Category: Uncategorized

Quick Thoughts on Qualifying- Pocono

thepitwindow

Great day for Zach Veach. He led the practice session and hung on to P1 in qualifying longer than I expected.

Is this the opening the  four drivers chasing Dixon need?

Can Power defy the odds and win the race too? Only five pole winners have won this race.

Pagenaud could a points spoiler for one of the championship contenders, possibly one if his teammates.

Honda and Chevy seem pretty equally this weekend.

Never thought I’d see anyone tie an A.J. Foyt record. Well done, Will Power.

With final practice washed out the race will be more intriguing. I like that there is no morning warmup on road courses for that reason as well.

Quick Thoughts on the race this evening.

 

Good Morning From Mid Ohio

thepitwindow

TheMid Ohio weekend begins in one hour with MX5 Cup practice. Indycar’s first practice is ar 11.

I will have quick thoughts occasionally in this site but my full articles will be on wildfireradiosports.com.

I will also be live tweeting action on this site’s account, @PitWindow. If you aren’t following that account, please do.

Enjoy the weekend.

 

Second Half Preview – Points Battle, Scheduling, Title Sponsor, Teams

thepitwindow

Announcement: The Pit Window now has its own Twitter account. If you haven’t already, please follow @PitWindow. Through this account I will be better able to provide up to the minute happenings, especially at the track on race weekends.

This weekend at Road America the second half of the all too short Indycar season begins. There is a terrific points battle going on with the top four separated by just 57 points. Racing has been great on the road and street courses, but Indycar is still trying to find the best way to set up the new aero on the ovals. An announcement today about Pocono may be a solution. We also have a new series title sponsor announcement within the next 90 days, the 2019 schedule to sort out, and going on right now is Silly Season, Teams Division. Here is a look at what to expect in the second half.

Fierce Title Fight Will Continue to Sonoma

Scott Dixon’s usual way to win a title is to start the season slowly, catch fire around mid-season, then take the lead with just a few races left and run away with the championship. That he has the lead at the season’s mid-point should have the rest of the contenders concerned. There are more tracks left that should favor Chevy rather than Honda. Dixon is the defending champ at Road America.  Josef Newgarden, currently fifth, won last year at Gateway and Mid-Ohio. Alexander Rossi is probably going to win another race this season and Will Power will also take another checkered flag. This fight is going to be fun to watch.

Schedule Issues?

Indycar was able to boast of schedule continuity and date equity the last three years when they had virtually all their tracks signed on for multi year deals. That continuity may be gone next year, as three tracks have yet to renew.

Right now it appears two tracks, Phoenix and Texas, may fall off the schedule. With few oval options to replace them, this could be a loss for the series. Phoenix looks to definitely not be returning, and Eddie Gossage looks as if he wants to again be the race after the Indianapolis 500 with an off week in between. To get that, Roger Penske would have to move the Belle Isle weekend. That is not likely to happen. Gossage’s only leverage is that he has an ova which is the type of track the series needs. Look for the schedule to come out later than it has been the last couple of years. I think it will be very different.

New Teams

Juncos and Meyer Shank Racing are hoping to expand their part time status next season although not necessarily become full time teams yet. Shank is looking to expand from six races in 2018 to between eight and ten next year. Juncos is still looking to become a single full time one car team at some point. Jack Harvey will stay at Shank.  Will Kyle Kaiser be Juncos’s main driver? Given more time in the car, I think Kaiser has potential.

The Orange Elephant

With Fernando Alonso’s victory at LeMans on Sunday, talk immediately heated up about him coming to Indycar full time. McLaren appears to be on the brink of becoming a new full time Indycar team in 2019. Team Principal Zak Brown said the move to Indycar depends on what Alonso wants to do. Alonso will be in a  McLaren for the 500.  If the 500 is all Alonso wants to do, but McLaren still wants to go full tim, they could put Lando Norris in the car for the rest of the season. Norris, McLaren’s reserve driver, gets seat time and Alonso stays in Formula 1 in addition  to running the 500. The current thinking is McLaren will form a technical partnership with Andretti Autosport. This could be a  big piece of the grid for 2019.

The Steinbrenner/Herta Conundrum

Assuming that a). McLaren does partner with Andretti, and b). Colton Herta wins the Indy Lights championship, where does Herta race?  His team, Steinbrenner Racing, is part of the Andretti Lights program. Owner George Steinbrenner IV plans to move Herta to Indycar if he wins the Lights title this year. He might move up anyway, but the million dollar prize would make it easier. Would Andretti field six full time cars? Herta might work with another team for a year or two. Stay tuned.

New Series Sponsor?

According to The Indianapolis Star, Mark Miles hopes to have a new title sponsor for Indycar in the next 90 days. There seems to be two entities involved. My reading is that one is definitely closer to a deal than the other. I have nomidea who Indycar is talking to, but I appreciate Miles’s and the Indycar executives working hard to get this matter taken care before the end of the current season.

Aero Help at Pocono

Indycar announced yesterday some added downforce for Pocono. Here is a link to the article on Indycar.com explaining the new piece.

https://www.indycar.com/News/2018/06/06-18-Superspeedway-front-wing-extension

Look for my Road America preview on Wildfireradiosports.com this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andretti on Pole for Race 1

thepitwindow

The headline is not a typo. Marco Andretti won the pole for today’s Indycar race at Belle Isle.

Andretti nipped Robert Wickens in the second qualifying group with a last lap of 1:14.8. He was the only driver under 1:15. Scott Dixon led the first qualifying group and will start second.

Indy 500 champion Will Power was the fastest Chevy and will start sixth.

Firestone Introduces New Rain Tire

A new rain tire debuts this weekend. It is designed to produce more grip and push water away more efficiently. The new tires may see some action tomorrow with a chance of showers in the forecast.

Race 1 summary later tonight.

The Positive Thinking of Power

thepitwindow

“When you work hard at something it eventually comes to you,” Will Power said at his Sunday afternoon press conference. He credit this approach to his determination in the closing laps of the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Winning the 500 had run through his head more than ever over the last year, he said. It was. “The last box to check on his career, which includes an Indycar Series championship won after several close calls. Again working hard will eventually get you what you want.

The race was an intriguing event. It was difficult to pass, as expected, but drivers liked that the outcome was more in their hands. Some teams, Scott Dixon and Robert Wickens, tried alternate pit strategies which were hurt by the timing of the caution periods. Power, on a normal pit cycle, was in the right spot in the end to take advantage of those who gambled.

Ed Carpenter and Power had the strongest cars all day. Carpenter led 65 laps and Power led 59. No one else led more than 19. Tony Kanaan looked to be a third factor until a cut tire forced an extra stop. He had worked his way back to ninth, then crashed on lap 189, setting up the dramatic finish and near storybook ending.

Oriol Servia, Stefan Wilson, and Jack Harvey gambled there would be another yellow and they would be able to save enough fuel to go the distance. Servia led the field to the green on lap 193 and was quickly passed by Wilson and Harvey. Wilson led the next three laps, which sent a buzz through the crowd. The two leaders pulled into the pits for fuel on lap 196, hand Power the lead and the victory.

The usually stoic Power was one of the happiest winners in Victory Lane in many years. “I started screaming on the white flag lap,” he said. Tim Cindric corroborated that.

Notes

Power’s win was the first for a front row starter since Dario Franchitti won from third in 2010. It was Team Penske’s first 500 win since Juan Pablo Montoya won his third in 2015.

There were 30 lead changes, many on pit cycles. While we didn’t see constant passes for the lead, I thought it made each pass more genuine and a result of driving and not equipment packages.

Alexander Rossi had another march from the back of the field. His fourth place finish from a last row start was one of the highlights of the day. He also charged from the back to get a podium at Phoenix after a pit penalty. Rossi is now two points behind Power in the series championship.

Graham Rahal continues his season of starting in the back and getting to the top 10. Yesterday he finished tenth from his 30th starting spot. I’m sure he’s looking forward to Detroit where he dominated the weekend last year.

Danica Patrick’s career ended with a crash on lap 68. It was the only the second time she has not finished the race. Patrick had always done well at the Speedway, including being the first woman to lead.

Helio Castroneves spun and crashed on lap 146. I’m not sure if he will return next year. If he does, 2019 may be his last time to try for win number 4

Power is the first driver to win the Indycar Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year.

What is Up with the Pre-Race?

For a couple of years now I have become annoyed with the pace of the pre race ceremonies. This year I thought they were longer and more drawn out than ever. It seemed as if parts were out of order as well. These ceremonies used to be compact, flowing and built the tension leading to the start. I don’t get that feeling or the goosebumps I used to get during this part of the day.

The Speedway has found its new singer for “(Back Home Again in) Indiana”. It was another great performance by Jim Cornelison. Please keep him.

The highlight was playing a recording of Jim Phiilipe’s homage to veterans which preceded taps. It was wonderful to hear that again, but the moment was ruined when instead of following it immediately with “Taps”, the invocation was next, followed by an ABC commercial break, then “Taps.” A solemn moment was ruined.

The last straw was Tony George giving the command, “Drivers, start your engines” for the second year in a row. I’m not sure if I heard the engines or if the sound was Tony Hulman spinning in his grave. Please, IMS, give the traditional (Ladies) and Gentlemen, start your engines command. Drivers, start your engines is fine for every other race on the schedule.

I will close with a couple more photos from yesterday. I have more stories of the month this week before the series moves to Detroit.

(Left) Will Power’s car om pit lane race morning.

(Right) Power waits to take questions from the press.

All photos: Mike Silver

Power Wins Strategic Indianapolis 500

thepitwindow

Will Power edged Ed Carpenter in the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Power, whose car seemed to get stronger as the race went on, took the lead for good with 3 laps remaining when leader Stefan Wilson and second place Jack Harvey had to stop for fuel.

Power led 59 laps, second to Ed Carpenter’s race high 65. Power was able to pass Carpenter in the pits and kept ahead of the pole winner.

Alexander Rossi came from starting 32nd to finish fourth. Graham Rahal finished tenth after starting 30th.

It was an intriguing race with teams using different pit strategies. A rash of yellows around lap 50 and other cautions in the second half of the race played havoc with some teams’ plans.

Two fan favorites, Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves, crashed in separate incidents. It was the final race for Patrick, who is the first woman to lead laps at Indianapolis.

Three time winner Castroneves ran in the top 10 most of the day,but never contended for the lead. This was his only race in Indycar this season.

More tomorrow, including my thoughts on the day as a whole.

 

Race Day!

thepitwindow

Good morning from IMS. The 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 begins in 7 hours. There seems to be no clear favorite for the race.

I still think it will be a caution filled race and strategies will be mixed. The temperatures in the 90s this afternoon and the anticipated cloud cover will change the way the cars handle.

Look for a quick post race note and a recap tomorrow.

The Drama Everyone Hoped For; The Results Nobody Wanted

thepitwindow2 Comments

Fans hoped that the return of bumping would bring drama back to qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There was plenty to go around. As the gun sounded, however, many were not happy with the results. Two perennial favorites, Pippa Mann and James Hinchcliffe, were out of the field for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, while another favorite, Conor Daly, fought his way onto the grid-twice.

James Davison, who had a hard crash Friday afternoon. sat for the last hour waiting to see if he would be bumped. His crew completed repairs around 2 am. Bob Lazier loaned the team  parts to rebuild the gearbox.

Davison was in a difficult position. He couldn’t withdraw his time until he was bumped. He had a spot and had to keep it. Mann wasn’t fast enough, and Hinchcliffe didn’t get another chance.

Conor Daly”s first attempt of the day ended with a 22.684 average. He was eventually bumped. His second effort put him back in the field. Oriol Servia, who was having a difficult day himself, bumped Daly on his third attempt of the day. Daly went out a third time and bumped Hinchcliffe out.

Servia had a problem on his first run and it was called off after laps of 201, 196, and 194. His second had two respectable laps in the low 220 range, but after he dropped to 217 on the third, the crew stopped the effort. He finally bumped his way in near the end of the day’.

In what would be Hinchcliffe’s final attempt of the day, he felt a vibration as he pulled out of pit lane. It went way, but it returned in turn 3 and he decided to pull in. The problem was a tire sensor broke and was rattling around inside the wheel. Hinchcliffe got back in line, but time ran out before he could get another try.

Press Conferences- Highs and Lows

The post qualifying press conferences ranged from silly to emotional. Foutr members of the Fast Nine- Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, Ed Carpenter, and Danica Patrick- spoke. They mostly joked around and all expected to be on the pole tomorrow.

IMG_3246

IMG_3247

James Davison talked about how hard his crew worked to get the car ready after the crash on Friday.

“The only way to repay them (the crew) was  to make the race,” he said, “We owe them immensely.”

He sees no point in running hard Sunday to improve his position.

IMG_3248 (2)

 

Pippa Man and James Hinchcliffe also spoke in separate appearances. they both came from several rounds of on air interviews and team discussions. They both looked emotionally drained. I admire them both for making one last stop to talk to the media.

IMG_3249 (2)

In her brief emotional remarks, Mann said she knew Friday they might be in trouble when the car, which had performed well Wednesday and Thursday was not fast yesterday morning. Everything on the car was changed.

“We tried everything, obviously it wasn’t fast enough. It’s the worst feeling in the world.”

IMG_3250 (2)

Hinchcliffe was subdued and direct. ” This was our fault. Nobody failed us We failed us,” he told the media. His comments seemed pointed at those on social media blaming ABC, the drivers who went out just before him, and anyone else they could think of for his not getting into the race.

“This track has done worse to me in the past and we came back swinging,” he said, referring to his crash in 2015 followed by winning the pole the following year.

As to speculation that he might replace Jay Howard in the race, “I will do what Sam (Schmidt) and Rick (Peterson tell me to do, ” he answered.

 

As I said in a previous piece, the current qualifying format was designed for a field of 33 entries only. The rules need to be changed when there are more entries. We knew two cars were going home. We can’t be angry at the system because our favorite drivers are the ones left out. Sad for them, yes; disappointed, absolutely. More on this topic tomorrow.

I will post an update when I get to the track. The weather this afternoon looks iffy.

 

Bump Tales- Marlboro Snuffed; Team Penske Fails to Qualify

thepitwindow

Nothing at the Indianapolis Motor4 Speedway is a given. A car, a team, or a driver cannot be penciled into the starting lineup because they just happen to be at the track in May. This point was never driven home as hard as it was in 1995 when Team Penske, winners of the previous two 500s and three of the previous four, failed to make the field for the 79th running of the Indianapolis 500.  Penske came to Indianapolis with a new chassis. The car was a handful from the first practice day. A switch to a Lola or Reynard chassis didn’t help.

The powerful Mercedes-Ilmor pushrod engine that dominated the field in 1994 was not available by rule. The engine wasn’t the issue, however. The car had handling issues. It couldn’t get through the turns well. By the first qualifying weekend, Al Unser, Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi, winners of the last two 500s, were running 10 mph slower than eventual pole sitter Scott Brayton. Penske hoped they could find a solution in the week following pole weekend and get the cars in the field on the second weekend. Pole weekend 1995  was the first time Team Penske did not qualify at least one car on opening weekend.

Bump Day arrived and still neither car had qualified. Bump Days during the era of two qualifying weekend followed an unwritten schedule. If the field hadn’t been filled by then, a handful of cars would go out early to grab the few reamaining slots. If weather interfered later in the day, those cars were guaranteed a spot in the race. Then, several hours of open track for practice occurred. No one seriously thought about qualifying until after 4 pm, when a cooling shadow appeared on the front straight.  1995 stuck to the pattern.

The day before, Fittipaldi made an attempt to qualify. He was averaging 225.5 but the crew waved off the run. It was a speed that would have put him in row 10. Unser, Jr. did not come close to a  speed that would get him in the field. The team put all their hopes into the final two hours of qualifying.

At 5:20 pm Fittipaldi completed a run at 224. 907 which placed him insecurely on the grid. With 12 minutes left in qualifying, Stefan Johanssen bumped Fittipaldi and Team Penske from the field of 33 for the 1995 race. The team that dominated the previous year did not come close to getting in the race.

To his credit, and one thing I have always respected Roger Penske for, he did not try to buy qualified cars to put his drivers in the race. Other owners have done that in this situation, as recently as 2011, when Michael Andretti bought one of A. J. Foyt’s qualified entries for Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Unser, Jr. was the first active defending champion to not make the race. It would be the first 500 without an Unser in the field since 1962. He and Bobby Rahal are the only defending series champions to fail to qualify. Rahal’s bump story is coming next week in this space.

Following the 1995 season, Tony George formed the IRL, which precipitated a 12 year war with CART. The competing open wheel series hurt the sport. It is slowly recovering, but will likely never regain the prominence it once held. Penske opted to stay in CART and didn’t return to IMS until 2001. His team won three consecutive races and his team has since won three more. Team Penske’s most recent victory was in 2015 with Juan Pablo Montoya.

As bizzare as qualifying was, the 1995 race was one of the strangest I’ve seen. It seemed as if every driver who led crashed. The strangest crash was Jimmy Vasser, who loked to be in complete control, crashed trying to pass a lapped car. Scott Goodyear took command and was well on his way to victory. On a restart with about 10 laps to go, Goodyear passed the pace car, which had not yet left the track. He ignored the black flag. Officials stopped scoring Goodyear’s laps after lap 195. Jacques Villeneuve, who had received a two lap penalty earlier in the day, inherited the lead and the win. Villeneuve drove 505 miles to win the 500.

Next week on Bump Tales, stories of two former winners who failed to qualify in different years.  Look for my Indycar Grand Prix stories Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.