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

Kanaan, Montoya Elected to IMS Hall of Fame

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From IMS:

Tony Kanaan and Juan Pablo Montoya Voted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame
Indianapolis 500 Winners to be Inducted at Ceremony on May 23
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced today the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Indianapolis 500 winning drivers Tony Kanaan and Juan Pablo Montoya. The inductees will be formally celebrated at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner supported by The National Bank of Indianapolis, held on Thursday, May 23, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. The two were chosen from a ballot of 14 nominees by a national panel of more than 150 journalists, participants, and historians. This was the first year Kanaan was eligible for the Hall of Fame. 
Tony Kanaan amassed an impressive career in open-wheel racing. In 2004, driving for Andretti Green Racing, Kanaan impressively completed all 3,305 possible laps, becoming the first IndyCar driver in modern history to complete every lap of every race in a season. This led Kanaan to secure the 2004 season championship. However, the Indianapolis 500 was a race that had eluded him until 2013. On Lap 197, Kanaan passed Hunter-Reay for the lead on a restart. The race finished under caution, but Kanaan won at an average speed of 187.433 miles per hour, breaking the record set by Arie Luyendyk in the 1990 race.
 Juan Pablo Montoya found success in open-wheel, sports car, and stock car racing, but made a name for himself at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he became the first rookie winner of the 2000 Indianapolis 500 since Graham Hill in 1966. Montoya led 167 of the 200 laps to take the checkered flag and earned the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. In 2015, Montoya claimed his second Indianapolis 500 victory after battling Will Power and Scott Dixon in the final laps. Montoya competed in Formula 1 racing, including the United States Grand Prix, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He competed in the Brickyard 400 from 2007-2014, with his highest finish being second in 2007. 
In addition to honoring the inductees, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum will celebrate Mark Miles, CEO and President of Penske Entertainment, for his contributions to the racing industry, support of the Museum, and as a leader in the community. Veteran IndyCar driver and current NBC Sports analyst James Hinchcliffe will return as emcee for the event, with special guests scheduled throughout the evening.
All proceeds benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, a 501c3 non-profit organization that aims to celebrate the cultural and historical significance of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through storytelling and educational programs. Pricing is $2,000 for a table of eight and $250 for individual tickets.
Museum members will receive a discount on individual and table tickets. A separate email with discount information will be sent directly to Museum members.
Sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Andrew Weller at aweller@brickyard.com.
Image Credits: Images courtesy of IMS Photo 

Pagenaud Making Progress- Return in 2025?

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Simon Pagenaud after winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500, 2019

Simon Pagenaud posted a letter to fans today with a brief video. He is making progress but is still not ready to return to racing. he stated that he has not retired.

Here is his letter, via X:

2023 wasn’t an easy year for me as most of you will know. My racing was cut short on July 1 when I had a big accident during practice at Mid-Ohio. My car suffered a manufacturer brake failure resulting in my leaving the track with several high-speed rolls at 180mph. The IndyCar safety team did an amazing job to get me out of the car and to look after me in the first hours after the impact, and I will be forever thankful to them.

Due to the accident, I couldn’t continue my season which meant that I only did eight races in 2023. Ever since, I have been concentrating on getting my health back to 100%. For that, I have been working closely with a great team of doctors and I have been progressing every day.

I don’t know yet if I will be back behind a wheel in 2024 nor if I am ready for it. I want to take things slowly to make sure that when I come back, I am at my very best again.

For now, I want to thank all of you who have sent messages of support, and of course a big thanks to my family, friends, and team who have been there for me 24/7.

While I am working out my next steps, I also want to take the opportunity to look back at my career and reminisce with you about past success and special moments. But don’t get me wrong: This is not the end as better times are ahead!

Have a great 2024 everyone!

ED CARPENTER RACING ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GUYCARE FOR THE 2024 INDYCAR SEASON

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From Ed Carpenter Racing:

Series of Men’s High Performance Health Clinics To Be Featured On No. 20 Chevrolet Throughout the Upcoming Season
(INDIANAPOLIS) January 19, 2024 – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today a new partnership with GuyCare, a series of men’s high performance health clinics. The No. 20 Chevrolet, which will be driven by both team owner Ed Carpenter and 2023 INDY NXT champion Christian Rasmussen, will compete in the colors of GuyCare. GuyCare clinics provide discreet and confidential care, ensuring men’s health and well-being through proven therapeutic interventions and wellness programs.
“I am thrilled to witness the synergies unfolding between GuyCare and Ed Carpenter Racing. The demographics of GuyCare and the dynamic world of INDYCAR align seamlessly and the positive momentum coursing through the NTT INDYCAR SERIES mirrors the trajectory of our venture,” stated Kurt Flygare, Chief Executive Officer of GuyCare.
“With the exceptional talents of Christian Rasmussen and Ed Carpenter, this promises to be a breakout year filled with excitement, speed, and success. Together, we are geared up for a thrilling journey, both on and off the track.”
The company’s flagship location opened in the Salt Lake City area last week and will also serve as a training center. Clinics specialize in a range of men’s health treatments and ensure customized care through personalized strategy crafted around individual needs and goals.
Additional clinics will open in select NTT INDYCAR SERIES race markets throughout the 2024 season. In the coming months, GuyCare will also offer men’s health products nationwide.
ECR team owner Carpenter stated, “We are excited to welcome GuyCare to ECR! It is a fantastic opportunity to use our Chevrolet-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES car to help launch GuyCare clinics across the country. Our team continues to grow and improve each season and we expect Christian Rasmussen will have an outstanding rookie year. We are ready for a competitive and exciting 2024!”

Since its inception in 2012, ECR has raced exclusively in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The team has shown its versatility by earning multiple wins across each style of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and super speedways. The Indianapolis-based team is transitioning back to a model it utilized for many years, splitting the No. 20 between the talents of two drivers. While rookie Rasmussen will compete in the 12 road and street course events, Carpenter will take over the No. 20 for the six oval races in his 22nd season. Both will be entered in the Indianapolis 500 alongside Rinus VeeKay in the No. 21 Chevrolet. VeeKay will be competing in his 5th NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and step into a veteran role as ECR’s senior full-time driver.
The team will participate in its first test of the year next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Rasmussen and VeeKay will both be behind the wheel of the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet. Partnership announcements for VeeKay’s No. 21 Chevrolet will be released in the coming weeks. The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins March 10 in the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

About GuyCare

GuyCare, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RiskOn International. GuyCare has a strategy to transform the male healthcare industry, which extends beyond healthcare to addressing a comprehensive range of men’s issues, including wellness, education, and overall well-being. GuyCare has set a goal to open an estimated 200 specialized men’s health clinics across the United States over the next five years. GuyCare’s flagship clinic and training center opened in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 8th, 2024. https://guycare.com/

About Ed Carpenter Racing

Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting eight wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The 2024 season will see Carpenter compete in the oval events in the No. 20 Chevrolet while rookie Christian Rasmussen will take over for the road and street courses. Both will be entered in the Indianapolis 500 alongside Rinus VeeKay, full-time driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet. More information on Ed Carpenter Racing may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.

Molson Coors Extends Partnership with IMS, INDYCAR

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The announcement we’ve all been waiting for.

From IMS and Indycar:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024) – Molson Coors – a global leader in brewing beverages for all of life’s moments – has extended its multiyear partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR.
The beloved and iconic beers produced by Molson Coors will continue as the Official Beer of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Brickyard Weekend, IMS, INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
.“We are delighted to see Molson Coors continue this decade-long relationship with INDYCAR,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said.
“The momentum and growth of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is due, in part, to valuable partnerships and activations with iconic brands. It is gratifying to begin 2024 with this terrific news, and we look forward to continuing our upward trajectory with Molson Coors for many years to come.”
Other components of the partnership extension include:
Continued sponsorship of Miller Lite Carb Day, a high-octane party featuring some of the most exciting action on (and off) track with the final day of practice for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring a national recording act to kick off race weekend.
Expanded title sponsorship of the Coors Light Snake Pit, an epic EDM concert staged in Turn 3 during the Indianapolis 500.
“For more than 45 years, Molson Coors has been a key part of the festivities surrounding the Indianapolis 500 and other events at the Racing Capital of the World,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
“As we look forward to a new year of exciting action on and off track at IMS, there’s no chiller partner to ensure our fans can continue to celebrate both at home and at IMS. Help us cheers to many more years together.”
The extension of the partnership between IMS and Molson Coors continues a bond that started in 1977 when Miller Brewing Company first sponsored the Indianapolis 500 Pit Stop Challenge. Miller’s first involvement at the Indianapolis 500 came in 1973, when Miller High Life sponsored the car driven by Jim Hurtubise.
“We are so excited to extend our partnership once again with IMS, INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Molson Coors Vice President of Marketing Activation Bill Averill said.
“For nearly half a century, Miller Lite and Coors Light have helped celebrate motorsport’s greatest moments both on and off track. We can’t wait to fuel this historic partnership for years to come.”
Coors has been involved with IMS and the Indianapolis 500 since 1996, when it started sponsorship of the Pit Stop Challenge. Coors also has sponsored Carb Day and other Indianapolis 500 activities since then.
For more than two centuries, Molson Coors Beverage Company has been brewing beverages. From Coors Light, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian, Carling, and Staropramen to Coors Banquet, Blue Moon Belgian White, Vizzy Hard Seltzer, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Miller High Life and more, Molson Coors produces many beloved and iconic beer brands. While Molson Coors’ history is rooted in beer, Molson Coors offers a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle, as well.
To learn more about Molson Coors Beverage Company, visit molsoncoors.com.
The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins Sunday, March 10 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Coverage will be available via NBC and Peacock with audio coverage provided by the INDYCAR Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
Tickets for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, all Month of May events at IMS – including Miller Lite Carb Day and Coors Lite Snake Pit – as well as Brickyard Weekend are on sale at IMS.com. 

SRX Postpones Season

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Superstar Racing Experience, a six-week summer racing series started in 2021 by Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, will not have a 2024 season. The announcement below says it is “postponed,” but it likely will not be back.

The announcement from SRX:

Social media speculation has run the gamut from Paul Tracy’s excessive crash damage to Ray Evernham’s new IROC revival. The truth may be somewhere in between. I don’t think a new series which has announced just one race at a yet to be determined track or date, would kill off an established series.

It was a fun series which provided me entertaining racing to fill in the down time between other events. Moving to Thursday nights I thought was a great idea, as there was no other racing going on that evening.

Ferrucci Returns to Foyt

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Just a day before Content Dat A. J. Foyt Racing announced that Santino Ferrucci will return to car 14 for 2024. This leaves just the two cars at Dale Coyne Racing without confirmed drivers.

Content Days today and tomorrow will feature media availabilities with all full time drivers.

The news release from Indycar:

Popular veteran Santino Ferrucci will drive A.J. Foyt’s No. 14 Sexton Properties Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2024.

Joining the team last season, Ferrucci drove to a third-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge after starting fourth to give the team its best performance since 2000 when Eliseo Salazar started and finished third in the “500.” Ferrucci’s performance continued his string of top-10 finishes in the Indy 500 which stands at five.

“I’m super stoked to be back with the team,” Ferrucci said. “It’s really good to start building some continuity with everybody, and I think it’s going to improve our results. My expectations for the year are to come out of the gate a lot more prepared than we were last year. Working with Penske, things are hopefully going to be a lot smoother, and I’m looking forward to being back at the Indy 500 again.”

Team President Larry Foyt echoed Ferrucci’s sentiments.

“I’m very happy to have Santino back,” Foyt said. “We worked well together, and he brings a good energy to the team. Obviously, we have our eyes set on the Indy 500, but we also had some good pace in other races but didn’t get the results. Together we are focused on moving up in the championship standings, and I believe we can achieve that.”

Connecticut native Ferrucci will be joined by sophomore driver Sting Ray Robb, who was signed last month to drive the No. 41 Chevrolet. The Foyt team is not planning to field a third car for the season, which begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on Sunday, March 10.

iRacing, INDYCAR Sign Multiyear License Agreement  

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Includes Rights to INDYCAR SERIES, Return of iRacing Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024) iRacing and INDYCAR are pleased to announce a multiyear licensing agreement – officially reuniting the two legendary brands.
The relationship, which dates back more than a dozen years, also includes Indianapolis Motor Speedway – and the return of the hugely popular iRacing Indianapolis 500 – to the gaming format’s Special Events calendar. This annual event has historically drawn thousands of participants, who race in a virtual version of the world’s most iconic race, known for its 200 laps of pure speed at the “Racing Capital of the World.” The community event allows sim racers from around the world to get a taste of what it is like to race at the famous oval at the Brickyard.
The return of a license has been highly anticipated by iRacing members and INDYCAR SERIES fans alike.
“The INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are racing properties that need to be included in iRacing,” iRacing President Tony Gardner said. “There is no better way for fans to experience sim racing than on iRacing, and whether it’s the INDYCAR SERIES’ Indy 500, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 or IMSA’s Battle on the Bricks, there is nothing like racing at Indianapolis. I am so pleased to be able to bring these events back to the iRacing community.”
In addition to the rebranding of INDYCAR SERIES events on iRacing, members will have access to series content for private events and leagues.
“We are very excited that our most avid gamers and fans will have full access to the INDYCAR SERIES through this licensing agreement with iRacing,” said Ben Hendricks, INDYCAR senior manager, eSports & emerging virtual experiences. “They are longtime partners, and we look forward to official INDYCAR SERIES racing on iRacing for many years to come.”
The new license agreement between iRacing and INDYCAR includes more provisions than previous iterations, allowing more flexibility to run events and series. Highlights include:

Return of the iRacing Indianapolis 500
INDYCAR SERIES branding of series on iRacing
Multiple leagues to run INDYCAR SERIES events on iRacing
License extension of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The licensing agreement goes into effect immediately, and iRacing members will see the rebranding of series, cars and events over the coming days. Details of the iRacing Indianapolis 500 will be available later this month. 
 

IROC Reborn- Will it Work?

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Yesterday’s news that Ray Evernham and Rob Kaufman purchased IROC, the International Race of Champions, excit4ed me. I loved the old IROC series. It was fun to watch.

For 2024, just one race with historic IROC cars is scheduled. Evernham owns several, and the race might be with the machines in his collection. No future plans were announced.

IROC ran from 1973-2006, and was owned by Les Richter, Roger Penske, and Mike Phelps. Until 1991 the schedule included at least one road race, but was exclusively an oval series from 1992 forward.

Mark Donohue won the first championship. Other champions included A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Mark martin, and Tony Stewart.

While drivers from Indycar, Nascar, and Formula 1 participated, in its later years the series became heavy with nascar drivers, who dominated the championships. Al Unser, Jr. was the last non nascar champion in 1988.

The revived series enters an extremely busy racing calendar, and will need to carve i out its own niche. Tony Stewart’s Superstar Racing Experience has been very successful. How will IROC be different?

The former iteration had active drivers in competition, while SRX employs mainly retired or semi-retired drivers with an occasional active guest star. Today’s drivers seem busier than they have ever been. Will they have time to participate in IROC? I can’t see how Kyle Larson can fit one more thing into jis calendar.

IROC ran mainly as a support race for many nascar events. Will they can continue to do this? Would IROC run at an Indycar event, perhaps on Carb Day at IMS? Or will they go the s=weeknight route as SRX does?

I think a weekday might work best for them if the series decides not to be a support race series again. , which would mean a night series, and a schedule that begins and ends either before or after the SRX season.

Whatever IROC decides, I am thrilled to see this series come back. It means more racing, and perhaps nmore exposure for Indycar.

Movie Review- Ferrari

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Photo image from Ferrari movie page

Ferrari focuses on one year, 1957, in the turbulent life of Enzo Ferrari. His only son, Dino, died the previous year. His marriage to Laura is on shaky ground due to his philandering. He has a son with his mistress, ad she is pressuring him to acknowledge him publicly. Also, according to the film, his car company is in financial peril.


Ferrari is portrayed as a cold hearted, prideful man who believes people are expendable. The town of Maranello treats him as a godlike figure. Even the priest praises him during mass, calling him a carpenter who works in metal.

There are two stories in the film-one involving the racing business, and the other about Ferrari’s personal life.

When Maserati brings driver Jean Behra to the local track to set a track record, Ferrari immediately brings his driver, Luigi Castellotti out to reclaim the honor. Castellotti dies in the attempt in a crash scene that is a bit exaggerated.

Ferrari immediately hires Alfonso de Portago on the spot because he now needs a driver.

Ferrari’s financial advisers tell him that he needs to win the Mille Miglia to avoid bankruptcy, and that the company needs to produce more passenger cars to stay solvent. They point to Jaguar as a successful car company that also races.

Ferrari’s response is “Jaguar races to sell cars. I sell cars to race.” I believe in reality that Ferrari was a better businessman than that.

We see the beginnings of what led to war with Ford six years later as Ferrari tells a reporter to write a false story saying that Ford has made an offer to buy his company so that he can extract a higher offer from Fiat.

The action in the Mille Miglia was great. It was fun to see the Maseratis and Ferraris of that era running again. Some of the cars were the real cars, and others were fabricated faithfully to resemble the actual vehicles.

The tragic crash during the race was handled about as gently as it could have been but it wis still horrific. Be prepared. I knew it was coming and it is still frightening.

On the domestic side, Laura Ferrari, played by Penelope Cruz in one of her best performances ever controls the company’s finance. She has a quiet anger, partly due to the death of her son, and partly because of Enzo’s wandering.

His mistress, Lina Lardi, continues to press Enzo to acknowledge their son publicly, making him the heir to the Ferrari company. He is reluctant to make the move for fear of angering Laura.

Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari and Penelope Cruz as Laura do outstanding work. I felt that Cruz really stole the show. Some of the racing scenes were very good, although the shots of a crowd of cars racing together through a small town were not realistic. The Mille Miglia began rally style, and the cars were never that close to each other.

I really liked the film, and I suggest that if you haven’t seen it yet, please read about the 1957 Mille Miglia before you go. Preparation for the scene near the end of the race will help.