Racing Notebook
Racing Notebook: INDYCAR Moving Season Opener; Roar Before The 24 Begins For IMSA Teams and more
PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A schedule change for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES; IMSA teams hit the track at Daytona International Speedway plus Landon Cassil lands a ride for 2021 and Hagerty partners with Shift Up Now to help female racers.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Opener Pushed Back A Week:
- The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is pushing their season-opener back one week. The Honda Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst was originally scheduled for Sunday, April 11 at Barber Motorsports Park but will now be held on Sunday, April 18. The move will allow the race to be featured on NBC network television. “Zoom Motorsports and Barber Motorsports Park jumped at the opportunity to have our event showcased on NBC network television”, said Gene Hallman, CEO of Zoom Motorsports. The change means there will be four races in 15-days to start the 2021 season.
IMSA Teams At Daytona For Roar Before The Rolex 24:
- IMSA Teams are at Daytona International Speedway for the annual ‘Roar Before The Rolex 24’. Practice and qualifying as well as the first Prototype Challenge Race (Saturday) are on the schedule this weekend. Chip Ganassi Racing makes a return the sports cars in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class fielding a Cadillac for drivers Renger Van Der Zande and Kevin Magnussen. CGR did not participate in 2020 following the end of the Ford GT program. 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott gets his first taste of sports car competition this weekend driving for Action Express Racing.
First laps here at @DAYTONA with @AX_Racing @WhelenEng 🤙🏼 pic.twitter.com/Dh4lJdszsu
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) January 22, 2021
Landon Cassill To Run Full Xfinity Series Schedule:
- Landon Cassill is going to run the full NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) schedule in 2021. Cassill is returning to the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller stables and will drive the No. 4 Chevrolet. Cassill has driven for team owner Johnny Davis on a number of occasions over the years including full-time campaigns from 2013 to 2015. Cassill has one Top 5 and fourteen Top 10 finishes in NXS competition and has made over 300 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Hagerty Partners With ‘Shift Up Now’:
- Automotive lifestyle brand Hagerty is partnering with ‘Shift Up Now’. Shift Up Now is an advocacy organization who’s mission is help female athletes in motorsports. Hagerty will provide associate sponsorships for Athletes Michele Abbate, Hannah Grisham and Emily Linscott in the 2021 racing season. Abbate will carry the Hagerty logo on her Trans Am TA2 Grr Racing entry in the SVRA-sanctioned series on the West coast. Grisham will race for Hixon Motor Sports at Daytona and Road Atlanta in Mx5 Cup. Linscott is aiming to race a partial season in the United States F4 Championship powered by Honda, and will also be sanctioned by SVRA on the East coast in 2021.
#NEWS – @ShiftUpNow partners with @Hagerty to help provide 3️⃣ associate sponsorships for 3️⃣ racers across 3️⃣ series in 2021! 🙌🏻https://t.co/eJ2cXelhDc
THANK YOU @Hagerty, we can’t wait to see the #HagertyMotorsports logo on these race cars! 🏁#ShiftUpNow #NeverStopDriving pic.twitter.com/SYR0jHcexU
— Shift Up Now (@ShiftUpNow) January 22, 2021
IndyCar
INDY GP Racing Notebook: CGR’s Armstrong Quickest in Warmup as Ferrucci & Grosjean Make Contact plus more.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong is quick in Saturday’s morning NTT INDYCAR SERIES warm-up for the Sonsio Gran Prix as Santino Ferrucci and Romain Grosjean make contact plus Jacob Able scores his second INDY NXT victory and VRD Racing sweeps Friday’s support races and more in the INDY GP Racing Notebook.
Marcus Armstrong Leads Morning Warmup
- Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong led the NTT INDYCAR SERIES morning warmup for the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Armstrong’s fast lap of 1-minute, 9.8485-seconds in the No. 11 Honda was almost 4-tenths of a second quicker than Andretti Global’s Colton Herta (1:10.2314). Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus Veejay was third (1:10.3889) followed by pole-sitter and defending race-winner Alex Palou in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (1:10.4222). Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal was fifth (1:10.4573). Chip Ganassi had three cars in the Top 6 with Scott Dixon right behind Rahal with a fast lap of 1:10.5407 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda.
Ferrucci And Grosjean Spar In Warmup
- AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Romain Grosjean made contact during the morning warmup for Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Sonsio Gran Prix. Ferrucci’s No. 14 Sexton Properties Chevy was inside Grosjean’s JHR Chevy in Turn 10 and Grosjean turned right into Ferrucci’s car. Ferrucci pushed Grosjean back to the left side and gave him a hand gesture as the pair came down the South short chute heading into Turn 12. Ferrucci told NBS Sports afterwards, “If he doesn’t like it, come over here and talk to me about it.”
Abel Makes It 2-In-A-Row In INDYNXT
- Jacob Able is a two-time winner in INDY NXT competition. Able held off Nolan Siegel in a three-lap shootout Friday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. “This is awesome,” said Abel, who led 35 laps in this race. “Unfortunately, we don’t get to celebrate for too long here. We’re getting another chance tomorrow. That was a really great race, though.” Siegel, of HMD Motorsports finished second .5470-seconds behind. Andretti Global’s Jamie Chadwick finished third, the best finish for a female driver in INDY NXT since Pippa Mann’s win in 2010 at Kentucky. INDY NXT Race 1 Results
Nikita Armstrong Wins USFPro200 Race
- 15-year-old Nikita Johnson is 4-for-4 in USFPro2000 competition in 2024. Johnson helped his VRD Racing Team win the day as Max Taylor won the USF2000 race. Rookie Liam Sceats finished a distant second for TJ Speed Motorsports, his best finish of the season. Lochie Hughes finished third for Turn 3 Motorsport. indygp-usf-pro-2000-race-1
Taylor Scores USF2000 Win
- Max Taylor is a winner in USF2000 after taking the first race of a doubleheader on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Taylor took the lead in Turn 1 after a restart following an early full-course caution flag. “My plan was to get into the lead as fast as I could and I did just that. I got to the lead and had a little battle with Evan and just checked out and put some good laps in. The VRD car just drove itself really,” said Taylor. Exclusive Autosport’s Joey Brienza finished second ahead of teammate Evan Cooley who made an impressive USF2000 debut by qualifying on pole position. indygp-usf2000-race-1
Maeta To Perform National Anthem at Sonsio GP
- Maeta, an Indianapolis native who recently peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, will perform the national anthem before the start of the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Having an Indianapolis native, whose career is just taking off, ensures this performance will be memorable for all involved. Maeta’s rendition is sure to set the stage for an epic race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course,” said J. Douglas Boles, President of IMS.
Sonsio Extends Partnership With IMS
- Sonsio Vehicle Protection is renewing its partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sonsio Vehicle Protection, an industry-leading provider of vehicle protection and warranty programs, will continue as an Official Partner of IMS and the title sponsor of the Sonsio Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES road course race. Sonsio Vehicle Protection serves more than 82,000 dealerships, F&I service providers, manufacturers, insurance companies, parts suppliers, retail chains and many independent retailers across all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
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.
IndyCar
Racing Notebook: PA Motor Speedway cancels Test & Tune; INDYCAR at St. Pete; Kris Wright in Phoenix and more!
Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway cancels this weekend’s ‘test & tune’; The NTT INDYCAR SERIES gears up for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding; Kris Wright takes on Phoenix this Friday and more in the Pittsburgh Racing Now Notebook:
PPMS Cancels Test & Tune
- Persistent rain on Tuesday and Wednesday have forced Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway to cancel this Saturday’s ‘Test & Tune’ one week before the season-opening ‘Pot of Gold 75’. The Pits open at 9 a.m. and the Grandstands open at 11 a.m. with the Saturday program scheduled to start at Noon. For more information visit PPMS.com.
INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
- The NTT INDYCAR SERIES kicks off the 2024 season on Friday with one practice session to get teams ready for Sunday’s season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Mayor Ken Welch, PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and other dignitaries raised the flag Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at City Hall to signify the official civic event kickoff to the race weekend.
Kris Wright Gets Ready for Phoenix
- Wexford native Kris Wright and his Venturini Motorsports team descend on Phoenix Raceway for Friday’s ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150. This weekend marks Wright’s first start at Phoenix in the ARCA Series. Wright has previously competed in a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race in 2022 and a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race in 2021 at the Avondale, Ariz., venue. Wright has participated in two ARCA Menards Series West races, including one event with Venturini Motorsports. “I’m excited to return to Phoenix Raceway after having a fast car there in the fall. Our No. 15 Venturini Motorsports team has been working on it during the off-season, and we’re looking forward to heading back West for this race.”
Chip Ganassi Racing Unveils Season 2 Trading Cards
- Sports fans have a great opportunity to get their hands on some cool Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) team-official collectables and help out a great cause in the process. CGR unveiled Season 2 of their classic trading card series Thursday, benefitting The American Legion and their Be The One initiative, which is a national platform to reduce the rate of veteran suicide. The program destigmatizes asking for mental health support, provides peer-to-peer support and resources and educates people on how they can Be The One.