Category: Auto Racing

Festival Event Cars First Hint of Spring

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From IMS

2022 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertibles Presented as 500 Festival Event Cars 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, April 4, 2022) – A longtime tradition and another sign of the return of the Month of May took place April 4 as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Chevrolet staged 50 identical 2022 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertibles on the main straightaway at IMS.The “Festival Event Cars” have reminded Indianapolis-area residents of the upcoming Indianapolis 500 since the 1960s, and this year’s fleet of unique Camaros again will turn heads as they are driven around Central Indiana.
Presenting the cars were Allison Melangton, Penske Entertainment Senior Vice President; Pat Merna, 500 Festival Vice President Strategic Partnerships; and Todd Christensen, Chevrolet Motorsports Strategic Marketing and Operations.The Festival Event Cars are a unique option code based off the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible and are powered by a 6.2-liter small block V-8, which offers 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque.The exterior of the car features Wild Cherry Tintcoat exterior paint with special decals from Chevrolet’s Performance Design Studio representing the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
The car also features a Ceramic White interior, a power-folding convertible top that can be lowered while driving at speeds up to 30 mph, Brembo front and rear performance brakes with red calipers and 20-inch black-painted aluminum wheels.
“We’re glad to continue the tradition of providing Festival Event Cars to build excitement for the Indianapolis 500,” said Dean Stramer, Chevrolet Camaro marketing and advertising manager.
“Our Chevrolet Design team did a great job making this year’s Camaro a stand-out.”
The 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 29, 2022. Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on all Month of May events and activities at IMS.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

New Engine Gets Some Running; Testing Cancelled; Notes

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Weather was the big story at IMS last week, as the test planned for Thursday and postponed until Friday never happened. There were cars on track earlier int he week, however, as the new 2.4 liter engines from Honda and Chevy got its first track test.

Both OEMs said they were pleased with the test despite the limited test time. I lijke the sound of the new engine. It is a very deep tone. The video is of the Chevy.

Andretti Autosport and Team Penske will test at barber tomorrow before heading to Long Beach.

I understand a test on the IMS road course is scheduled for June.

Harvey Cleared to Drive

Jack Harvey is now clear to drive at the Acura Grand prix of Long Beach. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver had a hard crash during final practice for the EXPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway last month and was held out of the race.

Santino Ferrucci replaced Harvey in the race. Ferrucci started last and finished ninth.

Music City Presale

The Music City Presale begins at noon tomorrow for last year’s ticket holders. General public sales can’t be too far away.

I’m interested in seeing what improvements, if any the event has made after its first year. I hope they have made tickets easier to access and have employed a more fan friendly security company.

500 Festival Cars Debut

Tomorrow morning the 500 festival event cars will appear on the front stretch of IMS as we will be just 55 days away from the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500.

While I am at the track tomorrow I will check out the new exhibit at the IMS Museum, Roadsters 2 Records, 1960-1972. The display covers the transition from front engine cars to rear engine machines and the golden age of driving talent and technology in the time period.

Test Postponed to Friday, Roster Shrinks

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Weather caused the Indycar road test at IMS to move to Friday, April 1. Seven drivers are scheduled Rd filed to test, down from the ten slated to appear Thursday.

Teams and drivers still in:

Andretti Autosport: Devlin DeFrancesco, Romain Grosjean, Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi
Juncos Hollinger Racing: Callum Ilott
Meyer Shank Racing: Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud
Fans may still watch from the turn 2 mounds.

Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink Returns Aug. 3-4

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INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, March 29, 2022) – The wheel-to-wheel action of United States Auto Club  (USAC) NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship 3 and Thursday, Aug. 4 to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the fourth Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink.
Tickets are on sale at IMS.com. Reserved seat ticket prices for qualifying and the feature event Thursday, Aug. 4 start at $35, with tickets for Wednesday, Aug. 3 – highlighted by the Stoops Pursuit event – starting at $25.
“It was a big highlight for everyone at IMS last year to see the BC39 come back after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “This new tradition of an incredible two nights of dirt action continues to grow at the Racing Capital of the World thanks to our loyal fans and the continued support of great charitable partners like the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives, and NOS Energy Drink’s commitment to USAC racing.”
The event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.
“Everyone at Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives is thrilled to see the BC39 return to its rightful place on the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget schedule for the fourth year,” said Taylor McLean, Bryan Clauson’s sister and marketing program specialist at Indiana Donor Network.
“It is an honor to be able to be a part of an event that Bryan would be proud of. The Driven2SaveLives BC39 has become a place for race fans and teams alike to honor Bryan and share how their lives have been impacted by organ donation and transplantation. We cannot wait to once again bring the positive message of organ donation and transplantation to the racing community at this year’s BC39.”
Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson won the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink last August in a wild finish, one of the signature victories in his summer stampede to Victory Lane at racetracks across America.
Fans also can visit IMS.com/BC39 for more information about pit passes, camping and prepaid parking.
The Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink will be the conclusion of nearly a week of thrilling action on the road course and The Dirt Track at IMS. The NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader takes place July 29-31, with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Xfinity Series conducting separate races Saturday, July 30 with the INDYCAR Grand Prix and the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard, and the NASCAR Cup Series racing Sunday, July 31 in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.Visit IMS.com for more information on tickets to all IMS events in 2022.
 

Ten Drivers Testing at IMS Thursday

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Weather permitting, nine full time Indycar drivers and one May only driver will test on the IMS road course tomorrow. Fans may watch from the turn 2 mounds.

The original roster for the test had virtually the entire Indycar grid participating, A. J. Foyt Racing, Dale Coyne Racing and his partners, Chip Ganassi Racing, ad Team Penske opted not to attend.

The lineup for Thursday’s test:

Andretti Autosport: Devlin DeFrancesco, Romain Grosjean, Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi

Arrow McLaren SP: Juan Pablo Montoya, Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist

Juncos Hollinger Racing: Callum Ilott

Meyer Shank Racing: Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud

Racing at the Pleasure of the King; Weather Delay at IMS?

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F1 was caught in a difficult situation this weekend. A missile strike 10 miles from the track had the series and some drivers doubting if the race should go on. Eventually, the weekend proceeded normally, after what sounded like veiled threats from the Saudi government.

To complicate things, F1 and Saudi Arabia have a 15 year contract for this race. It is a race that probably pays one of the highest sanctioning fees in F1. Still, I don’t think a series should be racing in a war zone. I can’t believe there isn’t a Force Majeure clause in their contract.

For those who want Indycar to stage international races, this weekend is Exhibit A as to why staying in North America is a good idea.

Weather May Hinder Engine Test

Indycar’s test of the new 2.4 liter engine at IMS may not happen this week. At 11:25 Eastern time, the current Indianapolis temperature is 34 degrees with a predicted high of 42, which will come after 3 PM. Tomorrow is just slightly warmer with a high of 46. Wednesday looks like the best day of the week with a high of 77 degrees with wind gusts of 20-30 mph. Thursday the high is predicted to be 50 degrees with a chance of rain. A 20 car test on he road course is on Thursday’s schedule.

With teams heading to Long beach next week, a postponement this week could result in at least a two week delay in the test. As of now there is no official word from Indycar or IMS on contingency plans.

Heading North

The Pit Window begins the move to Summer Headquarters tomorrow. It doesn’t sound like we will be greeted by summer or even spring like conditions. Anyway, unless something huge happens the next two days (very likely since it seems to when I’m unavailable to report) I won’t have anything up until late Thursday or early Friday.

Thanks for following along this winter.

New Engine Test Moves to IMS Next Week; 20 Cars Test Next Thursday

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Scott Dixon will be one of the first drivers to try out the new 2.4 liter Honda engine

The new 2.4 liter twin turbo V 6 engine will have its first on track test next Monday and Tuesday on the IMS road course. Team Penske and Chip Ganassi racing will test one Chevrolet and one Honda respectively. Josef Newgarden will drive the Penske car Monday and Will Power will test the new powerplant Tuesday. Scott Dixon will be the lone driver for Honda both days.

The engine was originally schedule for march 30 and 31 at Sebring.

The engines get their initial workouts on the old Formula 1 course to prevent either team from gaining an information advantage on the layout that Indycar uses for the GMR Grand Prix and the race on the NASCAR weekend.

The new engines will not have the hybrid components on board due to supply issues. The 2.4 liter engine and hybrid package will debut in the series in 2024. The hybrid components may be available by early summer.

On Thursday, March 31 the traditional IMS road course layout will host 20 cars from the NTT Indycar Series in a private test.

All full time drivers from A. J. Foyt Racing, Andretti Autosport, Juncos Hollinger racing, Meyer Shank Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Arrow McLaren SP will participate. AMSP will also have Juan Pablo Montoya in a car. Montoya will drive in both the GMR Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 for the team.

Jack Harvey, injured in a practice crash at Texas last Saturday, will drive in the test if he is cleared to drive by then.

The IMS Museum parking lot is open to the public. Track facilities are closed during the test days.

IMS Announces Carb Day Concert Lineup

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From IMS this morning:

 IMS.com LogoFor Immediate Release  03-24-CarbDay-Email.jpg  Rock Supergroup Kings of Chaos, Grammy Winner Rick Springfield To Headline Miller Lite Carb Day Concert May 27  
Funk Legends Morris Day and the Time To Open
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, March 24, 2022) – Rock’s ultimate supergroup Kings of Chaos and legendary Grammy Award winner Rick Springfield will co-headline the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Friday, May 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, performing some of the biggest hits for generations. Legendary funk and R&B band Morris Day and the Time will open the concert, followed by Springfield and Kings of Chaos. The show starts at 3:30 p.m. on the Miller Lite Stage inside Turn 3 of the IMS oval, a new location this year. Tickets are on sale now at IMS.com, by calling 800-822-INDY (4639) or 317-492-6700, or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building. General admission tickets start at just $30. A limited number of concert pit tickets that include general admission are available for $50. A very limited supply of exclusive VIP platform tickets also is available for $250, including concert pit access, snacks, two complimentary drinks and dedicated bars. Ticket prices will increase as the concert draws closer, so fans are encouraged to buy now. All general admission, concert pit and VIP Deck concert tickets include admission to the concert and to on-track activities that day at IMS, which include the final practice for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the INDYCAR Pit Stop Challenge.
“It will be fantastic to see fans enjoying live music on Miller Lite Carb Day for the first time since 2019,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “As everyone comes back home again to IMS this May, Kings of Chaos, Rick Springfield, and Morris Day and the Time will shift Race Weekend into top gear by performing hit after hit at one of the biggest parties of the year in the Midwest.”
Kings of Chaos, formed by Grammy-winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), features a killer lineup of rock and roll royalty performing the biggest hit songs from the bands that made them global superstars. The band is comprised of Sorum, Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees), John Waite (Bad English, The Babys, solo), Lita Ford (The Runaways, solo), Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses), Warren DeMartini (Ratt) and Sean McNabb (Great White, Dokken).The band’s setlist includes such hits as “Sister Christian,” “(You Can Still) Rock in America” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” (Night Ranger), “Youth Gone Wild” and “I Remember You” (Skid Row), “Change,” “Missing You,” “Midnight Rendezvous” and “Head First” (Waite/The Babys), “Kiss Me Deadly,” “Gotta Let Go” and “Cherry Bomb” (Ford/The Runaways), “Paradise City” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Guns N’ Roses), and “Round and Round” and “Lay It Down” (Ratt).Over the past four decades, Australian-born Springfield has worn many hats as an entertainer and performer. He’s the creator of some of the finest power-pop of the ’80s, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician who has sold 25 million albums and scored 17 U.S. Top 40 hits, including “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Love Somebody” and “Human Touch.”
In 2019, Springfield released his 17th studio album, “Orchestrating My Life,” a career-defining revisitation of a lifetime of hits. The album is a collection all the hits the public loves rerecorded with an electrifying mix of rock and accompanied by a full orchestra. It also includes a new song, Irreplaceable, a song dedicated to Springfield’s mother, who passed away in 2017.
With his dynamic dancing and smooth yet gutsy, vocals, Morris Day played an essential role in the development of the Twin City dance/club sound of the 1980s. A founding member of Prince’s band, the Time, in 1981, he remained with the group until 1984 when he launched his solo career. Returning for the first time in 1988, he performed and recorded with the Time from 1990 until 1991 and since 1995.Day’s involvement with Prince traces back to 1980 when his composition “Partyup,” originally recorded when he was a member of the Enterprise, was covered on Prince’s “Dirty Mind” album.
Releasing his debut solo album, “Color of Success,” in 1985, Day reached his apex with his second solo album, “Daydreaming,” two years later. Produced by ex-Time members Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, the album included the chart-topping R&B tune “Fishnet.” Day has appeared in such films as Prince’s autobio-pic, “Purple Rain,” in 1984, and “New Attitude” in 1990.
The 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 29, 2022. Tickets are on sale now at IMS.com or by calling or visiting the IMS Ticket Office. 
 

Track 17

thepitwindow1 Comment

Image: A great race in front of nearly empty stands is not a good look for Indycar.

There is no official word about the status of Texas Motor Speedway returning to the Indycar schedule in 2023, but I think Sunday’s woeful attendance was its own statement. After the great show Indycar had Sunday, it will be sad to see this track leave the circuit. I liked the track a lot, and if what we saw during the race can be replicated, rthis track needs to stay.

Without Texas, Indycar’s schedule would be reduced to 16 races. Roger Penske says 16-17 races is ideal for the series, but I think sticking to 17 is in Indycar’s best interests. The track which replaces TMS has to be an oval for several reasons.

Indycar needs some oval races, ideally 25% of the schedule. A mix of short tracks and another superspeedway besides the Indianapolis 500 would be fine. The main reason I favored the IRL during the split is because they ran ovals while the majority of CART’s races were road and street courses.

I am hearing a strong push for Milwaukee to replace Texas. I like Milwaukee, and I think Milwaukee/Road America on back to back weekends would be great. Perhaps the track could work out a combo ticket at a discount for both events.

Some fans want Homestead to return to the schedule. I have never been to Homestead, and I don’t remember much about the races there. I do recall that attendance wasn’t good at the last few races. I wonder if the F1 Miami Grand Prix would overshadow an Indycar race there. At least a race at Homestead would be affordable for the average fan.

Richmond had a spot on the schedule for 2020 but lost out to the pandemic. The fact that it wasn’t given another chance tells me there wasn’t much fan interest in it. I think that would have been a nice venue for the series.

Whichever oval replaces Texas needs to have more than just Indycar. A support series is necessary so that the track is not idle for long stretches of time. Concerts and a festival atmosphere, like Iowa has planned for July might help. Indy Lights is also running at Iowa.

World Wide Technology Raceway has always run two support races, usually Indy Lights and a lower NASCAR series. Iowa has had an ARCA series race on Indycar weekend in the past. Many fans came just for ARCA and didn’t attend the Indycar portion of the program.

There are few options for ovals with Texas off the table. A track has to show interest and heavily promote the event, a concert or some other attraction has to be lined up, and the mainly Midwest fan base has to decide if a particular track is worth the trip.