photo by Kyle McInnes
About to board my flight. Yesterday saw a busy session. Marcus Ericsson hit tge wall. Katherine Legge spun d didn’t hit anything.
Saturday
Times Eastern Iowa is on Central time
2:15p: INDY NXT Race
3:45p: INDYCAR Qualifying Peacock, Indycar radio
5:15p: @lukecombs Concert
8p: INDYCAR Race 250 laps NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
Results
From Indycar
| INDYCAR Announces Iowa Speedway Grid Penalties INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, July 12, 2024) – INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing and No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for unapproved engine changes following the Sunday, July 7 race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The teams were in violation of: Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out. According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart Saturday, July 13 at Iowa Speedway. |
The hybrid debut tour continues this weekend with a double header at Iowa Speedway as oval season begins. Six of the final eight races will be on ovals.
The new Energy Recovery System had its series debut last Sunday at Mid-Ohio. Saturday evening will mark the new power component’s first oval run, and next week, the hybrid will have its first run on a street course at Toronto. While many, including me, questioned the mid-season debut for the hybrid, it has actually worked out well that each type of track Indycar races on gets a chance to test it in rapid order.
The HyVee Indycar Weekend began in 2022 with a blockbuster concert lineup, and drew a sellout crowd. This is the third year for the Iowa race in this format. I don’t mind an occasional double header, but I think each race should be a different distance. Saturday’s race should be 300 laps and Sunday’s 250 laps. Today Indycar announced a multi year renewal of the contract with Iowa Speedway.
In addition to the hybrid debut, the track has been repaved in the turns. In testing at the track, drivers still complained of the 7/8 mile oval still being a one lane track. The series will try to rubber in the second lane, so we will see if that helps.
Team Penske has owned this track of late. Will Power has won all four poles the last two years, and Josef Newgarden has won three of the f our races. Newgarden would have won the fourth won, but a crash due to a part failure thwarted a clean sweep.
Pato O’Ward has also been strong here, and he carries the momentum from last Sunday’s victory into the weekend.
A statistic that stood out to me in the Indycar preview is that Newgarden and O’Ward are the only two active race winners at this track. I think they each win a race this weekend.
I don’t think the hybrid system will be much of a factor at Iowa. There is not a lot of opportunity to regenerate the battery, and the extra horsepower will not help much.
The races could come down to how usable the second groove is and tire wear. I understand there was not a lot degradation of the tires in the test.
Points leader Alex Palou may see his cushion shrink a bit. Palou has never won on oval. if he can get a couple of top five results, he should be okay.
The forecast has just one word: HOT. The heat index Sunday could reach above 100 degrees. There is a slight chance for rain Saturday. The timing seems to be shifting more toward evening. If you are going to Iowa, remember to hydrate, and take breaks in the shade under the grandstands often.
I will not be on site until Saturday afternoon after qualifying. The reason is Iowa related. I’m going to see Caitlin Clark play tonight, then fly to Des Moines Saturday morning.
From Indycar:
| Race weekend: Friday, July 12-Sunday, July 14 Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Saturday)Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Sunday) INDY NXT by FirestoneI NDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway: 75 laps/67.05 miles Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 105 kilojoules (kJ) per lap. Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Fourteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend. INDY NXT by Firestone Three sets for use through the event weekend. X: @indycaratiowa, @IndyCar, #HyVeeHomefront250, #HyVeeOneStep250 #INDYCAR Instagram: @indycaratiowa, @INDYCAR, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250, #INDYCAR Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT Facebook: @HyVeeINDYCARWeekend, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR YouTube: @INDYCAR Event website: www.hyveeindycarweekend.comI NDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2023 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet), Race #1 and Race #2 INDY NXT by Firestone Christian Rasmussen (No. 6 HMD Motorsports) 2023 NTT P1 Award winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 17.7395 seconds, 181.426 mph (Race 1); 17.7246 seconds, 181.578 mph (Race 2) 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Jacob Abel (No. 51 Abel Motorsports), 39.6735 seconds, 162.244 mph (two laps) One-lap qualifying record: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Helio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014 INDY NXT by Firestone Colton Herta, 19.6441 seconds, 163.835 mph, July 9, 2017 NBC race telecast: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, 8 p.m. ET Saturday, July 13, NBC; Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, noon ET Sunday, July 14, NBC. Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch and Georgia Henneberry will be the pit reporters. Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecasts of the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Michael Young, Jake Query and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart race (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade race (noon ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (2 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 218, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times Central): FRIDAY, JULY 12 1-2:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR LIVE 2:35 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps 2:45-3:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES High-Line Session (Two groups, 15 minutes each), Peacock 3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, Peacock 5:30-6:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR LIVE 7:30 p.m. $50,000 Pit Stop Challenge, INDYCAR.com (Live) SATURDAY, JULY 13 1:10 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway “Drivers, start your engines) 1:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (75 laps/67.05 miles), Peacock 2:45 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock 7 p.m. NBC on air 7:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 7:06 p.m. Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live )SUNDAY, JULY 14 11 a.m. NBC on air 11:25 a.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 11:30 a.m. Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live) NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 10th and 11th races of the 2024 season. There have been six winners in nine NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Pato O’Ward (Streets of St. Petersburg and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Scott Dixon (Streets of Long Beach and Streets of Detroit), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca), Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500) and Will Power (Road America) have all won in 2024. The modern record (1946-present) for the most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014. Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, featuring the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, will be the second and third oval races of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The first oval race of the season was won by Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500). The remaining oval races will occur Aug. 17 at World Wide Technology Raceway and Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. With the introduction of the INDYCAR hybrid power unit, The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend will mark the use of horsepower assist on an oval for the first time. Hybrid energy deployment will include unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 105 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 20th and 21st NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Iowa Speedway. Josef Newgarden is the only entered driver to win at Iowa Speedway more than once. Newgarden has six wins (2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2, 2022 Race #1, 2023 Race #1 and 2023 Race #2). Past winner Pato O’Ward (2022 Race #2) is also entered in the event. ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS Josef Newgarden 6 2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2, 2022 Race #1, 2023 Race #1, 2023 Race #2 Pato O’Ward 1 2022 Race #2 Andretti Autosport has won seven of the 19 previous races at Iowa Speedway (Dario Franchitti 2007, Tony Kanaan 2010, Marco Andretti 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012, 2014 and 2015 and James Hinchcliffe 2013). Team Penske also has seven wins (Helio Castroneves 2017, Josef Newgarden 2019, 2020 Race #2, 2022 Race #1, 2024 Race #1 and 2024 Race #2 and Simon Pagenaud 2020 Race #1). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins (Dan Wheldon 2008 and Franchitti 2009) .Josef Newgarden has won nine of the last 12 oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule – including three of the four races held at Iowa Speedway during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend in 2022 and 2023. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dario Franchitti and Josef Newgarden are the only drivers to win at Iowa Speedway and win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season. Newgarden accomplished the feat in 2019, Hunter-Reay in 2012 and Franchitti in 2007 and 2009.Scott Dixon is the only driver to have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Iowa, and although he has 11 top-five finishes in his previous 19 starts on the oval, he’s never won at “The World’s Fastest Short Track.” Twelve drivers entered have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 1,847, Will Power 383, Dixon 131, Pato O’Ward 97, Graham Rahal 32, Ed Carpenter 18, Felix Rosenqvist 9, Alexander Rossi 4, Marcus Ericsson 3, Scott McLaughlin 2, David Malukas 1 and Alex Palou 1). Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 332nd and 333rd consecutive starts, extending his record streak … Saturday’s race will mark Dixon’s 395th INDYCAR SERIES start, which will break a tie with Helio Castroneves for second on the all-time list. INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes: The INDY NXT by Firestone title fight between Jacob Abel and Louis Foster saw a new challenger step forward as Brazilian Caio Collet claimed his first win at Mid-Ohio. The series moves to Iowa Speedway for the first of four oval events this season. Foster, who has recorded six straight top-two finishes, heads to Iowa with a 41-point lead, but Abel, a two-time race winner in 2024, nearly won at Iowa a year ago and outscored Foster in the two oval races in 2023. The ultra-competitive 2024 season has seen five winners in nine races this season and eight different drivers finish on the podium. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Iowa Speedway will be the series’ 13th race at Iowa Speedway. Previous INDY NXT by Firestone winners at Iowa include Josef Newgarden, Ana Beatriz, Sage Karam, Matheus Leist, Pato O’Ward, Hunter McElrea and Christian Rasmussen. |
Sunday’s race at Mid-Ohio had a tenuous beginning and a compelling ending. The main story was not Pato O’Ward’s first on track win in nearly two years, but the performance of the new hybrid power system.
Before we talk about the hybrid, let’s touch on a couple of notable items from Sunday.
Toby Sowery had an excellent first Indycar race. finishing 13th in the 51 car. Sowery was the sixth driver in that seat this season, and he matched the car’s best run of the season. Katherine Legge will give the team some continuity as she will drive the six ovals which make up the bulk of the last half of 2024. Sowery may be back for Toronto or Portland. he has earned another race.
Despite Will Power’s 11th place finish, he is the only driver within one race of Alex Palou.
Meyer Shank Racing has made a great decision to put David Malukas in the 66. In just two races, he has pulled the car into the Leader’s Circle, and I don’t think the team needs to worry about that. I’m excited to see how he does on the ovals, where he has had some good results.
I went into Mid-Ohio a bit of a skeptic, but overall, I think the hybrid had a decent debut. I expect some teething problems, and there were some. The unit was mostly reliable, except for what happened to Scott Dixon on the warmup lap. I wonder ow much the hybrid had to do with the stalls on pit lane.
Romain Grosjean spun with three laps to go and was able to refire the car and get back on track, saving alate yellow which would probably have ended the race. Drivers refiring the engines on their own is one of the best features of this new technology. Several red flags in practice and qualifications will be avoided in the future.
On the other hand, the hybrid did not change the racing or increase passing. Several drivers said the added 100 pounds the unit has put on the car negates the extra power.
Is the issue that befell Scott Dixon an isolated occurrence, or we will see this continue to happen? Could a malfunctioning hybrid have an effect on the championship? Dixon lost 39 points to Palou on Sunday.
As I said in a post before the season, it might have been better to hold off the debut until next year, rather than add a new wrinkle halfway through the season. That way everyone starts out on an equal footing with the same car for the entire year.
I’m not sure what we will see from the hybrids on the ovals, but I still don’t see much benefit on a non road/street course. With just Toronto and Portland the only remaining road/street circuits, we may have just two more opportunities in 2024 to assess the hybrid’s effectiveness. This year shouild probably just go down as an experiment, and we will be able to fully evaluate the unit next September.
Iowa schedule A;; times Eastern. Iowa is on Central time
Friday
3:15p: INDY NXT Practice
4:30p: INDYCAR Practice Peacock, Indycar Radio
6:30p: INDY NXT Qualifying
Satutday
2:15p: INDY NXT Race
3:45p: INDYCAR Qualifying Peacock, Indycar radio
5:15p: @lukecombs Concert
8p: INDYCAR Race 250 laps NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
10:30p: @ericchurch Concert
Sunday
12:30p: INDYCAR Race 250 laps NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
3p: @KelseaBallerini Concert
4:45p: @PostMalone Concert
Photo by Kyle McInnes
A rather dull race turned quickly into a great 20 lap duel to the end as Pato O’Ward held off Alex Palou by about half a second. Officially oit os O’Ward’s second victory of 2024, but the first time he has won on track. He was awarded the St. Pete victory after Josef Newgarden’s disqualification.
What a brilliant call by the 5 crew to pit a lap early.
No one is happier to see six oval races coming up on the schedule than Newgarden. He has had two consecutive road course finishes in the 20s. Newgarden is 146 points behind Palou and appears to be out of the championship, but given his record on ovals, he has a chance to get back into the chase. Palou has b=ever won on an oval.
It’s great for the series to have its most popular driver win a race. It has been since Iowa race 2 in 2022 that O’Ward last crossed the finish line first.
The hybrid seemed to perform weel except for Scott Dixon’s issue. Both Palou and third place Scott Mclaughlin said that they enjoyed using it more than they thought they would.
Kyle Kirkwood continues to be the most consistent driver in the series. he scored another top 10 today, finishing eighth, after his worst qualifying of the season. Kirkwood nis now sixth in points.
David Malukas had a tough day after stalling at the start and then on his first pit stop. If he continues his outstanding qualifying, he will gat a top five result this year.
O’Ward mentioned how hard it is pass at Mid-Ohio. The results bear that out. The top five finishers started 2nd, 1st, 6th, 4th, and 5th.
I will have a more detailed analysyis tomorrow. I need to head back to Indianpolis. Thanks for following along this weekend.
For Immediate Release 
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 