Bommarito 500 Race Day (Night)!

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Today’s schedule Times Central

Be alert for time changes due to weather. The Silver Crown schedule has already moved practice, and that race has benn bumped up to 2:30 pm Central.

The most recent from @Indycar_Wxman:

Overall, the weather looks promising to get the entire race e in on time and without interruption.

I am sticking with my pick of David Malukas to win tonight’s race, which I hope is as good as last year’s event. We ned to wait and see what effect a different aero and engine package has on the racing. I’m not sure why IndyCar would change a formula that worked so well last year. The oval races have been by far the best races this season. Let’s not spoil that record.

I will post any weather updates on X @PitWindowToo, and on Threads thepitwindow.

I’ll be back here with a report on any news later this afternoon.

Deja Vu- Palou on Pole

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It was his worst track. Until today. Alex Palou turned a blistering average of 174.35 to beat David Malukas for the top spot in tomorrow’ night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500. The margin was more one mile an hour.

In an ominous statement to the rest of the field, Palou said after practice that he was'”…happier than I’ve ever been at this track.”

Malukas was not too upset with the result, in fact, he was happy his team found something for qualifying after finishing sixth in the morning practice.

Today’s pole is Palou’s fourth in a row, tying a record set by Scott Dixon. The four time series champion has been on pole at Long Beach, the Sonsio Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and now at WWTR. Long Beach is the only race he converted to a win.

The last winner from the pole at Gateway was in 2003 when Helio Castroneves won from the first grid position.

Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist spent time at the top of the scoring pylon, as did Marcus Armstrong.

The final three drivers, Palou, Kirkwood, and Malukas- were all too strong for the rest of the field.

Notes

Mick Schumacher had a respectable qualifying in 18th.

Will Power will start a disappointing 21st.

The difference in speed between Palou and 25th place Sting Ray Robb is 6.2 mph.

Next up is highline practice at 8 pm Eastern. Today’s high line practice is different tan at most tracks. Each group will have two 10-minute sessions, alternating between groups. A full 60 minute practice follows at 9 pm Eastern.

Results

O’Ward Edges Palou in Practice 1

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Pato O’Ward turned the fastest lap of practice near the end of the practice session for the Bommarito 500 this morning, edging points leader Alex Palou by seven hundredths of a second.

The session, run under cloudy skies and humid conditions, ran clean for the first 40 minutes. Rinus VeeKay spun in turn 4 and made slight wall contact. VeeKay was uninjured.

Vintage cars ase running laps right now, and IndyNXT practice follows at 2 pm Central.

Results

Welcome to Gateway

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Sultry summer days have come to the St. Louis area early as the temperature is already 86 degrees with a discomfort index of 91 degrees. A chance of rain still exists for around qualifying time this afternoon.

The schedule: Central time

Cars are firing up forpractice 1. The rest of the day will go with whatever the weather dictates. If you are coming to the track, hydrate and use sunscreen.

I’ll be back after practice with results and to set the qualifying order.

Race Preview- Bommarito 500

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And just like that, the IndyCar season reaches the halfway mark. Sunday’s 10th edition of the Bommarito 500 is the ninth race of the 18-race calendar for 2026, It just seems wrong to be halfway done with the year before mid to late June.

The good news is the series takes a short but welcome break after this weekend. The next race is June 21 at Road America. Teams and drivers have been going for five consecutive weeks. After Road America, the July schedule lightens up before a packed August.

Your intrepid reporter, however, has a very busy June ahead, covering this race and Road America on site, then taking a short trip to Ireland for a real vacation..

The focus for World Wide Technology is on the drivers, mainly Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, and David Malukas. This track is one of Palou’s worst tracks statistically. The two drivers with any reasonable chance at catching the four-time champion, Malukas and Kyle Kirkwwood, hope his record here continues. Kirkwood won this race last year, while Malukas seeks his first series win. Many expect him to get that victory Sunday.

The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 is the only night race in 2026. Night racing on an oval is IndyCar’s best product. the series needs to add at least one more in the future. After sundown the track cools, and cars that were quick in the afternoon slow down while others come into their comfort zone. The green flag is schedule right at sundown. The first 30 minutes will be run during twilight.

Playing with Pain

Josef Newgarden has won this race five times, and he was well on his way to victory in 2025 before a wild crash ended his night. He comes into the 2026 race still nursing a foot injury suffered in the Indianapolis 500. Newgarden finished 10th at Detroit aft6er starting 21st. I still think he should be a contender at Gateway.

Kirkwood is the defending winner. he was in contention at Phoenix and should be strong this weekend. He needs to gain as many point as he can on Palou Sunday.

Malukas has performed well at This venue. He has two second place finishes, and he challenged Team Penske in a Dale Coyne car a couple of years ago. Is this race his breakthrough win?

Weather could throw a wrench into what looks to be another outstanding race in front of a packed grandstand. While Saturday’s forecast has improved to the point that only the final practices may be iffy, Sunday is still Monday morning, the dynamics will be drastically different. Fingers crossed.

If everything is on schedule, I think David Malukas gets his first IndyCar win, and it may not be his last in 2026.

 INDYCAR Officiating Announces Next Phase in Transparency, Event Reporting 

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From IndyCar Officiating:
 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, June 4, 2026) – INDYCAR Officiating has announced its next phase in governance separation and process transparency with the launch of official post-event reports, which will include the use of technical penalty guidelines to provide a framework toward consistency across events. As necessary, post-event reports also will include summaries of technical and procedural distinction to increase clarity
.The reporting update is scheduled to begin with this weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at World Wide Technology Raceway.
This next step comes after the establishment of INDYCAR Officiating in December 2025. The not-for-profit organization is governed by the three-person Independent Officiating Board (IOB) of chairman Raj Nair, secretary/treasurer Ray Evernham and FIA appointee Ronan Morgan. In April 2026, veteran motorsports officiating and competition executive Scot Elkins was named managing director of officiating to oversee race control, race stewards and technical inspection. Elkins reports directly to the IOB – with no oversight from INDYCAR or Penske Entertainment officials – to provide officiating governance and management
.”One of the takeaways from the initial months of INDYCAR Officiating was a need for thorough infraction communication and, in some cases, comparison to prior rulings to continue our goal of transparency and consistency in rule implementation,” Nair said.
“This post-event report will be clear in structure, process, and findings.
“The board would like to thank the entire INDYCAR Officiating team for implementing this important step as we continue our mission. Working across the paddock with key stakeholders, we believe this structure will lead to a very positive result for the sport.”
Post-Event Reports
INDYCAR Officiating post-event reports will summarize the officiating activity from each race event and will include penalties imposed under the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rulebook and findings from technical inspections before and after qualifying and races. Post-event reports will be posted and made public during the week following an event at https://noticeboard.indycarofficiating.org
.Examples of content that will be summarized in the post-event report:
Race Recaps
In-race penalties imposed – for example, passing under yellow, emergency service in a closed pit or pit lane speed violations
Incident reviews referred to the stewards and concluded with no further action
Practice Recaps
In-practice penalties imposed – for example, pit lane speed violations, causing a yellow or red flag or entering the wrong pit box
Technical inspection findings from qualifying and races
What was inspected and the extent and subject matter
Explanation of any infraction and its resulting penalty-level classification
Summary of technical or procedural distinction, where relevant
Technical Penalty Guidelines
To ensure consistency across events, post-event reports will include the classification of technical penalties based on the nature of the infraction via three levels:

Infraction Level 1
A single-dimensional non-compliance, such as a height or size measurement outside tolerance, typically arising from wear, damage or assembly failure with no finding of altered component location or improper conduct.
Infraction Level 2
A more significant compliance failure, such as an out-of-tolerance aerodynamic angle, driver or car weight, fuel-system or safety equipment matter, where the configuration is outside specification but does not involve modification of a spec part.
Infraction Level 3
Modification of a spec part, regardless of which assembly or subsystem it belongs to, or the installation of unapproved or altered components – a departure from the car’s approved specification.
Associated penalties begin with point assessments and fines at Level 1 and rise to disqualification and suspensions at Level 3.
Specific monetary fines, point assessments and other consequences imposed within a given infraction level remain at the sole discretion of INDYCAR Officiating
.“We have moved quickly but meticulously in applying this next step in greater officiating transparency,” Elkins said.
“Our goals include increased consistency and clarity as these reports look to provide an additional resource toward structure and process. We look forward to implementing this next phase beginning at WWT Raceway.”
Post-event reports for INDY NXT by Firestone events will begin later this summer.
The next race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the 10th Annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline, round nine of the 2026 championship, Sunday, June 7. Coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. INDY NXT competes on its first oval track of the 2026 season earlier in the day with coverage of the 75-lap race beginning at 5:30 p.m. on FOX Sports’ FS1.Audio coverage is available via INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls on SiriusXM channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. 

10th Annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline Fast Facts

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From IndyCar. Look for my preview tomorrow morning.

Race weekend: Saturday, June 6 – Sunday, June 7
Track: World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline 260 laps / 325 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway 75 laps / 93.75 miles

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 150 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Ten new sets for use during the event weekend. An extra set will be provided to teams participating in the high-line session before final practice. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets for use during the event weekend
.X: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCAR
Threads: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @WWTRaceway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @WWT_Raceway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.wwtraceway.com
/INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2025 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIES Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens Honda) INDY NXT by Firestone Lochie Hugh es (No. 26 Andretti Global)2025 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 49.9088 seconds, 180.329 mph (two laps)
2025 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Dennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global), 54.1639 seconds, 166.162 mph (two laps)

One-lap qualifying lap record:NTT INDYCAR SERIES Will Power, 23.7206, 189.709 mph, Aug. 25, 2017 INDY NXT by Firestone Caio Collet, 27.0529, 166.341 mph, June 14, 2025

FOX Sports telecasts:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 
Practice 1, 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live);
Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live);
High-line and Final Practice, 8 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live);
Race, 9 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live).
Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. |

 INDY NXT by Firestone: 
Practice 1, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live);
Qualifying 6 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live);
Race, 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live).
Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter. All sessions also air on FOX One.
INDYCAR Radio Powered by OnlyBulls broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Michael Young is the turn announcer. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The 10th Annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline race (8:30 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway (5:25 p.m. Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practice, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):
SATURDAY, JUNE 6

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, FS1
2:05-2:55 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS2
3:35 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT P1 Award qualifying (single car/cumulative time of two laps), FS2
5:05 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway qualifying, FS2
7-8 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES high-line session (two groups/two 10-minute sessions each), FS1
8-9 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS1

SUNDAY, JUNE 7
4:31 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway “Drivers Start Your Engines”4:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway (75 laps / 93.75 miles), FS1 (Live)
8 p.m. – FOX on air
8:20 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
8:25 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline (260 laps/325 miles), FOX (Live)

Race Notes:There have been five winners in the first eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Streets of St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Streets of Long Beach and Streets of Detroit), Josef Newgarden (Phoenix Raceway), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Arlington), Christian Lundgaard (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course) and Felix Rosenqvist (Indianapolis 500).
The record for most wins in a season is 10, held by A.J. Foyt (1961) and Al Unser (1970).World Wide Technology Raceway will host the 10th Annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline as a prime-time Sunday night INDYCAR SERIES race for the second consecutive season.
The 10th Annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the third of six oval races during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Josef Newgarden won at Phoenix in March, and Felix Rosenqvist won the 110th Indianapolis 500 in May.
Three drivers have won at World Wide Technology Raceway from the pole – Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Gil de Ferran (2002) and Helio Castroneves (2003).Team Penske has won nine times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022 and 2024) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has four wins at WWTR, with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1 and 2023).Twenty-two drivers have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has 11 starts, the most among the entered drivers. Rookies Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher will make their first start at WWTR.
Sixteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 624, Will Power 450, Scott Dixon 422, Pato O’Ward 167, Scott McLaughlin 130, David Malukas 82, Marcus Ericsson 18, Alexander Rossi 18, Santino Ferrucci 8, Kyle Kirkwood 8, Sting Ray Robb 8, Nolan Siegel 8, Felix Rosenqvist 7, Graham Rahal 7, Christian Rasmussen 1 and Rinus VeeKay 1).

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:
HMD Motorsports’ Enzo Fittipaldi leads INDY NXT by Firestone to World Wide Technology Raceway, looking to extend his lead in the INDYCAR’s development series. The 24-year-old Brazilian-American driver hasn’t raced on an oval since he raced Legends cars early in his career. He leads Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR’s Nikita Johnson by seven points and HMD Motorsports driver Tymek Kucharczyk by eight points entering a pivotal summer stretch of six races in June and July.The INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway will be the series’ 16th race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Previous INDY NXT by Firestone winners at WWT Raceway include Lee Bentham, Townsend Bell, Dan Wheldon, Jeff Simmons, Oliver Askew, David Malukas, Christian Rasmussen, Louis Foster and Lochie Hughes. 
 

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, ECR REACH MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT TO CONTINUE IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES

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From ECR:

ECR’s No. 21 Chevrolet Will Be Piloted by INDYCAR Race Winner in 2027 and Beyond
(INDIANAPOLIS) June 4, 2026 – ECR announced today that Christian Rasmussen will remain the driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet for the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and beyond as part of a multi-year agreement. The 25-year-old joined ECR in 2024 and has spent the entirety of his Indy car career with the Indianapolis-based team. Rasmussen and ECR earned their first NTT INDYCAR SERIES win together at the Milwaukee Mile in 2025 and will continue to work toward more victories in the years to come.
“I’m excited to extend my partnership with ECR for 2027 and beyond. I’ve enjoyed my time with the team so far and believe in the future of ECR,” said Rasmussen. “We have undergone a lot of changes over the last couple years, and it has been a privilege to witness them firsthand, and to play a part in them. I’m confident that together we will continue to take ECR to its fullest potential.”
Rasmussen began racing at just five years old and claimed his first karting championship in his home country of Denmark. He arrived in the United States in 2018 and joined the Road to Indy the following year. He is only the second driver in history to earn a championship in each division that currently feeds the NTT INDYCAR SERIES — USF2000 (2020), USF Pro 2000 (2021), and INDY NXT (2023). Rasmussen’s first role with ECR in 2024 was road and street course driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet and the driver of the team’s third entry in the Indianapolis 500. He was the highest-finishing rookie in the 500-mile race and later competed in the No. 20 for the final three oval races of the season. His impressive rookie campaign led to him being named the full-time driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet beginning in 2025 as part of a multi-year agreement. Following a new contract extension, Rasmussen will now remain with ECR through 2027 and beyond.
ECR Owner and Chairman Ted Gelov joined the team prior to the 2025 season and continues to guide the organization through a rejuvenated era, highlighted by Rasmussen’s Milwaukee victory. “Christian has shown incredible talent, dedication, and adaptability since joining ECR. Nothing has changed our minds in that regard. Seeing Christian and the entire ECR organization battle adversity and emerge strong has strengthened our belief in him and this team,” commented Gelov. “Extending our partnership with Christian ensures that we continue building momentum with a driver who understands our team’s vision and culture. The best is yet to come for Christian and ECR.”
Ed Carpenter, ECR co-owner and CEO, is well-known for having an eye for talent developed in the ladder series and continues to be impressed with Rasmussen’s progression as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver. “We are very excited to finalize this extension with Christian. Maintaining continuity with our driver lineup is something we feel that is an important element for ECR to reach its full potential. We have watched Christian develop over the past two seasons and firmly believe that the future is bright for Christian and ECR,” stated Carpenter.
He continued, “There are plenty of opportunities to make our mark in 2026 and we are confident that strong results are right in front of us. Christian really made a breakthrough last season at WWT Raceway before getting his first win at the Milwaukee Mile, so this weekend is a great opportunity to get back to victory lane.”
Rasmussen is midway through his third season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver and is poised to build on a strong sophomore campaign. Last season, Rasmussen established himself as a formidable opponent on ovals.
After recording a sixth-place finish in his second Indianapolis 500, he earned his first career podium at WWT Raceway, driving through the entire field twice and finishing 3rd. One year after making his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES start on a short oval at the Milwaukee Mile, he earned his first career victory. Rasmussen picked up right where he left off on ovals to begin the 2026 season as he was the class of the field at Phoenix Raceway. He charged from 21st to the front of the field and led 69 laps. Late-race contact with another competitor pushed his car into the wall and caused heavy suspension damage, but Rasmussen skillfully held the lead until eight laps to go.
“It is great to know that Christian will continue to be part of the ECR family for 2027 and beyond. Maintaining a cohesive driver lineup is an integral element of our future success,” said ECR Team President Tim Broyles. “We look forward to Christian having a strong second half of the season and continuing to build on the progress he has made. We believe his best days in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES are still ahead of him, and we are excited to continue that journey together.”
Rasmussen will become one of the longest-tenured drivers in ECR’s 15-year history. The team has demonstrated its versatility by earning nine victories across each style of track the NTT INDYCAR SERIES competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and superspeedways. ECR has recorded 45 Top 5 results to date, 26 of which have been podium finishes. In this year’s Indianapolis 500, Alexander Rossi’s 2nd starting position marked the team’s 10th front row start in the past 14 years. ECR competed exclusively in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES through 2025; in 2026, the team joined with Cape Motorsports in INDY NXT and Jay Howard Driver Development in the USF Pro Championships to create a direct pathway to INDYCAR.
Sunday night’s race at WWT Raceway caps a stretch of five weekends of on-track activity for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including three races in a row. An action-packed two days includes practice and qualifying on Saturday, June 6, followed by a 260-lap race under the lights on Sunday, June 7. Coverage of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 begins at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. local) on Sunday.
About ECR
ECR (Ed Carpenter Racing) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team is led by owners Ted Gelov and Ed Carpenter and has proven its versatility by collecting wins across every type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals, and speedways. For the 2026 season, Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi will return as driver of the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet, while new NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner Christian Rasmussen remains in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet. Carpenter, a three-time pole winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014, and 2018), will round out ECR’s three-car lineup for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. More information on ECR can be found at www.ecrindy.com.