IndyCar
Racing Notebook: Practice Starts For Indy 500; Kevin Harvick on Daytona Pole and more
PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The Pittsburgh Racing Now Notebook has your starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona plus practice starts for the Indy 500, a NASCAR team gets a penalty rescinded, sponsor news for Bubba Wallace, Ryan Newman and Hendrick Motorsports. SRX Racing makes another driver announcement.
Harvick Draws Daytona Pole Position:
- NASCAR Cup Series Championship points leader Kevin Harvick has drawn the pole position for Sunday’s first-ever Cup Series race on the road course at Daytona International Speedway. Harvick was awarded the pole position using NASCAR’s new “performance matrix”, which takes into account finishing position from the previous race (weighted 50%), ranking in team owner points (35%) and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%). Daytona Starting Lineup
Indy 500 Practice Begins:
- Practice for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 is underway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon posted the fastest lap in the first practice session, which was for veteran racers only. The Andretti Autosport duo of James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti were quickest in the second practice session. Indy 500 Day 1 Practice Speeds
Corvette Stingray To Pace Indy 500:
- The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will lead the field of 33 to the green flag as the Official Pace Car for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The Torch Red Stingray coupe will be driven by General Motors President Mark Reuss, who crashed a Corvette as he was pacing the field at the Detroit Grand Prix in 2018.
Alex Labbe and DGM Racing Penalty Overturned:
- The National Motorsports Appeals Panel overturned a penalty against NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Alex Labbe and the DGM Racing Team. Gosselin was fined $50,000 and docked 75 owner points and Labbe was docked 75 driver points by NASCAR for a “violation of testing policy” after they ran an SCCA GT-1 race a few weekends ago Daytona International Speedway. It was noted in the statement from the panel that, “the Appellants did not violate the Rule(s) set forth in the Penalty Notice as it was written.”
Bubba Wallace Teams Up With Columbia Sportswear:
- Columbia Sportswear has signed NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace as a brand ambassador. In the multi-year deal Columbia will also serve as the primary sponsor on Wallace’s No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports on August 23 at Dover International Raceway. The partnership is the first NASCAR driver and team sponsorship for Columbia.
Hendrick Motorsports Gets Sponsorship From Acronis:
- Data security provider Acronis is teaming up with Hendrick Motorsports in a sponsorship and technology partnership. Acronis will be the Official Protection Partner for Hendrick and will also be the primary sponsor of Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet for three races. Acronis will be prominently featured on the No. 88 later this month at Dover International Speedway and the playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Guaranteed Rate Expands Partnership of RFR:
- Guaranteed Rate, a retail mortgage lender, has signed a 12-race sponsorship agreement with Roush Fenway Racing for Ryan Newman’s Ford Mustang. Guaranteed Rate first appeared on the No. 6 Ford two weeks ago in New Hampshire and will return to Newman’s car for 11 of the season’s final 14 races.
Superstar Racing Experience Adds Another Driver:
- Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham’s Superstar Racing Experience is adding another driver to their series. SRX made the announcement today via their Twitter page:
🚨#DriverAnnouncement: Let’s officially welcome @Bobby_Labonte to the @SRXracing family!#LetsRace 🏁 pic.twitter.com/aDd6lBrU90
— SRXracing (@SRXracing) August 12, 2020
MADISON, IL (June 6, 2026) – Alex Palou and the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team are continuing to lay down fast laps when it counts with Palou earning the pole position for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The pole position is Palou’s fourth straight NTT P1 Pole award.
“It was incredible and so much fun, especially that first lap,” said Palou, who turned a two-lap average speed of 174.353 mph in the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. “The #10 Honda Honda had so much speed. The team I have around me is incredible. My car was on rails today; it was incredible.”
David Malukas starts second in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet after a two-lap average of 173.244 mph. Malukas could only look on in disbelief as Palou knocked him off the pole.
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood starts third in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda following a two-lap average of 173.206 mph.
“ It was a good run for us,” said Kirkwood, the 2025 WWWT Raceway winner. “P3 is a really good starting spot and we can definitely do some great things from there. Last year we won from 10th, so it’s nice to be able to be at the front.”
2026 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Felix Rosenqvist starts fourth in the No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin will start 5th in the No. 3 Dex Imaging Chevrolet.
Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon starts 7th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda and CGR’s Kyffin Simpson will start 14th in the No. 8 Sunoco Honda.
Television coverage of Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 begins at 8 PM CT / 9 PM ET on Fox. Complete, flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available on the INDYCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (Channel 160).
DETROIT, MI (May 31, 2026) – Alex Palou is back in victory lane after winning Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, his fourth win of 2026 and 12th win in his past 25-races.
“It was a tough one,” said Palou. “The team did an incredible job one again with the strategy. Pit stops were incredible. The number 10 Honda Honda looked really good and I think every time it has been on track it’s had a win.”
Palou and the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda fought off Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood on two late-race restarts as Palou was on the harder Firestone Primary tire and Kirkwood was on the softer Firestone alternate tire.
“It was very tough with the temperature on the tires,” explained Palou. “On the restarts I couldn’t really be at the level of Kirkwood, Power and some of the guys who were able to get a little more tire temp than I Wass able to.”
“The Sam’s Club Honda was really fast,” said Kirkwood, who is second to Palou in the Championship. “We took a little bit of a gamble on tires there being the only guy on reds (alternate) at the end. It nearly paid off. It was so, so, close. They’re a great team and he’s a great driver.”
Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Graham Rahal finished third in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda, tying Rahal’s best finish of the year.
“We had a lot of pace when we needed it,” explained Rahal. “We go lucky a little bit with the yellow.”
IndyCar
Alex Palou wins Detroit IndyCar Pole; Scott Dixon earns 4th starting spot; Honda sweeps front row
DETROIT, MI (May 30, 2026) – Alex Palou is starting on the pole position for the third consecutive NTT IndyCar Series Race, winning the number 1 starting spot for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.
Palou’s fast lap of 1-minute, 1.9017-seconds (95.668 mph) in the No. 10 Honda Racing Corporation Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was 0.005542-seconds ahead Will Power, who will start second in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda of Andretti Global. This is Power’s best starting position since switching to Andretti in the offseason.
“I’m super happy that we got the pole position,” said Palou. “The Fast Six was very exciting, especially with only getting one lap. The tires were not up to temperature, but this #10 Honda Honda car was on rails.”
“It was really nice to get into the Fast Six,” said Power, IndyCar’s all-time pole winner. “It’s my second time in the one lap shootout this year. It’s very difficult to beat Alex, so heading into the race I think we just have to put our heads down and see what we can do. The Honda is very good and I’ve been really enjoying running with Honda power all year.”
The front row Honda sweep on Chevrolet’s doorstep may bode well for the manufacturer as Honda has won every race at Detroit since the series switched to the downtown street circuit beginning in 2023.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin spoiled the Honda party, locking down the third starting spot with a lap of 1:02.4559 in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet.
Six-time series Champion Scott Dixon qualified a season-best fourth at 1:02.6085 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda to give Chip Ganassi Racing two of the top 4 starting spots.
“I was just a little too aggressive going for it,” said Dixon. “The No. 9 PNC Bank Honda has speed and it’s good to be starting up front.”
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard will line up fifth after a fast lap of 1:02.7870 in the No. 7 Chevrolet, despite losing an engine in the morning practice.
Kyle Kirkwood continued the Firestone Fast Six Honda party qualifying sixth in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda despite locking his tires up at one point and two power slides during his quick lap.
David Malukas will start last in the field after bringing out a red flag during his qualifying run. Malukas smacked the wall in turn 7 causing heavy damage to the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.
Sunday starts with a 30-minute morning warmup at 9:30 a.m. followed by the 100-lap race at 12:30 p.m. on Fox and the IndyCar Radio Network.
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