IMSA- Sports Cars Return to IMS

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Today’s Schedule

Gates open at 9:30

Entry list

Click to access 2023_IWSC_Indy_PreEvent_EntryList.pdf

Good morning from IMS. Today sports cars return to the Speedway after a nine year absence. The cars running tis weekend are very different from the Grand Am cars that raced here from 2012-2014. 48 cars across five classes are entered in the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. If you’re not familiar with the IMSA Weather Tech series, there are several former Indycar and Indy Lights drivers who are now racing this weekend. Several teams are run by Indycar owners as well. This weekend we will see some racing after dark in the Michelin Pilot Series Saturday night. It is a prlude to next year’s IMSA race which is rumored to be a six hour race which will end after dark.

Drivers

Former Indianapolis 500 drivers include Sebastien Bourdais, Jack Hawksworth, Katherine Legge, Gabby Chaves, and Ben Hanley. Former Indy Lights drivers Aaron Telitz and Garrett Grist also drive in the series. I have heard that Devlin DeFrancesco may drive an LMP2 car, but that has not been confirmed.

Sebastien Bourdais at the test this summer.

Wickens Returns

Robert Wickens makes his racing return to IMS in the Michelin Pilot Series. Wickens, paralyzed in a 2018 accident at Pocono, drives a Hyundai Elantra (number 33). The series has a four hour race tomorrow afternoon.

Owners

Team Penske (Porsche), Chip Ganassi Racing (Cadillac), Rahal Letterman lLaniugan Racing (BMW), and Meyer Shank Racing (Acura) run in the GTP class. Andretti Global partners with Wayne Taylor Racing (Acura).

Penske Porsche

Vasser Sullivan has a Lexus in each of the GTD and GTD Pro categories.

Vasser Sullivan Racing

The Porsche Carrera Cup and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series are also running at IMS. I wish Mazda MX-5 were here as well.

I will be mainly covering the IMSA series this weekend, but if something noteworthy comes up in another series I will post it. I will also be watching Robert Wicknes’ progress.

IMSA Features Unique, Class-Based Challenge of ‘Race within a Race’ 

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From IMS. This is a better explanation than I could give. I will have my preview later today.

 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023) – Sports car racing returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on Sept. 15-17, with the unique, “race within a race” format of class racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge series.
Just one type of race car competes either on the 2.5-mile oval or the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at the Racing Capital of the World during NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. The length of those series’ races also is measured by laps.
IMSA is different. Five different classes of cars will race simultaneously when the featured WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race starts at 1:10 p.m. ET Sunday on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course.
And the race is not measured by laps; it’s measured by time – two hours and 40 minutes, in this case. Drivers from all over the world compete for overall victory but also for first place within their respective class. That unique format always keeps the racing interesting, and the varying speeds of the five classes of machines creates intense racing within classes and plenty of traffic for the fastest classes to navigate for most of the race.
The five classes of cars in the series are comprised of two styles of cars – prototype, which showcases the latest automotive technology and are designed uniquely for the racetrack; and GT, based on road-going production models.
So, let’s take a look at the five classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship:
Grand Touring Prototype (GTP): The newest and most technologically advanced Prototype race car debuted in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this season, featuring a common hybrid powertrain for all entries that takes kinetic energy gained in braking and stores it in batteries for later use when needed. Four global automotive manufacturers – Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche – are entered in the class. Each manufacturer developed its unique internal combustion engine and bodywork styling.
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2): The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) is a closed-cockpit car developed by four approved constructors. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP2 cars are eligible to compete in other global series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3): The Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) is an entry-level closed-cockpit car developed by four approved constructors. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP3 cars are also eligible to compete in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge – one of IMSA’s driver development series – as well as other international series such as the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO): GTD PRO, which debuted in 2022, includes race cars built to FIA GT3 technical regulations and offers the opportunity for factory teams and driver lineups to compete in the class. Manufacturers competing in this class in 2023 include Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
GT Daytona (GTD): The GT Daytona cars are enhanced – not defined by – technology and use the global FIA GT3 specification. The GTD class consists of cars from leading manufacturers such as Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge also is racing this weekend at IMS. That series also features a “race within a race,” but with just two classes of production-based sports cars and touring cars.
There will be two unique aspects of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 240 race Saturday at IMS.
First, it’s the longest race of the weekend – four hours. Second, since the race starts at 4:30 p.m. ET, it will finish at 8:30 p.m. under the cloak of darkness with the cars’ headlights illuminating the track. That doesn’t happen with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES or NASCAR.
A look at the two classes
:Grand Sport (GS): The Grand Sport class consists of SRO GT4-homologated cars with engines tuned to produce between 400 and 450 horsepower. Competition is equalized by adjustments to fuel-tank capacities, ride height, power and weight. Eligible cars include the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, Audi R8 GT4, BMW M4 GT4, Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R, Ford Mustang GT4, McLaren 570S GT4, Mercedes-AMG GT GT4, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport and Toyota Supra GT4.
Touring Car (TCR): The Touring Car class consists of WSC TCR-homologated cars with engines tuned to produce between 300 and 350 horsepower. Competition is equalized by adjustments to fuel-tank capacities, ride height, power and weight. Eligible cars include the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR, Audi RS3 LMS DSG, Audi RS3 LMS SEQ, Honda Civic FK7 TCR, Hyundai Elantra N TCR and Hyundai Veloster N TCR.
This exciting event weekend also will feature two single-make series in which competitors race the same brand of car, placing the skill of the driver in the spotlight.
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America features a 50-minute race at 11:50 a.m. Saturday and another 50-minute event at 10:40 a.m. Sunday. Drivers compete in machines from the exotic Italian marque.
Porsche enthusiasts also can see the evocative German machines compete in identical 911 GT3 Cup race cars in two Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America races this weekend. Both races are 40 minutes each. Race 1 is at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, with Race 2 at 9:40 a.m. Sunday.Tickets and information for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks are available at IMS.com.
TIRERACK.COM BATTLE ON THE BRICKS SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 151
0-10:30 a.m.: Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup Practice
110:45-11:30 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Practice 1
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1
1:45-2:25 p.m.: Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup Practice 2
2:40-4:10 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (all classes)
4:30-5:15 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Practice 2
5:30-6 p.m.: Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup Qualifying
7:15-8:30 p.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 2
Saturday, Sept. 16
8-8:15 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying 18:20-8:35 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying 28:55-10:25 a.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (GTD, LMP2, LMP3)
9:10-10:40 a.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (GTP, GTD PRO)
11-11:15 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Qualifying (TCR)
11:20-11:35 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Qualifying (GS)
11:50 a.m.-12:40 p.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 11-1:15 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTD PRO, GTD)
1:25-1:40 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (LMP2, LMP3)
1:50-2:10 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTP)
2:30-3:10 p.m. Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup Race 1
4:30-8:30 p.m. Indianapolis Motor Speedway 240 Michelin Pilot Challenge Race
Sunday, Sept. 17
9:40-10:20 a.m. Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup Race 2
10:40-11:30 a.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 2
1:10-3:50 p.m. TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Race 

Indycar 2023- Palou Rises Above the Chaos Part 2

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Photo: What the field saw for most of the last four races.

A few More items to complete the books on 2023:

McLaren, Andretti Lack Consitency

Entering the season, Ganassi, Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, and Arrow McLaren were considered the Big Four teams. It turns out this year was the year of the Big Two. Both McLaren and Andretti were inconsistent, each having flashes of greatness, but except for Kyle Kirkwood’s two wins, neither team put a full race together.

Arrow Mclaren’s entire season seemed to deflate at St. Pete, when Pato O’Ward’s engine had a small hiccup as he approached the white flag. The team seemed to lose any momentum they had. How different would the championship battle look if O’Ward had won the season opener? he was in a position to win at Texas, Indianapolis, and Laguna Seca. Yellow and red flags appeared to stymie his chances. each time. Felix Rosenquist earned two poles, at Texas and Laguna Seca, but he faded quickly at both races. Alexander Rossi had a decent year as a driver moving to a new team, and he should be stronger in 2024.

Kirkwood’s two wins were the highlight of a difficult season for Andretti. Their top three drivers- Romin Grosjean, Colton Herta, and Kirkwood- won a combined five pokes. Like Mclaren, poles were not converted to race wins. Herta seemed especially snake bitten, either penalties or bad pit stops taking him out of contention. Kirkwood and Grosjean were inconsistent. The addition of Marcus Ericsson should improve the team’s performance in 2024.

Race Control

The theme of this post is inconsistency. Throughout most of the season, I had no idea what race control was doing. Delayed yellow flags so everyone could pit, allowing cars to get in the pits before throwing the yellow, unnecessary red flags (see Indianapolis 500) made it very confusing to know the situation.

The delayed yellow flag is a dangerous precedent. I guess they are not going to change it until a car runs into the disabled machine. This situation is completely avoidable by throwing the yellow immediately. Will someone’s race be ruined? Maybe. It’s called the breaks of the game.

I will not repeat my full red flag rant again, but I will say red flags are for safety, not to create entertainment. I’ll stop here before this column becomes six pages long.

My hope is that over the off season race control refines procedures for cautions abn starts and restarts. Some green flags should have been called off this season. Sunday’s start was the most glaring example. A rethink of restart zones at certain tracks is also in order.

A Huge Thank You

I want to thank everybody who took time to read this little post and followed along all season. It was fun to cover in spite of the medical issue I incurred mid season. I am fine now.

My season is not quite done. I will be on site with coverage of the Battle on the Bricks IMSA race at IMS this weekend. It will be my first time covering this series, and I’m looking forward to it.

I will be here all winter and I have several stories planned, so please come back in the coming months.

Indycar 2023- Palou Rises Above the Chaos Part 1

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A season which began and ended in chaos had some good racing in between, and produced a champion and runner up who were models of consistency. As in any season, some teams shined, and others disappointed.

Alex Palou ran away with the title, finishing no worse than eighth in any race to fortify his five wins. Teammate Scott Dixon only finished outside of the top seven just one time. That may have been the difference in the championship.

I am always sad to see an Indycar season come to a close, but this off season promises to be very busy. There are still seven to eight seats for 2024 still up for grabs, and testing may be increased as the new hybrid component comes on board. Before we look ahead to 2024 let’s take a look back at the just completed season.

Chaotic Opener and Closer

The season began with a first lap pileup at St. Pete which featured Benjamin Pedersen in the air. The race would have a total of three multicar incidents, but it ended with a great finish as Marcus Ericsson passed Pato O’Ward at the white flag.

The new Detroit Grand Prix had its share of mayhem as well with 32 of the 100 laps run under caution. This track needs some tweaks to be raceable.

Sunday saw 35 of 95 yellow laps as drivers tried to get a handle on the new surface. I felt restart zone could have been in a better spot to prevent crashes when the race resumed.

Ganassi Team Dominates

It’s good to be a Chip Ganassi Racing driver. Alex Palou won five times on the way to the title. Scott Dixon, who looked just average at midseason, won three of the last four races and clinched second in the points at Portland as Palou sealed the title. Marcus Ericsson won a race and finished sixth in the standings. While he did not win a race, Marcus Armstrong won Rookie of the Year despite driving in only 12 races. 2023was a Ganassi sweep.

Rahal Renaissance

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers languished through the first hqalf of the season. Christian Lundgaard won the pole at the GMR Grand Prix in May as the only highlight of the first third of the year.

The embarrassment of Graham Rahal not qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 as the three drivers fought each other for the last sparked immediate changes in the team. Whatever they did wo0rked. Lundgaard won the pole and the race at Toronto. Rahal won two poles in the last four races.

It i difficult to turn a team around in midseason. What RLL did was amazing. They are the team i respect the most this season.

Power Shortage

Will Power did not win a race after winning the championship in 2022. He won just two poles, both at Iowa on an oval. Power, the career leader in poles, made just one Fast Six on road and street courses.

I look for Power to came back with a strong season next year.

Newgarden Wins 500, Sweeps Iowa, Then Fades Away

Josef Newgarden had things going his way the first half of the season. He won the Indianapolis 500, then swept the doubleheader at Iowa. His chance to sweep all the ovals ended with wall contact at World Wide Technology Raceway. It was Newgarden’s second straight 25th place finish, essentially ending his title hopes. Sunday he finished 21st.

Newgarden fell to fifth in the final standings, matching his worst finish in the last four years. He might just win the title in 2024.

New Winners

Despite the dominance of the Ganassi drivers. two drivers joined the winners’ club. Kyle Kirkwood won at Long Beach and Nashville, while Christian Lundgaard took the checkered at Toronto.

There is a lot more to talk about. I will continue the season review later today.

A Few Quick Thoughts on a Random Race

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Scott Dixon did it again. One of these days the series will learn not to give him a penalty- or two- as he received today. It seems to motivate Dixon and his team. Dixon won three of the final four races and finished second in then points.

The tone for the race was set when control chose to start the race despite several cars, notably Colton Herta, jumping out of line. It looked like a start that should have been waved off to me.

The chaos throughout the race was caused by a couple of things. It was the last race of the season, and most drivers had nothing to fight for. The new track surface- slippery and fast- caused problems all weekend. The thing I didn’t understand is why the start/restart zone was in the last urn. If it is brought onto the straight, many of the yellows may have been avoided.

Once again, Pato O’Ward was a victim of untimely yellow flags while leading. I will say, to be fair, his tire strategy played a part in it too today. The yellows somewhat dictated that, but the team has struggled most of the year with pit calls.

It was a great day for Juncos Hollinger Racing. Callum Ilott ran as high as third before falling to fifth. Agustin Canapino was in the top 10 until a late off road excursion dropped him to 14th.

Newgarden Swoon– Since sweeping the double header at Iowa, Josef Newgarden’s finishes over the last five races were fourth at Nashville, 25th at the IMS road course, 25th at Gateway, fifth at Portland, and 21st today. Newgarden ended the season in fifth place.

It was a tough last drive for Helio Castroneves. He was involved in several contact situations, and he spent a lot of time in the gravel, but still soldiered home in 13th on the lead lap.

Scott McLaughlin overcame the lap 1 incident and some other contact to finish second and place third in the final standings. Mclaughlin was my preseason pick to win the championship this year.

hat is it for me tonight. I will have some more thoughts this race and the season tomorrow. Thanks for following along this weekend and all season.

INDYCAR To Host $1 Million Challenge in March 2024 at Scenic Thermal Club 

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 INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will bring its pulsating, wheel-to-wheel action to The Thermal Club for a unique, made-for-TV racing exhibition during the 2024 season. The special event from sunny Southern California will offer a $1 million prize to the winner and will receive a network broadcast showcase on NBC.
Race Day for the $1 Million Challenge is set for Sunday, March 24 with an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test and qualifications to take place Friday and Saturday March 22-23
.“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will add an incredible new event to our schedule with next year’s spectacular racing showcase at The Thermal Club,” said Paenske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles. “This world-class venue just down the road from the world’s premier entertainment market is the perfect place to bring our hyper-competitive racing and growing star power.”
While championship points will not be on the line, the event will feature a multimillion-dollar purse. A draw party to begin the event will embed members of The Thermal Club with each race team and driver. The weekend format will include a qualifying session and two heat races, with the top six from each heat advancing to an All-Star showcase. The top five finishing teams will split their earnings with The Thermal Club members, including a $1 million prize awarded to the winner.
There will be a charitable component to the event that will be announced at a later date.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES hosted a successful Open Test on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile layout in February to jump-start the 2023 racing season.
“The experience the teams had at The Thermal Club was second to none,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “We treated it like a preseason scrimmage, and, looking back, it was the perfect launch to this record-breaking season.
“The facility is spectacular, and we cannot wait to return and showcase INDYCAR in a whole new way.”
The private, world-class facility, located just outside of Palm Springs, California, is an expansive 490-acre property known as the ultimate destination for driving-minded motorsports enthusiasts. Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, The Thermal Club has everything from luxury homes to a motorsports village and gourmet restaurants. The facility was named “Professional Motorsport Facility of the Year” at the 2017 Professional Motorsports World Expo in Germany.
“After having a smooth 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES test, we are proud to welcome INDYCAR back to The Thermal Club during the 2024 season,” said John Rogers, owner, The Thermal Club. “The teams, drivers and the entire INDYCAR SERIES paddock are true professionals, and we look forward to developing our relationship with them in the future. This marquee racing showcase in March promises to be special for everyone, including spectators, Thermal members and race fans tuning in at home.”
There will be limited tickets available to INDYCAR fans, with more details to be provided in the future.
This year’s season concludes this Sunday, Sept. 10 with the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES taking on world-famous WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and Peacock. The INDYCAR Radio Network will provide coverage via SiriusXM channel 160 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
More details on the entire 2024 season schedule will be available in the coming weeks.