Bommarito 500 Spotter’s Guide
Author: thepitwindow
I'm a retired educator and lifelong racing fan. I hope to return to fostering greyhounds in the near future. Living mainly in Indy and wintering in Florida. I attend about 10 Indycar races a year as well as some sports car events
Power Leads Bommarito Practice
Points leader Will Power had the fastest lkap in the only practice before qualifying for ther Bommarito 500. Power’slap of 180.539 was 0.04sweconds faster than Alex Palou. Felix Rosenqvist finished third.
The five top drivers in nthe points had laps good enough for the top 10. Qualifying begins at 3:15 Central time, followed by a practice at 6:00 PM.
Results
Qualifying Order
Qualifying order is determinbed by entrant points. I still think qualifying order for each oval should be determined by results of the practice just before qualifying.
Grid Penalty for the 28
Indycar has assessed a nine place grid penalty for car 28 and driver Romain Graosjean for an unapproved engine change.
Notes
Tempreature at 3 pm is expected to be 87 degrees with a south wind of xseven miles an hour.
Rain could interefere with tomorrow’s race. Indycar will probably not announce contingency plans until tomorrow afternoon.
Opening Day at Gateway
Today’s Schedule. Times are Eastern
11am: Silver Crown Prac
1145am: Pro2000 Prac
1pm: INDYCAR Prac
215pm: Silver Crown Prac
310pm: Lights Prac
415pm: INDYCAR Quals
530pm: Silver Crown Quals
615pm: Lights Quals
7pm: INDYCAR Lane 2 Prac
745pm: IndyCar Final Prac
930pm: Silver Crown Race
Today should be dry, but tomorrow there may be some precipitation causing issues with the schedule.
Indyar aqctivity is on Peacock today.
Reminder: Tomorrow’s race is on USA Network. Coverage begins at 6 pm Eastern with the green flag at 6:30.
I will be heading to the rack in a coupple of hours and I will have a brief report after each Indycar session.
Bommarito 500 Preview
Photo: Will Power has a shaky six point lead heading into the final oval race of 2022. Indycar photo by James Black
World Wide Technology Raceway has a tough act to follow. After the smash hit at Iowa, the final oval of the year, which usually puts on a great event, may seem a bit less so this year. Hy Vee is assisting in the production, but I don’t know if they can match Iowa’s energy.
Saturday’s race begins the final stretch of the 2022 Indycar season with three races in 22 days. I always feel sorry for the winners of these last races if they are not one of the title contenders. The focus is on the drivers going for the title. And we have quite a title fight going. Seven drivers have a mathematical chance of winning, but only five have a realistic shot at the Astor Cup.
The top five are within 33 points of leader Will Power, and just 12 points separate the top three. This race could stabilize the title picture or it could jumble it even more.
Penske Strength
Team Penske has been strong at Gateway the past few years. Josef Newgarden has been especially dominant here. In the last three races at WWTR, Josef Newgarden has won twice. Will Power has two poles and two third place finishes. Scott McLaughlin finished fourth in 2021 in his debut. The team has been strong at Texas and Iowa as well, with Newgarden winning at each track and Power and McLaughlin sweeping the poles.
I don’t see Team Penske having any fall off this weekend. The finishing order of this trio will determine who remains in the championship hunt.
What Does Ganassi Have?
Scott Dixon is right where he wants to be- second in points, jus six behind power, with just three races left. If Dixon can’t win here, which he did in 2020 race 1, he has two chances on road courses to get by Power. I would not count him out.
Will Weather Give Us a Night Race?
Storms are forecast around race time Saturday, and a delay could push the event to the night race everyone wants. I detest rain delys, but I wouldn’t mind this one.
Kirkwood’s Best Opportunity
Rookie Kyle Kirkwood has a chance for a bit of redemption Saturday. Kirkwood thew away a career best finish at Nashville with his late crash. Gateway has been the best track for A. J. Foyt Racing. the team has a podium and to top fives in this event. Can Kirkwood bring the car to the finish?
A Second Groove
The first half hour of the post qualifying practice Friday will feature nine cars- one from each team except Foyt, running in the high groove to laydown some rubber to improve the racing line. Some drivers believe the high line will be good for the start and restarts, but that everyone will settle in to the low groove after a few laps.
Indycar did this at Texas, and it did help the race a bit.
Andretti Spoilers?
Colton Herta and Alexander Rossi have no realistic hopes of winning the championship. Both Andretti drivers were running well last year before encountering issues. Herta and Rossi overcame qualifying and early race problems at Nashville to finish the top five. The duo could have a say about who wins the title by having good results and taking points away from one or more of the contenders.
In fact, I think that is what will happen. Herta will win the race, and Rossi will grab a top five spot. Obe of the top four chasers will have a big issue and see his hopes dashed, and this tight title fight will become even titghter.
Bommarito 500 Fast Facts
| Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 19 – Saturday, Aug. 20 Track: World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 260 laps / 325 miles | Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 75 laps / 93.75 miles Firestone tire allotment: Nine sets of Firestone Firehawk tires for use throughout the weekend Twitter: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #IndyCar Event website:http://www.wwtraceway.com/ INDYCAR website:www.IndyCar.com 2021 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Sonsio Team Penske Chevrolet) Indy Lights Presented by Cooper TiresDavid Malukas (No. 79 HMD Motorsports) – Both Races 2021 NTT P1 Award winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 49.8289, 180.618 mph One-lap qualifying lap record:NTT INDYCAR SERIES Will Power, 23.7206, 189.709 mph, Aug. 25. 2017 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper TiresJuan Piedrahita, 27.8890, 161.354 mph, Aug. 26, 2017 NBC Sports race telecast: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline 6 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 20, USA Network (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports’ coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be simulcast on the streaming service. Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will be streamed following the race. The Indy Lights at World Wide Technology Raceway will be streamed on Peacock Premium with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR Live! INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query and Michael Young are the pit reporters. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline race (6 p.m. ET Saturday), Indy Lights at World Wide Technology Raceway (4:10 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): FRIDAY, AUGUST 19 Noon-1 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock Premium 2:10-3 p.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practice, INDYCAR Live! 3:15-4:15 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT P1 Award qualifying (single car/cumulative time of two laps), Peacock Premium 5:15 p.m. – Indy Lights at World Wide Technology Raceway Qualifying, INDYCAR Live! 6-6:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice – Group A, Peacock Premium (Note: This is a special, voluntary high-line session among nine cars. Each entry receives an extra set of Firestone Firehawk tires for the session only.) 6:45-7:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 3:15 p.m. – Indy Lights at World Wide Technology Raceway “Drivers Start Your Engines” 3:20 p.m. – Indy Lights at World Wide Technology Raceway (75 laps / 93.75 miles) 5 p.m. – USA Network on air 5:25 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline “Drivers, start your engines” 5:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline (260 laps/325 miles), USA Network (Live) Championship facts: Will Power leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the fourth time in his career. Power previously led the championship with three races to in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He won the title in 2014.With 59 points separating the top-seven drivers in the point standings, this is the closest championship in the last 20 years. There are 11 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Will Power, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta and Rinus VeeKay.Any driver who trails the points leader by 108 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention. Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship three times: Alex Zanardi (1998), Josef Newgarden (2017) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1). Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship eight times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019 Point differential: The six points that separate Will Power and Scott Dixon is the fourth-closest point margin since 2008. Prior to this season, the average lead with three races to go since 2008 was 30.1 points. CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 3 TO GO (2008-2022) YEAR LEADER SECOND LEAD CHAMPION 2008 Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves 78 Scott Dixon 2009 Ryan Briscoe Dario Franchitti 4 Dario Franchitti 2010 Will Power Dario Franchitti 23 Dario Franchitti 2011 Dario Franchitti Will Power 26 Dario Franchitti 2012 Will Power Ryan Hunter-Reay 5 Ryan HunterReay 2013 Helio Castroneves Scott Dixon 49 Scott Dixon 2014 Will Power Helio Castroneves 4 Will Power 2015 Juan Pablo Montoya Graham Rahal 42 Scott Dixon(-48) 2016 Simon Pagenaud Will Power 27 Simon Pagenaud 2017 Josef Newgarden Scott Dixon 18 Josef Newgarden 2018 Scott Dixon Alexander Rossi 29 Scott Dixon 2019 Josef Newgarden Alexander Rossi 35 Josef Newgarden 2020 Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden 72 Scott Dixon 2021 Pato O’Ward Alex Palou 10 Alex Palou 2022 Will Power Scott Dixon 6 ? Race notes: There have been eight different winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2022 season. Scott McLaughlin (Streets of St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Streets of Long Beach, Road America, Iowa Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway-2), Colton Herta (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis 500), Will Power (Raceway at Belle Isle Park), Scott Dixon (Streets of Toronto and Streets of Nashville) and Alexander Rossi (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2) have all won in 2022. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will be the 14th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Josef Newgarden won his third race at WWTR in 2021. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Newgarden, Scott Dixon (2020 Race 1) Takuma Sato (2019), Will Power (2018) and Helio Castroneves (2003) are the former winners entered in this year’s race. ACTIVE RACE WINNERS Josef Newgarden 3 2017, 2020-Race2, 2021 Scott Dixon 1 2020-Race 1 Takuma Sato 1 2019 Will Power 1 2018 Helio Castroneves 1 2003 The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will be the fifth and final oval race of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway-1), Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and Pato O’Ward (Iowa Speedway-2). 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 seven 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) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins at Gateway with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1). Twenty drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has seven starts, most among the entered drivers. Twelve entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 406, Helio Castroneves 271, Scott Dixon 251, Will Power 201, Takuma Sato 145, Pato O’Ward 131, Colton Herta 121, Simon Pagenaud 14, Alexander Rossi 4, Felix Rosenqvist 3, Marcus Ericsson 2 and Conor Daly 1). |
Biommarito 500 Entry List
Rahal Signs Lundgaard to Multiyear Agreement
From Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing:
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (August 16, 2022) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced today that the team has restructured a new, long-term agreement with NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie-of-the-year contender Christian Lundgaard that will see the Danish driver continue to compete for the team in 2023 and beyond.
Lundgaard has momentum on his side heading into the final three races of the season. He earned an INDYCAR career-best finish of second place at the Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 30 and earned his highest series start of third place at the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville on August 6. He leads the INDYCAR Rookie of the Year standings with 272 points to second-place David Malukas, who has 231.
The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season resumes with the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway on August 19-20. The race will air live on USA Network at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 20. All on-track action can be seen on NBC or NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service. For more information on the series and team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.
QUOTEBOARD:
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, Driver of the No. 30 Honda: “I have to say a big thanks to Bobby, David and Mike for giving me this opportunity to extend my time with the team. We’ve had some good results lately and I’m sure this has also helped their decision. First of all, I’m just happy and super excited that they gave me this opportunity. A year ago at the Grand Prix, we qualified well and they decided that they wanted me for a full season and we made the most of the opportunity so far. I’m sure there are times when we could have performed better but now we have the opportunity to continue this progress. We’ve been to a lot of tracks so far and have come back to some and finished on the podium, which I hope to continue. Qualifying third in Nashville was a big milestone for me. Making the Fast Six – and not being at the end of the Fast Six but actually having a shot at competing for the pole – was a great experience for me. We didn’t quite finish where we wanted but it was good to have that experience and now everyone is making the most of it. I’m happy for everyone at the team, my family and the sponsors and investors, everyone that has made this possible. I’m looking forward to continuing to build momentum.”
BOBBY RAHAL, Co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “I am so pleased with Christian’s progress with the team and within the series. He has shown that he can be a force to be reckoned with in these races. He works well within the team, and we are pleased that we are continuing for the next several years because I believe he will continue to improve and be a potential winner in the very near future.”
MIKE LANIGAN, Co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “Christian has done a great job acclimatizing to the variety of challenges and new experiences this season. His approach and professionalism continues to impress us and his performance, especially in the second half of the season, speaks volumes about his potential. We are very happy to have him as part of the team for the years ahead.”
About Christian Lundgaard
Christian Lundgaard, 21, from Hedensted, Denmark, came to the INDYCAR SERIES after competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the primary Formula 1 support series, from 2020-2021. Lundgaard was a member of the Alpine Academy, having joined the program in 2017 following an impressive career in European and World Karting Championships. Christian’s first year in single-seaters led to two Formula 4 titles – NEZ and Spanish – before he finished runner-up in the 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup as a rookie. In 2019, Christian stepped up to Formula 3, finishing sixth, before progressing to Formula 2 the following season.
In his first year in Formula 2 in 2020, he won two races and backed that up the following year with three podiums. He finished second in Race 2 at the season opener in Bahrain before claiming third place in Race 1 in Great Britain in July. After his debut in INDYCAR, he made a sensational charge from 19th on the grid to finish third in Monza in Race 1. He tested the R.S.18 on one occasion in 2021 at Silverstone.
World Wide Technology Raceway Weekend Schedule
All Times Central
Indycar practices and qualifying, Indy lkights race on Peacock. Indycar race on USA network and Peacock.
The 1997 Motorola 300-Indycar’s Debut at Gateway
The second year of the Indycar split between the IRL and CART saw CART change their Memorial Day weekend tactics. In 1996 they held their own 500 mile race at Michigan International Speedway on the same day as the Indianapolis 500.
The US 500 started after the the race in Indianapolis was about halfway through. The start featured a multiple car crash involving the front row. CART decided to allow teams to repair their cars or use a backup and restarted the race. Jimmy Vasser won the race from the pole position.
For 1997 CART staged a race at a brand new tack in Madison, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. The track’s owner, Chris Pook, also created the Long Beach race. The oval surface had been laid 20 days before the race. None of the drivers were entered in the Indianapolis 500 the next day.
48,500 fans, a sellout, turned out for the race despite a slight chance of rain. The rain would have little impact on this race, as the system moved east, it would have a huge effect on the 500 the following day.
Raul Boesel won the pole with a speed of 187.963 miles an hour. Nine cautions consumed 88 of the 236 laps. The worst accident occurred late in the race when Scott Pruett spun in turn 1. The heavy impact with the rear of his car caused the gearbox to explode. The car then spun around and made wall contact with the nose. Pruett was able to get out of the car on his own. Cleanup for this accident, plus light rain which began to fall, prolonged the caution to 37 laps.
Michael Andretti had assumed the lead by not pitting. He hoped the rain would shorten the race, which was well past the official race distance. He lost the lead quickly after racing resumed.
Patrick Carpentier took the lead. Paul Tracy was in fifth place with 25 laps remaining. He climbed to second place and began to chase Carpentier, who was told to slow down to conserve fuel. He finished the race with 0.2 gallons left. Tracy took the lead with two laps left and won his third consecutive race of the season.
CART raced at Gateway the following three years on the weekend of the 500. From 2001-2003, the IRL had the track on its schedule. Indycar didn’t return until 2017.
After the race, track owner Pook hoped the 1998 race would be on a different date.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said, ” I’m very happy with what happened here today, but I’d be happier if all these guys were running at Indy next memorial day weekend. There needs to be a resolution between CART and the Indy Racing League so these guys can go back to Indianapolis where they belong.”
When the rain got to Indianapolis the next morning, it was bad enough to cause a postponement. After getting in just a few laps on Monday, the 1997 Indianapolis 500 finished on Tuesday.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 