Bommarito 500 Preview

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IndyCar begins its way too limited oval portion of the schedule this weekend with an experimental time slot at World Wide Technology Raceway. Father’s Day weekend races have had mixed success in the past. The first attempt to revive Milwaukee on Father’s Day weekend didn’t go very well.

IndyCar’s first non 500 oval caps a busy motorsports weekend which begins tomorrow with the Le Mans 24 hour race and includes the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, and a NASCAR race in Mexico City. Moving the race to Sunday evening makes sense in the context of all the other motorsports events. going on.

The Madison, Illinois venue started off well, and the event has a super promotional team. The August date worked quite well here, but it remains to be seen if this earlier date will be as well received. Changing the starting time to a Sunday evening may boost television viewing, but I’m not sure what it will do for track attendance.

Let’s take a look on what the two day show may bring.

Penske Rebound?

Josef Newgarden has won five times here, including last year, when he benefitted from a controversial restart. Will Power also has a victory in this race, and Scott McLaughlin usually does well on ovals. If Team Penske is going to score a win this season, Sunday is probably their best chance.

Palou Rebound

I can’t believe we are even talking about this, but after Palou’s crash at Detroit, he will be looking to return to form. Now that the three time series champion has notched his first oval win, I think he may begin a run of oval wins.

Others to Watch

David Malukas finished second in this race in 2022, and WWTR has been one of the better tracks for A. J. Foyt Racing. This is a combination that could be a factor in the race.

Alexander Rossi has run well here and has contended at times, but misfortune seems to find him every year. Could this be the year he has a good result?

Pato O’Ward won at Milwaukee last year and is overdue for a victory in 2025. I look for a strong run from the MclAREN TEAM.

Andretti Oval Resurgence

Kyle Kirkwood and Colton Herta were strong on ovals late last year, and they were strong in the Indianapolis 500. Teammate Marcus Ericsson finished second on track before he and Kirkwood were disqualified.

With so many drivers to choose, I’m going with a Team Penske resurgence, and a Will Power victory this weekend.

Coverage here tomorrow will be a wrap-up at the end of the day of all sessions. I’m not on site this weekend. I will have a quick race summary Sunday evening, and my thoughts on the race on Monday.

Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Fast Facts

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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. 

What the F1?

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Formula 1 released its 2026 schedule yesterday. The most glaring item is the placement of the Canadian Grand Prix on May 24 in direct conflict with the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. If you’re shocked by this move, you don’t know F1 very well.

F1 has continually shown themselves to be arrogant and prideful, believing they can do whatever they want, no matter the consequences. They have established a base in North America with three races in the United States in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, and now they are getting greedy with their scheduling.

To have a race in North America on the same day as the 500 which overlaps the iconic event, is pure arrogance and insensitivity. F1 is justifying the date by saying it fits their new sustainability model having two races in May on the same continent. I would agree- if the races were on consecutive weekends. The Maimi Grand Prix is the first weekend of May, three weeks before Canada. You’re telling me all the crews and drivers are going to stay in the U.S. for three weeks? I find that doubtful.

Someone who is familiar with “F1’s thinking” told Adam Stern the decision was made in part in conjunction with the wishes of the promoters. I can’t believe a Canadian promoter is thinking, “Yeah, let’s go against the Indianapolis 500.”

I don’t think the F1 race will have much effect on the 500. I’m not sure how many people attend both events on a regular basis, but with the price of F1 tickets I’m assuming there aren’t that many. There are two distinct fan bases as well as many crossover fans. I never watched Monaco live on Race Day any way, but I recorded it to watch later in the week. I’ll do the same next year with the Canadian GP. F1 races usually start around 2 pm local time. which should be around the 75-lap mark of the 500.

My issue is the infringement, no matter how small, on the 500. The last Sunday in May belongs to Indy, and there should be no conflicts. Begin the GP later if you must, around 4 pm Eastern.

I think IndyCar and FOX should conduct a massive Indy 500 advertising assault on the Miamai Grand Prix with billboards, track signage, and television ads during that race. Distraction is a two-way street.

My hope is that 2026 is a one year thing with the Canadian Grand Prix., and that if F1 wants to race on Memorial Day weekend, they have a European race that ends by 11 am Eastern time. The triple header Sunday is one of the greatest days in motorsports.

INDYCAR Announces Detroit Grand Prix Post-Race Technical Violation, Penalty

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From IndyCar:

  No. 14 Failed To Meet Required Driver Ballast Weight
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, June 2, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced a post-race technical inspection penalty for the entry No. 14 of A.J. Foyt Enterprises following Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear after it was found to be under the required driver ballast weight following the event.
During post-race inspection of car No. 14, INDYCAR discovered the driver ballast needed to bring the combined weight of the driver and driver ballast to 185 pounds was underweight and not within the driver ballast weight tolerance of 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds.However, also during inspection, the series found the weight of car No. 14, itself, was 10 pounds over the minimum weight for road and street circuits of 1,785 pounds and competed over the minimum weight requirement on-track.A.J. Foyt Enterprises was in violation of:
Rule 14.4.2. Driver Equivalency Weight Rule 14.4.2.2. Driver Equivalency Weight must bring the combined weight of the Driver and Driver ballast to 185 pounds.
Rule 14.4.2.5. The Driver ballast weight tolerance is 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds. The Driver Equivalency Weight must be installed and secured in the designed location forward of the seatback. This location may only be used for Driver ballast.
This rule is in place to equalize the weight of varying-sized drivers so there is no advantage based on the weight of the driver. Post-race weight determination, as implemented by INDYCAR, is a common practice after every event and in nearly all forms of motorsports to ensure an equal playing field.
The No. 14 will be allowed to keep the second-place finish; however, the entry has been fined $25,000 and will forfeit 25 championship driver and entrant points. The bonus point for leading a lap also is not awarded.
The No. 14 also is ineligible for engine points and prize money associated with the race.
Updated results of the 2025 Detroit Grand Prix can be found here.
Members may contest the imposition of the penalties detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rulebook. 

Quick Thoughts- Detroit GP

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Andretti Redemption Week continues as Kyle Kirkwood wins the Grand Prix of Detroit. The win, coupled with Colton Herta’s pole on Saturday, eases some of the pain from their disqualifications at last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Kirkwood said that this entire week had all the emotions a driver feels through a season.

“The lows make the highs that much better,” Kirkwood said.

Alex Palou is human after all. After spending much of the race in the bottom half of the top 10, the points leader and winner of the 500 had his ay end early when David Malukas bumped Palou from behind, sending him into the tire barrier on lap 72. Malukas was penalized for the contact.

The Grand Prix of Detroit was arguably the best race so far this year. The start was clean, and all =cars got through the hairpin. Cars were able to pass, cautions were spread out, and there were alternate pit strategies. The race saw a pass for the win on lap 79 as well as other passes for the lead. Today was the first time I actually enjoyed watching a race at this track.

A. J. Foyt Racing appears to have become competitive again. David Malukas finished second in the 5400 and started on the front row today. Santino Ferrucci has a shot at victory today and finished second. It is nice to see this team mixing it up with the big four again. I think they could get a win this year.

Meanwhile woes at Rahal letterman Lanigan continue. Graham Rahal made the Fast Six, although an engine penalty caused him to start 11th. Rahal and teammates Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster all had wheel issues. Rahal was running at the finish, but DeFrancesco and Foster retired, Foster in a horrific crash when his right front suspension broke.

FOX

I thought the broadcast was decent, but I still don’t know why the network can’t have a pit stop timer. I felt the post-race coverage was skimpy- just three brief interviews and no podium celebration.

I do not recall a season other than 1964, which had fewer, where there have been just two different winners after seven races.

Thanks for following along this wee3kend. I am going to lay low for a couple of days and have something up around midweek.

Detroit Race Day-Starting Tire Choices, Warm Up Results

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First- Congratulations to the Indian Pacers on reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. I’m sure there are going to be some tired IndyCar officials in Detroit today.

Felix Rosenqvist led the morning warmup which featured some contact between cars. Colton Herta had contact late in the session, and Alexander Rossi was involved in another incident. Both cars were able to to continue with minor damage.

I will be back this afternoon with some quick thoughts on the race. I’m still picking Kirkwood to win, but I think David Malukas and Marcus Ericsson may also have a shot.

Tire selections- Includes official line up

Results

Redemption-Detroit Qualifying

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After two long weeks, Colton Herta finally has something to smile about. On May 17th he crashed hard as he began his Indianapolis 500 qualifying lap and started the race in 27th. He finished 17th, but was moved to 14th after two of his teammates and another car were disqualified.

Today Herta won the pole for tomorrow’s Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit, edging David Malukas by two tenths of a second.

Kyle Kirkwood, started the 500 23rd and drove to a 6th place finish on track before being disqualified, will start third tomorrow.

Overall, it was a day of redemption for Andretti Global.

Notes

David Malukas qualified second, a nice follow up to his second place last Sunday. He held the provisional pole for quite a while, then pulled into the pits with time left, allowing Herta to post a faster time.

Where are IndyCar’s priorities? No action was taken against Will Power for his dangerous pushing of Kyle Kirkwood in yesterday’s practice session, but Alexander Rossi was held out for 10 minutes of practice time this morning because he missed a required weigh in. This a bit skewed in the wrong direction.

Team Penske looked strong for a while. Will Power led his first round group without a tow. Josef Newgarden brushed the wall while on a lap that would have put him in round 2 and he will start 24th. Scott McLaughlin and Power got to the second round, and they will star on the fourth row.

Results

Note– Graham Rahal and Scott Dixon will serve 6 place grid penalties for engine changes. Rahal will start 11th and Dixon starts 16th.

The official starting lineup with starting tire choices will be published after tomorrow’s warm up.