Category: Auto Racing

Nashville Hosts 2024 Season Finale

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My thoughts up in a bit.

From Indycar:

New Circuit, Victory Lap Celebration in Music City among Highlights

INDYCAR and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix have announced the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale is moving to Nashville on Sept. 13-15, 2024.

All roads along the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will lead to Nashville, as the year-long championship battle will be settled and a champion crowned on downtown Nashville’s iconic Honky-Tonk row. The 2024 season awards ceremony will also take place in the Music City, on Sept. 16 at the iconic Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Big Machine Music City Grand PrixMore than 250,000 fans are expected to converge on downtown Nashville for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, which has quickly become one of the sport’s marquee events since its debut in 2021 and will become a championship-crowning celebration watched by viewers across the globe. The new 2.17-mile, seven-turn circuit will continue across the iconic Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge and route directly past the Country Music Hall of Fame. The racecourse will run through the city’s honky-tonk district, home to bars owned by the biggest names in country music, including Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, John Rich and Blake Shelton. Each day of racing will culminate with a takeover of Broadway and a massive street party that only Nashville can throw, featuring live performances by many of music’s biggest artists.

Considered one of the world’s finest venues, Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center will host the 2024 INDYCAR Victory Lap Celebration on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, the building boasts distinctive design elements that pay homage to the history, culture and people of Middle Tennessee. The Schermerhorn has been a favorite venue for legendary artists spanning different genres, from country music stars like Dolly Parton to contemporary pop sensations like Harry Styles.

“Nashville and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix team are ready to host a can’t-miss, action-packed event that transforms the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale and elevates it to an even higher peak on the global stage,” said Mark Miles, president & CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp. “Next year’s race in Nashville will be an unbridled celebration of the most fierce and competitive motorsport on the planet, set against the backdrop of an innovative and breathtaking stage that includes one of the premier global entertainment districts in the world. We’ll have more to share soon on an entire weekend of activities, both on and off track, that fully taps into the growing reach and relevance of an ascendant and marquee city.”

While the season finale is moving to Nashville, this year’s final venue on the 2023 schedule, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, will remain on the 2024 calendar. More details about the entire 2024 season schedule will be forthcoming.

“WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca remains a beloved, historic venue for our teams, drivers and fans in an important and scenic market,” Miles said.

“The fact that INDYCAR has chosen Nashville and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix as the crowning event is a testament to our fans, partners, stakeholders and truly the Nashville hospitality industry as a whole,” said Matt Crews, CEO, Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. “The ability to promote our city and state year-round and bring our race into the heart of Nashville is an absolute honor. The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix continues to grow to levels that I never dreamed could have been possible.”

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix has become a marquee event for Tennessee and across the motorsport landscape, bringing fans from all 50 states and dozens of countries annually. With a global TV audience in over 200 countries and territories, the Grand Prix is elevated across a worldwide stage.

“Tennessee is already leading the nation in automotive manufacturing, hospitality and entertainment, and this announcement takes it to the next level, as the focus will be on world-class racing in the Volunteer State for the entire 2024 INDYCAR season,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “As the home state of two-time series champion and current Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden, it just makes sense that Tennessee would host one of the biggest races of the season. With the national and international spotlight on Nashville, the world will see what Tennesseans already know to be true – that there’s no better stage for racing than Music City.”

For more information and to receive future news on the 2024 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, please visit www.musiccitygp24.com.https://www.youtube.com/embed/4jb-GF45nho

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Fast Facts

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From Indycar

Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 4 – Sunday, Aug. 6
Track: Streets of Nashville, an 11-turn, 2.1-mile temporary street course in Nashville, Tennessee
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 80 laps / 168 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: 35 laps / 73.5 miles / 55 minutes

Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. A carryover set from the Mid-Ohio event may be used during the first practice.

Twitter: @MusicCityGP, @IndyCar, #MusicCityGP, #INDYCAR Instagram: @musiccitygp, @INDYCAR, #MusicCityGP, #INDYCAR Facebook: @musiccitygp, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR YouTube: @INDYCAR Event website: www.musiccitygp.com/ INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2022 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) INDY NXT by Firestone Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing)

2022 NTT P1 Award winner: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Dex Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet), 1:14.5555, 101.401 mph

Qualifying lap record: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Colton Herta, 1:13.6835, 102.601 mph, Aug. 7, 2021 INDY NXT by Firestone No qualifications held in 2022.

NBC Sports race telecast: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, noon ET Sunday, Aug. 6, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee, Dave Burns and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.
Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Alex Wollf and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race (noon ET Sunday), The INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix (10 a.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Aug. 4
1:55-2:40 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE
3-4:15 p.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (75 minutes), Peacock

Saturday, Aug. 5
9:35-10:20 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE 10:40-11:40 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (45 minutes green flag time or 60 minutes), Peacock
1:05-1:25 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (eight minutes green flag or 15 minutes), INDYCAR LIVE
1:45 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), Peacock
5:25-5:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Sunday, Aug. 6
9:10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines” 9:15 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix (35 laps/73.5 miles/55 minutes), Peacock (live)
11 a.m. – NBC on air
11:23 a.m. – Big Machine Music City Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
11:30 a.m. – Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (80 laps/168 miles), NBC (live)

NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship facts: * Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with five races to go for the second time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. He also led the 2021 championship with five races to go, winning the title that season. Palou, who took the points lead at the GMR Grand Prix in May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has led the point standings after eight of the 12 races this season. * There are 13 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Will Power, Colton Herta, Christian Lundgaard, Alexander Rossi, Kyle Kirkwood, Felix Rosenqvist and Romain Grosjean. Any driver who trails the points leader by 216 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention. * Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of Nashville in 2021, the winning driver has yet to win the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season.

Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the championship leader with five races to go has gone on to win the championship eight times. Those drivers were: Scott Dixon (2008, 2018 and 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2019) and Alex Palou (2021). Point differential: The 80 points that separate Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden is the second-largest point margin since INDYCAR SERIES racing was unified in 2008. Before this season, the average lead with five races to go since 2008 was 41.4 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP WITH FIVE RACES TO GO  
YEAR LEADER SECOND   LEAD CHAMPION
2008 Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves 58 Scott Dixon
2009 Ryan Briscoe Scott Dixon 8 Dario Franchitti (-11) 2010 Will Power Dario Franchitti 41 Dario Franchitti
2011 Dario Franchitti Will Power 62 Dario Franchitti
2012 Ryan Hunter-Reay Will Power 34 Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013 Helio Castroneves Scott Dixon 31 Scott Dixon
2014 Helio Castroneves Will Power 28 Will Power
2015 Juan Pablo Montoya Will Power 46 Scott Dixon (-49)
2016 Simon Pagenaud Josef Newgarden 73 Simon Pagenaud
2017 Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves 3 Josef Newgarden (-23)
2018 Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden 62 Scott Dixon
2019 Josef Newgarden Alexander Rossi 29 Josef Newgarden
2020 Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden 96 Scott Dixon
2021 Alex Palou Scott Dixon 42 Alex Palou
2022 Marcus Ericsson Will Power 8 Will Power
2023 Alex Palou Josef Newgarden 80 ?        

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: * The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will be the 13th race of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. There have been six different winners in 12 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa Speedway-2), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) and Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2023. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014. * The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will be the third INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. Chip Ganassi Racing has won the previous two races with drivers Marcus Ericsson (2021) and Scott Dixon (2022). The race is the fifth and final temporary street circuit race of the 17-race NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. There have been four different winners in the previous four events, with Chip Ganassi Racing claiming two of the four with Ericsson winning St. Petersburg on March 5 and Alex Palou at Detroit on June 4. Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood won at Long Beach on April 18, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard won at Toronto on July 16. * Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 318th consecutive start, which would tie Tony Kanaan’s INDYCAR SERIES record streak … With his next win, Dixon will extend his INDYCAR SERIES record for consecutive seasons with at least one win to 19 … With his next win, Will Power will tie Michael Andretti for fourth on the INDYCAR SERIES all-time victory list. * 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Linus Lundqvist will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut at this race, driving the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing. Lundqvist, 24, from Sweden, is substituting for Simon Pagenaud, who is still recovering from an accident July 1 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and has not been cleared to drive by the INDYCAR medical staff.

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes: * Christian Rasmussen heads to Nashville looking for his third race win in 2023. The 23-year-old Danish driver reclaimed the INDY NXT by Firestone point lead by scoring a win at Iowa Speedway on July 22. Rasmussen leads rookie Nolan Siegel by 22 points with Jacob Abel of Louisville, Kentucky, 43 points behind the leader. * Push-to-pass could play a key strategic role at Nashville as INDY NXT by Firestone drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking, similar to the drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds. * Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first series win in 2023 at Nashville? * Qualifying takes on a new look in 2023 with Saturday’s qualifying session featuring just eight minutes of green flag running or 15 minutes total, whichever comes first. Whoever sets the fastest lap will go in the record books as the first track-record holder as qualifying for INDY NXT by Firestone’s first race on the streets of Nashville was rained out last season.

BITNILE.COM New Race Sponsor at Portland

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PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 1, 2023) – BITNILE.COM has been announced as the title sponsor of the annual NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at Portland International Raceway (PIR), Sept. 1-3, 2023. The Labor Day weekend motorsport festival headlined by the 110-lap penultimate race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be called the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.  

Starting at 10 a.m. PT tomorrow (Aug. 2), Single Day tickets go on sale for the three-day event at PIR featuring non-stop action with 10 total races from five different series. Ticket prices start as low as $25 for Single Day General Admission and $70 for Single Day Grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best value. Fans should visit raceportland.com/indycar to buy tickets for the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland weekend. 

BITNILE.COM, owned by BitNile Metaverse, Inc., is a rapidly growing virtual world with over 1.4 million engaged users. Earlier this year, the platform debuted social gaming with the launch of roulette, offering users an opportunity to play for fun or real money prizes, and the site also allows gamers the opportunity to drive on virtual race tracks including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

BITNILE.COM also sponsors Ed Carpenter Racing, an NTT INDYCAR SERIES team that will be represented by Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and Rinus VeeKay in the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.

“I firmly believe that the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland embodies the essence of innovation and technology, mirroring the cutting-edge nature of the metaverse world we operate,” stated Milton “Todd” Ault III, executive chairman of BitNile.com and Ault Alliance. “By sponsoring this thrilling event at Portland International Raceway, we aim to share our passion for technological advancement with the world, creating an electrifying experience for IndyCar fans both at the track and in the metaverse.”

The 2023 BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland marks the 29th running of this event, adding to the rich history of open-wheel racing in the Rose City. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES headlines the weekend and takes the green flag Sunday, Sept. 3, in a late-season race that could decide and finalize the championship chase. The series points leader after the completion of the past four Portland rounds (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022) has gone on to claim the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new title sponsor and partner BITNILE.COM to the team!” said Jerry Jensen, general manager of Green Savoree Portland, which owns and operates the event at PIR. “BITNILE.COM is already such a great supporter of IndyCar racing through their sponsorship of Ed Carpenter Racing. With this new partnership, we look forward to growing this event, building off a strong foundation of classic IndyCar races dating back to 1984, with invaluable support from BITNILE.COM.”

This year’s field will feature returning race winners Scott McLaughlin (2022), Alex Palou (2021) and Will Power (2019). The grid is anticipated to also boast other notable drivers such as 10-year Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean and, including Power, eight Indianapolis 500 winners: this year’s winner Josef Newgarden, four-time winner Helio Castroneves, 2008 winner and six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi.

The three top open-wheel development series that feed into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will also race at PIR on Labor Day weekend. INDY NXT will battle on Sunday, Sept. 3, for 35 laps on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course. Drivers from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires will contend for championships as both series conclude their seasons with tripleheader races across the weekend. Additionally, the U.S. Touring Car Championship will add exciting sports car action to the event lineup.

Children 12 and under receive free general admission to the event. This also includes complimentary access to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock throughout the weekend when accompanied by a ticketed adult. PIR is located less than a tenth of a mile from a public transit stop – the Delta Park/Vanport MAX Station on TriMet’s MAX Yellow Line – making a trip to the track exceptionally affordable for families.
For all ticket pricing, grandstand locations and additional festival information, visit raceportland.com/indycar. Stay up to speed on the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP.
About BitNile Metaverse, Inc.:Founded in 2011, BitNile Metaverse (Nasdaq: BNMV) owns 100% of BNI, including the BitNile.com metaverse platform. The Platform, which went live to the public on March 1, 2023, allows users to engage with a new social networking community and purchase both digital and physical products while playing 3D immersive games. In addition to BitNile.com, Inc., BitNile Metaverse also owns three non-core subsidiaries either directly or indirectly: approximately 66% of Wolf Energy Services Inc. (OTCQB: WOEN) indirectly; 100% of Zest Labs, Inc. directly; and approximately 89% of Agora Digital Holdings Inc. directly. BitNile Metaverse also owns approximately 70% of White River Energy Corp (OTCQB: WTRV).
About BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland:Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland. PIR is a 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course owned by the City of Portland and operated under Portland Parks & Recreation. Opened in 1960 to host sports car and drag racing, the 268-acre property hosts over 550 events annually including automotive and motorcycle road racing, motocross, cruise-ins and other special events including the Rose Cup Races. PIR has been the site of many memorable INDYCAR races. Al Unser Jr. won the inaugural one in 1984, and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018 after an 11-year absence with 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato taking the checkered flag. The Father’s Day race of 1986 featured Mario Andretti passing his son Michael on the last lap and winning by 0.070 of a second. The closest three-way road racing finish in INDYCAR SERIES history took place at PIR in 1997 when the top three were covered by just 0.055 of a second. In 2021, Alex Palou’s victory in Portland propelled him to win the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. The Grand Prix of Portland is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which also promotes NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147 event at PIR (June 2-3, 2023) and whose affiliates own and operate three additional INDYCAR SERIES races:  Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 3-5, 2023), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid (June 30-July 2, 2023) and Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023). 

Lundqvist Subs for Pagenaud at Nashville

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Finally, Linus Lundqvist gets his shot. Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy NXT (Indy Lights) champion, will substitue for Simon Pagenaud in the 60 car for Meyer Shank Racing this weekendat Nashville.

Simon Pagenaud issues this statement this morning:

The news release from Meyer Shank Racing:

Lundqvist to Drive for Meyer Shank Racing in Nashville INDYCAR Weekend

Lundqvist will substitute for Simon Pagenaud in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda

Pataskala, Ohio (31 July 2023) – As Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) heads to the fourth street circuit on the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, the Ohio-based team will welcome Linus Lundqvist to its lineup alongside Helio Castroneves for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday (12:00pm ET, NBC, SiriusXM Ch. 160). 

Lundqvist is stepping in for Simon Pagenaud, who continues to recover from a practice accident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this month. While he continues to improve, he has been advised by the INDYCAR Medical Team to not participate in this weekend’s event in Nashville.

Following the Mid-Ohio accident, MSR has continued to campaign the No. 60 Honda-powered entry, with the team’s IMSA Championship winning driver Tom Blomqvist making his INDYCAR debut on the streets of Toronto while Conor Daly stepped in on short notice to compete in both the Mid-Ohio race and the Iowa Doubleheader.

Now, the 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone Champion will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES race debut with MSR as he heads back to a track that he has seen much success at. Lundqvist excelled in INDY NXT competition, scoring third in the championship in his rookie campaign in 2021 and backing that up with a run to the title in 2022 on the strength of five wins and nine podium finishes.

In addition to his success in INDYCAR’s feeder series, Lundqvist has had two INDYCAR tests this year at Texas Motor Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.

Lundqvist heads into the Nashville event with some recent familiarity of the track, having swept the 2022 event with a pole and victory.

In honor of heading to the ‘Music City,’ the No. 60 machine will once again carry the all-new SiriusXM Channel, CARRIE’S COUNTRY – XM Ch. 60 – which is a specialty channel with music curated by the eight-time GRAMMY winner, Carrie Underwood.

Lundqvist will join INDYCAR SERIES veteran Castroneves who will drive the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda around the 2.17-mile street course. Castroneves has shown well in his two outings in Nashville, finishing ninth in 2021. Last year’s event saw Castroneves start from the back of the field following an engine change, but the Brazilian driver worked his way up to a 13th place finish. 

The sister MSR car driven by Pagenaud, finished inside the top ten in 2022, finishing ninth after starting 13th. 

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will air live on, Sunday, July 30th on NBC starting at 12:00pm ET. All Practice sessions and Qualifying can be viewed on Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live IndyCar Radio coverage on SXM Ch. 160. 

Meyer Shank Racing Team Quotes:

Linus Lundqvist:

“This is a moment I’ve been dreaming of literally since the start of my career. I could not be more excited about the prospect of finally making my NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut; I am extremely grateful to Meyer Shank Racing for this opportunity. This will be an incredible experience, but also the toughest challenge of my life. Sitting on the sidelines all year, it would be a massive task to join any championship towards the end of the season – let alone the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on the streets of Nashville. There’s been very little time to prepare, but I feel like the sheer excitement of this moment will make up for some of that. Of course, working alongside Helio – one of the true legends of this sport – will also be a huge asset. Last but not least, I would like to wish Simon Pagenaud a continued speedy recovery. While fully aware of everything I have to learn this weekend, I will do my very best to make him and everyone else on the team proud in Music City.”

Helio Castroneves: 

“I’m super excited to head back to Nashville, it’s such a fun city and it has such great energy. The race has always been interesting and it’s very important to stay clean and consistent. We’ve had a pretty good car there the last two years, so I’m hoping that when we go back we’ll be even better. It will be an interesting weekend to have Linus with us as well, he is new to all of this, just like Tom (Blomqvist) was in Toronto. There will be a lot to learn for him, so we’ll see how he adapts.”

BMW Finds Speed on Final Day of IMSA Open Test at IMS 

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IMS Photo

The following is from IMS. I will haver my wrap up of the two days up here tomorrow.

 INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, July 29, 2023) – One day after Porsche led the first two sessions of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Open Test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, it was time for its German rival BMW to show its speed.

Connor De Phillippi led a 1-2 performance by BMW M Team RLL – fielded by NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winners Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – in the last two sessions of the two-day test on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. Former Star Mazda (now USF Pro 2000) driver De Phillippi’s best lap was 1 minute, 14.655 seconds in RLL’s No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 that competes in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

De Phillippi, Jesse Krohn and NTT INDYCAR SERIES star Colton Herta shared the team’s No. 24 and No. 25 cars and found speed in both prototype machines. Krohn turned the second-quickest lap overall Saturday, 1:14.758, in the No. 24 car.

Both those laps were quicker than the top time recorded in two sessions Friday, a 1:15.244 by Tijmen van der Helm in the No. 5 JDC Miller Motorsports Porsche 963. The RLL BMW team made big improvements Saturday, as its quickest time Friday was 1:15.498 by De Phillippi, more than seven-tenths of a second slower than Saturday.

“It was good today,” De Phillippi said. “We worked on a lot of different areas of the car, made some good steps on the systems side, understanding a few of the areas I feel like we’ve been weak on. So, I feel like we have a better understanding of the direction we need to go.

“I don’t think we have it totally figured out, but at least we have a direction. Really proud of the team. It was a productive two days.

”Four-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Sebastien Bourdais was third quickest overall Saturday at 1:14.809 in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-LMDh fielded by NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship winners Chip Ganassi Racing.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams and drivers tested Friday and Saturday to prepare for the return of the series to IMS for the first time since 2014 at the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on Sept. 15-17.

In the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP3) class, Mikkel Jensen was quickest at 1:16.532 in the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA prototype. Matthew Bell led the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class for the second straight day, stopping the clocks at 1:21.209 in the No. 13 AWA machine, an improvement over his best lap of 1:21.401 on Friday.

The sole GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) team that tested Friday, Vasser Sullivan Racing, didn’t turn any laps Saturday. Misha Goikhberg led the GT Daytona (GTD) class at 1:24.192 in the No. 78 Forte Racing Powered by USRT Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, the quickest lap over both days for the class.

All five classes will compete simultaneously during the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, with the nearly 10-second gap in lap times between the GTP and GTD cars ensuring plenty of action and drama as quicker prototypes navigate lapped traffic of the production-appearing GTD classes.

In testing for the Michelin Pilot Challenge series, which showcases the latest high-performance production sports cars, coupes, hatchbacks and sedans, Eric Filgueiras was quickest in the Grand Sport (GS) class with a lap of 1:30.680 in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS. That time, set during the first session Saturday, was considerably quicker than the top GS lap Friday of 1:31.865 by Eric Foss in the No. 56 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 of Murillo Racing.

The No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N fielded by Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian remained atop the Touring Car Racing (TCR) class, but this time Harry Gottsacker was the quickest driver. Gottsacker’s time of 1:32.388 during the second session topped the best Friday time in the class of 1:33.315 set by his teammate and co-driver, NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis 500 veteran Robert Wickens.

For more information or to buy tickets for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on Sept. 15-17, visit IMS.com.

Results:

IMSA Test Day 2

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Good morning from IMS.Early morning storms have cleared out and we should run the full schedule on time today. The weather will be mider than yesterday with temperatures in the 80s.

Today’s schedule:

Saturday, July 29, 2023

9:00 am – 10:15 am SESSION #3 – MICHELIN CHALLENGE
10:30 am – 12:30 pm Session #3 – WeatherTech Championship
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm SESSION #4 – MICHELIN CHALLENGE
3:15 pm – 6:00 pm Session #4 – WeatherTech Championship

Some things I observed yesterday- the pit stands are massive compared to Indycar stands.

The garages have a lot more equipment than an Indycar garage. It makes sense since the cars are bigger and have more parts.

The speed difference between the GTP cars and the GT cars is more obvious here than nat other IMSA races I’ve attended. The long front straight at IMS really shows how much faster the GTP cars are.

A few more pics from yesterday:

IMSA Test Day 1 Wrap UP

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It was one of the most fun days I have had at the Indianapolis motor Speedway. Since i’ve seen every race since 1921, that is saying a lot. But I exaggerate.

The IMSA Weather Tech series held their foist of two test days today. Ir was fun seeing sports car onn the road course again. I was taking to some other medi people about the 2012-2014 Grand Am series races. Today;’s cars are faster, msleeker than the DPi cars of that era. The sports car merger has turned out to be a good thing, but I still miss the American LeMans Series. I thaought the cars in that series were beasts.

A stormy morning caused a two hour delay. The temperatures rose quickly, and by mid afternoon the heat at the track was as hot as I have ever felt there.

The heat kept the spectator count down. On my brief visit to the turn 2 mounds this afternoon I saw seven spectators. Saturday looks to be a much milder day temperature wise, and I expect the mounds will have a lot more people out there.

In the GTP class, the day belonged to Porsche. The morning session the Penske Porsche number 7 on top with a lap of 1:15.636. Matt Campbell drove the quick lap. In the afternoon session, Tijmen van der Helm had the day’s best lap, 1:15.244 in the number 5 JDC Miller Porsche.

In the Michelin Pilot Challenge series, Robert Wickens led the TCR class in a Hyundai Elantra with a time of 1:33.315.

The test continues tomorrow from 9 am-6 pm. The entire series returns for the race September 15-17.

To view the full results, go to results.imsa.com

First IMSA Sessions Complete

thepitwindow

Both the Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA Weather Tech Championship series have comleted one round of practice. Michelin Pilot Challenge will take to the track for their second session in about 10 minutes. Then the IMSA cars will finish the first day from 3:454-6:30.

The morning downpour gave way to sunny skies and after a brief respiy=te from the humidity, it returned. The current temperature is 84 degrees with feels like reading of 91.

Practice began with a slightly wet track, which dried quickly. The few wet areas have now dried.

I have not seen any lap times posted.

It is great to see these cars on the track at IMS. I am very excited for the race weekend in September.

Here are a few photos. I will post more later.

Wayne Taylor Racing
Penske Porsche
GTP Cadillac (L) and GTD Lexus (R)
Lamborghini