Category: Auto Racing

Power Sees Red -Thoughts on Detroit Race 1

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Photo of Marcus Ericsson by Chris Owens, Indycar

Let’s begin at the end. The red flag with six laps go was uncalled for. A yellow would have worked. The race may or may not have restarted. I don’t believe in throwing a red flag just so a race can finish under green. Fans are not entitled to a green finish, and drivers accept that sometimes a race finishes under caution.

Congratulations to Marcus Ericsson on his first Indycar victory. He joins Kenny Brack and Felix Rosenqvist as drivers from Sweden who have won at least one Indycar race. Ericsson is the fourth first time winner this season as Indycar continues its streak of a different winner every race. Will the string be broken tomorrow?

Photo by Chris Owens, Indycar

Will Power was furious after the race, as well he should have been. His best drive of the year was wasted. I thought he would come out strong today to make up for his showing in the Indianapolis 500. I thought he was motivated today. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win the pole and lead every lap tomorrow. Look up his interview with Kevin Lee on NBC Sports. I haven’t seen him this angry since Loudon.

Alex Palou retains the points lead by 15 points over Pato O’Ward. Scott Dixon is 26 points behind. Palou started last and finished 15th.

All three of Chip Ganassi Racing’s full time drivers have won a race this year, while Team Penske is still looking for its first victory in 2021. Penske drivers were having one of their better days of the year today until the red flags quashed their strategy.

Today’s race was probably the best one I have seen at Belle Isle. There was lots of passing, different pit strategies, and end of race drama.

Late news from on Felix Rosenqvist from Dr. Billows:

“Evaluation revealed no life or limb threatening injuries, he remains awake and alert, he will be observed overnight prior to discharge from the hospital”

Rosenqvist’s crash was one of the scariest I have seen. The statement implies that he has not been cleared to drive tomorrow. I’m not sure if the car will be ready.

Takuma Sato ,Graham Rahal, and Santino Ferrucci of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing had outstanding drives today, finishing 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively. Sato started 16th, Rahal 20th, and Ferrucci 21st. It was the team’s best day of the season.

Today was the first race of 2021 where Team Penske cars looked to have a winning race pace. Simon Pagenaud looked to be on a winning path until the red flag, and Josef Newgarden looked to be in line for a top five finish as well. It seems strange that this team has not won a race yet this year. Today was just the second time in 2021 a Penske driver was not on the podium.

Race Day 1 in Detroit

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Today’s Schedule:

Penske VP Bud Denker said on Friday afternoon that about 1,000 tickets remained for today’s race and around 1,400 were still available for Sunday. Thge crowd is limted because of the number of grandstands the organizers could get in place given the original capacity limits which were later expanded.

The IMSA race begins at 5pm. It is a 2 hour race.

The weather for Saturday in Detroit will be similar to yesterday. According to my weather app, there is a 32% chance of rain at 3 pm. Rain tire strategy could come into play mid race.

The new qualifying format for Detroit adds a Fast Twelve for the pole. The fastest car in each group does not receive a point as in the past. Only the pole winner gets a bonus point. Will Power said in the post practice press conference that he might choose Group 1 today because of the time of the qualifying round. Indy Lights has race 3 qualifying before Indycar is on track. Power’s reasoning is that since you only need to be one of the fastest six cars in your group, it doesn’t matter. The order of the groups switches tomorrow.

I’ll be back with a brief post qualifying report around noon.

Power Edges Bourdais on Last Practice Lap

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Photo by Matt Fraver, Indycar

Will Power had the quickest time in the only practice session for the Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit this afternoon. Sébastien Bourdais looked as if he would lead the 75 minute period, but Power’s final lap put him on top.

The three rookies all had on track issues.Jimmie Johnson spun into the tires in turn 3 and Scott McLaughlin spun in turn 5 just moments later.Romain Grosjeqn spun but kept the carrunning and returned the track later in the session.

Power talked about the heat today, where the track temperature reached 120 degrees.

“Yeah, it’s very hot out there,” Power said. “It’s just a physical track. You kind of hold your breath because there’s just so much commitment. I feel all right. The car is in a really good window. I was happy to get a lap in there at the end, with some guys backing up and such.”

It was a good showing for Chevrolet in their home race as cars powered by the Detroit made engine took the top three spots. Honda and Chevy each had five cars in the top ten.

Points leader Alex Palou was mired in mid pack most of the session. Palou has a six place grid penalty for tomorrow’s race, so a high qualifying spot is crucial for him.

The results:

Qualifying begins at 11 am EDT tomorrow.

Detroit Preview: Points Lead on the Line

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Indycar returns to Belle Isle after a year away because of the pandemic. The double header gives those drivers who had a difficult Indianapolis 500 a chance to get back some points. The event also allows the points leader a shot at gaining a comfortable lead. In 2021, Scott Dixon is not leading the points for the first time in 17 races going back to last season. His teammate, Alex Palou leads Dixon by 36 points, and Pato O’Ward is just one point further behind. We could see the standings get scrambled after Saturday’s race, then flip again at the end of the day Sunday.

Palou May Slip in Race 1

Alex Palou has a six place grid penalty for race one, making his qualifying effort on a track he has never seen very important. He needs to make the third qualifying round and end up n the top half of the grid. Palou has led laps in every race in 2021, but that streak is in danger of falling tomorrow.

O’Ward struggled at St.Pete, the only other street race so far in 2021, but he is optimistic about his chances at Detroit, where he has raced sports cars. As far as Beating Dixon for the title. O’Ward said,

“Yeah, what I learned was that you have to beat the master of consistency at his own game in order to win the championship. I think that’s the best way to putit. We just need to outscore him as much as we can every weekend. I think that’s the best thing we can do in order to have a shot at the championship at Long Beach.”

O’Ward acknowledges that he has already used up his bad races and cannot have another if he wants to have a shot at the title at Long Beach.

Dixon, who finished a disappointing 17th in the 500, needs to show his trademark consistency the rest of the season. June is usually the month when Dixon really starts get going, and the month starts at a track where has won three times.

New Qualifying Format

Double header qualifying has been two 15 minute groups with the fastest driver in each group making up the front row, and the faster of the group leaders on the pole. For Detroit in 2021, the six fastest in each 10 minute group will have another 10 minute round, the Fast Twelve, to determine the pole. This format makes qualifying more similar to qualifying at the other road and street course races.

Qualifying takes the same amount of time as in the past, and I think it is more fair. usually the second group is quicker because of the rubber laid down on the track by the first group. The format will give some drivers a second chance at starting up front.

Eight for Eight?

The NTT Indycar Series has produced six different winners in six races this season. A different winner in Race 1 will tie a record, which can then be broken on Sunday. While I would like to see that, I think the record will be tied Saturday and Sunday will see 2021’s first repeat winner. The record for different winners in a season is 11. We are well on our way to that mark.

A different winner each race keeps the championship battle tight. I hope the trend continues.

First Penske Win?

Even more surprising than the six winners in six races is that a Team Penske driver is not in that group. I believe this is the weekend for the team to break into the winner’s column tomorrow. Simon Pagenaud’s charge to a third place after starting 26th has him fourth in the standings, 47 points behind Palou.

It’s odd not seeing Josef Newgarden have a victory yet this year. On Saturday, one of these two drivers will be in Victory Circle.

For Sunday, I think we will see a repeat winner, either Dixon or O’Ward.

The first key at Detroit is to qualify well. The second key is pit strategy to gain track position. Alex Palou will need to use both to keep his lead in Race 1 in order to have a chance to remain first in the standings heading to Road America.

Today’s practic is 5-6:15 pm Eastern, streamed on Peacock. I will be traveling to Detroit later this morning, and will have a wrap up this evening.

Palou Welcomes Detroit Challenge as He Fights to Keep Points Lead

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Photo by Joe Skibinski, Indycar

Alex Palou isn’t afraid of a challenge. He proved that at the Indianapolis 500 when he dueled four time winner Helio Castroneves over the last seven laps of the race. Going to Detroit, a track he has never seen in person, will be another step for the current Indycar points leader.

“…it’s going to be challenging for sure. I’ve never been to Detroit. It looks — the track looks awesome. Looks really bumpy. But yeah, I think the layout, it’s super nice as a street course. I’m looking forward,” Palou told the media earlier this week.

“I’ve been preparing a lot on the sim, the track, just for myself, not setup related. I’ve been doing it at home, just because it’s super important on a street course to really know the bumps, to really get some references. And then aside, as well, we’ve been working with the team doing the setup stuff so we don’t have to work that much during the race weekend.And then during free practice, it’s going to be tough. I’m going to be able to — I’m going to have to be able to get up to speed really quick, and yeah, I just need to focus on everything. I need to focus on all the bumps. I need to see how the car rides the bumps. That’s super important. And then braking zones. I think it’s super important on street courses to really nail and attack the braking zones. Hopefully we are able to do that soon enough so we can start developing our car during free practice,” he continued.

On his near miss at Indianapolis, Palou said,

“I think it all came down to traffic, so I think I would just have waited for the last pass a little bit more. But at that point we had Rosenqvist in front, and that helped me. I actually pulled, and if Rosenqvist kept himself out, I think we would have had a chance to just go or maybe to fight again, but yeah, he went, and I was alone there, and he got traffic.Maybe just wait, but it’s super easy to say it now. Maybe a yellow comes out and you are waiting there second and you are like, why did I wait?”

Palou is fighting with teammate Scott Dixon for the championship right now. Some see that as an advantage, but Palou disagrees,.

“No, that’s the opposite because I know he’s going to compete with the same car as me, so I know he’s going to compete with a really good car, and it’s going to be up to us. I would prefer him to be on another team so I could know that I have the best team around me. But no, joking aside, it’s cool. It’s super good to be able to do what he’s doing, to know the strategies they are doing,to know how he’s approaching the weekends. It’s been really helpful for me so far, and it’s going to still be really helpful.”

Palou has a six place grid penalty for Race 1, which puts his record of leading every race this year in jeopardy. Qualifying will be extremely important to his chances of remaining on top of the points standings.

Grosjean Set for Oval Debut; News and Notes

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A few noteworthy items as we head into the weekend at Detroit.

Romain Grosjean will run his first oval race at Gateway in August. Grosjean originally planned to run only the street and road course races, but had left Gateway open as a possibility. The run at the Madison, Illinois track may be a prelude for Grosjean to attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 next year.

Grosjean earned the pole for the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month, finishing second in the race after leading the most laps

Mid Ohio Paddock Passes on Sale

Mid Ohio will allow fans paddock access at the Honda Indy 200. The announcement yesterday said that paddock and pit passes are now on sale. Mid Ohio joins Detroit and Road America as tracks allowing fans paddock access as things slowly return to normal.

Detroit Unmasked

The Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit now has no mask requirement for fans while outdoors. Inside buildings, masks are required for unvaccinated people. The race initially had attendance limited to 20% of capacity, but that restriction is also no longer in effect. Race organizers have opened up more reserved grandstand seating, but they are still limiting the number of general admission tickets sold.

We may be seeing the end of fan restrictions as the series moves ionto the second half of the season.

Who Gets Race 17?

There are three options to replace the cancelled Toronto race- a double header at Mid Ohio, a double header at Gateway, or no replacement at all.

Mid Ohio makes the most sense since the track and Toronto have the same promoter, Green Savoree. Gateway is a good choice since that would give the series another oval race. Doing nothing might be what happens if a television window is not available for the additional race.

I think there will be a 17th race. Time is not on Mid Ohio’s side, but since the track hosted a double header on short notice last year, it could still happen.

Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear Fast Facts

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Race weekend: Friday, June 11 – Sunday, June 13
Track: Raceway at Belle Isle Park, a 2.35-mile, 14-turn temporary street course (clockwise)
Race distance: 70 laps / 164.5 miles (both races)
Media Links: Race 1 Entry List | Race 2 Entry List | Driver Video Quotes
Push-to-pass parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation (for each race)
Firestone tire allotment: Eight sets primary, five sets alternate (weekend). Teams must use one set of primary and alternate tires in each race. One additional set available to teams fielding a rookie driver is available for the first session of the weekend.
Twitter: @DetroitGP @IndyCar, #DetroitGP, #IndyCar
Event website: http://www.DetroitGP.com INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2019 race winners: Race 1: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet); Race 2: Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) 2019
NTT P1 Award winners: Race 1: Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda) 1:14.1989, 114.018 mph; Race 2: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) 1:14.8607, 113.010 mph.
Qualifying lap record: Takuma Sato, 1:13.6732, 114.831 mph, June 4, 2017
NBC Sports race telecasts: Race 1 Qualifying, 11 a.m. ET Saturday NBCSN (live); Race 2 Qualifying, 9 a.m. Sunday, NBCSN (live); Chevrolet Dual in Detroit Race 1, 2 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC (live); Chevrolet Dual in Detroit Race 2, noon ET Sunday, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.
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 Chevrolet Dual in Detroit doubleheader 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 local): Friday, June 11 5 – 6:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #1, Peacock Premium
Saturday, June 12 11 – 11:45 a.m. – Race 1 qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Two rounds of knockout qualifying/10 minutes each), NBCSN, Peacock Premium (live) 1:20 p.m. – Driver introductions 1:58 p.m. – Command to start engines 2:05 p.m. – Chevrolet Dual in Detroit #1 (70 laps/164.5 miles), NBC (live) Sunday, June 13 9:15 – 10 a.m. – Race 2 qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Two rounds of knockout qualifying/10 minutes each), NBCSN, Peacock Premium (live) Noon – Driver introductions 12:43 p.m. – Command to start engines 12:50 p.m. – Chevrolet Dual in Detroit #2 (70 laps/164.5 miles), NBC (live)
Race notes: There have been six different winners in six NTT INDYCAR SERIES races to start the 2021 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), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1) and Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500) have all won in 2021. The last time there were seven different winners to start the season was 2017. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
There have been eight different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay and Helio Castroneves) The only repeat winners in that stretch are Newgarden (2 wins – Harvest GP-1 and St. Petersburg in 2020) and Herta (2 wins – Mid-Ohio-2 in 2020 and St. Petersburg 2021).
The Chevrolet Dual in Detroit will be the 28th and 29th INDYCAR SERIES races conducted at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park and the 30th and 31st INDYCAR SERIES races held in Detroit. A 2.5-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit hosted CART events from 1989-1991. Scott Dixon has won three times at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park, tied with Helio Castroneves for most wins by an INDYCAR SERIES driver at the track.
 In addition to Dixon, other previous Belle Isle winners entered include Sebastien Bourdais (2015 Race 2 and 2016 Race 1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2018 Race 2), Josef Newgarden (2019 Race 1), Simon Pagenaud (2013 Race 2), Will Power ( 2014 Race 1 and 2016 Race 2) and Graham Rahal (2017 Race 1 and Race 2).
There have been 17 different pole winners in the previous 25 races. Pole winners entered in this year’s race are Josef Newgarden (2019 Race 2), Alexander Rossi (2019 Race 1 and 2018 Race 2), Graham Rahal (2017 Race 1), Takuma Sato (2014 Race 2, 2017 Race 2), Simon Pagenaud (2016 – Race 1 and Race 2), Will Power (2015 Race 1) and Scott Dixon (2008 and 2012). Four drivers have won the race from the pole: Graham Rahal (2017, Race 1), Scott Dixon (2012), Helio Castroneves (2001) and Robby Gordon (1995). The driver who has gone on to win the championship has won at Detroit five times. Josef Newgarden won Race 1 in 2019, Scott Dixon won Race 1 in 2018, Will Power won Race 2 in 2014, Alex Zanardi won on Belle Isle in 1998, Bobby Rahal won at Belle Isle in 1992 and Emerson Fittipaldi won in downtown Detroit in 1989. Scott Dixon has competed in 18 previous races at Belle Isle, most of any driver. Thirteen drivers entered have led laps at the track (Dixon 127, Graham Rahal 107, Simon Pagenaud 93, Will Power 50, Takuma Sato 44, Sebastien Bourdais 38, Josef Newgarden 33, Ryan Hunter-Reay 20, Santino Ferrucci 20, Alexander Rossi 19, James Hinchcliffe 11, Conor Daly 4 and Marcus Ericsson 2)
Seven drivers will race NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars at the Raceway at Belle Isle for the first time: Romain Grosjean, Jack Harvey, Jimmie Johnson, Dalton Kellett, Scott McLaughlin, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay.
Scott Dixon has made 278 consecutive starts heading into the weekend, which is the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES racing. Dixon, the longest-tenured driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, is third on the all-time victory list with 51 wins. Will Power is tied with Al Unser for fifth on the all-time list with 39 wins and Sebastien Bourdais is seventh on the all-time list with 37 wins.

St. Pete Extends Indycar Through 2026

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Indycar now has its season opener set for the next five years as the St. Pete City Council unanimously agreed to an extension of the race through 2026 on the event’s original date in March. The full announcement from the city:

St. Petersburg City Council unanimously extends Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg through 2026

Grand Prix will return to its traditional March date in 2022
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 9, 2021) – The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will remain a cornerstone event on the downtown streets and waterfront through at least 2026. St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved a two-year extension to the existing agreement with Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC (GSSP) on June 3rd.
This spring break racing tradition has been a marquee event on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ annual calendar for the past 17 years. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg brings worldwide exposure and spectators from across the globe to the City of St. Petersburg. 
“I am thrilled that the Grand Prix will be in the Sunshine City through 2026. I want to thank City Council for recognizing the importance of this race in St. Pete,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. “I also want to thank Kim (Green) and Kevin (Savoree), and everyone at the Grand Prix for not only organizing and promoting one of our city’s best events year after year, but for their dedication to our community.”
Set to return to its traditional position on the calendar during the second weekend of March in 2022, the dates for the next five Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg races are:
March 10-13, 2022 March 9-12, 2023 March 7-10, 2024 March 6-9, 2025 March 12-15, 2026
“There is no better backdrop than downtown St. Petersburg and its picturesque waterfront for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to showcase the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of GSSP. “The success and continued growth of the event has only been possible with the overwhelming support and collaboration with the City of St. Petersburg’s Councillors, Mayor Kriseman and his fantastic team.” 
The City of St. Petersburg’s “Embrace the Race” campaign has worked alongside local businesses to create a great experience for visitors. The efforts multiply the economic impact which the race has on St. Petersburg and local surrounding communities each year.
The event has also had an ongoing impact on the local community through fundraising efforts for the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg. Over a four-year span via the MBA 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track, over $216,000 has been raised for the Police Athletic League and American Stage Theatre. The 5K run and walk event is planned to return in 2022 after being put on pause for 2021. 
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, The Mahaffey Theater, the Salvador Dali Museum and extending onto the runways of Albert Whitted Airport. The set up and tear down process has become more efficient each year. Most recently it took 25 days to construct the circuit and the removal was done within six days thanks to the support of local vendors like Stepp’s Towing and the development of a collaborated plan with the City of St. Petersburg’s administration and events team. 
For event information, visit gpstpete.com. Also, follow the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on social media using #FirestoneGP for additional ongoing updates and news. 

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season each March and rescheduled to the last weekend of April this year. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 2-4, 2021), Honda Indy Toronto, and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 10-12, 2021). 
For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.