IndyCar
Detroit Grand Prix Canceled for 2020; INDYCAR Revises Schedule
DETROIT, MI (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear has been canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The event was scheduled to take place May 29-30 on Belle Isle and feature the NTT INDYCAR Series as well as IMSA. The promoters tried to reschedule the event to later in the year but could not because of a number of events that take place on the island.
Unfortunately, the 2020 #DetroitGP has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to everyone for their patience and support and we look forward to returning to Belle Isle next summer – June 4-6, 2021. More info at https://t.co/95PqahDx43. pic.twitter.com/CjRjP2bVyx
— Detroit Grand Prix (@detroitgp) April 6, 2020
“Like our fans, we’re disappointed we won’t be racing in Detroit this year,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles. “However, we’re excited to return to Belle Isle in 2021 and we know we’ll put on a great show when we do.”
The cancellation of the race forced INDYCAR to make several changes to their 2020 schedule. Two previous scheduled events will become doubleheaders along with the addition of a third weekend of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INDYCAR’s events at Iowa Speedway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will become doubleheaders. The Iowa 300 event weekend will add a race on Friday, July 17 and The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will add a race on Saturday, September 19.
“We also appreciate the flexibility of our event promoters at Iowa Speedway and Laguna Seca, who have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to host double-headers,” said Miles.
INDYCAR is adding a third event at the Racing Capital of the World on Saturday, October 3 on the IMS road course with the INDYCAR Harvest GP. That race precedes the Indianapolis 8-hour endurance race that will feature the first-ever combination of the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli with its North American counterpart, GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS. The INDYCAR GMR Grand Prix was previously moved to Saturday, July 4 and the Indianapolis 500 was moved to Sunday, August 23.
“INDYCAR in October at IMS might bring slightly cooler weather but will definitely be warmly embraced by our fans,” said IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “Paired with the Indianapolis 8 Hour, we’re set for a can’t-miss fall weekend of motorsports at The Racing Capital of the World.”
The schedule changes gives INDYCAR 15-races in 2020, an increase of one event from the 14 races announced on March 26.
“We’re committed to bringing fans as much on-track action as possible,” said Miles. “Our updated scheduled features additional racing at fan-favorite venues and adds to the total number of events on our calendar. The COVID-19 situation continues to be dynamic and challenging for everyone, so we have developed contingency plans which will allow us to respond to changing conditions. Our goal is to preserve as much racing competition as possible while prioritizing the health and safety of our participants and spectators.”
REVISED 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE
- June 6: Texas Motor Speedway
- June 21: Road America
- June 27: Richmond Raceway
- July 4: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1
- July 12: Streets of Toronto
- July 17: Iowa Speedway Race 1
- July 18: Iowa Speedway Race 2
- August 9: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Couse
- August 15-16: Indianapolis 500 Qualifying
- August 23: Indianapolis 500
- August 30: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
- September 13: Portland International Raceway
- September 19: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1
- September 20: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2
- October 3: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2
- TBA: Streets of St. Petersburg
IndyCar
Alex Palou and Scott Dixon grab Top 10’s to lead Chip Ganassi Racing at St. Pete
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (March 10, 2024) – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou and Scott Dixon grabbed Top 10 finishes in Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding.
Palou, the defending and two-time series Champion, started 13th on grid and by the midway point in the race he had worked his way up to the 11th spot in the No. 10 DHL Honda.
Palou continued to gain spots and after his final pit stop he was just outside the Top 5, finishing sixth.
“I’m happy to finish in the top-six and it’s a great start,” said Palou, who was the fourth biggest mover over the course of the race (+7). “That first yellow really didn’t help us, as it put everyone in the same position so we had 35 laps less of the race to do something. We finished two spots better than what we did last year. We started struggling at the beginning of the weekend, so it was an amazing recovery by Chip Ganassi Racing and the No. 10 DHL Honda team. ”
Dixon started right outside the Top 10 in the 12th position and on the opening lap avoided disaster when several drivers split Romain Grosjean, who appeared to approach Turn 1 cautiously. Grosjean drifted right to avoid the driver on his left, only to make contact with Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Honda. Luckily Dixon was able to continue without damage to his machine eventually finishing 9th.
“It was a bit of a bland day,” said Dixon, who will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Tuesday. “I thought we had a good situation at the start and then it all kind of closed down to go off-track to make sure that we didn’t hit anybody. There was just no tire degradation so there wasn’t as much racing as I would have liked. Ultimately, I think the PNC Bank crew should have had a fifth, sixth or seventh, so it’s not the absolute best way to start the season.”
Rookie Kyffin Simpson impressed in his INDYCAR debut, starting 23rd and advancing 9-positions to finish 14th in the No. 4 Journie Rewards Honda.
“What an incredible day,” said Simpson, who finished the day as the top placing rookie. “I’m stoked to have such a good first race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. I felt like we had a good start to the race and then we just kept it clean. It was definitely tight at times with some side-by-side racing, but we were able to push through and keep things clean. We were able to really push it on the greens at the end with great pace. I’m very happy with the entire day for the Journie Rewards team.”
Linus Lundqvist was running ahead of Simpson and was sitting in 15th place at the midway point of the race and was methodically picking up spots. Disaster struck on Lap 64 when Grosjean attempted a pass approaching Turn 10, sending the No. 8 American Legion Honda backwards into the tire barrier. The No. 8 CGR crew replaced the rear wing on pit road and sent the 2022 INDY NXT Champion back into the fight. Grosjean took responsibility for the ill-advised attempt and served a drive-thru penalty but that little solace for the No. 8 team.
“We were fighting on the edge of the top-10 and then sadly got taken out,” said Lundqvist. “It’s quite unfortunate because the guys and girls with the American Legion team did such a phenomenal job to be fighting for that top-10 position. It is a long season and we will definitely bounce back from that and bring the positives from the speed that we had.”
Marcus Armstrong and the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda also showed speed all weekend and was the best qualifying car out of the CGR stable starting 11th and working his way into the Top 10 during the first 25-laps of the race.
Turn 10 challenged drivers all day because of a tricky tail wind going into the turn and Armstrong fell victim on Lap 27 when he ended up in the tire barrier.
“I was working on a fuel number and touched the brakes and locked the brakes immediately,” explained a dejected Armstrong. “I’m so disappointed by that mistake and I feel terrible for the No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Ridgeline Lubricants group because we were fast. To be honest, we weren’t pushing hard at the time. We were fuel saving and waiting for our time to push. It was a costly mistake and it stinks.”
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden was basically untouchable all weekend leading 92-of-100 laps en route to the victory.
Next up for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the $1,000,000 non-points race at The Thermal Club.
IndyCar
Josef Newgarden and Team Penske dominate Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (March 10, 2024) – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden started from the pole position and in dominating fashion won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
“I think it’s so deserving for the work that they put in,” said Newgarden, crediting his team and for the victory. “I know intimately what’s been put into this program in the off-season. We worked really hard to close the gap. We didn’t have the speed on the road and street courses last year.”
Newgarden led the opening stint of the race and briefly gave up the lead during the first round of pit stops when Felix Rosenqvist, who started second, and Colton Herta leapfrogged the No. 2 PPG Chevy.
“As soon as we restarted I was like ‘I’m going to pass these guys’,” said Newgarden. “It was fun to have the killer mentality. It makes a big difference when you have a car like that.”
Once Newgarden got the lead back, the only time the two-time series Champion wasn’t leading the race was when he’d go to the pits and others stayed out to try the overcut. In the end Newgarden led 92-of-100-laps.
Race day was quite the day for Team Penske who saw Scott McLaughlin finish third in the No. 3 Dex Imaging Chevy and Will Power finish fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Chevy.
“For us to start ninth and to work our way up to third is a win in some ways,” said McLaughlin. “I tried to get second there but I had Will breathing down my neck so you take what you can get because it is so tight in INDYCAR.”
“We kind of expected it,” said Power of the Team Penske performance. “A lot of improvements in the off-season. The Chevy engine’s really good, we’ve done a lot of work on the cars too.”
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward spoiled the Penske party with a second-place finish in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
“Super happy that we ran forward today,” said O’Ward. “Penske was a little too strong for us. I was happy with my race car today, we just needed a little bit more to make Josef sweat.”
Andretti Global’s Colton Herta rounded out the top 5 in the Gainbridge Honda.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou rallied for a sixth-place finish after starting 13th followed by Rosenqvist in seventh.
O’Ward’s teammate Alexander Rossi finished eighth followed by Scott Dixon in ninth. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay rounded out the Top 10.
IndyCar
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Racing Notebook; Andretti to Penske – Sell; IndyCar & Indy NXT Qualifying; and more
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (March 9, 2024) – The green flag hasn’t even dropped on the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and negativity continues to plague the open-wheel series as Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the pole position for Sunday’s race; the INDY NXT starting lineup is set; IMSA hits the streets of St. Pete along with USF2000.
Andretti to Penske ‘Invest or sell’
- Team owner Michael Andretti went public on Friday with growing frustration in the INDYCAR paddock about the direction of the series under Penske Entertainment. Andretti told IndyStar.com that Penske should “sell the series” if he’s unwilling to make a sizable investment to propel the series to the next level. Chip Ganassi had his poker face on Friday morning during a media session but later told reporters “Anybody that can run IMS with no fans in the stands? He’s got my vote. He coughed up the money to buy the place & he coughed it up during COVID & kept the series running.”
Newgarden Wins INDYCAR Pole
- Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden is on the pole position for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Newgarden’s fast lap of 59.5714 in the PPG Chevy came on his last lap as time was running out in the final round of knockout-style qualifying and edged Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist by fifty-eight hundredths of a second. IndyCar St. Pete Starting Lineup
Siegel Claims First INDY NXT Pole
- Nolan Siegel won his first career INDY NXT by Firestone pole position on Saturday in record fashion with a fast lap of 1 minute, 4.5759 seconds. Jacob Abel was quickest in Group 2, but he didn’t get a chance to finish his final lap due to the crash of series newcomer Callum Hedge in the final set of corners. Series rookie Myles Rowe (No. 99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy) and Louis Foster of Andretti Global (No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies) will start Sunday’s race from the second row. The green flag drops shortly after 10 a.m.
Jones and Lazare Sweep IMSA Races
- Jagger Jones and Jesse Lazare completed the sweep of Rounds 3 and 4 in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) and Grand Sport X (GSX) classes of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Saturday. Rounds 5 and 6 of the VP Racing Challenge will take place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 7-9.
Hughes Dominates Scrappy USF Pro 2000 Opener
- Lochie Hughes of Australia took home the victory in the USF Pro 2000 series opener. Hughes led throughout a crash-marred 24-lap opening leg of the Foundation Building Materials USF Pro 2000 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race to take the checkered flag for Turn 3 Motorsport. Christian Brooks came home in second place with New Zealander Liam Sceats rounded out the podium for TJ Speed Motorsports. Race Two of the double-header opening round of the season will start tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. with Hughes once again set to start at the front of the field. USF Pro 2000 Sat
Garcia Takes USF 2000 Victory
- 14-year-old Max Garcia was victorious in the USF2000 The Andersen Companies Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Jay Howard Driver Development’s Evagoras Papasavvas finished second followed by Sam Corry in third. The green flag for the second round of the 18-race USF2000 season will fly at 4:45 p.m. Sunday.
Brett Michaels Honorary Starter; Jon Bon Jovi in 2-seater
- Multi-platinum music icon Bret Michaels will wave the green flag over the 27-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting field tomorrow at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET as the honorary starter of the 20th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. He joins the pre-race festivities which include St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and three past mayors as grand marshals along with fellow rock legend Jon Bon Jovi who will ride in the “Fastest Seat in Sports.”
INDYCAR & Dirty Mo Media Partnership
- INDYCAR and Dirty Mo Media, the multimedia content platform of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced March 7 that they have formed a partnership to promote INDYCAR content created by Dirty Mo, specifically the podcast “Speed Street,” hosted by INDYCAR SERIES driver Conor Daly and content creator Chase Holden. The weekly podcast, which began in 2021, will feature the winner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race each week in 2024.