Looking better
From @Indycar_Wxman
The NTT Indycar Series returns to on track action after a break that saw lots of offtrack action. In the week ahead of the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway Indycar announced a plan to implement a hybrid component to the new engine in 2022, and McLaren joined the series as part of the former Arrow Schmidt Peterson team. The shock waves from the McLaren announcement are still being felt.
Like the recent announcements, this year’s Pocono race has more questions than answers. Will the race be on the 2020 schedule? Is Pocono going to be on the schedule every three years, as I have heard? Will Richmond replace this event next year?
Having a race at a track every three years destroys date equity. Attendance has been an issue for Pocono since it returned to the schedule. I have heard reports of an uptick in ticket sales for this year. How do you keep fans interested for the next two years with no race? If the series races at one track every three years, do they race somewhere else for two years then take a break from that track? That leaves two tracks without date equity and a struggle to build a fan base. I don’t think returning to tracks every two or three years is in Indycar’s best interests. End of rant, back to the race.
Getting back on track will be a welcome relief to many. There is still a close championship to decide. Josef Newgarden leads Alexander Rossi by just 16 points, Simon Pagenaud is 47 points off the lead, and Scott Dixon has pulled to within 62 points. With four races left, the title is too close to call.
The 2019 race will be the 26th Indycar race at Pocono. The series first raced at the triangular track from 1971-1989, but then didn’t return until 2013. Juan Pablo Montoya drove the fastest 500 mile race in history in 2014, averaging 202.402 miles an hour. he is the only driver to win at this track from the pole since the series returned. Be4tween 1971 and 1989 the pole winner won the race 6 times. A. J. Foyt and Rick Mears each won twice from the pole.
Will Power won two in a row in 2016 and 2017. He finished second last year. There have been five different winners the last six years. Rossi dominated last year’s race after the red flag for Robert Wickens’s accident. Rossi finished third in 2017.
There have been some tragic incidents at the track the last four years. In addition to Wickens’s crash last year, Justin Wilson lost his life in a freak accident in 2015. A piece from another car flew the air and struck Wilson in the head. I hope NBCSN doesn’t show either of theses incidents during the race coverage. In the oepening of the Toronto race the network showed one still of Wickens just before his car left the track. I felt that was tasteful enough. Let’s leave it at that.
This will be an intriguing weekend. Power has been the best driver at Pocono for the last three years, and he is still looking for his first win of the season. Should he get back to the top of the podium, he takes points away from his teammates Newgarden and Pagenaud. Chevrolet should have a power advantage this weekend, although the six races since 2013 are evenly split between Honda and Chevy.
I look for Alexander Rossi to win his second straight ABC Supply 500 and close the gap on Newgarden. He could possibly take the points lead, but probably not by a lot. Power will again be strong and likely grab a podium spot.
Dixon Nips Rosenqvist in Thrilling Honda Indy 200 now posted on https://t.co/ObvBHndzCM
Photo: Rossi in his dominant Road America win in June
Andretti Autosport put an end to Silly Season this afternoon, announcing that Alexander Rossi will be driving for the team in 2020 “and beyond.” NAPA will continue to sponsor Rossi in nine races next year. Auto Nation will sponsor the number 27 car in seven 2020 races. Honda will continue to power Andretti cars. The announcement ends the rumors that Rossi might sign with Team Penske and the Andretti was switching to Chevrolet engines for 2020.
“It feels good to continue with Andretti Autosport,” said Rossi. “Over the past four years, we’ve built a very strong team with great chemistry and I believe that we have the tools necessary to win races and championships. I’m looking forward to not just calling this my team, but my home in the IndyCar Series. Michael [Andretti], J-F [Thormann], Doug [Bresnahan] and the entire team have been working very hard to put all the pieces of this deal together and it’s definitely a relief to have the future settled and be able to focus on the championship fight ahead of us.
“It’s fantastic to have NAPA AUTO PARTS, AutoNation and Honda supporting the 27 program. I’ve had the pleasure of developing a great relationship with both NAPA and Honda and couldn’t imagine not having them in my corner. AutoNation has always had a strong partnership with the team through Ryan [Hunter-Reay] and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to represent the Drive Pink campaign and getting to know the AutoNation team better.”
Had Rossi signed with Penske, four of the arguably five best drivers in the series would be on one team. An Andretti switch to Chevy would give the engine seven of the best cars on the grid. With Rossi and Honda staying put, the balance of power in the series is preserved. I’m not sure how Honda would have replaced Andretti in the series. The options are somewhat limited.
Photo: Kyle McInnes
Thoughts written too early in the morning/ late at night.
Newgarden not only increased his lead over Rossi by 25 points, he also put Pagenaud farther behind.
The year of dominating drives continues. Rossi won going away at Long Beach and Road America, Pagenaud was the class of the field at Indianapolis, and Newgarden tonight/this morning all won by huge margins.
It was a much needed second for Dixon and a very welcome podium for Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe always does well at Iowa.
Ed Carpenter’s crash ruined what would have been a great team finish for ECR. Pigot finished 5th from his 19th starting spot.
Bourdais’s car really came to life the second half of the race. He went on quite a tear to get a top 10 finish.
Kanaan’s 10th place has to feel like a victory for him and A. J. Four Racing.
Dixon has finished first or second in 28% of his career races.
Veach had his best race of the season moving up 13 spots to 7th.
The late start and changed weather conditions may have affected Pagenaud’s car.
Will Power jumped to the lead but after Newgarden passed him he could not fhight back. Another pit mistake and penalty pushed him further down the final standings.
The pole sitter still has never won at Iowa.
Lots of credit to Iowa Speedway and the NTT IndyCar Series for their hard work to get the complete race in.
Much appreciation to all the fans who stayed for the entire race.
Rossi will need to repeat last year’s performance at Mid Ohio next weekend to keep Newgarden in sight.
Look for a full race report tomorrow on Wildfire Sports.
Thanks for following this weekend.
The race will begin no later than 10:30 pm CDT tonight. If it can’t start then, green flag will be at 11 am CDT tomorrow.
At 7pm CDT the rain is slowing and the western sky is getting lighter. There is still lightning in th east. More rain is west of the track. We are still waiting word from the NTT Indycar Series about the rest of the evening.
Good news is Iowa w ill return next year. I have no details yet, but I’m glad this race will stay on the schedule.
I will pass along more information when it is available.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 