Tag: Andretti Autosport

Grosjean Sees Stronger Season for Himself, Andretti

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Romain Grosjean came away from the Spring Training tests at The Thermal Club optimistic about the upcoming NTT Indycar season. I spoke with at the St. Pete track build, where the driver of the number 28 DH car for Andretti Autosport represented the series.

He enjoyed his time with Lamborghini at Daytona, but is now fully focused on having his best Indycar season.

About Thermal Club, Grosjean found it “different or better than what we expected really. The facility was amazing , the track was actually pretty good for testing so we actually learned a fair bit of stuff from the two days of of testing.”

Grosjean at Long Beach last year. He finished second.

Grosjean said the team left California ahead of where they were at this point in 2022.

“We have a better baseline that we had last year,” Grosjean said. “We have one more test in Sebring before coming here. We’re going to work on our street setup. Last year we were quite competitive. We should have won Long Beach, almost had the pole in Nashville, so we know on street courses we’re pretty good.”

The team’s dynamic is “pretty good I like Kirkwood andColton as well as Devlin. We’re good, we’ve got a good team. I’m excited to get the season going.”

Grosjean hopes to score his first Indycar win in 2023, but admits it is going to be tough with 27 cars.

Kirkwood Leads Final Test

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Photo from @FollowAndretti

Kyle Kirkwood led the fourth test session at The Thermal Club this afternoon. Kirkwood finished second, third, and first in the three sessions he ran. His team needed to change a clutch yesterday afternoon, and Kirkwood missed the second round. Kirkwood’s time of 1:38.8279 was the third fastest overall for the two days.

Kirkwood spoke about his excitement to be with Andretti this season.

“My entire goal last year was to take a car that everyone knows
is usually mid pack or towards the back and put it up front.
That was always a goal of mine. That was exciting for me.
It’s also exciting to be in a fast car and be fast in a fast car.
There’s benefits to both. I’m just as excited as I was last
year, to be honest. I’m definitely leaving this place in a happier spot than most
of the events last year.”

The Spring Training event at The Thermal Club seems to have been a big hit with the drivers, but they expressed doubts about holding a race there. Kirkwood thinks it would be a lot like Barber, with few passing opportunities..

Results:

Herta Sweeps Day 1 as Times Drop in Session 2

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Colton Herta posted the fast time in the afternoon session of Indycar’s open test in California. His teammate Kyle Kirkwood, second in the morning round, did not participate in the second session. The team was replacing the clutch on the 27 Auto Nation Honda.

13 cars cracked the 100 second mark.

The results:

Tomorrow’s schedule is similar to today’s. Session 3 begins at noon Eastern time.

Herta Quickest in Session 1

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Photo from @FollowAndretti

Colton Herta led an Andretti 1-2 in the opening test session of 2023 at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California. Kyle Kirkwood was second in his Andretti Autosport debut Herta had the only lap under one minute,forty seconds.

From photos and videos I have seen, the track looks beautiful and the mountain backdrop provides a spectacular setting.

The results:

Session 2 began at 4:30 Eastern time and runs until 7:30.

Andretti-Wayne Taylor Racing Partnership: Some Thoughts

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Yesterday’s announcement of the new partnership between Andretti Autosport and Wayne Taylor Racing is huge for both IMSA and Indycar. While in 2023 we might not see any big changes, the next two years have a lot potential for some big moves.

Le Mans?

My first thought was that the new group will head to Le Mans in 2024 or 2025. Taylor’s son Ricky has driven at le mans for other teams, but now Taylor has a chance to bring his own car to France. It would be great to see the Andretti name return to Le Mans.

Resources

The groups no have increased depth in engineering and crew personnel. I can see a possibility of trading people back and forth for the sports car and Indycar programs as necessary.

I’m not sure how much each program can learn from Acura/Honda that translates from Sports cars to Indycars,but with Indycar moving to a hybrid system in 2024, perhaps there are things Andretti can learn from a year with the GTP car.

Expansion

Will Acura grant WTR/Andretti a second GTP car for 2024? If they do, will Meyer Shank still be an Acura program?

Ricky Taylor in Indycar?

The prospect of Ricky Taylor driving an Indycar really excites me. He is a talented driver. Driving for a team affiliated with Andretti gives him his best opportunity. I doubt if he would ever be a full time Indycar pilot, but I could see Taylor running a couple of road course races and possibly the Indianapolis 500.someday.

Indycar Exposure

I am not sure if there will be an increase in exposure for Indycar with this joint venture. Andretti joins Chip Ganassi, Mike Shank, Roger Penske, Bobby Rahal as Indycar team owners who will have entries in the GTP class in IMSA. With both series on NBC/Peacock, maybe the network can work opn some cross promotion. Some driver crossover would help.

For 2023 I believe all the Andretti indycar drivers have endurance commitments with other teams in various classes. Colton Herta with Rahal, Kyle Kirkwood with Vasser./Sullivan, and Romain Grosjean with Lamborghini. Devlin DeFrancesco has an LMP2 ride I believe.

I am excited to see how this partnership evolves. I see a potentially big super team on the horizon.

Andretti Joins IMSA with Wayne Taylor Racing

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Andretti Autosport added to their extensive racing portfolio by partnering with Wayne Taylor Racing in the IMSA Weather tech Championship. The multi year deal begins withthe Rolex 24 hour at Daytona when the GTP Acura debuts. I will have some thoughts on this partnership tiomorrow.

The release from Andretti this morning:

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 28, 2022) – Andretti Autosport and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership today that will see the championship-caliber teams combine resources to compete in IMSA’s top classes. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and its No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX Evo22 will make their official debut at the 2023 Roar Before the Rolex 24 and will be on the grid for the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA. The newly formed team will also compete in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series. 

During the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, day-to-day operations and leadership remain as they have currently operated with the long- term goal of moving the programs into Andretti Global’s recently announced 575,000-square-foot headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, due to be operational in 2025.

Wayne Taylor’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013, 2017) and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2021, 2020), which have contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac as well as multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events – the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA (a total of six Rolex 24 At Daytona titles, two as driver and four of the past six years as team owner), Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Wayne Taylor Racing claims eight Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title. 

For 2023, Andretti will continue to operate in IMSA’s LMP3 category with Jarett Andretti. The five-time Indianapolis 500 champions Andretti Autosport competes in six additional racing championships worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT by Firestone, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australia’s Repco Supercars Championship and Mexico’s SuperCopa series. 

Michael Andretti, Chairman & CEO, Andretti Autosport: 

“This is an exciting time for us. We’re proud to be returning to the IMSA paddock in this way and the opportunity to be part of the launch of the GTP program alongside Wayne Taylor Racing and our friends at Honda Performance Development. Re-entering IMSA full time, and at this level, has been a goal of mine. I wanted it to be the right opportunity and at the right time – and we’ve found that. I’m looking forward to working closer with the team at WTR and meeting all the team’s strong supporters. I want to personally thank Wayne (Taylor) and Travis (Houge) for already being such great partners as we plan for a successful future.” 

Wayne Taylor, Team Owner, Wayne Taylor Racing: 

“It’s an honor to be partnering with a name like Andretti as we enter a new era of racing. I was approached by Michael a year ago and, as we all know, timing is everything, especially as our GTP and GTD programs continue to grow with Acura |HPD. Having worked with Michael on this for nearly a year, I’m very excited to see it come together. While our 2023 program won’t look much different, there is a lot that Andretti Autosport can offer to us as we continue to build and expand. I’m looking forward to working closer with Michael (Andretti), J-F (Thormann), Rob (Edwards) and the entire Andretti team.” 

Andretti Signs Jamie Chadwick for Indy NXT Series

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Andretti Autosport has signed three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick to drive in the Indy NXT Series for 2023. My take- it’s about time she got the recognition for her ability. I hope this leads to her getting a full time Indycar ride in the future.

The Andretti announcement follows:

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 1, 2022) – Andretti Autosport has signed three-time W Series Champion, Jamie Chadwick, to join Andretti Autosport for the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone season. Chadwick will make her American racing series debut in the No. 28 DHL Andretti Autosport Dallara and become the first female in 13 years to compete full-time in the INDY NXT championship. 

DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company, will serve as primary sponsor of Chadwick’s entry, partnering with Andretti Autosport and Jamie to grow the company’s long-standing partnership with the team, dating from 2010. Supporting Jamie Chadwick is a natural progression that aligns with DHL’s global values in creating inclusion for all, including the development of women around the world through its global partnerships and within its business. 

The British racing driver joined the female free-to-enter Championship, W Series in its inaugural season in 2019 and achieved two race victories and three podium finishes which saw Chadwick win the 2019 W Series Championship. Chadwick continued her positive trajectory claiming the 2021 and 2022 W Series Championships while continuing as a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy.

DHL and Andretti Autosport, a pioneer in driver development, see this new signing of the first confirmed female in the 2023 INDY NXT championship as an important part of continuing to support the development of young talent particularly in the male-dominated environment of racing.

Michael Andretti, CEO & Chairman, Andretti Autosport, said:

“Andretti Autosport is proud to be supporting Jamie alongside DHL for the 2023 INDY NXT season. Jamie’s successful career speaks for itself, but the INDY NXT series gives Jamie the opportunity to continue her development in a new type of racing. DHL is a long-standing team partner; we are happy to welcome them to the INDY NXT series and excited to welcome Jamie to the team. We’ve turned out five INDY NXT champions over the years and look forward to continuing our role in developing new talent.”

Mike Parra, CEO, DHL Express, Americas, said: 

“DHL are proud to partner with Jamie as she takes the next progressive step in her motorsports career. As the most international company in the world, DHL has a strong focus on Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Jamie is a fantastic example of inclusion & women empowerment within motorsports. As the Number 1 Great Place to Work for a second year, we want to further reinforce our position with regards to diversity & inclusion and feel that the partnership with Jamie is great platform do this through the values we both share.”

Jamie Chadwick, Driver, No. 28 DHL Dallara, said:

“I’m hugely excited to be joining Andretti Autosport for the 2023 INDY NXT season with DHL. My aim is always to challenge myself and continue my progression as a driver and this represents not only a big step up but also a big step towards my goal of competing in the highest categories of single seater racing. Andretti Autosport’s standing in the sport is second to none and I hope to bring more success to such a prestigious team. I can’t wait to get started.”

Chadwick’s first race with Andretti Autosport will be on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 2023 INDY NXT season opener March 3-5, 2023. She joins Andretti Autosport INDY NXT teammates Hunter McElrea (No. 27 Dallara) and Louis Foster (No. 26 Dallara), and becomes Andretti’s second full-time female driver alongside Catie Munnings who competes for Andretti United Extreme E.

Marco Andretti Set for His 18th 500

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Marco Andretti will return for his 18th Indianapolis 500 mile race in May. The number 98 Andretti Autosport car will again carry KULR sponsorship. May 0f 2023 will be third year Andretti has run the race as one off entry. Andretti won the pole for the 500 in 2020.

The field for the 500 is fast approaching 30 cars and should easily reach 33 entries.

This morning’s announcement from Andretti Autosport:

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 17, 2022) – KULR Technology Group (NYSE American: KULR) (the “Company” or “KULR”) will return to the grid of the 2023 Indianapolis as the primary sponsor for the No. 98 Honda of Marco Andretti as the third-generation racer makes his 18th Indy 500 start.  

“It’s great to see a sponsor like KULR continue as a primary sponsor with our INDYCAR program for the second year,” said Andretti Autosport Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti. “The development potential of KULR’s technology is exciting and we’re proud of their commitment to improving performance. We look forward to this special event in May and are happy to have them back with Marco.”  

As pioneers in their respective industries, KULR and Andretti Autosport share a commitment to excellence and progression. KULR has long been a leading developer of next-generation lithium-ion battery safety and thermal management products and services, playing a part in countless customer successes, including the 2020 Mars Rover mission.  

“We are thrilled to welcome back Marco Andretti as a KULR Ambassador as we return to Andretti Autosport for the 2023 Indy 500,” said KULR Technology Group President and COO, Keith Cochran. “Marco authentically embodies the spirit of our brand. His dedication to his craft and the motorsport industry are just some of the reasons we believe he is the perfect person to represent KULR Technology as we continue to expand our energy management platform.”  

KULR served as Andretti’s primary sponsor in 2022 for his 250th INDYCAR career start. They are no stranger to the Andretti Autosport family as they first joined Andretti Technologies and sister team, Andretti United Extreme E in 2021 as the official thermal management and battery safety technical partner.   

Andretti will make his 18th Indy 500 start piloting the No. 98 KULR Technologies / Curb Honda. Andretti has recorded eight top-10 finishes and four top-three results at the famed IMS oval, also claiming pole position in 2020. He will take to the track for Open Testing on April 20-21 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before joining his four Andretti teammates for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile race in May.

Who is the Third Member of Indycar’s Big Three?

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Virtually from the beginning of the unified Indycar series in 2008, fans have talked about the Big Three- Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti. Each team has had cycles of success. Penske and Ganassi seem to be far ahead of Andretti the last few years. Arrow McLaren SP seems to have caught up to the tail end of what has been Indycar’s elite trio. Do we still have a Big Three, or is it now the big Four?

Rinus VeeKay’s pole at Barber was the only pole not won by one of the top four teams in 2022.

Arrow McLaren SP is making a big push to join the elite group, and this year they caught up to Andretti. While Penske dominated 2022 with nine wins, Ganassi won four races. The four remaining race wins were split between Andretti and AMSP.

My research of 2022 race results shows that Andretti and AMSP finished in a dead heat in number of poles, podiums, wins, Top 5s, and Top 10s.

AndrettiAMSP
Wins22
Poles33
Podiums55
Top 51211
Top 101817

The slight Andretti edge is due to Romain Grosjean, the third Andretti car. Grosjean had a second place at Long Beach and a seventh place at Barber. The top two at Andretti, Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta, accounted for the rest of the Andretti statistics.

For 2023 Rossi moves to AMSP and joins Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist.The third car should help the team gain ground in the series. Andretti will still have Herta, but the rest of the team consists of two second year drivers, and Grosjean, entering his second full time season.

I can see a shift in who we call the Big Three next year. I wouldn’t mind if there were actually a Big Four and the victories were more spread out among more teams.

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