The Dream Come True

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Editor’s Note: In honor of today’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, here is a repost of my reflections from 2024 when I attended the race and fulfilled a lifelong dream. Two years later I miss not being there. Social media hasn’t helped either.

Reality exceeded the dream. Emotional highs and goosebumps marked my 10 days in Le Mans. I was 10 years old when I first learned of the Le Mans 24-hour race. I read everything I could find about it. Two years later I announced to my family that I wanted to go to Le Mans.  I would accept the trip as any gift for any occasion- graduation, birthday, Christmas- the occasion didn’t matter.  

I never received an envelope with plane tickets to Paris. I still followed the race and learned more of its history. During my freshman year in high school, I spent my study hall time writing a novel about Le Mans. I’m pretty sure it was not a classic. I grew older, and life got in the way.  

In 2023, after a health scare, I made up my mind. I am going to Le Mans next year. I can wait no longer. I called a travel agency in London that specializes in motorsport travel and booked lodging at the track and bought a race ticket. Friends who had been there inundated me with advice. I don’t think I could have navigated the Paris Metro without their help. 

While I spent the entire time on an emotional high, there were three times when my excitement boiled over and spilled out of my eyes. I entered the track for the first time on the Sunday before the race. The first step through the gate onto that hallowed ground ended a 65 year wait. The track was still a mile away, but I had made it.  

The next day at the museum two of my favorite cars of all time- the 1959 Shelby Cobra and the 1970 Gulf Porsche sat silently and proudly, anxious  to Have their engines roar to life again and roll onto the circuit just a few hundred feet away.  

I had eagerly awaited and dreaded race day. I knew containing my feelings would be a challenge. I told myself I had control, and I enjoyed the opening ceremonies until the first notes of La Marseilles. Control failure.  

The start of the race calmed me down. I took in as much of the track as I could, defying the intermittent rain and the long tram lines. Twenty-four hours goes by quickly when you want it to last forever.  

Everything was just as I had pictured, and in many ways the event was even better than I had imagined.  

All dreams must end, and it seemed that just a minute later I was in Charles de Gaulle airport boarding my flight home. 

IndyCar Officiating Releases First Post-Race Report

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Last night IndyCar Officiating Issued their first post-race bulletin detailing inspections and rulings during the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. Click the link below to see the full report. It is quite detailed and specific, and the rulings might provide guidelines for how the rest of the season will be officiated.

Some highlights:

Scott Mclaughlin received a $1,500 fine for hitting another team’s pit equipment; Louis Foster got docked $3,000 for the same offense because it was his second time this season hitting equipment.

The incident in Turn 1 between Alex Palou and Nolan Siegel warranted no action, but the stewards ruled that Siegel had more responsibility for the contact.

I’m glad that the officiating board is publishing this information. It will help me understand the stewards’ thought process better. I will probably still disagree with hem at times, but at least I will understand why they made a certain ruling.;

PER-2026-WWTR-001.pdf

Gateway Wrap Up

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A few final thoughts about Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

IndyCar needs more ovals. The first half of the 2026 season included three oval races, and they were the best three races of the year. While three more oval, races are on the schedule for the second half of the season, only two venues will host oval races, Nashville and Milwaukee.

IndyCar needs one more night oval. Night racing is some of the best racing I’ve seen, and the time of day adds several variables to how a race plays out. Cars change when the sun goes down.; Look at David Malukas this weekend. He qualified second but had no pace during the race. Malukas said the team missed the setup. He finished seventh on a race where he was one of the favorites.

Was it as good a race as the 2026 race? No, but it was still a very good race. Christian Rasmussen said in the post race media availability that last year’s package raced better, yet there was a record 268 passes for position, more than 35 by the Danish driver himself.

Keep in mind that Marcus Ericsson started 12th, meaning he passed nearly half the field to get to the lead on lap 47. Ericsson passed pole winner Alex Palou on track for the first place.

It was evident from the start that Ericsson and Jopsef Newgarden had the two fastest cars. Both drivers said after the race that their cars were nearly equal. Newgarden got the jump on the last pit stop to get ahead.

Christian Rasmussen and Newgarden battled for the lead for 15 laps near the end before Ericssson got past Rasmussen for second. Newgarden led the final 40 laps and won by 0.6 seconds.

Rasmussen is one to watch for on the remaining ovals. He won at Milwaukee last year, and he was about to win at Phoenix in March before tangling with Will Power.

When Caio Collet finally gets a break, he just might end up being the next new winner in IndyCar. His brilliant drive Sunday on lap 226 with a blown engine. He led seven laps after starting 20th, and Collet had a podium finish in sight.

Has Dixon Lost a Step?

Scott Dixon has seemed to be step behind this season, and Sunday was an example as the Ganassi driver’s usually great fuel save strategy failed. Dixon needed emergency service a closed pit and finished 12th. He was still in better shape than teammate Alex Palou.

In a rare error by the number 10 crew Palou ran out of fuel and stopped on pit lane. It took several minutes to get the car refired. The points leader finished 17th, two laps down. Palou has won four consecutive poles, but he has converted just one of those to a win.

Is the Window Closing?

Time is running out for David Malukas, Marcus Armstrong, or anyone else who has never won a race to get to the top step of the podium. The first of an IndyCar is where we normally see a variety of winners, but in the second, the championship contenders usually sweep up all the hardware.

Granted, last year Christiuan Rasmussen got his breakthrough first victory late in the season, but things like that don’t occur very often.

After a much neede3d week off IndyCar goes to Road America for the next race Jube 21 to begin the second half of the 2026 schedule. I plan to have a couple of posts between now and then. Thanks to all who followed here this past weekend.

Gateway Marathon Ends

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I will have a mote in depth report later, But just a fe wquick notes.

Josef Newgarden won another race at WWTR, his sixth at this track.

Marcus Ericsson and Christian Rasmussen earned podiums, a much needed result for both.

Palou and the 10 crew are human after all. Palou ran out of fuel before he got to his pit on the final stop, and he lost two laps getting the car restarted.

Caio Collet is tonight’s tough luck story. Collet was in contention for a podium when he lost an engine just before the final yellow for rain.

Rasmussen backed up his performance at Phoenix. He said he felt he had a “third place car. We just didn’t have the pace to hang with the two guys.”

Ericsson said this result is “very important. We’ve worked to get the car more to my liking.”

That will do it for me for tonight. Look for a wrapup later this morning. Thanks for following along the last two days.

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.