IndyCar
Racing Notebook – Monday, February 3
PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A busy Monday in the Motorsports world. Honda Performance Development is funding a scholarship for young open wheelers; Bobby Rahal is adding a NASCAR industry veteran to RLL Racing’s Business Development team; Defending Lernerville Speedway Big Block Modified Champ Brian Swartzlander headed to the 2020 DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.
- Honda Performance Development (HPD) is continuing their history of supporting the next generation of racing talent. HPD is establishing a scholarship for the F3 Americas Drivers Champion. HPD’s scholarship will enable the F3 Drivers’ Champion to compete in the subsequent year’s Indy Lights full season. This annual HPD scholarship will be used to support the F3 Champion’s chosen Indy Lights team and will be transferable to any HPD partner team supporting the F3 Drivers’ Champion in the Indy Lights or NTT IndyCar Series.
- Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is expanding their sales and marketing efforts by adding two new team members. Sports marketing veteran Pat Wood has joined the team as Vice President, Business Development. Wood has 20-years of experience in sports marketing and business development with stints in the NBA (Cleveland Cavalier), Motorsports (Charlotte Motor Speedway), and Media (Street & Smith’s Sports Business Group/NASCAR Scene/Sporting News). RLL Racing is also adding Sam Sluga as account executive.
- Defending Lernerville Big Block Modified Champ and Dirt Hall of Famer Brian Swartzlander is heading south to start the 2020 season. Swartzlander is heading to the 2020 DIRTcar Nationals that begin this week at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida per the Super DIRTcar Twitter account:
Dirt Hall of Famer @swartzlander83 will join the fun in the sun at Volusia Speedway Park for this year's Super DIRTcar Series @DIRTcarNats opener, which is only 11 days away! #FLinFeb pic.twitter.com/f5idqlWrRd
— Super DIRTcar Series (@SuperDIRTcar) January 31, 2020
- Longtime John Hunter Nemechek sponsor Fire Alarm Services is following him to Front Row Motorsports (FRM). Fire Alarm Services, Inc. (FAS), a leader in fire, life safety, and security services, will serve as the primary partner for the Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year contender at Martinsville Speedway in May, Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, Daytona International Speedway in August and the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November. The brand will also be a major associate partner on Nemechek’s No. 38 Ford throughout the season.
Welcome back long-standing partner Fire Alarm Services, Inc.! Thank you for all of your support over the years. #NASCAR | @Team_FRM https://t.co/6dhxiCyF2u
— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) February 3, 2020
- Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that SiriusXM will be featured as the primary sponsor of Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 19 Toyota Camry for five races during the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Truex’s Camry will carry the SiriusXM colors for the Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway (February 9), the first night race at Martinsville Speedway (May 9), both races of the doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway (June 27-28) and the series’ annual visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 19).
- Brennan Poole and Premium Motorsports are thrilled to welcome Spartan Mosquito into the NASCAR Cup Series on the No. 15 Chevy Camaro as their partner for 17 races/15 points races, including the crown jewel Daytona 500 race. The No. 15 Camaro and Poole will represent Spartan Mosquito’s unique and effective consumer products, along with their charitable efforts in support of our Armed Forces and those who have served our country. At the Daytona 500, in addition to unveiling its new Spartan GO! Mosquito repellant, the Spartan Mosquito No. 15 will also proudly display the R.E.D. (RememberEveryoneDeployed.org) organization above the rocker panels and on the back bumper of the race car. “We are extremely thrilled to begin this relationship with Premium Motorsports and Brennan Poole,” Spartan owner Jeremy Hirsch said in a statement. “We are equally proud and humbled to have this opportunity to bring to light the
‘RememberEveryoneDeployed.org’ organization and to help raise awareness about the hardships faced by our troops – those brave men and women who place themselves in harm’s way so that we may rest peacefully at night”.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Sunny skies and better weather conditions contributed to higher speeds in Day 2 of open testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for next month’s 105th running of The Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden topped the speed chart with a fast lap of 226.819 mph in the No. 2 Chevrolet. That easily eclipsed the 224.427 top speed from the rain-hampered first day on Thursday that was set by Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.
“It was a pretty good day,” said Newgarden. “I was happy enough with the car. I think we still need some work, for sure, but to just get an initial read on where we’re at is good. Obviously, there are a lot of new parts and differences to the last couple of years, so we’re just trying to assess what we need to really work on these last couple of weeks before we get back here in May. But I’m pretty happy.”
Two-time and reigning Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato was second on the speed chart at 226.369 in the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.
Two-time 500 winner and 1999 CART Champion Juan Pablo Montoya was third quickest at 226.123 in the No. 86 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.
“Today was good,” said Montoya. “We worked through a lot of things. We found a lot of good things and a lot of bad things like you always do. It was nice to get back a little bit in the draft. A lot to catch up again and learn and understand again what you need to do and the timing. Everybody at Arrow McLaren SP has done a great job and this test has been very, very, useful.”
6-time and defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon was fourth fastest in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda with a fast lap of 225.906.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal rounded out the top five with a fast lap of 225.644 in the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.
The 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 30 at IMS.
The green flag drops on the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES with the season opening, Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst on Sunday, April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage starting at 3 p.m. (ET).
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A.J. Foyt Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais was the fastest of 32-drivers who took part in the first of two days of testing for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Bourdais turned a fast lap of 224.427 mph late in the day during the Veteran Refresher and Rookie Orientation Programs. Bourdais was required to complete the refresher because he did not compete in ‘The Greatest Spectacle In Racing’ in 2020.
“Pretty good refresher for the A.J. Foyt No. 14,” said Bourdais, a four-time open wheel Champion. “That ROKiT car was pretty good. It always feels a little different when you start at low speeds and the car’s never really settled, but we got through both phases and are ready to go tomorrow and start working properly. It’s all good.”
Conor Daly was the second-fastest driver overall and the fastest in the 90-minute morning session before heavy rain arrived in Indianapolis. Daly’s top lap was 222.714 in the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.
Sage Karam was third overall at 222.408 in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet.
6-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Scott Dixon was third fastest in the morning session in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon’s fast lap was 220.575 mph.
2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year Rinus VeeKay suffered a broken finger in a crash in Turn 1 just 11 minutes into track activity in his No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.
Rain halted the opening veterans-only session at 12:30 p.m. (ET). A second heavy shower around 3:15 p.m. delayed track activity until the track reopened at 6:03 p.m. under blue skies and sunshine.
Track activity will take place from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET) Friday, with live broadcast coverage on Peacock. Rookie Orientation and refresher tests will take place from 9-10 a.m., with veterans back on track from 10-11 a.m. The track will open for all drivers from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
The 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 30.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Thirty-two drivers are scheduled to participate in two days of NTT INDYCAR SERIES testing Thursday and Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Testing will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) Thursday with veterans hitting the 2.5-mile famed oval first from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by rookie orientation and veteran refresher programs are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Two rookies are scheduled for orientation: Cody Ware (Dale Coyne Racing) and Pietro Fittipaldi (Dale Coyne Racing with RWR).
Even Indianapolis 500 winners are not exempt from the veteran refresher program. Three-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves and two-time 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya are two of the veterans schedule to participate along with Sebastien Bourdais, James Hinchcliffe, Max Chilton, Ed Jones, Sage Karam and Simona De Silvestro.
6-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES Scott Dixon leads the Chip Ganassi Racing squad at the test. Dixon returns for his quest to tie the legendary A.J. Foyt for a series record seventh Championship in 2021. Dixon will be behind the wheel of the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Dixon’s teammates will also be participating in the test. Newcomer Alex Palou will be in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda. Marcus Ericsson returns in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda and Tony Kanaan is back with CGR in the cockpit of the No. 48 Honda that Jimmie Johnson will drive on the road and street courses.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal will be behind the wheel of the No. 15 Honda. Rahal will be joined by defending and two-time 500 winner Takuma Sato and Santino Ferrucci will be in a third RLL entry.
The test is closed to the public but will be streamed live to race fans exclusively via NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock.
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