Driving Academy Class of 2025
- Journie Rewards has selected three drivers to participate in the 2025 edition of the Journie Driving Academy (JDA). Decklan Deonarine (13, Ontario) will compete in the Rok Cup, Rotax Max Challenge and Kartstars championships this season. Jack Klym (9, Saskatchewan) will compete in the Rotax Max Challenge this season. Nathan Reddish (13, Ontario) will compete in the Briggs Junior Light division of the Mosport International Karting Association (MIKA) schedule in what will be his first season of club competition. To learn more about the JDA, visit chipganassiracing.com/jdac.
McNeilly Dominates First Leg of USF2000 Tripleheader at NOLA
- Liam McNeilly was peerless today in the first of three USF2000 races at NOLA Motorsports Park. McNeilly led throughout the 15-lap race under sunny skies to secure his third win in as many races for the Jay Howard Driver Development team. Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, finished second for Exclusive Autosport, while Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio, climbed from his 10th starting spot to finish third for VRD Racing.
Vergara Edges VRD Teammate Wheldon in USF Juniors Opener
- Joao Vergara narrowly beat VRD Racing teammate Oliver Wheldon to win the opening race of the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire season at NOLA Motorsports Park. Vergara took the lead from early pacesetter Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing) on the sixth lap and fought off a determined challenge from Wheldon, from St. Petersburg, Fla., to secure a well-deserved maiden USF Juniors victory. Escorpioni rounded out the podium in third.
Racing Notebook
Racing Notebook: William Byron wins Cup Series pole plus rain washes out PPMS, Lernerville; INDY NXT testing and more
(April 6, 2025) – William Byron wins Cup Series Darlington pole plus Mother Nature washes out Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway and Lernerville; Marcus Armstrong to run Root colors at Long Beach; Dennis Hauger leads INDY NXT testing at Nashville; Robinhood joins 23xi and more in Sunday’s Racing Notebook;
William Byron Wins Cup Series Pole
- Hendrick Motorsports William Byron will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green flag Sunday at Darlington Raceway. Byron’s fast lap of 28.774 (170.904 MPH) edged Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Ryan Preece, who posted a fast lap of 28.858 (170.407 MPH). Last week’s winner Denny Hamlin will start third. Darlington Cup Starting Lineup
Mother Nature Wipes Out Western PA Weekend
- Mother Nature was the winner this weekend in Western PA as Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway was forced to cancel their 47th season opener Saturday night. The PPMS cancellation came on the heels of Lernerville Speedway being forced to cancel their test & tune session Friday night. PPMS will try to open their regular season this coming Saturday. Another Test & Tune night is currently on tap for Friday, April 11 at Lernerville with opening night April 25th.
Marcus Armstrong to run Root colors at Long Beach
- Marcus Armstrong and the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda will be carrying the Root Insurance colors when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to action next weekend with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Root Insurance’s title partnership will extend to three additional races: the Detroit Grand Prix (June 1st), the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca (July 27th) and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway (August 31st).
Hauger Leads INDY NXT Testing At Nashville
- Andretti Global’s Dennis Hauger led all drivers with a fast lap of 187.564 mph on his first day of ever driving on an oval. Myles Rowe was second fastest at 187.491 mph. Rookie Lochie Hughes helped Andretti Global produce a 1-3 finish on the speed charts, as he was third at 186.651. Nashville Superspeedway will host the 2025 series finale Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, Aug. 31.
Robinhood Partners with 23XI Racing
- Financial Service company Robinhood is partnering with 23XI Racing. At select NASCAR Cup Series races this season, Bubba Wallace and 23XI development driver Corey Heim will pilot Robinhood-branded cars. For the remainder of the season, Robinhood branding will also be placed on Wallace’s and Heim’s uniforms and team equipment.
Snyder Surprises in Thrilling Speedweek Finale at Tri City
Ryan Blaney commands Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway
Kyle Kirkwood wins INDYCAR Detroit Grand Prix
Contact ends Alex Palou’s day in Detroit
Christian Schneider Sweeps Two at PPMS
Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing win the 109th Indianapolis 500
Barry Wanser and Russ Thompson win the Robin Miller Award at Indianapolis
Weekend Local Racing Preview
Big Changes at Team Penske
