Test Day 2- Midday

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Photo: A New look for the ECR 20 car

First session times:

Rinus VeeKay is testing for Dale Coyne Racing today. He talked about the difficulty of finding a full time ride for 2025 at this late date.

“…there’s a few seats, but there’s no not really. There’s not really paying seats. So for me, it’s my priority to ride full time next year, and I think no matter what, so at least you have this opportunity now to show you how I work and show the engineers how I work, and what my feedback is. They seem pretty aggressive this morning. “

It was strange seeing Alexander rossi in a different driving suit.

Cars are back on track. I am going mout to watch for a while. I will have a wrap up later today.

Day 2 of IMS Testing

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Today’s schedule:

10-12 pm: Group Test Session 1
1-5 pm: Group Test Session 2

Chevy
DRR: Hunter-Reay
ECR: Rossi
Foyt: Ferrucci
JHR: Daly
McLaren: Lundgaard
Penske: Newgarden

Honda
Andretti: Ericsson
CGR: Palou
DCR: VeeKay
MSR: Castroneves
RLL: Rahal

It will be another beautiful day to watch vars run at IMS. The turn 2 mounds are open for viewing. I will be on site this afternoon.

Yesterday morning Sting Ray Robb was scheduled to drive the 18. Yesterday afternoon, An announcement was made that Rinus VeeKay would be in the car,. I don’t know if this is a job audition for VeeKay. Time will tell.

The drivers taking part in yesterday afternoon’s tire test agree that the hybrid will probably not have much effect on the racing in May.

Siegel Completes Rookie Test

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Nolan Siegel easily completed his IMS rookie test this morning under clear skies and cool conditions. He needed to repeat the test he passed early because he failed to qualify for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. With his new ride at Arrow McLaren for 2025, qualifying should not be an issue.

“I’m going to be way better prepared this year,” Siegel said. “I’m excited to get back.”

“I’ll have more preparation, more time with the team. more time in the car, and more actual practice time here at the track.”

Siegel feels that knowing wht bhe will be doing for the next couple of years takes a lot off his plate. h ed rove seven different types of cars innthe first five months of 2024.

The four cars testing this afternoon-Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Josef: Newgarden, and Pato: O’Ward will do install laps and then return at 1 pm ET to begin the testing which goes until 5 pm.

Received confirmation that Sting Ray Robb will test in the number 18 car for Dale Coyne Racing tomorrow.

ROP, Tire Testing at IMS Today

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Today’s Testing Schedule:
9 am – 12 pm: Nolan Siegel ROP

1-5 pm: Firestone Tire Test: 4 cars: Andretti: Ericsson, Ganassi: Palou, Penske: Newgarden, McLaren: O’Ward

Nolan Siegel needs to retake his rookie test since he did not make the race in 2023.

Turn 2 mounds are open for viewing. The museum is still closed, but the gift shop is open.

Notes

Adam Stern reports that IndyCar is “far along” in talks for a 2026 race in Mexico City. Hmmm.

He also reported about another big street race in the United States, which many speculate might be Denver. If three new races come on line in 2026, what gets cut? I hope no oval venues. I am fine with Iowa going back to a single race.

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.