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

American Legion Joins Chip Ganassi Racing

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Chip, Ganassi Racing has added the American Legion to the sponsorship group for the 48 car, which will be shared by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan in 2021. American Lagion will be the primary sponsor for the Indianapolis 500 and one other race. The full announcement from the team is below.

Chip Ganassi Racing and The American Legion Announce Multi-Year NTT INDYCAR SERIES Relationship

Posted: December 01, 2020 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today a multi-year agreement with the nation’s largest veterans service organization, The American Legion, as a sponsor of the No. 48 Honda in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES represented by a combination of Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson (street and road courses) and former Indianapolis 500 Winner and Series Champion Tony Kanaan (ovals).

“We’re excited about this new relationship with The American Legion as it allows us to further the sponsorship program on the No. 48 team with Jimmie and Tony, while also representing a very important relationship with an organization dedicated to supporting veterans,” said Chip Ganassi, team owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. “Jimmie in particular has a long-standing appreciation for the service of veterans, so it was just another reason why partnering with The American Legion on his debut in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES made sense.”

The American Legion will be featured prominently on Johnson’s No. 48 Honda during every race in the 2021 and 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The organization will also be the primary paint scheme for two races in 2021, including, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend. Kanaan, winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500, will be behind the wheel for those races. 

“This is truly a win-win for all involved,” said James W. “Bill” Oxford, national commander of The American Legion. “Teaming up with Chip Ganassi Racing allows The American Legion to showcase how it strengthens America every day through its programs, advocacy and support of veterans and their families. We’re looking forward to bringing that message and our mission to race fans across the country.”

The announcement comes on #GivingTuesday, a day of global giving designed to help change communities and the world. As a result, Johnson, who has family members that have served in the military, will be making a $10,000 donation to The American Legion. Johnson hopes his donation will motivate fans and the public to support our veterans by donating $48 to The American Legion. The $48 pays homage to the number 48 car that he and Kanaan will drive. Donors can visit legion.org/48 to make a gift and help celebrate this new relationship and veterans across the country.

“Our family knows firsthand how important it is to recognize our veterans,” said Johnson, who’s grandfathers and brother-in-law served in the military.  “It’s exciting to be partnering with The American Legion to be able to show our appreciation to veterans and to continue to raise public awareness and support for this special organization.  Giving Tuesday is a great day to announce this partnership and a way for fans to show their appreciation for our veterans.” 

Hamilton Tests positive for COVID; Will Miss Sakhir Grand Prix

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Photo from Formula 1 Twitter account

Formula 1 is having a week. After the horrific crash involving Romain Grosjean at the start of Sunday’s race, late last night it was announced that seventime champion lewis hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday’s race on the Bahrain outer circuit. He may also miss the finale in Abu Dabi on December 13 due to tight COVID restrictions there. More on this story later today. The official announcement from Mercedes:

Grosjean Update: Hospital Release Tuesday; Pietro Fittipaldi to Sub at Bahrain Race 2

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Photo from Romain Grosjean’s Twitter account

Romain Grosjean, injured in a fiery crash in yesterday’s Gand Prix in Bahrain, is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow. He is responding well to treatment of the burns on the back of his hands. Grosjean posted a video last night to reassure fans that he was okay, and posted another one this morning to thank everyone involkved in his rescue.

Pietro Fittipaldi, who is the Haas team reserve and test driver, will replace Grosjean for next weekend’s second Grand Prix in Bahrain. The course for the December 6 race is different from the one used Sunday. It has long straightaways and just four braking points. Fittipaldi, grandson of two time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, drove in six Indycar races in 2018. His best finish was ninth at Portland.

Haas has not made a decision about who will drive in the final race of the year at Abu Dabi on December 13.

Pietro Fittipaldi

There is speculation that both Grosjean and Fittipaldi are under consideration for the open seat at A. J. Foyt Racing. It is not known whether Sunday’s incident has changed anything in that regard.

Safety Innovations Star at Bahrain as Grosjean Escapes Fiery Crash

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I had a flashback to May 30, 1964, this morning during the Bahrain Grand Prix. The fireball that erupted from Romain Grosjean’s car reminded me of that horrible day at the Indianapolis 500. I saw the entire fiery crash that day from my Tower Terrace seat. Eddie Sachs and Dave McDonald died in that crash. Fortunately, thanks to safety innovations, there was a more positive outcome today.

Romain Grosjean (behind guardrail) escapes his burning car. F1 photo

This column is the third iteration of what i had planned to write today. originally, i was going to discuss Romain Grosjean’s possible move to A. J. Foyt Racing in Indycar. When the crash happened, I thought I would be writing a very different story about Grosjean. Now I am happy to be writing about how the halo, maligned for its looks and with doubts of its worth still in some people’s minds, has quieted all the doubters.

The halo did its job. Grosjean encountered three of the things most drivers fear in an accident- a sudden stop, the car going underneath something, and fire. Yet, Grosjean escaped. I am eager to hear his version of the events later this week. Even more miraculous is that his only apparent injuries are burns on his hands.

The safety cell, which surrounds the cockpit, also played a role in keeping Grosjean alive. It remained intact, allowing him the chance to escape.

The remains of the front part of Grosjean’s car. F1 photo

Despite the many advances in driver safety like the halo and the new Indycar aeroscreen, which prevented a more serious outcome in Iowa this summer, racing is still dangerous ans can still have fatal results.John Andretti in Racer, his autobiography, said,”I like that racing is safer. The safety improvements have been good and we need to keep going. But, the perception of the dangers in racing has changed. “Yes, it is safer, but it’s not SAFE. Drivers crash, then thank everyone on Earth for making the sport safe. The media fuels that idea as well. [The fans] believe racing is safer than driving to the grocery store. Let me tell you: it’s not. It’s still very dangerous.”

We may not like the looks of some safety additions to the cars. I still don’t care for the appearance of the Indycar aeroscreen, and at first I thought the F1 halo took away from the sleek look of an F1 machine. I’ve become accustomed to the halo, and I will in time get used to the aeroscreen, which will look better when it is fully integrated onto the new chassis. I am for anything that can save lives and make racing safer. Sometimes function takes precedence over form.

An incident such as we had today doesn’t mean it’s time to relax, or that we have gone as far as we can. There is still room for improvement. I have never seen a car split in half like Grosjean’s car did. It has been quite a while since i have seen an F1 car burst into flames like that . There are still questions to answer.

Racing can take a deep breath that today turned out better than it appeared it was going to, but the sport also needs to keep up its guard to prevent worse incidents.

Some Words of Thanks

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In as difficult a year as 2020 has been, I have a deeper appreciation of the things for which I am thankful. The pandemic changed our lives in many ways, yet we somehow figured out ways to cope. The following is a list of things for which I am thankful- not all related to racing.

First I thank everyone who has read this humble blog this year. Readership has already smashed last year’s 12 month total by nearly 50%. I appreciate each of you who has found something worthwhile here as I complete my fourth full year. Hard to believe The Pit Window will turn five in May.

Thank you to the Creative Writing Class at the Life Enrichment Center in Tampa, Florida. Without them , this blog does not exist. You all are my inspiration. I am grateful every day that I discovered this class.

Now on to the racing thank yous:

First to Roger Penske and mark Miles for somehow crafting a credible season from the myriad restrictions all the municipalities and government agency restrictions put in place this year. As always, I am so thankful that he bought the series at the end of 2019. I can’t imagine anyone else who could have weathered this season this well.

Thank you to the promoters who worked with Indycar to create a reasonable amount of races for the season.

Thanks to Jay Frye and Indycar for their tireless efforts to advance safety and to try to improve the racing.

Much thanks goes to the AMR Safety Team. Without them the races could not go on.

Thanks to NBC for working Indycar’s rescheduled races into their schedules and expanding next year’s lineup on NBC.

Thanks to Doug Boles for getting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through what had to be a frustrating and challenging time.

Thank you to those few in the Indycar media who were able to cover races in person. I know circumstances were challenging, but the coverage was seamless. I hope I can rejoin you in 2021.

Thank you to all my racing friends. Knowing yoi and spending time with you at the track is time I truly treasure. I hope at some point in 2021 we can all meet at one track again.

Finally, I am thankful that my household is well, and that my closest friends who contracted COVID have recovered.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe and well.

Kanaan To Drive Ovals for Ganassi

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Photo from CGR Teams Twitter page

2013 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2004 Indycar series champion Tony Kanaan signed a two year deal with Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the oval portion of the schedule for car 48. Former NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson will drive the road and street portion of the schedule in the 48.

Kanaan drove the ovals for A. J. Foyt Racing in 2020 in what was supposed to be his farewell tour. There are are just four oval races at three venues on the 2021 schedule.

CGR also announced that they have renewed their sponsorship with NTT Data.

The official announcement from Chip Ganassi Racing:

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today an agreement with Indianapolis 500 Winner, NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion and 17-time race winner Tony Kanaan to a multi-year deal to pilot the No. 48 Honda entry for the four ovals on the calendar, complementing the 13 road and street course events being contested by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson.

Kanaan will re-join CGR (2014-2017) alongside Johnson, former teammate, six-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion and Indianapolis 500 Winner Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson and CGR newcomer Alex Palou.

Longtime CGR and Kanaan partner NTT DATA along with Bryant, also a longtime sponsor of Kanaan and former sponsor of CGR, return to CGR, and will both have primary paint schemes as well as associate-level relationships on the No. 48 Honda and other CGR entries that will soon be announced.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

  • • NTT DATA, TK and CGR: NTT DATA began its relationship with CGR in 2013 at the Indianapolis 500 partnering on the No. 8 NTT DATA entry. Kanaan first competed with CGR in 2013 in an NTT DATA-backed Daytona Prototype fielded in the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he drove to a second-place finish. NTT DATA maintained an associate partnership with CGR on the No. 83 Indy car, became a primary partner on the No. 8 entry for the 2014 season, and then on the No. 10 entry, driven by Kanaan, in 2015 and has been on that car ever since. NTT DATA is also the official IT services partner to CGR. 
  • • About Bryant: Bryant has a rich tradition in auto racing and is the longest-standing non-automotive sponsor at the Indianapolis 500. Legends like Eddie Sachs, Roger Ward, Cale Yarborough, Scott Brayton, Chip Ganassi, Stan Fox and Janet Guthrie have all driven under the Bryant Racing banner, earning a total of 16 previous race victories on other tracks. The 2021 season will mark the 14th of 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons during which Bryant has worked with Kanaan.
  • • By the Numbers: In 23 seasons of Indy car racing, Brazilian Tony Kanaan has 383 starts, 17 wins, 15 poles, 78 podiums and over 4,000 laps led. He began his career in 1998 and was the 2004 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner. He remains the all-time leader in consecutive starts with 318 consecutive Indy car starts, having started every race since Portland in 2001 through the first race of the 2020 season in Texas. Kanaan has been a fan favorite for decades in the series and always maintains one of the largest followings on social media in the series.

Zanardi Well Enough to Transfer; Kirkwood Gets a 2020 Do Over

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Some bits of positive news:

Alex Zanardi, two time Indycar champion and paralympic gold medalist, continues to recover from his hand cycling accident last June. Zanardi suffered neurological and facial damage when his cycle hit a truck during a race in Tuscany. He had been in a facility in San Rafaella, but is moving to a rehabilitation center in Padua, which is closer to his home.

“The patient has reached a generally stable physical and neurological condition that permitted his transfer to another hospital equipped with all the necessary clinical specialties and closer to the family home,” said a spokesman for the San Rafaella hospital.

Kirkwood Returns to Andretti for Indy Lights

For 2021 Kyle Kirkwood will be where he was supposed to be in 2020. The 2018 USF200 champion and 2019 Indy Pro 200 champion will finally get to drive in Indy Lights for Andretti Autosport, where his 2020 season was going to take place.

Kirkwood spent the past season in IMSA, which is not a bad alternative. For one thing, he received some experience doing pit stops, which drivers don’t get in Indy Lights. I look for Kirkwood, who will be in car 28 for Andretti, to be a strong contender for the title.

Indycar Notes: Indy Lights Looks for Expanded Grid; Ganassi, Montoya Make Sports Car Moves

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Some good news for Indy Lights. HMD is teaming with Global Racing Group to field a total of four cars in the Indy Lights field in 2021. Global Racing won the 2020 Formula Regional Americas title with Linus Lundqvist driving. HMD, owned by Henry Malukas ran David Malukas and Toby Sowery in 2019 Indy Lights. Sowery won a race in 2019.

The four car effort will double the current size of the field with the four cars from Andretti Autosport. Dan Andersen, owner of the Road to Indy, expects 11-13 cars on the grid in 2021.

Ganassi to Run DPi Cadillac in IMSA

Chip Ganassi Racing reenters IMSA with a DPi Cadillac entry next year. Ganassi ran the top class of prototypes in the Grand Am series and also entered Fords in the GTLM class through 2019. He takes over the Cadillac entry from Wayne Taylor, who is switching to Acura. Drivers have not been named, but I expect Scott Dixon to be the extra driver for the endurance races.

Montoya Signs with Dragonspeed

Juan Pablo Montoya will drive for Dragonspeed int he World Endurance Championship in 2021. The two time Indianapolis 500 winner drove for Team Penske Acura in IMSA the last three years, winning the championship in 2019. he finished the season with a second place overall at the Sebring 12 Hour race last Saturday.

Montoya will team with Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley. Hanley drove Dragonspeed’s entry in the last two Indianapolis 500s. The team will not compete in any Indycar races in 2021.

Quiet at Coyne

We may have gotten spoiled the last couple of years as Dale Coyne Racing had their driver lineups set by Christmas. The quiet from the Coyne shop seems strange, but this is the way it used to be with the team.

I think some news may be coming soon, and it involves a possible new owner in Indycar. Stay tuned.

Requests

What stories would you like to see for the final six weeks of 2020? History? Reprints of previous articles? Let me know. I’m thinking of publishing some my non-racing creative writing, but I like you guys too much to bore you with that.

I will have at least one more column before Thanksgiving. Stay safe, mask up, and wash your hands.

A Title for Helio at Last

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It appeared to be over almost before it had begun. Helio Castroneves watched helplessly from the pit stand as Ricky Taylor had trouble leaving the pits after the Penske Acura’s first pit stop 45 minutes into the 12 Hours of Sebring. A boost issue forced the car back to the garage and cost them 11 laps on track. They would need help to win the IMSA Weather Tech championship. The help came from an unlikely source.

Wayne Taylor Racing, starting the day two points behind the Team Penske duo, looked to be in a solid position to overtake the season leaders. A collision between Scott Dixon, in the Taylor Cadillac and Oliver Jarvis in one of the Mazdas, forced dixon to pit. The team needed to replace the radiator, putting them five laps behind. While still ahead of the Penske car, the Taylor entry couldn’t make up enough positions to gain the three points they needed for the lead.

With the focus on the two cars, the Action Express entry was now in a position to jump into the series championship. hey were well underway until the 10th hour, when Pipo Derani tangled with Juan Pablo Montoya in the other Team Penske car. Derani received a drive through penalty, ending the title hopes for Action Express.

Thus Helio Castroneves, in his final race for team Penske, finally won a title for the Captain. Castroneves had finished second seven times in Indycar for Penske despite three Indianapolis 500 victories and 30 race wins overall. Castroneves begins a new Indycar chapter in 2021 when he drives in six races for Meyer Shank Racing.

Helio’s perseverance in pursuing a championship is admirable. he put in a lot of hard work. It took a little longer than he hoped to finally realize one of his goals.

Indycar Well Represented at Sebring

Indycar drivers and team owners had a good day and night at Sebring. In addition to Castroneves winning the season championship for team Penske, Ryan Hunter-Reay drove for the winning Mazda entry, and Simon Pagenaud was a part of the Team Penske Acura entry which finished second. Two time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya also drove the runner-up car.

Meyer Shank Racing won the season championship in the GTD class with drivers Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry, edging Wright Motorsports by two points. meyer Shank will move to the DPi class next season, taking over one of the Acura entries. Will Castroneves be a part of this venture too?

The Michael Shank Acura, winner of the IMSA Weather Tech GTD title

Other Indycar drivers- Sebastien Bourdais finished fifth overall in his final full time ride. Bourdais will pilot the number14 for A. J. Foyt racing in Indycar in 2021.

Colton Herta ended the night fourth in class driving for RLL.