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Road to Indy Final Day Saw Title Hopes Slip Slidin’ Away

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 thepitwindow2 Comments

Photo: Will Kyle Kirkwood find an Indycar ride for 2022?

David Malukas slim title hopes for the Indy Lights championship got a bit more life as he won the pole for Sunday’s final race of the season at Mid Ohio. The pole was only one of three things that needed to happen for him to take the crown from Kyle Kirkwood.

At turn 1 after the start, however, it was all over as Malukas overshot the turn and was in last place by turn 4. All Kirkwood had to do was finish the race in virtually any position. Kirkwood finished fifth.

Give Malukas credit. he did not give up. He worked his way through the field on a very slippery track to finish second. Kirkwood won the title by 13 points. Malukas had one of the best Road to Indy drives i have ever seen. it was right up there with Spencer Pigot at Sonoma, who was spun out on the first lap and came from last place to finish fifth, which is where he needed to be to win the championship. Linus Lundqvist won the race, and was third in the season standings. Lujndqvist and Malukas both plan to drive in Indycar in 2022.

Kyle Kirkwood is the first driver to win the title on all three levels of the Road to Indy. In a twist of irony, he accomplished that feat on the day he lost a race at Mid Ohio for the first time. Kirkwood had won seven straight open wheel races at this track.

In a normal year, we would definitely see Kirkwood in Indycar next year, but where he drives next year is uncertain. I will have more about that later this week.

USF 2000- Running Out the Clock

Going first can have its disadvantages, and the USF 2000 Series had the worst race and qualifying conditions of the day. Qualifying was abandoned after the time time period ran out. The number of slideoffs and red flags didn’t allow for the guaranteed 20 minutes of green flag running. The grid was set using Saturday’s second fastest qualifying laps.

On lap 1 Josh green got past pole sitter Michael D’Orlando in turn 4 to take the lead. Green kept the position as numerous spins caused the race to run under caution most of the time. The race ended as the time limit expired.

Kiko Porto, Banco Daycoval/Petromega, DEForce Racing, Victory Lane Championship winner

Kiko Porto, the season champion, finished third. Porto will move to Indy Pro 2000 in 2022. It’s nice to see another brazilian driver moving up the ladder.

Indy Pro 2000- Improved Conditions Lead to Best Race of the Day

The final race of the day saw bits of sunshine on a rapidly improving track. It still wasn’t perfect, but the racing was the best of the day. Three lead changes among three driver made for a good event. James Roe won the race for his first victory of the year. He edged Emaan Ahmed by 0.1412 seconds at the line.

Christian Rasmussen claimed the season title just by starting the race. he will be a force in Indy Lights next year.

Grosjean, Johnson Take IMS Rookie Tests Wednesday

October 4, 2021 thepitwindow

From Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

Note

I understand that fans may view the tests from the turn 2 viewing mounds.

Wet Qualifying, Dry Races

October 3, 2021 thepitwindow

I woke up to an improved forecast this morning which shows any rain should be gone before 10 am. Some qualifying might be affected, but the races should be dry.

From last night:

Points Leaders On the Verge of Road to Indy Titles

Today’s Schedule:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2021
6:30 AM – 3:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:00 PM -1:00 PM)
7:00 AM – 1:30 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS
7:30 AM – 1:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM USF2000 QUALIFYING 2 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM INDY LIGHTS QUALIFYING 2
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM INDY PRO 2000 QUALIFYING 2 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
10:15 AM – 10:40 AM SBRS QUALIFYING 2
11:00 AM – 11:40 AM USF2000 RACE 2
12:00 PM – 12:50 PM INDY LIGHTS RACE 2
1:10 PM – 2:00 PM INDY PRO 2000 RACE 2
2:15 PM – 2:40 PM SBRS RACE 2

The Road to Indy tv app will have the action live today.

Points Leaders On the Verge of Road to Indy Titles

October 2, 2021 thepitwindow

One championship is over and the other two will be when the green flag begins the respective races tomorrow.

Yuven Sunaramoorthy (center) won the race, but Kiko Porto (right) won the season title. Photo from Road to Indy

Kiko Porto, 18, from Brazil, clinched the USF2000 title by finishing third in Race 1 today. Porto qualified fifth and moved t third after an early accident took out the drivers running second and third. Porto has a 45 point lead over Braden Eves, who finished fifth today.

Yuven Sundaramoothy won his fourth race of the year. He passed pole sitter Michael D’Orlando just before the yellow flag came out for the incident between Jace Denmark and Prescott Campbell . Sundaramoothy will finish third in the points.

The USF2000 race was the day’s final event, and it was the best race of the best race of the day. There was lots of passing and quite a bit side by side action in turns 5 and 6.

Christian Rasmussen’s crew cheers him on after winning. He celebrates on the podium. Photo from Road to Indy

Rasmussen Clinches Indy Pro 2000 Title with Win

Christian Rasmussen extended his narrow lead over Braden Eves by winning the Indy Pro 2000 Race 1. To officially claim the title, Rasmussen just needs to start tomorrow’s race.

Kyle Kirkwood gets his seventh checkered flag at Mid Ohio. Photo from Road to Indy

Kirkwood Keeps Mid Ohio Record Perfect

Kyle Kirkwood has never lost an open race at Mid Ohio. He started from pole today and built a six second lead over his nearest competitor, David Malukas. Kirkwood led the entire race. He has ane asy path to the championship- win the pole or if he doesn’t, just start the race.

Kirkwood’s win was his seventh straight at Mid Ohio and fourth straight in his late season run.

A Pleasant Day at the Track

Today was one of the most pleasant days I have ever spent at a race track. The weather was perfect, the races were fun to watch, and the crowd was sparse. It was nice not have to constantly rub elbows with other fans or stand in a long line for anything.

I don’t know if this how the Road to Indy plans to end their seasons from now on, but I hope this continues. After the intense grind of the Indycar season, it was refreshing for me just to watch kids race and not have much rooting interest. Kirkwood was the only driver I was cheering for.

The day was also a good way to get a look at who might be some future stars of Indycar.

Weather May Be a Factor in Road to Indy Championships

October 2, 2021 thepitwindow

The Road to Indy championship rounds begin this morning with qualifying, followed by the first races this afternoon.

Today at Mid Ohio the temperature should be 78 degrees, mostly cloudy, with only a 15% chance of rain. Tomorrow, however, calls for a high of 73 degrees and a 72% chance of rain.

The forecast could make for some intense racing today since tomorrow’s conditions could be less than optimal.

Today’s schedule:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021
7:30 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:30 PM -1:30 PM)
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS (CLOSED FROM 11:30 AM -12:30 PM)
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
8:00 AM – 8:25 AM SBRS PRACTICE 2
8:40 AM – 9:10 AM USF2000 PRACTICE 1
9:25 AM – 10:05 AM INDY LIGHTS QUALIFYING 1
10:20 AM – 10:50 AM INDY PRO 2000 QUALIFYING 1 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
11:05 AM – 11:30 AM SBRS QUALIFYING 1
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM USF2000 QUALIFYING 1 (20 MIN GREEN IN 30 MIN WINDOW)
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM INDY LIGHTS RACE 1
2:05 PM – 2:55 PM INDY PRO 2000 RACE 1
3:10 PM – 3:35 PM SBRS RACE 1
3:50 PM – 4:30 PM USF2000 RACE 1

The action today and tomorrow will be on Road to Indy TV.

Robin Miller Celebration

The Celebration of Life for Robin Miller today will be streamed live on RACER.com at 11:45 Eastern. The live program is closed to the public. The celebration should last about 75 minutes.

Road to Indy Championship Weekend ; Lights, Pro Titles Up for Grabs

October 1, 2021 thepitwindow

Kyle Kirkwood takes a 15 point lead into the final weekend for Indy Lights

The Road to Indy goes to Mid Ohio this weekend for double headers in each series- USF 2000, Indy Pro 2000, and Indy Lights. While the USF 2000 series looks to be firmly in Kiko Porto’s grasp, there are close battles for the top spots and the scholarships that come with them in both Indy Pro and Indy Lights. Indy Lights carries the added importance of a bit of a budget to take to an Indycar team.

In Indy Pro 2000, Christian Rasmussen leads Braden Eves by 18 points. Kyle Kirkwood holds a 15 point advantage over David Malukas in Indy Lights. Both drivers are expected to be in Indycar next season.

The track is open to spectators for a $20 admission for the weekend. Tickets are only available at the gate. The paddock is open to spectators.

Skip Barber Racing School is also racing at Mid Ohio Saturday and Sunday.

The schedule:

MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE (V1)
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 3, 2021
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
5:00 PM RTI TEAMS LOAD-IN

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – USF2000 & INDY PRO 2000 (CLOSED FROM 12:00 PM -1:00 PM)
9:00 AM – 9:20 AM SBRS TEST SESSION 1
10:00 AM – 10:20 AM SBRS TEST SESSION 2
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM TECH OPEN – INDY LIGHTS
11:00 AM – 11:20 AM SBRS TEST SESSION 3
12:00 PM – 12:20 PM SBRS TEST SESSION 4
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM CREDENTIALS OPEN – MAIN GATE
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM TIRE SCANNING – USF2000, INDY PRO 2000, INDY LIGHTS
2:20 PM – 2:45 PM SBRS PRACTICE 1
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM INDY LIGHTS PRACTICE 1
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM INDY PRO 2000 PRACTICE 1

Indy Lights Standings:

Pos.	Driver	Points
1	Kyle Kirkwood – R	488
2	David Malukas	473
3	Linus Lundqvist – R	403
4	Benjamin Pedersen – R	322
5	Danial Frost – R	304
6	Devlin DeFrancesco – R	294
7	Robert Megennis	285
8	Toby Sowery

Indy Pro 2000 Standings:

Pos.	Driver	Points
1	Christian Rasmussen – R	392
2	Braden Eves	374
3	Hunter McElrea	347
4	Reece Gold – R	337
5	Artem Petrov	329
6	Jacob Abel	259
7	Kyffin Simpson – R	231
8	Manuel Sulaiman	214

USF2000 Standings:

Pos.	Driver	Points
1	Kiko Porto	368
2	Michael d’Orlando	319
3	Yuven Sundaramoorthy	295
4	Josh Pierson	266
5	Christian Brooks	257
6	Josh Green	229
7	Spike Kohlbecker – R	210
8	Jace Denmark – R	203

Your favorite blogger will be heading to Mid Ohio early Saturday morning. I will be going, too.

Andersen Adds USF Juniors

Dan Andersen has added another entry level series, USF Juniors, to the Road to Indy. Andersen believes USF 2000 is attracting drivers above the true entry level and wants to provide a lower starting point for young drivers. The series will be sanctioned by USAC and will have 16-18 races, all on road courses.

Indy Lights Moves to Penske Entertainment

Sunday will be the last Indy Lights race under the auspices of Andersen’s road to Indy. Starting in2022, Indy Lights will become part of Indycar. The move is to create a greater connection between Indycar teams and the step just below it. More Indycar teams are expected to field teams in the series, which has struggled in recent years to have respectable car count.

Dan Andersen saved Indy Lights a couple of years by putting a lot of his own money into the series. The car counts have improved. I wish to thank Andersen for his hard work on the Road to Indy and for keeping Indy Lights running.

Detroit GP to Leave Belle Isle?

September 29, 2021 thepitwindow

Discussions began today in Detroit to possibly move the Detroit Grand prix to a downtown street race. Formula 1 first raced on the downtown streets in 1982, and Indycar also raced in the heart of the city until 1991.

Ayrton Senna on his way to victory in the 1986 Detroit Grand Prix. Image from the Detroit Free Press

The proposed circuit doesn’t look that thrilling. It looks more like a gloriifed oval, something Formula E would run on.

A statement from the Detroit Grand Prix:

As the plans for this proposed new circuit come more into focus, I will discuss some of the pros and cons of the move to downtown.

2021 Season Review-Battle of the Generations

September 29, 2021 thepitwindow

Indycar photo by Chris Owens

One of the best seasons I remember is over. The 2021 NTT Indycar Series concluded Sunday at Long Beach in a race that mirrored the entire season. The young drivers fought the veterans for the race win and the overall series title. The Rookies, all older than the second year drivers, enter d the race with Rookie of the Year still in doubt. We saw great driving and poor decisions. Let’s take a look at three groups of drivers- the kids, those with three years or less experience; the veterans, and the rookies.

The front row of many races symbolized the generational conflict in Indycar this year. Some examples- Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi at Detroit; Josef Newgarden and Colton Herta at three races; and Herta and Rossi at Portland.

The Kids Did Alright

Five drivers in this group, with an average age of 23, won 11 of the 16 races this season and had an average points finish of 5.4. Alex Palou is the seventh youngest champion in Indycar. Pato O’Ward and Palou exchanged the points lead twice during the season. Marcus Ericsson, Rinus VeeKay, Palou, and O’Ward each won their first Indycar race.

Pato O’Ward celebrates his first Indycar victory. Indycar photo by Chris Jones

This is not a group of one year wonders. They are the future of Indycar. look for their names near the top of the standings for years to come.

Colton Herta and Palou each won a series high three races. Herta’s season season was reality a bit disappointing. He sat on the pole three times, started second five times, yet Herta had difficulty finishing up front several times. He only finished fifth in the standings. If he had converted his eight front row starts into podiums and top five finishes, Herta might be holding the Astor Cup today.

2022 could be even more competitive than 2021. This 25 and under crowd is going to be near the top of the standings for a long time to come.

The Veterans

Has the Old Guard lost a step? Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon were close in pursuit of Palou and O’Ward, but never had enough to mount a serious challenge. Dixon won just one race, Texas, early in the season. he is still one win behind Mario Andretti for second place in career victories with 51. I haven’t seen a year when Dixon won just once before. he seemed to be just a bit off pace.

Newgarden’s two wins were also a low total for him. he twice lost the lead late to O’Ward and had a mechanical issue take a sure victory away at Mid Ohio. Newgarden was still in position to have a chance to take the title by winning the pole at Long Beach.

If this was not the worst year of Will Power’s career, it is awfully close. One pole and one win is a very abnormal season for Power. At the beginning of 21, I thought he would pass Mario Andretti for career poles, but he sits 4 behind Andretti heading into 2022. A failed ECU cost him a win at Detroit, and his Laguna Seca race didn’t last long after starting third.

I don’t think this group is done winning titles yet. Three of the veteran drivers who won races in 2021 were aged 40 or older.

The Rookies

It was hard to call the trio making up the 2021 Rookis class rookies. A seven time NASCAR champion, a three time Australian supercar champion, and an experienced Formula 1 driver all chose to try a completely different formula. Indycar is the better for their efforts. Jimmie Johnson took most of the year to acclimate nhimself after spending so much time in stock dars. He showed imnprovemnent the last half of the year, finishing in the top 20 and actually racing other people.

Scott McLaughlin had one podium early and had a steady, unspectacular season, winning Rookie of the year by 33 points. he was the onle one of the rookies to compete in all 16 races. Johnson did not drive any of the ovals, and Romain Grosjean only entered one oval race, at Gateway.

Romain Grosjean became am instant fan favorite. He adapted quickly to the car and the tracks. Grosjean won a pole and scored two podiums. In the races where he and McLaughlin both competed, Grosjean scored 51 more points than McLaughlin. Grosjean made some legendary passes at Laguna Seca.

The 2022 rookie class will be a more typical group of youngsters, many of whom will add to the already deep talent level in the series.

Some Odds and Ends

One indication of how competitive a season we witnessed is Palou’s winning points total. 549 points is the lowest total in a few years. Even compensating for one less race than a normal season, If you add Palou’s points per race average of 34.3 to his total, he would still have fewer than 600 points.

In 202, Dixon won with 537 points in two fewer races. Based on his points per race average, Dixon would have scored 613 points in 16 races.

In 2019 Newgarden won with 641 points in 17 races. Subtracting his per race, he would have had 604 points in 16 races.

Average age of the nine drivers who won races this year – 30 years old. The average was skewed with wins by 46 year old Helio Castroneves, and 40 year olds Dixon and Power. Take the old guys out of the mix and the winners’ average is 23 years.

Is there now a BIG 4? Arrow McLaren SP challenged the typical Big 3 this year, and held their own with two victories and two poles, finishing second in the championship. They have the same problem as Andretti Autosport right now- one solid car that can win and not much behind it. Will Felix Rosenqvist have a better 2022 for AMSP? Will Romain Grosjean help Andretti have a more formidable team?

Alex Palou: Preparation and Hard Work Led to Title

September 27, 2021 thepitwindow

Alex Palou hoists the Astor Cup. Indycar photo by Chris Owens

I was watching Saturday practice at Barber Motorsports Park April 17 from the turn 2-3 area. Something about the way Alex Palou drove the corners struck a chord in me. He was very smooth, smoother, I thought than anyone else on track. He qualified third, and I changed my original pick to win the race to Palou. After he won the next day, I kept thinking, “This guy is going to be good this year.”

Alex Palou may just now be realizing what he accomplished in the NTT Indycar Series this year, winning the championship in only his second season. Team Owner Chip Ganassi says Palou reminds him of Scott Dixon, who has pretty well in his career.

Palou spoke to the media after the race ended in Long Beach yesterday. He was still in awe of his achievement. Here are some quotes from Palou, interspersed with statistics of his incredible season.

On what it took to win the championship:

“Preparation. Preparation. Hard work. I
think everybody does that. It was working for us. We
didn’t leave anything on the table from my side or the
team’s side. We did everything we could to be as prepared
as we could possibly be.”

Some season statistics for Palou:

12 top 7s; 8 podiums

Palou hit a big bump late in the season with two straight DNFs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway

Asked whether he thought he had lost his chance at the title, Palou said,

“Never. I guess like Josef before coming
here, he was close. He did the job he had to do yesterday.
He got one point. He never said that it was over.
You can never say it’s over until it’s over. Yeah, I knew
that doing a good job at Portland, Laguna, like we luckily
did, I could have a shot here.”

Celebrating with his father. Indycar photo by Chris Owens

More statistics:

3 wins; 10 Top 5s

On finishing second in the Indianapolis 500:

“For me Indy 500 obviously it hurt this year
a little bit. At the same time I learned a lot. That’s one
thing that, yeah, obviously I want to win so bad.
If we keep on performing like we do, it will come. I don’t
know if it’s going to be next year or two years or five years.
Who knows. It’s only one race, 200 laps. There’s so much
stuff going on. You have to have the best car, the best
crew, the best mental attitude. You have to have
everything perfect for that race. If it’s not next year, I’m not
going to worry too much. I think we have lots of years to
come.”

One more statistic:

Palou improved his starting position in 12 of the 16 races.

After Palou was told he is the youngest champion since Scott Dixon in 2003. What does it mean to him?

“A lot. It means a lot. He’s a reference.
He’s one of the best, if not the best. To be able to be the
youngest behind Scott, it just feels amazing.
Now the difficult part comes, right? To be able to do it for
15 more years on the same level.”