Category: Auto Racing

Road America Preview- Halfway Through a Weird, Wonderful Season

thepitwindow

Above: Felix Rosenqvist passes Pato O’Ward in the closing laps to win Race 2 at Road America in 2020

Today- Indycar practice at 5 pm Eastern on Peacock

What a memorable season 2021 has been so far. We have seen four first time winners, seven winners in eight races ,a powerhouse team still looking for its first victory, and a new four time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Road America is arguably the crown jewel of road courses in America, a race track set inside a national park. It is by far my favorite road course, not only because of the layout and the setting, but also because of the lively, spacious infield. Even last year, Road America seemed to be the track running closest to normal..

This weekend’s race could be the turning point of the year. Pato O’Ward, the only driver with more than one win in 2021, could expand his slim one point lead to a more comfortable margin. If he should get his third win of the season, O’Ward will be in good shape. Series champions usually have at least three wins in a season.

Magnussen Subs for Rosenqvist, Askew for VeeKay

Felix Rosenqvist will miss his second consecutive race. He is still not cleared to drive after his frightening accident Saturday in Detroit. Kevin Magnussen, a former F1 driver currently driving for Chip Ganassi in IMSA will fill in this weekend. Oddly, Magnussen’s father Jan had his second Indycar start at Road America subbing for an injured driver.

Kevin Magnussen

Oliver Askew had just ten minutes in the car last Sunday subbing for Rosenqvist, but with two practices before qualifying, he should be better acclimated to the car.

More Progress for Jimmie Johnson?

Jimmie Johnson seems to finally be getting comfortable in Indycar. Race 2 in Detroit was his best of the season, despite a late spin. Johnson passed cars and was on pace with the field. I see a better finish for him and perhaps a slightly improved qualifying spot.

Penske, Andretti Come back?

Team Penske was on the brink of their first win last weekend. Twice. Still Josef Newgarden grabbed the team’s first pole of the year, and the team seemed stronger overall.

Despite not having a win, Team Penske has seven podiums. Newgarden is fourth in the standings, 51 points behind leader Pato O’Ward.

Andretti Autosport is in a funk. The team has qualified well, and they do have a victory and a pole, both by Colton Herta. Yet their races seem to get away from them. Herta, in ninth place and 97 points behind the leader, is the team’s top driver right now.

Both teams need a strong weekend showing.

Cody Ware Debut

In addition to Kevin Magnussen’s Indycar debut,

#52: Cody Ware, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda, portrait

Cody Ware will premiere with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR. Ware has spent most of his career in stock cars. He has tested Indycars this year. He will be interesting to watch.

The Points Battle

Pato O’Ward leads Alex Palou by one point and Scott Dixon by 36. Dixon has come from farther back than 36 points to win a championship, and this is the time of the year when he begins to hit his stride.

Will Dixon begin to chip away at the lead this weekend. or will O’Ward and Palou continue to top the charts? O’Ward started race two on the pole here last year and came within a couple laps of his first win.

I don’t think any of the top three drivers wins this weekend. The standings will depend on which driver finishes ahead of the other two. In a season where wins are hard to get, every spot in the race matters.

I think Alexander Rossi finally breaks through for his fist win since won at Road America in 2019.

REV Group Grand Prix Presented by AMR-Fast Facts

thepitwindow
Race weekend: Friday, June 18 – Sunday, June 20
Track: Road America, a 4.014-mile, 14-turn permanent road course (clockwise), in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Race distance: 55 laps / 220.77 miles
Media links: Entry List | Driver Video Quotes | Pre-Event Video Conference Transcript (Dixon and Pagenaud)
Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.
Firestone tire allotment: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate for use during the race weekend. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
Twitter: @RoadAmerica @IndyCar, #REVGROUPGP, #IndyCar Event website: www.roadamerica.com INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2020 race winners: Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and Felix Rosenqvist (No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
2020 pole winners Josef Newgarden (No. 1 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet), 1 minute, 45.5191 seconds, 136.964 mph and Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), 1:44.8971, 137.758 mph
Qualifying record: Dario Franchitti, 1:39.866, 145.924 mph, Aug. 19, 2000
NBC Sports telecasts: Qualifying: Midnight ET Saturday, NBCSN (taped); Race: Noon ET Sunday, NBCSN (live). Kevin Lee will serve as the lead announcer for NBCSN’s REV Group Grand Prix telecast alongside analyst Townsend Bell. Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analysts Davey Hamilton and Nick Yeoman. Jake Query and Michael Young are the turn announcers with Ryan Myrehn and Joel Sebastianelli in the pit lane. The REV Group Grand Prix will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 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 Eastern Time):
Friday, June 18 5 – 5:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1, Peacock Premium
Saturday, June 19 11:10 – 11:55 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2, Peacock Premium 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium/NBCSN (Taped, midnight, June 20) 5:30 – 6 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, Peacock Premium Sunday, June 20 12:05 p.m. –  Driver introductions 12:38 p.m. – Command to start engines 12:45 p.m. – REV Group Grand Prix (55 laps/220.77miles), NBCSN (live)
Race notes: · There have been seven different winners in eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park), 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) and Marcus Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1) have all won in 2021. The modern era record (1946-2021) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014. · There have been nine different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Colton Herta, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves and Marcus Ericsson) The only repeat winner in that stretch is O’Ward (Texas-2, 2021 and Belle Isle-2, 2021). ·
The REV Group Grand Prix will be the 32nd INDYCAR event conducted at Road America since it hosted its first INDYCAR event in 1982. · Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Alexander Rossi are the only entered drivers who have won an INDYCAR race at Road America. Rossi won in 2019, Newgarden won in 2018, Dixon won in 2017 and the first race of 2020’s doubleheader. Power won in the INDYCAR SERIES return in 2016 – the first race at the track since 2007 when Bourdais won at Road America. Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi have the most wins by an INDYCAR driver at the track (three). ·
Twenty drivers entered this weekend have previously raced in INDYCAR SERIES events at Road America. Nine of those drivers have led laps at the track (Sebastien Bourdais 92, Josef Newgarden 91, Will Power 60, Alexander Rossi 54, Pato O’Ward 43, Scott Dixon 42, Graham Rahal 5, Marcus Ericsson 2 and Simon Pagenaud 2).
Eight drivers have won the Road America race from the pole: Mario Andretti (1983, 1984 and 1987), Danny Sullivan (1989), Paul Tracy (1993), Jacques Villeneuve (1995), Bruno Junqueira (2003), Sebastien Bourdais (2007), Will Power (2016) and Josef Newgarden (2018). ·
Drivers who have won at Road America have gone on to win the INDYCAR championship six times in the same season: Mario Andretti (1984), Michael Andretti (1991), Jacques Villeneuve (1995), Alex Zanardi (1997), Cristiano da Matta (2002) and Sebastien Bourdais (2007) and Scott Dixon (2020). ·
Team Penske has won five times at Road America (1989, 1992, 1993, 2016 and 2018) and is one of three current teams with wins at the track. Chip Ganassi Racing has also won five times at Road America (1997, 2001, 2017, 2020-Race 1 and 2020-Race 2), while Andretti Autosport won its first race in 2019. Newman/Haas Racing won a record 10 times at Road America. ·
Rookies Romain Grosjean, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Magnussen, Scott McLaughlin and Cody Ware will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Road America for the first time this weekend. Magnussen and Ware will make their series debuts.

Magnussen in for Rosenqvist at Road America

thepitwindow

Former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen (above) will drive the number 7 Arrow McLaren SP car for the injured Felix Rosenqvist this weekend at Road America. Rosenqvist suffered injuries in a crash during the first race last Saturday in Detroit. Road America will be the second race Rosenqvist will miss.

Magnussen drove for McLaren and Haas in F1. He currently drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in IMSA as one of the drivers of the DPi Cadillac team. Magnussen’s team won the IMSA race at Detroit last Saturday.

The team’s announcement on Twitter:

Following an evaluation by the INDYCAR Medical Team, Felix Rosenqvist has not been cleared to race at this weekend’s REV Group Grand Prix at Road America.

Felix Rosenqvist

Felix will continue to be supported by the team as he progresses in his recovery… https://t.co/nVFcXB7PFF

Felix will be replaced for the REV Group Grand Prix by Kevin Magnussen, who will be making his INDYCAR debut. Magnussen made 19 starts for the McLaren Formula 1 team in 2014, including a career-best finish of second at the Australian Grand Prix that year. https://t.co/deZpO5a6E7

Felix will be replaced for the REV Group Grand Prix by Kevin Magnussen, who will be making his INDYCAR debut. Magnussen made 19 starts for the McLaren Formula 1 team in 2014, including a career-best finish of second at the Australian Grand Prix that year. https://t.co/deZpO5a6E7

VeeKay Undergoes Surgery, Askew to Sub

thepitwindow

From Ed Carpenter Racing :

[UPDATE] @RinusVeeKay underwent successful outpatient surgery to repair a fractured clavicle sustained in a cycling accident.

As RVK is not medically cleared to drive, @OliverAskew will take over the No. 21 @_DirectSupply car at @RoadAmerica.

More: https://t.co/GqonkCtImC https://t.co/SBVdtRi1wx

Still no word on who will drive the7 if Rosenqvist is not ready to return. More on this story tomorrow.

Cody Ware Makes Indycar Debut at Road America

thepitwindow

It’s been talked about for awhile, and finally Cody Ware will get his chance to drive in an Indycar race. The announcement from Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing:

Plainfield, IL (June 15, 2021) – NASCAR driver Cody Ware will be making his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut this weekend at Road America with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR aboard the team’s No. 52 Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) entry.

Ware, who drives full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing (RWR), got his first taste of an Indy car earlier this year during a test day with the team at Sebring International Raceway. He also turned his first laps at Road America two weeks ago as part of a rookie test day.

“To be a part of an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is such an honor, and a surreal experience for me. I never would’ve thought that I would ever go down the open wheel route for a multitude of reasons,” expressed Ware. “But thanks to RWR, Dale Coyne Racing, and Biohaven / Nurtec ODT I am getting an opportunity to compete at the highest level of open wheel motorsport in the US. Road America is an ideal place to make my debut and I am so excited to learn and soak it all in. Having two great teammates such as Romain Grosjean and Ed Jones will help take some of the edge off the learning curve if only a little.”

In addition to his time in the NASCAR Cup and the Xfinity Series this season, Ware finished fourth in the LMP2 Class at the 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this year. The 25-year-old driver has a diverse racing pedigree, taking home rookie of the year honors in the 2014 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series and claiming the 2019/2020 LMP2 Asian Le Mans Championship.

“What started as a 3-4 race sponsorship to roll out a marketing program for BioHaven and Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, turned into a full-season sponsorship commitment with the No. 51 Honda,” shared Rick Ware, Owner of Rick Ware Racing and co-entrant, Dale Coyne Racing with RWR. “Thanks to their continued partnership, we’re excited to add a few races for the No. 52 entry, starting with Road America this weekend.”

Cody Ware will take to the track on Friday, June 18 for his first official NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice session. The REV Group Grand Prix goes green at 11:45am local time on Sunday, June 20, 2021.

Detroit Race 2 Thoughts- O’Ward Wins the Weekend

thepitwindow2 Comments

Photo by Joe Skibinski, Indycar

No one should be surprised at what Pato O’Ward is doing this season. We knew he was an exceptional talent when he began his Indycar career. I have to wonder how much better he would be if he had not lost his original Carlin ride and missed part of a season in Japan. I’m glad he is in Indycar and I hope the sirens of F1 don’t draw him away.

Pato O’Ward on track by Matt Fraver, Indycar

O’Ward’s weekend- a pole, a third place, a win after starting 16th, 88 points, and the new points leader. Not bad.

Josef Newgarden, Will Power, and Team Penske now know how Charlie Brown feels when Lucy pulls the football away. Saturday was not Power’s fault, but the fault of a questionable call race control. Yesterday Newgarden got caught out by the yellows and had to finish the race on the alternate tires- a big ask to go 25 laps with the reds on this track. What a frustrating weekend for them.

O’Ward broke the streak of seven different winners in seven races. His second win of the season gives him the tie breaker should the championship end in a tie. Usually the series champion has at least three wins in a season.

Is There Still a Big Three?

Indycar fans are used to referring to the Big Three- Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti, but is that changing? Penske has just one pole and no wins, Andretti one win and one pole, and Ganassi has two wins and one pole. Arrow McLaren SP has two poles and two victories. We either have a Big Four or a Big Two. For now, I don’t think we can say Big Three.

Notes

Before his spin on lap 54 I thought Jimmie Johnson was having his best drive of the year. He passed cars on track with confident moves and was keeping pace.

Romain Grosjean’s reaction to his brake fire left me with a lump in my throat. I’m sure he never wanted to be in another burning car.

Scott Dixon leaves Detroit with the same points deficit to the leader he had going into the weekend, but he is now third instead of second in the standings.

I don’t think I have ever seen a snoozer of a race turn into a good race as quickly as I did yesterday.

Santino Ferruci had two top ten finishes this weekend. Yesterday’s was especially noteworthy since he destroyed his primary car in qualifying and drove a backup car in the race. The car got to the grid about two minutes before the command to start engines.

An annoying trend that needs to stop now-The PA announcer in the past has called drivers to their cars for years. I guess it is to build excitement for the start of the race. I have always found it unnecessary to announce but it never bothered me until the last few races when celebrities began assuming the task. Really? Next we will see celebrity drivers of the trucks that take the drivers around the tracks during driver introductions. Having celebrities at the races is great, but having menial tasks like saying “Driver to your cars” is a little much.

I will be back later with a full weekend wrap up. thanks again for following along this weekend.

Race Day 2- New Day, Another Winner?

thepitwindow

Photo of yesterday’s race start by Joe Skibinski

Today’s schedule:

Askew Replaces His Replacement

Late last night Arrow McLaren SP named Oliver Askew to replace Felix Rosenqvist in the 7 car for Race 2. Rosenqvist was injured in a frightening crash in yesterday’s race. His injuries are not life threatening.

Oliver Askew

Askew drove the 7 last year, but did not complete the season. He suffered a concussion in a crash at the Indianapolis 500 last August and after a couple of poor performances, he left the team. Askew has driven in IMSA, driving in the LMP3 class.

Going for Eight

Today’s race could produce a record eighth different winner in the first eight races of the season. I find it ironic that a Team Penske driver could set the record. the team usually has at least three wins by this point in the year.

A Scott Dixon win would tie him with Mario Andretti with 52 career victories.

The Qualifying Format

I like the qualifying format for this race. I assume if another road course double header happens, this format will be used again. I think it is fairer than the fastest driver of two groups concept because all drivers in effect get a chance to compete for the pole.

Palou Needs a Better Day

Points leader Alex Palou needs to have a better day than he had yesterday or his points lead could disappear. He will likely start higher than last, but he has been stuck in the middle of the pack all weekend.

Yesterday Was Wild, Let’s Do It Again

I hope for another good race, minus a crash which injures a driver. A less controversial finish would be nice too. The current aero package continues to be very racy on road and street courses.

I will be heading back to Indy immediately after the race. Look for my thoughts on Race 2 Monday. Thanks for following along this weekend.