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

The 2023 Grid- Clearer and Murkier

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Photo: Devlin Defrancesco at Long Beach

Just when you thought Silly Season was over, the NTT Indycar Series grid for 2023 became both clearer and cloudier in the last week.

Devlin DeFrancesco will stay in the 29 car for Andretti Autosport in 2023. He has had a somewhat uneven season, but DeFrancesco has qualified well in several of recent races. He started ninth at Gateway

Colton Herta

Formula 1 rumors have again risen around Colton Herta. Red Bull has made inquiries about his filling one of the Alpha Tauri seats which may soon be vacant. Herta is still shy of the required 40 points for an F1 super license. My guess is he is back in the 26 for one more year. Herta would likely be a reserve driver in F1 in 2023.

The Newest Hottest Driver

I thought it was a foregone conclusion that David Malukas would be back with dale Coyne Racing next year. The rookie has begun to get notice from other teams, and his second place at gateway two weeks ago really cranked up the free agent buzz.

David Malukas

There seems to be great interest from Chip Ganassi Racing, which could have as many as two openings in 2023, depending on the Alex Palou situation with McLaren, and whether Jimmie Johnson returns with Carvana.

This puzzle may not be resolved for awhile. My fear is that Malukas may end up the odd man out. That would be a huge mistake for the series.

Where Do Indy Lights Drivers Fit?

Linus Lundqvist will most likely win the Indy lights championship and have three Indycar races, including the Indianapolis 500, guaranteed. If Malukas moves to Ganassi, could Lundqvist move into the seat at Coyne?

Matthew Brabham and Hunter McElrea are also seeking Indycar rides. Ernie Francis, Jr. may also be looking to move up, at least for the 500.

Indycar in2023 will have the usual problem of too many drivers seeking too few seats. The grid is expected to expand next season, but the driver situation will only improve when the elusive third OEM appears.

Grand Prix of Portland Schedule

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All Times Pacific

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

9:05 AM – 9:35 AM USF2000 Qualifying
9:55 AM – 10:25 AM Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying
11:20 AM – 12:05 PM USF2000 Race 1
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session
12:20 PM – 1:10 PM Indy Pro 2000 Race 1
1:25 PM – 2:15 PM Indy Lights Practice 1
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1 Peacock
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM USF2000 Race 2
5:00 PM – 5:50 PM Indy Pro 200 Race 2
6:05 PM – 7:05 PM ARCA Menards Series West Practice


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 Peacock
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM USF200O Race 3
11:15 AM – 11:55 AM Indy Lights Practice 2
12:05 PM – 1:20 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying Peacock
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Indy Lights Autograph Session
1:35 PM – 2:05 PM ARCA Menards Series West Qualifying
2:20 PM – 3:10 PM Indy Pro 2000 Race 3
3:25 PM – 3:45 PM Indy Lights Qualifying
4:15 PM – 4:45 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice Peacock
5:30 PM ARCA Menards Series Race (57 laps)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

10:20 AM – 11:15 AM Indy Lights Race Peacock
11:40 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
12:30 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Grand Prix of Portland (110
laps) NBC; Peacock
*Schedule subject to change without notice. All times PT

Points Battle- Spoilers, Helpers, Bonus Points

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Will Power has a very tenuous lead heading into the final two races

The Indycar title fight is down to four drivers who are separated by just 17 points. Three of the four have nine Indycar championships between them. 2022 is one of the closest four driver battles with two races left that I remember. It is also a team battle, Team Penske vs. Chip Ganassi Racing.

The standings:

I have shown the top six because Alex Palou drives for Ganassi and Scott McLaughlin drives for Penske. They are both a bit too far out to have a realistic chance at the title unless all four ahead of them have some extremely bad luck the next two weekends. but they have a role to play. Palou and Mclaughlin need to help their teammates by taking points away from the competitors on the other team.

If either Palou or McLaughlin should win of the last two races- Palou won at Portland last year- it doesn’t necessarily hurt their team members.

Bonus Points

The three point difference between Power and Newgarden can be contributed to the bonus points Power earned at Gateway last weekend. The championship could come down to who scores the most bonus points at Portland and Laguna Seca. The season long bonus point standings”

Dixon 21 (5 races)

Power 18 (10 races)

Newgarden 18 (9 races)

Ericsson 12 (5 races)

Dixon’s total is skewed by the 12 points he earned for winning the pole at the Indianapolis 500. He would have just 10 bonus points if Indianapolis awarded the normal ingle point for pole.

Power and Dixon are the only two of this group who have earned maximum bonus points for a race.

Testing as Strategy

Most Indycar teams have one test day left, and the top two teams have each chosen a different track to map the final push.

Today, Team Penske tests at Portland. Ganassi tests Monday at L:aguna Seca. Ganassi tested at Portland last year and took the pole and the race win.

Flinn Lazier to Make Indy Lights Debut in September

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Indy Lights announced that the son of 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier will drive for Abel Motorsports in the final three races of the year at Portland and Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The news release from Indy Lights:

Third-generation race driver Flinn Lazier will make his Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires debut with Abel Motorsports on Sept. 4 at Portland International Raceway.

Lazier also will drive the No. 15 Abel entry in the season-ending doubleheader Sept. 10-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Lazier, 23, is the son of 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2000 INDYCAR SERIES champion Buddy Lazier and the grandson of 1981 CART Rookie of the Year and Indianapolis 500 veteran Bob Lazier.

“I’m really excited to get this opportunity to make my Indy Lights debut with Abel Motorsports,” Lazier said. “I’ve been working for this for a long time, and I am incredibly grateful to Abel Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to get my feet wet in the series. I can’t wait to get to Portland and begin working with the team and seeing what we can accomplish together.”

Colorado native Lazier is no stranger to open-wheel racing. He has won two races this season in the Formula Atlantic series and was the 2019 Formula Atlantic champion.

Lazier also made four starts in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2021 and also has extensive experience in Sports Car Club of America racing.

Jeff Gordon to Race at IMS Porsche Fest

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A follow up announcement from IMS:
Brickyard Icon Gordon To Race
Labor Day Weekend Porsche Event at IMS 
 Legendary Crew Chief Evernham To Work with Four-Time Cup Series Champion
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022) – Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will briefly step out of retirement to race in the IMSA-sanctioned Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands on Sept. 2-4 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Highlighting the weekend for three-time Daytona 500 winner Gordon will be a reunion with longtime and storied crew chief Ray Evernham. It marks the first time the championship-winning combination has teamed together since 1999. Gordon joins an entry list of over 30 Porsche specialists all driving Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars in competition on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile, road course at the world’s most famous racetrack.
SEE: Porsche Sports Car Together Fest Tickets
“I’m looking forward to getting back in a race car and competing against a talented field of teams and drivers,” NASCAR Hall of Fame member Gordon said. “It’s always special when I get a chance to compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ray and I have always talked about running another race together, and we felt like Indy was the perfect place. It’ll be a fun way to spend the holiday weekend and make some new memories.”
Gordon will drive the No. 24 entry in the Invitational class of the premier Porsche one-make race series in North America as part of the second-annual Porsche Sports Car Together Fest.
The 93-time NASCAR Cup race winner is no stranger to either road courses or IMS. Gordon spent his teenage years in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, is a record five-time Brickyard 400 winner at IMS and holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for most road course victories (nine). In 2017, Gordon won the Rolex 24 At Daytona overall in his second attempt, becoming one of only four drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and the Daytona 24-hour race. In 2003, he had his first taste of the Indy road course in a famous “seat swap” with Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
Opening practice for the two 40-minute Carrera Cup races will take place Friday, Sept. 2, followed by qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, Sept. 3 and Race 2 scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 4. 
Visit here for ticket information and to buy tickets.
Live timing and scoring of each session can be found at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us. The races will be broadcast live on the official series web site – www.porschecarreracup.us – as well as on IMSA.TV. IMSA Radio will provide play-by-play commentary.

IMS Release: Sports Cars To Drive into Spotlight This Fall on IMS Road Course 

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From IMS:


 INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022) – Sports cars will reign this fall on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course as Porsche and the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli return for events in September and October, respectively.The Porsche Sports Car Together Fest is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Sept. 4, with the Indianapolis 8 Hour taking place from Friday, Oct. 7 through Sunday, Oct. 9. These unique race weekends provide an exciting, fan- and family-friendly conclusion to the 2022 season at the Racing Capital of the World.
Tickets for both events are available at IMS.com.
A look at the upcoming events at IMS:
Porsche Sports Car Together Fest – Sept. 2-4Porsche returns to IMS for the second annual Sports Car Together Fest, a three-day celebration of all things Porsche and car culture, along with trackside activities for families and fans of all ages. The full weekend of fun will highlight Porsche’s highest-performance models, including the GT line of road cars and the top one-make race series.
The weekend is expected to be the world’s largest gathering of Porsche GT cars and provide a spotlight on the 50th anniversary of the RS model.
While the Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by the Cayman Islands and the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama headline the racing action on the track, multiple aspects of the Porsche automotive and sports culture will entertain and educate Porsche fans and casual attendees alike at the Labor Day weekend event.
Indianapolis 8 Hour – Oct. 7-9The elite sports car drivers and evocative brands of the will compete for the third consecutive year at IMS in the Indianapolis 8 Hour endurance race. The Indianapolis 8 Hour will begin at noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 8 and run to 8 p.m., allowing fans a unique chance to watch cars race after sunset at IMS.
Since 2016, the series has brought together some of the world’s great standalone endurance events to compete under the FIA’s global GT3 sports car regulations. The race weekend at IMS is part of a globe-trotting campaign that races on at least three continents.
The world’s biggest luxury automotive manufacturers also consider Intercontinental GT Challenge as a key component of their customer racing programs. Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche are among the prestigious manufacturers competing in the series.
Also racing that weekend along with the Intercontinental GT Challenge is its North American series, GT World Challenge America.
More Sports Cars in 2023 at IMS
For the first time since 2014, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be back at the Racing Capital of the World on the weekend of Sept. 15-17, 2023, as the headline event of a full weekend of IMSA sports car action billed as the “IMSA Battle on the Bricks.”
The IMSA Battle on the Bricks weekend will be a three-day festival showcasing the pinnacle of North American sports car racing, including the premier GTP class featuring the new, technologically sophisticated LMDh prototypes. Fans also can camp in the IMS infield, access not available during any other race weekend.
Visit IMS.com for more information and to sign up to be the first to secure tickets for 2023.

Gateway Wrap Up

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There is nothing like an impending rain storm to liven up what began as a pretty dull race. The processional fuel saving start began to get intriguing when some cars began pitting around lap 51. The Coyne cars of Takuma Sato and David Malukas were among the early stoppers. Both had time leading. the race. As it turned out, Malukas was the eventual beneficiary of track position when the race resumed.

Forty laps of racing under the lights is nice for a sprint or midget feature. Indycar needs to seriously consider returning the non Indy ovals to night races. I don’t care if they can only be on Peacock. As I watched the Silver Crown cars Friday night under the lights, the feeling was bittersweet that Indycar would run in daylight the following day.

As Scott Mclaughlin mentioned after the race, the handling of the cars changes as the sun goes down and the track cools. This phenomenon is what makes night races more intriguing.

Outshining the Winner

The 2005 Indianapolis 500 saw Danica Patrick beco9me the first woman to lead the 500 . She eventually finished fourth. After the race race, and in the weeks following, if you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t knwo Dan wheldon actually won the race.

Saturday night was a bit like that. Second place David Malukas seemed to be the center of attention, while winner Josef Newgarden was the second biggest story. I am okay with this. Malukas has matured steadily throughout the season. he has been quick on ovals, and his road course game has improved tremendously.

It will be a while before the grin leaves David Malukas’ face.

To see him hunt down and pass Mclaughlin and nearly catch Newgarden was one of the highlights of the season.

Speculation has begun about where Malukas will race next year. Some say he will replace Alex Palou at Ganassi. I’m sure he got a call from Mclaren after the race.

Points Race Gets Even Tighter

I thought this race would shake up the points race, but only a couple positions switched and there are four drivers still with a realistic shot at the title.

Will Power holds a three point lead over Newgarden. His lead is basically the bonus points he earned for Saturday’s race. Scott Dixon is only 14 points behind. He has come back from farther than that to win with two races left.

Notes

I watched the first few laps of the race last night and I was surprised at the sparse grandstand crowd. Weather may have made some decide to stay home, but I wonder if the NASCAR race in June may have affected attendance as well. When tracks force people to decide which major event to attend, Indycar seems to take the hit. The promoters need to do a better job promoting all their bug events equally.

I have said this before, but I think it is time for Ed Carpenter to become an Indy only only driver for a couple more years. Carpenter has had a dismal season. His average finish in five races this season was 19.2 with a best of 13th. His third car could be the avenue for Paretta Autosport to have a full time entry in 2023.

The pits at night take on a kind of state fair atmosphere. It definitely has a different vibe after dark.

I watched the restart from a spot in the infield. I have never been as close to cars during a race as I was when the race resumed. The sound and the vibrations were overwhelming. Cars zipped by like I was using fast forward on my remote. I may have to be at this spot for the start next year.

Thanks for following my coverage this past weekend. Later this week, i will examine the points chase in more depth.

Quick Thoughts on a Long Day

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David Malukas is the star of this race. He got into position with some great pit calls and his charge to second after the restart was the stuff normally reserved for veterans.

David Malukas

Josef Newgarden has four wins at Gateway and five wins for the season. He still trails Will Power in the points standings by three points.

What a great start by Felix Rosenqvist. He passed 13 cars in the first two laps after starting last.

What started as a processional race turned into an intriguing strategy game as teams tried to play for the rain. The red flag and restart cancelled all the alternate pit stops.

It was nice to see Indycars racing at night. Let’s hope for a full race under the lights next year.

Malukas is back in the Rookie of the Year chase. He made up more than 20 points today and is only 11 behind Christian Lundgaard.

The rookie class got off to a slow start this season, but they have come on strong as the year winds down. Lundgaard and Malukas each have a second place finish.

The top five in points are separated by 43 points with two races to go.

I will have a more detailed wrap up tomorrow evening. Thanks for following along this weekend

Results

Rain Delay

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What bstarted out as a snoozer turn into a pretty good race. Pato O’Ward looked strong as he took the lead from Will Power on the only restart, but Josef Newgarden shot through the field to grab the lead and run away from the rest of the pack. The rain cam just after everyone’s last pit stop. 217 laps are complete and track drying continues.

Current standings:

I will have another update as soon as I have information on a restart.