The Pit Window by Mike Silver

Penske Entertainment as Promoter- A Good Move

January 25, 2025 thepitwindow

A couple of das ago Penske Entertainment announced that they were taking over the promotion of the Music City Grand Prix. Scott Borchetta and Big Machine Records will still be the title sponsor. Penske now has a promotional stake in Long Beach, Thermal, the races at IMS, Detroit, Iowa, and Milwaukee-seven venues accounting for eight races.

Nathan Brown reported in the Indianapolis Star that one of the reasons for the takeover of Nashville is that Borchetta wanted assurances that the championship would come down to being decided at Nashville. Since the title has gone to the final race in 18 of the last 19 seasons, I’m not sure what he was worried about. Alex Palou clinched the title in 2023 with one race to go. Other than that, the last race determined the championship.

I am happy that the series quashed that idea. It would have meant some sort of playoff, which I thin k would be hard to do in a 17 race schedule. Penske Entertainment presents a very good event. Things run smoothly for the most part, and the company seems to understand what fans out of a race weekend.

While it is unlikely that Penske Entertainment will eventually promote all the races, the ones they have in their control are the ones that need to be. Green Savoree, which owns St. Pete, Mid Ohio, Toronto, and Portland, does a fine job promoting their events. World Wide Technology Raceway, Road America, and Barber also have done a great job drawing fans.

I ave always wondered why the entity in charge of the IndyCar series did not do more to promote the races rather than leave it completely upto the track promoter. Many were very good, but as times changed, IndyCar has been slow to catch up. I’m glad to see that the series is finally exerting more control over their events.

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Penske Entertainment as Promoter- A Good Move

January 25, 2025 thepitwindow

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Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Event Update

January 23, 2025 thepitwindow

Editor’s note: Apparently there is more to the story. I’ll elaborate tomorrow night.

From IMS

All Roads Lead to Nashville for 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Finale

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025) – Penske Entertainment Corp. and Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta jointly announced today an updated event structure for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix:
Penske Entertainment will assume responsibility for the promotion of the race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
Big Machine will remain the event’s entitlement partner, continuing to enhance the event’s connectivity to the entertainment industry and downtown Nashville.
Penske Entertainment executive Anne Fischgrund has been named president of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
Big Machine served as the original entitlement partner for the event across its first three editions and stepped up in an additional promoter capacity as the race weekend transitioned to Nashville Superspeedway last year. Moving forward, its continued involvement as entitlement partner will be an asset for exciting musical programming and to showcase the brands’ artists, products and community endeavors.
“All things” Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta also will serve as a liaison to Nashville’s entertainment community and civic leaders, keeping the event fully connected to the Music City.
Following a successful debut at famed Nashville Superspeedway this past season, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will continue as the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale, taking place Sunday, Aug. 31 with a national network showcase on FOX. The 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone finale will precede the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship race that day.
“Year one at Nashville Superspeedway was a tremendous success, thanks in great part to the terrific partnership and strong leadership exhibited by Scott Borchetta and his team at Big Machine,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles.
“As we grow our event portfolio at Penske Entertainment, it’s strategically important to take the reins of our season finale at such an exciting and renowned racetrack. And to see the relationship with Big Machine carry forward through this continued partnership only underscores the growth opportunities before us in the Music City.”
A thrilling 2024 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix championship finale produced the best INDYCAR SERIES numbers on record at Nashville Superspeedway, including the most on-track passes, passes for position, passes in the top 10 and passes in the top five. Colton Herta picked up his first win on an oval while Alex Palou celebrated his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.The event also was highlighted by a street festival alongside Nashville’s iconic honky-tonks, including the Battle on Broadway Pit Stop Challenge, to begin championship weekend.
“We are very proud to continue our relationship with INDYCAR and build from our record-breaking 2024 season finale as the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix becomes a true crown jewel for Nashville, Middle Tennessee and global motorsports fans,” Borchetta said.
“We will also continue to produce the incredibly successful downtown street party, which will serve as the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix kickoff event, on Friday, Aug. 29, so make plans to be with us!”
Additionally, veteran motorsports executive Anne Fischgrund assumes the role of president of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Fischgrund is relocating from Indianapolis to Nashville after her successful tenure as the general manager of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway.
Penske Entertainment continues to prioritize an enhanced NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, leveraging new partnerships and strategic investments. In October, it unveiled the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, powered through a first-of-its-kind joint venture with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. In November, it announced the acquisition of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach ahead of its epic 50th anniversary edition this April.
This year, all 17 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races will be broadcast on FOX, beginning with the season opener Sunday, March 2 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the streets of St. Petersburg. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcasting on network television.
The full 2025 schedule is available here.

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Event Update

January 23, 2025 thepitwindow

Editor’s note: Apparently there is more to the story. I’ll elaborate tomorrow night.

From IMS

Rolex 24 Preview

January 22, 2025 thepitwindow

Photo – IMSA

Nine fulltime IndyCar drivers from last season and a half dozen others who drove at some point in the series in 2024 will race this weekend in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

IndyCar team owners also have entries in the 61-car field, with Meyer Shank returning to competition and Chip Ganassi Racing out for this year. Penske will field two Porsches, Rahal has 2 BMWs and Meyer Shank returns with 2 Acuras in the GTP class.

Andretti Global still has a stake in Wayne Taylor Racing’s 2 Cadillac entries.

BMW was strong during the Roar this past weekend, as were the Porsches from Proton and JDC-Miller.

IndyCar Drivers

The IndyCar drivers by class, car number, and manufacturer

GTP

60- Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist Acura

63- Romain Grosjean Lamborghini

93- Alex Palou Acura

LMP 2

04 Colton Herta

8 Sebastien Bourdais

71- Hunter McElrea

73- Callum Ilott, Pietro Fittipaldi

99- Christian Rasmussen

GTD Pro

14- Kyle Kirkwood, Townsend Bell Lexus

91- Scott McLaughlin Corvette

GTD

12- Kirkwood Lexus

Kirkwood will be driving both Vasser Sullivan cars.

Other drivers of note to watch:

Former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen in the BMW number 24.

Australian Supercar champion Shane van Gisbergen and teen sensation Connor Zilisch on Scott McLaughlin’s team.

Weather

Weather usually comes into play during the weekend, and as of now rain could affect qualifying. Saturday and Sunday look dry but cooler than normal. The temperature at the start of the race should be around 60 degrees, drop to the upper 40s overnight, and finish with the air at 65 degrees.

There has been worse weather for the race, both precipitation and temperature wise, but I think the event would be better served by moving it to the first weekend in February. Florida begins to warm as the second month of the year begins.

Coverage

Qualifying on Thursday will be streamed live on Peacock, beginning at 2:05 pm Eastern.

The entire race will be streamed on Peacock, IMSA TV, and YouTube.

Over the air coverage:

All times eastern

NBC

Saturday

1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Sunday

Noon-2:00 pm

USA Network

Saturday

2:30 pm-6:30 pm

Cannon Leaves PREMA

January 21, 2025 thepitwindow

Michael Cannon has resigned from PREMA before the team has its first test. Cannon, who joined PREMA as head of engineering and was introduced at the team’s reveal presentation, issued a statement explaining his reasons.

It appears PREMA is making the same mistake other European teams make when they attempt to enter the series. They feel that they have all the answers and ignore advice from people who have a lot of experience in IndyCar. This arrogance has not worked out well in the past.

I thought PREMA was far ahead of Carlin, who came into the series without much ehlp and struggled mightily.

PREMA’s premiere presentation gave me hope that this was a European team approaching IndyCar the right way with an all star cast of IndyCar support veterans. While they still have Piers Phillips and Ryan Briscoe, Michael Cannon would have helped this team tremendously.

I hope Cannon can find another spot in the series. He is too good to not be on someone’s team.

A Busy Week for IndyCar

January 17, 2025 thepitwindow

IndyCar started the year with a very busy week. Content Days were followed by A.J. Foyt’s 90th birthday (I’m not that old- how can he be that old?), and a presence at the Detroit Auto Show, which has moved back to its traditional January date.

The main highlight from Content Days was the universal praise for FOX and the preseason prep they have been doing. The drivers involved in shooting the promos were impressed by the level of professionalism and attention. Other drivers also feel very good about the switch to the new network.

A. J. at 90

Considering the era in which Foyt raced, it is remarkable that he survived it. The 50s and 60s were two of the deadliest decades in the sport.

His accomplishments have been well documented, and I won’t rehash them here. Ibn y humble opinion, there has never been a better all-around driver then A. J. Foyt.

I think Foyt’s competitiveness is keeping him going. Paul Goldsmith dies last year at age 98. I’m pretty sure Foyt wants to beat that.

Baby Borgs

Yesterday at the Detroit Auto Show Josef Newgarden and Roger Penske received their baby Borg trophies for winning the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

David Malukas also appeared at the show.

Notes

Single day tickets are now on sale for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The opening race of the season is the weekend of February 28-March 2.

Testing

Full field Indycar tests:

February 17-18 Sebring

April 23-24 IMS

Individual teams may also have private tests scheduled.

Next week is the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Several IndyCar drivers and teams will participate.

Buxton Heads FOX Broadcast Team; Hinchcliffe, Bell Return

January 15, 2025 thepitwindow

IndyCar on FOX will have a new lead play by play (lap by lap?) man teaming with two faces familiar to IndyCar fans. Will Buxton, who has covered Formula 1 extensively for more than a decade, will join IndyCar broadcast veterans James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell in the broadcast booth.

Buxton has followed IndyCar but has never been to the Indianapolis 500. He did visit IMS on a qualifying weekend in the mid 2010s. I think he is more than up to the challenge, and I am looking forward to him as the lead.

I am relieved that Hinchcliffe will remain. He brings great insight with his experience in the car as it is currently configured. I have never been a fan of Bell’s style. I find him a bit condescending at times, but I can’t think of another former driver who is prepared to step into the analyst role.

Pit reporters will be announced later. I’m hearing a couple former drivers are under consideration, but I’m not hearing Kevin Lee’s name much. FOX would be making a huge mistake not to include him, in my opinion.

Content Day Continues

The second half of Content Day begins at 8 am Eastern this morning with more driver interviews. The main takeaway from yesterday is universal and effusive praise for the work FOX has already done for the upcoming season.

Another theme was the new car. Drivers want something sexy, loud, and fast. I think they will be disappointed on the first part.

I hope to avoid any more home disasters today and check in on a few more interviews.

IndyCar Content Days- The New Season Sprouts

January 14, 2025 thepitwindow

Photo: Alex Palou will be going for one of two possible three-peats in 2025

IndyCar Content Days give fans and the media a glimpse of what to expect during the new season. The two days are jam packed for the drivers, with physicals, interviews, and photo shoots.

The media will get its first chance to talk to rookies Robert Shwartzman, rookie driver for PREMA, and Jacob Abel, announced today in one the Dale Coyne seats. The Israeli born Shwartzman is scheduled to be the penultimate interview on Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2 pm Eastern time. Abel meets the media Tuesday at 2:40 pm.

Pato O’Ward leads off today’s interviews at 8 am.

Monday’s News

Besides the Dale Coyne announcement, a car number was designated, and a team presented a new logo.

David Malukas will drive car 4 for A. J. Foyt Racing. The second car had been number 41` the last few seasons.

Ed Carpenter racing presented a name change to ecr, and shows a new logo on their still under construction website.

I like the outline of IM S as the border, the lettering I find bland. The logo does nothing to say this is a racing team. I understand the liveries of Alexander Rossi’s car 20 and Christian Rasmussen’s 21 will reflect the gold and black colors.

Dale Coyne mentioned in the3 Abel news rele3ase that the team’s second driver will be named within three weeks. That news seems to make it doubtful that Rinus VeeKay will be in the series full time this season.

The Broadcast Booth

The FOX broadcast team is close to being set, according to some sources I spoke with yesterday. James Hinchcliffe was confirmed Monday to remain in the booth.

I cannot mention the other names I heard. and will not until they are official, but some changes are on the way.

An announcement could come sometime in the next two days.