IndyCar
Pitt’s Colin Kaminsky juggling Graduating and Racing
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The final semester for any college student is one of the most hectic times of their lives. Immense discipline and time management is needed to balance classes, studying, group projects, playing hockey and fast approaching finals. Imagine adding a full-time racing career on top of all of that.
The University of Pittsburgh’s Colin Kaminsky is finishing up his undergraduate studies this week while competing for Pabst Racing in the Indy Pro 2000 Series presented by Cooper Tires, a development series that is part of The ‘Road To Indy’ ladder system.
Most students spend the weekend before finals studying their curriculum. Kaminsky is not only doing that, he’s studying data sheets and working with his engineers trying to figure out how to extract maximum performance out of his race car.
Kaminsky started his 2021 season off with a seventh place in the season opener at Barber Motorsports Park. This past weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Saturday Kaminsky finished ninth in the first race.
“I was probably a little too tentative probably on the opening lap trying not crash with a couple of ballsy kids, but we finished where we started and kept the nose clean,” said Kaminsky, who returned on Sunday to post a Top 5.
“I think we had a car to get to the podium,” explained Kaminsky. “I think we were the fastest car out of the top three or four. We just got stuck behind a couple guys and almost got into fourth. Fifth at the end of the day I’m pretty happy with.”
To give you an idea on how Kaminsky is balancing the demands of finishing school along with his racing, following Saturday’s race Kaminsky was hitting the books. Sunday morning it was race two followed by starting the trip home with a stop at a hotel so he could have WiFi to attend a virtual class Monday morning. Monday afternoon it was back on the road to finish the trip home, just in time to get ready for a final on Wednesday.
Kaminsky is looking forward to graduating so he can devote all of his time to advancing his racing career.
“The University of Pittsburgh has been a great home for the last couple of years,” said Kaminsky. “Now to put those hours that you have to spend outside the classroom and spend those hours getting to know people and putting together the best proposals.”
Those proposals is where Kaminsky will be putting his marketing degree to good use as he searches for additional sponsorship to move up the ‘Road To Indy’ ladder.
“Short term I want to find the backing to either move up to Indy Lights or continue in Indy Pro 2000,” said Kaminsky, who was a goaltender for the Pitt Hockey team. “Ultimately the goal is the Indy 500.” 
To get to the Indianapolis 500 requires success on-track and off-track, especially in that search for funding.
“It’s tough,” explained Kaminsky about the search. “We’ve been a little successful in the past but nothing too substantial. You just have to chip away at it. The worst thing they (business owners) can say is ‘no’ and at the end of the day you’re in the same boat where you started.”
To help the search for sponsorship and to build his brand along with increasing his profile, Kaminsky launched his own website, www.ckaminsky.com. In addition to his website Kaminsky, as he mentioned earlier, is putting together packages for potential partners.
“It’s a brochure, essentially, of who you are, what you do, what you can offer and what you need,” said Kaminsky, who currently sits sixth in the Championship standing following St. Petersburg.
Kaminsky is thankful for the support of Slick Locks Corporation. Slick Locks is a drill-free line of puck locks, Spinner 360’s™, Weather Shield™ covers and blade brackets for all hinged and sliding door vehicles in all makes and models available. Slick Locks cutting edge bracket designs have made them the number one choice of large fleet managers worldwide.
“They’ve been my biggest backer since we started,” said Kaminsky. “(They) Got me into racing and kept me here. They’ve been my biggest supporter.”
Pitt graduates who are business owners have a golden opportunity to support a fellow Panther who has a unique platform for companies to grow their brand. Kaminsky is encouraging Pitt alumni to reach out to him to learn how to use racing to help their business and entertain clients.
“If you ever get out to a race track you are going to be hooked,” explained Kaminsky. “I think it’s an exhilarating experience to be a part of, surely it’s nothing like what maybe Pitt graduates have seen before.”
Kaminsky also thinks that the University of Pittsburgh, in general, could take advantage of the platform that racing provides both from a marketing and educational standpoint, especially since the garage area is full of engineers.
“We could go to Mid-Ohio (Sports Car Complex), that’s the closest one,” said Kaminsky of the track located in Lexington, Ohio, just 167-miles from the Cathedral of Learning. “We could get Pitt alums, the board (of trustees), we could get everybody there. We could throw a nice big ‘PITT’ sticker and an ‘H2P’ on the car, get a Blue and Gold (drivers) suit, that would be very cool”.
Spoken like someone who is already figuring out how to put his education to work for him post-graduation.
The next three races for the Indy Pro 2000 Series presented by Cooper Tires is May 13-15 on the road course at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 14, 2024) Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Scott Dixon turned the fastest-lap in Tuesday’s opening day of practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500.
Dixon’s fast lap off 229.107 mph (:39.2829-seconds) in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda came with the aid of an aerodynamic to and happened early in the session before Mother Nature brought out the yellow flag for rain.
Marco Andretti was only 0.1218-seconds behind Dixon with a quick lap of 228.399 mph in the No. 98 MAPEI/Curb Honda. Andretti won the 500 pole position in 2020.
Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato was third fastest at 225.551 mph in the No. 75 AMADA Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as Honda power posted the three fastest time in the shortened session.
Pato O’Ward turned the fourth fastest lap in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet after turning a fast lap of 224.993. Sato’s RLL teammate Christian Lundgaard rounded out the Top 5 after turning a 223.844 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda.
The track was only green for 23-minutes before the rain came. 29 of the 34 entries were able to get on track.
Practice is scheduled to resume from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ET Wednesday. PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying is this Saturday and Sunday, with Race Day on Sunday, May 26.
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
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 11, 2024) Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou is heading into the Indianapolis 500 with momentum after winning Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Palou survived a late race restart and held off Team Penske’s Will Power, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard and CGR teammate Scott Dixon to pick up his first win of 2024, his 2nd straight Sonsio Grand Prix and 10th of his career.
“It was an amazing win,” said Palou. “It’s great to be back-to-back from last year and continue this May.”
Power brought the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet home in second-place, his third runner-up finish of 2024, 7th second-place finish in the Grand Prix.
“You get sick and tired of finishing second,” joked Power. “You’re just racing very tough people and if you’re not exactly perfect you won’t win. I wasn’t exactly perfect in qualifying and I didn’t win. All I know is if you keep knocking on the door, the wins will come.”
Lundgaard brought the RLL No. 45 HyVee Honda home in third despite leading a large portion of the race.
Dixon brought the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda home in fourth followed by teammate Marcus Armstrong in the No. 11 Indiana University Honda, giving team owner Chip Ganassi three cars in the Top 5.
“These are all teams wins,” said Ganassi. “There’s a lot going on pit strategy wise, tire wise. Obviously three guys in the Top 5, it’s a really, really big win heading into the Month of May.”
Palou started on the pole position using the quicker, faster-wearing red sidewall alternate Firestone tires with second-place starter Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard opting for the longer lasting black sidewall Firestone primary tires.
Palou locked up his rear tires going into turn one and overshot the corner a bit, which allowed Lundgaard to make the move to the inside and into the lead.
“I made a little mistake on the start and lost our first position there that we fought so hard for in qualifying,” explained Palou.
Lundgaard led through the first round of pit stops. Will Power pitted before Lundgaard and Palou and was able to pass Palou in Turn 7 while Palou’s tires were coming up to speed.
Lundgaard retook the lead on lap 24 followed by Power, Palou, Dixon, Newgarden and Marcus Armstrong.
Palou stayed out an extra lap through the second round of pit stop and quick work by the No. 10 crew allowed Palou to take the lead on the faster red sidewall Firestones.
“Everybody on all the crew, the engineers and the mechanics did an amazing job in the pits, gave me that lead and we just had to try and get the performance we had all weekend out of the No. 10 DHL Honda car,” said Palou.
“I think if we’d gone longer on that stint it would’ve kept Palou behind us,” explained Power. “He wouldn’t have been able to use his speed. We thought that was the best option at the time. I thought the undercut would be good.”
Palou led the top four into the pits for the final stop of the day and led them off in first with Power leapfrogging Lundgaard on pit road.
Palou maintained the lead on the subsequent restart despite sliding on the entrance into Turn 1, which stifled Power’s attempt to get around the leader. The No. 10 Honda methodically built a gap over the final laps, finishing 6.6106-seconds ahead of the No. 12 Chevy.
Next up for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is time trials and qualifying for the Indy 500 next Saturday and Sunday.
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