IndyCar
Chip Ganassi Racing Carrying Momentum Into Indianapolis 500 Practice
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 14, 2024) Entering the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season there was plenty of talk in the paddock and media center about how much would expanding to five full-time entries affect Chip Ganassi Racing.
“We’ve run multiple cars out of our race shop,” said team owner Chip Ganassi. “The fact that instead of three going here and two going here, all five are going one place, it’s somewhat easier from a logistics point of view. I challenge anybody to say that it’s taking anything away from anybody by going from four to five. It’s just not the case.”
Heading into practice for the Indianapolis 500 CGR is proving the doubters wrong because it doesn’t look like the 15-time series Champions have missed a beat.
This past weekend CGR opened the Month of May by winning the pole position and placing three cars in the Top 5 at the Sonsio Grand Prix on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two-time and reigning series Champion Alex Palou grabbed the win in the No. 10 DHL Honda. Six-time series Champion Scott Dixon and the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda finished fourth and second-year driver Marcus Armstrong finished fifth in the No. 11 IU Simon Cancer Center Honda.
Team owner Chip Ganassi, as usual, gave credit to his organization.
“Unquestionably it’s about the team,” said Ganassi after the race. “I’ve got some great drivers, great guys on the engineering stand, great guys in management. I’m a lucky guy.”
In addition to Armstrong’s Top 5 in the Sonsio Grand Prix, the ‘young guns’ in the CGR stable are showing signs of improvement in the ultra-competitive series.
Armstrong was the only CGR car to make the Firestone Fast Six final round of qualifying at the Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park last month, where teammate Linus Lundqvist’s third place finish in the No. 8 American Legion ‘Be The One’ Honda was his first-career podium.
“I think he’s been working very hard and he’s been knocking on that door a lot,” said Palou of Armstrong. “Still hasn’t had the perfect weekend where everything fits for him, but he’s been really fast. Barber he went into the Fast Six, was the only car of the team in the Fast Six, and it’s great that he got his first top 5.”
Rookie Kyffin Simpson, who moved up to INDYCAR after running INDY NXT last season, may be the most surprising of all of the young drivers on the CGR team. Simpson finished 12th after starting 23rd in the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Simpson finished 19th after starting 26th at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. At the Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix Simpson finished 14th after starting in the 23rd spot and in the last race Simpson finished 15th after starting 25th. That’s 37-positions gained over the course of the four points-paying races.
Palou also won the non-points paying race at The Thermal Club and Dixon stood on the top step of the podium at Long Beach, so the Champions on the team are winning while the young drivers are taking notes.
“I think everyone can see we have two really solid, solid veterans that can win at any racetrack we go to,” said Ganassi. “So it’s nice to have this group of younger guys coming up that have the opportunity to work with Alex and Scott, learn from them. So it’s a great opportunity.”
CGR has a great opportunity to carry the early season momentum through the month of May into ‘The Greatest Spectacle In Racing’.
“We know we have a fast car,” said Palou, who sits atop the Championship standing, 12-points ahead of Team Penske’s Will Power. “Obviously we got the pole here last year. But the competition is tight. They never give you anything. The focus now is on qualifying, trying to get the pole. But we want to win the Indy 500.”
“Momentum is real in any sport,” said Ganassi. “Momentum is your friend. We know we have a big month of May.”
There will be two practice sessions on Tuesday May 14 followed by 6-hour sessions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday’s schedule has a 1-hour session in the morning before Day 1 Qualifications start at 11 a.m. Sunday’s schedule also features a practice, Top 12 Qualifying, Last Chance Qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six run for the Pole Position. INDY 500 Track Schedule
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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