All times Pacific
Friday, September 1
3 pm-4:15 Indycar practice 1 Peacock
Saturday, September 2 Peacock
9 am-10 Indycar practice 2 Peacock
12;30 pm-2 Indycar qualifying Peacock
5:15-5:45 Indycar Final practice Peacock
Sunday, September 3
10:20 am Indy NXT race (35 laps or 55 minutes) Peacock
12:30 pm Indycar race (110 laps) NBC, Peacock
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced yesterday that Yuri Vips will drive the number 30 car in the final two races of the 2023 Indycar season. Vips replaces Jack Harvey, who the team dismissed after the Gallagher Grand Prix August 12.
Conor Daly drove the car last weekend in the Bommarito 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Vips is a candidate for this seat full time in 2024. The Estonian driver has competed in F2 this season.
I will have more details about this story later today.
News always breaks while I am in transit.
Simon Pagenaud sent out this statement earlier:
It has been difficult seeing Simon on the sidelines the last half of the year. I hope he has a full recovery. Pagenaud’s prospects for a ride in Indycar for 2024 are slim. I hope Meyer Shank can find a spot in their IMSA program for him.
It is strange to envision Indycar next season without either Helio Castroneves or Simon Pagenaud.
Tom Blomqvist is currently a driver in Meyer Shank’s IMSA Acura. he drove the Honda Indy Toronto in Pagenaud’s place and has signed to drive the 06 full time in Indycar in 2024.
Good morning, Just a few notes on yesterday’s race. I will have a full weekend wrapup after I get home this afternoon and have a chance to watch the replay.
All my notes can be reduced to two words- Scott Dixon. I have seen many masterful drives from Dixon involving fuel saving, but Sunday was one of the best I’ve witnessed. It was brilliant strategy winning this particular race on three stops given the long green flag stretches, including the entire second half of the race.
Over the years I have said that in Dixon we are watching a legend at work. I appreciate seeing Dixon drive every race. It has been easy to dismiss his chances lately because of the strength of his teammate Alex Palou, but Dixon has won just one less race than Palou over the last two years. Dixon has won on an oval, street course, and road course in that time. Palou has yet to score his fist oval victory.
I believe Dixon has a shot at joining A. J. Foyt in the 60 win club. I don’t think he will catch Foyt’s mark of 67, but I can see him winning five more times before he retires.
The stars aligned for Josef Newgarden to make significant headway in his quest to chase down Alex Palou for the championship, but wall contact on lap 210 knocked him out of the race. He finished 25th for the second straight race. Newgarden is out of contention for the title.
He has won at least four races for two consecutive seasons, and he has no Astor Cup to show for it. Newgarden’s issue is consistency. He is a master on the ovals, but his road and street course performances need to improve.
Alex Palou lost 27 points to Dixon Sunday and his lead is now just 74 points with two races remaining. Some might say Palou is starting to hear the theme music from Jaws with Dixon making another late season charge. But Palou can lose 27 points in each of the final two races and still win the title comfortably.
Dixon could win the final two events, and if Palou finishes in the top, he is the champion. Palou’s worst finish in 2023 is eighth. He waqs seventh yesterday.
David Malukas scored his second podium in a row at World Wide Technology Raceway, finishing third yesterday. Malukas came home second in 2022. Each driver has a track where everything comes together for them, no matter how the rest of the season goes. Malukas has found his home.
I thought it was an interesting race from a strategy standpoint, and a good race for this track. The multiple strategies made keeping track of who the effective leader was as complicated as the figures on Oppenheimer’s chalkboard at Berkely at times, but the drama of whether Dixon could make it all the way on stints of 65 plus laps (of course he would-it’s Dixon) gave some tension to the final segment.
More frustration for Pato O’Ward and Arrow McLaren. The team and driver have been in contention for the win at every oval this season, but they have no wins. O’Ward arguably had the fastest car after the first pit stop.
I’m not sure O’Ward will win one of the final two races of the year.
Linus Lundqvist again proved he belongs. He started 12th. His first oval race looked mostly like he was stuck in mid pack all day, but Lundqvist turned the fastest lap of the race on lap 62. The lap was a half second faster than Dixon’s fastest leading lap.
Thanks for following along this weekend. Saturday’s weather made the program chaotic, but at least we got some night racing action out of it. I hope Indycar takes the hint Mother Nature has given them the past two years here and just schedules a night race.
Includes oenalties assessed
Good morning. We have qualifying and racing all in one day today Teams must qualify on the primary tires and start the race on a primary set.
Here, as of now, is Sunday’s schedule. Times are Central. Schedule is subject to change.
7 a.m. – Parking lots open.
7:30 a.m. – Spectator gates open. Paddock and Gateway Garage Experience open.
8 a.m. – Vintage Indy Registry exhibition laps.
9 a.m. — USAC Silver Crown Series OUTFRONT 100 practice.
10 a.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline qualifying.
12:20 p.m. — USAC Silver Crown Series OUTFRONT 100 (80 laps, 100 miles).
1:45 p.m. – Law enforcement appreciation parade laps.
2 p.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline driver introductions.
2:19 p.m. – Invocation and national anthem.
2:22 p.m. – Command for drivers to cars.
2:35 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline (260 laps, 325 miles).
After practice, several drivers said they did not notice much difference between the primary and alternate tire. We will see how it plays out in the race.
It appears that Marcus Ericsson will use a backup tub which belongs to one of his teammates.
I will be back with a full day wrap up this evening..
If it’s World Wide Technology Raceway, Josef Newgarden is out front. The Team Penske driver led the delayed practice session this evening as drivers pre[ared for tomorrow’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500.
The one hour practice ran clean until about five minutes remained. Scott McLaughlin spun on the pit exit lane in turn two. Will power went high to avoid him, hit the wall, and collided with Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson will be going to a back up car.
Tomorrow’s schedule has changed because of today’s rain.
Here is Sunday’s schedule, which I will post again in the morning.
All times are Central
9 am Silver Crown Practice
10 am Indycar qualifying
2:35 pm Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (260 laps)
6 pm Silver Crown race (100 laps)
Results
Here is the revised schedule for the weekend
00 – 6:30 pm INDY NXT by Firestone Practice
6:45 – 7:45 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (60 minutes)
• Hot pit stop practice during the last thirty (30) minutes
• Teams must return one (1) set of alternate tires at the conclusion of this session
Saturday
8:00 – 8:10 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group A (10 minutes)
• Teams must use WWTR Primary tires
8:15 – 8:25 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group B (10 minutes)
• Teams must use WWTR Primary tires
8:25 – 8:40 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Weigh-in
8:50 pm Green Flag INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown (75 laps)
10:00 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Garage Close
11:30 pm INDY NXT by Firestone Garage Close
7:00 am NTT INDYCAR SERIES Garage Opens
10:00 – 11:00 am NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifications (60 minutes)
12:00 pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Pit Selection
All remaining NTT INDYCAR SERIES timing remains
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 