Category: Auto Racing

Saturday at IMS: IMSA Qualifying, Michelin Pilot Challenge Race

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Ther is a dense fog advisory this morning which may delay the start of action. Check the IMS app. Highs bear 90 degrees today. Find shade and hydrate.

All times Eastern:

7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open
8-8:15 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR Qualifying
8:20-8:35 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge GS Qualifying
8:55-10:25 a.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 2 (all classes)
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Autograph Session
11:10-11:50 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 2 (40 mins.)
12:05-12:45 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Pre-Race Grid Walk
1:05-3:05 p.m.: Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 Race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (two hours)
3:40-3:55 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTD Pro/GTD)
4:05-4:20 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (LMP2)
4:30-4:45 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTP
)5:10-6 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 2 (50 mins

.)TICKETS: $50 for General Admission seating for the IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult in General Admission grandstand seating locations and infield viewing mounds. Reserved seating is available for $179 in the Hulman Terrace Club.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7S.

PARKING: Main Gate Parking Alert – The Main Gate Lot is inaccessible due to the closure of Polco Street. A Main Gate parking pass will grant access to Lot 3 during the IMSA weekend. Please enter via 16th Street. Free parking, including ADA parking, is available in the Hulman Lot with limited availability. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $20 and in Gate 1 Lot for $50. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $20 and Gate 1 for $50. Free motorcycle parking in Gate 1.

CASHLESS OPERATIONS: IMS is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete ticket, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease via debit or credit card. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions.

MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation.

 

Porsche Leads Practice 1 at IMS

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Penske Entertainment Photo

Defending winner number 6 Penske Porsche led the way in today’s single practice for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. The Porsches dominated last year, locking out the front row and handily winning the race. Mathieu Jaminet had the quick lap of the day 2ith a time of 1:16.138.

The 01 Cadillac driven by Indianapolis 500 veteran Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van de Zande ended second on the speed chart. The Cadillac led much of the 90 minute session, and the Porsche edged in front in the final minutes.,

The LMP2 class was paced by car 11 from TDS. Former IndyNXT driver Hunter McElrea is part of this team, joining Mikkel Jensen and Steven Thomas.

A GTD car, the 023 Ferrari, led the touring classes with Ricardo Agostini behind the wheel.

The fastest GTDPro was the Pfaff Mclaren, car 9, driven by Marvin Kirchhofer.

The day began warm but pleasant. A brief sprinkle just after the start of practice for the IMSA Weather teach championship didn’t slow down the action, but the humidity rose sharply.

Practice 2 is at 8:55 am Eastern time Saturday, with qualifying at 3:40 pm.

Notes

It was nice to see Sebastien Bourdais driving at IMS again. I truly miss his not being in IndyCar.

Marshall Pruett is reporting that Rinus VeeKay will not return to Ed Carpenter Racing in 2025. I will have more on this later this weekend. It is awfully late to find another seat.

Today’s crowd seemed smaller than the Friday crowd last year. I hope attendance picks up the next two days.

Results

Note- driver in Italics drove the fast lap for that team.

IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks Begins Today

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It will be very warm this weekend. Remember to hydrate.

Information from IMS:

Friday, Sept. 20  INDIANAPOLIS
Information about IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks track activity Friday, Sept. 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

:SCHEDULE (All times local):
8 a.m.-5 p.m.: Public gates open
8:20-9:20 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1
9:35-10:05 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Qualifying
10:20-10:35 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying 1
10:40-10:55 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying 2
11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (all classes)
1:45-2:45 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 2
3-3:40 p.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1 (40 minutes)
4-4:50 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 1 (50 minutes)
TICKETS: $20 for General Admission seating for the IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult in General Admission grandstand seating locations and infield viewing mounds. Reserved seating is available for $104 in the Hulman Terrace Club.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-5 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7S
.PARKING: Main Gate Parking Alert – The Main Gate Lot is inaccessible due to the closure of Polco Street. A Main Gate parking pass will grant access to Lot 3 during the IMSA weekend. Please enter via 16th Street. 
Free parking, including ADA parking, is available in the Hulman Lot with limited availability. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $10 and in Gate 1 Lot for $25. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $10 and Gate 1 for $25. Free motorcycle parking in Gate 1.
CASHLESS OPERATIONS: IMS is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete ticket, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease via debit or credit card. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions.
MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation.

Armstrong Signs with Meyer Shank Racing

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Marcus Armstrong signed with Meyer Shank racing this morning. It was an expected move and keeps Armstrong affiliated with Chip Ganassi racing since MSR will have a technical partnership with Ganassi in 2025.

The official announcement from MSR:

Marcus Armstrong Joins Meyer Shank Racing for 2025 INDYCAR Season

Pataskala, Ohio (19 September 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) will add a new face to its 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES stable with the addition of Marcus Armstrong who will run the No. 66 MSR entry alongside current MSR driver Felix Rosenqvist. 

Coming from a strong open wheel background that includes F4, Formula 3 and Formula 2, Armstrong is now looking to build on his first two seasons of INDYCAR competition as he joins MSR in 2025. 

Armstrong was quick to adapt to the INDYCAR series, earning Rookie of the Year in 2023 despite only contesting the road course rounds, taking five top tens in his 12 starts.

The New Zealander added ovals to his INDYCAR calendar in 2024, running the full 17-points paying races this past season, taking three top five finishes including his first INDYCAR podium  in Detroit.

“I’m very proud to be joining Meyer Shank Racing in 2025,” said Armstrong. “I had a great feeling when I met both Mike Shank and Jim Meyer, their passion for performance and meticulous work ethic was obvious from our first conversation and I want to thank them both for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone at MSR over the off-season with the goal of hitting the ground running at the first race of the season in St Pete.

“This year I got closer to where I want to be performance wise, including oval racing for the first time and I’m looking forward to continuing to push up the order with MSR. We want to be at the front, fighting for wins and I believe we have the recipe to do it.”

MSR, which will be entering its ninth season running in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, is eager to build on its momentum from the 2024 season which saw the team qualify in the top six, 15 times and finish in the top ten, 10 times. MSR team co-owner, Mike Shank is confident that with the addition of Armstrong for 2025, the team is in a position to produce consistent results next year.

“We’re very excited to welcome Marcus onboard,” said Shank. “He’s really shown a lot of growth and consistency in his first two years in INDYCAR, which is really difficult to do. This series is probably one of the most competitive series out there and he has proven himself to be a real contender. We are going to do everything we can to give him the car and the tools to produce results next year.”

With the 2024 season closing out this past weekend, MSR will begin preparations right away to be ready for the 2025 season opener in St. Petersburg in March. 

TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks Features ‘Race within a Race’ 

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From IMS :


 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024) – Sports car racing is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on Sept. 20-22, with the unique, “race within a race” format of class racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge series.
Just one type of race car competes either on the 2.5-mile oval or the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at the Racing Capital of the World during NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. The length of those series’ races also is measured by laps, and there is just one driver assigned per car.
IMSA is different.
Four different classes of cars will race simultaneously when the featured Weather Tech Sports Car Championship race starts at 11:40 a.m. ET Sunday on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. And the race is not measured by laps; it’s measured by time – up to a six-hour endurance race this year after a two-hour, 40-minute “sprint” last year.
Drivers from all over the world compete for overall victory but also for first place within their respective class. That unique format always keeps the racing interesting, and the varying speeds of the four classes of machines creates intense racing within classes and plenty of traffic for the fastest classes to navigate for most of the race.The four classes of cars in the series are comprised of two styles of cars – prototype, which showcases the latest automotive technology and are designed uniquely for the racetrack; and GT, based on road-going production models.Teams also perform driver changes during selected pit stops, as drivers rotate in and out of the cars over the six-hour endurance race.So, let’s take a look at the four classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship:

Grand Touring Prototype (GTP): The newest and most technologically advanced Prototype race car debuted in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023, featuring a common hybrid powertrain for all entries that takes kinetic energy gained in braking and stores it in batteries for later use when needed. Five global automotive manufacturers – Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche – are entered in the class this weekend. Each manufacturer developed its unique internal combustion engine and bodywork styling.

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2): The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) is a closed-cockpit car developed by four approved constructors. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP2 cars are eligible to compete in other global series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro): GTD PRO, which debuted in 2022, includes race cars built to FIA GT3 technical regulations and offers the opportunity for factory teams and driver lineups to compete in the class. GTD PRO features a veritable rolling showroom of manufacturers competing in this class this weekend, including Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

GT Daytona (GTD): The GT Daytona cars are enhanced – not defined by – technology and use the global FIA GT3 specification. The GTD class this weekend consists of cars from a host of leading manufacturers, including Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans will recognize plenty of names competing in the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.

Current star Romain Grosjean is racing for Lamborghini in GTP, while four-time series champion Sebastien Bourdais and former NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Tom Blomqvist drive for Cadillac in GTP.
Former INDYCAR SERIES drivers Ben Hanley and Matt Brabham and INDY NXT by Firestone race winner Hunter McElrea are racing in LMP2, while former INDYCAR SERIES driver Jack Hawksworth is driving in GTD Pro for a team co-owned by INDYCAR SERIES champion Jimmy Vasser.
Ex-INDYCAR SERIES driver Gabby Chaves will team with Jarett Andretti – the son of former INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR race winner John Andretti – in the GTD class. Former INDYCAR SERIES drivers Devlin DeFrancesco and Jan Heylen and ex-INDY NXT by Firestone driver Rasmus Lindh also are racing in GTD.The Michelin Pilot Challenge also is racing this weekend at IMS. That series also features a “race within a race,” but with just two classes of production-based sports cars and touring cars.
A look at the two classes:

Grand Sport (GS): The Grand Sport class consists of SRO GT4-homologated cars with engines tuned to produce between 400 and 450 horsepower and can reach speeds faster than 160 mph. Competition is equalized by adjustments to fuel-tank capacities, ride height, power and weight. Manufacturers competing this weekend in GS include Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

Touring Car (TCR): The Touring Car class consists of WSC TCR-homologated cars with engines tuned to produce between 300 and 350 horsepower and can reach speeds faster than 140 mph. Competition is equalized by adjustments to fuel-tank capacities, ride height, power and weight. Manufacturers competing this weekend in TCR include Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda and Hyundai.
Former INDYCAR SERIES driver Robert Wickens will capture plenty of attention in the TCR class, driving a Hyundai for the team owned by former INDYCAR SERIES race winner Bryan Herta.
This exciting event weekend also will feature two single-make series in which competitors race the same brand of car, placing the skill of the driver in the spotlight.

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America features a 50-minute race at 4 p.m. Friday and another 50-minute event at 5:10 p.m. Saturday. Drivers compete in machines from the exotic Italian marque

.Porsche enthusiasts also can see the evocative German machines compete in identical 911 GT3 Cup race cars in two Porsche Carrera Cup North America races this weekend.
Both races are 40 minutes each. Race 1 is at 3 p.m. Friday, with Race 2 at 11:10 a.m. Saturday.Tickets and information for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks are available at IMS.com.

TIRERACK.COM BATTLE ON THE BRICKS PUBLIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 20
8:20-9:20 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1
9:35-10:05 a.m. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Qualifying
10:20-10:35 a.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying
110:40-10:55 a.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying
211:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (all classes)
1:45-2:45 p.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 2
3-3:40 p.m. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1 (40 mins.)4-4:50 p.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 1 (50 mins.

)Saturday, Sept. 21
8-8:15 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR Qualifying
8:20-8:35 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge GS Qualifying
8:55-10:25 a.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 2 (all classes)
11:10-11:50 a.m. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 2 (40 mins.
)1:05-3:05 p.m. Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 Race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (two hours)
3:40-3:55 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTD Pro/GTD)
4:05-4:20 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (LMP2)
4:30-4:45 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTP)
5:10-6 p.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 2 (50 mins.)

Sunday, Sept. 22
11:40 a.m.-5:40 p.m. TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Race (six hours)

Drama, Chaos, Controversy, and Some Good On-Track Action Too-IndyCar 2024

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Photo by Kle McInnes

It was an exciting season for the NTT Indycar series in 2024. At times, the off track goings on overshadowed the racing product, which experienced an uneven tear.

From the St. Pete push to pass scandal to controversy with Agustin Canapino fans, charter talks, and driver popularity in their home country, fans did not lack for off track topics to discuss.

The delayed hybrid introduction, which didn’t come in until Mid Ohio, had little effect on the championship, although its dispute was inauspicious as Scott Dixon stalled in turn 5 of the pace lap.

The racing varied from snoozers to great6 as the series, teams, and Firestone worked to adjust to the extra weight of the new system. In the end they got it right as the races at Gateway and Milwaukee produced some great oval racing. Nashville was better than expected too.

In 2025 seven of the first eight tracks will see the hybrid in action for the first time., including the energy recovery system’s debut in the Indianapolis 500.

Drivers of Note

Obviously Alex Palou had a good year, but here I will recognize some drivers who had outstanding year which exceeded most people’s expectations.

Felix Rosenqvist– Rosenqvist won a pole and made the fast Six several times for Meyer Shank Racing. He hung around the top 10 in points for much of the season before ending up 12th. The team rewarded Rosenqvist with a two year extension. Rosenqvist is thriving after leaving Arrow mcLaren, and we should see the race results improve next year.

Santino Ferrucci – Ninth in the final standings, a frequent visitor to the top 10, and his first career pole, Ferrucci gave A. J. Foyt Racing their best season in a long time. With David Malukas as a teammate in 2025, I can see this team earning a few podiums and possibly winning a race next year.

David Malukas – jettisoned by Arrow McLaren when his preseason wrist injury did not heal, Malukas was signed by Meyer Shank Racing after the Indianapolis 500 and brought the floundering 66 car into the Leaders’ Circle. including a strong performance at Nashville where he contended for the lead. Malukas earned 148 points in little more than half a season. Teammate Rosenqvist had 306 points for a full year.

Returning to Form

Arrow McLaren and Andretti had difficult years in 2023, but both teams had a bit of a bounce back this season. Pato O’Ward won three times for Arrow McLaren, and Colton Herta won twice for Andretti Global. Both drivers had chances to win several other races.

Andretti retains the same lineup of Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, and Marcus Ericsson for 2025, while Arrow McLaren replaces Alexander Rossi with Christian Lundgaard. It would be nice to see these two in the mix every weekend.

The Pit Window Awards

The coveted Pit Window Awards go to:

Best races– Indianapolis 500; Milwaukee Race 1 and Milwaukee Race 2 in any order.

Worst races– Iowa race1 and Iowa race 2 in any order. I think Race 1 was slightly better.

Most Improved Driver– Santino Ferrucci. -He went from a 19th place finish in the points in 2023 to ninth this year.

Super Sub– Conor Daly. Daly replaced Agustin Canapino in the 78 and brought a struggling team into the Leaders’ Circle. When Daly retires, this award will be named after him.

Many Thanks

This column is nothing without the loyal readers who follow The Pit window. I appreciate all of you. Thank you for your continued support.

A huge thank you to Kyle McInnes, who shot most of the photos you saw here this season. Kyle added a lot to these posts. His artwork added a lot to this post.

Thank you to NBC for a decade of great coverage. You will be missed, FOX has a high bar to reach.

A shoutout to all the track media directors who kindly allowed me access. They have a thankless job, and I appreciate their giving me space to work.

Lastly, my travels would not be possible without the support of my partner in crime, er, life, Marti Strum, who encourages to go on these adventures, including the big one i took in June.

I will have some pieces on the Battle on the Bricks at IMS this weekend, although I am attending as a fan. Like an Indycar engine at 10,000 miles, I have reached my mileage limit.

PREMA Signs Ilott

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This announcement was long suspected, now it’s official. Great to have Ilott back in the series full time.

from PREMA:

PREMA Racing announces that Callum Ilott will join the team’s brand-new NTT INDYCAR SERIES operation for its 2025 debut in the series.
 
The 25-year-old British, a veteran of 38 INDYCAR starts and two top-5 finishes, is no stranger to the PREMA family. Ilott joined the team for the first time in 2017, delivering six wins and 11 podium finishes in the Formula 3 European Championship. He is now set for a welcomed return to the team, and will be driving a Chevrolet-powered Dallara for PREMA’s highly-anticipated American effort.
 
One of the most brilliant kart racers of his generation, Ilott later moved to the GP3 Series in 2018, and eventually made his FIA Formula 2 debut in 2019. In the following season, he was a runner-up in the F1 feeder series, before moving to Endurance racing and eventually to INDYCAR in 2021. Earlier this year, he claimed his maiden FIA WEC Hypercar win in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
 
Ilott also had the chance to make multiple Formula 1 outings in testing and practice between 2019 and 2021. He took part in two Free Practice sessions with Alfa Romeo Racing and also served as a Scuderia Ferrari Test Driver in 2021.
 
He has now the chance to be part of a new chapter in the history of PREMA in one of the world’s most competitive racing series.

René Rosin – Team Owner, PREMA Racing
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Callum back with us for this new chapter of our history. We had a great time working with him in Formula 3, and we always kept an eye on him after that. He proved to be a great fit for us in the past, and I think he will feel like picking up something he had left off. He proved his outstanding speed skills everywhere he competed. In addition, his prior IndyCar experience will be an invaluable asset. Now that the opportunity to get back together has come, we are determined to make the most out of it.

Piers Phillips – CEO, PREMA Racing INDYCAR
“We are really looking forward to welcoming Callum to our INDYCAR team. His previous experiences in the series, combined with those with PREMA, will make him a key asset as we try to merge the team’s European heritage with what it will be able to learn in the US. We know Callum as a very talented driver, but we can also see how his professionalism has matured in the series. The information and feedback he will be able to share will be extremely important, as much as his impressive racing skills.”

Callum Ilott
“It’s an incredible opportunity to experience INDYCAR with PREMA, their first steps in the series and in the US. What an amazing chance. I love the racing, I love these cars and I love the team, so it’s great to be back to what they call the Italian family home. It’s going to be something special to build off, a lot of hard work but I’m excited to join the team and see what we can do together.”

Music City Wrap Up

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What began as a journey into the unknown with rain looming to complicate things turned into a stellar IndyCar Finale weekend. The series had several obstacles delaying its racing at Nashville Superspeedway. The decision to move the event from downtown Nashville to the oval came in February. IndyCar needed tire testing. The series had not raced here in 16 years. How would the race go? How can an oval event match the festival that is a street course event?

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix ended up doing a great job. many of the amenities from the street race simply moved to the track. There were pit lane suites, shuttles from downtown, and luxury bus to take fans to the grandstands from the infield and back. The fans who attended seemed to have a great time, and they were rewarded with a good race.

The Facility

This weekend was my first time at Nashville Superspeedway. The track has had minimal use since 2008, and a company was about to purchase it and tear it down. I, for one, am thankful that it didn’t happen. The grounds are in excellent shape. The grandstand tower looks brand new, and the concourses are wide and clean.

Fans can see the entire track without obstruction from the stands. The area in pit lane is about the widest of any track Indycar uses.

The garage area is nice, with ample room to work.

Why IndyCar stopped coming here is beyond me.

The Crowd

Attendance was better than expected, but I was hoping for more. There was competition from the Titans home opener at the site of the previous grand prixs, and I heard that many locals were not aware that the race had moved.

On the plane to Portland, I sat next to a man from Nashville. He seemed to be a somewhat active community member. he was aware of the grand prix, but he had no idea it would the speedway this year.

The Race

Anytime there is a pass for the lead with fewer than five laps to go, it has to be considered a good race. While the action did not reach the heights we saw at Milwaukee, there was quite a bit of intrigue. It’s too bad that Will Power’s seat belt issue on lap 12 ended any doubt about the season championship so early. The use of alternate tires added to the strategy calls, and I had no idea who would win. David Malukas, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden, and Colton Herta all looked to have a chance.

Herta appeared to have the fastest car, and I had a feeling it was his race after the third round of stops. Herta had to dig deep to win it, though.

An oval like this is exactly the place for the IndyCar finale. It would be even better to have this race ar night. The cars colors pop under the lights, and the cooling air temperatures changes the handling of the cars. My favorite final race was the on I attended in Fontana in 2013. It was a night race, and there was non stop action and drama.

Overall, I thought it was great weekend. School is out until March.