Indianapolis 500 Folk Hero ‘Jigger’ Sirois Dies at 91

thepitwindowLeave a comment

From IMS.

Editor’s note: I was at the track that day in 1969. It was as dramatic as a bumping run.

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026) – Leon Duray “Jigger” Sirois, who became part of Indianapolis 500 folklore by nearly earning an improbable pole for the 1969 race, died Sept. 23. He was 91.
Sirois, a native of Shelby, Indiana, made no starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” despite attempting to qualify every year from 1969-75. But his close call at earning the top starting spot in unique circumstances in May 1969 became a legendary story in the history of the world’s greatest race.

Midget car standout Sirois drew first in line to attempt to qualify on Pole Day, May 17, 1969, in the No. 14 Gerhardt-Offenhauser owned by California car dealer Myron Caves. After a long rain delay, Sirois entered the 2.5-mile oval late in the afternoon to make the first four-lap qualification attempt of the day.
His first three laps ranged between 160 and 162 mph, but Caves waved off the final lap of the run due to a perceived lack of speed, negating the run. Moments later, Arnie Knepper began his qualifying attempt, but rain began to fall during his warmup laps and continued, washing out all track activity for the rest of the weekend.
If Sirois’ final lap had not been waved off, he would have been the lone qualifier of the weekend and have sat on the coveted provisional pole for that week, perhaps even holding it through Bump Day the next weekend and starting the race from the top spot. Sirois’ second and third attempts the next weekend also were waved off due to lack of speed or mechanical problems, and he didn’t qualify for the race.
Qualification rules were changed in 1971 to guarantee all cars in line on the first day of qualifying at least one chance to make the field during the first round, ending any chance of another “Jigger” story.

Sirois continued to attempt to qualify for the “500” every year through 1975, including the sluggish Jack Adams Turbine in 1970. It was the last qualifying attempt ever for the Indianapolis 500 by a turbine-engine car. He was the second alternate for the 1974 race, falling just short of making the field.
The failure to qualify at Indianapolis belied Sirois’ skill at many levels of open-wheel racing.
Sirois failed to qualify for the five USAC Champ Car races he entered in 1967 driving for team owner Bob Cavanaugh. But he attracted strong attention from Indianapolis 500 car owners in 1968 after he was forced to withdraw from the inaugural USAC Champ Car race at Michigan International Speedway due to clutch failure while running as high as second in low-budget equipment.
He made 10 USAC Champ Car starts, with a best finish of fifth in 1969 at Phoenix. He also finished third – in a turbine-engine car – behind winner A.J. Foyt and Knepper in the rain-shortened Ted Horn Memorial USAC National Dirt Car Championship race in September 1972 at DuQuoin, Illinois.

.Sirois enjoyed the most success in midgets, primarily racing around the Chicago area. He won four championships in 1961, including the UARA midget title. He was inducted into the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame in 2013
.One of the most popular veteran drivers, Sirois returned to IMS in May frequently to meet fans and media members, always well-liked for his geniality and courtesy. His sportsmanship surrounding the fateful decision to wave off his 1969 qualifying attempt – he never once blamed Caves or his crew – led the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) to create the annual “Jigger Award” to honor the year’s “hard luck” driver during qualifying. Sirois was the first recipient in 1969.

Sirois was born into the sport. His father, Earl “Frenchy” Sirois, was a longtime Indianapolis 500 mechanic who worked on the winning cars of Lee Wallard, Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan during his 40-year career. Sirois was named after two-time “500” pole winner Leon Duray.
The legendary nickname “Jigger” referred to two-time Indy 500-winning riding mechanic Jigger Johnson, a family friend. Sirois’ older sister also called him by that name.
Sirois suffered from a stutter that began during a tornado scare near his hometown of Shelby when he was 3 years old. He began to manage his stutter in his mid-60s after receiving speech therapy and worked tirelessly to promote awareness and treatment of stuttering disorders in youth. 
 

Historic Season Unleashes New Era of Growth for NTT INDYCAR SERIES 

thepitwindowLeave a comment

From IndyCar:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026) – The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season was historic, record-breaking and game-changing for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series. From massive audience gains to soaring attendance, booming digital engagement and world-class competition, the series leaped forward into a new position of prominence and impact across the sporting landscape

.“This is an incredible new era for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, defined by growth, energy and momentum,” Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles said. “Our partnership with FOX Sports has raised the bar for our sport, and in turn we’ve invested in new events and opportunities to accelerate our already immense progress. Alongside our teams and partners, our commitment to maintain and expand one of the fastest growth curves in all of sports is unmatched.”

A look at the season, by the facts and numbers:

Surging Viewership

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES reached an average audience of 1.68 million viewers on FOX across an 18-race schedule. This represents the largest average viewership in almost two decades, dating back to the 2008 season. In total, nine races saw an average audience of more than 1 million viewers, also the most since the 2008 season.
The historic Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. provided particularly stellar viewership, reaching a peak audience of 3.5 million people. This was the highest tune-in for a non-Indy 500 race since 1995. With all coverage on FOX combined, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES made a record 23 appearances on broadcast television in 2026.

Rising Attendance

Race weekend attendance increased by approximately 20 percent, benchmarked by another grandstand sellout at the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and a massive crowd of 215,000 people across the Freedom 250 Grand Prix race weekend.

Additional highlights included a record-breaking weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and a record-tying weekend at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. INDYCAR’s return to Phoenix Raceway resulted in doubled Saturday attendance for the promoter and additional buzz surrounding an action-packed motorsport weekend. The inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington also declared a grandstand sellout on race morning, highlighting incredible interest in the new event powered by a joint venture between INDYCAR, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment.

Impressive Digital GainsINDYCAR’s social channels reached new heights in 2026, led by notable milestones in engagement and video consumption. The 2026 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge delivered the most popular digital day in NTT INDYCAR SERIES history, with more than 1.5 million engagements. In addition, there were more than 250 million video views across social and digital channels, also a new record.
The INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA delivered a record-breaking performance in 2026 with the highest-ever average race day users across the season and a nearly 20 percent increase in screen views compared to 2025. The immersive relationship with NTT also celebrated a monumental moment in May, as NTT, Inc., together with NTT DATA Group Corporation, announced continued sponsorship of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
.INDYCAR’s YouTube channel saw significant growth for the 2026 season with a 58 percent increase in watch time, a 41 percent increase in view duration and a nearly 70 percent growth in livestream views.
The new, digital-first docuseries “ALL IN: INDYCAR” also expanded the sport’s dedicated shoulder programming and reached a new and younger audience. Produced by INDYCAR in tandem with FOX Sports and Tom Brady’s Shadow Lion, “ALL IN: INDYCAR” racked up more than 6 million views on YouTube, averaging almost 500,000 views an episode.

Merchandise Sales Soar

NTT INDYCAR SERIES merchandise flew off the shelves across the season, with a nearly 40 percent increase in race weekend sales. The series set a new non-Indy 500 sales record in Arlington, only to break it months later on the streets of Washington. New and expanded lines were unveiled with brands such as Homefield, True Brand, Flag & Anthem, Under Armour, Travis Matthew, Lululemon and more.

World-Class Competition

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES once again featured intense, high-speed drama and competition, powered by a global field of elite drivers. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, at just 29 years old, became the youngest five-time champion in INDYCAR SERIES history. Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian’s Felix Rosenqvist earned his first Indy 500 victory in the closest finish in the race’s storied century-plus history.Competition remained fierce throughout the 18-race schedule, with eight different drivers winning races and a record 20 drivers making at least one Firestone Fast Six qualifying appearance. In total, nine different race teams were represented on the podium in 2026

.IR-28 Unveiled

With momentum on its side, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES also showcased its commitment to the future with the unveiling of the IR-28 car that will be introduced for the start of the 2028 season. Lighter, faster and built to break track records, the IR-28 will encourage more wheel-to-wheel action through improved raceability, while its innovative and modern design will also engage a new generation of fans.

“The IR-28 unveil was a massive milestone for the sport, and it has been incredible to get so much positive feedback from both our drivers and our fans,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said.
“To capitalize on our momentum, we need to be constantly innovating and look toward the future, and the IR-28 reflects our commitment to this mindset.”

The IR-28 also showcases the continued commitment of Chevy and Honda as INDYCAR’s Official Engine Manufacturers (OEM). The 2026 calendar year started with news that both partners had committed to new OEM agreements running multiple years, reflecting the upward trajectory of the sport and continued investments in its growth

.Stay tuned for more NTT INDYCAR SERIES updates as the sport turns the page on the 2026 season and prepares for an action-packed and highly anticipated 2027. 

From yesterday on this site:

Battle on the Bricks- Some Thoughts

Battle on the Bricks- Some Thoughts

thepitwindowLeave a comment

IMSA put on quite a show yesterday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I watch IMSA and I know the drivers and cars, but I don’t follow the series intently or go to enough races to fully understand the series. If some of these observations seem naive, I apologize. I do know racing, and here are some of my observations from Sunday.

Close Margins

What a tough loss for the 31 team. It was their race to win until it wasn’t Earl Bamber took the lead about 40 minutes into the race, and the Cadillac still led after Jack Aitken took the reins. A great move by Sheldon van der Linde with three laps to go got the BMW in front and won by 2.926 seconds.

Laurin Heinrich drove a valiant race in the number 6 Penske Porsche, pushing to third place from fifth on the final restart, but the car seemed to struggle in traffic, giving him little chance to contend with BMW and Cadillac. The best part of the day for Heionrich was minimizing the points loss to Aitken and Bamber. Heinrich trails by 147 going into the final race of the season at the petit Le Mans. While it’s a tall order, the nighttime hours at Michelin Raceway tend to get pretty wild.

The most decisive class victory was in LMP2, where IndyCar driver Christian Rasmussen and Nick Boulle won by 24.953 seconds.

Lost in all the attention the series places on its top GTP class, were terrific battles in GTD Pro and GTD. The GTD Preo fight came down to the last lap in an All-American shootout between Ford and Chevy. The Ford Mustang driven by Dan Olsen edged the Corvette of Nick Catsburg by 0.993 seconds. The two made contact forcing Catsburg off track in the final moments.

In GTD the Turner Motorsport BMW driven by Patrick Ward and Robby Foley edged the Mercedes from Winward Racing driven by Russell Ward and Phillip Ellis by just half a second.

Notes

The six lap accident in turn 1 appeared to have been precipitated by the sloppy start of the prototype group. I don’t know what the start rules are in IMSA, but it sure looked like cars broke formation early.

The wreck ruined the days of several contenders including the number 7 Porsche in GTP, and the 99 in LMP2. The 99 got the worst of the wreck. I have never seen so many shards after contact. The car did return to action, finishing 8th in class and 40th overall.

2026 IndyNXT by Firestone champion Nikita Johnson had a tough break. Johnson was leading GTD Pro with just a few laps left when his McLaren needed to stop for a splash of fuel. He fell to eigthh in class.

While IMS reported a record attendance for this event, it seemed to me that the crowd was smaller than the 2025 attendance. From my vantage point on the turn 2 mounds, my area and the turn 1 mound seemed much more sparsely populated than they did a year ago. A friend who watched the race from home had the same observation. The suites must have been packed.

While the GTP battle for the l;e3ad was compelling, IMSA and its television partners need to give significantly more attention to the other classes. The battle for the GTD Pro victory was a classic door banging rumble which few saw live. Spread the coverage around more.

The Proper Length?

Since sports car racing returned to IMS in 2023, we have seen two six-hour races sandwiched between two two-hour, 40-minutes events. Which is the proper length for the race at IMS?

Each distance has its own merits, but i prefer the shorte3r race. I found it more intriguing and intense. The six-hour contests were fun in a different way, but the first two thirds had many lulls.

The 160-minute race has more of a sense of urgency to it, which I enjoy. My preference for the shorter length may stem from my open wheel background, where defined length events have a constant intensity where every second counts.

As I left the tr4ack yesterday afternoon, I bid a reluctant farewell to IMS for 2026, set for another icy Indiana winter to come and go, and to wait for May to once again bring the hallowed ground to life.

van der Linde Makes Dramatic Late Pass for BMW Victory at Indy

thepitwindowLeave a comment

From IMS. I will have my thoughts on the race tomorrow.

  INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026) – Sheldon van der Linde turned growing frustration to goosebumps-inducing elation with a dramatic late pass to lead the BMW M Team WRT to overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class victory Sunday in the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

van der Linde drove the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 that he shared with Dries Vanthoor under the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R of Earl Bamber entering Turn 12 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course and pulled away to win the two-hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race by 2.926 seconds.

SEE: Race Results

It was the first WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory for the Belgian WRT team in its first season running BMW’s factory GTP program.

“I was actually really frustrated after the restart (with 48 minutes remaining) because every time I was close to him (Bamber), we were in Turn 5 and 6 and he always got a run on me on the GTs,” van der Linde said. “As soon as I got into the lead, I got goosebumps with three laps to go, which is not ideal. You’re obviously trying to stay composed.
“We’ve waited so freaking long for this, man. I even hurt my ribs trying to celebrate on the way out of the car. I’m so proud of Dries. He did an incredible job. We’ve been fighting for this one for so long.”
Quick work by the WRT crew helped van der Linde vault to second behind Bamber on the final pit stop with 57 minutes to go, under full-course caution. After the restart with 48 minutes remaining, van der Linde stalked Bamber as both cars navigated slower traffic from the other three classes competing simultaneously on track with the premier-class GTP cars.
With 27 minutes remaining, Bamber led by 1.282 seconds. But he was slowed by traffic over the next lap, letting van der Linde close to within .287 of a second. But van der Linde then was stuck in a thicket of traffic, letting Bamber extend his lead to 1.516 seconds with 21 minutes left.
A preview of thrills to come came with seven minutes, 10 seconds to go when van der Linde caught Bamber, and the two prototypes went side by side in Turns 7 and 8 in a stirring joust for the lead. Bamber kept the top spot – but not for long.

With about five minutes, 30 seconds left, Bamber and van der Linde approached the Ford Mustang driven by Dennis Olsen, running second in the GTD PRO class. Bamber eased to the left to clear Olsen on the approach to Turn 12, but at the same time, van der Linde darted to the right – with both prototypes surrounding Olsen’s car – and dove to the inside to take a lead he wouldn’t surrender.

“He did a great move,” Vanthoor said of his teammate. “He sent it up the inside and made it stick.”

Aitken took the lead in the No. 31 Cadillac about 40 minutes into the race when he passed Tom Blomqvist in the pole-winning No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06. Aitken and Bamber then led, except for pit cycles, until van der Linde’s winning pass in the waning moments.

In the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class, Nick Boulle and NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Christian Rasmussen co-drove to victory in the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 by 15.004 seconds over the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA LMP2 07 shared by Misha Goikhberg and Harry Tincknell.

Rasmussen inherited the lead when class leader Paul Di Resta – the first cousin of INDYCAR SERIES legend Dario Franchitti – was forced to serve a drive-through penalty for passing under yellow. But it was far from a joyride to the finish for 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Rasmussen, who was forced to baby the throttle in the closing laps to save fuel and coasted across the Yard of Bricks to take the win.

“Nick did a great job in his first stint,” Rasmussen said. “Kept it clean, drove around people and put us in a good spot. We knew it was going to be tight, but we committed to the fuel save super early. We got it done. Man, so fun to be back in the P2 car.”

Despite the thrilling GTP finish, the most dramatic race for the checkered came in the GTD PRO class.
Olsen, driving the No. 64 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3 he shared with Ben Barker, dueled with Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the win on the final lap after they were within a few tenths of a second of each other for nearly every lap after the last restart.

On the final lap, the Mustang and Corvette made contact, and Catsburg was forced into the grass. That let Olsen pull away to victory by .993 of a second

.“I have a lot of respect for Nicky, and honestly I felt sorry for shoving him wide,” Olsen said. “But at the same time, I had this prototype inside and didn’t know what to do. I tried to stay in the middle as good as I could. But, yeah, anyway, we got the win.”
The dramatic last-lap duel was set up because reigning INDY NXT by Firestone champion Nikita Johnson was forced to pit from the lead for a splash of fuel in the No. 59 RLL Team McLaren McLaren 720S GT3 EVO with one minute left in the race.

Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley drove the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO to victory by .501 of a second over the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 shared by Russell Ward and Philip Ellis. The winning car featured a tribute to longtime Turner driver Matt Dalton, who passed away in August.
“This day is for our boy Matt Dalton,” Foley said. “We miss him a lot. We knew he was with us today. This is his home track, basically, being from Indiana. This one is for him, and we’ll try to keep fighting.”

Single-Make Support Series Complete Doubleheaders

All three single-make series competing this weekend at IMS conducted the second race of their doubleheaders Sunday.
Aaron Jeansonne drove the No. 24 Kellymoss Porsche 911 Cup car to victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America race, beating Janne Stiak in the No. 40 ACI Motorsports Porsche 911 Cup car to the checkered flag by 1.651 seconds.
Giano Taurino won the Lamborghini Super Trofeo race in the No. 88 Taurino Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2. He triumphed by 2.939 seconds over the No. 2 RAFA Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 shared by INDY NXT by Firestone veteran Kiko Porto and Tyler Gonzalez.
Nathan Nicholson earned a narrow win in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race. Nicholson, who finished second Saturday in Race 1, drove the No. 56 Advanced Autosports Mazda MX-5 to victory by .251 of a second over Jeremy Fletcher in the No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing Mazda MX-5.
Sports car racing returns to IMS on Oct. 9-11 for the Indianapolis 8 Hour, an Intercontinental GT Challenge event that is the last major race of the year at The Racing Capital of the World. Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information. 
 
 

Friday Practice: Estre Leads in Penske Porsche

thepitwindowLeave a comment

From IMS: Still awaiting results for this morning’s practice.

 INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 18, 2026) – Porsche Penske Motorsport led practice in the premier GTP class Friday during the first day of track activity for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Kevin Estre turned the quickest lap of the 90-minute session, 1 minute, 15.764 seconds, in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. Estre will share the prototype sports car with Laurin Heinrich in the two-hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, which starts at 3:10 p.m. ET Sunday.
SEE: Practice Results

The speed of the No. 6 Porsche will be helpful for Heinrich, who is second in the GTP drivers’ standings, 118 points behind 2025 Battle on the Bricks winner Jack Aitken of Cadillac with just two races remaining this season. Porsche strategically moved Heinrich from JDC-Miller Motorsports back to the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport car alongside Estre for this event to try and gain ground on Aitken.

Former NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Tom Blomqvist was second today at 1:15.853 in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06. His teammate Sunday will be fellow INDYCAR SERIES veteran Colin Braun.Sheldon van der Linde ended up third at 1:16.088 in the No. 24 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8.Aitken’s teammate, Earl Bamber, was sixth quickest at 1:16.216 in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.Less than six-tenths of a second separated the top seven cars in the 11-car GTP field. That should produce a taut qualifying session for the class at 6:05 p.m. ET Saturday.

Tom Dillmann was the quickest driver in the LMP2 class, turning a top lap of 1:16.545 in the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07.Dillman and teammate Jeremy Clarke have won the class in the last two races this season to pull to within 36 points of the leading No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR shared by George Kurtz and Alex Quinn in what appears to be a two-car battle for the crown. Quinn was third in the LMP2 class today at 1:16.833.

LMP2 qualifying starts at 5:45 p.m. Saturday.

Nicky Catsburg led the GTD PRO class at 1:23.567 in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.GTD PRO has an intense title race, as just 67 points separate the top five teams, each of which represent a different manufacturer (BMW, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Porsche and Ford). Catsburg and teammate Tommy Milner are second, just 23 points behind the leading No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 shared by Neil Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi. Verhagen could only manage seventh in practice today, with a best lap of 1:24.437

.Qualifying for GTD PRO begins at 5:25 p.m. ET.

Trent Hindman was quickest in the GTD class with a best lap of 1:23.630 in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 he shares with Danny Formal.

GTD qualifying starts at 5:05 p.m. ET Saturday.

The Michelin Pilot Challenge series will conduct the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120, a two-hour race at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday with its two classes.Michael Cooper was quickest overall in practice today for the Grand Sport class with a top lap of 1:29.533 in the No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4. Cooper also led the opening practice at this event last year. LP Montour led the Touring Car class at 1:31.826 in the No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5

TCR.Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying starts at 8 a.m. ET Saturday.

Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.