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

Expel 375 Preview- The Last Texas Roundup?

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Race 2 of the 2022 Indycar season this weekend has a lot of questions to answer. Will this be the final race at Texas motor Speedway for the series? Can Indycar create a second lane on the high side of the track?How will the six first timers fare on this high speed oval?

The 35th Indycar race at Texas could be the last. 2022 is the final year of the contract, and no extension has been announced. Track president rob Ramage said the other day the he is “optimistic” that Indycar will return. Texas Motor Speedway was a staunch ally of the fledging Indy Racing League and has supported the series since 1997. I would hate to see this track drop off the schedule. However, attendance and the racing needs to improve.

Get a Grip

Indycars have no tire grip on the JP1 compound in the high lane. We saw a lot of single file racing last year in the two races. Several ideas have been discussed this week to improve the situation. It sounds as if Indycar is close to a decision on one idea.

Under the proposal each team would have one car run in the second lane for 30 minutes. The teams would get an extra set of tires for this session only. I heard just a bit ago that cones would be set up so that the cars would only run the top lane. The session would precede the final practice.

This might work, but the price could be high if it doesn’t. What if a car gets up in that lane during final practice and crashes?

Pato O’Ward talked about the second groove in his media availability Monday. He does not see a way to fix it the issue.

“As much as we’d love a second lane, I just don’t think the PJ1 is a
surface that’s ever going to give us that second lane. If it
does, it’s going to be way slower, so it’s not going to be a
second lane where you can fight and pass people, rather
than shovel your way back in a way.
I don’t know, man. I think last year, even with that PJ1
there, there is enough space where you can pull off a
move. It’s not easy at all. I remember I got a little wiggly
on it last year on restarts and stuff.
I mean, it is what it is. Can’t just go on there and peel it,
right, go back to how it was a few years ago.”

O’Ward thinks itis a track situation drivers just need to work through.

“I think we have to work with what we have. We had a
great race there last year. We proved to be able to be
making moves. Maybe not two or three at a time, but one
at a time. It certainly wasn’t easy.
I just think it’s going to be the same this year.”

Saturday will be an interesting day at Texas.

Newbies

Nearly one fourth of the grid will race at Texas for the first time.

Sunday’s race will be the first Indycar oval race for Jimmie Johnson, who won at Texas seven times in NASCAR. Johnson is happy to treturn to an oval, especially one where he had much success, but e admits it won’t be easy.

“Excited as I am to be on an oval, I still haven’t been in traffic in an INDYCAR. I still have plenty to learn coming to a track I know and love.
Really excited to get there and work.”

Romain Grosjean got a taste of oval racing at gateway last summer. He did quite well. This will Grosjean’s first time on a high speed ovl.

Christian Lundgaard and Callum Ilott will experience oval racing for the first time in their careers. Indy Lights graduates Kyle Kirkwood, Devlin DeFrancesco, and David Malukas drove a few ovals on the Road to Indy, but never at Texas.

The Usual Suspects Up Front

Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi, and Felix Rosenqvist need good results this weekend. The trio finished 16th, 20th, and 17th at St. Pete.

I look for Newgarden and Rossi to have strong weekends, with Newgarden one of the favorites for the victory He He lost Race 2 in 2021 when Pato O’Ward passed him with eight laps to go. O’Ward also must be a favorite.

Rosenqvist is still fighting to keep his ride. He needs a top 10 finish Sunday.

Scott Dixon, who has won three times at Texas, Will Power, and Colton Herta could also win. Dixon’s next victory will tie him with Mario Andretti with 52 career wins.

Power seems rejuvenated after a lackluster 2021. A podium finish Sunday puts Power solidly in thick of the championship. Don’t dismiss his chances this year.

A Peacock Bonus

Peacock will have an untimed post race show after the NBC broadcast window ends at 3 pm Eastern time. The show is a result of feedback from the Global Fan Survey. If you are not a Peacock subscriber, the $4.99 a month is worth it. You can subscribe just for racing season.

The race coverage begins at 12:30 PM Eastern. The green flag drops at 12:45.

PENSKE ENTERTAINMENT, NBC SPORTS ANNOUNCE ‘PENNZOIL PRESENTS THE CLUB’

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Image from Penske Entertainment

From IMS and Penske Entertainment:

March 17, 2022 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway

A Conversation 110 Years in the Making: Foyt, Unser, Mears Welcome Castroneves to Most Exclusive Club in Motorsports

Television coverage of the Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will shift into high gear Saturday, May 14 when NBC debuts “Pennzoil presents The Club,” a documentary featuring an exclusive conversation among one of the most elite groups in global motorsports — the four drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 four times.

Airing at 2 p.m. (ET), “Pennzoil presents The Club” will lead into live coverage at 3 p.m. that afternoon of the GMR Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on the IMS road course.

A trailer, released just this morning, is at this link:

youtube.com/watch?v=m2MVwrkX8LU

Helio Castroneves became the fourth member of the most exclusive club in motorsports last May 30. Castroneves will aim for his record-breaking fifth “500” victory in the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, also live starting at 11 a.m. (ET) on NBC.

“This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch and discuss sports history,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “For fans around the globe, it’s an epic way to start the Month of May on NBC before tuning in to the GMR Grand Prix and Helio’s historic ‘drive for five’ on Indy 500 Race Day.”

Shortly after Castroneves’ emotional victory for Meyer Shank Racing in the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Boles called for a secret meeting of Castroneves and his fellow four-time winners, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears.

On July 21, 2021, the four legendary INDYCAR SERIES drivers gathered to commemorate one of the most significant accomplishments in motorsports history. Penske Entertainment was on hand to capture and document the moment, recording a conversation 110 years in the making.

“Pennzoil presents The Club” is a documentary celebrating that conversation and what it means to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” four times. The show features a sit-down conversation in downtown Indianapolis, historic race footage and a four-time winner’s meeting at the world-famous Yard of Bricks with the Borg-Warner Trophy.

Featuring additional interviews with Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart, Scott Dixon, Roger Penske and veteran motorsports writer Curt Cavin, “Pennzoil presents The Club” is the only recorded conversation among Foyt, Unser, Mears and Castroneves. Unser passed away Dec. 9, making this conversation even more poignant. The documentary includes a dedication to his memory.

“It’s still hard for me to believe that I am a part of this group of drivers – these are drivers that I have looked up to and watched all my life and to now be standing on the same level as them is incredible. My best memories have come from winning the Indianapolis 500, there is no other race in history that has that same feeling; the feeling of a month’s long hard work all coming to an end in the best way possible,” said Castroneves. “I will forever be grateful for the people who have helped me achieve such a monumental accomplishment because it was not just me, it was a team effort each of those four years.”

Expel 375 Fast Facts

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 Race weekend: Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20
Track: Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval
Media links: XPEL 375 Entry List (PDF) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF) | Driver Video Quotes
Race distance: 248 laps/372 miles
Firestone tire allotment: Eleven sets primary to be used during practice, qualifying and the race.
Twitter: @TXMotorSpeedway @INDYCAR, #XPEL375, #INDYCAREvent website: www.TexasMotorSpeedway.com
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2021 race winners: Race 1: Scott Dixon, 1:45:51.3417, 173.036 mph (212 laps/318 miles); Race 2: Pato O’Ward, 2:06:31.1155, 169.360 mph (248 laps/372 miles)
2021 NTT P1 Award winner: Race 1: Alex Palou (Points); Race 2: Scott Dixon (Points)
Qualifying record (based on track distance of 1.44 miles)One lap: Charlie Kimball, 23.2730, 222.747 mph, June 9, 2017
Two laps: Charlie Kimball, 46.5861, 222.556 mph, June 9, 2017
NBC Sports race telecast: 12:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Marty Snider and Kevin Lee are the pit reporters.
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. NBC’s XPEL 375 race telecast will be simulcast on the streaming service, while Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will debut following the race.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton and turn announcer Nick Yeoman. Jake Query and Michael Young are the pit reporters. The XPEL 375 race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES 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/Central Time):
Saturday, March 19
9:45-9:55 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES two-stage pit speed limiter practice10-11 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium1 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, cumulative time of two laps), Peacock Premium (Live)4-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium
Sunday, March 20 11:30 a.m. NBC on air11:40 a.m. “Drivers, start your engines”11:45 a.m. XPEL 375 (248 laps / 372 miles), NBC (Live)Race Notes:
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin kicked off the 2022 season with a bang, claiming his first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory Feb. 27 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The 27-year-old New Zealander outdueled series champions Alex Palou and Will Power to claim the championship point lead for the first time.
The XPEL 375 will be the 35th INDYCAR SERIES race at Texas Motor Speedway, dating to Arie Luyendyk winning the INDYCAR SERIES event in 1997.
No driver has competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race at TMS, but Scott Dixon has started 22 races.
Scott Dixon has won five times at Texas Motor Speedway, the most wins by an INDYCAR SERIES driver at the track. Dixon won in 2008, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021 Race 1.
Seven past TMS winners are entered in this year’s XPEL 375: Dixon, Helio Castroneves (2004 Race 2, 2006, 2009 and 2013), Will Power (2011 Race 2 and 2017), Ed Carpenter (2014), Graham Rahal (2016), Josef Newgarden (2019) and Pato O’Ward (2021 Race 2).
Will Power has won the pole for three of the past 10 Texas Motor Speedway races (2013, 2014 and 2015). Other past pole winners entered this year are Scott Dixon (2008), Josef Newgarden (2018 and 2020) and Takuma Sato (2019). Dixon and Alex Palou were awarded the pole based on entrant points after qualifying was rained out in 2021.
Six drivers have won the Texas race from the pole: Sam Hornish Jr. (2001 Race 2), Gil de Ferran (2003 Race 2), Helio Castroneves (2004 Race 2), Tomas Scheckter (2005), Scott Dixon (2008) and Ryan Briscoe (2010).
Drivers who have won at Texas have gone on to win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship nine times, including in three of the last four seasons. Champions who won at Texas are Sam Hornish Jr. (2001 Race 2 and 2002 Race 2), Tony Kanaan (2004 Race 1), Scott Dixon (2008, 2015, 2018 and 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011 Race 1) and Josef Newgarden (2019).
Twenty drivers entered this weekend have competed in past NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Texas Motor Speedway.
Twelve drivers have led laps at the track: Scott Dixon 1,043, Will Power 433, Josef Newgarden 187, Ed Carpenter 93, Simon Pagenaud 85, Takuma Sato 72, Graham Rahal 49, Pato O’Ward 25, Alexander Rossi 10, Alex Palou 9, Rinus VeeKay 5 and Marcus Ericsson
Five rookies – Devlin DeFrancesco, Callum Ilott, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard and David Malukas – are entered. All five, plus seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and seven-time Texas race winner Jimmie Johnson, will attempt to make their first NTT INDYCAR SERIES start on an oval this weekend at Texas. 
Ed Carpenter and JR Hildebrand are slated to make their 2022 season debut this weekend.
Milestones: Colton Herta will attempt to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Takuma Sato will attempt to make his 200th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 290th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history. 

Too Early for Silly Season

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Image: Pato O’Ward

Before the first wheel turned at St. Pete 17 days, it was widely assumed that Alexander Rossi would leave Andretti Autosport at the end of this season. Rumors have him going to either Ganassi in the fourth car currently driven by Jimmie Johnson, or Will Power’s seat in car 12 at Penske. I am okay with this. The speculation has simmered since late 2021.

Yesterday, Racer magazine’s Marshall Pruett posted a piece about Pato O’Ward in which the AMSP driver says it is possible he will be in a different situation in 2023. he wasn’t clear whether that ride would be in Indycar with another team or in another slot within the McLaren organization.

Meanwhile, Michael Andretti continues to pursue his goal of F1 team ownership. His quest looks to widened. He still hopes that the current Formula 1 owners will accept his new team. There is also talk that he is speaking to Red Bull about buying the Alpha Tauri team. Should Andretti acquire an F1 component to his racing empire, Colton Herta will move to the European based circuit.

Colton Herta

Last week Herta signed a development driver contract with McLaren, which gives him an opportunity to get more super license points to qualify to drive in F1.

The good news is that Andretti is not likely to have a Formula 1 team until 2024, and it is unlikely that McLaren will have an open F1 seat before then for O’Ward. Rossi apparently will stay in Indycar for the forseeable future.

We need to enjoy watching Herta and O’Ward this year and next. After that, who knows? It isn’t as if the cupboard of young talent is bare should the two young guns leave. Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, and Callum Ilott will easily take over the spotlight.

We are just one race into the 2022 season. Can’t we just enjoy the racing at this point and save all the musical chairs stuff until late July? Silly Season seems to arrive earlier every year, but three weeks after the first race is way too early.

My Texas coverage starts later today. I will be on site this weekend. Please follow along.

Schedule for XPEL 375

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All times CDT

Saturday, March 19

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM               NTT INDYCAR SERIES PRACTICE 1-Peacock
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM               NTT INDYCAR SERIES QUALIFYING-Peacock
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM               DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION (INDYCAR Display on Fan Zone)
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM               NTT INDYCAR SERIES PRACTICE 2-Peacock

Sunday, March 20

11:00 AM            Driver Introductions
11:45 AM            XPEL 375 NTT INDYCAR SERIES RACE (248 Laps)-NBC

Herta’s F1 McLaren Test Deal-Step Toward His Future?

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Saturdays don’t usually start with driver news, so to see a story about Colton Herta signing an F1 development deal with McLaren was a shock to wake up to.

First, let’s look at what the deal is NOT:

It will not affect his Indycar schedule.

Herta will not participate in the first free practice on Friday of a Grand Prix weekend as of now, but there are two opportunities in the United States- Miami in May and Austin in October- which might change that. It is unlikely.

The deal does not affect Pato O’Ward’s status with McLaren. O’Ward is still a long way from F1.

Herta is not in line for a McLaren Formula 1 ride. Lando Norris is locked for several years, Daniel Riccardo is believed to have a contract through 2023.

The deals allows Herta to test in a Formula 1 car. The program allows testing in a 2021 or older car. This program is to develop drivers, not equipment.

From what I have seen, McLaren CEO Zak Brown is helping Michael Andretti should Andretti’s bid to gain entry into Formula 1 for 2024 is successful. He will have a young American driver with some familiarity with F1 machinery.

I think this allows Herta fans the best of both worlds. He will be in Indycar for at least two more seasons, while getting time in an F1 car. After that we will see what happens. Herta will be a great story to follow in F1.

Perhaps we could look ahead to 2026. After a fierce battle between O’Ward and Herta for the Indycar championship, both end up in F1 on teams that are equal. They fight each other all year for points.

The bottom line is I would hate for either of them to leave Indycar, but to get to F1, they just have a couple years if they want to make the move.

Hildebrand to Drive Ovals for Foyt

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In a not shocking announcement, A. J. Foyt Racing confirmed J. R. Hildebrand as the oval driver for the number 11 ROKit car which Tatiana Calderon drives on the street and road courses. Hildebrand drove for Foyt in the 2021 Indianapolis 500. He will be a great mentor to rookie Kyle Kirkwood.

The announcement from the team:

INDIANAPOLIS (March 11, 2022) — J.R. Hildebrand has been signed to drive the No. 11 ROKiT Chevrolet on the oval tracks in the NTT INDYCAR Series this season. The 34-year-old Boulder, Colorado resident will share the car with Tatiana Calderón, of Bogota, Colombia, who is driving the No. 11 ROKiT Chevy on the road and street circuits.

“I’m excited to have this opportunity to get back in the car, do a little more racing, and work with the AJ Foyt Racing squad again,” said Hildebrand. “Although the results may not have looked special on paper, I was really impressed by what we accomplished last year at the 500 and look forward to attacking these other ovals on the IndyCar schedule alongside Kyle and Dalton.”

The first of five races for Hildebrand will be the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 20. He will also compete in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Hy-Vee doubleheader at Iowa Speedway in July and the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in August.

Last year, Hildebrand signed with AJ Foyt Racing to drive the team’s fourth entry in the Indianapolis 500 with sponsorship from Foyt’s longtime sponsor ABC Supply. He qualified 22nd and finished 15th, the highest finisher on the four-car team.

A.J. Foyt shares an anecdote with J.R. Hildebrand last year in the Foyt garage at Indy.

“We had a great experience working with J.R. last year, and there is no doubt he is very competitive at Indianapolis,” said Team President Larry Foyt. “He is still very motivated to drive Indy cars and is a setup-savvy, technical driver who will be a strong addition at our oval races this year.”

Hildebrand scored his career best finish of second as a rookie in 2011, the Centennial Running of the Indianapolis 500. It was a bittersweet finish for the then 23-year-old who had taken the lead with two laps to go. Passing a lapped car, his car pushed high and tapped the outside wall which slowed him enough to allow Dan Wheldon to win the historic event. In 11 Indy 500 starts, Hildebrand has qualified in the top-10 four times and posted four top-10 finishes.

The 2009 Indy Lights champion has started in 66 INDYCAR races and claimed 17 top-10s including seven top-5s, three of which were on the podium.

The XPEL 375 will be broadcast live on NBC starting at 12:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be held on Saturday and streamed on Peacock starting at 2 p.m. ET.

Hildebrand drove the No. 1 ABC Supply Chevrolet in last year’s Indianapolis 500. The livery was designed to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Foyt’s first of four Indy 500 victories in 1961.

500 Tickets Are in the Mail

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Today is a big day. Baseball is back, IU rallied from 17 points down to win, and tickets for the the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 went to the post office for mailing. The day the tickets arrive in my mailbox is the official first day of Spring. Here is the release about the tickets from IMS:

Famous Blue Envelopes of Indy 500 Tickets
Racing to Global Fans  
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, March 10, 2022) – Indianapolis 500 fans across the globe will soon see another milestone in the countdown to the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge as the highly anticipated blue envelopes featuring Race Day tickets are mailed Thursday, March 10 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office.
The initial ticket mailing of more than 150,000 tickets includes shipments to all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and 36 countries around the world as race fans eagerly await Indy 500 Race Day on Sunday, May 29.
Countries where tickets will be mailed include Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, France, Colombia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Japan and Denmark – all home countries for drivers expected to compete for a starting spot in this year’s Indy 500.
It takes approximately nine weeks to package all pre-ordered tickets for mailing, from orders the day after the previous year’s race up to current orders. Hard work from employees in the Ticket Office and other IMS, INDYCAR and IMS Productions departments ensures the ticketing process runs smoothly and on schedule.
A few facts and figures about this year’s initial ticket mailing:
Number of tickets sent: More than 150,000 Race Day tickets and more than 180,000 products (includes Race Day tickets, parking, concert tickets, etc.)
Number of blue envelopes sent: More than 25,000
Number of U.S. Postal Service trays to accommodate envelopes: More than 580
Weight of all ticket envelopes and trays in first mailing: More than 5,000 pounds
Hours needed to fill envelopes by hand: More than 880 person-hours
Number of working days to package envelopes: 43
Number of Penske Entertainment employees who fill envelopes: 34
Federal postal inspectors came to IMS with a large truck for the first mailing. Many IMS employees pitched in to help load the trucks for delivery Thursday. This year, they were joined by 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, who helped load the truck with tickets so race fans can see him compete for his second Indy 500 win in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda in person.
Receiving an eagerly awaited blue envelope in the mail is a rite of spring for thousands of fans of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” But why are the envelopes blue?
In the 1970s, Indianapolis 500 tickets were mailed in brown envelopes with the IMS return address in the upper left corner. In the 1980s, a heavier-stock, gray-colored envelope was introduced to mail the tickets, with just the IMS Post Office box number in the upper left corner. A computerized printer also was used for the first time in the 1980s to print ticket customers’ name and address on each envelope.
When the NASCAR Cup Series was added to the IMS schedule in 1994, the Ticket Office needed a way to distinguish between the envelopes containing tickets for the Indianapolis 500 and the annual NASCAR race, especially if the Postal Service returned the envelope as non-deliverable.
So, the IMS Ticket Office decided to color-code the ticket envelopes for each event. Indianapolis 500 ticket envelopes became blue, Brickyard Weekend envelopes became purple, GMR Grand Prix envelopes became green, and ticket envelopes for other IMS events use a variety of colors, including red, cream, gray and yellow.
Tickets for the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 14 and all other Month of May events are available at IMS.com/Tickets or via the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700.