IndyCar
Chip Ganassi Racing Indianapolis 500 Preview
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Chip Ganassi Racing enters Sunday’s 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 as the defending race winners but more importantly they have four cars capable of winning the race.
“The fire still burns within the team to do well, to win it again,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. “We’re solely focused on that.”
Two-time 500 winner Takuma Sato turned the fastest speed in the Friday’s ‘Carb Day’ Final Practice. Sato’s No. 11 Deloitte CGR Honda lapped the historic 2.5-mile oval at a top speed of 227.855 mph.
Right behind Sato with the second fastest ‘Carb Day’ practice speed is Scott Dixon, the six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion, in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda (227.285). Dixon won the 500 in 2008 and would like nothing more than to drink the milk in victory lane again. It would also be sweet redemption as Dixon appeared headed to victory number two last year until he was caught speeding entering pit road late in the race.
Dixon’s pit crew appears ready after winning the Miller Lite Carb Day Pit Stop Competition on Friday by beating Will Power’s Team Penske crew.
2021 NTT INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou has the best starting spot of all of the Ganassi team. Palou will start on the Pole Position in the No. 10 American Legion ‘Be The One’ Honda. Palou won the Month of May opening GMR Grand Prix. Won the Pole Position. Can he win the 500? He finished second in 2021 after leading that race late. It was a valuable learning experience.
Veteran suicide is the focus of The American Legion’s ‘Be The One’ Campaign with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Marcus Ericsson enters the 500 as the defending race winner. Ericsson will start tenth in the 33-car field and turned the 18th-fastest lap on Carb Day. Ericsson is in the last year of his contract and has not resigned as of yet, so a second win in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ would only improve his bargaining position.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Ericsson celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s 106th running of the Indianapolis 500.
“I think it’s a privilege to know that you drive for an organization that can provide us with four cars that’s super fast and that we expect to be up front and fight for the win,” said Ericsson. “I think that’s something to be proud of, and I think all four of us are super excited about this opportunity.”
The Ganassi cars have been at or near the top of the speed chart since practice opened earlier this month. Perhaps the biggest advantage the Ganassi team has is the depth of the organization. No better illustration to that than when Dixon’s team won Friday’s Pit Stop Competition. Several of the guys on the crew weren’t on the No. 9 crew when Dixon last won the competition in 2018. Those guys are working on other Ganassi cars, and in many cases, received promotions.
“It takes a team to win and I have the best team,” said Dixon following the pit stop competition win.
The same feeling were echoed by Palou two weeks ago when he won the GMR Grand Prix and was asked if he can win the 500.
“You can’t win this race without a great team,” said Palou. “And I’ve got the best team.”
The Ganassi team has never gone back-to-back at the 500. Juan Pablo Montoya picked up the teams first win in 2000. Scott Dixon followed up with victory number two in 2008. Dario Franchitti won his second 500 in 2010 and followed that up with a third in 2012.
The biggest threats to the Ganassi team are many. We can start with the winningest car owner in 500 history Roger Penske. Team Penske has won 18 500’s and has been suspiciously quiet this month, although Power, who won the 500 in 2018, was third fastest in final practice.
Keep an eye out for the Arrow McLaren cars of Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist. O’Ward finished second to Ericsson a year ago. Rosenqvist starts on the outside of the front row and Rossi is re-energized after moving over from Andretti Autosport. Pittsburgh native Kate Gundlach is an Engineer on the McLaren team.
Speaking of Andretti Autosport, they’ll be a threat with Colton Herta and Romain Grosjean expected to be in the mix but keep an eye on Kyle Kirkwood, who was fifth fastest on Friday. Marco Andretti typically runs well in the 500 and is campaigning a fifth Andretti car in the 500.
Finally, don’t count out Helio Castroneves, the only 4-time winner in the field. Castroneves could become the first five-time winner in the history of the race with a win.
Live coverage of the 107th running of The Greatest Spectacle In Racing begins at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
NEWTON, IA (July 14, 2024) – NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers feel something needs to be done to make the Hy-Vee Doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway as exciting on-track as it has been historically.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bummed about the race and how it raced,” said Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren Racing, who finished second Friday night. “Really tough to get that second lane working, compared to I don’t know how many on-track passes we had last year, probably not even a 10th of that. That was a bit frustrating because I thought we had a very strong car, definitely a car that was capable of winning. Just no way to get around a car.”
In 2023 for race one there were 1,502 total passes, of which 319 were for position. Conversely in race one of 2024 there were 192-total passes Saturday night, 100 of those were for position.
“Unfortunately I don’t think our car and our formula works super well for this type of track adjustment,” said Saturday night’s third place finisher Josef Newgarden about the partial track repave. “We’re different than a Cup car. We’ve developed our car differently than they have. It doesn’t always mesh. It definitely didn’t mesh tonight.”
“Bit of a shame that couldn’t really do anything to pass or to do anything,” said Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, who finished second on Sunday. “It’s the most boring thing I’ve ever done. It was yesterday, as well. It’s a shame that we couldn’t really put on a better show. I think everybody will agree that it was a very boring race to drive.”
INDYCAR reduced downforce levels by about 450-pounds heading into the race weekend and tire supplier Firestone came with new right side tires after heat-related issues during a recent test session at the track. The combination led to a parade-like race on Saturday and Sunday.
“I feel like we go into it and not do the right amount of study or whatnot to get it done and to get it to work,” said Saturday night’s winner Scott McLaughlin, who finished third on Sunday. “That’s not a shot at the sport, not a shot at anything. It’s working together with the amazing people and the geniuses we have up and down pit lane. It’s just a matter of making it work.”
“I think INDYCAR could go to work with downforce levels, working with Firestone on a few other things,” McLaughlin explained. “But you just can’t blame the track because at the end of the day they have to repave this at some time.”
“We went from the best oval race we would have all season to potentially the least amount of passing,” said Sunday’s winner Will Power. “Maybe just a softer tire might just work with this downforce level. Just a softer tire. If it degrades, people go out. You can roll to the outside. I don’t know what the answer is, but we certainly got to do something for next year.”
NEWTON, IA (July 14, 2024) Will Power is back in victory lane on an oval after winning Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade. Power’s last oval win was nearly five years ago at Pocono Raceway.
“I didn’t really think I’d win today,” said Power. “You know how life goes, it just happens like that. Yeah, been trying to win this one for a long time. Stoked to tick that box. I’ve won a lot of races at a lot of tracks. When you tick a box at a track you haven’t won on, it feels pretty good.”
Team Penske elected to leave Power’s No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, which started 22nd, out on the track during the first green-flag stint and it paid off because the caution flag came out for Augustin Canapino’s stalled car, allowing Power and Championship leader Alex Palou cycle to the front of the field.
“My plan from the beginning was to sit back and save a lot of fuel, just get the best possible number using the speed, lifting,” explained Power. “In that gap, prayed for a yellow because I knew there would be out-laps. That would be when people would be prone to mistakes. That’s exactly what happened.”
Power restarted the race in the 2nd position and followed Palou until the next round of pit stops. Power’s team did not disappoint, beating Palou’s time by nine-tenths of a second, putting the two-time series Champion out front for the final 50-laps.
“I know if I hit my marks, it’s going to be an extremely fast stop,” said Power.
Palou rebounded from Saturday night’s crash to finish second and retain the Championship points lead, 35-over Power, who sits second.
“It’s been a weekend where we had a ton of speed compared to what we had before with qualifying third and second,” said Palou. “Was a shame yesterday obviously with the pit stall on the first pit, then the crash during the second stint. Yeah, happy that today we’re in second.”
Saturday night’s winner Scott McLaughlin finished third after starting on the pole and getting caught by the caution flag that benefitted Power and Palou.
“I was on the undercut,” explained McLaughlin. “At the end of the day, I mean, I would have come out in front of Alex. Will would have had to pit in a couple laps’ time. That’s just how it rolls, man. I’ve won a race by a delayed yellow. I’ve lost a race now. It’s just part of the deal. I think everyone will have one or two of those in their career.”
Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon finished fourth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing while Colton Herta fifth in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian.
The series next race is on the Street of Toronto for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. Practice begins Friday at 3 p.m. ET at Exhibition Place in Toronto.
NEWTON, IA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin is now a winner on an oval after grabbing the victory in Saturday night’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart.
McLaughlin started alongside pole-sitter Colton Herta of Andretti Global and grabbed the lead beating everyone out of the pits after a caution flag on Lap 80 when Graham Rahal’s No. 15 One Cure Honda suffered a cracked wheel.
McLaughlin led the final 164-laps and held off Arrow McLaren’s Patricio O’Ward, who finished second and Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden who finished third.
“At the end of the day I did the job in some ways from my perspective, but it was a team win,” said McLaughlin. “They put me out in front and got me the lead. I was able to show how good our car was just controlling the pace at the front.”
Great pit work from O’Ward’s number 5 crew got him out the pits in second place late in the race giving him a chance to challenge McLaughlin for the win.
“Yeah, awesome job by the guys in the pits,” said O’Ward. “That’s truly what got us in this position to fight for the podium.”
O’Ward was frustrated that the race track ended up being aa one groove track after a recent repave and despite INDYCAR dedicating a practice session to trying to rubber-in the second groove.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bummed about the race and how it raced. Really tough to get that second lane working,” explained O’Ward, who keeps moving up in the Championship fight. “Compared to I don’t know how many on-track passes we had last year, probably not even a 10th of that. That was a bit frustrating because I thought we had a very strong car, definitely a car that was capable of winning. Just no way to get around a car.”
For the record, there were 192-total passes Saturday night, 100 of those were for position. Comparatively there were 1,502 total passes in race one at Iowa in 2023, 319 for position.
A driver who didn’t have a problem making any passes was Newgarden, who started 22nd after a lackluster qualifying effort. Newgarden grabbed eight spots at the drop of the green flag by using the high line and making passes in the pits.
“It was a great recovery by the team,” said Newgarden. “My goodness, they were really good in the pits, like really, really good. If Pato’s guys were good, mine must have been double as good. I made up probably 80% of my position in the pits tonight.”
Championship leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing had trouble in the pits for the second straight week. Palou stalled the No. 10 DHL Honda on the first pit stop, dropping from third place to 19th place.
Palou quickly regained six places and threw it all away on Lap 176 when he lost control on the frontstretch and backed it into the outside wall. The miscue relegated Palou to a 23rd place finish, his worst in two-plus years, a span of 36 races, when he finished 27th in the 2022 race at Road America.
Palou’s finish cost him 11-points in the title fight. Palou now leads O’Ward by 37-points with Team Penske’s Will Power sitting third, 43-points out of the leads. Six-time Series Champion Scott Dixon remained in fourth, 46-points back. The victory vaulted McLaughlin to fifth, 59-points out of first.
Race 2 of the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade takes place tomorrow at noon ET, live on NBC, Peacock and INDYCAR Radio Network. McLaughlin will start on the pole after setting a new track record in qualifying.
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