Two spotter’s guides, one for each race. Like last week, the 15 car of Graham Rahal will switch liveries for Race 2. It will also be difficult to remember that Ed Carpenter is in the Air Force car and that Conor Daly is driving number 59 for Carlin.
Category: Auto Racing
Iowa Preview: A Different Format for Different Times
Photo: Last year’s race ended early Sunday morning after a 4 hour rain delay. Photo: USAToday.
The 2019 Iowa race began on Saturday and ended on Sunday. The reason was a violent rainstorm that hit the track about two hours before the scheduled start. This year the event begins on Friday and and ends on Saturday. It is by design. The strange times we live in and schedule postponements have made this event a doubleheader, with two night night races. The fourteenth race at Iowa Speedway will feature the first doubleheader at the track and the third different qualifying format in the race’s history. Here are some things to look for this weekend.
TK’s Last Lap
Tony Kanaan, who won this race in 2010, will be driving his final race at Iowa as his oval only season continues. After this weekend, Kanaan will have just two races remaining, the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, and the race at Gateway. His number 14 car for A. J. Racing will feature a classic livery of Bryant Heating and Cooling, a long time sponsor in the series.
Photo from @AJFoytRacing Twitter account
Kanaan will be the Grand Marshall for Friday’s race, giving the command from the cockpit of his car. In addition to winning in 2010, Kanaan has a second place in 2011, and three third place finishes in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Ryan Hunter-Reay is the only other driver to have as many top three finishes at Iowa.
Qualifying
Iowa has become the place to experiment with qualifying. In 2012 and 2013, grid positions were set by three heat races. The heats were determined by practice times. This was not a popular format with the drivers or fans. In the heats drivers drove cautiously so they didn’t damage their cars before the race. A crash in one of the 2013 heat races put an end to this experiment. I doubt we will ever see qualifying races again in Indycar.
This year, in the interest of time and to take a bit of workload off of the crews, There will be one qualifying session on Friday afternoon. The qualifying run will still be two laps. rather than average the laps, the first lap will set the grid for Race 1 on Friday, and the second lap will set Saturday’s grid.
Race 1’s lineup should look much as we would expect, with the usual suspects up front. Traditionally, the second qualifying laps at Iowa see a significant drop from the first lap. Race 2’s lineup could look very interesting. Someone might steal a pole for that race.
Veterans vs. The Kids
At road America the younger drivers, those with less than three years of experience, shined. At Iowa, I think we’ll see the veterans dominating. At least three of the younger drivers have never raced here. This weekend is just the second oval race for Alex Palou. His race at Texas ended early as he was collected by Rinus VeeKay, who hit the wall and slid down the track.
VeeKay hopes to make up for his poor showing at Texas, where team owner Ed Carpenter was frustrated with his driving. I think we will see a much better result from VeeKay this time around.
Will Scott Dixon start a new winning streak? This is one of the tracks where Dixon has never won. He showed a lot of strength at Texas, and I look for another good weekend for the five time champion as Chip Ganassi Racing looks to stay undefeated in 2020.
I think Team Penske will finally break through to win at least one of the races. Josef Newgarden has won twice at Iowa and is the defending winner. he nearly won a third time in 2018, when James Hinchcliffe got by for the victory. He should have a strong two races.
Will Power has just two poles hereand has not won. he has been s pressing a bit this season. This may be the weekend thta gets his season back on track.
Aeroscreen and Cockpit Heat
The weather at Road America was cooler than expected. Iowa will be the first real test of the new modifications to the aeroscreen as Indycar tries to mitigate the heat in the cockpits. Teams are allowed to use a second cooling duct. the water bottles have been moved to a position so that the fluid does not get warm, and a crew member can give the driver a water bottle during a pit stop.
Racing at night should help as well. the aeroscreen will continue to be a work in progress this season and next. When the new chassis comes on line in 2022 and the screen is fully integrated into the bodywork, i think a lot of these problems will take car of themselves.
The Iowa COVID Plan
Iowa Speedway is going to great lengths to ensure the safety of the fans this weekend. They have limited ticket sales. A xcheck of their their seating chart shows large patches of seats not for sale. It appears that they are leaving two rows empty between where fans may sit.
Saturday is general admission and they are not selling any more tickets for that race. fans are encouraged to bring a blanket to sit on as no lawn chairs are allowed.
All cars must drive through a health screening station before entering the the track. I spoke with a representative of the track yesterday who told me there will be five lanes open at that point for temperature checks. All cars will funnel into the health checkpoint. Masks are recommended but not required. I expect like Road America that we will see about 50% of the fans wearing masks.
Iowa Entry Lists- Corrected
My apologies. I posted last week’s entry lists by mistake. here are the correct ones.
Race1
Race 2
Legge Injured, More Pics from Road America, and Other News
Photo above: Scott Dixon celebrates career win number 49 Saturday
Former Indycar driver Katherine Legge suffered a broken left leg and and sprained right wrist in a testing accident at Paul Ricard circuit in France today. Legge was testing for th eupcoming European leMans Series race for the Richard Mille racing Teamin an Oreca 07-Gibson. She made contact with the guardrail. Legge never lost consciousness and was flown to a nearby hospital. The leg will require surgery.
Legge has many fans in the Indycar community. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Chuck Hulse 1927-2020
On Monday Chuck Hulse, the oldest living driver to have driven both front engine and rear engine cars, died at age 93. he first race in the Indianpolis 500 in 1962, finishing 21st. the following year he finisghed 6th. In 1964 he suffered an eye injury in a sprint car accident at New Bremen and missed the rest of that year and 1965.
he was slated to drive the Dean Van Lines Special with chief mechanic Clint Brawner. Because of his injury Hulse was replaced by Mario Andretti, who turned to be pretty good.
Hulse returned in 1966, finishing 20th in the 500. In the 1967 race he finished 7th despite crashing on the last lap. he then retired from racing.
In 60 Indycar starts Hulse with a best finish of second at Phoenix and Sacramento.
A Note from Road America
Dave Kallman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted today that Road America turned no one away last weekend during the REV Group Indycar Grand Prix because their temperature was too high.
A few More Pics from Last Weekend
Tomorrow my Iowa preview including some tips for going to the track.
Iowa Schedule
Iowa Speedway has posted its schedule for this weekends double header. The Friday practice will not be open to fans. Saturdy’s race starts 30 minutes earlier than Friday’s race. Sunset is around 8:44 pm this coming weekend. Both races are on NBCSN.
Thursday, July 16
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Iowa Speedway Credentials Open
12:00 p.m. Campgrounds Open
Friday, July 17
7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Iowa Speedway Credentials Open
1:00 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (Rookies and First Time Participants only)
1:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice
3:00 p.m. Parking Lots Open
3:30 p.m. Spectator Gates Open
4:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying
7:55 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
8:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Iowa INDYCAR 250 (Race 1 – 250 Laps)
Saturday, July 18
10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Iowa Speedway Credentials Open
11:30 p.m. Parking Lots Open
12:00 p.m. Spectator Gates Open
1:00 p.m. ARCA Menards Series Practice
2:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice
4:00 p.m. ARCA Menards Series Driver Introductions
4:30 p.m. ARCA Menards Series Shore Lunch 150 (150 Laps)
7:25 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
7:45 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Iowa INDYCAR 250 (Race 2 – 250 Laps)
*Schedule Subject to Change
Quick Thoughts- GMR Race 2
First, I want to send best wishes to George and Susan Phillips as Susan begins her journey to recover from cancer. This issue hits me hard. I know they will be fine in the end. I’m glad I got to spend some time with them this weekend. they are such great people.
I though history might be made today. There was, but not the history I expected. The youngest front row in history. I’m sure someone has stats on this, but it may have been the youngest top 3 starters in history.
This was a day for the younger generation to shine. Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta on the front row had less than two full years of experience between them, and third place starter Alex Palou is a rookie. The duel at the end between O’Ward and seconds year driver Felix Rosenqvist was compelling. Rosenqvist has been close to winning before. he nearly nipped Dixon at mid Ohio last year. This is probably the most patient race I’ve sen Rosenqvist drive.
It was an exciting finish to what was mostly a processional race. Two younger drivers, one Honda, one Chevy, battling in the closing laps, made for great drama.. I happened to be in the right spot at the right time at the end to catch the photos in this piece. The main photo is after.
Before:
Scott Dixon didn’t go four for four on the season, but the Ganassi team did. The pit bobble bug hit Dixon today. His car didn’t seem to have the pace it had Saturday.
Colton Herta missed the pole, but he had his fourth top 10 and third top 5 of the season. Herta is now second in the point standings. Maybe the television crew could talk about him more than they talk about Ferrucci now?
I watched the replay of yesterday’s start. It seemed O’Ward brought the field to the line a little slow. that usually leads to the cahos that occurred after the green flag. The restarts looked to be at the correct pace.
Alexander rossi finally got the result that everyone had expected to see all season. A series of unfortunate events has seen Rossi finishing at the bottom of the field. Third place must feel like a victory to him.
Charlie Kimball had a good weekend for A. J. Foyt Racing with an 11th on saturday and a 10th yesterday. Kimball could have a decent season. The team is showing more consistency this year.
I’m not sure what Will Power was doing at the start. It’s too bad NTT Indycar Series officials could only issue one penalty. I think the penalty of going to the rear of the field is too light, especially when it is assessed that early in the race. It allowed Power to go off strategy and take the lead at one point. I think a drive through at least would be more appropriate.
All in all, it was great to be back at a race.
Safety Protocols
I saw a lot of social media concerns about what was seen on television and posts from the track about lack of social distancing and people not wearing masks. From what I observed, masks were not as prevalent as I expected. Some track personnel weren’t even wearing one. I had mine on when i was walking about, but took it off when I was with people I knew to safe. Some people I saw never wore one all weekend.
As for distancing, there were some large groups of people who seemed to be together both days. The track signage said family groups could be together. I assumed that meant living in the same household. Groups were bigger than that. the top of hill in utrn 5, the most popular viewing spot, was pretty packed on Saturday. yesterday the crowd was lighter and more spread out there. I watche d yesterday from turn 7. A decent amount of people, not a huge group by any means, spread out in their groups. Groups gave each other plenty of space.
The track did everything it could as far as signage and PA announcements. track personnel could not police the entire area. What Road America could have done is sell fewer tickets to this event. Compliance was left up to each individual. Sadly, many chose to not follow the protocols. I don’t believe the track is at fault. their efforts were commendable, but as i said, they couldn’t force anyone to follow their guidelines.
I’m interested to see how Iowa handles distancing in their grandstands next weekend. From what i saw, I just don’t see how IMS can hold the 500 next month. There will be more than three times as many people as there were at Road America. I don’t expect to see better compliance than I saw this weekend.
Dixon Goes for Sweep and History
Good morning from Road America as we prepare for race 2 of the GMR Grand Prix weekend. I hope for another race as entertaining as yesterday’s was.
Today’s schedule: (All times Eastern)
Scott Dixon could become the third driver in Indycar history to win 50 races. He now is within three of tying Mario Andretti for second place on the all time list. Dixon is also looking to win the first four races of the year. Today could also be just the third time that a driver has swept a doubleheader weekend. Dixon did that in Toronto in 2013 and Graham Rahal won both days in Detroit in 2017.
Another three on the line today is whether Jack Harvey can get his third consecutive front row start. Harvey has started second for the last two races, but his fortunes in the races themselves have turned out well. He is in the second qualifying group today, which increases his chances for the pole.
Questions for the day- Will Conor Daly’s car be ready for qualifying? It was severely damaged in his contact with Pato O’Ward yesterday. Will Josef Newgarden bounce back from the pit bobble that cost him the win yesterday? Will Team Penske win their fourth pole of the season.
Some fans yesterday respected the social distancing guidelines while many others didn’t seem to care. Road America would have been wise to perhaps sell fewer tickets to this event. Masks are hit and miss. I did see more people wearing them yesterday. I will talk about this more tomorrow.
Enjoy the race, wash your hands, and wear your mask in public.
Quick Thoughts- GMR Grand Prix Race 1
We could see history tomorrow. Scott Dixon could win his 50th race. Only two other drivers have reached and surpassed that number.
The second half of the race was quite interesting. Newgarden’ s stall in the pits began to turn the race around. The yellows really made for an exciting finish.
What is going on with Team Penske pit stops? They have had problems e every race this year. They aren’t the only team with pit issues, but the bar is much higher for them. I wonder if the compressed event schedules are contributing to the pit errors.
Drive of the day goes to Alex Palou. The rookie’s podium finish came after starting 14th, having a long pit stop, and making a nice pass on Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Ryan Hunter-Reay and Colton Herta are not being mentioned much, but they are quietly having very good seasons. Herta is third in points and Hunter-Reay is sixth.
Today pretty much ends Alexander Rossi’s title hopes. It was his second straight finish in the twenties.
Conor Daly’s crew has a long night ahead of them repairing his car for tomorrow. Daly may skip qualifying and start last. His accident is the bad part of double headers. My concern is a car getting badly damaged next Friday in the first Iowa race. Would that team be done for the weekend?
After no cautions for two years, today’s race tried to make up for all that lost time. The three cautions came within seven laps of each other.
Turn five saw lots of passing and attempted passing, lots of tire smoke from locked brakes, and several near collisions.
I hoe tomorrow’s race, on NBC, is just as entertaining as today’s race was.
I will have just post tomorrow, in the morning. I will be driving back to Indianapolis as soon as tomorrow’s race is over. Thanks for following along this weekend.
Power’s Strong Last Lap Nips Harvey for P1in Practice
With Power did a Will Power thing, laying down his quickest lap on the final lap of practice
He nipped Jack Harvey who looked to lead the session until the final seconds.
Power will lead Group 2 I qualifying this afternoon and Harvey will lead Group 1.
AlexaThe nder Rossi finished eighth in the session.
The top 5-
Power
Harvey
Rosenqvist
Hunter-Reay
Scott Dixon was near the bottom of the charts the entire session.
Notes
Much larger crowd today. Still not an abundance of masks or distancing.
I am having issues uploading photos and data. I apologise for the lack of information.
Still very few vendors on site.
Fuel and tire management will be crucial in today’s race. This is a tough track to undercut on pit strategy.
Back after qualifying.
