Auto Racing – Page 141 – The Pit Window by Mike Silver

Alexander Rossi’s number 7 has light blue trim while thesix car that Felix Rosenqvist will drive has a darker shade of blue. The cars both retain the papaya orange as the contrasting color.

Both cars are shown with the cr number in blue. The team may change the number decal back to black for visibility. I’m not sur how the blue will show up in bright sunlight. I really like the blue numbers.

Rossi’s car has more a Gulf livery feel to it. Gulf is one of my favorite liveries in the history of racing.

Alexander Rossi’s car has the traditional McLaren look..

Felix Rosenqvist has the darker NTT shade of blue. The blue crown on the aeroscreen will help fans tell the two cars apart.

I assume Pato O’Ward’s car, the number five, will be revealed tomorrow. I hope it has a different look than these two..

I will be En route to Daytona for the Rolex 24 tomorrow. I will have reports when I can get to a WiFi spot, or from my phone.

Blomqvist Puts Meyer Shank Acura on Rolex Pole

January 24, 2023 thepitwindow

Meyer Shank Racing’s Acura had paced the practice sessions, but a red flag with five minutes left in qualifying looked to quash their shot at the pole for Saturday’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona International Speedway.

Nick Tandy crashed in the bus stop, tearing part of the nose off of his Penske Porsche. he drove the damaged car back to the pits, but the cleanup on track took most of the remaining time in the 20 minute session. IMSA allowed the GTP cars one more flying lap.

Blomqvist was last on track and turned a lap of 1:34. to take the pole from Ricky Taylor in the Wayne Tayor with Andretti Acura. Taylor had the fastest time before the red flag. He finished third.

Pole winners for each of the five classes:

Notes

Kevin Magnussen has withdrawn from the race. He needs surgery on his hand. Will Power withdrew earlier/

A friend of mine who was at the Roar last weekend. thinks the Porsches will be very strong in the race.

Attrition in the GTP class might be high. it’s the first race for the new cars and engines.

Ricky Taylor will have an Indycar test with Andretti Autosport. I hop eit leads to at least a ride in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

The 2023 Indycar Grid-27 Cars Makes Every Point More Valuable

January 19, 2023 thepitwindow

Indycar’s 27 car grid, 28 on ovals, is the largest field in12 years. The competition should be as close as it was in 2022, but the two to three extra cars mean points are at more of premium. Finishing positions from 25th or worse are worth only 5 points each, and in 2023 there will be more chances for a driver to earn the fewest possible points each race. Traffic at some of the shorter road courses and the street courses will be a constant issue for the leaders. I like that possibility.

The field has only three rookies- Benjamin Pedersen, Agustin Canapino, and Marcus Armstrong. Armstrong will have a difficult time winning Rookie of the Year since he is only running 12 races. I think Pedersen has the best shot at rookie honors.

There are five former series champions in the field- Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud, and Alex Palou. Palou is the only under the age of 30. the champions represent 11 titlesw, with Dixon holding six of them.

Seven Indianapolis 500 winners are in the 2023 grid. Takuma sato is running an oval only schedule, but the others- Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Marcus Ericsson, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, and Alexander Rossi. The group represents 11 500 victories. Only Castroneves with four and Sato with two have won multiple 500s.

For the first time since 2014, Andretti Autosport will not have a former 500 winner in their lineup.

The Grid

Team Penske (Chevrolet)

Will Power

Josef Newgarden

Scott McLaughlin

Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet)

Pato O’Ward

Felix Rosenqvist

Alexander Rossi

Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet)

Rinus VeeKay

Conor Daly

Ed Carpenter- ovals only

A. J. Foyt Racing (Chevrolet)

Benjamin Pedersen (Rookie)

Santino Ferrucci

Juncos Hollinger Racing (Chevrolet)

Callum Ilott

Agustin Canapino (Rookie)

Andretti Autosport (Honda)

Colton Herta

Romain Grosjean

Devlin DeFrancesco

Kyle Kirkwood

Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda)

Scott Dixon

Alex Palou

Marcus Ericsson’

Marcus Armstrong (Rookie) (road/ street courses); Takuma Sato (ovals)

Meyer Shank Racing (Honda)

Helio Castroneves

Simon Pagenaud

Dale Coyne Racing (Honda)

David Malukas

Sting Ray Robb (Rookie)

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Honda)

Graham Rahal

Christian Lundgaard

Jack Harvey

Power Withdraws from Rolex 24

January 18, 2023 thepitwindow

Will Power has withdrawn from driving in the Rolex 24 next weekend due to a family health issue. His wife, Liz has had complications from a recent surgery. According to power, she will have “a long recovery time.”

Power was slated to drive the number 75 Mercedes AMG in the GTD class with his firend and fellow Ausie Kenny Habul.

The Pit Window sends good thoughts to the Powers and asks that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Sato Signs with Ganassi for Ovals

January 17, 2023 thepitwindow

As expected, 2 time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was confirmed as for the oval portion of the number 11 car with Chip Ganassi Racing. Sato has won 6 Indycar races including the 500 in 2017 and 2020. Three of his wins have come on ovals. Marcus Armstrong will drive the 11 on road and street courses. He also has earned10 poles. Sato has driven for Andretti Autosport, A. J. Foyt Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Dale Coyne Racing in his Indycar career.

The announcement from Chip Ganassi Racing:

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato will join Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023 to pilot the No. 11 Honda in oval competition, while Marcus Armstrong will drive the road and street course races.

Sato brings more than two decades of experience racing at the highest level of the sport to the defending Indianapolis 500 winners who have won 14 INDYCAR SERIES championships, including nine across the past 15 seasons of competition.

“First of all, I would like to thank Chip and Mike for helping put this all together. I am extremely excited to join Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2023 season,” said Sato. “The organization has been at the top of our sport for decades and needless to say, extremely competitive. Focusing on the oval races is a new chapter for me but I’m thrilled to have the ability to race with team members and teammates that have won the championships and Indianapolis 500 in the past, which is a tremendous advantage. I just can’t wait to get started.”

“What a terrific opportunity to have Takuma Sato drive our No. 11 Honda INDYCAR on the ovals in 2023. He is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner who contributes with the experience of knowing how to win, by matching the strength of his three teammates, which equals four who race as one,” said Managing Director Mike Hull. “Chip Ganassi Racing looks forward to the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500.”

Sato has raced in the INDYCAR SERIES over the past 13 seasons, where he has earned six wins, 14 podiums and 10 pole positions. Sato has made 215 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, the sixth-most among active drivers and the 22nd-most in all-time history.

Sato is the most recent driver to attain multiple wins in the Indianapolis 500, capturing victories in 2020 and 2017. Sato’s first victory in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing came after re-claiming the lead with just six laps to go, etching his mark in the history books as the first Japanese driver to ever win the race. Then in 2020, he won the race for the second time after starting from the front row in P3 position.

Prior to his INDYCAR career, Sato raced in Formula 1 for seven seasons (2002-08). He earned 44 points with one podium appearance across 90 career series starts. Sato registered a top-10 finish in the Formula 1 points standings in 2004, where he achieved his podium finish at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Sato also won the British Formula 3 championship in 2001, earning 12 wins as well as victories in the Marlboro Masters of F3 at Zandvoort, and the prestigious Macau F3 GP.

Source: Chip Ganassi Racing

Indy NXT Changes- Better, But Good Enough?

January 16, 2023 thepitwindow

Maybe the Indy NXT by Firestone prize structure changes announced last week are just baby steps toward an eventual return to the $1 million championship prize, or maybe this is the way it will be.

At any rate, I appreciate the transparency before the season begins. In 2022, the series champion was to receive $ i million dollars and a t least three Indycar races including the Indianapolis 500. Indycar bought the series from Andersen Promotions, and at the end of the year champion Linus Lundqvist got just $500,000 and no guaranteed Indycar drives. He has fallen off the radar, and his chances of driving in Indycar seem nonexistent.at the moment.

Under the new prize structure, which is based on feedback from the teams, the 2023 champion will receive $850,000 cash, an oval test at Texas Motor Speedway, a ride at the IMS open test and rookie Orientation, a ride in the Indianapolis 500, and a drive in another IndyCar race. The cash prize is an increase of 4350,000 from last year.

Second place in the championship gets $125,000, and third place receivess $65,000.

The championship team wins $35,000. This is a new award.

Cash prizes for each race- $15,000 for the winner; $5,000 for second place, and $2,500 for third.

Overall, this is a step in the right direction. It offers more team the opportunity to win some money. I think the series needs to find a way to help the champion get a full time ride for the following season.

The Indy NXT Series by Firestone should have 19 cars on the grid in 2023, its largest field since 2009. Are two races and three tests enough of an incentive to maintain interest in the future?

Juncos Hollinger Adds Canapino to Lineup

January 13, 2023 thepitwindow

Juncos Hollinger Racing completed its quest to add a second full time car to Indycar grid with yesterday’s announcement of Agustin Canapino as driver of car 78. Canapiono,32, has won multiple championships in Argentina in the touring car series. He tested with the team and drove in a series of demonstration runs n Argentina last fall.

Callum Ilott returns to JHR in car 77 for his second Indycar season. Ilott finished 20th in points in 2022, but he had several strong performances, including a front row start at the season finale at Laguna Seca.

I’m happy to see Ricardo Juncos expand to two full time cars. Juncos and his team work hard, and they do not get discouraged by setbacks.

The fulltime grid for 2023 now stands at 26. The only open full time spot is the second car at Dale Coyne Racing.