Category: Auto Racing

57 Winners

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Last weekend at Road America, a friend posted that he was attending his 100th Indycar race. I congratulate him on reaching an amazing milestone. I have never kept track of how many races i have attended. i am sure it is more than 100. Guessing on the conservative side, I have probably attended around 120 races, 56 of which are Indianapolis 500s. Note- total does NOT include Ray Harroun’s win.

I began to wonder how many different drivers have I seen win races. After some research to jog my fading memory, I came up with a total of 57 different drivers. The number seems low, but I have seen multiple Indyc 500 wins by nine different drivers, which lowers the number of winners I’ have seen at IMS to 47.

As I looked up other races I have attended, I found that most were won by Indianapolis 500 winners. That makes sense. If a driver has won the 500, it is usually one of many victories in his career. I did find drivers who never won the 500 that got to the checkered flag first in races I witnessed first hand.

I do know that my first Indycar race was the 1959 Hoosier Hundred, won by Rodger Ward. I went to six or seven Hoosier Hundreds. A. J. Foyt won most of them. Mario Andretti and parnelli jones each won one. The low number of individual winners makes more sense with the results of these races. The Hoosier Hundred is the race no longer on the schedul;e that I miss the most.

The Ten

Drivers who never won the 500 that I saw win races, some of them more than once, are:

Ryan Briscoe

Carlos Munoz

Sebastien Bourdais

James Hinchcliffe

Alex Palou

Pato O’Ward

Felix Rosenqvist

Rinus VeeKay

Charlie Kimball

Graham Rahal

Who have I seen win the most? That is a diffidcult thing to remember, but I would say it is between Scott Dixon and Will Power. I didn’t start attending races outside the 500 until 2008.

What I learned by checking out the winners I’ve seen is that drivers who get a 500 win are the best at their craft, regardless of the era. My statistics confirm that winning an Indycar race is hard.

If you’ve been to at least 25 races, look back on how many different drivers have won those events. Like me, I think you’ll find that number surprisingly small.

Early Look at Mid Ohio Schedule

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It’s a race week once again.

The Honda Indy 200 schedule, a first look. All times Eastern. Mid Ohio is in the Eastern Time Zone.

Note- The Indycar race is on USA network.

Friday:

3:05pm-4:20pm Indycar practice 1 Peacock

Saturday

9:45 am-10:45 am Indycar practice 2 Peacock

2:45 pm-4:15 pm Indycar Qualifying Peacock

Sunday

10″30 am-11:00 am Indycar Warmup Peacock

11:40 am-12:35 pm Indy NXT Race (35 laps or 55 miles) Peacock

1:53 pm Green flag for Indycar Honda Indy 200 USA; Peacock

Road America Wrap Up- Should We Spread Out the Crown Jewels?

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Another outstanding Road America event ended with a great race a little more than 24 hours ago. I have seen a lot of comments today on social media about post Road America depression. I still get post 500 depression at the end of May- I have for more than n50 years. After the htiurd Road America race in the cy=urreent series, in 2017, I had a weird feeling leaving the track. A couple of days later, I realized it was post race depression.

I don’t get this feeling after every race. It is a given after Indy; I have also felt it each time after the two times I have been to Long Beach; and now, every time I leave Road America. Maybe it’s Crown Jewel Syndrome. Indycar’s three Crown Jewel races- Long Beach, the Indianapolis 500, and Road America- occur in a span of 65 days. That is a lot of emotion crammed into slightly more than two months. Maybe that is the source of thefeelings following the last event.

Perhaps Indycar should spread the Crown Jewels out a little more. I would love to see Road America in September. I bet the place looks spectacular with the leaves changing colors. I realize there are many reasons why this will never happen, but it might stave off some depression among fans.

Here is a quick review of the weekend.

The Race

The Sonsio Grand Prix of Raod America was an intricuing race. There was drama in the first half of the race with cars driving off track, and the different pit strategies.

Will Power probably needed a second half yellow to make his strategy work, but it was a brilliant drive to see him dart in and out of the pits and actually lead after starting 22nd.

Speaking of needing a yellow in the second half of the race, Colton Herta’s crew put him in a vulnerable spot asking him to go 15 laps on a tank of fuel yet maintain a leading pace. For a team and driver that despeartely needed a win, it was a questionable move.

I don’t know what else can be said about Alex Palou. there is no better driver in the series right now, nor has there been since he won the season finale at Laguna Seca last year. Including that race Palou has finished in the top eigtht nine straight races. Only at St. Pete in March has Palou finished outside the top 5.

While many fans are wondering if he will stay with Ganassi for 2024 (doubtful), my friend Tony dizinno pointed out that we should probably worry more that he leaves Indycar.

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The Crowd

If you thought there wer a lot of people at road America yesterday, you were right. I hear dthird hand thatb it was arecord crowd for the track, possibly by as much as 10% above the previous mark. I sensed it all weekend. In talked to a friend after qualifying, who said the crowd reminded him of the 2017 race day crowd. I could not disagree.

Yesterday I watched the warmup from the the top of the nturn 5 hill. Normally it is crowded, but I can always find a space for my golf cart. Yesterday it was atight squeeze to fit my vegicle into a tiny space by the road.

I watched the start of the race from the turb 7 area. The concession stand there is usually one of the easier ones to get something to eat quickly. Sunday the line stretched to the cart parking entry and kept growing. The workers handled it well. =they make food to order, and despite the demand, things moved smoothly.

I watched the end of the race from turn 3. It’s a great spot for restarts as you see the field come down the hill from turn 2.

The Atmosphere

Road Anerica is for race fans. People coma and watch the races, no matter which series. They have a good time, and nthey have fun, but this track is all about the racing. I see that atmosphere at sports car races, but the atmosphere is unique to Indycar events. I have heard fans at dinner talking about the next day’s races and thqt they want to get to the track for the first race.

Thanks for following along this weekend. I will be on here just occasionally the rest of this week, then be back to get ready for Mid Ohio at the end of next week.

Quick Thoughts- Road America

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Jusrt a few quick notes before I head home. i willhave a full wrap up tomorrow.

Are we seeing the second coming of Scott Dixon? A;lex Palou is the collest customer since Dixon. Seven wins in 55 races. 19 top 5s. Palou has won three of the last four races, and he has been inn the top five innthe last seven races. He has extended his lead to 74 points over Marcus Ericsson.

The race was better than I expected. I was surprised it came down to a fuel race rather than a tire race.

Great drives-

Scott Dixon to fourth from 23rd.

Will Power from 22nd to13th.

Kyle Kirkwood, shiuffled to the back of the field on the opening lap finishing 9th.

A great run by Marcus Armstrong ended with an off track excursion pushed him back to 24th at the end. We haven’t heard the last of him.

Where did Alexander Rossi’s speed go? Rossi led all three practices, but didn’t have the speed for qualifying or the race. A 10th place finish has to be disappointing.

What is it going to take for Colton Herta to win a race? The strategy was one lap off.

Finally a podium for Pato O’Ward. O’ward drove a steady race and didn’t let anything bother him today.

A good day for Rhal letterman Lanigan Racing. Christian Lundgaard finished seventh and Graham Rahal fnished 11th.

Ryan Hunter-Reay was 17th in his ECR debut.

I don’t think Road SAmrica can ever officially sell out, but today’s crowd was about as close as it can come to a full house.

I need to get on the road home. Thanks for following along this weekend. More tomorrow.

Rossi Leads Warmup as O’Ward, Herta Continue Off Road Adventures

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Alwxander Rossi has now lead every session except qualifying, making hin the odds on favorite for todau’s race. Polesitter Colton Herta had the second best lap, despite once again getting off track again.

Pato O’Ward took two excursions intomtheavel but kept going. He finished the session seventh.

Ryan Hunter-Reay and Romain Grosjean brought out red flags, Hunter-Reay for getting stuck off course, and Grosjean for spinning and stalling in turn 13.

It was a busy warmuo with 1,116 laps turned.

Tire selections will be out after the Indy NXT race which just started.

Results

Race Day at Road America

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Today’s schedule: Times are Eastern. Road America is in the Central Time Zone

10:15 am: IndyCar warmup Peacock

11 am: Indy NXT Race Peacock

1 pm: IndyCar Race USA

Another friendly nreminder that the race is on USA. Green fkag is at 1:30 Eastern

Happy Father’s day to all the dads who read this. Today’s Sonsio Grand Prix promises to be one of the more interesting races at Road America. A perfect storm is brewing for another wild day.

The Repave

Drivers loved the full track repave until they hated it. Drivers who got off line and ended up in the sand traps didn’t seem as enamored with the new surface as they did after Friday’s practice. With cars going two wide in some places, the recipe for caution periods is there, It has been a yellow filed year, but Road America doesn’t normally produce many caution periods. Today could be different.

Tires

The alternate tire doesn’t seem to be faster than the primary this weekend. Putting on the reds di not improve qualifying times. The driver who figures out the correct stire trategy will havet a great advantage.

I would start on the alternates and hope for an early yellow, then use the primaries the rest of the way.

Today will be the warmest day of the weekend with a temperature of 77 degrees at race time. It has been a most pleasant wekend weather wise.

Starting Lineup

Herta Takes Pole on a Dusty Smoky Day

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There was dust. There was smoke. Five cars, incuding Colton Herta ,lost laps in qualifying. In the end, Herta survived to win his first pole of the season. It was the fourth pole in eight races for Andretti Autosport.

Herta had three off track excursions today. Two were in the morning practice, includin sending a Weather Tech sign to an untimely death.

He spun in qualifying, losing his fastest lap in round 2, yet still advancing to the Fast Six. His teammate Kyle Kirkwood was not as fortunate. On the last lap of round 2, kirkwood had secured a spot in the Fast Six, only to have his engine let go on the backstretch. The car stopped after the checkered flag came out, avoiding a penalty. Still kirkwood had another superb qualifying effort ruined by misfortune. This time it wasn’t his fault, but other than winning the pole at Long Beach, his luck after advancing has been abysmal.

Herta siad, “This place with the repave is not easy. To have a car that was stable enough to really attack in that last Fast Six was impressive. It’s been way too long this year for us to get a pole, so it’s nice to finally get one.”

From earlier:

Rossi Stays on Top

https://thepitwindow.blog/2023/06/17/rossi-stays-on-top-says-car-has-more-left/

Speaking of abysmal, Will Power would love to turn the clock back and start this day again. Power was involved in a crash near the endof practice with Scott Dixon, who moved in front of Power to avoid Romain Grosjean. Power angrily got out ofm his car and confronted Dixon, even givng him a shove. Before getting to Dixon he gave the Loudon salute..

Neither repaired car was up to qalifying. Power will start 22nd and Dixon 23rd. Power’s attempt to advance ended with a wild ride off track min turn 2.

Pato O’Ward will start second, just 0.17 seconds behnd Herta.

Some Positives

The day was not all bad. A. J. Foyt Racing advanced both cars to the second round for the first time since St. Pete in 2018. Benjamin Pedersen will star 10th and Santino Ferrucci lines up 11th tomorrow.

Marcus Armstrong starts eighth. The fourth ganassi driver has been getting closer to a Fast Six appearance each time out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the final round at Mid Ohio or Toronto.

Christian Lundgaard just missed the last round and will start seventh. Lundgaard has been carrying the RLL team in qualifying this year.

Notes

Eight races into the season and Team Penske has yet to win a pole. The team has won three races. It’s the first year in some time Ithta I can remeber when Penske drivers have not won the majority of the races.

Alexander Rossi fell to fifth after leading both practice sessions. David Malukas, strong in the two practices, failed toadvance and will start 13th.

Points leader Alex Palou recovered froma morning spin into the turn 14 tire barriers and will start third. Tomorrow will be Palou’s sixth straight top four start. Texas was the last time Palou started outside the second row. He has not started lower than seventh in 2023.

Rossi Stays on Top; Says Car has More Left

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In a disjointed practice session with four interruptions, Alexander Rossi continuede his strong nweekend, keeping the mtop spot for the second day in a row. Rossi lowered the fast time to1:40.9112, still a second slower than the track record.

Colton Herta, despite twom off track excursions, finished second, 0.04 seconds behind Rossi. Herta spun early in the round, destroying a sign in the process. The session ended early when Herta spun and got stuck in the gravel with less than two inutes left in the session.

The most serious incident involved Will Power and Scott Dixon. Dixon was moving over for Romain Grosjean and didn’t see Power coming. Power and Dixon collided, sparking an angry reaction from Power,whi shoved Dixon after they both got out of their cars. I can’t imagine what his reaction would have been if nthat wopuld have happened during the race.

Alex Palou spun in turn 14 and hit the tire barrier. He climbed out of mthe car and is okay, and he stillcould be na factor in qualifying.

I hope the race is half as action packed as this practice session was. It will be great if it were.

I spent most of the round in turn the carousel just past the Speedville bridge. There is a new trail on the outside of the turn, which by next year will rival Canada Corner in popularity. The red flags gave me ample time to move to the inside of turn. This is a proper road course corner- it is sweeping wih a sand trap on the drivers’ left and a low guard rail on the drivers’ right. very old style. Iwould love tpo see more corners like this mone at other tracks.

I ended the morning at the bottom of turn 5, which had a crowd of near race day proportions. This morning I could sense today’s attendanxe would be huge, and it is.

I will end with results, qualifying groups, and I will be abck min just a bit with some photos from this morning’

Results

Qualifying Groups