Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Fast Facts

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From Indycar

Race weekend: Friday, July 21-Sunday, July 23

Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa

Race distance: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Saturday) | Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Sunday) | INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway: 75 laps/67.05 miles

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Fourteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend | INDY NXT by Firestone: Three sets for use during the race weekend

Twitter: @indycaratiowa, @IndyCar, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250 #INDYCARInstagram: @indycaratiowa, @INDYCAR, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250, #INDYCARFacebook: @HyVeeINDYCARWeekend, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAREvent website: www.hyveeindycarweekend.comINDYCAR website: www.indycar.com

2022 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIESJosef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet), Race #1; Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), Race #2
INDY NXT by FirestoneHunter McElrea (Andretti Autosport)

2022 NTT P1 Award winner:Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 18.0607 seconds, 178.099 mph (Race 1); 18.0796 seconds, 178.013 mph (Race 2)

One-lap qualifying record:NTT INDYCAR SERIESHelio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014

INDY NXT by FirestoneColton Herta, 19.6441 seconds, 163.835 mph, July 9, 2017

NBC race telecast: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, July 22, NBC;
Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, 2 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC. Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dave Burns, Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.
Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecasts of the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be simulcast on the streaming service.

The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR Live.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman (Saturday) and Jake Query (Sunday) are the turn announcers. Michael Young be the pit reporter alongside Query (Saturday) and Yeoman (Sunday). The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart race (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade race (2 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (10:55 a.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times Central):
FRIDAY, JULY 21
2:15-3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR Live
3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock
5:30-6:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR Live
7:30 p.m. Pit Stop Competition

SATURDAY, JULY 22
8:30 a.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock

10:05 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway “Drivers, start your engines)
10:10 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (75 laps/67.05 miles), Peacock

2 p.m. NBC on air
2:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
2:06 p.m. Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live)

SUNDAY, JULY 23
10:05-10:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES systems check (Out and In Lap)
1 p.m. NBC on air
1:25 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
1:30 p.m. Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live)

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:T
he Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 11th and 12th races of the 2023 season. There have been six different winners in 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. 
Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) and Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2023. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, featuring the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, will be the third and fourth oval races of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous two oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500). Newgarden has won five of the last seven oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule – including one of the two races during the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend in 2022. The remaining oval race will take place Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 18th and 19th NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Iowa Speedway.
 Josef Newgarden and Ryan Hunter-Reay are the only entered drivers to win at Iowa Speedway more than once. Newgarden has four wins (2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2 and 2022 Race #1) while Hunter-Reay has three wins (2012, 2014 and 2015). Past winners Pato O’Ward (2022 Race #2), and Helio Castroneves (2017) are also entered in the event.
ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS
Josef Newgarden 4 2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2, 2022 Race #
1Ryan Hunter-Reay 3 2012, 2014, 2015
Helio Castroneves 1 2017
Pato O’Ward 1 2022 Race #2
Andretti Autosport has won seven of the 17 previous races at Iowa Speedway (Dario Franchitti 2007, Tony Kanaan 2010, Marco Andretti 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012, 2014 and 2015 and James Hinchcliffe 2013). Team Penske has five wins (Helio Castroneves 2017, Josef Newgarden 2019, 2020 Race #2 and 2022 Race #1 and Simon Pagenaud 2020 Race #1). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins (Dan Wheldon 2008 and Franchitti 2009).
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dario Franchitti and Josef Newgarden are the only drivers to win at Iowa Speedway and win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season. Newgarden accomplished the feat in 2019, Hunter-Reay in 2012 and Franchitti in 2007 and 2009.
Scott Dixon is the only driver to have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Iowa, and although he has 11 top-five finishes in his previous 17 starts on the oval, he’s never won at “The World’s Fastest Short Track.” Twelve drivers entered have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 1,506, Helio Castroneves 644, Will Power 234, Dixon 130, Pato O’Ward 97, Takuma Sato 64, Graham Rahal 32, Ed Carpenter 18, Conor Daly 17, Felix Rosenqvist 7, Alexander Rossi 4 and David Malukas 1).
Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend presents the first chance for Alex Palou to complete the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge. The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has already scored wins on a street course (Streets of Detroit) and a road course (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course). He would become the second driver to claim a $1 million bonus to be split among his team and chosen charity – The American Legion – should he win on an oval. Josef Newgarden won the bonus last season.
Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 316th and 317th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history. Tony Kanaan holds the INDYCAR SERIES record with 318 consecutive starts…Ed Carpenter will attempt to make his 200th career INDYCAR SERIES start in Sunday’s Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade

INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes:The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway marks the start of the second half of the 2023 season. Rookie Nolan Siegel leads the championship standings by 16 points over his HMD Motorsports teammate Christian Rasmussen. Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea (39 points behind) and Louis Foster (42 back) are close behind.The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway will be the first of two oval events this season for INDY NXT by Firestone. Hunter McElrea claimed the checkered flag last season and will look to become the first repeat winner at Iowa in INDYCAR’s development series. The second oval race of the season is Aug. 26 at World Wide Technology Raceway.Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first series win in 2023? 
 
 

Indycar Strengthens Wheel Bearings After Incident in 500

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From Indycar:

INDYCAR Strengthens Rear-Wheel Bearing Retaining Nut, To Debut at Iowa Doubleheader 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 19, 2023) – INDYCAR, along with longtime partner Dallara, is providing an update to improve the overall strength and retention of wheel hubs on NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars.The updated rear-wheel bearing retaining nut is being distributed to all entries in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and will be mandated for use beginning at this weekend’s Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader at Iowa Speedway.
The strength of the rear-wheel bearing retaining nut has increased by 60 percent over the previous design. Revisions to the existing component came after a meticulous review of the incident at the 2023 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge involving the No. 27 car of Andretti Autosport and the No. 6 car of Arrow McLaren, which resulted in the loss of the left rear wheel assembly on the No. 27. “Dallara continues to be a tremendous partner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “Their thorough review process of the incident between the No. 6 and the No. 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway began immediately and included an extensive recreation at their headquarters in Italy.
“INDYCAR takes safety very seriously. This update is an important step in making sure an incident like this does not happen again.”
Previously, it was determined that the wheel tether system, using high-performance Zylon material, did not fail in the May 28 incident. INDYCAR was the first sanctioning body in the United States to require its use.
“It is Dallara’s mission, along with INDYCAR and all of the racing series we work with, to maintain and continuously improve safety based upon the highest standards,” Dallara CEO Stefano dePonti said. “After completing a detailed analysis of the accident during this year’s Indy 500, together with INDYCAR we have reached the conclusion that the outcome was the consequence of an unusual and never experienced set of circumstances.
“Nevertheless, we have developed and produced new components that will increase the strength of the corner in case the unlikely sequence of events repeats itself.”
The next race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart Saturday, July 22 at Iowa Speedway. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on NBC with a simulstream available on Peacock. The doubleheader at “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet” continues Sunday, July 23 with the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade. Coverage on Sunday begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The INDYCAR Radio Network will also provide coverage throughout the weekend. 

The Pit Window is Pushed Back to the Garage

thepitwindow7 Comments

It was bound to happen at some point. Tghe Pit Window will be staying home for the next few weeks. Impending surgery on August 10 has made me decide to lay low to avoid the risk of exposure until then. While I will still cover Iowa and Nashville remotely, coverage of the GP at IMS may be delayed,

Without going into detail, the surgery is particular to older men, and the recover period is not long.I plan to return trackside at gateway and the final two rounds on the West Coast.

I will be at IMS next weekend for the IMSA test, since no extensive travel is involved and there won’t be a crowd.

While I really hate to miss Iowa, my favorite non Indy oval in the series. I will cheer myself up on Friday by going to a movie about nuclear weapons.

Daly Returns to MSR; Pagenaud Still Not Cleared

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Simon Pagenud photo by Joe Sibinski

Simon Pagenaud issues the following statement on Twitter this morning:

Conor Daly will again sub for Pagenaud in the 60 Meyer Shank Racing. Daly has raced seven times at Iowa, and he won the pole there in 2020 for race 1.

Daly also filled in for Pagenaud at Mid Ohio in July following Pagenaud’s massive practice accident.

I hope Simon is olay and we will see him back in the car before the end of the season.

Quick Thoughts- Honda Indy Toronto

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Note- A more ddetailed story about Christian Lundgaard and RLL will be up tomorrow morning, followed by a complete wrap up. Just wanted to egt some thoughts out there now.

Congratulations to Christian Lundgaard on his first career victory in Indycar. He has been the most solid driver on the team this year, but is starting to put it together. Lundgaard won the pole at GMR Grand Prix at IMS in May. At Mid Ohio he started fifth and finished fourth.

It is always nice to see a first time winner in the series. the genuine emotion and joy shown by Lundgaard and the entire RLL organization was a joy to watch.

The entire Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team deserves credit for thier incredible turnaround since May. This team struggled to get two of their three cars into the Indianpolis 500.

It was a richly deserved win with great stategy calls and a couple of great passes.

Maybe Palou Isn’t Human?

Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden had Alex palou right where they wanted him. He started 15th, his worst satrting spot of the year. Dixon and Newgarden were both ahead of him. With the race on a tight street course where passing is difficult, I’m sure visions of points gains danced in their heads.

So, Palou finishes second, nursing a front wing that could have fallen off at any moment, and adds seven points to his cahampionship lead.

Maybe he is bullet proof.

Toronto- Where the Streaks Have No Name

Four streaks ended this weekend. Alex Palou’s three race winning streak, Colton Herta’s two weekend pole streak, Will Power not being in the Fast Six, and Herta’s non podium streak.

It is hard for me to believe that Herta had not been on the poium in 2023 until today.

As for Palou, he could start another one and run to the end of the season.

I had questioned power’s competitiveness early in the year, but he has been strong since the 500.

Notes

Lundgaard joins Kyle Kirkwood as first time career winners in 2023. Their wins have something in common. Both drivers won a street race from the pole.

Romain Grosjean’s Indycar future may be hanging by a thread. Another crash today makrks his fourth finishn of 22nd or worse since May. His last top ten finish was at Barber.

How did the crews of Will Power and Marcus Ericsson get the fuel calculations so wrong?

Congratulations to Marcus Srmstrong on his seventh place finish.

Agustin canapino finsihed 12th, tying his career best set at St. Pete, but he started this weekend from 18th, his career best start. A great weekend for the Indycar rookie.

Does trouble always find Kyle Kirkwood, or does he always find trouble? He puzzles me.

Thanks for following along this weekend. A more in depth story on RLL’s journey to Victory Lane will be up tomorrow.

Dixon Tops Morning WarmUp

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Scott Dixon had the ffaststestt lap in this morning’s pre race warmuup for this afternoon’s Honda Indy Toronto. his time of 1:01.3208 was sisix hundredths quicker than Kyle Kirrkwood and nearly three tenths better than Josef Newgarden.

The 390 minute sessionn ran free of toppagees, and was highlighted by a racing duel between Scott McLaughlin and Felix Rosenqvist.

Pole sitter Christian Lundgaard finished sixth fastest and points leader Alex palou was fifth.

barring a win by Dixon tghis afternoon, which i think is a posibility, Palou’s lead should remain in triple digits.

My possible winners include Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, or Colton Herta.

The top 10: