Category: Auto Racing

Daly Excited for Ovals, Sees Improved Road Program at ECR

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Photo from Penske Entertainment

Conor Daly returns to Ed Carpenter Racing in an expanded role as a full time driver. Daly will drive the number 20 Bitnile Chevrolet in the 2022 season. He is happy to put his entire focus on one team for the upcoming season. The past two seasons Daly has run the ovals except for the Indianapolis 500 with Carlin Racing.

I asked Him what he is looking forward to in 2022.

“You know what I think the ovals in the car honestly, I love Texas. I love Iowa. The fact that Gateway’s back, the fact that I think maybe I can bring maybe a different perspective to that team as well. Obviously, I’ve been with a different team (for ovals) for the last couple years. So maybe there’s some more information that I can help everyone like Rinus and, you know, Ed as well if he runs; so there’s a lot there that I want to get to. And I think we’ve improved our car on the road courses, but the ovals are a new adventure.”

Expanding on his belief that the team’s road course program has improved, Daly explained,

” I do think so. I think at our Sebring tests, we ran through a lot that we’ve been wanting to try and obviously we don’t get a lot of test days. So we did 160 laps. We got about as many laps in as we could do with the tires that we had. yeah, I feel good. I think we still have work to do, but I think every race we will continue to get better. So we’ll see.”

Daly thinks the continuity of drivers and crew members will also help ECR have a better season.

” I think we we know where our setups differ and we know what we like in the car. So I think that a lot of the stuff we are unifyingly going towards that’s making us better as a group, I think, but there are still small differences that will you know, will be required. I like working with these guys. And you know, my engineer, Pete, kind of knows what I want. So it’s nice to be able to have that and it feels like we’re in a better spot already than we were last year.”

What does need to do to move into the front part of the grid, given the talent and resources of the larger teams?

“We just got to be perfect. Gotta be perfect. And honestly, the funniest thing is like even though it is tough. There’s so many good drivers. Totally crazy stuff happens. There’s always going to be some wild podium that you never expected and you know, you want to be able to take advantage of every possible opportunity.”

Postscript: The ECR team had mixed results this weekend, but there were signs of improvement. Daly qualified 20th and finished 21st Sunday. His teammate, Rinus VeeKay, started fourth, led 13 laps, and finished sixth.

Popular Indianapolis Veteran Danny Ongais Dies at 79

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  INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Feb. 28, 2022) – Danny Ongais, the Hawaiian driver admired by fans and competitors for his speed and bravery in an Indianapolis 500 career spanning three decades, died Feb. 26 of congestive heart complications in Anaheim Hills, California. He was 79.The versatile Ongais made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1977 and 1996, with four top-10 finishes. His best years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway came with Interscope Racing and its eye-catching No. 25 Parnelli and Penske chassis powered by Cosworth engines, with a best finish of fourth in 1979 and a top start of second next to pole sitter Tom Sneva in 1978.
Ongais is the only native of Hawaii to start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Fans included his heritage in his nickname “The Flyin’ Hawaiian,” and nicknames “On-Gas” and “On the Gas” were word plays on his last name.
Born May 21, 1942 in Kahului, Hawaii, Ongais began one of the most versatile careers of any driver in his era as a teenager, earning a Hawaii state title in motorcycle racing in 1960.
Ongais also began drag racing in the early 60s and became one of the top straight-line competitors in America into the early 1970s.
He finished runner-up to Mike Snively in the Top Fuel class at the 1966 NHRA U.S. Nationals after beating the legendary Don “The Snake” Prudhomme in the semifinals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Ongais then won the Funny Car class in the 1969 NHRA U.S. Nationals at IRP, drag racing’s most prestigious event, in a distinctive blue Ford Mach 1 Mustang fielded by Mickey Thompson. That victory came one year after Thompson tried to enter Ongais into the 1968 Indianapolis 500, but Ongais was denied because he had almost no experience in open-wheel race cars.
Thompson and Ongais also teamed up to set nearly 300 national and international speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats in a Mach 1 Mustang during the 1960s.
Ongais’ success in straight-line competition led him to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000 in the Drag Racing category.
Service in the U.S. Army in the early 1960s exposed Ongais to sports car racing in Europe, and he moved from dragstrips to ovals and road courses in the mid-1970s. Ongais dominated in SCCA competition in 1974, catching the eye of young media mogul Ted Field, who had recently founded the Interscope Records label.
Ongais and Field teamed up with success in Formula 5000 and the INDYCAR SERIES in the late 1970s. He also competed in four Formula One races in 1977 and 1978, including two starts with Interscope, with a best finish of seventh in 1977 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The best season for Ongais and the Interscope team came in 1978, when he won five races and eight poles en route to an eighth-place finish in the USAC standings.
That 1978 season also included Ongais starting in the middle of the first all-200-mph front row at Indianapolis, between pole sitter Sneva and rookie Rick Mears.
Ongais and Field’s success with the Interscope team also extended to sports car racing, with Field also driving. They teamed up with the legendary Hurley Haywood to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1979 in the Interscope Porsche 935 prototype.
While Ongais was known for his blazing speed at Indianapolis and elsewhere, he also attracted attention for surviving some of the most violent crashes of his era. Ongais suffered serious injuries in a head-on crash in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, missing the rest of the season to recover.
In 1985, he also survived a spectacular barrel roll at Michigan International Speedway after hitting the back of the slower car of Phil Krueger on the backstretch.
Ongais crashed in practice and suffered a concussion in 1987 at Indianapolis while driving for Team Penske, forcing him to miss the race. Al Unser was named as Ongais’ replacement and drove to his fourth “500” victory in a backup car that was a show car earlier in May in a hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais’ final start at Indianapolis, in 1996. Pole sitter Scott Brayton suffered fatal injuries in a post-qualifying practice crash, and team owner John Menard hired Ongais as the replacement driver. Ongais, racing at age 54 in his first “500” since 1986, finished a creditable seventh after starting from the rear of the field.
Ongais’ final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he failed to qualify in a Team Pelfrey car. Ongais’ Indy 500 career ended with him leading in four races for 79 total laps. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race, 192.678 mph, as a rookie in 1977. 

A Perfect Race Weekend- St. Pete Wrap Up

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Photo: Scott McLaughlin at the post race press conference.

Race weekends just don’t get any better than the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding that concluding with a very good race yesterday.

Scott McLaughlin won his first Indycar race by hitting the correct pit strategy and holding off defending series champion Alex Palou by 0.5 seconds. The race was a fascinating ix of pit strategies, complicated by the race’s only caution flag, which happened at the start of the first pit window.

Scott McLaughlin leads Alex Palou in the closing laps. Turn 10 saw a lot of passes for position Sunday.

Huge Crowds

The race, however, was just one part of what made the final weekend of February so special. The crowd was definitely a record. I have been going to this race since 2013, and I have not seen a crowd this size in St. Pete. Indycar officials say attendance was up 49% from the 140,000 in 2019, the last pre pandemic race. In 2020 and 2021, the race had a limit of 20,000 fans each day.

I have never seen the turn 10 bleachers so full, and the general admission area in front of the Mahaffey Theater was packed.

Fans on the lawn just before the green flag.

The atmosphere at the track on Sunday felt like Race Day at IMS.

Party in the Park

The Grand Prix added a free event for fans Saturday afternoon. Party in the Park featured giveaways, including a two seater ride, show cars, and driver interviews. The event was well attended. I was pleased to see so many families there.

Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist talk to the crowd.
Half a dozen Indycars and and Indy Lights cars were on display.

Sirius XM I’s Indycar channel conducted driver interviews at the event. Tony Kanaan and Conor Daly were guests when I arrived.

After sunset fireworks lit up the harbor.

Ancillary events like Party in the Park are essential to the community involvement needed for a successful street race. The St. Petersburg race has grown steadily since I began attending. This year the event has begun to approach the level of Long Beach. I hope this trend continues.

Reunions

The season opener at St. Pete is always a time to see friends that you haven’t seen all winter. In 2022, the reunions were more special. I saw some dear friends I hadn’t been able to see in three years due to the pandemic. I am now more eager for the month of May, when I will be able to see even more friends in person.

Quick Thoughts- Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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I like this trend. For the second year in a row, the winner of the season opener is a second year driver winning his first race. Scott McLaughlin had to battle Alex Palou for the win. It was not an easy win despite his starting from pole on a street course.

The battle for the lead over the last 15 laps was a great way to start the season.

I don’t recall a St. Pete race with just one yellow. The long green stints may have changed some strategy, which made this race intriguing.

Rinus VeeKay is back. He backed up a strong qualifying effort with a sixth place finish. VeeKay also led 13 laps during an extended stint.

Nice Debuts

In spite of several on track adventures in practice the last two days, Romain Grosjean had a solid debut with Andretti Autosport with a fifth place finish.

Takuma Sato earned a 10th place result after starting 22nd in his first race for Dale Coyne Racing.

Christian Lundgaard was the top finishing rookie in 11th.

Whatever Happened to…

Josef Newgarden was never a factor in the race. He started ninth, but went to an alternate three stop strategy, which had him mired in 16th at the end. newgarden has seemed a step behind his teammates all weekend.

Alexander Rossi dropped to 20th from starting 13th. He led 10 laps during pit cycles. I’m not sure what’s going with the 27 team.

Kyle Kirkwood started strong but ended 18th.

Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist each improved four spots from their starting spots, but O’Ward’s 12 the was the best they could muster. Rosenqvist came home in17th.

Fans Came Back

Today was the ninth time I have attended this race. The crowd was the largest I have seen. For many fans this was their first race in nearly three years. I think more local people attended than have come in a while as well.

I will have more on the race tomorrow. Thanks for following all weekend.

Herta Leads Morning Warmup

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Cplton Herta led this morning’s final warm up for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, edging Josef Newgarden by 0.27 seconds. Herta’s quick lap of 1:00.328 came late in the session.

Two red flags interrupted action. The first was for Jimmie Johnson who spun and stopped on track. the second came with just about three minutes remaining. Cars returned to the track for one timed lap.

Romain Grosjean had some adventures in turn 1. He tried to pass a car on the inside, locked his brakes, and went into the run off area. The car he tried to pass narrowly avoided a collision and continued.

Grosjean points his car in the right direction after sliding into the run-off area.

Later Grosjean and Helio Castroneves went side by side into the first turn. The cars made contact but continued without any issues.

The top 12

Race Day!

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Today’s Schedule:

Gates Open 8:30 AM- 2:30 PM

8:45AM – 9:15AM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up Peacock
9:30AM – 10:30AM Indy Lights Race Peacock
10:45AM – 11:25AM USF2000 Race 2
11:50AM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
12:30PM Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race (100 Laps) NBC coverage begins at noon

It’s time to begin the 2022 season. Thye Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins at 12:30 PM Eastern time on NBC.

I still like Colton Herta to win today, but any of the top five candidates could take the checkered flag. Look for a possibly chaotic race with pit strategy possibly deciding the outcome,

Scott McLaughlin answers a question after winning the pole Saturday.

The start will be interesting with Team Penske teammates Scott McLaughlin and Will Power on the front row. It’s McLaughlin’s first pole in Indycar. Will he have a decent pace for the start?

Alternate tires are an unknown factor heading into today’s race. In yesterday’s post qualifying press conference, Will Power was asked how long he thought the reds will last. He answered,

‘Yeah, it’s a good question because no one
has done more than two laps on them. We heat cycled
them and did another one or two laps. Yeah, that will be
an interesting story tomorrow because I don’t even think in
warmup you’ll be able to tell because the condition will be
so cool and good, you won’t get a feel for is it going to go
off or not.”

The temperature for the morning warmup will be 71 degrees. By race time it will climb to 78 and stay there for the entire race.

The Rookie Factor

Kyle Kirkwood is the only rookie starting in the top half of the grid. No other first year driver starts higher than 15 (Christian Lundgaard.). How this group reacts in traffic and handles pit stops may affect other drivers and alter the outcome.

I look for a mostly clean race from these six. They have had enough race experience. Some of them have not made a lot of pit stops. In the warmup, we might see the rookies pitting frequently to practice pit procedures.

Big Movers?

Drivers who should finish ahead of where they start- Josef Newgarden (9th), Alex Palou (10th), Graham Rahal (11th), Pato O’Ward (16th), and Helio Castroneves (17th). Cautions should the ones further back on the grid.

It will be great to get the new season underway. Enjoy the race.

McLaughlin on St. Pete Pole as Penske Sweeps Front Row

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Scott McLaughlin turned a sizzling final lap as time expired to win the pole for tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding. He edged teammate Will Power, who will start on the front row for the 12th time at St. Pete.

Scott McLaughlin on his pole winning lap

Group 1 in Round 1 ended with six different teams advancing, including A. J Foyt Racing with Kyle Kirkwood, Ed Carpenter Racing driver Rinus Veekay. Colton Herta led the round with a time of 59.466 seconds, followed by Graham Rahal, VeeKay, Scott Dixon, Kirkwood, and Josef Newgarden.

Group 2 saw Power lead with a lap of 59,394 seconds, followed by McLaughlin, Romain Grosjean, Simon Pagenaud, Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou. Palou and Grosjean recovered from heavy damage in the morning practice.

The second round saw a great battle for the lead between Power, Grosjean, McLaughlin, and Herta, with Power taking the round. Power set a track record with his lap of 59.346 seconds.

Will Power

The Firestone Fast Six looked to be comfortably in Power’s grasp as Herta, Grosjean, and Pagenaud all failed to beat his time. McLaughlin’s final lap was 0.12 seconds better than his teammate. The second year driver has earned his first career pole.

Two drivers and teams who had great drives today- Kyle Kirkwood of A. J. Foyt Racing and Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing. Neither team is known for their prowess on road and street courses, nut today may be a sign that the situation could be about to change. Kirkwood finished fifth in Round 1. The rookie has shown in two days how talented he is.

VeeKay appears to be fully recovered from the shoulder injury he suffered mid -season last year. VeeKay was third in Round 1, sixth in Round 2, will start fourth tomorrow.

Qualifying Results: