Category: Auto Racing

Race Day

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Photo: Chris Owens Indycar

Good morning and welcome to Race Day at St Petersburg. I think this will be a very competitive race. The top three starters, Colton Herta, Jack Harvey, and Josef Newgarden are the favorites I would not count out Sebastien Bourdais or Pato O’Ward either.

Look for a two stop race if there aren’t too many yellows.

i hope to provide an update after the warmup at 9:05.

Driver introductions begin at noon. Green flag is scheduled for 12:42. Coverage is on NBC.

From last night:

Herta Grabs Pole as Team Penske Falters

https://thefirstfiftyracesarethehardest.wordpress.com/2021/04/24/herta-grabs-pole-as-team-penske-falters-some-thoughts/

Qualifying results:

Quick Thoughts- Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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Photo: Chris Owens, Indycar

I am officially old. I saw Bryan Jetta win races as an adult and have now seen his son win races.

Colton Herta put on a master driving clinic today., He led all but three laps and pulled away from Josef Newgarden on two late restarts.

Herta has tied his father Bryan on the career victory list with his fourth win today. He will pass his dad later this season.

The tire choices to start the 4ace made for some interesting tactic. The field was split evenly between primary and alternates. Hearts said after the race he didn’t notice much difference.

Still waiting for Alexander Rossi to have a decent weekend. Rossi expected to fight for the title but is mired in 16th place after two frustrating weekends.

While their finishes at Barber may hurt their championship chances a bit, both Herta and Newgarden did what they needed to do to get back in the hunt.

Pato O’Ward struggled in the morning warmup and was never a factor in the race. Fortunately, it is still early in the season, but he needs good results at Texas next weekend.

Will Power and Scott Dixon have shown early season consistency. Dixon is the only driver with two Top 5s. Power is one of three drivers with two Top 10s. Dixon and Power are tied for second, two points behind Palou. Palou’s lead is two because he led two laps today.

Sebastien Bourdais has brought the Foyt car home in the top 10 the past three races, going back to the 2020 season finale. It was a bit of a tough day, but if they can have a decent showing on the ovals, atop 10 points finish is possible.

Despite Herta being way out front most of the day, there was some great action back in the pack, Takuma Sato moved up nine spots from where hje started, and Power improved 12 positions.

Turn one was a festival of cars banging together. Only a few times did the collisions affect someone’s race. James Hinchcliffe was hit hard by Sato and fell back.

Chip Ganassi Racing is more than Dixon in 2021. Last Week Alex Palou won the race. Today Marcus Ericsson came from 16th to finish seventh. Paired with Dixon’s fifth place finish, Ganasssi ahs put two cars in the top 10 in both races.

While the youngsters have had fun these past two weekends, the ovals is where the veterans take over. Ovals are a veterans’ game.

Notes

The crowd seemed bigger than the 20,000 limit.

The social distance seating plan was not adhered to. In Grandstand 10,several rows were completely filled an consecutive rows had fans in them. None of the stand attendants monitored the situation. I hope IMS will have stricter policies about the grandstands in May.

It was nice to be back at the St. Pete Grand Prix. This the first event I have been to since 2019 that had more of a normal feel to it.

Thanks to everyone who followed along this weekend.

St. Pete Day 1

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Good late morning from the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The weather is perfect for racing. The organizers have done a great job putting protocols in place. I talked to a volunteer who told me having the race last October helped the get ready for this race. Their preparations show.

Today is tbe start of one of the fewthre day Indycar weekends. The crowd is smaller than the normal Friday crowd at St. Pete. It seems a higher percentage of fans are complying with the mask require than what I observed last weekend at Barber?

USF 2000 qualifying starts at 12:15 followed by Indy Pro 2000 and Indy Lights qualifying. USF2000 and Indy Lights also qualify for Race 2 later today.

Indycar takes to the track at 4:15 this afternoon. More later.

St. Pete Preview

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The good thing about Indycar back to back weekends is that the teams and drivers who had a hard time last week have a chance to recover immediately. The bad thing about this scheduling is that the teams who did well have pressure to stay op front. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is ususally a race where starting at the front is an advantage. Yet in 2018 Sebastien Bourdais won from last place. Last October’s race was a wild affair decided in the last few laps.

A few things to watch for this weekend.

Newgarden Rebound

Josef Newgarden should come back with a strong showing after his first lap mishap at Barber last weekend. Newgarden has won at St. Pete the last two years, continuing a pattern of back to back winners. Juan Pablo Montoya won in 2015 and 2016, Sebastien Bourdais won in 2017 and 2018. No one has won this event three years in a row. Newgarden doesn’t usually have two bad races in a row. If he isn’t the winner, I expect him to be on the podium.

Andretti Team Needs a Good Weekend

Andretti Autosport looked as if they were set for good results at Barber. Alexander Rossi started on the front row, and Colton Herta just missed the Fast Six despite a practice crash. Herta and teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay were taken out of contention before completing a lap. Rossi faded to a ninth place finish. James Hinchcliffe never found the pace.

In the October race, the entire team looked strong, and both Rossi and Herta had a chance to win until late accidents took them out. The rest of the team was doing well until late race mishaps ruined their days. The team needs to bring the strength they showed in the 2020 finale and complete the task. Last year they got off to a rough start, and a good showing at Str. Pete will help get them on the right path.

Foyt, Bourdais Hope to Build on Good Start

Sebastien Bourdais might be the driver who brings A. J. Foyt Racing back to competitiveness. Bourdais qualified eighth at Barber and finished fifth after leading a lap. At St. Pete last fall, Bourdais qualified well and finished fourth. Another good showing will give the team some momentum for the rest of the season. Bourdais has won at St. Pete twice.

I

think they will have another decent weekend. They won’t be contending for wins this season, but Bourdais should be fighting for spots in the top half of the field.

Rookie Challenges

Romain Grosjean, Scott McLaughlin, and Jimmie Johnson did reasonably well in their debut last weekend, but today begins a new challenge. Grosjean advanced to the second ropund of qualifying and finished 10th. McLaughlin finished 14th. Johnson escaped damage in the first lap incidenrt with some nice maneuvers and waa running at the finish.

Street courses are a different animal. I’m interested to see how the trio responds to the challenges of this tight short course.

I look for Newgarden to have a strong weekend and perhaps take his third straight St. Pete race. If he doesn’t win, Newgarden will take a big step toward getting back into the title chase. Scott Dixon has never won at this track, but given the Ganassi team’s great performance overall last week,

Andretti team recovery

Newgarden Bounces back

Rosenqvist

Can Foyt keep it going

AMSP- learn from strategy error?

Fans at the 500 – 40% of Capacity

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Just released from Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

Fans Set To Attend 105th Indianapolis 500 at 40 Percent of Venue Capacity
Vaccination Days To Continue at IMS throughout May INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, April 21, 2021) – Fans will attend the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, with up to 40 percent of venue capacity permitted, totaling approximately 135,000 fans. The plan for the Sunday, May 30 race at the world’s largest sporting facility was developed in close consultation with state and local health officials and has been approved by the Marion County Public Health Department. In addition to limited attendance, further key health and safety measures at the 2.5-mile track include: Face coverings will be required and enforced throughout the venue. Temperature checks will be administered upon public gate entry. There will be spacing between customer groups in the grandstands. In addition, spacing will be enforced throughout the venue. Spectator viewing mounds will be closed to the general public throughout the Month of May, with no Race Day General Admission tickets sold. Frequent cleaning and sanitation processes will be in place, with hand sanitizer and washing stations readily available. “Our fans mean everything to us, and we can’t wait to welcome them ‘Back Home Again’ for this year’s Indy 500,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. “The city and state have worked with us to identify the appropriate health and safety precautions so that we can successfully host a limited but very enthusiastic crowd. The health and safety of everyone coming to IMS, along with Central Indiana and the Hoosier State, have been paramount throughout this process.” “The number-one thing fans can do to ensure a great Race Day is get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles said. “We continue to offer vaccinations at IMS and will be extending our mass vaccination clinic throughout the Month of May. This is all part of the effort to continue getting Indiana back on track.” In addition to the planned vaccination days at IMS from April 24-30, vaccinations will now be available on select days from May 1-27, with additional details forthcoming. IMS and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will unveil a media campaign to encourage Race Day attendees – and all Hoosiers – to get vaccinated immediately. “The COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool we have to help us return to the activities we love and have missed over the last year, and every day, more members of our community receive the lifesaving protection it offers thanks in part to community partners like Roger Penske and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Dr. Virginia Caine, director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department. “Our vaccination rates, combined with the outdoor nature of the event, make it possible for fans to return to these hallowed grounds for the Indy 500 this year. We are grateful to the IMS team for their collaboration throughout this planning process and appreciate their work to ensure vaccines reach our neighbors. I continue to invite everyone in our community 16 and older to visit ourshot.in.gov or call 2-1-1 to sign up for the vaccine.” Additional items of note include: Fans who do not currently have Indy 500 tickets and are interested in attending can apply online at ims.com. If additional tickets are available, these fans will be given first opportunity to finalize purchases. Tickets for all other on-track days remain available, and the same health precautions for gate entry and grandstand access will be in place. With no General Admission access to the infield during the Month of May, the Friday, May 28 Carb Day concert, the Saturday, May 29 Legends Day concert and the Sunday, May 30 Snake Pit concert have all been canceled. IMS customers still have the option to roll their 2021 purchase into 2022, receiving an IMS event credit rather than attending this year’s race. A fan FAQ with additional details about Month of May and Indy 500 items has been posted to IMS.com/PlanAhead. Fans will continue to receive ongoing event information and plan-ahead updates from IMS in the weeks leading into the race. What They’re Saying About the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb: “Roger Penske and everyone associated with Penske Entertainment and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been incredible partners with us throughout the pandemic. It is high time for fans to return to the greatest motor speedway in the world with this safety plan in place. We’re going to have a great Month of May, so let’s go racing.” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett: “Today’s announcement demonstrates our continued commitment to safely hosting major events and showcases the strong collaboration between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and public health partners. We’re excited to have Race Day back in May, welcoming fans as we continue to promote vaccination for residents and visitors alike.” State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box: “IMS has been thoughtful and thorough in its approach to ensuring the safety of fans, teams and all who will visit the Speedway during the Month of May. The organization’s commitment to getting thousands of Hoosiers vaccinated is helping us all with a return to normalcy. The state Department of Health is grateful for the efforts of IMS and its partners.”

St. Pete Schedule, Ticket Update

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According to the GPStPete website, only General Admission tickets remain for Sunday. Saturday grandstand seats are available in socially distanced blocks. the entire block must be purchased. GA is available. Friday is General Admission. Three day grandstand ticket holders have first rights to their grandstand seats on Friday

The event schedule:

Schedule subject to change without notice
All times Eastern Time

Friday


Time		SeriesSession
7:45 AM – 6:00 PM Gate Hours
8:00 AM – 8:40 AMMX-5 CupPractice 1
8:55 AM – 9:25 AMUSF2000Practice 1
9:40 AM – 10:10 AMIndy Pro 2000Practice 1
10:25 AM – 11:05 AMIndy LightsPractice 1
11:20 AM – 12:00 PMMX-5 CupPractice 2
12:15 PM – 12:35 PMUSF2000Qualifying 1
12:50 PM – 1:10 PMIndy Pro 2000Qualifying 1
1:25 PM – 1:55 PMIndy LightsQualifying 1
2:10 PM – 2:40 PMStadium SUPER TrucksPractice/Qualifying
2:55 PM – 3:15 PMMX-5 CupQualifying
3:30 PM – 3:50 PMUSF2000Qualifying 2
4:15 PM – 5:00 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESPractice 1-Peacock
5:25 PM – 5:55 PMIndy LightsQualifying 2

Saturday

TimeSeriesSession
7:45 AM – 6:00 PM Gate Hours
8:00 AM – 8:20 AMIndy Pro 2000Qualifying 2
8:35 AM – 9:20 AMMX-5 CupRace 1
9:45 AM – 10:30 AMNTT INDYCAR SERIESPractice 2- Peacock
10:55 AM – 11:35 AMUSF2000Race 1
11:50 AM – 12:35 PMIndy Pro 2000Race 1
12:50 PM – 1:20 PMStadium SUPER TrucksRace 1
1:45 PM – 3:00 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESQualifying- Peacock
3:20 PM – 4:05 PMIndy LightsRace 1 Peacock
4:20 PM – 5:05 PMMX-5 CupRace 2
5:20 PM – 6:00 PMUSF2000Race 2

Sunday

TimeSeriesSession
7:45 AM – 4:00 PM Gate Hours
8:00 AM – 8:40 AMIndy Pro 2000Race 2
9:05 AM – 9:35 AMNTT INDYCAR SERIESWarm-Up- Peacock
10:00 AM – 10:50 AMIndy LightsRace 2 Peacock
11:05 AM – 11:35 PMStadium SUPER TrucksRace 2
12:00 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESDriver Introductions
12:42 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESGreen Flag NBC

Pre race show begins at noon on NBC Sunday.

NBCSN lists a delayed Practice show at 10 pm ET Saturday. I assume they mean qualifying, but I will try to get clarification.