RLL Signs Indy NXT Champ Foster

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Rahal Lanigan Racing has signed 2024 Indy NXT champions Louis Foster to a multiyear full-time deal. It is nice to see the Indy NXT champion get a season long ride again.

The announcement from RLL:

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (October 9, 2024) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Louis Foster, who just completed a dominant run to his second open wheel title in three years, will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with the team in 2025 as part of a multi-year deal. Details on the sponsorship for the entry will be announced at a later date.

Foster, 21, won a series-high eight of the 14 races this season in the INDY NXT Championship for Andretti Global. He led the series in wins (8), poles (7), podiums (12), laps led (362/640) and completed every lap of competition to beat Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel to the title by 122 points. His previous title came in the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 Series, where he won seven races en route to being named the champion in the season finale.

Foster tested an Indy car for the first time in September of 2023 with Andretti Global at Road America. RLL is currently working to solidify Foster’s test program in preparation for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and that may include a test later this year.

The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 2 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 21st Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. North America’s premier open-wheel series will crisscross the United States, including a stop for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, before culminating in Nashville for the championship finale Sunday, August 31. All on-track action can be seen live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network. For more information about the series or team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.

QUOTEBOARD:

LOUIS FOSTER, driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “I am really looking forward to working with the team. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have Indy 500 victories, obviously Bobby has won an Indy 500 and there is a great wealth of knowledge with the team. I want to thank Bobby, David and Mike for their faith in my abilities and I want to thank all my sponsors who have helped me achieve my dream of driving in INDYCAR, in particular Copart. I can’t wait to start my INDYCAR career with the team and hopefully we can have a long and successful career together. I’m hoping that coming off the experience gained from winning the INDY NXT championship, that will leave me in a good stance to get the ball rolling. This is where the hard work starts. We will start the preparations and make sure we get hit the ground running in St. Pete.”

BOBBY RAHAL, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “We are very pleased that we have been able to come to an agreement with Louis to have him drive for the team for the next several years. He obviously dominated INDY NXT in 2024 and we feel he has a big future ahead of him and are happy to support the ladder system INDYCAR has created. We look at this as a long-term relationship that will go beyond the existing terms and are very excited to get started on preparations for the 2025 season and his series debut.”

MIKE LANIGAN, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “We are very excited to have Louis Foster drive for us over the next few years. I look forward to watching him grow into a future INDYCAR star. He reminds me of another driver — the late, great Justin Wilson.”

About Louis Foster
Louis Foster, 21, will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2025. Foster was born on July 27, 2003 in Odiham, England and inherited his passion for motorsport from his father Nick, who was a former British Touring Car Championship driver. Foster began karting at the age of nine at local karting circuits Camberley Kart Club and Forest Edge Kart Club and won championships at each, in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

He made his car racing debut in the final three meetings of the 2017 Ginette Junior Championship, driving for Elite Motorsport and went on to compete in that year’s Ginetta Junior Winter Series, where he won the rookie championship.

He returned to the championship in 2018 and was a persistent title contender throughout the season. Foster claimed 19 podiums, including 9 victories, plus four pole positions and two fastest laps on his way to second place in the championship and was the top rookie. He scored the most points of any driver but lost out on the title by just eight points to teammate Adam Smalley after dropped scores were accounted for. During the campaign, Foster accrued several records: the first rookie to win three races in one weekend, the first driver to win five races in succession and the youngest driver to score an outright victory.

Following his successful stint in Ginetta Juniors, Foster moved to single-seaters when he joined Double R Racing for the 2019 F4 British Championship. He was immediately on the pace, taking victory in only the second race of the season and followed that with a strong weekend in Donington, winning two races and scoring a third-place finish in the other to give him a 17-point lead in the championship. Across the rest of the season, Foster accrued another three wins and nine podium finishes – dominating at Silverstone – to finish the year third in the championship, remaining in the title hunt until the season finale weekend at Brands Hatch.

In 2020, Louis returned to Double R Racing and stepped up to the BRDC British F3 Championship where an impressive season-long performance, including three wins, earned him the rookie championship and third place overall. For 2021, Louis raced in Europe with Motopark in Euroformula Open and finished runner up in the championship during which he won a record three wins over the event at Spa Francorchamps. His performance garnered attention and a nomination for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

The 2022 season saw Louis move to the United States and race in the Indy Pro 2000 series with Exclusive Autosport. Despite racing on street circuits and ovals for the first time, Louis impressed all season long and won the championship in dominant fashion on the strength of seven wins which earned him back-to-back nominations for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

He moved up to the INDY NXT by Firestone series in 2023 with Andretti Autosport and earned two wins and four poles in his rookie season. In September of that year, he also drove an Indy car for the first time at Road America. His series-high eight wins, seven poles and 12 podiums en route to the 2024 INDY NXT Championship netted a record-setting average finish of 2.07 during the season and his 10 total wins over his INDY NXT career moved him to a tie for second place to Greg Moore, who had 13. In 2023, he was selected to join the BRDC SuperStars program and remained part of this in 2024.

Texas Track Unveiled at Official Celebration

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The highlight of the celebration to welcome IndyCar to Arlington at AT&T Stadium today was the unveiling of the 2.73 mile, 14 turn track layout. The event, sxcheduled for March, 2026, is a joint venture between the Dallas Cowboys, Penske entertainment, and the Texas Rangers entertainment group, REV.

The track:

It’s not a bad layout as street courses go. I like that there is just one truly square corner, turn 14. The series will use a double-sided pit lane similar to what the Detroit race employs. I like the 0.9 mile straight on the backstretch, and there appears to be three good passing areas. I am not too sure about turn 6. It comes right after a hairpin at turn 5, and it seems to be an afterthought of a turn.

Newgarden, Palou Represent IndyCar

Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou attended today’s event as driver representatives. It was appropriate to have the current Indianapolis 500 winner and the reigning series champions present, but I have to wonder why Pato O’Ward was not invited. This race is essentially his home race, and he will likely be responsible for a lot of the ticket sales and attendance in March of 2026. Swing and a miss by IndyCar in an otherwise stellar presentation.

Repost: Newby’s Legacy: Riley Hospital

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Today, October 7, is the 100th anniversary of the opening of Riley Hospital for Children.

Editor’s note: Thanks to Dr. Richard Schreiner and Karen Stroup for providing sources for this story.

Many people become known for their success in business, art or politics; many are renowned for the accumulation of wealth. Few are known for their good deeds or contributions which benefit their communities long after they are gone.. One of the IMS founders deserves more credit for what he did behind the scenes in Indianapolis.

Arthur Newby, the first Vice President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ran several successful businesses in Indianapolis. He founded Indianapolis Chain and Stamping Company, which later became Diamond Chain. National Motors was another one of Newby’s companies. Joe Dawson drove a National to victory in the 1912 Indianapolis 500.

He also owned a board track for bicycle racing with Carl Fisher. In 1909, the two men, along with James Allison and Frank Wheeler pooled $250,000 to form the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation.

While Wheeler, Fisher, and Allison had mansions on Cold Spring Road, Newby lived in a home at 40th and Meridian Streets. He donated part of his property to the fledgling Hoosier Motor Club, the forerunner of the American Automobile Association, which had its main office at that location for decades. The site is now home to the Martin Luther King center. Tarkington Towers occupies the site of his home.

In 1916 their friend, the poet James Whitcomb Riley died. Fisher was an honorary pallbearer at Riley’s funeral.

The following year a meeting took place in the home of L. C. Boyd to explore creating a children’s hospital as a memorial to Riley. The hospital would be open to children anywhere in Indiana and would be free to those who could not pay. A story in The Indianapolis News from August 21, 1917, lists the attendees. If you have ever driven in downtown Indianapolis and noticed the names on some of the older buildings, it is likely that the founder of that company was either there that day or expressed interest in helping with the project.

Allison was the only member of the speedway ownership group to attend, but the other three owners sent telegrams pledging support with time and donations. Allison became a part of the committee to create plans for the children’s hospital. The committee chairman was J. K. Lilly.

Newby’s $50,000 donation was the largest individual contribution to the building fund. When the hospital opened in 1924, the outpatient clinic was named the Newby Exoclinic in his honor. A tile on the floor of the clinic honors Newby, who made the donation in memory or of his parents and sister,

The tile recognizing Arthur Newby’s gift to Riley Hospital now rests in the atrium lobby of the hospital, 24 feet from its original location in the outpatient clinic.

Newby’s contribution to Riley was arguably the most public of his philanthropical gifts. he built and bought homes for homeless people. He gave kids money to go to school with the stipulation that they did not reveal where the money came from.

Butler University and Earlham College also received sizeable gifts from Newby. he also purchased land in Parke County which he donated to the state of Indiana. The property is now Turkey Run State Park.

The link between Riley and the Speedway continues today. Riley sponsors the turn 2 suites. Drivers visit the hospital to meet with patients during May.

Penske Entertainment, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers Team Up for INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington 

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From Indycar. More details tomorrow.

 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race Coming to Arlington Entertainment District in March 2026

ARLINGTON, Texas (Monday, Oct. 7, 2024) – Three championship organizations are uniting to bring an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race to the streets of Arlington, Texas. Penske Entertainment, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers, have announced a first-of-its-kind joint venture to establish and operate the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, with the initial race set for March 2026.
The 2.73-mile track layout will feature two iconic sporting venues recognized by fans around the world: AT&T Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers. The track will weave through Arlington’s core sports and entertainment district, which features an all-star lineup of events and venues and annually sells more than 1.6 million tickets to spectators near and far.
A celebration ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at Texas Live!, a special entertainment center located between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. The ceremony will unveil additional details about the proposed event, including a video that showcases the full track layout. Tomorrow’s gathering is closed to the public.
The new racing event will provide the city of Arlington and its organizers a national network television showcase, with FOX set to provide live coverage through its recently unveiled partnership with INDYCAR.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel racing competition, featuring stars from across the globe competing at speeds faster than 230 mph. Along with hosting the world-famous Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the series boasts a mix of oval, temporary street circuit and permanent road course races across North America, with the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington set to become its newest high-octane marquee event.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is sanctioned by INDYCAR, the governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series and part of the Penske Entertainment family.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING – EVENT LEADERSHIP
“Through a truly remarkable and innovative partnership, we’re going to build racing’s next global spectacle. Everyone involved is fully committed to delivering an incredible and unique event weekend for the city of Arlington, anchored by the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We’re grateful to the Cowboys, Rangers and REV Entertainment for entering into this partnership with us, and, of course, to Arlington’s leadership team for their excitement and ongoing support.” – Roger Penske, Penske Corporation chairman

“We are thrilled to join forces with the Texas Rangers, Penske Entertainment, and the city of Arlington to bring Grand Prix racing to the streets of the Arlington Entertainment District. The collaboration between our organizations will make the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington special, providing a unique NTT INDYCAR SERIES race experience for fans attending, while also creating a showcase with our friends at FOX and those watching around the world. An event of this magnitude is another great reflection of what we imagined over 15 years ago that AT&T Stadium could be a part of.” – Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager

“Today is a historic day for the Texas Rangers and REV Entertainment. We are proud to be at the forefront of the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington alongside such esteemed organizations in Penske Entertainment and the Dallas Cowboys. This event will set a new standard for the Arlington Entertainment District, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to experience what Arlington has to offer.” – Neil Leibman, Texas Rangers chief operating officer

“We are truly thankful to our partners for their vision and dedication to bringing the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington here to The American Dream City. I can’t think of a more beautiful and vibrant backdrop for this competition than Arlington’s world-class Entertainment District, which has proven again and again to be a premier destination for sports and entertainment. This announcement is an economic win for North Texas, and we’re looking forward to welcoming this incredible racing series and its fans for an unforgettable experience.” – Jim Ross, Arlington mayor

MORE ABOUT THE INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF ARLINGTON
Planning and preparation for the race weekend is underway, with veteran motorsport industry executive Bill Miller announced today as president of the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington. Miller brings more than three decades of experience to the role, including previously serving as president of California Speedway and senior vice president of operations at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a leading worldwide voice for more than 7,000 companies in the automotive aftermarket.
The INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington will provide a full weekend of racing and entertainment, with general admission, reserved seating, VIP hospitality and party zone areas available. Fans can register their interest by visiting the newly launched website: www.gparlington.com.
About Penske Entertainment: Penske Entertainment is a leading provider of world-class sports and entertainment, comprised of INDYCAR, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions. INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, INDY NXT. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses across the United States and Canada.

About REV Entertainment: REV Entertainment is a full-service company with the goal of producing first-class sports and entertainment events nationwide. REV Entertainment serves as the official events partner of the Texas Rangers, including serving as the official booking agent for both Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas. REV Entertainment has also created and produced several original concepts, including the Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown, one of the highest attended tournaments in college baseball. REV Entertainment also includes several entities focused on enhancing the events and entertainment business nationwide, including REV Production Services, REV Sports Management, REV Food Service, and REV Sports Marketing. For more information, visit REVEntertainment.com. 

BMW Team Wins This Indianapolis 8 Hour in Unique Fashion

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From IMS:

 
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024) – The Indianapolis 8 Hour Presented by AWS at Indianapolis Motor Speedway literally came down to a race against the clock.
Wright Motorsports’ Laurin Heinrich of Germany held the late-race lead – comfortably, in fact – but he knew a five-second penalty was coming from an infraction on the final pit stop for the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Heinrich ran some of his best laps in the final minutes, but he crossed the finish line 4.74 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Dries Vanthoor and the Team WRT’s No. 31 BMW M4 GT3.Thus, Vanthoor officially won the eight-hour endurance event by .260 of a second. Last year, BMW’s margin at the finish was 53.110 seconds – and it actually was the car that took checkered flag first.
“I don’t know what to say at the moment,” said Vanthoor, who spent the final hour of the race virtually matching Heinrich’s lap times on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at the Racing Capital of the World.
“I gave it everything I had. It was an amazing fight. Yeah, I gave it everything I had. I’m exhausted. Yeah, we did it!”
Heinrich said he was told of the impending time adjustment quite a while after it was announced, and he didn’t have enough laps left to keep the necessary advantage. He was disappointed to have lost the top spot on the podium in that manner
.“It’s a bit of a shame (to) somehow lose the overall win,” he said. “I was told (on the team’s radio) nine minutes before the end of a five-second penalty. I drove my heart out. I could extend the gap a bit but, I mean, I was clearly faster.”
The late-race drama as darkness settled over the historic motorsports facility was heightened by the fact both frontrunners were low on fuel. In fact, Vanthoor’s machine ran out on the cooldown lap, and it had to be towed to Victory Lane.
“It was a fuel race to the end, but we managed to do it,” Vanthoor said. “I’ll need a few days to recover, but I’m very happy to be a back-to-back Indy winner.”
Vanthoor also won last year’s race co-driving with Sheldon van der Linde of South Africa. The new driver in this year’s group was Charles Weerts of Belgium.This event brings together the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. In an interesting twist,
Vanthoor and Heinrich both led their cars to Indy victories as their programs race in different categories. Heinrich also helped deliver a season championship for Florida’s Adam Adelson and California’s Elliott Skeer, who fought back emotions on pit lane after overcoming a 33-point deficit to ST Racing’s BMW.
“Funny enough, how we came into the race it was the exact same scenario,” Skeer said. “Two cars against each other and whoever (finishes ahead) comes out the champion. Ultimately, last year didn’t go to plan, but this year we won this thing overall on track. Not only did we beat the car we need to, we beat every single car on track. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
The 23-car field included several drivers with IMS ties, including reigning and three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou, who won the pole for last year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Palou’s No. 4 Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing was already three laps off the pace with electrical issues when the Spaniard climbed behind the wheel, and he helped bring it home in 13th position. Still, that was good for third place in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Pro class.
Former INDYCAR SERIES drivers Zach Veach and Gabby Chaves co-drove the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 with Luca Mars that finished fourth overall and second in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America event. They finished 53.149 seconds behind the race winner, one of six cars on the lead lap.The No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW that included INDYCAR SERIES driver Conor Daly finished 21st.
Bell, Rowe Shine in Saturday’s Support Races
Saturday morning’s single-make Toyota Gazoo GR Cup North America race featured many drivers with familiar motorsports names and celebrities
.Jaxon Bell, the son of 10-time Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starter and NTT INDYCAR SERIES television analyst Townsend Bell, battled back from a drive-through penalty to become the highest finisher of those drivers – in 18th place in the 33-car field — in the No. 98 Copeland Motorsports Toyota.
Driving for Eagles Canyon Racing powered by Fast Track Toyota were YouTube star Cody Jones finishing in the 23rd position and Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves 25th as the last driver on the lead lap.
USAC standout Jade Avedisian finished 27th in the No. 24 Nitro Motorsports Toyota GR86.The race was won by Gresham Wagner, the driver of the No. 5 Copeland Motorsports Toyota who beat pole sitter Lucas Weisenberg (No. 46 Lucas Racing Toyota) by .733 seconds.
The series’ second race of the weekend is Sunday at 11:55 a.m.
INDY NXT by Firestone veteran Myles Rowe earned a spot on the podium in his class in the first Pirelli GT4 America race of the weekend, held Saturday. It was the first sports car race of Rowe’s career.Rowe and co-driver Isaac Sherman finished third – seventh overall – in the Pro-Am division in the No. 098 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4.
The 60-minute race was won by Corey Lewis and Tyler Gonzalez driving Smooge Racing’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO. Lewis crossed the finish line 5.172 seconds ahead of the field. The season-ending race is Sunday at IMS at 10:35 a.m. ET.

2025 Indy 500 Rookie Orientation,NTT INDYCAR SERIES Tests Oct. 10-11 at IMS 

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From IMS:

I have not heard officially about the test being open to the public yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.

 The 2025 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) will take place in the morning of Thursday, Oct. 10, followed by a four-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES test in the afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will host a group test consisting of one car from 11 race teams Friday, Oct. 11.
Nolan Siegel will attempt to complete ROP on Thursday. The test involves a series of laps at three controlled speed phases on the 2.5-mile oval. The Rookie Orientation Program is a prerequisite for participation in the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
THURSDAY, OCT. 10 (Indy 500 Rookie Orientation Program, NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test)
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global
Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
:9 a.m.-noon: Siegel ROP
1-5 p.m.: Ericsson, Newgarden, O’Ward, Palou NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test
FRIDAY, OCT. 11 (NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test)

Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global
Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
TBD, Dale Coyne Racing
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing
Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing
Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
10 a.m.-noon: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test
1-5 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test

Dallas Street Race and Other Thoughts

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I am just catching up ona few happenings in the Indycar world during an offseason that hasn’t really been off.

Last week a new street race in Dallas was announced for 2026. I understand- the desire of the series to race in that area. NTT’s headquarters are there. But I find it aggravating that the race will be less than an hour from Texas Motor Speedway, which can’t find a date suitable for IndyCar.

The event will be run around AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. I suppose the good news is that it won’t be on tight city streets where passing is nearly impossible. Parking lots allow for more flexibility in track layout. The bad news is it will be an unremarkable setting for a course.

Will this new race the 18th race or will a current race be cut? We already lost an oval t=race this year for the 2025 Thermal Club event. Which race would be cut if the series plans to stay at 17 races? My guess would be the second race at Iowa. I hope not, since the series needs at least six oval races a year.

Where will Dallas land on the schedule? I hope it is a spring race, before temperatures get too hot in the area. We will have to see how this plays out, but if the series wants to add new venues, I think they should look for more ovals.

Filling the Seats

As of today, there are seven seats still open on the 2025 Indycar grid, although one is believed to be spoken for. PREMA is thought to have Robert Schwartzman in its second car, but no official announcement has been made yet.

The other six- two each at Coyne, Rahal, and Juncos, are still up for grabs. Rinus VeeKay is the top free agent right now, but teams may be too far along with other drivers to add him into the mix. I think VeeKay is worth considering.

Testing

Felipe Drugovich and Jamie Chadwick tested at Barber Monday. Drugovich tested for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Chadwick had her first IndyCar experience in an Andretti Global car.

Jamie Chadwick after winning the IndyNXT race at Road America

Chadwick used the session to assess her readiness to race in the series, and she feels she needs to gain more upper body strength. Rahal constantly tests drivers to keep in mind for the future. Chadwick may get to do a race next year, but with the charter system in place, she would have to compete with the PREMA cars for the final spot in the field.

IndyCar teams will have a single car test at IMS October 10 and 11. One car from each team, 11 total, will participate. The focus of the test is the hybrid unit.

Champions Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honored Again at Victory Lap Celebration

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From Indycar:

Foster Celebrated for INDY NXT by Firestone Title

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Sept. 30, 2024) – Alex Palou was honored for his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the past four years during the Victory Lap Celebration on Sept. 30, the headline of an incomparable 2024 season for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Palou won two races in the No. 10 DHL Honda and scored 13 top-five finishes in 17 races to become just the 13th driver in history to earn at least three INDYCAR SERIES championships. He is just the seventh driver to win three titles in four years and first since Dario Franchitti won three straight from 2009-11 – also for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Spanish driver Palou won the Astor Challenge Cup for the title by 31 points over Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian’s Colton Herta, earning the 16th INDYCAR SERIES championship for Chip Ganassi Racing and the organization’s fourth in the last five seasons.
Palou was one of four members of Chip Ganassi Racing to receive special honors at the ceremony, which took place in the Gallagher Pavilion at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Linus Lundqvist of Sweden received the Rookie of the Year Award as the top-finishing first-year driver in the standings. The 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone champion recorded a pole, two podiums and four top-10 finishes in the No. 8 The American Legion Honda to surpass Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyffin Simpson by 97 points in the standings.
Team owner Chip Ganassi accepted the Championship Owner Award, and Palou’s chief mechanic, Ricky Davis, was presented the Pennzoil Chief Mechanic Award. Additional season honors for the Ganassi team included the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Team Manager award to Blair Julian and Mike LeGallic.
The awards haul was a reward for a dominant year by Indianapolis-based Chip Ganassi Racing. The team took the top spot in the driver standings and the Rookie of the Year title in the same season for the second straight year.
Much like the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and Rookie of the Year, the Manufacturers Award race had a familiar result. Chevrolet edged Honda by just 132 points to win its third consecutive engine manufacturer title and ninth overall since it returned to the series in 2012.
Eric Warren, General Motors executive director of global motorsports competition, accepted the award on behalf of the Chevrolet team. Team Penske took home a pair of end-of-season awards. Scott McLaughlin claimed the season-long NTT P1 Award, while Will Power accepted the Firestone Pit Performance Award on behalf of his No. 12 Team Penske crew.
INDYCAR’s development series was also recognized at the Victory Lap Celebration, as Louis Foster of Andretti Global was honored as 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone champion, capping a dominant season.
Foster won a series-high eight of the 14 races this season in the No. 26 Copart / Novara Technologies entry. He led the series in wins, poles, podiums, laps led and completed every lap of competition to beat Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel to the title by 122 points.HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet was named INDY NXT by Firestone Rookie of the Year. Collet, from Sao Palou, Brazil, finished third in the series standings with a victory. 

McIntosh Finally Finds Victory Lane in BC39 at IMS

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From IMS:

Rookie Drake Earns Initial USAC Win in First Feature of Doubleheader

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024) – Relief and joy came in equal measures Sunday night for Cannon McIntosh at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.McIntosh passed pole sitter Chase McDermand on the final lap of the 39-lap feature to win the Driven2SaveLives BC39 presented by Avanti Windows & Doors, a USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship race delayed by rain for one day.
McIntosh had finished second in the BC39 in 2022, in a preliminary feature race in 2023 and in the prelim feature Thursday night on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS.
“We’ve been so close to winning here, even on prelim nights, and haven’t got it done,” McIntosh said. “I knew I was good enough there. It was hard to get a rhythm and find your way. When someone got a good run on the outside, I had to move around a little bit. I just stayed patient. I knew I had the car to do it.”
Jade Avedisian finished second to Keith Kunz Motorsports teammate McIntosh, with McDermand hanging on for third. Daison Pursley finished fourth, with Kevin Thomas Jr. rounding out the top five.
McDermand dominated the 39-lap feature from the pole. He lost the lead in his family-owned No. 40 machine on Lap 1 to Pursley in the No. 86 CB Industries machine. But McDermand regained the lead on Lap 2 and kept the top spot on five ensuing restarts.
Meanwhile, McIntosh worked his way from the sixth starting position to second with eight laps to go but didn’t look like he would threaten McDermand, who won the 30-lap preliminary feature Thursday night for his first USAC victory.
But heartbreak struck for McDermand on Lap 38. His car got hung up in a rut at the bottom of Turn 4, slowing his momentum. That let McIntosh power even with McDermand on the outside of the main straightaway with the white flag in the air, and McIntosh’s momentum carried him under McDermand in Turn 2 for a lead he would not surrender in the final two corners.
“I ran 38 decent laps and one really, really bad one,” a dejected-yet-classy McDermand said. “It stings, it really stings.”
McIntosh, from Bixby, Oklahoma, earned $20,039 for what he called the biggest victory of his career.
“I just stuck to the line I had,” McIntosh said. “I just waited patiently and drove under him (McDermand) and protected it into (Turn) 3. But I’m so thankful to do this in honor of Bryan (race namesake Bryan Clauson), who was a legend in our sport and a hero. It’s a really cool feeling. I’m just so grateful to be able to race here.”
Avedisian turned her No. 71 Keith Kunz Motorsports car into a thrill ride for most of the feature. She started fifth, next to McIntosh on the third row, and was one of the first drivers to try the treacherous high line.The gamble worked. Avedisian, 17, started to gain ground quickly, sliding inches from the concrete wall in the corners. She passed Pursley for third with seven laps to go and had momentum exiting Turn 4 on the final lap, falling short of catching McIntosh at the line.
“It’s super, super heartbreaking,” Avedisian said. “I wanted this one so bad. You do it for these kind of races, and when you’re in a spot to capitalize and it doesn’t fall your way, it’s heartbreaking. It’s still so cool to race inside IMS.”
Rookie Kale Drake earned his first USAC victory by capturing the 30-lap feature that preceded the BC39. The feature was rained out Friday and Saturday.Drake, who started fourth in the No. 97K car fielded by Keith Kunz Motorsports, passed Gavin Miller for the lead six laps into the feature and stayed out front for the rest of the way despite four caution periods.
“I don’t think there is anything better than it, honestly,” Drake said, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Holy moly. This is unreal. We’re a winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s pretty surreal.”
Pole sitter Thomas finished second, while Avedisian finished third. Drake, Thomas and Avedisian earned automatic starting spots in the BC39 feature by placing in the top three.
Drake never was seriously challenged on any of the restarts after he took the lead, and he was able to smoothly navigate the rougher Turn 3 and 4 portion of the racetrack.
“I had the best race car out there,” Drake said. “The entire Keith Kunz Motorsports team gave me the easiest Cadillac to drive through those ruts.”
Like in the BC39, Avedisian was the star of the show in the 30-lap feature. She struggled in her heat race but produced a strong drive from 10th to third in the feature, earning an automatic transfer spot after passing reigning BC39 winner Justin Grant and Miller in the last 11 laps.
The Driven2SaveLives BC39 presented by Avanti Windows & Doors continues to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson. In addition, it increases awareness of the Indiana Donor Network and its Driven2SaveLives campaign, sponsors of the event since its inception.