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Qualification Groups

May 14, 2021 thepitwindow

Group 2 looks brutal

Newgarden Leads Chevy 1-2-3 in Practice 2

May 14, 2021 thepitwindow

Josef Newgarden led the final practice round before qualifying for the GMR Grand Prix at 4: 30. Newgarden edged Rings Veekay and teammate Will Power in a Chevy sweep of the top 3. All four TeM Penske cars finished in the top 10, with Scott McLaughlin fifth and Simon Pagenaud eighth.

Pato O’ Ward struggled for most of the session but salvaged a ninth place at the flag.

Scott Dixon had a clutch failure and ended 23rd.

Juan Pablo Montoya struggled the entire practice period and was the slowest car

The top 12:

Rossi Leads Practice 1

May 14, 2021 thepitwindow

Alexander Rossi led the first practice for the GMR Grand Prix this morning at IMS. Rossi was the first driver to turn a lap under 1 minute 10 seconds.

The day is sunny but cool. Track temperature at the start of the session was 73⁰. The top 6:

Toronto Cancelled

May 14, 2021 thepitwindow

Not a surprise, but good t6 know early. I look fo r a double header at either Mid Ohio or Portland. The official announcement from Indycar:

2021 Schedule Update

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 14, 2021) – Due to ongoing restrictions in Ontario focusing on COVID-19 health-and-safety measures, organizers for the Honda Indy Toronto and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES jointly announce that this year’s event, July 9-11, will no longer be a part of the 2021 schedule.“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race around Exhibition Place and Princes’ Gates is a hallmark of our summer schedule,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “To have that void for a second straight year is heartbreaking. We deeply miss our fans there and urge them to remain safe during these unprecedented times. INDYCAR looks forward to a high-powered return in 2022 and for years to come.”The festival atmosphere on the Streets of Toronto has been a staple of the INDYCAR SERIES since 1986. The list of champions includes legendary names such as Bobby Rahal, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Jr., Michael Andretti, Alex Zanardi, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon.INDYCAR is considering various scenarios for the remainder of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar as it relates to the cancellation of the event on the Streets of Toronto.The current mid-summer portion of the schedule will resume Sunday, Aug. 8 for the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, with live coverage on NBCSN. That event is the first of three races on consecutive weekends for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, with the Nashville race followed by another historic NASCAR-INDYCAR weekend Saturday, Aug. 14 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and then the exciting oval at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday, Aug. 21.

Opening Day at IMS at Last!

May 14, 2021 thepitwindow3 Comments

Good morning from the cozy confines of the IMS Media Center Northwest Annex at 71st and Michigan Road.The Pit Window will soon be heading to its annual opening day staff breakfast at Charlie Brown’s (table for 1, please.)

Two practice sessions and qualifying are on tap for Indycar today.

From last night:

GMR Grand Prix- Time For a Penske Bounce Back?

Today’s Schedule

All Times Eastern

Friday

7:30am 6:00pm- Gates Open

8:00am 8:20am- Indy Pro 2000 Quals

8:35am 9:05am INDY LIGHTS Q1

9:30am 10:15am INDYCAR Series Practice 1 Peacock

10:40am 11:20am USF2000 Race 1

11:45am 12:35pm Indy Pro 2000 Race 1

1:00pm 1:45pm NTT INDYCAR Series Practice 2 Peacock

2:10pm 3:10pm INDY LIGHTS Race 1 Peacock

3:25pm 4:05pm USF2000 Race 2

4:30pm 5:45pm NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qual. / Firestone Fast 6 Peacock (live)

NBCSN– 6 pm ET (Delayed)

Today is a day for reunions with friends and to scout viewing spots for tomorow’s race if you have a flex ticket. If this your first time at the track since 2019, take some time to notice the improvements Roger Penske has made. They are noticeable and impressive.

I will post brief reports on session results and have a full wrap up later tonight. Enjoy the day;.

GMR Grand Prix- Time For a Penske Bounce Back?

May 13, 2021 thepitwindow

It is time. Tomorrow (Friday) the gates to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway open to fans in May for the first time since 2019. Has it only been two years? It seems like a lifetime ago. The eighth GMR Grand Prix takes place this weekend, followed next week by practice for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The Grand Prix began in 2014 as a way to add content to a shrinking May agenda. Attendance at the first event exceeded expectations, and the race has settled in at nice crowd of around 35,000 or so.The 2021 race is the fifth round of the NTT Indycar Series championship. Last year this race took place July 4 in conjunction with the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race. In 2021 it returns to its traditional spot n the calendar.

Several teams and drivers come into this weekend needing a successful run.

Can Penske Continue Its Domination?

The GMR Grand Prix has been practically owned by Team Penske since 2015. Until Scott Dixon won last year in July, Will ,Power and Simon Pagenaud were the only two drivers to have won this race. Pagenaud also won the inaugural event driving for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.Josef Newgarden and Will Power each won a race in the Harvest Classic last October at IMS
.Team Penske uncharacteristically has not won a race this season. As a team their statistics for the first four races show no poles or wins, five of the 12 podium spots, and a total of 31 laps led. Josef Newgarden has two of the podiums. I think this is the weekend the team breaks through with a pole and a victory, not necessarily the same individual.

Will Power has won the pole four times for this race, including the July running last year. he also won the pole for Race 2 at the Harvest Classic. If the team is to begin a run at the championship, this is the race where they can get going.

O’Ward Looks to Build on Momentum

Pato O’Ward jumped to second place in the standings with his win the second race at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks ago. He won the pole at Barber, but strategy cost him the victory there. O’Ward could be the one to break the Penske May spell of this race. O’Ward will have a strong weekend.

Arrow Mclaren SP adds Juan Pablo Montoya to their lineup for May. his experience will be helpful to O’Ward and possibly help Felix Rosenqvist, who has struggled in the quarter of the season.

Andretti Drivers Need a Boost

Except for Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport has underperformed this season. James Hinchcliffe has has been involved in race ruining contact three times this season. Ryan Hunter-Reay eked out a 10th place in Texas race 2 for his best finish to date, and Alexander Rossi languishes in 15th place with one top 10 finish.

The team needs top 10s from all its drivers, and a top 5 from at least one of them. The Andretti armada should be strong for the 500, but they need to get something rolling this weekend.

Rookies

The three series rookies, Scott McLaughlin, Romain Grosjean, and Jimmie Johnson, make their IMS debut this weekend. Only McLaughlin will also run the 500. McLaughlin has one podium with a second place in Texas Race 1. I look for McLaughlin and Grosjean to have strong showings on this track. Grosjean did very well at Barber, earning a top 10, and mcLaughlin has the backing of Team Penske, which should help at this track.

Will Dixon Keep Rolling?

Scott Dixon is in his familiar.number one position in the standings with a victory under his belt and no finish lower than fifth. So far Dixon is giving one of his stronger title defenses. He is actually the defending race winner of this event as well. A win Saturday would tie Dixon with Mario Andretti for second place on the career win list with 52 victories. He would also be only the third winner of this race in the month of May.

As I have said on a couple of other occasions this year, don’t count out his teammate Alex Palou,. Palou held off Power to win at Barber, and he is third in the standings.

The GMR Grand Prix is shaping up to be a very competitive race. Qualifying is key to a good result. No matter the outcome the winner will be the fans, who once again get to enter this sacred ground in the month that Indianapolis lives for. It will be great to back at IMS.

Gossage to Step Down at Texas; ECR Gains May Sponsors

May 13, 2021May 13, 2021 thepitwindow

Photo of Eddie Gossage from TMS website

Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway, announced this morning that he will retire after the June 13 NASCAR All-Star race at TMS.

“The timing just feels right after 32 years with the company,” Gossage stated. “The Smith family and Speedway Motorsports changed my life and I will forever be appreciative and grateful.

“Before my wife Melinda and I chart our next adventure, I’m thankful that I get to come full circle as a promoter with the NASCAR All-Star Race.”

Gossage has been a staunch supporter of Indycar racing at his facility throughout his 25 years as president of the track. There have been disputes with Indycar over dates and sanctioning fees, but Gossage made sure that the open wheel cars made at least one annual appearance in the Lone Star State.

His retirement might affect Indycar’s schedule in the long run. Texas Motor Speedway is the only track in Texas where Indycar races currently.

VeeKay, Daly Have New Sponsors

Today Ed Carpenter Racing unveiled new sponsorship which Conor Daly will run in this weekend’s GMR Grand Prix. MannKind Corporation will be the primary sponsor of the number 20 car for the fifth round of the NTT Indycar Series.

MannKind has developed an insulin product which is inhaled rather than injected. The “Tired of Pricks?” tagline is abit edgy. Try to keep it in context if you can.

Rinus VeeKay’s number 21 will carry Bitcoin livery in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Carpenter plans to use Bitcoin in his operation. From the news release:

“ECR will also be the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES team to integrate Bitcoin as a payment option for all of its employees. The first decentralized sponsorship in the history of racing will empower not only ECR on the track but the Bitcoin community off. In addition to the No. 21’s black and orange scheme, Bitcoin will be present on ECR’s other Indianapolis 500 entries..”

I’ll be back later with my GMR Grand Prix race preview.

Entry List for 500 Shows 35 Cars

May 12, 2021May 12, 2021 thepitwindow

Just released from Indycar:

Nine Winners among Deep Field for 105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge

35 Cars Entered To Compete in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ May 30
Entry List link:
http://www.imscdn.com/indycar_media/documents/2021-05-12/indycar-entrylist-indianapolis%20500.pdf

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 12, 2021) – Nine winners – just one shy of the event record – are among the field of drivers assigned to 35 cars entered for the 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Three-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), two-time winners Juan Pablo Montoya (2000, 2015) and Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019) are the past winners aiming for another victory this year in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992. Castroneves will bid to become the fourth member of the elite four-time winner’s club featuring A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears. Sato, 44, will try to become the first repeat winner since Castroneves in 2001-02 and the first driver ever to win the world’s most prestigious auto race three times after age 40. The field includes eight past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Sebastien Bourdais, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Kanaan, Montoya, Josef Newgarden, Pagenaud and Power. Dixon is the reigning and six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion. A talented trio will compete for Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Rookie of the Year honors: RC Enerson, Pietro Fittipaldi and Scott McLaughlin. Fittipaldi is the grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi. 2010 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro returns to the race for the first time since 2015, attempting to make her sixth start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Andretti Autosport has entered six cars, the most of any team. Practice opens Tuesday, May 18 and runs through Friday, May 21. Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23. The traditional final practice, two hours again this year on Miller Lite Carb Day, will be held Friday, May 28. Live Race Day coverage begins on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:30 p.m. 2021 ENTRY BREAKDOWN: Winners (9): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato
Rookies (3): RC Enerson, Pietro Fittipaldi, Scott McLaughlin
U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, RC Enerson, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Sage Karam, Charlie Kimball, JR Hildebrand, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi
International drivers (22): Sebastien Bourdais, Helio Castroneves, Max Chilton, Simona De Silvestro, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Pietro Fittipaldi, Jack Harvey, James Hinchcliffe, Ed Jones, Tony Kanaan, Dalton Kellett, Scott McLaughlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Pato O’Ward, Simon Pagenaud, Alex Palou, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Rinus VeeKay, Stefan Wilson
Engines (35): Chevrolet 18, Honda 17 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires)