IndyCar
Colton Herta wins Music City Grand Prix pole position; Scott Dixon starts 2nd.
NASHVILLE, TN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta is on the pole position for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES inaugural Music City Grand Prix. Herta was the only driver to cut a lap in the 1-minute, 13-second bracket as Honda’s claimed five of the Top six starting spots.
“What we did in the first session, on blacks (Primary Firestone Tires) set-up what we were able to do here,” said Herta, who also won the pole position at the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “We were in a league of our own.”
The Music City Grand Prix pole award is named after Bryan Clauson, the USAC Sprint Car star who passed five years ago from injuries sustained in a midget-car crash in Belleville Kansas. The Clauson family was on-hand and joined Herta on pit road afterwards (pictured above).
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon will start second after a fast lap of 1:14:2327-seconds in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda. The front row start is Dixon’s best qualifying effort since his pole win at the Indianapolis 500 and his 3rd front row start of 2021.
“The PNC Bank No. 9 is super-fast,” said Dixon. “The first two runs of qualifying I was kind of taking it a little cautious just to be sure we converted. We knew Herta was going to be fast because he was the only guy with new tires and he’s been quick all weekend.”
Dixon’s teammate Alex Palou qualified third but will start ninth after being assessed a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change following a team test last week at Portland International Raceway.
“There’s nothing we can do about that,” said Palou. “We’ll just have to pass a few more cars, that’s all.”
Alexander Rossi will now start third after Palou’s penalty. Felix Rosenqvist will start fourth and Romain Grosjean rounds out the Top 5.
Team Penske struggled in qualifying as none of the Penske cars advanced to the Fast 6. Simon Pagenaud will start eighth and Will Power will start eleventh.
Hometown favorite Josef Newgarden stuffed his Hitachi Team Penske Chevy into the wall while running sixth and trying to stay in the Top 6 in order to advance. Newgarden caused a local yellow and was penalized his fastest lap and will start 12th
Notable drivers that failed to qualify for the Fast 12 included Graham Rahal, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves and Sebastian Bourdais.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin brushed the wall and damaged his steering. Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Jimmie Johnson hit the wall early in the session in the same spot that Alexander Rossi hit the wall during the second practice.
Sunday’s action starts with a warmup at Noon local. The green flag drops at 5:45 p.m. ET.
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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