Category: Auto Racing

Montoya Returns to 500 with AMSP

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From Arrow McLaren SP:

Juan Pablo Montoya, Arrow McLaren SP and Mission Foods will team up for a second consecutive year, with the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion competing in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet for both the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Montoya will again join full-time Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist to complete the team’s lineup for the Month of May.  
 
Montoya returns to Arrow McLaren SP after competing for the team last year, finishing ninth in the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500. This year will see him attempt to qualify for his seventh entry into the race, having competed six times in his career, including winning as a rookie in 2000 and again 15 years later in 2015.  
 
The MISSION brand will be represented on the No. 6 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and Montoya’s race suit during both races, as well as continuing to be featured on the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet piloted by O’Ward and the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet piloted by Rosenqvist. 

Mission Foods first partnered with Arrow McLaren SP in 2020 and the successful partnership continues to find new and exciting ways to activate and reach new consumers through the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. 
 
The 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place on May 29, 2022 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Follow along with Arrow McLaren SP all season long on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube at @ArrowMcLarenSP.

Juan Pablo Montoya, Driver, No. 6 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet:  
 
“I’m excited to return to Indianapolis with Arrow McLaren SP and Mission, to once again compete in a race that holds a special place in my heart – the Indianapolis 500. I had a great experience with the team last year and look forward to building on the progress we made in 2021. I think we have a real shot at competing at the front of the field and challenging for the win.” 
 
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing: 
 
“We’re delighted to have both Juan Pablo and Mission Foods back for another Indianapolis 500. Juan Pablo is an institution in motorsport, with two Indianapolis 500 victories and an impressive Formula 1 career with multiple wins for McLaren. He adds experience that really benefits our team, giving us another driver with the potential to win anytime he steps into the car.” 
 
Juan Gonzalez, Mission Foods Chief Executive Officer: 
 
“We are thrilled to partner again with Juan Pablo Montoya and Arrow McLaren SP for the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500. The Indianapolis 500 and Juan Pablo are legendary to racing and loved by race fans everywhere. It’s an honor for our brand to align with icons like these.”

NBC Sports, INDYCAR Announce 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Broadcast Start Times

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This announcement is one I have been waiting for. Remember, these are television times, not race start times. The one disappointment I have is that it appears neither Iowa race will be a night race meaning World Wide Technology Raceway is the only race after dark on the schedule. I am happy that mid Ohio retained its early start time.

           For Immediate ReleaseINDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Jan. 10, 2022) – NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the broadcast start times for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, which will feature a record 14 races on broadcast network NBC, headlined by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).
The first six races of the season will air on NBC, including the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at noon (ET) Sunday, Feb. 27.
NBC Sports will also present the third consecutive year of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader July 30-31 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with the INDYCAR race at noon (ET) Saturday, July 30 on NBC.
Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2022 INDYCAR schedule include:
The 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, on NBC, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns to NBC at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, April 10.The third consecutive year of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course the weekend of July 30-31, with the INDYCAR race on Saturday, July 30 on NBC
.The much-anticipated second iteration of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, and first presentation of the race on network television, will air at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Aug. 7 on NBC.The season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be presented at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 11 on NBC.
Peacock will exclusively stream an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race for the first time in 2022 when the Honda Indy Toronto race will be held at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, July 17. Peacock will simulstream all races airing on NBC and all qualifying and practice sessions, as well as coverage surrounding the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Indy Lights races, race day warmups and full-event replays of 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races also will be available on Peacock.
NBC Sports’ 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage schedule:

INDYCAR, Motorsport Network Team Up To Launch Global Fan Survey

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From Indycar. Please participate. Click on 2022 Global INDYCAR Survey  in the last paragraph. It will give you a link to open,.

           For Immediate Release
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Jan. 10, 2022) – INDYCAR and Motorsport Network today launched the 2022 Global INDYCAR Survey, in partnership with Nielsen, aimed at capturing the views of racing fans around the world toward the sport. The survey is expected to be the largest NTT INDYCAR SERIES fan survey of its kind, operating in 11 languages across Motorsport Network’s flagship Motorsport.com website.
“Our domestic and international reach has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by the fiercely competitive nature of our sport and the bold athletes and personalities who make up our world-class NTT INDYCAR SERIES field,” said SJ Luedtke, INDYCAR vice president of marketing.
“Thus, it’s the perfect time to survey our global fan base and gather input on ways to further deliver an exceptional and entertaining product. We see our fans as our most important partners in the growth of our sport and look forward to hearing from them through this important effort carried out in partnership with the team at Motorsport Network.
”This is the first global fan survey for INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Motorsport Network leads the way in this field, recently completing the F1 Global Fan Survey in partnership with F1 in October 2021.In addition to identifying the fans’ favorite drivers, teams and racetracks, the INDYCAR survey aims to gather fans’ input on a wide range of topics, including viewing habits, live attendance and media consumption; opinions about future changes to improve the sport and insights into key issues beyond the racetrack such as the environment, diversity and inclusion.
There are also questions on fan engagement and the growth of gaming and eSports given that an INDYCAR video game is currently being developed in partnership with Motorsport Games; a brand-new franchise that is eagerly anticipated by racing and gaming fans and is expected to launch in 2023 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles and PC.
“We are looking forward to hearing from the global INDYCAR SERIES fans who will provide some great insight into the INDYCAR universe and how it can continue to expand and grow, and connect with its audience,” said James Allen, president of Motorsport Network.
“With our industry-leading track record in this field, Motorsport Network is the ideal partner to spearhead this survey of NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans, given our global relevance as a leading digital platform, our extensive INDYCAR coverage across the network, not to mention the recent success we’ve had with the F1 global survey, which showed that 29% of F1 followers on our platforms also follow INDYCAR.”
The 2022 Global INDYCAR Survey is open to anyone over the age of 16 and will run for three weeks, kicking off Monday, Jan. 10 and running through Saturday, Jan. 29, with the key findings due to be announced at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding in late February.
About Motorsport Network
Every month approximately 60 million dedicated users visit a Motorsport Network digital property, to buy, to learn, to be entertained or simply to feed their passion for cars and racing. We sit at the heart of the Racing and Automotive industries and provide authoritative thought leadership as well as unique experiences to our customers. We take them on a customer journey that encompasses news and insights, events, tickets, games and eSports, so we leverage the network effect to add value to their experience. We use our in-house technology and modern data tools to continuously test, learn, and improve. Our processes, content creation, and products are constantly evolving to better serve our audience, clients, and partners.
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a leading global data and analytics company that provides a holistic and objective understanding of the media industry. With offerings spanning audience measurement, audience outcomes and content, Nielsen offers its clients and partners simple solutions to complex questions and optimizes the value of their investments and growth strategies. It is the only company that can offer de-duplicated cross-media audience measurement. Audience is EverythingTM to Nielsen and its clients, and Nielsen is committed to ensuring that every voice counts. An S&P 500 company, Nielsen offers measurement and analytics service in nearly 60 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connec

Matthew Brabham Returns to Indy Lights with Andretti

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Photo from Andretti Autosport

Matthew Brabham will return to Indy Lights, driving the number 83 car for Andretti Autosport. Brabham has spent the last few years driving in Stadium Super Trucks. Andretti as usual has a solid stable of drivers in Indy Lights, including veteran Sting Ray Robb.

The announcement from Andretti Autosport:

01.10.22

Indy Lights veteran Matthew Brabham will return to the Road to Indy ladder system in 2022 with Andretti Autosport as he steps into the No. 83 Indy Lights machine. Brabham and Andretti Autosport have a storied history together competing in both the Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championships. The second-generation driver was crowned the 2013 Indy Pro 2000 Champion (formerly Pro Mazda). Brabham returns to the American open-wheel series with unfinished business as he finished in the top four of the Indy Lights championship in 2014.

“We’re really excited to have Matty back in our Indy Lights lineup,” said Michael Andretti, Chairman and CEO, Andretti Autosport. “He’s always shown natural talent behind the wheel and was a great Road to Indy contender for us in the past. I’m really looking forward to seeing what our Indy Lights lineup accomplishes this year as all of their talents continue to grow.”

Brabham first entered the Road to Indy ladder with the USF2000 Championship in 2012, where he captured the 2012 championship with four wins and 11 podium finishes. The 2012 USF2000 scholarship propelled the Australian-American to the Indy Pro 2000 field where 13 victories, 10 pole positions and 15 podiums led to the 2013 title and the chance to compete in Indy Lights for the 2014 season. Brabham went on to collect one victory, one pole position and 10 top-five finishes in 17 Indy Lights race starts.

“I’m extremely grateful to Michael, JF and everyone who is a part of Andretti Autosport,” said Brabham. “They have given me many great opportunities over the years, including this one. We have accomplished amazing results together. We have won a total of 14 races and a championship in the past. I’m absolutely ecstatic to be back racing full time in a proper open-wheel car again with a top team. I feel it’s where I’ve always belonged. I’m willing to give everything I have at this and more to follow my dream of getting back into the INDYCAR SERIES.”

Brabham completes Andretti Autosport’s lineup piloting the No. 83 Dallara for the 2022 Indy Lights season alongside teammates Sting Ray Robb [No. 2 Dallara], Hunter McElrea [No. 27 Dallara] and Christian Rasmussen [No. 28 Dallara].

Testing Today Starts 2022 Season

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Photo: 2021 Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will run the full season in 2022. he starts testing today at Sebring. Photo by Chris owens, Indycar

The NTT Indycar season begins today with testing at Sebring. Just three cars will be on track today. Meyer Shank Racing will have its two cars running. Rahal letterman Lanigan racing will use one of its rookie test days with Christian Lundgaard.

Testing before the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is minimal this year. Just one other day in January will have testing. Team Penske and A. J. Foyt Racing will run one car each in an evaluation test on the 19th.

The big test day is February 14 at Sebring when 20 cars will be on track. All cars from Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing, Penske, AMSP, RLL, and Ed Carpenter Racing are planning to participate. Will we know the ECR road/street course driver before then? Also testing that day is Juncos Hollinger Racing. Dale Coyne with HMD Racing is using the 14th as a rookie day with David Malukas.

The following day Coyne will have both cars on track. Meyer Shank will also use a second test day on the 15th.

That is all at this time before the season opener. I assume there will be some oval tests between St. Pete and Texas on March 20.

Long Beach Extended Through 2028

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Indycar photo by Chris Owens

I’m finally settled in winter headquarters after a journey that took a bit longer than expected. We just missed cold temperatures in Indianapolis and passed Nashville just before their big snowstorm. Now on to the big news of the week.

The Long Beach City Council approved the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach through 2028. This is an unusually long extension and shows how much the city appreciates Indycar’s presence as part of the community. The council’s action should permanently put to rest the attempts to by groups wanting Formula 1 to return to the venue.

2022 will mark 47 years of racing on the streets of Long Beach. The first race, a Formula 5000 event founded by Chrism Pook and Dan Gurney in 1975, became a staple of F1 from 1976 through 1983. In 1984, CART began racing on the downtown streets. Indycar in its various sanctions has raced there ever since, until the pandemic halted the race in 2020. The race returned last year with the title deciding event in the fall. In 2022 the race returns to its traditional April slot. After the 2028 race, Indycar will have raced at Long Beach 45 times, making it the third oldest event in series history, I believe, Behind Indianapolis and Milwaukee. 2025 will be the 50th race of some form on the street circuit.

Added Action

The usually busy Long Beach weekend just got a bit busier. Indycar IMSA, Porsche Cup, and Stadium Super Trucks will be joined by the Historic IMSA GTP Challenge, a vintage sportscar prototype series. I am excited to see these cars, which have never raced at Long Beach. Track time will be at a premium April 8-10.

Kevin Kalkhoven, 1944-2022

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Statement from Vasser Sullivan Racing:

KEVIN KALKHOVEN

June 1, 1944 – January 4, 2022

The entire Vasser Sullivan Racing organization extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of Kevin Kalkhoven.

Kevin was a giant in both the technology and racing worlds and more
Importantly, a great friend.

He will be truly missed,
 Statement from Jimmy Vasser:
“Kevin Kalkhoven lived life to the absolute fullest.  He showed how life was to be lived. He was a great partner and dear friend. I will always miss his mischievous smile and uproarious laughter. Rest In Peace Dear Friend.”

Indycar 2022 Grid- The Field Gets Younger

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As you read this, The Pit Window will be on the way to winter headquarters for the first time since 2019. The plan is to arrive on Thursday, so this may be the only post for this week. My being unavailable to post can only mean one thing- there will be huge breaking news the next couple of days. A third OEM, F1 returning to IMS, Ed Carpenter announcing Mick Schumacher as his road and street course driver in the 20 car all could happen since I will be out of touch.

Today we will take a look sat the 25 cars that will make up the full time Indycar field for 2022. The only opening is the road/street seat for the number 20.

The grid is getting younger. This year’s field includes five rookies and eight other drivers with three years or less experience. The youngsters held the spotlight in 2021, and I expect a repeat performance this upcoming season. Here is the grid as of this morning:

Team Penske

2- Josef Newgarden

3- Scott Mclaughlin

12- Will Power

Chip Ganassi Racing

8- Marcus Ericsson

9- Scott Dixon’

10- Alex palou

48- Jimmie Johnson

Andretti Autosport

26-Colton Herta

27- Alexander Rossi

28- Romain Grosjean

29- Devlin Defrancesco

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

15- Graham Rahal

30- Jack Harvey

45- Christian Lundgaard (R)

Arrow McLaren SP

5= Pato O’Ward

7- Felix Rosenqvist

Dale Coyne Racing with HMD

18- David Malukas (R)

Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing

51- Takuma Sato

Meyer Shank Racing

06- Helio Castroneves

60- Simon Pagenaud

A. J. Foyt Racing

4- Dalton Kellett

14- Kyle Kirkwood (R)

Ed Carpenter Racing

20- ovals- Ed Carpenter; road/street- TBD

21-Rinus VeeKay

Juncos Hollinger Racing

77- Callum Ilott (R)

Book Review- Hello, I’m Paul Page “It’s Race Day in Indianapolis”

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Paul Page’s only goal in life is to be in broadcasting. He especially wants to be on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network broadcasting the Indianapolis 500, working alongside his hero, Sid Collins. It is a long circuitous route to the race day team filled with some self inflicted mistakes.

With the guidance of his uncle, Harry Geisel, a former major league baseball umpire, Page builds a faux broadcast studio in his uncle’s basement. Geisel also takes Page to his 500 mile race in 1960. Page then set his career path to be a part of the race.

Back home in Chicago, Page writes to Eddie Sachs, his favorite driver, and shares his ambition. Sachs replied, telling Page, “You must stick with something if you want it.” Page has lived by those words ever since.

The autobiography, written by Page and J. R. Elrod, is mostly chronological. The narrative alternates between summaries of each 500 mile race since 1960 and Page’s personal life. There are anecdotes about drivers and news stories Page covers as well.

Page intersperses his story with explanations of terms and history of auto racing. Much of these descriptions are geared for the casual or non-racing fan, which broadens the appeal of the work.

While working low paying radio jobs, Page joins the National Guard and learns much of his craft at the Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. Page also enrolls in DePauw University’s paramedics course, earning a license.

Page gets a job at WIBC, the flagship station for the 500. He hopes to impress Sid Collins and get a spot on the race day radio team. His first encounter with Collins does not go well. Collins declared page’s interview with the winner of the Soap Box Derby the worst interview he has ever heard. Collins then spends the next three hours instructing Page how to conduct a proper interview.

Page loses his job at WIBC, works at other stations, and finally returns to the station in 1969. He does not get on the race day crew until 1974. His first race nearly becomes his last. Page worked the pits that day. Collins asks him to interview stuntman/daredevil Evel Kneivel. Page has no interest in talking to him, and he tells Collins he can’t find him. Collins had a good view Page’s position from the broadcast booth.

“Isn’t he standing right next to you?” Collins asked.

In 1977 Page becomes the Voice of the 500, but not in the way he hoped. Collins commits suicide on May 2, leaving the station little time to appoint a successor. The broadcast goes well, but in December Page’s tenure at the mike at IMS nearly came to an end. Page does live news reports from a helicopter which crashes on the Speedway High School football field. Page suffers multiple fractures of his left leg.

Page discusses how the Indycar split in 1996 affected not only the sport’s drivers and teams, but also the broadcasters. ABC told him he could only cover CART races, which meant no Indianapolis 500.

Page talks about his time in the broadcast booth with Bobby Unser. Page admires Unser for his knowledge, but wishes he didn’t talk so long. The producers tell Unser that Page has a button that cuts His mike after a couple of minutes. Unser cuts his talking. Later we find that there was no button.

Paul Page witnesses an experiences every aspect of racing from crew man to driver. He takes this knowledge to the broadcast booth. Page’s autobiography is a rich perspective of what happens behind the scenes at a race track both inside and outside the television and radio booths.

Note:

I wish everyone a Happy New Year. The Pit Window will be moving to winter headquarters tomorrow. Thanks for reading all year. I hope you will put up with me for another one.