Category: Auto Racing

Limited 500 Seating? Other News of the Week

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An answer to a question by Robin Miller in Racer magazine mailbag may offer a hint as to what to expect attendance wisewhenever the Indianapolis 500 is run. I’m still not optimistic about August. The answer:

From IMS President Doug Boles: “We are not installing the southern third of the Pit Road Terrace seats this year. The Pit Road Terrace seats are the temporary bleachers that we install behind the pit road fence on the south side of the Pagoda. It would not impact a decision to bring back the apron or not. A couple of reasons for the change: (1) With IndyCar using the Gasoline Alley garages on July 4 weekend, it helps us with our install time by not putting up as many seats between the race and Aug 12, and (2) in a typical year, we only sell about 50% of these seats, so a third reduction in more appropriate related to demand. And, not the reason why, Skip is correct that it would be a benefit in a COVID year in the sense that it is less people in the area. Ticketing customers in the impacted seats are being relocated inside the remaining Pit Road Terrace seats or given an option for another seat without having to pay the seat price difference.”

Along with fewer seats there will likely be no fans in the infield. Another blurb I read last week said that 175,00 tickets have been sold. Will IMS cap the sales now? I would expect a decision about August needs to come by mid July. The COVID-19 numbers in Indiana continue to decline, but several other states are experiencing large spikes in cases and deaths. Stay tuned. Wash your hands.

From earlier: Schedule Set for GMR Grand Prix

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/90591962/posts/2775920421

Barber Renewal or Extension?

Earlier this week an announcement from the Birmingham News Journal said that the NTT Indycar Series and Barber Motorsports Park signed an extension of their agreement through 2023. Today, a Barber spokesperson said the contract runs through 2022.  Barber is a staple on the Indycar calendar. The track is a great setting for a race. It is one of my favorite tracks to go to.

Illinois Opens Tracks With Limited Attendance

The state of Illinois has allowed race tracks to open with fan attendance limited to 20%. I’m not sure of the specifics of Illinois’ phased openings, so I don’t know what this means for Gateway yet. Gateway is another track that may have to make an attendance decision. The best attended non Indianapolis oval could open the first turn grandstand to allow the fans to spread out more.

McLaren Financial Troubles

reports this week say McLaren is facing some financial issues. The company is seeking a loan and legal action to raise 280 million pounds. A buyout and lease back arrangement is a possibility. We will have to wait and see what effect this has on their Indycar program.

A Positive Ending

Former Indy lights driver Aaron Telitz has signed on full time with AIM Vasser Sullivan’s IMSA GTD program. Telitz replaces Chase Parker, who was let go by the team last week. Telitz is a good driver. He is with a team with an Indycar connection, which I hope will earn him a chance at an Indycar ride someday.

Kody Swanson, USAC midget and Silver Crown driver, tested an Indy Pro 2000 car this week. Swanson is another driver who is long overdue for a shot at Indycar. It would be great if he could get some Road to Indy races in this year.

We are just nine days away from the next Indycar race!

 

 

Schedule Set for GMR Grand Prix

thepitwindow

The on track schedule is now in place for the NTT Indycar Series second race of the season. The GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will run July 4 as part of the first NASCAR/Indycar doubleheader. Advertising is now calling it a triple header because of the Xfinity race on July 4 as well. If Indy Lights were also part of the program would they bill it as a quadruple header? I don’t think so. From my perspective, it’s still a doubleheader.

The Indycar on track schedule:

Friday, July 3

11:30 am- Practice

4:30 pm- Qualifying   NBC

July 4

9 am- Warm up

Noon- Race  NBC

Green flag around 12:15

I assume the practice and warmup will be available on NBC Gold.

I’ll be back later today with  comments on some Indycar news of this week.

Zanardi Update: Injuries Less Severe than Schumacher’s

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A glimmer of good news tonight during what is already a tumultuous week in motorsports. In an article published today in Autoweek, the doctor who performed the surgery on two time CART champion Alex Zanardi, Giuseppe Oliveri, said that Zanardi’s injuries are less than the injuries suffered by Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher.

Schumacher’s family and representatives have given no information on his condition since his skiing accident in 2013.  I was shocked that Schumacher’s injury was that long ago.

This does not mean Zanardi will fully recover. His prognosis won’t be known until he wakes up from his medically induced coma. Zanardi will remain in the coma until at least next week. The doctor believes his excellent physical shape is in his favor as far as recovery.

I find it ironic that Schumacher and Zanardi drove race cars for as long as they did and then suffer injuries in non auto racing activities. Of course Zanardi did survive losing both legs in a racing incident.

Karam to Enter GMR Grand Prix

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Per Dreyer and Reinhold this morning, Sage Karam will drive the Wix Filters car in the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 4

The team had announced a four race program for 2020. Their plans, like those of almost every one else, have been altered by the Coronavirus..

The announcement from their Twitty account:

BREAKING: We are pleased to announce that @SageKaram will be driving the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the black and yellow WIX Filters car. We are estatic to make our first road course start since 2013.
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#WIXFilters #WIXIndy #DrivenByDRR
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@wixfilters @mecum https://t.co/7sbGym0Qun

Television Times and Channels for July NTT Indycar Series Races

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As the Indycar series ramps up for its first set of races- Five races in 15 days, NBC Sports now has set coverage times and channels. There will be no fans at the GMR Grand Prix. Road America and Iowa will have fans in attendance.

Iowa will put 6,00 tickets on sale this coming Friday at 10 am ET. I kindly request that you wait until I have purchased mine before you get online. Thanks in advance.

The schedule:

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Zanardi’s Condition ‘Extremely Serious’

thepitwindow

Photo from @CGRTteams Twitter account

Two time CART champion Alex Zanardi remains in “very serious” condition after an accident during a hand bike race yesterday in Italy. Zanardi collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

The two time CART champion underwent a nearly three hour surgery Friday night and was then moved to an ICU unit. The injuries were facial and neurological.

Zanardi lost both his legs in an accident in 2001 at Lausitzring in Germany during a CART race. His car spun on cold tires leaving the pits, and he was T-boned by a car at full speed. It was the first time a driver survived an accident involving the lower limbs being severed.

Zanardi become an Olympic champion in the paraOlympics, winning four gold medals in the hand bike events. He also did some car racing. In 2019 Zanardi drove a specially equipped BMW in the Rolex 24. He drove a brilliant stint during the early morning rainstorm.

Watch for updates this weekend.

Larson ‘s 8th Straight Win; Iowa Thoughts

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My first trip to Lincoln Park Speedway won’t be my last. Watching Kyle Larson come from 15th to win his eighth straight dirt race was as great a drive as I’ve seen. he used the heat race and the B Main races to learn the track. Larson used the high line in turn four and drove an elliptical pattern, going low into turn one. The move allowed him to make passes easily. It was definitely the quickest way around the track.

Larson was in third by the halfway point of the 30 lap feature. A red flag for Jason McDougal’s  flipped his car allowed him to get in position to take the lead soon after the restart. Larson and pole sitter Tanner Thorson had a great battle for the lead, swapping the point on lap 20. Larson took the lead for good on lap 22.

I was impressed by this track. It is a well maintained track with clean facilities. The program was very well organized. I liked the track exit and entry paths and the fact that the cars are push started off the track. It was nice not seeing trucks and cars on the racing surface as the midgets were warming up and getting pushed off.

I think turn 4 is one of the best corners I’ve seen on a dirt track.

The attendance was limited to 50% capacity, although it seemed to be a larger crowd than that. Very few people wore masks and distancing was a bit of an issue.  Track officials stopped ticket sales as they approached 3,000.

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Fans at Iowa

Last night Iowa Speedway announced that fans would be allowed to attend the Indycar races July 17 and 18 at the Newton track.

The full announcement:

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/90591962/posts/2764759036

Go to the track’s website and look at the FAQ for more information.

Limited ticket sales begin next Friday. I’m not sure what the limit is. Tickets already sold will be honored. There will be no paddock passes or fan walk passes.

This is a fair compromise and allows fans to see racing at one of the most fun tracks on the schedule. I’m not sure we can read anything into this regarding the Indianapolis 500 in August. The trend for the races allowing fans is no infield access. That may continue at Indianapolis.

 

 

INDYCAR To Welcome Fans for July 17-18 Iowa Speedway Race Weekend

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From Indycar:
Event To Follow State Guidelines for INDYCAR Doubleheader/ARCA Race Weekend;
Limited Remaining Tickets To Go on Sale June 26INDIANAPOLIS (June 18, 2020) – INDYCAR will welcome fans to Iowa Speedway for the upcoming July 17-18 race weekend featuring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Iowa 250 races and the ARCA Menards Series race.

Under the guidance of public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal authorities, INDYCAR and Iowa Speedway will observe safe social distancing and provide enhanced hygiene and safety precautions for all fans in attendance at the event. Only a limited number of tickets will be available for the upcoming race weekend with each group of fans in attendance separated by at least 6 feet of distancing at Iowa Speedway, in order to align with Iowa state COVID-19 guidelines.
All previously purchased tickets for the July 17 and 18 race weekend will be honored by Iowa Speedway, including season tickets. Seating will be reassigned for all existing ticketholders in order to follow safe social distancing guidelines. Ticketholders will be notified about their specific seat locations in the coming days, and tickets will either be emailed or printed and distributed beginning July 1. A limited number of remaining tickets for the race weekend will then go on sale Friday, June 26, and fans will be able to secure their seats online through www.iowaspeedway.com  or by phone at 866-787-8946.

Single-day tickets start as low as $15 for Friday, July 17 and $20 for Saturday, July 18, while all two-day ticket packages include a 10% discount. Tickets to the Iowa Speedway luxury hospitality suites will also be available for purchase, along with weekend camping and parking options. Safe social distancing protocols will also be in place for suite ticketholders and for all of the camping options at Iowa Speedway.

The July race weekend will feature two full points races for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on back-to-back nights – the Iowa INDYCAR 250s. Friday, July 17 will include the high-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars competing in the first of two 250-mile races under the lights at Iowa Speedway. On Saturday, July 18, ticketholders will enjoy the ARCA Menards Series Shore Lunch 150 in the afternoon, followed by the second Iowa INDYCAR 250 race that evening.

As part of the enhanced health and safety measures for the event weekend, all guests will be screened in their vehicles with contactless temperature checks before entering the parking areas and only essential racing personnel will have access to the infield. Hand sanitizer and face coverings will be distributed to each guest when they enter the track, and enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures will be implemented throughout the facility over the course of the weekend.

Additional protocols and guidelines for guests planning to attend can be found at www.iowaspeedway.com, along with pricing and seating options. A limited number of available tickets will be placed on sale beginning at 9 a.m. CT Friday, June 26 through the website or by calling 866-787-8946.

About INDYCAR:
INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series known as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The series features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including five-time series champion Scott Dixon, reigning series champion Josef Newgarden and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The season, which runs from June to October, currently consists of 14 races in the United States and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, which is annually run in May, but rescheduled for August at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.