IndyCar
Will Power Wins Rain-Shortened IndyCar ABC Supply 500 At Pocono Raceway
LONG POND, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Team Penske’s Will Power is back in victory lane after winning Sunday’s rain-shortened NTT IndyCar Series ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. The victory was Power’s first of the 2019 season and third at Pocono.
“Absolutely over the moon to finally win a race this season,” said Power. “I was very determined. The car was very fast as well, which is very important around here. When my spotter said, ‘the rain’s coming’, I just turned the fuel up and went as hard as I could.”
The yellow flag came out on lap 126 for lightning within 7-miles of the racetrack and was red-flagged on lap 128-of-200. Severe weather quickly followed, forcing IndyCar officials to suspend the remainder of the race.
Power’s No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet passed PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon on lap 116 after green flag stops for both drivers and pulled out to a 6.1-second lead before the caution flew because of the weather.
Dixon, who was leading when he was passed by Power, said his car changed after the final pit stop.
“The car was pretty quick,” said Dixon. “I’m not sure really what happened on that last stint. We put more front wing in and actually put more pressure in the right rear tire and couldn’t even turn the car. We went from running 213’s, 214’s to struggling to do 208’s (mph), just had so much understeer.”
Power’s teammate Simon Pagenaud finished third, followed by Dale Coyne Racing’s Santino Ferrucci. Pagenaud leap-frogged Ferrucci on lap 109 after both drivers green-flag stops.
“It’s a great day,” said Pagenaud. “Very happy for Team Penske to get another win here at Pocono. Overall it’s a pretty good points day for us on the 22-car. We’ll take it, go to the next one and keep pushing.”
The race was marred by a first lap crash the sent NTT Data Services Chip Ganassi Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist to Lehigh Valley Hospital for further observation of non-life-threatening injuries. Rosenqvist was checked out and released.
Just got cleared from the hospital. Definitely feel lucky escaping without any serious injuries after visiting the catch fence there… Good to see @scottdixon9 back in the championship hunt! On to Gateway next weekend 🤜🏻 #NTTDataRacing #Pocono
— Felix Rosenqvist (@FRosenqvist) August 18, 2019
The accident was triggered when Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato made contact with Andretti Autosports Alexander Rossi, sending Rossi into his teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay who was on the inside as Sato and Hunter-Reay split Rossi heading toward turn two. All three cars came back across the track collecting Rosenqvist and Arrow Schmidt Petersen Motorsports James Hinchcliffe.
“I feel bad for Pocono,” said Dixon. “The crowd today at the start of the race was fantastic. I think the drivers in a lot of those situations can do a better job.”
“It’s a great oval for us,” said Power. “The crowd was great today. It’s obviously an unfortunate accident that could happen anywhere.”
The next NTT IndyCar Series race is the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, Saturday night August 24th at 8:00 p.m.
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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McLaughlin goes back-to-back at Barber Motorsports Park
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Borden Thrills at Port Royal; Robinson, Covert, and Hart also Score
Team Penske Penalized for St. Pete Infractions. Newgarden Stripped Of Win
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Spithaler, Norris, Krummert, and Christian Schneider take Opening Night Wins at Lernerville Speedway
