IndyCar
Scott Dixon leads Day 2 of practice for Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Six time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Scott Dixon is atop the speed charts after two days of practice for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Chip Ganassi Racing Honda turned a fast lap of 226.829 MPH with teammates Marcus Ericsson fourth fastest in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda (226.007) and Tony Kanaan fifth in the No. 48 American Legion Honda (225.774). Alex Palou was 8th fastest in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda.
“I think as most will say, the big times don’t really mean much,” said Dixon. “You just kind of get a bit lucky and throw them up, but I think our cars definitely have good speed, all four in the top 8 there, which is good to see. Again, I think it doesn’t mean too much, but as far as race stuff, at least being able to get speed out of the car is always kind of nice.”
The different agendas of practice were on full display as some teams focused on race runs while a few even worked through qualifying simulations.
“We’re obviously working on what we need for the race,” said Kanaan. “We went out with the teammates, did a few long runs. Nothing out of the ordinary, just really trying to figure out what we need for next weekend.”
The good day for the Ganassi guys stole a little bit of thunder away from Ed Carpenter Racing.
ECR was second and third fastest on the speed chart Wednesday. Conor Daly was second at 226.372 in the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet, while team owner Ed Carpenter was third at 226.103 in the No. 20 SONAX Chevrolet.
“I think the team has done an incredible job,” said Daly. “Both of our cars were fast last weekend, which is great, and I think our cars have a lot of speed here, as well.”
ECR is surging during the Month of May, as Rinus VeeKay won the GMR Grand Prix for the team last Saturday.
“I think anytime you win a race, it’s so hard to win races in this series, so anytime a driver or car on your team wins a race, I think it does lift everyone up,” said Carpenter, the only owner-driver in series. “You don’t get to celebrate the Indy GP as long as you do some other races because we’re just turning the page and getting ready for the 500, but I think it makes it easier for the guys that come in to work excited about spending most of their hours out here for the rest of the month, and they deserve it.”
The speed charts showed the unpredictable and competitive nature of this year’s deep field, which features nine “500” winners. 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power, who led practice Tuesday at 226.470 mph, was 15th today at 224.785 in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.
Practice resumes from noon-6 p.m. (ET) Thursday. It’s the last day before boost levels are elevated in the engine turbochargers for Fast Friday practice and Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.
MOORESVILLE, NC (May 7, 2024) Team Penske has suspended four members involved in the push-to-pass cheating scandal including team President Tim Cindric.
Managing Director Ron Ruzewski, No. 2 Race Engineer Luke Mason and Senior Data Engineer Robbie Atkinson join Cindric on the sidelines for the next two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, this weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES discovered that Team Penske installed software that bypassed the push-to-pass system at the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and stripped race-winner Josef Newgarden of the victory and third-place winner Scott McLaughlin of his podium finish. The Series said the software was discovered prior to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
INDYCAR’s subsequent investigation and penalties were announced prior to last week’s race at Barber Motorsports Park and the series said it was over and done with, but not for Penske.
Team Owner Roger Penske, who also owns the series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, met with several team owners and team principals at Barber but apparently felt he needed to take further action.
“After a full and comprehensive analysis of the information, Team Penske has determined that there were significant failures in our processes and internal communications,” Team Penske said in a statement.
“I recognize the magnitude of whaat occurred and the impact it continues to have on the sport to which I’ve dedicated so many decades,” said Team Owner Roger Penske in the same statement. “Everyone at Team Penske along with our fans and business partners should know that I apologize for the errors that were made and I deeply regret them.”
LEEDS, AL (April 28, 2024) Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin put an emotional week in the rear-view mirror by winning Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by AmFirst.
McLaughlin employed a three-stop, flat-out pedal to the floor strategy while several others attempted a two-stop strategy. McLaughlin’s move paid off with the victory, his second in-a-row at Barber.
McLaughlin, who led 58 of the 90 laps after earning the NTT P1 Award in qualifying Saturday, took the lead for the final time on Lap 76 after his final pit stop.
“Definitely one of my best drives in terms of execution and just knocking out the laps,” said McLaughlin, who had his third-place finish at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding stripped earlier in the week for illegal push-to-pass software and using it. “Very happy we could advance to the checkered flag there and bring home a W for Team Penske and for Roger (Penske).”
Will Power made it Team Penske 1-2 by finishing second in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, 1.3194 seconds behind McLaughlin.
“It was a hard-fought 1-2 for Penske,” Power said. “We were certainly fast, but obviously a lot of strategy played into that. We were able to use our speed to come out in front again.”
Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Linus Lundqvist rounded out the podium by finishing third in the No. 8 American Legion Honda, the best finish of his young career.
“Man, it was amazing,” said Lundqvist of his sixth career start. “I think for the first time ever I was not on the save fuel strategy. I was not the one being passed, which was nice.”
The next race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 11 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, which kicks off the Month of May activities at IMS culminating in the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 on the IMS oval.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 24, 2024) Scott Dixon and the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing team are leading the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship standings after Team Penske was penalized for violating the series ‘push-to-pass’ parameters.
INDYCAR disqualified Josef Newgarden’s win and Scott McLaughlin’s third place finish in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and docked Will Power 10-Championship points for the infractions.
Dixon’s epic win in this past Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach vaulted him into second position in the Championship standings, 12-points behind Newgarden. That changed following Wednesday’s penalties.
Dixon now holds a 2-point lead over Andretti Global’s Colton Herta and a 12-point lead over teammate and reigning INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward sits in fourth position, 15-points back, following his elevation to winner at St. Pete. Power sits in fifth position, 20-points behind Dixon despite the 10-point reduction.
Dixon heads into this weekend’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park having never won at the picturesque 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course in Birmingham Alabama.
“Barber has been interesting,” said Dixon, a six-time series Champion. “Second six times. Never won there. The goal was always to try and step on the top step again.”
Dixon is hoping a recent test will help him park the No. 9 Honda in victory lane.
“We had a really good test at Barber,” added Dixon. “Only probably half of the grid did, so it will be interesting to see how that applies.”
The first 75-minute practice session gets underway on Friday from 2:40 p.m. to 3:55 p.m. and will be live-streamed on Peacock.
McLaughlin is the defending race winner.
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