Category: Uncategorized

Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Fast Facts

thepitwindow

From IndyCar:

  Race weekend: Saturday, June 14-Sunday, June 15
Track: World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline 260 laps / 325 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway 75 laps / 93.75 miles
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 150 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.
]Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Ten new sets for use during the event weekend. An extra set will be provided to teams participating in the high-line session before final practice. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets for use during the event weekend.
X: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCARInstagram: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCARThreads: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #INDYCARFacebook: @WWTRaceway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @WWT_Raceway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.wwtraceway.com/I
NDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2024 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIESJosef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet), 50.0079 seconds, 179.972 mph (two laps)
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 54.8614 seconds, 164.109 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying lap record: NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 23.7206, 189.709 mph, Aug. 25, 2017
INDY NXT by FirestoneLouis Foster, 27.3986, 164.242 mph, Aug. 16, 2024
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); High-line and Final Practice, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 8 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
 INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query and Michael Young are the pit reporters. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline race (7:30 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway (4:25 p.m. Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practice, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
10:20 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES installation laps
10:30-11:30 a.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, FS1
12:05-12:50 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS1
2 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT P1 Award qualifying (single car/cumulative time of two laps), FS1
3:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway Qualifying, FS2
4:45-5:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES high-line session (two groups/15 minutes each), FS2
5:30-6:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS2
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
3:31 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway “Drivers Start Your Engines”
3:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway (75 laps / 93.75 miles), FS1 (Live)
7 p.m. – FOX on air
7:15 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
7:20 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline (260 laps/325 miles), FOX (Live)
Race Notes: here have been two winners in the first seven NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. Alex Palou (Streets of St. Petersburg, The Thermal Club, Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach and Streets of Detroit). The record for most wins in a season is 10, held by A.J. Foyt (1961) and Al Unser (1970).
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the first Sunday night INDYCAR SERIES race held at World Wide Technology Raceway. The track held scheduled Saturday night races from 2017-2021, while the 2023 race ran under the lights after a weather delay. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the 17th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. 
Josef Newgarden won at WWTR for the fifth time in 2024. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Two-time WWTR race winners Scott Dixon (2020 Race 1 and 2023) and Will Power (2018) are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
Team Penske has won nine times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022 and 2024) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has four wins at WWTR, with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1 and 2023). Twenty-three drivers have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has 10 starts, the most among the entered drivers. Rookies Jacob Abel, Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman, along with veteran Christian Rasmussen will make their first start at WWTR. Fourteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 599, Will Power 450, Scott Dixon 379, Pato O’Ward 159, Colton Herta 134, Scott McLaughlin 79, Marcus Ericsson 16, Alexander Rossi 16, David Malukas 15, Sting Ray Robb 8, Nolan Siegel 8, Graham Rahal 7, Felix Rosenqvist 4 and Conor Daly 1).
Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 347th consecutive start, extending his record streak…Dixon passed Mario Andretti for the all-time lead in INDYCAR SERIES starts with his 408th start at Indianapolis on May 25 and will extend his record to 410 with a start Sunday…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 300th INDYCAR SERIES start. He would become the 11th driver to reach the milestone.
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes: Andretti Global’s Dennis Hauger leads INDY NXT by Firestone to World Wide Technology Raceway, looking to continue his dominance of INDYCAR’s official development series. The 22-year-old Norwegian driver has never raced on an oval and leads his teammate Lochie Hughes by 38 points heading into a pivotal championship stretch of four races in five weeks.
The INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Technology Raceway will be the series’ 15th race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Previous INDY NXT by Firestone winners at WWT Raceway include Lee Bentham, Townsend Bell, Dan Wheldon, Jeff Simmons, Oliver Askew, David Malukas, Christian Rasmussen and Louis Foster. 

Final Thoughts on the 109th Indianapolis 500

thepitwindow

There is just no getting around it. Yesterday’s Indianapolis 500 was a strange two part race. Part 1 saw 45% of the laps run under caution. Part 2 was caution free until the second half of the last lap.

There was little passing for the lead, but the number of pit strategies scrambled the top of the field. but kept the leaders in traffic all day. Traffic played a part in the end of the race.

Teammates Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster were having arguably the best battle on the track- for 14th place. Unfortunately, they were right in front of the race leaders. Yes, they have a right to stay on the lead lap, but with 10 laps to go in the race, and knowing they would get a wave around if the yellow came out, why not make them step out of the leaders’ way? It could have been a terrific three car finish between Palou, Ericsson, and Malukas.

Sometimes the 500 just produces a race that is not great. Part of it may have been the weather, but I think the hybrid and its extra weight hampered what had been a great show the last few years.

How much does it hurt to lose Indy?

I don’t know who snapped this shot, but Marcus Ericsson was despondent after the race. He told the media it was “pretty painful,” and that it would keep him up for several nights.

Ericsson went a little wide going into turn 1, and Palou was able to slip by him.

I appreciate Alex Palou drinking the milk, then triumphantly raising the bottle in tribute instead of pouring it over his head. I always thought the winner pouring the milk over his head was ridiculous. I hope Palou has started a trend to end that practice. Now if he just hadn’t kissed the bricks…

I thought yesterday’s singing of the National Anthem was the worst I have heard at the 500 since Steven Tyler sang in 2001. Natalie Grant’s version reinforced my belief that at every sporting event, the venue should just paly an instrumental recording of the anthem by the US Army Band.

The helicopters that followed the field around on the pace and parade laps were distracting and annoying. The field for the Indianapolis 500 lined up in11 rows of three in perfect formation coming to the green flag is one of the most beautiful sights in all of sports. It doesn’t need a so called “enhancement” or any additive feature at all. It stands on its own.

Rookie of the Year?

While all the rookies finished 15th or lower, Robert Shwartzman winning the pole is the thing that will get him the award. Nolan Siegel was likely in line for it until his crash on the final lap.

Penske Fires Cindric, Ruzewski, Moyer

thepitwindow

Editor’s note: The following is from the NTT IndyCar Series. I will have comments later today.

Team Penske Parts Company with Three Members of Management

INDYCAR

INDYCAR.com

Editorial Staff

1 HOUR AGO

Share:

facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
email sharing button

Team Penske parted company May 21 with Team President Tim Cindric, INDYCAR Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and INDYCAR General Manager Kyle Moyer from the organization after two of the team’s entries were found in violation of INDYCAR rules last weekend.

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” Roger Penske said. “We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners and our organization for letting them down.”

The team’s No. 2 and No. 12 cars did not make an attempt Sunday during the Top 12 Qualifying session for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge because they were found in pre-qualifying technical inspection to be in violation of INDYCAR Rule 14.7.8.16, an unapproved body fit on the rear attenuator of the car. Those entries were moved to the rear of the field, starting 32nd and 33rd, respectively, for the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, and each entry was fined $100,000 by INDYCAR.

Last year at the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida, Team Penske was in violation of the two “Push to Pass” parameters, INDYCAR Rule 14.19.15 and 14.19.16. The team’s No. 2 and No. 3 entries were disqualified from that event, and its No. 12 entry received a 10-point penalty.

A team statement said further announcements will be made this week related to personnel and replacements for the Indianapolis 500.

Cindric joined Team Penske at the end of the 1999 INDYCAR SERIES season as the president of Penske Racing Inc. He was elevated to the role of president of Penske Performance in 2005.

Ruzewski came to the team at the start of the 2005 INDYCAR SERIES season. He was named managing director before the 2019 season after serving as the team’s technical director.

Moyer joined Team Penske before the 2015 INDYCAR SERIES season. He moved into the role as general manager for Team Penske’s INDYCAR SERIES program in 2019.

Thoughts on an Extended Qualification Weekend

thepitwindow

It’s a shame that what should be a huge celebratory pole win has been overshadowed by the Team Penske scandal. Robert Shwartzman’s pole, the first by a rookie since Teo Fabi in 1983, should be the talk of the fans and the paddock.

Instead, we are discussing the second Penske cheating issue in as many years. I agree with the penalties handed down this morning by IndyCar, and I appreciate their quick action. As Doug Boles said this morning,

“(the 500) is the biggest race in the world, and integrity is paramount…”

From earlier

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

So, back to the weekend. I’m not sure why Rinus VeeKay went out for a second run and risked putting himself out of the race. If did it to run out the clock, he went too early. There was plenty of time left for Jacob Abel to still have another attempt.

Questions:

Why is RLL’s one off entry for the 500 always the fastest qualifier on the team?

How is David Malukas 10 spots better than Santino Ferrucci?

Should the qualifying format be tweaked?

I’ll answer the last question. A little bit. Each car should be limited to no more than four attempts on Saturday. Any time a car goes out for an attempt, their current time is erased.

IndyCar on FOX: I watched just a part of the broadcast last night, and I saw the Colton Herta interview. Send Chris Myers back to Daytona. He looked and sounded bored, and as if he really didn’t want to be here. Colton had to correct him as to the name of the race. His response was that he works the Daytona 500. Leigh Diffey called the Indy 500 and he never confuses IMS for Daytona. I found Myers to be unprofessional and I hope he is not here Sunday.

To end on a positive not: It’s RACE WEEK!

Today at the Track

thepitwindow
Monday, May 19 
 INDIANAPOLIS Information about 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying track activity Monday, May 19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Public gates open
1-3 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice
TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. 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. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Separate ticket required for entry each day.PUBLIC GATES OPEN (11 a.m.-3 p.m.): Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10A.PARKING: Free public parking is available in N Lot. Free ADA accessible parking is available in the West Museum Lot, Tower Lot, and Flag Lot. Free motorcycle parking is available in South Carousel Lot.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 the IMS Museum, 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 open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, seniors (55 and over) are $23, and military (former and active) are $18. Tickets can be purchased online at https://imsmuseum.org/tickets/. Gate admission must be purchased as well as Museum admission.

From earlier

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

Good Morning from IMS

thepitwindow

Welcome to a frosty Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the temperature is 48 degrees. The first IndyCar practice is scheduled to start in about 10 minutes. Cars are in their pit boxes.

Yesterday Jacob Abel revealed his livery for the Indianapolis 500, a tribute to Dannt=y Sullivan’s winning car from 1985.

As tribute liveries go, this is a very nice one. It evokes the original. A rear enginecar to rear engine car tribute is easier to do than trying to replicate a front engine livery on one of today’s cars.

After practice I will be exploring the new merchandise shop, and I plan to visit the museum and get some more insight into the renovated facility.

Reminder, the first four sessions of Indy NXT and IndyCar are on FS2.

Practice 2 Results; Qualifying Groups

thepitwindow

In a clean practice run under cool and cloudy conditions, Nolan Siegel ended up with the fastest lap as some new names appeared in the top 10. Louis Foster led the session for a bit and finished hird, whilke David Malukas was eighth.

Andretti and Penske cars retained top spots from yesterday. Colton Herta was second quick and Kyle Kirkwood finished fifth for Andretti, while Will Power in fourth and Josef Newgarden in sixth kept Penske in the hunt.

Arrow McLaren had all three cars leading the session at one point. Christian Lundgaard finished10th and Pato O’Ward was 12th.

Notes

At qualifying time the temperature should be about 63 degrees, up just slightly from the 58 degree practice temperature.

LBGP officials annpounced that reserved grandstand seating is sold out for the weekend for the third year in a row. Achieving a sellout is a remarkable feat these days, but sustaining it over three years is remarkable. General admission ickets are still available.

Results

Qualifying Groups

Frye Joins RLL as Team President

thepitwindow

What great news to begin April. I am so happy that Jay Frye will remain in IndyCar. The team announcement from RLL:

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (April 1, 2025) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that well-respected industry executive Jay Frye has joined the team as president. Frye will report directly to team ownership and will oversee operations for the team’s involvement in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Frye’s experience spans over 30 years and includes series and team leadership on both the competition, marketing, sales and ownership sides.

The team also announced that they have parted ways with Steve Eriksen, who held the role of chief operating officer since January 2023.

“First, I would like to thank Steve Eriksen for all of the work he did for us, particularly at a critical moment in time for the company and we certainly wish him the best in his next endeavor,” said Bobby Rahal, team co-owner with David Letterman and Michael Lanigan. “I’m very pleased to have Jay Frye join the team as president of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. I’ve known him since his arrival on the INDYCAR scene in 2013 and have spent a lot of time with him and think highly of his character and his passion for the sport. I look forward to working with him in the future to take RLL to the place we all want it to be.”

“Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has a tremendous history of success, both on and off the track,” added Jay Frye. “I am very proud to be joining the dedicated and talented team of people at RLL. RLL has the foundation, infrastructure and an incredible commitment to continue being successful well into the future.”

BMW M Team RLL returns to action in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series on Saturday, April 12 on the streets of Long Beach while the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season resumes with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13. For more information about the series or team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.


About Jay Frye

Most recently, Frye served as INDYCAR president until February 2025. He left a legacy that includes a strategic plan for future financial stability and innovative safety, competition and partnership developments during his tenure.

Frye joined Hulman & Company in 2013 as chief revenue officer of Hulman Motorsports and led the combined team of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway sponsorship sales, licensing and account services. In 2016, Frye introduced an effective, rolling five-year plan that serves as a strategic blueprint and assists in cost containment for the teams moving into the future. The impetus for the plan was built around the introduction and successful implementation of the AK-18 universal aero kits in 2018. That initial five-year plan has extended through the 2026-28 seasons of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where Frye has set up the series to continue to succeed strategically and competitively.

Named president in December 2018 after spending the previous three years as INDYCAR’s president of competition and operations, Frye made significant contributions to the commercial and competition sides of the business. NTT, a Fortune Global 500 global informational technology and communications leader, opened the 2019 season as the new series title sponsor. Frye initiated and consummated this multiyear deal that was pivotal to the future growth of the series.

In May 2019, Frye spearheaded a partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies to design the aeroscreen, an industry-changing, total driver cockpit safety solution, which debuted in the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The innovative addition to the open-wheel cars proved extremely effective in competition when put to the test. For his accomplishments and leadership, he was recognized by Autosport on its prestigious 2019 Motorsports Power List covering the 50 most powerful people in global motorsport.

In October 2020, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ engine manufacturers, Chevrolet and Honda, extended their long-term agreements with the series, providing stability.

The 2024 season featured the successful implementation of the INDYCAR hybrid power unit. Highlighted by a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Chevrolet and Honda, the hybrid engine package produced over 800 horsepower and completed a remarkable 94,244 miles after full-field introduction. The record-breaking 2024 season also produced 14 on-track passing records and the fastest pole speed in the 108-year history of the Indianapolis 500. As an indicator of overall series health, 2024 featured 27 full-time starters – matching the record set in 2023.

Prior to joining Hulman & Co., Frye flourished in team management roles in the NASCAR industry. He was vice president and general manager for Red Bull Racing’s NASCAR team (2008-11) and was named 2008 NASCAR Executive of the Year by ESPN and the Kansas City Star. From 1996-2007, Frye was chief executive officer and general manager of MB2 Motorsports, a team he created and built. Before his executive roles with NASCAR teams, Frye worked at Valvoline Racing, and his extensive sales and marketing experience began with a variety of roles at Anheuser-Busch Inc.

Frye, a native of Rock Island, Illinois, graduated with a marketing/education degree from the University of Missouri, where he played tight end and offensive tackle for four years on the Tigers’ football team. He and his wife, Danielle, have two daughters.