Category: Auto Racing

Day 1 Wrap-up: 24 Minutes of Fun

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The good news: cars were on track today turning practice laps in preparation for the Indianapolis 500. Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti, and Takuma Sato were the top three.

29 cars ran laps. One driver who did not get out was Alex Palou.

The bad news: After 24 minutes rain began to fall, lightly at first, then more heavily and steadily. Track activity was cancelled around 2 pm.

In an attempt to make up some of today’s lost time, practice tomorrow will start at 10 am instead of noon. There will not be a break as was planned for today.

Bronze badge holders who were not at IMS early lost out on their opportunity to spend some time in the pits. IMS will not reschedule this experience this year.

There was a bit of news today.

The hybrid system will make its debut at Mid-Ohio July 5-7. This date was long assumed to be the target. I appreciate the series waiting until I return from Le Mans to have its premiere. I guess I asked nicely.

I heard that there are fewer than 10,000 grandstand seats unsold for the race. No word on how close General Admission is to being declared full.

Here are the results from today’s abbreviated practice:

INDYCAR Announces Full Debut of NTT INDYCAR SERIES Hybrid Era at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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From Indycar. This race was expected to be the first race for the hybrid. Nice of IndyCar to wait until my first race after Indy to debut it.

Final Full-Field Test of Settings, Parameters Scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 at Milwaukee Mile

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 14, 2024) – Through a commitment to an intensive, thorough process of meticulous development and production, the hybrid era for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will make its competition debut Friday-Sunday, July 5-7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid.
INDYCAR, Chevrolet and Honda have worked in collaboration to develop the first-of-its-kind hybrid unit. The 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine was initially paired and tested with hybrid power Aug. 16, 2023, at Sebring International Raceway. In just seven months, a total of 23,518 miles were successfully completed among 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers.
“The strength of this uncharted partnership between Chevrolet and Honda has pushed this innovative project to the grid in 2024,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The INDYCAR-specific hybrid power unit will bring a new and exciting element to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with additional energy and overtake options. We cannot wait to see the start of this new era at Mid-Ohio.”
INDYCAR’s hybrid power expands the series’ efforts to deliver the most competitive motorsport on the planet. The new powerplant unit will feature additional overtake (Push to Pass) options, ultimately giving INDYCAR SERIES drivers more choices and control – enhancing the on-track competition and excitement.
The innovative hybrid system is made up of the low voltage (48V) Motor Generator Unit (MGU) and Energy Storage System (ESS) – consisting of 20 ultracapacitors – both of which fit inside the bellhousing, located between the Chevrolet and Honda INDYCAR SERIES internal combustion engine and the gearbox. During regeneration, acting on the clutch shaft, the MGU builds power to be stored in the ESS. The additional horsepower is deployed through the same motor generator on driver demand.
For competition, options for automatic “regen” via braking or throttle position and manual “regen” via selected steering wheel paddles and buttons will be available. Deployment of stored energy will only be available manually through a latching button, similar to the existing Push to Pass system.
While available to use in addition to the traditional INDYCAR Push to Pass system on road and street circuits, the two systems will come with different rules. Push to Pass will still have a restriction on amount of time per use and total time used over the course of a race. Rules for the hybrid power unit will limit the amount of energy deployed per lap – based on track length. Used in combination on road and street circuits, the added boost will provide an additional 120 horsepower for a total of 800+ for the first time in two decades. Additional horsepower is expected in the coming years as hybrid unit development evolves.
Safety elements include the low voltage system and the ability for drivers to restart the car by themselves if they spin and stall the engine on the track – avoiding the need for the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team to be deployed and creating more green-flag action in races.
“The introduction of hybrid technology provides an opportunity to integrate electrification technologies into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” General Motors Executive Director, Motorsports Competition Eric Warren said.
“During the development of any new technology, extensive analysis and testing are done to identify as many issues as possible. We support INDYCAR’s decisions throughout this process to study testing data carefully and make sure that when the hybrid technology is integrated, the operation and performance are exactly what is expected
.“This approach has given INDYCAR and the engine manufacturers the opportunity to ensure the high level of competition continues uninterrupted.”
“Hybrid technology is playing an ever-increasing role in both our racing programs and the production vehicles created by Honda and Acura,” Honda Racing Corporation USA President David Salters said. “More than a quarter of Honda’s total sales in 2023 – nearly 300,000 vehicles – were Honda CR-V and Accord hybrids. Introducing electrification to INDYCAR at Mid-Ohio further aligns our racing efforts with Honda’s passenger car production as we operate multiple manufacturing and R&D facilities in central Ohio, employing more than 13,000 associates there.
“This is exciting new technology and, like all things new, has presented challenges to us at HRC as we have stepped in with our competitors to help INDYCAR make the hybrid system compact enough, powerful enough, light enough and reliable enough to work within the highly-restricted confines of an INDYCAR chassis. We are proud of our associates’ work to develop the supercapacitor pack and control software for the system. We look forward to hybrid tech adding another dimension to the great racing spectacle and entertaining our great Honda and INDYCAR racing fans.”
A full-field test of INDYCAR’s power unit is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 at the Milwaukee Mile to allow teams to finalize implementation ahead of the July debut. On-track testing has taken place at Barber Motorsports Park, Homestead-Miami Speedway road course, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS road course, Milwaukee Mile, Road America, Sebring and World Wide Technology Raceway to effectively mirror the disciplines of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule.
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, July 7.The next event for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26.
Coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with a Spanish-language broadcast available on Universo. Audio coverage is also available from the INDYCAR Radio Network via the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA and SiriusXM channel 218. 

108th Indianapolis 500- The Merch Issue

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The IMS gift shops have a lot of nice new apparel items this year. I haven’t been thrilled with the clothing lines I have seen the past few years, but 2024 has brought a fresh new look and many attractive designs.

If I’m in the market for racing wear, I frist look for things with a retro or vintage design. The A. J. Foyt shirt pictured above would be the first I would add to my collection of 1,237 racing related shirts. Just kidding- it’s more like 1,100. Not really.

Still, I like several items in the gift shop. Here are a few:

I ama sucker for maroon when oit comes to racing.
What the stylish media people should wear.

If the speedway wanted to go really retro, I would love a sweater like the ones drivers wore in the early days of the race with the car manufacturers name on it, like these.

I would love a Lozier shirt or sweater.

I believe this before the 1913 500. A Case or National shirt would be cool. I’m not sure marmon had team sweaters.

The gift shop has many onter very nice items in stock this year. Spend wisely. If anyone wishes to gift their favorite blogger the Foyt shirt in an XL, let me know,

Dixon at 229 Before Rain Halts the Action

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After a three minute delay cars rolled out on the track to begin practice for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Thirty-one cars got some laps in before moisture halted the action after 24 minutes.

Scott Dixon turned a lap at 229.107 miles an hour to lead the field, followed by Marco Andretti at 228.399 and Takuma Sato at 225.551.

Scott McLaughlin had the best no tow lap at 219.656.

The track is currently onnhold as a light rain is falling. Radar shows some rain and possibly thunderstorms approaching from the south and west. Once the storms arrive, it looks like we will try again tomorrow.

Results of the first 24 minutes

I’ll be back later when we receive official word on today’s status. I’m alsomworking on a couple of other stories I hope to post later today.

Eight Former Winners, Five Series Champs Ready To Start ‘500’ Preparation

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From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 13, 2024) – Preparations for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge will start this week with a field consisting of eight former winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and five NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions.
There are 34 entries set to contest the 33 starting spots for this year’s edition of the “500.” Practice is scheduled to start Tuesday, May 14, with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 18-19. All track activity on the historic 2.5-mile oval leads into Race Day, Sunday, May 26.
SEE: Entry List
Josef Newgarden earned his first career “500” victory last May after passing 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson on the final lap after a late red flag created a one-lap shootout for a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy and racing immortality. That was the record-extending 19th “500” victory for Team Penske.
Other former winners aiming for a spot in the race this year include four-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016) and Will Power (2018). The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992
.Castroneves earned a spot with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – with his emotional victory in 2021, for Meyer Shank Racing. A record-breaking fifth would put Castroneves alone at the top with most victories. Additionally, Castroneves is 49 years old, and a victory would make him the oldest winner in “500” history, a record held by Al Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days shy of his 48th birthday.
Newgarden has a chance to become the first back-to-back winner since Castroneves accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. If Newgarden secures a repeat win, he will earn a bonus of $440,000 courtesy of BorgWarner, the namesake of the Indy 500 trophy. That amount is more than the entire yearly purse up to and including the 1962 Indianapolis 500, which paid out $425,652.
The field includes five past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, reigning champion Alex Palou and Power.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will attempt to become the fifth driver to complete the Memorial Day “double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch. The last driver to complete the feat was Busch in 2014.
Larson is one of seven drivers competing for top rookie honors, along with Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson.
Live Race Day coverage begins on NBC, Peacock, Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.
2024 ENTRY BREAKDOWN:
Winners (8): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato
Rookies (7): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Kyle Larson, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson
U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, Kyle Larson, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi, Nolan Siegel
International drivers (21, from 13 countries): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Agustín Canapino, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Pietro Fittipaldi, Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard, Linus Lundqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay
Engines (34): Honda 18, Chevrolet 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires) 
 

Tomorrow at the Track

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From IMS:

Note to Bronze Badge holders:

Don’t forget your Bronze badge is also valid for Pit Entry tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14) during public gate hours. This special access will only be available on Opening Day. It will not be available on Monday, May 20. This opportunity is available rain or shine.

 INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 13, 2024) – Information about 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice track activity, Tuesday, May 14 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
9 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open
9-11 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (All cars)
1-6 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (All cars)
TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The General Admission ticket will provide the opportunity to move between the IMS infield viewing mounds and first-come, first-served access to selected grandstands to view racing action from different vantage points.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (9 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 10, Gate 10A.
PARKING: Free public parking is available in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40). ADA accessible parking is available in the following lots: the West Museum Lot, the Flag Lot, Tower Terrace and the Lot 7 (North 40).
CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located in Pagoda Plaza and outside Turn 1 by concessions stand 7. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted.
MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation.

Arrow McLaren Confirms Callum Ilott for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500

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From Arrow McLaren:

“Callum brings experience with this team and at the Indy 500 that we think is very valuable as we enter the biggest two weeks of our season”

Arrow McLaren announced today that Callum Ilott will drive the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500, finalizing the team’s four-car lineup for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. 

The 25-year-old returns to Arrow McLaren for his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this season after producing a 13th-place finish at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and competing at The Thermal Club’s $1 Million Challenge. Set for his third Indy 500 start, he achieved a 12th-place finish last May as the second-biggest mover in the race after advancing 15 positions from starting 27th on the grid. 

The Cambridge, England native has spent parts of the last three seasons racing for Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he’s compiled 36 starts, five top-10 finishes and a front-row start at Laguna Seca in 2022. Last season, Callum finished 16th in the championship. 

Callum currently races in the World Endurance Championship for Hertz Team JOTA where he sits in second place in driver standings after three races. He is coming off a first-place finish at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this past weekend and will be in the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet throughout the Indy 500 practices beginning Tuesday, May 14.  

Callum came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES after putting together an impressive résumé in Europe that included stints in Formula 1 as a test driver for Scuderia Ferrari and a reserve driver for Alfa Romero in 2021. Ilott also finished second in FIA Formula 2 in 2020 after grabbing three wins and five poles. 

Following this race, Callum will return to Hertz Team JOTA for the remainder of the 2024 World Endurance Championship campaign. Arrow McLaren announced last week that Théo Pourchaire will pilot the No. 6 Chevrolet from the Detroit Grand Prix through the remainder of the 2024 season. 

Callum Ilott, Driver, Arrow McLaren, said: 

“It is any driver’s dream to race in the Indianapolis 500, and I’d like to extend a thank you to Zak, Gavin and Tony for making this happen. I’m grateful to step into this race with a familiar car and a familiar team now in Arrow McLaren. While our April Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was shortened by weather, the runs we did have were productive. I feel comfortable with the team and know that we can come together throughout the Month of May to put our best foot forward come race day.” 

Gavin Ward, Team Principal, Arrow McLaren, said: 

“Callum brings experience with this team and at the Indy 500 that we think is very valuable as we enter the biggest two weeks of our season. He and the team got along well during the first two events of the season, and we’re looking forward to carrying that over here. I’m confident that Callum and the No. 6 NTT DATA Chevy team will be competing near the front of the grid during qualifying and on race day, just like the rest of our cars.” 

ARROW McLAREN INDYCAR TEAMNO. 6 NTT DATA ARROW McLAREN CHEVROLET

The 2024 Indianapolis 500 Program- A Step Up

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The 500 souvenir program for 2024 is better than the programs of the past few years. First, the cover is a huge improvement over 2023. The solid black cover is a low bar for comparison, but renderings of winning cars from milestone years ending in 4 is an appropriate way to showcase this year’s event. The cost is $20.

I like that the cover says “Indianapolis 500” rather than the “Indy 500” which has infected much of IMS branding of late.

All the things you expect are there- the entry list, driver profiles, and records of all the past 500s.

The program features a moving tribute to Gil de Ferran by Curt Cavin, a story about the solar eclipse event, and a brief article about the new museum.

One item I miss is the Order of the Day schedule with the times of each part of the opening ceremonies. I feel that it sets up Race Day having it in the program. Please bring it back.

In the center is a tear out page with nine perforated cards. Six feature winners from 100, 70, 60, 50, 40, and 30 years ago. The Bill Vukovich card is going in a special holder in a certain blogger’s house. Maybe it is for space considerations, but there is no acknowledgement of the winners from 110, 90, 20, or 10 years ago.

The back cover displays the wreath with the 2024 race logo superimposed on it. It is a scratch n sniff page which gives off a faint aroma of magnolia.

I had felt the programs of the last few years had become dull and predictable, but the 2024 edition has a lot to offer.

Quick Thoughts- Just Another Day at Work for Alex Palou

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

It was a fun race for the first two laps. Christian Lundgaard made a great move to get past Alex Palou and led most of the first half of the race.

Cars were banging into each other, running opponents off the road, and fighting for position. Then the race fell into a processional F1 style event.

the race came down to pit strategy, and that’s where Palou gained the advantage. He made his final stop before his two closest pursuers, Lundgaard and Will Power, and didn’t look back.

Alex Palou talks about his win.

The late yellow was not a problem as Palou pulled away to six second lead a the finish over Power.

Overall, it was a typical IMS road course race, a bland appetizer to what should be a delicious entree in two weeks.

Notes

Josef Newgarden has had two straight finishes below 15th place. His chances of winning the championship are fading quickly.

Colton Herta improved 17 positions to finish seventh.

The last time DHL was the sponsor on a winning car was 2018 at Sonoma. Ryan Hunter-Reay won for Andretti.

Six different teams placed cars in the top 10- Ganassi -3; Penske-2; RLL_ 2; Andretti, McLaren, and MSR 1 each.

Palou leads Power by 12 points in the championship. We have seen this movie before.

Like 2023, Palou has a chance to be the third driver to complete a May sweep. Will Power and Simon Pagenaud accomplished this feat in 2018 and 2019 erespectively.

If your last name begins with P, younhave a great shot at winning this race. Power, POagenaud, and Palou have 10 wins combined on this track.

Thanks for following along this weekend. I can’t wait for the next two weeks.