Tag: Bommarito Automotive Group 500

O’Ward Fastest in Final Practice

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

Pato O’Ward led the evening practice as the Indycar series had its final tune up before this afternoons’ Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

Early in the session Nolan Siegel had a tire come apart on the front stretch. he pulled to the inside ad stopped next to the pit wall. Firestone officials determined that the tire had been cut and that it did not deflate immediately. A serious situation was avoided.

Josef Newgarden led for much of the session, and O’Ward grabbed the top spot in the final 30 minutes.

The practice followed a 30 minute high line session as cars tried to make the second groove usable for the race. It will still be difficult to pass tonight.

Alex Palou and Graham Rahal ((Photo by Kyle McInnes)

The 7:30 start time for the practice would be the ideal for this race to begin. The t excessive heat of the day moderated, and it was pleasant during the second half of the session. Indycar needs to have a true night race again.

Silver Crown

Dakoda Armstrong won the USAC Silver Crown race at WWTR last night. Justin Grant, winner of the BC39 at IMS last fall, was second, and Kalee Bryson scored her first career podium.

I will have a pre race story up in a couple of hours.

Results

Malukas Leads Practice

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

David Malukas continued his great run since joining Meyer Shank Racing by turning the fastest lap in the first practice at World Wide Technology Raceway. He edged Colton Herta by four tenths of a second.

The Andretti Global cars topped the charts in the first half of the session, but Herta was the only one who maintained his position.

Scott McLaughlin and Will Power were third and fourth fo Team Penske.

Alex Palou had the fifth fastest lap.

The session was stopped just once when linus Lundqvist stalled off of turn two.

Qualifying begins at 3:20 Central time.

Qualifying order is in inverse order of entrant points.

Results:

Indycar Announces WWTR Grid Penalties

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Four grid penalties, including two of the title contenders have been assessed by Indycar for unapproved engine changes.

The cars affected:

No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing  Scott Dixon
· No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou
· No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing Katherine Legge
· No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Felix Rosenqvist

Each car will lose nine positions on the starting grid after qualifying.

Bommarito 500 Preview

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Today’s Schedule: Al times Central

11:45 am Indycar practice 1 Peacock, Indycar Radio

3:20 pm Indycar Qualifying Peacock, Indycar Radio

7:30 pm Indycar practice 2 (includes hiugh line practice) Peacock, Indycar Radio

World Wide Technology Raceway, affectionately known as Gateway, has been a popular late season stop on the Indycar circuit. The track has provided nearly non stop action with Indy NXT, Silver Crown, and vintage cars keeping fans entertained.

For 2024, the tracked has moved ahead in the schedule. It had been the 15th race on the calendar. This year it is the 13th. In 2025, it will be race number eight.

The weather this weekend will again be typical, warm, muggy St. louis are summer conditions. The latest from @Indycar_Wxman:

The early morning cloud cove is beginning to dissipate. The temperature when first practice begins should be around 87 degrees.

The three oval races that have run this season eqch saw aq different winner- all from Team Penske. They will probably be strong again. Josef Newgarden has won four races at this track. he was in contention last year until he crashed late in the race.

Andretti Global drivers Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, and Marcus Ericsson were the top three in testing at Gateway last month. Herta won pole for one of the Iowa races, and I expect him to be strong this weekend.

Pato O’Ward should also be aq driver to watch. O’Ward is always good on ovals, and it just might be time to break through.

Points leader Alex Palou is still lookng for his first win on an oval, but does he really need to win? We are at the point in the season where Palou is more concerned about keeping his as close to the 49 point margin he holds entering tomorrow’s race.

Iowa 2.0?

Some drivers said after the test session that they don’t think this weekend’s race will be any better than the ones we witnessed at iowa. I hope that is not the case. While this is a track where passing is difficult, we have seen somebold moves going into turn 1.

While I don’t like a lot of cautions, three caution periods well spaced out could make for an intriguing event.

I look for an Andretti car to win the race. Colton Herta could get his second straight victory this season. It’s difficult to remember that he won the Tronto race nearly a month ago.

Notes

Alexander Rossi returns to the 7 car after missing the Tronto race with a thumb injury.

Will we see more tire degradation/? That would really help the flow of the race.

It’s Race Week! Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Schedule

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Indycar returns this weekend with a Saturday late afternoon race at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is on USA network. I would think after forcing Indycar to not race for three weeks the le least the network could do would be to televise the event on NBC.

All times on the schedule are Central time.

Bommarito 500- A Dixon Masterpiece

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Good morning, Just a few notes on yesterday’s race. I will have a full weekend wrapup after I get home this afternoon and have a chance to watch the replay.

All my notes can be reduced to two words- Scott Dixon. I have seen many masterful drives from Dixon involving fuel saving, but Sunday was one of the best I’ve witnessed. It was brilliant strategy winning this particular race on three stops given the long green flag stretches, including the entire second half of the race.

Over the years I have said that in Dixon we are watching a legend at work. I appreciate seeing Dixon drive every race. It has been easy to dismiss his chances lately because of the strength of his teammate Alex Palou, but Dixon has won just one less race than Palou over the last two years. Dixon has won on an oval, street course, and road course in that time. Palou has yet to score his fist oval victory.

I believe Dixon has a shot at joining A. J. Foyt in the 60 win club. I don’t think he will catch Foyt’s mark of 67, but I can see him winning five more times before he retires.

Newgarden Eliminated

The stars aligned for Josef Newgarden to make significant headway in his quest to chase down Alex Palou for the championship, but wall contact on lap 210 knocked him out of the race. He finished 25th for the second straight race. Newgarden is out of contention for the title.

He has won at least four races for two consecutive seasons, and he has no Astor Cup to show for it. Newgarden’s issue is consistency. He is a master on the ovals, but his road and street course performances need to improve.

Palou Worried? He Shouldn’t Be

Alex Palou lost 27 points to Dixon Sunday and his lead is now just 74 points with two races remaining. Some might say Palou is starting to hear the theme music from Jaws with Dixon making another late season charge. But Palou can lose 27 points in each of the final two races and still win the title comfortably.

Dixon could win the final two events, and if Palou finishes in the top, he is the champion. Palou’s worst finish in 2023 is eighth. He waqs seventh yesterday.

Malukas Has Found His Track

David Malukas scored his second podium in a row at World Wide Technology Raceway, finishing third yesterday. Malukas came home second in 2022. Each driver has a track where everything comes together for them, no matter how the rest of the season goes. Malukas has found his home.

Notes

I thought it was an interesting race from a strategy standpoint, and a good race for this track. The multiple strategies made keeping track of who the effective leader was as complicated as the figures on Oppenheimer’s chalkboard at Berkely at times, but the drama of whether Dixon could make it all the way on stints of 65 plus laps (of course he would-it’s Dixon) gave some tension to the final segment.

More frustration for Pato O’Ward and Arrow McLaren. The team and driver have been in contention for the win at every oval this season, but they have no wins. O’Ward arguably had the fastest car after the first pit stop.

I’m not sure O’Ward will win one of the final two races of the year.

Linus Lundqvist again proved he belongs. He started 12th. His first oval race looked mostly like he was stuck in mid pack all day, but Lundqvist turned the fastest lap of the race on lap 62. The lap was a half second faster than Dixon’s fastest leading lap.

Thanks for following along this weekend. Saturday’s weather made the program chaotic, but at least we got some night racing action out of it. I hope Indycar takes the hint Mother Nature has given them the past two years here and just schedules a night race.