Category: Auto Racing

Grand Prix of Portland Fast Facts

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From Indycar:

Race weekend: Saturday, Sept. 11 – Sunday, Sept. 12

Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon

Race distance: 110 laps / 216.04 miles

Media Links: Entry List (PDF) | Driver Video Quotes 

Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.

Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race. (Note: A seventh set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.)

Twitter: @Portland_GP, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR

Event website: www.portlandgp.com

INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2019 race winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)

2019 pole winner: Colton Herta (No. 88 Capstone Turbine Honda), 57.8111 seconds, 122.302 mph

Qualifying record: Will Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)

NBC television broadcast: Race, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.

Peacock Premium Live Streaming: Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Nick Yeoman will be the lead announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wolff will report from the pits. The Grand Prix of Portland will air live on network affiliates, Sirius XM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Saturday, Sept. 11

9 – 10:15 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium (live)

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium (live)

3:15 – 3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium (live)

Sunday, Sept. 12

12:05 p.m. – Driver introductions

12:35 p.m. – Command to start engines

12:42 p.m. – Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), NBC (live)

Championship facts:

  • Pato O’Ward leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the first time in his career. O’Ward also led the points after his win in the second race of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit in June.
  • Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season 10 times: Bobby Rahal (1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Gil de Ferran (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004 and 2007).

Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship eight times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019.

Point differential: The 10 points that separate Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou is the fourth-closest point margin since 2008. Prior to this season, the average lead with three races to go since 2008 was 31.7 points.

Championship-eligible drivers results at Portland International Raceway:

  • There are 11 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Simon Pagenaud, Graham Rahal, Will Power, Takuma Sato and Rinus VeeKay. Any driver who trails the points leader by 108 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.

CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THREE TO GO (2008-2021)

YEARLEADERSECOND LEADCHAMPION
2008Scott DixonHelio Castroneves78Scott Dixon
2009Ryan BriscoeDario Franchitti4Dario Franchitti
2010Will PowerDario Franchitti23Dario Franchitti
2011Dario FranchittiWill Power26Dario Franchitti
2012Will PowerRyan Hunter-Reay5Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013Helio CastronevesScott Dixon49Scott Dixon
2014Will PowerHelio Castroneves4Will Power
2015Juan Pablo MontoyaGraham Rahal42Scott Dixon (-48)
2016Simon PagenaudWill Power27Simon Pagenaud
2017Josef NewgardenScott Dixon18Josef Newgarden
2018Scott DixonAlexander Rossi29Scott Dixon
2019Josef NewgardenAlexander Rossi35Josef Newgarden
2020Scott DixonJosef Newgarden72Scott Dixon
2021Pato O’WardAlex Palou10?

Race notes:

  • There have been nine different winners in 13 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America), Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Texas Motor Speedway-2, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville), Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and World Wide Technology Raceway) and Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2) have all won in 2021. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
  • There have been seven different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden and Will Power) The only repeat winners in that stretch are O’Ward (Texas-2, and Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville) and Newgarden (Mid-Ohio and WWT Raceway).
  • The Grand Prix of Portland will be the 27th INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, but the third since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018. Al Unser Jr. won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland in 1984, while Will Power won the most recent race in 2019. Power, Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdais, who won in 2004 and 2007, are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
  • Six INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at Portland International Raceway from the pole – Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Max Papis (2001), Cristiano da Matta (2002) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004).
  • Team Penske has won six times at Portland International Raceway. Penske’s winning INDYCAR SERIES drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1995), Gil de Ferran (2000) and Will Power (2019). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins at Portland with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and 1998. Newman/Haas Racing won a record eight times at Portland.
  • Seventeen drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Portland International Raceway. Sebastien Bourdais has seven starts, most among the entered drivers. Ten entered drivers have led laps at the track (Bourdais 149, Will Power 66, Colton Herta 36, Alexander Rossi 32, Takuma Sato 25, Ryan Hunter-Reay 19, Scott Dixon 11, Max Chilton 10, Josef Newgarden 8 and Felix Rosenqvist 3).
  • Pato O’Ward won both Indy Lights races at Portland in 2018, on his way to the series championship…Graham Rahal scored the first win of his professional racing career at Portland, winning the Star Mazda (now Indy Pro 2000 championship) race in 2005. James Hinchcliffe claimed his first Atlantics Championship win in Portland in 2006.
  • Four rookies – Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin – are expected to compete. Ilott will be making his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut. The four rookies, along with veteran drivers Oliver Askew, Marcus Ericsson, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay, will all be making their first INDYCAR SERIES at Portland International Raceway.

Book Review- Indy Split

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Marti update: Marti is getting treatment for a bone infection which was just identified over the weekend. She is recovering as we still search for an answer to her orthostatic issue. The best news- no cancer was detected in the MRI last week.

Pride. Ego. Stubbornness. There ay be other apt descriptors, but these three sum up the behavior of many of the main figures in Indy Split by John Oreovicz. Oreovicz , a former writer for ESPN and other racing publications, has been hooked on Indycar racing since he was ten years old and living with his parents in West Lafayette.

Oreovicz writes in a crisp, concise, easy to follow style which allows event he most casual fan to take in the history of the politics in racing through the years. I remember much of what happened, but I learned some details I was not aware of, especially in the early years of CART. The author presents a nice refresher study for those of us who were around then, and it is also a good accounting for newer fans.

From Dan Gurney’s White Paper, which leads to the formation of CART in 1978, to Tony George’s formation of the Indy Racing League in 1996, Oreovicz presents the tale of the battle for control of the soul of the sport in great detail. While everyone claims to have the best interests of the sport in mind, the splits are a matter of money and control. Should Indycar racing revolve around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or should IMMS simply be a part of the overall series?

The question remains unresolved. I think it is a miracle the sport survived at all, as the two rival series presented a confusing picture of racing to fans and sponsors.

Oreovicz maintains a somewhat neutral tone as far as the protagonists are concerned, but Tony George does not come out looking good. The 25/8 rule he institutes for the 1996 Indianapolis 500 is a shot that set the split in motion and probably prolongs the feud for several more years.

After twelve years and many talks that come close to ending the split, , the sides agree to unify in 2008. The story of the split could have ended here, but Oreovicz goes on to chronicle each year after unification. I think his narrative bogs down here. it may just be due to my familiarity with the series, and perhaps a younger fan will find this part of interest.

The book ends with Roger Penske buying the Indycar Series and IMS. The purchase receives nearly universal praise. In my opinion, it is one of the few things over the years Indycar has done correctly.

Perspectives from seven key figures in racing follow the text. Essays from Mario Andretti, Chip Ganassi, and Dario Franchitti, among others give different viewpoints of the split and the state of open wheel racing. There is unanimous praise for Penske’s purchase of the track and the series.

As far as the split goes, Dario Franchitti sums it up best.

“When people get so entrenched in their positions, it’s difficult…Th split hit a lot of people hard. It hurt them, and some people still can’t get over it. That’s a shame, but we have to move on.”

Indy Split is available through Octane Press.

INDYCAR To Commemorate 9/11 Through Charitable Activations, Special Race Weekend Ceremonies

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9/1/2021

The next Indycar race at Portland falls on the weekend of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Indycar and Portland international raceway have special activities on Saturday and Sunday to commemorate the event. The hat pin mentioned in the news release is $10. The press release from Indycar:

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021) – INDYCAR will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on America through a variety of special activities leading into Saturday, Sept. 11.A commemorative charitable pin, a blood donation call-out in partnership with the American Red Cross and a moment of silence Sept. 11 during the Grand Prix of Portland NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend are planned as memorials honoring the victims of the attacks and commemorating the heroes of the response and recovery effort. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost and thousands more were injured Sept. 11, 2001, in the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
“9/11 was a tragic day, and the heartbreak and sorrow of our grieving nation still feels raw two decades later,” said Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp. “The entire INDYCAR family of drivers, teams, officials, partners and fans is committed to honoring the memory of those we lost and recognizing the heroes who contributed to the response effort and who have protected our freedom since Sept. 11, 2001. We also encourage everyone to join us in marking this solemn anniversary by supporting the vital mission of the American Red Cross, which played such a crucial role in the aftermath of the attacks and continues to faithfully serve all of our communities today.”
The commemorative pin, available for pre-order now at shop.indycar.com, features a logo including the date 9.11.2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the outline of the Pentagon and the motto “Together We Stand.” Net proceeds of pin sales will benefit the American Red Cross, and the pin also will be worn by members of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock during the Grand Prix of Portland race weekend.
The logo also will be on display on all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights race entries across the weekend. Fans are encouraged to donate blood through the American Red Cross as part of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, as the COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for blood donations across America. INDYCAR and the Red Cross will issue several callouts to fans ahead of this year’s solemn anniversary. Visit redcross.org/give-blood.html to find out how to give blood in your area and to learn about more opportunities to support vital Hurricane Ida relief efforts.
Alongside Portland International Raceway, INDYCAR also will hold a venue-wide moment of silence at 7:28 a.m. (PT) – the time the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed Sept. 11, 2001 – on Saturday morning, Sept. 11 to honor the memory of those lost during the attacks. In addition, INDYCAR and PIR will include a tribute during pre-race ceremonies Sunday, Sept. 12.Visit this site for more information about INDYCAR memorial activities surrounding the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Kimball in Third Foyt Car at Long Beach

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Indycar photo

The third Foyt entry for Long Beach ensures at least 27 cars for the season finale. The announcement from Indycar:

Charlie Kimball will return to the cockpit of the No. 11 Tresiba Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing on Sept. 24-26 at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the season finale of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.“I cannot wait to get back behind the wheel of an AJ Foyt Indy car mostly because I love racing,” Kimball said. “I am also excited to race on behalf of my longtime sponsor Novo Nordisk one more time this season at one of my favorite races. Working with the team at AJ Foyt Racing, both in and out of the cockpit, has been very rewarding, and I look forward to continuing that work in Long Beach.”Kimball last competed for AJ Foyt Racing in the GMR Grand Prix on May 15 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, finishing 22nd. An attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 was unsuccessful. In 2020, Kimball drove full time for the team, scoring a season-best finish of eighth in October at St. Petersburg, Florida.“We are very happy to have Charlie and Novo Nordisk back for the season finale,” said Larry Foyt, team president. “Long Beach is such a great race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and I’m glad we could put this event together for Charlie and Novo Nordisk because they have been great partners of our team. They have touched many lives and inspired many race fans through the motorsports platform, and I’m honored that our team was able to be a small part of that.”Kimball will join full-time drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Dalton Kellett in the Foyt lineup at Long Beach.Being able to wrap up the season in Long Beach holds special significance for Kimball, who grew up 75 miles from the Southern California city in Camarillo, California. He last raced on the picturesque street circuit in 2018 for Carlin Racing, finishing 10th.“Long Beach is my favorite event outside of the Indy 500,” Kimball said. “I spent my childhood coming to this race and dreaming about being on the other side of the fence. The chance to compete at this track, so close to my hometown, three and a half years since my last time behind the wheel there has been one of my biggest personal motivators.”Kimball has stayed busy this season as the color commentator for the Indy Lights telecasts.Live coverage of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach starts at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 26 on NBCSN and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Illott Joins Juncos Hollinger Racing; Askew to Finish Season at RLL

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Photos from Indycar

Two driver announcements for Portland today. Juncos Hollinger racing has signed F1 test driver Callum IIlott for Portland and Oliver Askew returns to Indycar in the 45 car for Rahal letterman Lanigan Racing. It is possible that Ilott will be fulltimne for Juncos Hollinger in 2022.

The official announcements via Indycar:

F1 TEST DRIVER ILOTT TO DEBUT FOR JUNCOS HOLLINGER AT PORTLAND

Ferrari Formula One test driver Callum Ilott will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with Juncos Hollinger Racing at the Grand Prix of Portland on Sept. 11-12.

British driver Ilott, 22, will be behind the wheel of the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet on the 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon.

“I am pleased and excited to be announcing I will be racing with Juncos Hollinger Racing at Portland,” Ilott said. “This will be my first time in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and running in the United States, which will be a bit of a change from running on the European side. I am looking forward to working with the team during this first phase of their development and am proud to be a part of this opportunity to build into their future embarkment.

“I would like to thank the Ferrari Driver Academy for allowing me to take this opportunity and for Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger for bringing me onboard the team.”

Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger announced their partnership to form Juncos Hollinger Racing in early August. The team committed to running the final three events of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in preparation for a full-time run for the 2022 season. The Grand Prix of Portland will be the first time the team has been on track in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since earning the final qualifying spot for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in dramatic fashion.

“We are very excited to welcome Callum Ilott to the Juncos Hollinger Racing family,” Juncos said. “Callum brings a lot of experience and incredible talent to the team. We are confident that he will transition well into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES when we get on track for our final test before making our official debut together at Portland next week.”

Ilott will turn his first laps in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car with Juncos during a test Thursday, Sept. 2 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

He most recently competed in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans last month, claiming third with IRON LYNX in the LM GTE AM class. Earlier this year, the young Briton was signed by Ferrari’s F1 team as its test driver and was named a reserve driver for the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 team.

Ilott began his racing career running in multiple karting series, earning many wins and podiums, and was regarded as one of the best karting drivers of his time. At age 16, he was the first driver to be taken directly from karts to the FIA F3 European Championship for the 2015 season, joining team Red Bull. That year he was the only driver to finish all 33 races and claimed one podium.

Ilott continued his run in the FIA F3 European Championship during the 2016 season, claiming two wins, seven podiums and two poles to finish sixth overall that year. In 2017, Ilott wrapped up his successful career in the FIA F3 Championship, finishing fourth overall after earning six wins, 11 podiums and nine poles.

In 2018, Ilott was invited to join the Ferrari Driver Academy. That year he also competed in the GP3 Series, capturing two wins, seven podiums and one pole to finish third overall in the championship.

Ilott climbed to the FIA F2 Championship in 2019, earning two podiums and one pole. In 2020, he returned to F2 with Uni-Virtuosi Racing and finished second overall after claiming three wins, six podiums and five poles.

Live coverage of the Grand Prix of Portland starts at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 12 on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

ASKEW TO DRIVE NO. 45 RLL ENTRY DURING WEST COAST SWING

By INDYCAR | Published: Sep 1, 2021

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Oliver Askew

NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran Oliver Askew will drive the No. 45 Hy-Vee entry for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) at the final three races of the 2021 season, team officials announced today.

Askew, 24, will race for the team at the Grand Prix of Portland on Sept. 12, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sept. 19 and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sept. 26.

Hy-Vee, Inc. – an employee-owned supermarket chain that operates more than 280 retail stores across eight Midwestern states – was the primary sponsor of Graham Rahal’s entry for two races this season as well as a full-season associate and was the primary sponsor of the No. 45 Hy-Vee-sponsored entry at the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, doubleheader races in Detroit, and events in Mid-Ohio and Nashville.

“It’s fantastic opportunity to run the final three races of the season with such a capable team in Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” Askew said. “We had a very productive test together a few weeks ago at Barber, and I’m excited to drive the team’s car again, this time in Hy-Vee colors in one of the most competitive racing environments the world has ever seen. I believe we can put together a great string of results, and I’m excited to get to work.”

Askew is a graduate of the Road to Indy ladder system with championships in Indy Lights (2019) and Cooper Tires USF2000 (2017). He made his debut in the INDYCAR SERIES with Arrow McLaren SP in 2020, completing a rise from karts to INDYCAR SERIES cars in four seasons. In 2020, he had a best start of fifth place in the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a best finish of third at Iowa Speedway in Race 1 of the doubleheader.

In 2021, Askew has competed in two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, one each for Arrow McLaren SP (Detroit, Race 2) and Ed Carpenter Racing (Road America) as the replacement for their injured drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Rinus VeeKay, respectively. Also in 2021, he made his sports car racing debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and won the LMP3 class with Riley Motorsports.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Sept. 12 at Portland (Oregon) International Raceway. Live coverage starts at 3 p.m. (ET) on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

The Indycar Schedule for 2022; How Does 2021 End?; Notes

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Marti Update: Marti is home from rehab and tonight we begin two days of tests, an MRI and a bone scan to see if we can find the root cause of the problem. We will knoiw the results Friday afternoon and go from there.

The 2022 Indycar schedule is beginning to take shape, with the possibility of 18 races and five ovals on the calendar.

Eleven race dates are set, and the rest will most likely fall into their traditional weekend slots.

Dates we know:

March 13- St. Pete

April 10- Long Beach- not confirmed by Indycar, but is on the IMSA calendar

May 14- GMR Grand prix

May 29- 106th running of the Indianapolis 500

June 4/5 Detroit- Like Long Beach, assumed via IMSA calendar

July 23/24-Iowa

August 7- Nashville

August 20- Gateway

Barber will possibly end up on April 24 and Texas, which will be just a single race, on April 30.

Road America should keep the same weekend as this year, June 19, and Mid Ohio could stay on the Independence day weekend, July 3.

Will Toronto come back? Traditionally, the race in Canada is in mid July, which would slot on the 17th.

The final two races will be a September swing in Portland on the 11th and Laguna Seca the following week. I thought this was the last year of the contract with Portland, unless the deal was extended due to the 2020 cancellation.

Ending 2021- Will California Go on?

COVID developments on the west coast have me concerned about the season finbsihing according to the schedule. Portlad has institiuted a mask requirement for their race, and long Beach requires proof of vaccination or a negative test for admission, but are these measures enough to prevent a cancellation?

In a Racer magazine article, Jay Frye implied that Indycar has no contingency plans in the event of a cancellation of any of the final three races. That concerns me. I think there should be something in place ahead of time. Will we be crowening the champion at IMS after harvest GP 2.0?

Notes

I hope Formula 1 takes a long look at what happened at Spa yesterday and does some serious revision of their rules regarding what makes a race official. Two plus laps doesn’t do it as far as I am concerned. I don’t necessarily have a problem with awarding half points at a certain stoppage point, but it should be at least one fourth the scheduled distance.

My hat’s off to the fans who sat through the daylong downpour only to have the FIA thumb their noses at them. I hope refunds are issued.

Portland Weekend Schedule

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The schedule for the Portland Grand Prix came out a couple days ago. It will be another two day show for Indycar with one 75 minute practice before qualifying and a 30 minute practice after qualifying. Friday is dedicated to Indy Lights and ARCA Menard’s Series West.

I hope the series goes back to three day programs next year. Although Iu am not going to Portland this year, if I travel that far, I’d prefer to see Indycars on track all three days of the event.

Portland International Raceway recently issued a masking requirement for fans which applies both indoors and outdoors.

Times listed are Pacific Time and is scheduled for broadcast on NBC.

Next week I will discuss what we know about the 2022 schedule.

Remembering Robin Miller

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IMS Photo

Late to the party, and less eloquent than much of what I have read today, but please indulge me my thoughts regarding Robin Miller, Indycar’s voice in print and broadcasting. I find it ironic that during one of the best Indycar seasons in years we have lost two great voices of the sport within less than 20 days.

I knew Robin Miller for years before I met him. I may have read every story he put in the Indianapolis Star when it was a real newspaper. he covered racing, high school sports, and the pacers included. I liked his frank, forthright style. Euphemisms were for the other writers to use.

I’m not sure where Indycar would be today without Robin Miller. He helped drivers get rides in the series, he has pushed for races to get on the schedule, most recently Gateway, and his tireless touting of the series and the Indianapolis 500 have contibuted to the staus the series enjoys now.

We have lost a fierce Indycar advocate, a man who would help a struggling driver or team owner whenever and however he could, and someone who made the paddock and the media center come alive. I remember the first race for which I had media credentials at St. Pete how Miller’s charisma gave an energy to the compact crowded room. When Miller left, the stillness in the room was palpable.

I first actually met him in the IMS media center that year. I happened to be wearing one of the shirts I had purchased from one of his numerous fund raisers. We rode the elevator up to the fourth floor together.

“Nice shirt,” he said. I thanked him and introduced myself. After that he always greeted me with a smile. I felt comfortable going to him with questions which he always took time to answer. he didn’t seem to care what out let you wrote for, if you were in the media center, you were a comrade.

My best memories of Miller come from Portland. In 2018, the year the venue returned to the series, his fist comments upon entering the media center were about how little money had been spent on the place in 11 years.

The next year, I sat near him in the Portland media center as he took a call from A. J. Foyt. It was a cordial conversation about when Robin would release a story. He wouldn’t share the news with me at the time, but when it broke, I asked for a clarification and he calmly explained it to me.

Please don’t ask who will replace Robin Miller at Racer magazine. The answer is no one. Someone might take over the mailbag (I hope not), and someone might step into his reporting role. But replace? No way.

Indycar Loses Its Biggest Voice; Robin Miller Dies at 71

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Sad news this morning as we learn of the death of Robin Miller. The obituary is by Curt Cabin and is from Indycar. More thoughts later.

Robin L. Miller, a lifelong motorsports fan who became one of the sport’s most recognized and influential media personalities, died Aug. 25 in Indianapolis. He was 71.

A native of his beloved Southport, Indiana, Miller rose to prominence as an Indianapolis Star sports writer, parlaying his love of many sports into more than 50 years of communication that defined his life.

Known predominantly as a writer and columnist covering the Indianapolis 500 and INDYCAR SERIES racing, Miller became a television personality first with ESPN, then SPEED and most recently NBC. He also had long stints at all of Indianapolis’ TV affiliates over the years.

Miller’s journalism career began at The Star in 1968, and he never retired from writing about auto racing. His stories and columns were featured in Autoweek, Car and Driver, Sports Illustrated and RACER, among other notable publications and websites, and for years he hosted shows on Indianapolis radio stations as he was a master storyteller.

Miller first visited Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his father, Bob, in 1957, attending his first “500” two years later. In 1968, at the age of 18, he began working for his racing hero, hard-luck driver Jim Hurtubise, running the pit board and assigned to various non-mechanical jobs. However, the stint was short-lived as Miller ruined part of the paint on Hurtubise’s car.

Miller got hired at The Star a month later and talked his way into the sports department, where his first duties included answering telephones and taking box score information alongside Jeff Smulyan, who later owned the Seattle Mariners, and future Star.columnist Bill Benner.

Miller, a Ball State dropout, got his first break as a newspaper writer when The Star needed a reporter for the still-fledgling professional basketball team, the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association. Fiery coach Bobby Leonard took a liking to Miller, allowing the skinny-but-frisky 19-year-old access to the team that would be unheard of for today’s sportswriters. Many of the ABA players from that era – Bob Netolicky, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown and Billy Shepherd – became among Miller’s closest friends.

Miller tried his hand at driving race cars in the early 1970s, buying a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli. Two years later, Miller purchased a midget from Gary Bettenhausen to start a 10-year run as a USAC competitor. With help from racing buddies Larry Rice, Johnny Parsons and the Bettenhausen brothers, Miller developed into a driver quick enough to qualify fifth for the 1980 Hut Hundred midget race at the Terre Haute Action Track, a prestigious dirt event featuring 33 cars lined up in 11 rows of three. However, a blown engine forced him out of the race.

Miller admittedly didn’t have a mechanical bone in his body and long enjoyed telling stories of his racing naivety. Such as, he bought a trailer too narrow for his race car – it had to be loaded in at an angle — and he survived a crash into a telephone pole in the Indiana State Fairgrounds parking lot when he started the car without buckling up. The throttle stuck, launching the powerful machine unexpectedly and dangerously forward.

In an even more serious situation, Miller suffered a head injury in hot laps at a 1975 midget race in Hinsdale, Illinois, when he flipped the car into a concrete wall, tearing the cage off his car.

However, a decade in a race car gave Miller a unique perspective on the sport and the drivers he covered. Over a span of 50 years, Miller befriended most of racing’s biggest names, regularly engaging them at lunches and dinners he organized. He was particularly close with “500” drivers Tom Sneva, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Bobby and Al Unser, Tony Bettenhausen, Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan, and late-night TV icon and INDYCAR SERIES team owner David Letterman. Yet he seemed to know something about everyone involved in the sport, and he could hold court with the best of them.

For years, Miller was the animated emcee of the Last Row Party, the Indiana Press Club Foundation’s event which traditionally skewered the slowest three qualifiers of each “500.” He particularly enjoyed the event when it included Gordon Johncock, Steve Chassey and Pancho Carter, other close friends of his.

In 2019, as Miller covered his 50th “500” amid declining health, Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced the creation of the Robin Miller Award, to be given annually to an unheralded individual who has brought unbridled passion and an unrelenting work ethic to enrich the sport.

Miller, a lifelong bachelor, is survived by a sister, Diane, and nieces Emily and Ashley.