Tag: Alex Palou

Palou Stays on Top

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Today’s schedule: All times Eastern

Alex Palou repeated fast time in Friday’s second practice session as the Indycar concluded five total hours of testing at The Thermal Club.

Combined Session results:

Notes

The qualifying rounds have been shortened to 8 minutes from the originally scheduled 10 minutes at the requests of teams and drivers. High tire degradation was the reason for the change.

Felix Rosenquist continues to fit in well with his new team as he was in the top 10 all day.

Callum Ilott is doing a great job for Arrow McLaren filling in for David Malukas.

Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren appear to be the strongest teams so far this weekend,

Palou Leads Test Day 1

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Alex Palou had the day’s quickest time in the first day of Indycar testing at Sebring. Kyle Kirkwood led the morning session. 15 cars tested today.

Jack Harvey waited until the afternoon round to venture out on the 1.65 mile track. The team was conserving their limited tire allotment.

I spent a few hours at the track. It was great to see Indycar back on track and get a look at the new liveries. They are new and different. Please study carefully before your first trip to the track. I spent the first half of the morning wondering, “Who is that?” I had to look at the numbers on the car to figure it out.

Alex Palou in DHL colors is the biggest shocker. I was taken aback when I saw the number 10 where a 28 should have been. I liked most of the new liveries. Teams have freshened up some old looks by flipping the color schemes. Look for lots of white on the front of vars. I counted six cars with a white front extending from the bottom of the aeroscreen to the nose.

Combined results from today:

Tomorrow’s lineup:

O’Ward drove the number 6 car today for the injured David Malukas.

Some photos:

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DHL, Ganassi Sign Multi-Year Agreement

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Chip Ganassi Racing and DHL today announced a multi-year agreement to sponsor Alex Palou in car10. DHL had been a long-time sponsor of car 28 for Andretti Global driven for several years by Ryan Hunter-Reay and in 2022 and 2023 by Romain Grosjean.

The official announcement:

Chip Ganassi Racing and DHL Express today announced a new multi-year partnership, establishing DHL as the primary partner of the No. 10 Honda driven by two-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou. The new agreement sees the 15-time INDYCAR SERIES champions joining forces with the world’s leading global shipping and logistics company.

Palou and the No. 10 team will kick off their 2024 championship-defending season at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March, just a few hundred miles away from the DHL Regional Headquarters in Plantation, Florida.

“I am extremely proud to welcome DHL to the Chip Ganassi Racing family,” said Chip Ganassi. “It is an honor to partner with an organization that shares our fundamental values of teamwork, growth, responsibility, and the pursuit of excellence. Together, we are committed to embodying those values both on and off the racetrack. I am looking forward to Alex and the No. 10 team defending their 2023 title with DHL on board. The road ahead holds great promise and potential, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Founded in 1969, DHL was established as a courier service that delivered clearance documents between San Francisco and Honolulu by air, so they would arrive at Customs before the freight itself. Today, DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry and one of the most international companies, with about 395,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Chip Ganassi Racing, an organization that has a rich history of success, deeply rooted in principles shared by DHL, such as a commitment to supporting the communities we call home, and the relentless pursuit of excellence by investing in our people who embody speed, passion, and dedication,” said Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas and Head of Global Sponsorships. “As we sponsor this winning motorsports team with Alex Palou behind the wheel, we look forward to many winning moments both on and off the track in the months and years to come.”

“It’s super exciting to announce our new partnership with DHL, a global leader in logistics. Representing such a successful and widely recognized brand is a true honor,” said Palou. “Their iconic yellow and red colors not only stand out, but they also remind me of my native Spain’s colors. As our team looks back at our remarkable success last year, we are eager to carry that momentum forward and aim for a third title with the support of DHL. I am especially thrilled to hit the ground running alongside the dedicated men and women of our 10-car crew in 2024.”

Palou’s 2023 season was one for the record books, as he became just the sixth driver in the 100-plus-year history of the sport to win multiple championships at 26 or younger (Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais, A.J. Foyt, Sam Hornish Jr., Louis Meyer). He also became the first driver to clinch the championship prior to the season finale since 2007. 

The Barcelona, Spain, native will now be looking to secure a third career championship, something no driver has achieved since his teammate and six-time champion Scott Dixon in 2013 and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Advisor Dario Franchitti in 2010.

Champions Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Take Spotlight at Victory Lap Celebration ; Rasmussen Saluted for INDY NXT by Firestone Title

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INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023) – Alex Palou was honored for his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship during the Victory Lap Celebration on Sept. 21, the headline of an incomparable 2023 season for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Palou dominated this season to earn another title to join his 2021 championship for Chip Ganassi Racing. He won a series-high five races in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda, with a total of 10 podium finishes in 17 races. Palou finished eighth or better in all 17 races this season and became the first INDYCAR SERIES driver to clinch the championship at least one race early since Sebastien Bourdais in 2007.
Spanish driver Palou won the Astor Challenge Cup for the title by 78 points over teammate and six-time series champion Scott Dixon, earning the 15th INDYCAR SERIES championship for Chip Ganassi Racing and the organization’s third in the last four seasons.
Palou was one of six members of Chip Ganassi Racing to receive special honors at the ceremony, which took place at the Gallagher Pavilion at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Marcus Armstrong of New Zealand received the Rookie of the Year Award as the top-finishing first-year driver in the standings. Armstrong scored five top-10 finishes in just 12 starts in the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda to surpass full-time rookie Agustin Canapino of Juncos Hollinger Racing by 34 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 Barry Wanser and Blair Julian.
The awards haul was a reward for a dominant year by Indianapolis-based Chip Ganassi Racing. The team achieved the unprecedented feat of taking the top two spots in the driver standings and winning the Rookie of the Year title in one season.
While Palou’s winning margin in the driver standings was the largest since 2016, the Manufacturers Award race came down to the final laps at the season finale Sept. 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Chevrolet edged Honda by just 16 points to win its second consecutive engine manufacturer title and eighth overall since it returned to the series in 2012.
Mark Stielow, General Motors director of motorsport competition engineering, accepted the award on behalf of the Chevrolet team.
A successful first season with a rebrand and Firestone sponsorship for INDYCAR’s development series also was recognized at the Victory Lap Celebration, as Christian Rasmussen of HMD Motorsports was honored as 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone champion.
Rasmussen won a series-high five of the 14 races this season in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with DCR entry. He beat Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea to the title by 65 points.
Danish driver Rasmussen’s HMD teammate, Nolan Siegel, was named INDY NXT by Firestone Rookie of the Year. Siegel, from Palo Alto, California, finished third in the series standings with two victories. 
 

Indycar 2023- Palou Rises Above the Chaos Part 1

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A season which began and ended in chaos had some good racing in between, and produced a champion and runner up who were models of consistency. As in any season, some teams shined, and others disappointed.

Alex Palou ran away with the title, finishing no worse than eighth in any race to fortify his five wins. Teammate Scott Dixon only finished outside of the top seven just one time. That may have been the difference in the championship.

I am always sad to see an Indycar season come to a close, but this off season promises to be very busy. There are still seven to eight seats for 2024 still up for grabs, and testing may be increased as the new hybrid component comes on board. Before we look ahead to 2024 let’s take a look back at the just completed season.

Chaotic Opener and Closer

The season began with a first lap pileup at St. Pete which featured Benjamin Pedersen in the air. The race would have a total of three multicar incidents, but it ended with a great finish as Marcus Ericsson passed Pato O’Ward at the white flag.

The new Detroit Grand Prix had its share of mayhem as well with 32 of the 100 laps run under caution. This track needs some tweaks to be raceable.

Sunday saw 35 of 95 yellow laps as drivers tried to get a handle on the new surface. I felt restart zone could have been in a better spot to prevent crashes when the race resumed.

Ganassi Team Dominates

It’s good to be a Chip Ganassi Racing driver. Alex Palou won five times on the way to the title. Scott Dixon, who looked just average at midseason, won three of the last four races and clinched second in the points at Portland as Palou sealed the title. Marcus Ericsson won a race and finished sixth in the standings. While he did not win a race, Marcus Armstrong won Rookie of the Year despite driving in only 12 races. 2023was a Ganassi sweep.

Rahal Renaissance

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers languished through the first hqalf of the season. Christian Lundgaard won the pole at the GMR Grand Prix in May as the only highlight of the first third of the year.

The embarrassment of Graham Rahal not qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 as the three drivers fought each other for the last sparked immediate changes in the team. Whatever they did wo0rked. Lundgaard won the pole and the race at Toronto. Rahal won two poles in the last four races.

It i difficult to turn a team around in midseason. What RLL did was amazing. They are the team i respect the most this season.

Power Shortage

Will Power did not win a race after winning the championship in 2022. He won just two poles, both at Iowa on an oval. Power, the career leader in poles, made just one Fast Six on road and street courses.

I look for Power to came back with a strong season next year.

Newgarden Wins 500, Sweeps Iowa, Then Fades Away

Josef Newgarden had things going his way the first half of the season. He won the Indianapolis 500, then swept the doubleheader at Iowa. His chance to sweep all the ovals ended with wall contact at World Wide Technology Raceway. It was Newgarden’s second straight 25th place finish, essentially ending his title hopes. Sunday he finished 21st.

Newgarden fell to fifth in the final standings, matching his worst finish in the last four years. He might just win the title in 2024.

New Winners

Despite the dominance of the Ganassi drivers. two drivers joined the winners’ club. Kyle Kirkwood won at Long Beach and Nashville, while Christian Lundgaard took the checkered at Toronto.

There is a lot more to talk about. I will continue the season review later today.

Some Quick Thoughts on Portland

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Alex Palou didn’t need to win today’s race to clinch the championship, but in reality it was the easiest way to do it. His fifth win in 2023 sealed his second championship in three years.

Palou has nine career wins, and has finished no worse than eight this season.

Chip Ganassi Racing has won the season title three of the last four years.

The race was a decent one for Portland. There were many battles throughout the day, and the field didn’t really get strung out until after the halfway mark.

Odd Occurrences

Race control’s pattern of holding the yellow until drivers have a chance to pit has got to stop. When an incident happens and a car is in a dangerous spot, a yellow flag needs to come out immediately. If someone needs to pit so be it. It’s called the breaks of a game.

How was Palou’s move on Ericsson not a block?

It seems as if Indycar has to get tougher on lapped cars moving out of the way. Maybe a rewording of the rue is in order.

Good Drives

David Malukas improved 15 spots to eighth, and led two laps.

Josef Newgarden, fifth, and Rinus VeeKay, sixth, each improved seven positions form the start. Both escaped the first lap scramble in turn 1.

Will Power can’t seem to catch a break this season. After a consistent 2022, Power has had several difficult outings, most of which not of his own doing.

Juri Vips was the top finishing rookie in 18th.

The 29 car jumped into 21st in the Leaders’ Circle. The entrant has a 4 point blead over car 60 with one race to go.

That will do it for me this weekend. Thanks for following along. I have a very flight tomorrow morning . I will have a full weekend warp up late mday or early Tuesday.

Mid Season: Ganassi Dominates as Big Four Collects All the Hardware

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Some number crunching proves the obvious-Chip Ganassi Racing is dominating the 2023 NTT Indycar Series season. The other teams in the Big Four are not doing badly, although Team Penske is a not so close second.

Alex Palou has won four times, including the last three races, and could win as many as six races this year.

How strong are the Big Four? 26 of the 27 podium spots have gone to the four top teams. Santino ferrucci of A. J. Foyt Racing, wjo finished third in the Indanapolis 500, is the only driver outside of the top four teams to have apodiumin 2023.

Only four drivers not on a Big Four team have top five finishes- Christian Lundgaard has two fourth place results, Callum Ilott, David Malukas, and Ferrucci.

One odd statistic- Team Penske has yet to earn a pole position this year. Will Power, the career leader in poles earned, has not even made the Fast Six. Andretti Autosport has the most poles- 5- but has only one win. The team is fourth in top five finishes.

TeamWinsPolesPodiumTop five
Ganassi521016
Penske3078
Andretti1535
Arrow McLaren01611

As much as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has struggled this season, Christian Lundgaard has a pole and two fourth place finishes, the best among the rest of the field.

Usually the second half of the season belongs tothe front runners. Just five different drivers have won race thgis year. i think we are on a path where eight ifferent winners is optimistic. It has been an abnormal season in the variety of teams finishing in the top positions.

I’m hoping the second half provides some surprises and bit of drama.

Palou Streak Continues; Mid Ohio Win Third in a Row-Quick Thoughts

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I am going to save this headline and just change the name of the race each week. Alex Palou’s five second win over Scott Dixon moves Palou one step closer to tying Dixon’s four straight to start the 2020 season.

A. J. Foyt won the first seven races of the 1964 season. I don’t think we need to start discussing that record yet.

Palou’s lead is 110 points over Dixon and 116 points ahead of Josef Newgarden. Palou leads the top five by 127 points. I can’t recall when a driver dominated the field like this in the modern era.

Lundgaard Saves Rahal’s Day

The great weekend for RLL- withdrivers starting second, fifth, and 11th, fizzled in the race. Graham Rahal was in a close battle with Colton Herta for the lead early in the race. Rahal had a fueling issue on his first pit stop and then stalled the car on his second stop. Rahal finished seventh.

Jack Harvey lined up 11th and faded to 18th. Christian Lundgaard came home fourth, salvaging complete disappointment on whqat looked to be a promising day.

Andretti Still Searching for a Complete Weekend

Andretti Autosport won its fifth pole of the season, and also had a river starting third. Colton Herta jumped out to an early lead over Graham Rahal, and Kyle Kirkwood maintained third for a while, but spun as Palou battled him for position.

Herta also had pit issues and served a penalty for a pit speed violation.

Herta finished 11th, and Kirkwood took the checkered flag in 17th.

Daly Returns to Super Sub Role

Conor Daly returned to his role as one of the best substitute drivers, taking ober for Simon Pagenaud, who was not cleared to drive following yesterday’s horrific accident.

Daly started last and moved up to 20th by the end of the race. It was an admirable job considering he was driving what uis usually the Indianapolis 500 car, and had just 30 minutes in the car this morning.

The Event

It was a decent race, better than most at Mid Ohio. There were a lot of position battles and passing in the esses.

Tiday’s crowd was the largest I have seen at Mid Ohio in many years. Every Indycar event this year has seen increased attendance over last year, and not just by a little.

While I enjoyed the race, I think this race is better at 90 laps. The longer distance would allow for an alternate strategy to have a better chance of working. Pato O’Ward tried an undercut today, but the lack of yellows didn’t help him.

Thanks for folowing along this weekend. I will have a wrap up at some point tomorrow,

Road America Wrap Up- Should We Spread Out the Crown Jewels?

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Another outstanding Road America event ended with a great race a little more than 24 hours ago. I have seen a lot of comments today on social media about post Road America depression. I still get post 500 depression at the end of May- I have for more than n50 years. After the htiurd Road America race in the cy=urreent series, in 2017, I had a weird feeling leaving the track. A couple of days later, I realized it was post race depression.

I don’t get this feeling after every race. It is a given after Indy; I have also felt it each time after the two times I have been to Long Beach; and now, every time I leave Road America. Maybe it’s Crown Jewel Syndrome. Indycar’s three Crown Jewel races- Long Beach, the Indianapolis 500, and Road America- occur in a span of 65 days. That is a lot of emotion crammed into slightly more than two months. Maybe that is the source of thefeelings following the last event.

Perhaps Indycar should spread the Crown Jewels out a little more. I would love to see Road America in September. I bet the place looks spectacular with the leaves changing colors. I realize there are many reasons why this will never happen, but it might stave off some depression among fans.

Here is a quick review of the weekend.

The Race

The Sonsio Grand Prix of Raod America was an intricuing race. There was drama in the first half of the race with cars driving off track, and the different pit strategies.

Will Power probably needed a second half yellow to make his strategy work, but it was a brilliant drive to see him dart in and out of the pits and actually lead after starting 22nd.

Speaking of needing a yellow in the second half of the race, Colton Herta’s crew put him in a vulnerable spot asking him to go 15 laps on a tank of fuel yet maintain a leading pace. For a team and driver that despeartely needed a win, it was a questionable move.

I don’t know what else can be said about Alex Palou. there is no better driver in the series right now, nor has there been since he won the season finale at Laguna Seca last year. Including that race Palou has finished in the top eigtht nine straight races. Only at St. Pete in March has Palou finished outside the top 5.

While many fans are wondering if he will stay with Ganassi for 2024 (doubtful), my friend Tony dizinno pointed out that we should probably worry more that he leaves Indycar.

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The Crowd

If you thought there wer a lot of people at road America yesterday, you were right. I hear dthird hand thatb it was arecord crowd for the track, possibly by as much as 10% above the previous mark. I sensed it all weekend. In talked to a friend after qualifying, who said the crowd reminded him of the 2017 race day crowd. I could not disagree.

Yesterday I watched the warmup from the the top of the nturn 5 hill. Normally it is crowded, but I can always find a space for my golf cart. Yesterday it was atight squeeze to fit my vegicle into a tiny space by the road.

I watched the start of the race from the turb 7 area. The concession stand there is usually one of the easier ones to get something to eat quickly. Sunday the line stretched to the cart parking entry and kept growing. The workers handled it well. =they make food to order, and despite the demand, things moved smoothly.

I watched the end of the race from turn 3. It’s a great spot for restarts as you see the field come down the hill from turn 2.

The Atmosphere

Road Anerica is for race fans. People coma and watch the races, no matter which series. They have a good time, and nthey have fun, but this track is all about the racing. I see that atmosphere at sports car races, but the atmosphere is unique to Indycar events. I have heard fans at dinner talking about the next day’s races and thqt they want to get to the track for the first race.

Thanks for following along this weekend. I will be on here just occasionally the rest of this week, then be back to get ready for Mid Ohio at the end of next week.