Today’s Schedule All Times Central

Friday, June 10, 2022
7:00 a.m. Gates Open
8:00 a.m. USF2000 P1
8:45 a.m. Indy Pro 2000 P1
9:30 a.m. RADICAL CUP P2
10:30 a.m. USF2000 Q1
11:15 a.m. Indy Pro 2000 Q1
12:00 p.m. Vintage Indy Registry
12:45 p.m. RADICAL CUP Quals
1:00 p.m. INDY LIGHTS Autograph Session Fan Village
1:30 p.m. USF2000 Q2
2:00 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session Fan Village
2:15 p.m. INDY LIGHTS P1
3:30 p.m. INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1 Peacock
4:45 p.m. RADICAL CUP R#1
5:50 p.m. Vintage Indy Registry

Note: I will be leaving this evening and be at Road America tomorrow morning. I believe I have recovered well enough to make the trip, but it will be a game time decision.

And just like that the season reaches the halfway mark. Road America and the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America, the eighth race of the NTT Indycar Series season, also marks the end of an intense stretch of six weeks of activity. A three week run at the end of July is the only other long group of weekends remaining. The way the schedule is stacked is one of the things I don’t like about the series. I would rather see races spread out from March through October. ( Don’t say football. I don’t watch it so I don’t care.

This weekend’s event features two women in the field outside the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in almost nine years. Simona DeSilvestro and Paretta Autosport open their three race season, and join Tatiana Calderon of A. J Foyt Racing on the grid. Paretta Autosport will also enter Mid Ohio and Nashvlle.

Points Battle Continues

No clear favorite has emerged yet for the championship. The top our are separated by just 14 points. The lead has shifted between five drivers over the first seven races. Will Power is ahead of Marcus Ericsson. at the moment by just three points . The lead could shift again Sunday, though I think we are close to establishing the top four or five for the stretch run.

Andretti Resurgence?

If Andretti Autosport is going to et back into the game, Road America is the track to do it. The team gained some momentum in Detroit last week with Alexander Rossi finishing second and Colton Herta coming home eighth. Rossi dominate in winning here in 2019. Herta has one pole and three other front row starts. This pair could start a charge to the front of the pack this weekend. Rossi has moved up to seventh in points with a fifth at Indianapolis and and a second place finish last week. Herta has fallen back to 11th in points, but I think he still has at least one more win left in him for 2022.

AMSP Now Part of Big 4?

Arrow McLaren SP is close to joining the Big three of Andretti, Penske, and Ganassi. Both of their full time cars, wit Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist have finished in the top 10 the last two races. In race 2 at Road America in 2020 O’Ward and Rosenqvist put on a great battle for the lead. Rosenqvist, driving for Ganassi at the time, took the lead with two laps to go or the win. I look for another strong performance from these two.

For the race, Alexander Rossi will break his 44 race winless streak Sunday. This is the time of year when the top teams begin to assert themselves. There are now four teams strong enough to win any weekend, and Andretti is ready to rejoin the fight.