It;’s the busiest day of the weekend with Indycar qualifying, Race 1, and Indy NXT race on the schedule.
Today’s schedule. Eastern Times. Iowa is in the Central Time Zone
8 am: Gates Open
8:30 am: IndyCar Quals
10:10 am: Indy NXT Green Flag
11:50 am:@carrieunderwood Concert
1:20 pm: Driver Intros
1:49 pm: Invocation
1:50 pm: Anthem
2:01 pm: Command
2:06 pm: Green Flag
4:30 pm:@kennychesney Concert
If Indycar is at Iowa.Josef Newgarden will be at the head of the field. Newgarden jumped into the lead with the quick lap on his fourth trip around the 7.8 mile oval and was never beaten. His teammate, Scott Mclaughlin, had tyhe second fastest lap late in the session, but for the most part, times didn’t improve much for most of the field.
There were two cautions during the practice session. Agustin canapino spun exiting the pits with 44 minutes left. Later, Santino Ferrucci slowed on track after going high.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has won this event three times, was eighth for Ed Carpenter Racing. Conor Daly, filling in for Simon Pagenaud, was ninth fastest.
Points leader Alex Palou finished 15th, while the other Ganassi entries all were in the top 10. Marcus Ericsson was third, Takuma Sato was sixth, and Scott Dixon was 10th.
The 28 car field turned a total of 2,766 laps. Next up is qualifying tomorrow morning at 9:30 Eatern time.
First- wishing my friend and colleague Steve Wittich a speedy recovery from his medical issue. We media types are having a bad run right now.
Today;s schedule in Eastern Times. iowa is in the Central Time Zone:
3 pm: Gates Open
3:15-4 pm: IndyNXT Practice
4:30-6 pm: IndyCar Practice
6:30 pm: Indy NXT Qualifying
8:30 pm: Pit Stop Comp
Iowa Speedway is my favorite non Indy oval. I love the way the cars zip around the 7/8 mile track. The action is fast and furious, and cars are always in trtaffic. Well, maybe not Josef Newgarden, but the others for sure. The double heare conept, which began during the pandemic, has stuck at Iowa.
In 2022, the races were between concerts. Hy-Vee and Indycar put a lot of money into sprucing up the track facilities and garnering some headline acts. It was a hit.
For 2023, the promoters got even bigger name acts, and they raised the ticket prices. Will they draw the same crowd as last year? We shall see.
One change this year, which I don’t care for, is that both races are the same distnce, 250 laps. I think Saturday’s race should be 300 laps. The different race lengths woul;d make the weekend more interesting.
Qualifying is key at Iowa. since the return to day races, the winners have come from the first two rows.
Newgarden dominated the event last year, winning race 1 and was on his way to an easy victory in race 2 when a part failure spun him into the turn 4 wall. What will this year bring? Here are some things to look for.
It is hard to believe that no driver from arrow McLaren has won a race this season. Pato O’Ward was in a positon to win threer races- St. Pete, Texas, and the Indianapolis 500. Mechanical hiccups and yellow flags thwarted his chances.
O’Ward had the second best car at iowa last year, and he won Race 2 after Newgarden’s misfortune.
The team is also good at Gateway. I think McLaren has the three remaining oval races to get into the win column. If not, their offseason may be even more interesting than it already is going to be.
I have a feeling O’Ward wins one of the two races this weekend.
Newgarden has won at Iowa four times. last year was pure domination by him for two days. As we enter the weekend, there is nothing to indicate we won’t see the same type of performance as last year. Newgarden has won four of the last five oval races starting with Iowa in 2022. We are likely to see the same two winners as we had in 2022.
Honda teams tested at Iowa recently, and Chip Ganassi drivers were very happy with the results. This track has favored Chevy in recent years, but Honda, thanks to Alex Palou, has won more races in 2023. What hasn’t Honda won? An oval race.
As Palou continues his relentless march to the title, this is the weekend where he could hit a bump in the road. The good news is, he doesn’t need to win. Palou just needs to stay in shouting distance of Newgarden and Scott Dixon. A two race lead in the points affords him that luxury. A top five finish is sufficient for Palou.
Ganassi aside, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is arguably the team with the most momentum in the paddock right. Fresh from Christian Lundgaard’s pole and victory in Toronto, the team seems to at last have their act together. This weekend could be redemption for their Indianapolis nightmare.
Matthew Brabham returns to IndyNXT with Juncos Hollinger Racing, replacing Matteo Nannini.
Simon Pagenaud will miss his third and fourth cionsecutive races while he recovers from the concussion he suffered at Mid Ohio. Conor daly will agiain drive for MSR.
If Palou maintains his current lead he will clinch the championship after Gateway.
From Indycar
| Race weekend: Friday, July 21-Sunday, July 23 Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa Race distance: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Saturday) | Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Sunday) | INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway: 75 laps/67.05 miles Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Fourteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend | INDY NXT by Firestone: Three sets for use during the race weekend Twitter: @indycaratiowa, @IndyCar, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250 #INDYCARInstagram: @indycaratiowa, @INDYCAR, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250, #INDYCARFacebook: @HyVeeINDYCARWeekend, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAREvent website: www.hyveeindycarweekend.comINDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2022 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIESJosef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet), Race #1; Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), Race #2 INDY NXT by FirestoneHunter McElrea (Andretti Autosport) 2022 NTT P1 Award winner:Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 18.0607 seconds, 178.099 mph (Race 1); 18.0796 seconds, 178.013 mph (Race 2) One-lap qualifying record:NTT INDYCAR SERIESHelio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014 INDY NXT by FirestoneColton Herta, 19.6441 seconds, 163.835 mph, July 9, 2017 NBC race telecast: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, July 22, NBC; Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, 2 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC. Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dave Burns, Kevin Lee 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 telecasts of the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR Live. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman (Saturday) and Jake Query (Sunday) are the turn announcers. Michael Young be the pit reporter alongside Query (Saturday) and Yeoman (Sunday). The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart race (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade race (2 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (10:55 a.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway 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 Central): FRIDAY, JULY 21 2:15-3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR Live 3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock 5:30-6:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR Live 7:30 p.m. Pit Stop Competition SATURDAY, JULY 22 8:30 a.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock 10:05 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway “Drivers, start your engines) 10:10 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (75 laps/67.05 miles), Peacock 2 p.m. NBC on air 2:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 2:06 p.m. Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live) SUNDAY, JULY 23 10:05-10:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES systems check (Out and In Lap) 1 p.m. NBC on air 1:25 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 1:30 p.m. Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live) NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:T he Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 11th and 12th races of the 2023 season. There have been six different winners in 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America and 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. Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, featuring the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, will be the third and fourth oval races of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous two oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500). Newgarden has won five of the last seven oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule – including one of the two races during the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend in 2022. The remaining oval race will take place Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 18th and 19th NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Iowa Speedway. Josef Newgarden and Ryan Hunter-Reay are the only entered drivers to win at Iowa Speedway more than once. Newgarden has four wins (2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2 and 2022 Race #1) while Hunter-Reay has three wins (2012, 2014 and 2015). Past winners Pato O’Ward (2022 Race #2), and Helio Castroneves (2017) are also entered in the event. ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS Josef Newgarden 4 2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2, 2022 Race # 1Ryan Hunter-Reay 3 2012, 2014, 2015 Helio Castroneves 1 2017 Pato O’Ward 1 2022 Race #2 Andretti Autosport has won seven of the 17 previous races at Iowa Speedway (Dario Franchitti 2007, Tony Kanaan 2010, Marco Andretti 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012, 2014 and 2015 and James Hinchcliffe 2013). Team Penske has five wins (Helio Castroneves 2017, Josef Newgarden 2019, 2020 Race #2 and 2022 Race #1 and Simon Pagenaud 2020 Race #1). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins (Dan Wheldon 2008 and Franchitti 2009). Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dario Franchitti and Josef Newgarden are the only drivers to win at Iowa Speedway and win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season. Newgarden accomplished the feat in 2019, Hunter-Reay in 2012 and Franchitti in 2007 and 2009. Scott Dixon is the only driver to have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Iowa, and although he has 11 top-five finishes in his previous 17 starts on the oval, he’s never won at “The World’s Fastest Short Track.” Twelve drivers entered have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 1,506, Helio Castroneves 644, Will Power 234, Dixon 130, Pato O’Ward 97, Takuma Sato 64, Graham Rahal 32, Ed Carpenter 18, Conor Daly 17, Felix Rosenqvist 7, Alexander Rossi 4 and David Malukas 1). Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend presents the first chance for Alex Palou to complete the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge. The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has already scored wins on a street course (Streets of Detroit) and a road course (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course). He would become the second driver to claim a $1 million bonus to be split among his team and chosen charity – The American Legion – should he win on an oval. Josef Newgarden won the bonus last season. Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 316th and 317th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history. Tony Kanaan holds the INDYCAR SERIES record with 318 consecutive starts…Ed Carpenter will attempt to make his 200th career INDYCAR SERIES start in Sunday’s Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes:The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway marks the start of the second half of the 2023 season. Rookie Nolan Siegel leads the championship standings by 16 points over his HMD Motorsports teammate Christian Rasmussen. Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea (39 points behind) and Louis Foster (42 back) are close behind.The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway will be the first of two oval events this season for INDY NXT by Firestone. Hunter McElrea claimed the checkered flag last season and will look to become the first repeat winner at Iowa in INDYCAR’s development series. The second oval race of the season is Aug. 26 at World Wide Technology Raceway.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? |
From Indycar:
| INDYCAR Strengthens Rear-Wheel Bearing Retaining Nut, To Debut at Iowa Doubleheader |
| INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 19, 2023) – INDYCAR, along with longtime partner Dallara, is providing an update to improve the overall strength and retention of wheel hubs on NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars.The updated rear-wheel bearing retaining nut is being distributed to all entries in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and will be mandated for use beginning at this weekend’s Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. The strength of the rear-wheel bearing retaining nut has increased by 60 percent over the previous design. Revisions to the existing component came after a meticulous review of the incident at the 2023 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge involving the No. 27 car of Andretti Autosport and the No. 6 car of Arrow McLaren, which resulted in the loss of the left rear wheel assembly on the No. 27. “Dallara continues to be a tremendous partner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “Their thorough review process of the incident between the No. 6 and the No. 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway began immediately and included an extensive recreation at their headquarters in Italy. “INDYCAR takes safety very seriously. This update is an important step in making sure an incident like this does not happen again.” Previously, it was determined that the wheel tether system, using high-performance Zylon material, did not fail in the May 28 incident. INDYCAR was the first sanctioning body in the United States to require its use. “It is Dallara’s mission, along with INDYCAR and all of the racing series we work with, to maintain and continuously improve safety based upon the highest standards,” Dallara CEO Stefano dePonti said. “After completing a detailed analysis of the accident during this year’s Indy 500, together with INDYCAR we have reached the conclusion that the outcome was the consequence of an unusual and never experienced set of circumstances. “Nevertheless, we have developed and produced new components that will increase the strength of the corner in case the unlikely sequence of events repeats itself.” The next race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart Saturday, July 22 at Iowa Speedway. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on NBC with a simulstream available on Peacock. The doubleheader at “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet” continues Sunday, July 23 with the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade. Coverage on Sunday begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The INDYCAR Radio Network will also provide coverage throughout the weekend. |
It was bound to happen at some point. Tghe Pit Window will be staying home for the next few weeks. Impending surgery on August 10 has made me decide to lay low to avoid the risk of exposure until then. While I will still cover Iowa and Nashville remotely, coverage of the GP at IMS may be delayed,
Without going into detail, the surgery is particular to older men, and the recover period is not long.I plan to return trackside at gateway and the final two rounds on the West Coast.
I will be at IMS next weekend for the IMSA test, since no extensive travel is involved and there won’t be a crowd.
While I really hate to miss Iowa, my favorite non Indy oval in the series. I will cheer myself up on Friday by going to a movie about nuclear weapons.
Simon Pagenaud issues the following statement on Twitter this morning:
Conor Daly will again sub for Pagenaud in the 60 Meyer Shank Racing. Daly has raced seven times at Iowa, and he won the pole there in 2020 for race 1.
Daly also filled in for Pagenaud at Mid Ohio in July following Pagenaud’s massive practice accident.
I hope Simon is olay and we will see him back in the car before the end of the season.
All Times Central
Friday, July 21
3:30 pm-5 Practice Peacock
Saturday, July 22
8:30-9:30 am Qualifying (lap 1= race 1; lap 2=race 2) Peacock
2:06 pm Race 1 250 laps NBC, Peacock
Sunday, July 23
1:30 pm Race 2 250 laps NBC, Peacock
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 