IndyCar
Coronavirus Affecting The Racing World

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The global pandemic known as the coronavirus is affecting the racing community around the world.
The Clearview Mall Car Show scheduled for March 19-21 has been cancelled according to Lernerville Speedway. In a Tweet sent out by the track, the “Test & Tune” set for April 10th is still a go at this point.
The Clearview Mall Car Show, scheduled for March 19-21 has been canceled as a precaution due to the current Covid-19 outbreak. NO other events on our 2020 schedule have been affected. We want to see everyone on opening night healthy as possible! Test and Tune up next April 10!
— Lernerville Speedway (@Lernerville) March 12, 2020
In St. Petersburg at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Opener Mayor Rick Kriseman has closed general admission to the race and is holding an afternoon press conference to discuss the fate of the race itself.
this a global pandemic. My most important job is public safety and health. It is for that reason that we are cancelling general attendance at the @GPSTPETE. We are working w/ the promoters and @IndyCar and will have more announcements later as to whether the race itself will run.
— Rick Kriseman (@Kriseman) March 12, 2020
NASCAR will hold a 1 p-m press conference to discuss their plans going forward. This comes after Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez put Miami-Dade County under a state of emergency. While Miami-Dade county does not have any COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreaks at this time Gimenez made the decision as a pre-emptive measure. Gimenez also suspended operations at various events, including Homestead-Miami Speedway. Gimenez said NASCAR officials will decide whether to hold the race without fans. All three national series (Gander Outdoors & RV Truck Series, Xfinity Series & Cup Series) were scheduled to run at Homestead.
McLaren F1 has withdrawn from the Australian Grand Prix after one of its team members tested positive for coronavirus. The team’s employee was tested at the circuit in Melbourne on Wednesday and then self-isolated at the team hotel while awaiting results. Four team members from Haas were also tested and cleared of having the virus.
McLaren Racing withdraws from the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/BZvHVKQoev
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 12, 2020
IMSA has postponed next week’s 12-Hours of Sebring until November.
IMSA Postponement of the Twelve Hours of Sebring to November 11-14, 2020 pic.twitter.com/Ze2dyuREkg
— IMSA (@IMSA) March 12, 2020
1:15 p.m. UPDATE: Add the NHRA to the list of motorsports sanctioning bodies cancelling events.
NHRA postpones portion of Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals pic.twitter.com/HHnZbzAXx9
— #NHRA (@NHRA) March 12, 2020
The World of Outlaws however is moving forward, albeit with caution.
🚨 All events are going forward as scheduled as we closely monitor growing COVID-19 health concerns. Should the need arise to alter plans based on local conditions, we will act in the best interest of our fans and competitors. 🚨 https://t.co/evm4k70YLN
— World of Outlaws (@WorldofOutlaws) March 12, 2020
1:30 UPDATE:
NASCAR has decided to race this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and next weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway but without fans in the grandstands.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 12, 2020
3:30 p.m. UPDATE:
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the City of St. Petersburg and Firestone Grand Prix officials have announced that the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will take place on Sunday but not in front of any race fans. In addition the event will run under a condensed schedule. Rescheduling the race was not an option because of the specific dates between when the promoter can build the race track and when the city streets used for the track have to be returned to the City. Green Savoree Racing Promotions expects to have a information for ticket holders in the week following the race or fans can check the website, gpstpete.com
IndyCar
Kyle Kirkwood wins INDYCAR Detroit Grand Prix

DETROIT, MI (June 1, 2025) – Kyle Kirkwood is the winner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The win was Kirkwood’s second of the season and fourth of his career.
Kirkwood started third on the grid and moved up to second early in the race and took advantage to grab the lead from teammate Colton Herta who finished third.
“This AWS Honda was on rails all weekend long,” said Kirkwood. “There were some challenges out there, that’s for sure. We had to pass our way back through a handful of times, and it was definitely not a walk in the park.”
This 100-lap race on the notoriously bumpy and tight nine-turn, 1.645-mile circuit on the streets of downtown Detroit came down to strategy and survival.
The 27-car field divided into two strategic camps at the start, with 12 cars beginning the race on Firestone’s grippier but less durable Firehawk alternate tires and 15 on the slower but more durable primary tires. The top nine starters, which included pole sitter Herta and teammate Kirkwood, opted to start on the softer alternate tire and shed it as soon as possible for the durability of the harder tire. INDYCAR rules require that all drivers must use both tire compounds for at least two laps per race.
That divided the field into separate pit cycles, with drivers on both strategies being forced to fight their way through the field after each stop while waiting for drivers on alternative tactics to pit.
The win has Honda Racing’s seventh of the season, continuing a season-long lockout of victories among engine manufacturers and gave Honda a weekend sweep after their Acura brand won the IMSA race on Saturday in the Motor City.
“ Amazing weekend for Honda, HRC, and also Acura,” said Kevin Fu, Vice President, Honda Racing Corporation USA. “Between our IndyCar and IMSA programs we got two poles and two wins in Detroit, and our seventh victory in a row in IndyCar. This is unprecedented start to the season for us. As always, thanks to the teams and all the folks back at HRC in Santa Clarita for all their continuous hard work, and the work they’ve done off season to get us to this point.”
The win moved Kirkwood up to second in the Championship points standings, 78-points behind leader Alex Palou, who was taken out by David Malukas going into Turn 1 on a restart.
AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci came home second for his best career finish and the team’s best finish of the season and best road or street course finish in a decade.
“It feels great,” said Ferrucci. “Honestly, the strategy plays into everything that we do, especially at road and street courses it’s very tough, and I can’t thank the team enough. This is more deserving of them than it is even of me. We probably drove to 11th minus the strategy just running our race.”
Team Penske’s Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet followed by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson in fifth. The fifth place finish was a career best for Simpson, the second-year driver from the Cayman Islands.
“It was a great, great race for us in the #8 Ridgeline Honda,” said Simpson. “I think we had a lot of pace, especially when running on the green tires, and we were able to really make strong gains through the field on that strategy.”
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on Sunday evening, June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
IndyCar
Contact ends Alex Palou’s day in Detroit

DETROIT, MI (June 1, 2025) Alex Palou’s race on the streets of Detroit is over early after contact on a restart from David Malkus sent the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda into the tire barriers at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
The Indianapolis 500 winner was running fourth on Lap 72 when the race restarted following a caution and entering Turn 1, Malukas came in too fast, made contact with Palou ending his day and his almost perfect season.
Palou came into the race with five wins in six event with a worst finish of second at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Detroit ended that streak and Palou was credited with a 25th place finish.
“We were just biding our time there in fourth,” explained Palou. “Hoping to sneak onto the podium there at the end but we were hit from behind. Not much we could do there.”
Palou came into the race with a 112-point lead in the season long Championship over Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward.
IndyCar
Colton Herta wins pole for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

DETROIT, MI (May 31, 2025) – Andretti Global’s Colton Herta is on the pole position for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, the 1.645-mile, nine-turn temporary street course run on the streets of downtown Detroit.
Herta’s fast lap of 1 minute, .4779 of a second in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda was good enough to claim his first pole of 2025 and 15th of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career.
“I was happy with it,” said Herta. “Friday was pretty bad from us as far as what we’re used to on street courses, just the feel of the race car. So it kind of — Friday night to go over everything and turn everything around. The engineering group did a great job.”
David Malukas, coming off a strong finish at the Indy 500, continued the momentum grabbing the second starting spot at 1:00.6492 in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Enterprises.
“Everything just clicked,” said Malukas. “We kept our heads down and just committed. I thought we had a good car, and clearly it went out and showed that.”
Herta’s teammate Kyle Kirkwood lines up third after a fast lap of 1:00.7312 in the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda. Kirkwood led practice Friday, while Herta paced the Saturday morning practice session.
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard will start beside Kirkwood in the fourth position after a quick lap of 1:00.8938 in the No. 7 Chevrolet.
Rahal Letterman Laningan Racing’s Graham Rahal will start fifth after posting a 1:01.0651 in the No. 15 JJ Curran Crane Company Honda.
Lining up beside Rahal will be Championship points leader and 109th Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou who put up a 1:01.4680 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou, who’s won five of the six races this year, holds a 112-point lead over Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who will start 18th after failing to advance out of the first round of knockout-style qualifying.
Palou’s CGR teammate Scott Dixon qualified 10th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda after turning a 1:01:1595.
Dixon and Rahal however will have those qualifying efforts nullified after being penalized for unapproved engine changes prior to the Sunday, May 25 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rahal and Dixon will receive a six-position starting grid penalty for violating the INDYCAR rule. Rahal now rolls off 11th and Dixon 16th.
The 100-lap race starts Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).