Kyle McInnes: The Indycar Circuit through My Lens

thepitwindow
Editor’s note: I met Kyle (pictured above) at Barber this year and began using his photos in my race weekend posts. I really like the way he captures the essence of the driver and the track. Today, he shares his story and some of his best photos from this year as well as some nor racing shots he has taken.
If I’m not photographing automobiles or motorsports, I enjoy spending my free time tinkering around with our 1956 Ford F100, 1969 Dodge Charger, or our 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 Sporting Saloon.  I simply have a true enjoyment and appreciation of automobiles, no matter the make or model.
My photography career started in high school, which led me to earn an associates degree in visual communications in college.  After college, I worked for a local newspaper as their only staff photographer.  I have also freelanced, working for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Marketing Department, photographing both Indy Car and Nascar events. 
In my later twenties, I settled down, got married, and my wife and I have two wonderful children.  I started focusing more of my time working to provide my family with a more stable income, purchasing a boarding kennel, that my wife and I have run for the past 13 years.  However, I have always had the drive to get back into motorsports photography and this year I took the jump.
I made the decision and commitment to dive head first back in,  but didn’t have any recent images for portfolio work, so I set out to get some images for my portfolio.
I had heard that some of the Indy Car teams were having a test session at Sebring……..what better place to start in January…. than in Florida? I bought a plane ticket, rented a car, and packed my gear and off I went having no idea if I would even be able to get into the test. I did make it in, along with every other race, besides Texas. It would have been much easier if I could have acquired photo credentials to have better access to photograph from, along with having a place to work other than downloading, editing, and sending images out of my rental car. 
It has been an amazing year. I had an image used by Racer, another used for Rookie Driver Santino Ferrucci’s autograph card, just to name a few. Thankful for Mike, for giving me a shot and making use of some of my images. I ended the year with 35,312 Indy Car images. Here are a sampling from each race.
Feel free to follow me at 
Website
 www.kylemcinnesphoto.com
Facebook
www.facebook.com/kylemcinnesphoto
Instagram
www.instagram.com/kylemcinnesphoto

 

Newgarden at Belle Isle
Newgarden at Texas

 

Sato at Gateway
Sato at Barber

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richmond Raceway Excited for Indycar Return

thepitwindow

Photo: Team Penske car ready for the aeroscreen  test at Richmond Raceway. Josef Newgarden drove the car in today’s sessions. The  aeroscreen looks much better painted. Photo from Team Penske

You could hear the excitement in track president Dennis Bickmeier’s voice as he talked about the NTT Indycar series returning to Richmond Raceway.

“…it’s really exciting to hear the sound of IndyCars going and Richmond Raceway again. A buzz around town, a luncheon around here with some of our invited guests, some of our partners, hopefully some of our potential new partners as well that are getting a glimpse of seeing IndyCars back on the track here at Richmond Raceway after a decade. Certainly exciting. Much quicker than even I anticipated. Again, given my previous history watching open cars around two-mile tracks, this is a different experience.”

“The track has sold tickets to fans in 26 states and two areas of Canada for the June 28 race. After the season ticket renewal period ends, more seats will be available for the Indycar race.

I asked Bickmeier to explain how Indycar’s return to the schedule happened. He  said discussions began in 2018.

“But really it was about trying to find an opportunity in
the schedule. We were open to a lot of different dates.
This June date is more along the traditional date where
IndyCar raced here before. We love this date. It works
well between our two NASCAR races. For us, it really
presents kind of a big cadence to our year as we’re
promoting all of our racing events here at Richmond
Raceway…
one of the most
asked questions I got in the time I’ve been at
Richmond is, When are the IndyCars coming back? I’m
happy to say we’re able to answer that question now.
It really wasn’t that complicated. These guys made it
easy, Jay and the team, to discuss the possibilities of
having IndyCar return. I’m just thankful we were able to
get it all together.”
It looks to be a promising successful event for the series.

Morning Testing Session Focuses on Tires

The morning part of the Richmond test was mainly  dedicated to Firestone tire testing. Today was Josef Newgarden’s first time in the car with red Bull Advanced Technologies Aeroscreen. He found the transition pretty seamless

“It was my first time with the screen. Just getting a feel
for that. It honestly was pretty seamless. Honestly
didn’t feel that different. Perception-wise it was a little
different when I got in. It took maybe 30, 40 laps, after
that you’re used to it. It feels kind of normal at this
point.”
Newgarden said the track was like “a smooth Iowa.”
“I’m hoping a second lane comes in. If it does, I could see it
racing very similar to that place.”
Scott Dixon said the car felt pretty much the way it did at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month. he thinks the oval configuration is fine. Dixon believes lap times may be slightly down because of the added weight, but thinks overal there will be a net zero effect on performance.
The final aeroscreen test will be at Sebring  November 5 with Sebastien Bourdais and James Hinchcliffe driving. The test there will be the closest the series can come to testing on a street course.

Harding Steinbrenner Releases Al Unser, Jr.

Al Unser, Jr. announced in a Tweet this morning that he has been released from Harding Steinbrenner racing. The release is part of the ongoing transition of the team as it becomes part of Andretti autosport. I wish Al well and hope he can find another team with a young driver to help.

 

 

 

Silly Season Focus Turns to Askew and VeeKay

thepitwindow2 Comments

Editor’s note: A huge thank you to all of you who read my posts. Last week I went over the 10,000 view mark. it is a figure I never imagined four years ago when i began hunting and pecking on my keyboard. I appreciate everyone’s support.

With just a couple of 2019 full time drivers not confirmed for seats in 2020, Silly Season turns its attention to two potential rookies who finished 1-2 in Indy Lights.

It was just one sentence at the end of the Chip Ganassi Racing announcement regarding Marcus Ericsson joining the team in a third car for 2020. It said the team was trying to put together a deal for 2019 Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew. Askew ‘s name has also come up in speculation about the second car at Arrow McLaren SP.

Meanwhile, Indy Lights runner-up Rinus Veekay had his second Indycar test with Ed Carpenter Racing. The test may have been an audition for the road course races in the 20 as Carpenter plans to drive the oval races again. A ride for the Indianapolis 500 may also be included.

Veterans Tony Kanaan, Santino Ferrucci, and Max Chilton don’t have officially confirmed deals. All three should return to the teams they drove for this season. Conor Daly, meanwhile, is still looking for a ride. Ed Jones may be out of the series next year. I really don’t see where he fits.

Aeroscreen Gets a Rain Test

The aeroscreen’s second test at Barber Motorsports Park passed another test. Drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay and Simon Pagenaud drove cars fitted with the new cockpit protection device for its first road course outing. Rain during the test allowed the drivers to check visibility in the wet.  Both drivers said the water dispersed off the screen better than it does coming off their helmet visors. neither driver saw a problem with rain.

I think it’s great  that they had the chance to observe what happens in wet conditions, but how will it do at the start of a wet race with 24 cars on track? What will happen to the last driver in a group of three or more? I hope they can get a rainy test day at an open test when more cars are on track.

 

On Wednesday, Kyle McInnes, whose great photographs have been featured in many race weekend stories this year, will be a guest columnist. Kyle took many amazing shots this season and will share them here.

INDYCAR, IMS Tap Schafer Condon Carter to Create National Brand Campaigns

thepitwindow

Press release from Indycar this morning

10/10/2019

Chicago Cubs and Indiana Pacers among Clients of Award-Winning Chicago-Based Agency

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 – INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have named Chicago-based Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) as their comprehensive creative agency of record, charged with developing aligned national promotional campaigns surrounding the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

SCC, founded in 1989, creates award-winning campaigns and strategies for a diverse, impressive range of local, regional and national clients in sports and consumer products, including the Chicago Cubs, Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Procter & Gamble, Danone, Portillo’s restaurants and more.

The first campaigns of the multiyear partnership will be unveiled before the start of the 2020 racing season.

“SCC is the right choice to help the INDYCAR and Indianapolis 500 brands gain an even greater national profile and continue their trend of year-over-year growth in media consumption and ticket sales,” said Mark Miles, president and CEO of Hulman & Company, the parent company of INDYCAR and IMS. “SCC’s outstanding work speaks for itself, with its creativity and energy earning many national awards, recognition and success for all kinds of clients. We believe they can help us more effectively and aggressively position the NTT IndyCar Series, our teams and drivers and all of our world class sporting events at IMS.”

SCC will work to elevate the brands and accelerate the momentum of the NTT IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, closely aligning the synergies and strategies between the world’s most competitive racing series and the world’s largest single-day sporting event.

One particularly recognizable campaign SCC executed for the Chicago Cubs is the “Fly the W” campaign that was a hallmark of the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 world championship season.

“We are extremely honored to have been selected by INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to become their strategic and creative partner,” said David Selby, CEO of SCC.  “The opportunity to help steward and grow the iconic INDYCAR and Indianapolis 500 brands is exceptional.  They are unique in the world of sport, and among an elite group of brands with such rich history and legacy.  All of us at SCC look forward to playing a critical role in elevating their positioning and driving deeper fan engagement with the NTT IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and all of the exceptional events and experiences at IMS.”

SCC is an independent creative and technology agency that connects humans and brands through insight-fueled experiences. A simple mission drives SCC’s entrepreneurial, people-first, results-obsessed culture – We work for humans. SCC’s work is based on deep human insights and an understanding of the communities and cultures within which brands compete.

SCC’s integrated practices include SCCdigital, SCCprism, SCCdesign, SCCmedia, and MAKE247 content studio. The company also operates a private equity portfolio, SCCventures, with holdings in the food and tech sectors. SCC is privileged to work with outstanding partners that include Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, The Chicago Cubs, Ideal Industries, Portillo’s Restaurants, Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market and Solo Cup.

The independent agency is a fully integrated shop employing over 120 creative, energetic, passionate professionals based in the eclectic West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. To learn more about SCC, visit www.schafercondoncarter.com.

 

Ericsson to Ganassi: Updated

thepitwindow

News just broke that Marcus Ericsson will drive the number 8 car for Chip Ganassi racing in 2020. No sponsor was announced. Ericsson drove for Arrow Schmidt Peterson (now Arrow McLaren SP) this year. He finished 17th in the points standings with a best finish of second in Detroit Race 2. Ericsson had an up and down season with two top 10s. He missed the Portland race as he was on standby with Alfa Romeo in F1.

The announcement likely eliminates the possibility of Meyer shank racing with driver Jack Harvey forming an alliance with Ganassi. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing now appears to be where they will end up.

It was long suspected Ericsson would not return to AMSP. The question is will James Hinchcliffe return as announced earlier.  This might be a spot for Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew.

I see the following seats open or unconfirmed:

Carlin (2)

Foyt (1) if Kanaan returns

Carpenter (road course in the 20). Pigot has not been confirmed for the 21.

Arrow McLaren SP (1) for now. Conor Dqaly was informed last week that the team is going “in another direction.”

Coyne (1). Ferrucci is scheduled to return but no formal confirmation yet.

Update:

Per Marshall Pruett, Ganassi is continuing to explore ways to add a fourth car for Askew. I applaud the team’s efforts to keep their Ford GT teams employed after that program ends this weekend.

1961: The Foyt Legend Begins on the Race’s Golden Anniversary

thepitwindow2 Comments

1960 was going to be a tough act to follow. The Indianapolis 500  had featured a record 23 lead changes as Rodger Ward and eventual winner Jim Rathmann swapped the lead back and forth for the last 50 laps. Ward slowed late in the race as tire  began to wear.  The USAC championship went down to the wire as defending champion Ward tried in vain to hold off A. J. Foyt. Foyt didn’t win a race until Labor Day, but won four races in the last two months of the season to take the series title.

The 1961 program cover was gold in honor of the 50th anniversary 500. From 1955 until 1960, the covers were white. Program covers returned to white in 1962 and continued that way through 1974. Unlike previous covers, this one did not have the race number on it. Instead it proclaimed the 50th anniversary 500. For the record, it was the 45th race.

For the first time in the program the Speedway had a story about a race 50 years ago, something that is standard in the program today. In place of the usual greeting page which showed the front stretch on race day and a photo of track president Tony Hulman, a two page spread of the grid for the first race replaced it. Photos of the Speedway founders and previous track presidents also appear.

wp-15705292755651240649353850633214.jpg

 

One full page ad that caught my attention was one for Meyer & Drake Engineering Corp.  Three time winner Louis Meyer and partner Dale Drake built the Offenhauser engines that supplied nearly the entire field.

wp-15705276371916714379875602948064.jpg

 

The records page shows the qualifying record Jim Hurtubise set the previous, at the time a mind boggling 149.601 single lap and an average of 149.056 for the four lap run. The Top Ten page depicting the 1960 finishers is one of the last ones featuring all front engine cars. Several pages are devoted to the 1911 race and the track’s first decade.

The pace car was a gold Ford Thunderbird. To me it is one of the most iconic pace cars in the race’s history.

The 1961 race featured the first rear engine car to make the race. Jack Brabham qualified 13th in a Cooper-Climax. The car looked tiny compared to the large roadsters. Brabham drove at a steady pace to a ninth place finish, completing all 200 laps.  When he first arrived, the car was considered a novelty. His result, however, saw more rear engine cars enter in the following years.

The starting grid had eight rookies, led by Parnelli Jones and Bobby Marshman, who would become co Rookies of the Year. Roger McCluskey also drove in his first 500.

img_20191008_0535425097388156626061484.jpg

The race developed into a duel between A. J. Foyt and Eddie Sachs. From lap 95 until the end of the race, the two led all but seven laps. On what was to supposed to be Foyt’s last pit stop, a problem with the fuel hose didn’t allow him to get the full amount. He led until he had to stop for more fuel 0n lap 183.  Sachs took the lead, but made a surprise stop on lap 196 to replace a tire which wore down during his battle with Foyt. Foyt zoomed  past Sachs while he was in the pits and took the checkered flag.

The victory for Foyt was the first of his four 500 wins. It was Foyt’s fourth 500 mile race. he would go on to compete in 35. Parnelli Jones was the only future winner in the field that year. 1961 was when the stars of the golden first began to emerge. several more would come to the speedway over the next four years.

Foyt’s second win in 1964 would be the last time a front engine car saw Victory Lane. Brabham’s Cooper -Climax opened the door for the rear engine cars. The tiny crack in the door burst open five years later.

 

 

 

 

Power: Car with Aeroscreen Could Race This Weekend

thepitwindow

In a mid afternoon press conference  NTT Indycar Series Jay Frye said today’s Aeroscreen test “exceeded our high expectations. We learned a lot; we have lot of work to do but the foundation is set.” Frye said the cars will visually be different when teams do their own things to blend the new device into their liveries.

If necessary, the AMR  Safety Team will be able to remove piece “within seconds,” Frye said. “They already have a piece they are practicing on,” he added.

The day long test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw drivers Will Power and Scott Dixon log 600 miles by 3 pm. Both drivers agreed that the test was seamless . Both drivers commented on how quiet it was in the cockpit. “I can hear my radio,” Dixon said.

Power was impressed with how quickly the project came together.  “When you’ve driven it for a day you’re going to feel naked without it, ” he said. Asked if this car could race this weekend, Power responded, “you could race this weekend; no problem, no issue.” Dixon agreed.

Power and Dixon still believe some adjustments need to be made with the tear-offs and air flow adjustments. They both think reflections need work as well.  Dixon sais there are some optional and driver’s personal preference items that need to be looked into as well.

Tire wear was not a concern today. Power said the car was more forgiving. The new weight distribution helped, he said. Dixon said on his long run the speed fall off was about the same as this year.

Following the press conference Power and Dixon returned to the track to do simulated “qualifying runs.”

I started the day skeptical of the aesthetics and how the Aeroscreen would work. I am ending the day impressed with the new safety piece. Safety is the first priority and this is a step in the right direction. As the piece blends in with the cars, it won’t be noticeable. It should be even less noticeable on the new chassis in 2022, when it is an integrated part of the car.

 

 

 

 

Aeroscreen Test Update

thepitwindow
Photos by Eric Smith of Race Review Online

Photos: Eric Smith, Race Review Online

When the teams broke for lunch, I took some shots from inside the cockpit.  It is  a tight fit. The drivers seemed to have difficulty getting in and out of the car.  I wonder how taller drivers like Graham Rahal or Alexander Rossi will be able to get in without a challenge.  This enhances my concern about a driver getting out after an accident.

Another noticeable thing was the glare from the front wing and suspension arms. The mirrors look to be in a different spot as well.

I went to the turn 2 mounds for a bit.  The aeroscreen is noticeable a bit at first, but after a a couple of laps I didn’t even think about it. One thing I noticed this morning, and in turn 2 as well,, is the reverberation off the walls sounds different. It seems a bit muted and deeper.

The cars are supposed to run together at some point today to determine how much dirty air there is and see how well they can pass.

Back after the press conference.