Category: Auto Racing

Sato Joins Coyne/Rick Ware Racing

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Image from Dale Coyne Twitter

It’s not a complete surprise, but two time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato will drive car 51 for Dale Coyne for Rick Ware Racing in 2022. The car had Romain Grosjean behind the wheel last season. We are still waiting for Coyne to confirm David Malukas in the 18, likely in apartnership with Global HMD, Malukas’s father’s company . The announcement earlier this week that Vasser-Sullivan would not return I think is somewhat of a confirmation.

The announcement from Coyne:

Plainfield, IL (Thursday, December 9, 2021) – Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing has signed two-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Takuma Sato to drive its #51 Honda powered entry for the entire 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

“I am extremely excited that we were able to work out a deal with Dale, Rick and everyone at Dale Coyne Racing,” shared Sato. “With Honda an integral part of Dale Coyne Racing, it seemed like a great fit. The team has proven year after year that they are very competitive on all types of circuits.

“Particularly the speed that team has shown in recent years at the Indy 500 were very impressive. I am really looking forward to working with my new environment and can’t wait to get started.”

Sato brings 12 years of NTT INDYCAR SERIES experience with him to the team. In his 198 starts, he has finished on the podium 14 times and has six wins, including his two Indianapolis 500 victories. The 44-year-old driver has also started on pole position 10 times, has led 896 laps and has 70 top 10 finishes.

“Takuma has shown that he is one of the best drivers to ever race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Winning the famed Indianapolis 500 twice, we look forward to competing with our package of a good car with a great driver in the 500 next year. All of us on our team welcome the very talented Mr. Sato into our fold for 2022,” said team co-owner Dale Coyne.

Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Sato spent seven seasons in Formula 1 prior to his arrival in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2010. He most recently spent the last four seasons with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team.

Team co-owner Rick Ware added: “I am excited to have Takuma join the Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Family for 2022. Takuma’s experience within motorsports is extensive, not just in the United States, but around the world. With Takuma’s experience, and vast knowledge of the cars, we are really looking forward to stepping up the program and having a successful season, and maybe even add another INDIANAPOLIS 500 win to his list of achievements.”

The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season kicks off on the Streets of St. Petersburg February 25 – 27, 2022.

IRP Name Returns: It Never Left in My Mind

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Lucas Oil Raceway today announced it is bringing back the name Indianapolis Raceway Park. For many fans, including me, it was never anything but IRP. I’d like to thank Lucas Oil for the nice birthday present.

The statement from their Twitter account:

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – In advance of the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, it was formally announced that Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis would transition to a new name for the 2022 season and beyond: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The name change marks a return to the full Indianapolis Raceway Park moniker, used from 1961 to 2005. The track has been named Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis since 2011, and was O’Reilly Raceway Park from 2006 to 2010.

“We are excited to bring back the IRP name with the continued support of our long-time partner Lucas Oil,” said Kasey Coler, Vice President of Track Operations and Management for the NHRA. “We just wrapped up our 60th Anniversary of the facility and the timing couldn’t be better to celebrate a bit of our history with the new moniker.”

Incorporating Lucas Oil into the Indianapolis Raceway Park title continues a partnership with the two parties that began in 2011.  The new name will see continued affiliation with Lucas Oil Products and their support of the property as well as the NHRA at large.

“Everyone at Lucas Oil is excited for the new name change,” said Brandon Bernstein, Director of Partnership Marketing for Lucas Oil. “It brings back the old school oval logo and feeling of the IRP name, with added Lucas Oil of course. We are pleased to be associated with NHRA and the track for many years to come.”

Already on the slate for 2022, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is poised to feature another diverse and exciting schedule of events from the spring to the fall. 

Notables already announced include five oval race dates – including the Carb Night Classic, Thursday Night Thunder Homecoming, NASCAR’s return in July, and a tripleheader of open-wheel action in October – as well as the prestigious Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend.

To learn more about future events and information at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, you can visit our new web address at RaceIRP.com, as well as our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages – all found at the @RaceIRP handle.

Lucas Oil Raceway10267 East, US Hwy 136
Indianapolis, IN 46234(317) 969-8600

A Few Holiday Book Ideas

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For those still looking for ideas for the race fan in your life, three boks that published this year could help you finish your shopping I have completed two of them and am in the middle of reading the third one. I recommend them all.

Al Unser Jr.: A Checkered Past

A brutally honest autobiography as told to Jade Gurss about Al Unser, Jr.’ s ro;;er coaster ride through life. It’s a compelling story which I reviewed earlier.

thepitwindow.blog/2021/12/02/al-unser-jr-battles-drivers-and-demons/

Indy Split

Author John Oreovicz writes in a crisp, easy to follow style. He explains the circustances which brought on the three splits in Indycar, with great attention to the last split.

thepitwindow.blog/2021/09/07/book-review-indy-split/

Hello, I’m Paul Page. It’s Race Day in Indianapolis

An autobiography of the former Voice of the Speedway. Page gears explanations of the 500 and racing for the casual and nonfan as he shares his life story. Before he became a full time announcer for the Indianapolis 500, Page worked with paramedics and as a crime reporter, among other things. Page idolized Sid Collins, the original Voice of the Speedway, and is grateful for the mentoring he received from Collins.

Al UnserJr., A Checkered Past and Indy Split are available through Octane Press.

Hello, I’m Paul Page. It’s Race Day in Indianapolis is at the IMS Gift Shop.

Indianapolis 500 Ticket; Juncos Hollinger Unveils 2022 Car

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This Thursday, December 9, The ticket for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be revealed at the PRI show in downtown Indianapolis. 2021 winner Helio Castroneves will be on hand for the ceremony. The event will be streamed beginning at 5:45 Eastern Time on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Facebook page.

Juncos Hollinger Car Keeps Juncos Green

The livery for Juncos Hollinger for 22 has the familiar look of a car from the Juncos stable. The number 77 car, to be driven by rookie Callum Ilott, has the green and white with black trim we saw when Juncos last had a car in the Indianapolis 500.

Photo from Juncos Hollinger Facebook page

The unveiling may mean the team will not be partnering with Carlin as some thought. Will getting a sponsor change the livery? It is entirely possible, although it seems in the past Ricardo Juncos has been able to keep this color scheme no matter what sponsors he gets.

Al Unser, Jr. Battles Drivers and Demons

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There are two Al Unsers, Jr. The great Indycar driver, who won two Indianapolis 500s and two national championships, and the addicted Al, who spent much of his off track time with drugs and alcohol. Al Unser, Jr. discusses both men in his autobiography, Al Unser, Jr. : A Checkered Past, as told to Jade Gurss. Gurss is the author of Beast, the story of the 1994 Mercedes -Ilmor engine that dominated the 1994 Indianapolis 500 which Unser won.

Unser, Jr. is brutally frank as he tells his story, using raw language at times. He does not rationalize his behavior in any way. He honestly talks about his triumphs on the track and his failures off of it.

Unser begins his racing career in karts with the help of his father, Al Unser, Sr. As a member of one of racing’s royal families, he feels the weight of continuing the legacy established by his dad and uncle Bobby. Unser is able to figure out the racing line quickly and starts winning races.

Al Unser, Jr. after winning the 1992 Indianapolis 500

Unser enters Indycar with the help of Rick Galles, an Albuquerque car dealer. Galles is willing to spend whatever it takes to produce a winning team. Unser chronicles his Indycar career, from the disappointment of losing his 500 duel with Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989 to his two victories in 1992 and 1994. His 1992 win over Gordon Johncock is still the closest finish in race history.

Unser starts his career as an aggressive driver in the style of Bobby Unser. An incident with Mario Andretti at Long Beach in 1989 and a talk with Andretti before the race at Nazareth causes him to get his aggressiveness under control.

While Unser enjoys success on the track, his life off the track is a time of drug consumption and family strife. In the chapter “Two Al Juniors” Unser talks about his infidelities, his arguments with his wife, Shelley, and his drug use. He admits to being fortunate that he raced in an era before the Indycar series had a stringent drug testing program.

Throughout the story, Unser recounts his failed tries at rehab facilities and his never ending battle with marijuana and alcohol. He is frank in discussing in detail the night he contemplated suicide

Unser is a good friend of Tony George. He understands his reason for starting the IRL, but he is unhappy with the way he implements it. The fear of a total CART boycott of the 500 leads George to add the NASCAR Brickyard 400 to the IMS schedule. Unser cites George’s plan not to invite the CART teams to Indy as the big error.

Unser says, “That’s where he went awry. That’s where he went sideways…he should have still invited the top teams. It was a self-inflicted wound, and no one was bold enough to tell him not to do it.”

The autobiography concludes as Unser finds Jesus and seeks redemption. he is free of the demons that once ruled his life. Unser is now a driver coach for Alliance racing, a Formula 4 team.

Al Unser, Jr. admits he is not a perfect person, on or off the track, but he has battled to improve himself after o many years of self loathing. The ending is inspiring and hopeful.

Al Unser, Jr. : A Checkered Past is available at Octane Press.

Kellett Confirmed for Third Year at Foyt

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A news release from A. J. Foyt Racing:

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 1, 2021) — Canadian Dalton Kellett will continue to drive the No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR Series in 2022 for AJ Foyt Racing. It will mark the 28-year-old’s third straight season in North America’s premier open wheel series.

“I’m very excited to be back with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2022 season!” Kellett exclaimed. “We are looking forward to the year and continuing to build on the momentum from 2021. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the number 4 Chevrolet. A.J., Larry, our team partners, and K-Line have made this a possibility, so I am very thankful for them. Looking back at 2021, we had moments of promise and some encouraging results, we need to enter the 2022 season on that trajectory. The schedule looks very exciting this year, some familiar tracks returning (looking at you Iowa) and I can’t wait to be racing in front of the hometown crowd in Toronto!”

Kellett began his Indy car career with the team in 2020, driving on the street and road courses. He also competed in the Indianapolis 500 where he started alongside then teammate Tony Kanaan. Kellett, the 2018 pole winner for the Freedom 100 in the Indy Lights Series presented by Cooper Tires, scored his best finish of 12th in Indy cars at World Wide Technology Raceway in August.

“It’s great to have Dalton continuing with the team in 2022,” said Team President Larry Foyt. “He made some solid progress in his first full season in the NTT INDYCAR Series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish next season. He is a true team player and a great ambassador for AJ Foyt Racing.”

Kellett, a Queens University graduate with a degree in engineering physics, hails from Toronto but has been a resident of Indianapolis since he first began competing in the Road to Indy Series dating back to 2014. He recently became engaged to Hoosier native Nicole Westra.

“On a personal note, Nicole and I are busy planning the wedding, slated for winter 2022, so we have the whole year to look forward to that!”

Kellett will be joined this season by 2021 Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood who will pilot the No. 14 Chevrolet in his rookie season as an INDYCAR driver. The NTT INDYCAR Series kicks off its season on Sunday, February 27 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Kellett at St. Pete in 2021

McLaren Completes Agreement to Acquire Majority Share of AMSP

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Image from McLaren

A press release from McLaren this morning:

29 November

McLaren Racing confirms today that it has completed the agreement to acquire the majority shareholding in the Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar team by the end of the year.

The conclusion of the agreement means that McLaren Racing will become the majority shareholder in the team with a controlling 75% stake, with Arrow McLaren SP to formally be part of the McLaren Racing organisation.

The team will be governed by a five-person board, comprising three McLaren Racing appointees, Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson and will be chaired by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

Taylor Kiel, President of Arrow McLaren SP, will be accountable to Brown and the board for the overall operations and performance of the team.

Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

ENDS 

About McLaren Racing

McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966, since then McLaren has won 20 Formula 1 world championships, more than 180 Formula 1 grands prix, the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt and the Indianapolis 500 three times. McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula 1 globally and INDYCAR in the US. 

The team is contesting the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and in the 2021 INDYCAR Series with Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. McLaren was the first F1 team to be certified carbon neutral ten years ago and has successfully retained the Carbon Trust Standard Award, most recently in February 2021. They were also the first team to be awarded the FIA Institute’s Environmental Award in 2013, which they have consistently maintained at three-star level.

In 2022, McLaren Racing will enter a new category of motorsport when it enters a team into Extreme E, the innovative all-electric off-road racing series that highlights the impact of climate change.

About Arrow McLaren SP 

Arrow McLaren SP represents three determined entities – Arrow Electronics, McLaren Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports – who joined forces at the end of 2019 in a strategic partnership with a clear aim: to compete for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and the Indianapolis 500. 

Arrow McLaren SP fields two cars in the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES: the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet piloted by Pato O’Ward; and the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet piloted by Felix Rosenqvist. The team also fielded Juan Pablo Montoya in the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at @ArrowMcLarenSP and online at http://www.arrowmclarensp.com. 

Frank Williams, 1942-2021, A Pillar of F1

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It took Sir Frank Williams three tries to establish a Formula 1 team. His first effort got off to a good start in 1969 with two second place finishes. The following year Alessandro de Tomaso partnered with Williams. The team effort ended after one season. Driver Piers Courage died in an accident at Zandvoort.

Williams sold 60% of his team to WalterWolf and eventually sold the rest of his shares in the team. He started Williams Grand prix engineering in 1977. Just three years later, the team won both the world driving title with Alan Jones and the constructors’ championship.

Williams repeated the constructors’ championship in 1981, followed by Keke Rosberg winning the driver’s title in 1982.

The Williams team’s wave of success nearly came to a halt in 1986 when Williams was paralyzed in an auto accident in France. He was hospitalized for three months. Williams did not lose his determination to succeed. The team won another constructors’ title in 1986 and Nelson Piquet won the driver’s championship the next season.

In the early 90’s Williams continued as the top team in F1. The death of Ayrton Senna in a Williams at Imola in 1994 resulted in a charge of manslaughter against Williams. he was eventually cleared of the charges. The carries an “S” on the car for Senna to this day.

Frank Williams and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill

Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve won back to back drivers’ title in 1996 and 1997 for the team. The Williams team remained competitive through the early 200s. A sports car accident which severely injured promising young driver Robert Kubica began the Williams team slid. Sir Frank stepped down from the team’s board and his daughter Claire took over in 2012. The team finished third in the constructors’ standings in 2014 and 2015. The team was sold to Dorilton Capital in 2020.

Derek Daly in 1982 driving for Williams

Other drivers who drove for Williams are Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Alain Prost, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, and Nigel Mansell.

Williams was the last of the small team owners. It is sad to see Formula 1 become a place where only the mega manufacturers can be competitive. I hope someday we see another Williams or Brawn fighting for a title. Rest in Peace, Sir Frank. Thanks for the great memories.

Proposed Qualifying Changes Could Scramble the Grid

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One thing I like about Jay Frye is that he always looks ahead. With the potential to have grids at some races of 28 cars, Frye has a proposal to modify the qualifying procedure on road and street courses. Like anything, there are pros and cons.

The new qualifying setup would have three qualifying groups instead of to. Each group with have at least nine cars. Each group I assume gets 10 minutes to post a fast lap. The top three advance.

The fourth session is the run for the pole, with nine cars contending for the op spot instead of a Fast Six.

.I think some change is necessary. Twelve to thirteen cars all trying to get a clean lap in at the same time has lead to penalties of impeding and blocking. We also saw cars crawling along the track in a big group waiting to get a gap. It looked silly and some cars ran out of time to get a good time recorded. Fewer cars on track will help that situation.

Having just three cars move on in each group could make for some interesting grids. Watching the driver in fourth place with just a couple of minutes left in the group will provide lots of drama. We have seen qualifying groups in the past in which all of the fastest cars and pole favorites are bunched together. Some favorite or two always misses the final round. Under the proposed system, there will be some very good car/driver combinations staring 10th or further back. Starting position is crucial at several tracks.

I would like to see a second round to get down to a Fast Six. I think that is the most fun round of the current qualifying. I think the concern is time, but the series allows 60-75 minutes for qualifying and the session usually finishes early. The Round of Nine could be cut to eight minutes instead of 10 with a five minute guarantee.

If the series does have a Fast Nine, will the final round still be six minute? Will the cars get an extra two minutes since there they are increasing this segment by 50%?

There are still several things to work out, but I think the proposed system has a lot of positives. Drivers and teams will adjust to whatever the rules are. I think they will be happy with less traffic in a qualifying session. A final decision will not come until next month.