Acura Sponsors Long Beach Grand Prix

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Today Acura became the official title sponsor of the Long Beach Grand Prix, Indycar’s second longest running event behind the Indianapolis 500. The Honda brand replaces Toyota, which had sponsored the race for 44 years. Toyota’s tenure was the longest event entitlement in history. The race will be called the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Racing in Long Beach began with a Formula 5000 race in 1975. From 1976-1983 Formula 1 took to the streets. Beginning in 1984, CART began racing. The event has been an Indycar race since then.

Per Adam Stern, this is a multi year deal in the low seven figures annually. It is Acura’s single largest motorsports marketing expenditure

The Honda name serves as sponsor of races at barber Motorsports Park, Toronto, and Mid Ohio.

Iowa is the only race which had a title sponsor last year still seeking a replacement. The Indycar Grand Prix at IMS lost its sponsor two years ago and has not yet found a new one.

The full press release below. I will return tomorrow with thoughts on today’s Indy 500 qualifying schedule release and a few other tidbits.

Acura Announced as Title Sponsor!

The Grand Prix Association of Long Beach announced today that it has reached a multi-year agreement with Acura to become title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Long Beach starting in 2019.

The 45th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place April 12-14, 2019.

Launched in 1986 as the first Japanese luxury automotive brand, Acura is a leading nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to evocative styling, high performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability.  Both Acura and its American Honda parent have their U.S. headquarters in Torrance, California.

Last year, Acura made a successful return to the top level of sports car racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, fielding two entries in the Prototype class with Team Penske. The driver combinations of Juan Pablo Montoya/Dane Cameron and Helio Castroneves/Ricky Taylor finished fifth and seventh overall in the championship, with Montoya recording the first pole for the new Acura ARX-05 at Long Beach.  Acura also continues to have entries in the series’ GTD class with the NSX GT3 Evo, and has accomplishments at all levels of sports car racing.

Honda has a long, winning history with Indy cars at Long Beach. Honda-powered drivers have won six of the last 10 Grands Prix – and 13 times in 19 appearances – including last year with Alexander Rossi.  Native Californian Jimmy Vasser scored Honda’s first Long Beach victory in 1996, with other Honda-powered winners including Alex Zanardi (1997-98), Michael Andretti (2002), Dario Franchitti (2009), Takuma Sato (2013) and James Hinchcliffe (2017).

“With our U.S. headquarters nearby in Torrance, this is a true ‘home’ event for the Acura brand,” said Jon Ikeda, Acura vice president and general manager.  “The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of North America’s premier motorsports events, and an institution in Southern California.  Acura is delighted and proud to be associated with the Grand Prix of Long Beach, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

“This is truly the start of a new era in the history of the Grand Prix,” said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “As we enter our 45th year of conducting America’s #1 street race, we are looking forward with great enthusiasm to this new partnership with a premium luxury brand like Acura. Together we will explore new ways to elevate the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach to greater heights in the coming years.”

Featuring a wide variety of on- and off-track activities for the entire family, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series, as well as the BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix, featuring the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In addition, the weekend will feature the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge under the lights on Friday and Saturday nights, Robby Gordon’s Stadium SUPER Trucks, the powerful sports cars of the Pirelli GT4 America series and the Historic IMSA GTO Challenge.

Fans can select and pay for their Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach tickets, parking and paddock passes online at gplb.com, or place orders by calling the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 827-7333.  A printed ticket brochure that includes a circuit map, ticket prices, order form and other information is also available.

Fans can also follow the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Facebook at GrandPrixLB, Twitter @GPLongBeach and Instagram at GPLongBeach.

About Acura

Acura is a leading automotive luxury nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to evocative styling, high performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability. The Acura lineup features six distinctive models – the RLX premium luxury sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan, the ILX sport sedan, the five-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, the seven-passenger Acura MDX, America’s all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV, and the next-generation, electrified NSX supercar.

Five of the six models in the Acura lineup are made in central Ohio, using domestic and globally-sourced parts, including the ILX and TLX luxury sports sedans (Marysville Auto Plant), the RDX and MDX luxury SUVs (East Liberty Auto Plant) and the Acura NSX supercar, which is built to order at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio.

Additional media information including pricing, features & specifications and high-resolution photography is available at AcuraNews.com. Consumer information is available at Acura.com. Follow Acura on social media at Acura.us/SocialChannels.

 

Gainbridge Becomes Presenting Sponsor of Indianapolis 500- The Story and Some Thoughts

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Indycar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway continued their momentum with today’s announcement of Gainbridge as the presenting sponsor of the Indianapolis 500. The four year deal was announced by Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles at the track this afternoon.

Gainbridge is a part Group 1001, which has a multiyear sponsorship agreement with driver Zach Veach, who drives for Andretti Autosport. Gainbridge will be the primary sponsor on his number 26 car this coming season.

Gainbridge is an online financial services platform which has $37 billion in assets. they currently operate in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey with plans to be in other states this year.

They were also the presenting sponsor for the Indiana Women in Tech LPGA tournament held at the Brickyard Crossing in 2018.

Like Speedway, which became the official fuel and convenience stores of the NTT Indycar Series, Group 1001 is an Indiana based company with a national reach.

Quick Thoughts

Indycar and IMS have put together two sponsorship deals within a month, an incredible accomplishment for any series.

This is the second company which sponsors a car to expand their involvement to the series or the 500.  It is great to see that these commitments are genuine and long term.

I like that the Gainbridge name on the new logo is separated from the race logo. The Penn Grade name was too much a part of the race logo for my taste. I could live without the “#This Is May” hashtag on the emblem.

The best news of all- cars will be on track in just eight days!

Wickens Pedals Stationary Bike Unassisted

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Daly, Air Force Join Andretti for Indy 500

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Andretti Autosport announced this morning that Conor Daly will drive a fifth car with sponsorship from the U. S. Air Force in the103rd running of the Indianapolis 500. The Air Force will also be an associate sponsor on the  Andretti cars of Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, and Zach Veach for the entire season. Daly will carry number 25.

Daly drove in the 2018 500 with Air Force sponsorship as part of Dale Coyne’s team. He started last and finished 21st, completing 199 laps. This will be Daly’s sixth 500. His rookie season was 2013. He returned to the 500 in 2015. His best starting spot was 22nd in 2015. Last year was his best finish and also the race in which he completed the most laps. This is the best car and team Daly will have had for the race.

“It’s my best shot at at the race ever. I can’t wait to get to work,” Daly said.

Michael Andretti said they are working on a few things to possibly get Daly in more races this year. He has no plans to add a sixth ca for this year’s 500 entry list.

Daly drove in just one race, Mid Ohio, for Harding. He was competitive, giving Harding its best starting spot to that point.  He ran well in the race but ran out fuel with two laps left and finished 20th. In2017 Daly drove full time for A. J. Foyt Racing.

Catching Up with Indycar News

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Vasser Sullivan and Dale Coyne have signed a multi year agreement which has Sebastien Bourdais staying in car 18.  Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan became a partnership last year. Nice to see Coyne will have some driver stability and additional resources. Bourdais won the 2018 opening race in St. Pete. It was his second consecutive win in his hometown race.

More Boost at Iowa, Gateway

The NTT Indycar Series announced cars will receive increased boost at short ovals Iowa and Gateway in 2019. The higher boost will necessitate more braking in the turns, which should allow more passing. The boost will increase to 150 kPa, the same as on road and street courses. In 2018 cars were allowed 140 kPa on the short ovals. Superspeedway boost for races is 130Pa. Please do not ask me what kPa means.

Allen Miller of HPD says the goal of 90 horsepower for the new 2.4 liter engine is “very realistic.”

The series continues to seek more ways to improve the racing.  This measure sounds like a bridge to the higher horsepower in the 2021 formula.

Helio at Le Mans?

Three timne Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves is close to finalizing a deal to drive in the Le Mans 24 hour race this year. Castroneves, who now drives full time for Team Penske Acura in the IMSA Weather Tech Championship, will drive for the RLR group in the LMP2 class. The team uses an Oreca 07 chassis, which has been dominant in Europe.

Castroneves was one of the drivers in the third place car at last weekend’s Rolex 24.

Indianapolis 500 Ticket Unveiled

Last Indianapolis Motor Speedway revealed the design for the 2019 Indianapolis 500. I’m always excited to see the new ticket. This year’s design I find disappointing. The photo of Will Power that was used is okay, but a photo of him when he first go out of the car would have been better. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a driver express that much unbridled joy after winning.

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Rolex 24 Post Script

I’ll end today with four photos from last weekend’s Rolex 24

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This pretty much sums up Sunday morning.

 

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Just Announced

Indianapolis Motor Speedway  just announced a press conference tomorrow  afternoon for a major announcement regarding the 500. I’m guessing a presenting sponsor will be named.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Thoughts on The Rolex (RainX?) 24

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The weather at Indycar’s Barber race last season seems like a minor sprinkle compared to today’s deluge at Daytona. Weather situations like this put sanctioning bodies in a bind. Where do participant safety considerations end and wanting to satisfy the fans begin? When possible, the must meet in the middle. I think IMSA maybe erred a bit too much in favor of the fans.

While I and the other fans want to see racing, we want it to be safe for the competitors. I felt the both red flag came later than when needed, and the race resumed before the competitors could race safely. I understand racing in the wet carries more responsibility, but these drivers are professionals of highly seasoned near pros.

I’m not sure what IMSA’s protocol for situations as today is, but I hope it is reviewed at the end of the season. Yes fans want a show, but they want a safe one.

A big thank you to all involved for trying hard to get the race finished. I give special thanks to the pit crews who had to perform their jobs under very difficult conditions. Also the track workers and flag marshals who were stuck at their posts during the delays deserve a lot of gratitude.

The early ending stopped what was going to be an interesting three way battle between the number 7 Penske Cadillac Acura, the number 31 Action Express, and the eventual winner number 10 Cadillac from Wayne Taylor Racing. Pit and driver change strategies were lining up for a great cat and mouse game in the last 90 minutes.

Fernando Alonso showed why he is still one of the best drivers in the world. His stints in the rain late were amazing. Alexander Rossi also did a great job as he nearly won the Rolex watch for the second year Penske team. An added bonus for Indycar fans is that both Alonso and Rossi will be in the Indianapolis 500. If you were still on the fence about Rossi’s skills or think Fernando has lost his championship form, re-watch this race.

It was great to watch Alex Zanardi race, especially in yesterday’s rain. Is there anything he can’t drive? The team’s early race steering issue may have cost him a decent finish.

The all female team from Henricher/Meyer Shank Racing battled strongly all race until a spin during the restart took them out of a chance at a top five. Still, it was nice to see Simona and Bia on the track again.

Indycar drivers Colton Herta drove for s winning car. Herta in the GTLM winning number 25 BMW for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Former series driver Sebastian Saavedra was driving the LMP2 winning car as the race was called. The victory came despite a heavy crash just before the second red flag.

Rossi reached the podium with the number 7 Penske Acura.

I am completely exhausted so will end here. Look for my full race recap on Wildfire Sports tomorrow. I’ll be back in this spot later this week with an Indycar news roundup.

Rolex 24 Mid Race Update

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Good morning from Daytona International Speedway. The race is just past halfway. Jordan Taylor leads in the number 10 car for Wayne Taylor Racing . Juan Pablo Montoya is second in the number 7 Penske Acura. Alexander Ross in the number 6 Penske Acura is fourth.

The lead has changed hands on pit stops, but has mainly been a battle between the Taylor machine and the two Penske cars. The 31 from Action Express is also in the mix for the win.

The Penske team has been strong since the race began

Sebastian Savasdra leads LMP2 in the 18.

GTLM leader is Phillip Eng in the 25 Rahal BMW.

GTD is headed by the 63 Ferrari of Cooper McNeil.

The 57 car frt Meyer Shank Racing has stated around mid pack most if the race.

Alex Zanardi experienced a steering wheel issue and was unable to drive. The team repaired the car but is several laps down.

Back with quick thoughts tonight.

Quick Thoughts on the Rolex 24 Qualifying and Practice

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Just a few notes about the first two days at the Rolex 24:

One of the reasons I love going to this race is seeing friends from Indy who come down for the event. It’s great to catch up with them.

The Ford GTLM cars are gorgeous in their throwback liveries. Unable to post current pics until Sunday. Watch some of the coverage on NBCSN if you haven’t seen this yet. The other throwback dressed cars are great too, but Ford/ Ganassi did an outstanding job with the them.

Seeing a 26 year old track record broken yesterday was incredible. Kind of sad that Dan Gurney’s car no longer holds the top spot, but holding a record for more than two decades is quite an accomplishment.

Is LMP2 really its own class? They qualified in the same session with the DPi cars and no P2car was awarded a class pole. IMSA needs to decide if a class with just four cars is worth it.

Watching this morning’s practice from the oval turn 3/4 banking really shows the speed difference between the cars. The GT cars look very slow compared to the prototypes.

I met a man yesterday who is attending his 35th consecutive Rolex 24. To me that is equivalent to at least 50 Indy 500d. Today I met someone at their 50th straight Rolex. I can’t even begin to figure how many 500s that equates to. Going to this race takes a huge commitment.

Sunday look for quick thoughts on the race here, and look for my full weekend wrap-up on Wildfire Sports Monday.