Category: Auto Racing

Indycar 2023- Palou Rises Above the Chaos Part 1

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A season which began and ended in chaos had some good racing in between, and produced a champion and runner up who were models of consistency. As in any season, some teams shined, and others disappointed.

Alex Palou ran away with the title, finishing no worse than eighth in any race to fortify his five wins. Teammate Scott Dixon only finished outside of the top seven just one time. That may have been the difference in the championship.

I am always sad to see an Indycar season come to a close, but this off season promises to be very busy. There are still seven to eight seats for 2024 still up for grabs, and testing may be increased as the new hybrid component comes on board. Before we look ahead to 2024 let’s take a look back at the just completed season.

Chaotic Opener and Closer

The season began with a first lap pileup at St. Pete which featured Benjamin Pedersen in the air. The race would have a total of three multicar incidents, but it ended with a great finish as Marcus Ericsson passed Pato O’Ward at the white flag.

The new Detroit Grand Prix had its share of mayhem as well with 32 of the 100 laps run under caution. This track needs some tweaks to be raceable.

Sunday saw 35 of 95 yellow laps as drivers tried to get a handle on the new surface. I felt restart zone could have been in a better spot to prevent crashes when the race resumed.

Ganassi Team Dominates

It’s good to be a Chip Ganassi Racing driver. Alex Palou won five times on the way to the title. Scott Dixon, who looked just average at midseason, won three of the last four races and clinched second in the points at Portland as Palou sealed the title. Marcus Ericsson won a race and finished sixth in the standings. While he did not win a race, Marcus Armstrong won Rookie of the Year despite driving in only 12 races. 2023was a Ganassi sweep.

Rahal Renaissance

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers languished through the first hqalf of the season. Christian Lundgaard won the pole at the GMR Grand Prix in May as the only highlight of the first third of the year.

The embarrassment of Graham Rahal not qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 as the three drivers fought each other for the last sparked immediate changes in the team. Whatever they did wo0rked. Lundgaard won the pole and the race at Toronto. Rahal won two poles in the last four races.

It i difficult to turn a team around in midseason. What RLL did was amazing. They are the team i respect the most this season.

Power Shortage

Will Power did not win a race after winning the championship in 2022. He won just two poles, both at Iowa on an oval. Power, the career leader in poles, made just one Fast Six on road and street courses.

I look for Power to came back with a strong season next year.

Newgarden Wins 500, Sweeps Iowa, Then Fades Away

Josef Newgarden had things going his way the first half of the season. He won the Indianapolis 500, then swept the doubleheader at Iowa. His chance to sweep all the ovals ended with wall contact at World Wide Technology Raceway. It was Newgarden’s second straight 25th place finish, essentially ending his title hopes. Sunday he finished 21st.

Newgarden fell to fifth in the final standings, matching his worst finish in the last four years. He might just win the title in 2024.

New Winners

Despite the dominance of the Ganassi drivers. two drivers joined the winners’ club. Kyle Kirkwood won at Long Beach and Nashville, while Christian Lundgaard took the checkered at Toronto.

There is a lot more to talk about. I will continue the season review later today.

A Few Quick Thoughts on a Random Race

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Scott Dixon did it again. One of these days the series will learn not to give him a penalty- or two- as he received today. It seems to motivate Dixon and his team. Dixon won three of the final four races and finished second in then points.

The tone for the race was set when control chose to start the race despite several cars, notably Colton Herta, jumping out of line. It looked like a start that should have been waved off to me.

The chaos throughout the race was caused by a couple of things. It was the last race of the season, and most drivers had nothing to fight for. The new track surface- slippery and fast- caused problems all weekend. The thing I didn’t understand is why the start/restart zone was in the last urn. If it is brought onto the straight, many of the yellows may have been avoided.

Once again, Pato O’Ward was a victim of untimely yellow flags while leading. I will say, to be fair, his tire strategy played a part in it too today. The yellows somewhat dictated that, but the team has struggled most of the year with pit calls.

It was a great day for Juncos Hollinger Racing. Callum Ilott ran as high as third before falling to fifth. Agustin Canapino was in the top 10 until a late off road excursion dropped him to 14th.

Newgarden Swoon– Since sweeping the double header at Iowa, Josef Newgarden’s finishes over the last five races were fourth at Nashville, 25th at the IMS road course, 25th at Gateway, fifth at Portland, and 21st today. Newgarden ended the season in fifth place.

It was a tough last drive for Helio Castroneves. He was involved in several contact situations, and he spent a lot of time in the gravel, but still soldiered home in 13th on the lead lap.

Scott McLaughlin overcame the lap 1 incident and some other contact to finish second and place third in the final standings. Mclaughlin was my preseason pick to win the championship this year.

hat is it for me tonight. I will have some more thoughts this race and the season tomorrow. Thanks for following along this weekend and all season.

INDYCAR To Host $1 Million Challenge in March 2024 at Scenic Thermal Club 

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 INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will bring its pulsating, wheel-to-wheel action to The Thermal Club for a unique, made-for-TV racing exhibition during the 2024 season. The special event from sunny Southern California will offer a $1 million prize to the winner and will receive a network broadcast showcase on NBC.
Race Day for the $1 Million Challenge is set for Sunday, March 24 with an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test and qualifications to take place Friday and Saturday March 22-23
.“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will add an incredible new event to our schedule with next year’s spectacular racing showcase at The Thermal Club,” said Paenske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles. “This world-class venue just down the road from the world’s premier entertainment market is the perfect place to bring our hyper-competitive racing and growing star power.”
While championship points will not be on the line, the event will feature a multimillion-dollar purse. A draw party to begin the event will embed members of The Thermal Club with each race team and driver. The weekend format will include a qualifying session and two heat races, with the top six from each heat advancing to an All-Star showcase. The top five finishing teams will split their earnings with The Thermal Club members, including a $1 million prize awarded to the winner.
There will be a charitable component to the event that will be announced at a later date.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES hosted a successful Open Test on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile layout in February to jump-start the 2023 racing season.
“The experience the teams had at The Thermal Club was second to none,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “We treated it like a preseason scrimmage, and, looking back, it was the perfect launch to this record-breaking season.
“The facility is spectacular, and we cannot wait to return and showcase INDYCAR in a whole new way.”
The private, world-class facility, located just outside of Palm Springs, California, is an expansive 490-acre property known as the ultimate destination for driving-minded motorsports enthusiasts. Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, The Thermal Club has everything from luxury homes to a motorsports village and gourmet restaurants. The facility was named “Professional Motorsport Facility of the Year” at the 2017 Professional Motorsports World Expo in Germany.
“After having a smooth 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES test, we are proud to welcome INDYCAR back to The Thermal Club during the 2024 season,” said John Rogers, owner, The Thermal Club. “The teams, drivers and the entire INDYCAR SERIES paddock are true professionals, and we look forward to developing our relationship with them in the future. This marquee racing showcase in March promises to be special for everyone, including spectators, Thermal members and race fans tuning in at home.”
There will be limited tickets available to INDYCAR fans, with more details to be provided in the future.
This year’s season concludes this Sunday, Sept. 10 with the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES taking on world-famous WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and Peacock. The INDYCAR Radio Network will provide coverage via SiriusXM channel 160 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
More details on the entire 2024 season schedule will be available in the coming weeks. 

Shortened Warm Up Leaves Teams Guessing on Tires

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A 45 minute fog delay forced Indycar to shorten the scheduled 30 minute warm up session top just eight minutes. Teams used the time to scuff tires. They are still guessing about about which tire will be best.

Fuel mileage may also be in play today as the disruptions to practice and the short window this morning may have hindered preparation.

Can Felix Rosenquist end his time at Arrow McLaren with a win? He has never won a race when he has been on the pole. I think he has a good chance today. This race is up for grabs.

Warmup Results:

A Lovely Parting Gift-Rosenqvist Wins Pole in Final McLaren Outing

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Felix Rosenqvist will start the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on the in his last race for Arrow McLaren. He won the pole by 0.01 seconds over Scott McLaughlin, who was the last car to cross the line. Mclaughlin admitted that he dropped a wheel off the track in the first corner.

It was arguably the best qualifying of the year. Each round saw dramatic swings in the top six positions and the track record get slashed to bits. Christian Lundgaard ended the day with the record, 1:06.4610 in the second round.

The first three segments reflected the rest of the weekend with cars off track causing red flags. Ryan Hunter-Reay spun off track then came back onto the racing surface with 1:27 left inGroup1, Round 1. The other drivers were given one more timed lap, and positions changed wildly. Scott Dixon ended the session with the best time.

In Group 2 Helio Castroneves spun and stalled about three minutes into the round. Pato O’Ward seemed to be out of contention, but turned a quick lap to lead the group.

In the Fast 12 Christian Lundgaard set the track record to lead the group. O’Ward spun near the end of the session, eliminating what many thought was the car to beat for the pole.

Christian Lundgaard

The Fast Six was a fitting All Star ensemble to end the season. 500 winner Josef Newgarden, series champion Alex Palou, first time winner Lundgaard, Scott Dixon, Scott Mclaughlin, and Rosenqvist. All the drivers have races or poles in 2023.

The Fast Six was the only round of the weekend without an incident. It was a game of alternate tire strategy, and who crossed the line last as time expired.

Notes

Ironies-

Helio Castroneves will start last in his final race as a full time Indycar driver. He watched as his track record was soundly beaten.

Will Power, the career leader in poles earned with 70, made just none Fast Six this season. His only two poles this year came at the Iowa short oval.

Rookie Juri Vips had another strong qualifying effort. He qualified seventh but will start 13th after he serves his penalty.

Starting position is important here. 80% of the races have been won from the front row.

Results

These results are from qualifyi9ng today. they do not reflect any penalties.