Tag: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

INDYCAR Announces Detroit Grand Prix Post-Race Technical Violation, Penalty

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From IndyCar:

  No. 14 Failed To Meet Required Driver Ballast Weight
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, June 2, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced a post-race technical inspection penalty for the entry No. 14 of A.J. Foyt Enterprises following Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear after it was found to be under the required driver ballast weight following the event.
During post-race inspection of car No. 14, INDYCAR discovered the driver ballast needed to bring the combined weight of the driver and driver ballast to 185 pounds was underweight and not within the driver ballast weight tolerance of 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds.However, also during inspection, the series found the weight of car No. 14, itself, was 10 pounds over the minimum weight for road and street circuits of 1,785 pounds and competed over the minimum weight requirement on-track.A.J. Foyt Enterprises was in violation of:
Rule 14.4.2. Driver Equivalency Weight Rule 14.4.2.2. Driver Equivalency Weight must bring the combined weight of the Driver and Driver ballast to 185 pounds.
Rule 14.4.2.5. The Driver ballast weight tolerance is 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds. The Driver Equivalency Weight must be installed and secured in the designed location forward of the seatback. This location may only be used for Driver ballast.
This rule is in place to equalize the weight of varying-sized drivers so there is no advantage based on the weight of the driver. Post-race weight determination, as implemented by INDYCAR, is a common practice after every event and in nearly all forms of motorsports to ensure an equal playing field.
The No. 14 will be allowed to keep the second-place finish; however, the entry has been fined $25,000 and will forfeit 25 championship driver and entrant points. The bonus point for leading a lap also is not awarded.
The No. 14 also is ineligible for engine points and prize money associated with the race.
Updated results of the 2025 Detroit Grand Prix can be found here.
Members may contest the imposition of the penalties detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rulebook. 

Quick Thoughts- Detroit GP

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Andretti Redemption Week continues as Kyle Kirkwood wins the Grand Prix of Detroit. The win, coupled with Colton Herta’s pole on Saturday, eases some of the pain from their disqualifications at last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Kirkwood said that this entire week had all the emotions a driver feels through a season.

“The lows make the highs that much better,” Kirkwood said.

Alex Palou is human after all. After spending much of the race in the bottom half of the top 10, the points leader and winner of the 500 had his ay end early when David Malukas bumped Palou from behind, sending him into the tire barrier on lap 72. Malukas was penalized for the contact.

The Grand Prix of Detroit was arguably the best race so far this year. The start was clean, and all =cars got through the hairpin. Cars were able to pass, cautions were spread out, and there were alternate pit strategies. The race saw a pass for the win on lap 79 as well as other passes for the lead. Today was the first time I actually enjoyed watching a race at this track.

A. J. Foyt Racing appears to have become competitive again. David Malukas finished second in the 5400 and started on the front row today. Santino Ferrucci has a shot at victory today and finished second. It is nice to see this team mixing it up with the big four again. I think they could get a win this year.

Meanwhile woes at Rahal letterman Lanigan continue. Graham Rahal made the Fast Six, although an engine penalty caused him to start 11th. Rahal and teammates Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster all had wheel issues. Rahal was running at the finish, but DeFrancesco and Foster retired, Foster in a horrific crash when his right front suspension broke.

FOX

I thought the broadcast was decent, but I still don’t know why the network can’t have a pit stop timer. I felt the post-race coverage was skimpy- just three brief interviews and no podium celebration.

I do not recall a season other than 1964, which had fewer, where there have been just two different winners after seven races.

Thanks for following along this wee3kend. I am going to lay low for a couple of days and have something up around midweek.

Detroit Race Day-Starting Tire Choices, Warm Up Results

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First- Congratulations to the Indian Pacers on reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. I’m sure there are going to be some tired IndyCar officials in Detroit today.

Felix Rosenqvist led the morning warmup which featured some contact between cars. Colton Herta had contact late in the session, and Alexander Rossi was involved in another incident. Both cars were able to to continue with minor damage.

I will be back this afternoon with some quick thoughts on the race. I’m still picking Kirkwood to win, but I think David Malukas and Marcus Ericsson may also have a shot.

Tire selections- Includes official line up

Results

Redemption-Detroit Qualifying

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After two long weeks, Colton Herta finally has something to smile about. On May 17th he crashed hard as he began his Indianapolis 500 qualifying lap and started the race in 27th. He finished 17th, but was moved to 14th after two of his teammates and another car were disqualified.

Today Herta won the pole for tomorrow’s Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit, edging David Malukas by two tenths of a second.

Kyle Kirkwood, started the 500 23rd and drove to a 6th place finish on track before being disqualified, will start third tomorrow.

Overall, it was a day of redemption for Andretti Global.

Notes

David Malukas qualified second, a nice follow up to his second place last Sunday. He held the provisional pole for quite a while, then pulled into the pits with time left, allowing Herta to post a faster time.

Where are IndyCar’s priorities? No action was taken against Will Power for his dangerous pushing of Kyle Kirkwood in yesterday’s practice session, but Alexander Rossi was held out for 10 minutes of practice time this morning because he missed a required weigh in. This a bit skewed in the wrong direction.

Team Penske looked strong for a while. Will Power led his first round group without a tow. Josef Newgarden brushed the wall while on a lap that would have put him in round 2 and he will start 24th. Scott McLaughlin and Power got to the second round, and they will star on the fourth row.

Results

Note– Graham Rahal and Scott Dixon will serve 6 place grid penalties for engine changes. Rahal will start 11th and Dixon starts 16th.

The official starting lineup with starting tire choices will be published after tomorrow’s warm up.

Practice 1 at Detroit

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Kyle Kirkwood led the opening round of practice for the Grand prix of Detroit despite some damage to the rear of his car from an incident with Will Power.

Kirkwood slowed for a turn to crate a gap. Power ran into the back of Kirkwood’s car, then continued to push the Andretti driver until Kirkwood was pushed aside.

Each driver stated their case.

“I don’t know,” Kirkwood said. “Everyone goes slow around here. The track’s not big enough to fit all the cars, and he got frustrated. Whatever, I guess. I’m not upset. I don’t care. We’re P1.”

Said Power: “I came around, and he slowed up in the middle and made contact. So, I thought, ‘Well, I may as well get a gap now,’ so I just pushed him past the car in front, just moved him out of the way and got a really nice gap.”

It sounds as if the two drivers think this incident is over. I think Power should receive some type of penalty like not participating in part of tomorrow morning’s practice.

Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou was 15th fastest.

Following Kirkwood, who’s best lap was 1:01.7509, were the three Penske cars of Scott McLaughlin, Will Power, and Josef Newgarden in that order.

The next IndyCar practice is at 9 am Eastern time tomorrow. Practice and qualifying are on FS1.

Notes

I love the look of Jacob Abel’s car this weekend. I am a sucker for car numbers in circles/

Pato O’Ward said that the hybrid has produced “zero benefit” to IndyCar racing. I will have some thought s on that later this weekend.

Results

INDYCAR Announces Streets of Detroit Grid Penalties

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From IndyCar:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 30, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing and No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for unapproved engine changes prior to the Sunday, May 25 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Chip Ganassi Racing entry No. 9 was in violation of:
Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry No. 15 was in violation of:
Rule 16.1.5.4. Once an Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Engine is fitted to the Car, removal prior to the Indianapolis 500 Race is an Unapproved Engine Change-Out, unless it is replaced for Repair.
According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Sunday, June 1 on the Streets of Detroit.

Detroit Grand Prix Preview

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The Indianapolis 500 is always a tough act to follow, and the Grand Prix of Detroit is up to the task as far as an event. I think schedule wise this race is a week of two early. The 500 should be followed by an oval, all, which I think would better sustain the momentum from Indianapolis.

The downtown street course will run its third event after many years on Belle Isle. The event concept is solid, but this is my least favorite track on the schedule. It is narrow and slow. The best part of the circuit is the turn three hairpin.

Still, there are things to watch for this weekend as the Alex Palou Victory Tour continues.

Is Palou Immune to the 500 Hangover?

Winning the first race after the Indianapolis 500 has always been a challenge for the winner of the 500. Very few have won the following race, but Palou is one driver who could succeed.

The winner of the 500 has to endure an exhausting week of appearances and interviews, and their weariness usually shows at Detroit. I do0n’t think it will affect Palou much. He has a chance to win 10 races this season.

More Yellow?

This track invites chaos, and I expect IndyCar will add to its year-long caution lap total of 53 on Sunday. I expect at least two caution periods, and laps tick off quickly on a 1.645-mile circuit.

Battle for Second Place

Until Palou comes back to the field, which is doubtful, fans should watch the battle for second place in the standings. Pato O’Ward is currently second. Christian Lundgaard is 13 points behind him, and Felix Rosenqvist trails Lundgaard by just 16 points. Kyle Kirkwood is nine points behind Rosenqvist.

Tech

Have the penalties assessed during qualifying and last Sunday’s race caused the paddock to be more vigilant about car preparation? I would think the severity of the punishments would have a chilling effect on the teams.

IndyCar announced this morning that they are working to implement partial scanning of cars to validate inspection. This is definitely a step in the right direction.

Chip Ganassi racing has won the two previous races here. Alex Palou won in 2023 and Scot Dixon won in 2024. Palou has to considered a heavy favoriite, but I am going with Kyle Kirkwood to win on Sunday. Kirkwood’s Andretti global team is really good on street courses, and Kirkwood has to be extra motivated after being sent to the rear of the order last week following a brilliant drive through the field.

The Schedule

Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Fast Facts 

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From IndyCar:


 Race weekend: Friday, May 30-Sunday, June 1
Track: Streets of Detroit, a 1.645-mile, nine-turn temporary street course (counterclockwise)
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 100 laps/170 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: 45 laps/55 minutes
Media Links: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List (PDF) | INDY NXT by Firestone Entry List (PDF) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF)

Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: A maximum of 50 activations total or 150 seconds of total Push to Pass time.
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 425 kilojoules (kj) per lap

Firestone tire allotment: Five sets primary (hard/black sidewall) and five sets alternate (soft/green sidewall) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
 INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the race weekend. Two carryover sets from the Indianapolis event may be used in practice sessions before qualifying.

X: @DetroitGP, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #DetroitGP, #INDYCARI
nstagram: @DetroitGP, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #DetroitGP, #INDYCAR
Threads: @DetroitGP, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT
Facebook: @DetroitGP, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #DetroitGP, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @DetroitGP, @INDYCAR
Event website: www.DetroitGP.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2024 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIESScott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)INDY NXT by FirestoneLouis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner: Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda), 1:00.5475, 97.808 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner:Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 1:05.1079, 90.957 mph
Qualifying lap record:NTT INDYCAR SERIESColton Herta, 1:00.2304, 98.322 mph, June 1, 2024 (Set in Round 2 of knockout qualifying)
INDY NXT by FirestoneLouis Foster, 1:05.1079, 90.957 mph, June 1, 2024

FOX Sports telecasts:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 
Practice 1, 3 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 9 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, noon ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup, 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live); Race, 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live).
Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
| INDY NXT by Firestone: 
Practice 1, 2 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2. 8 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1; Qualifying, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live);
Race, 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Nick Yeoman, Joel Sebastianelli and DJ Clark are the pit reporters.
The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear race (noon ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix (10:25 a.m. Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):
FRIDAY, MAY 30
2-2:45 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice #1, FS2 (live)
3:05-4:25 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #1 (45 minutes all car session followed by two 10-minute group sessions), FS2 (live)

SATURDAY, MAY 31
8-8:45 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice #2, FS1(live)
9:05-10:05 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #2 (limited guarantee of 45 minutes green flag), FS1 (live)
11:30 a.m.-noon INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (Two groups, 12-minute session), FS1 (live)
12:20-1:50 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (live)

SUNDAY, JUNE 1
9:32-9:57 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1
10:31 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone command to start engines
10:36 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix (45 laps/55 minutes), FS1 (live)
12:30 p.m. FOX on air
12:45 p.m. Command to start engines
12:52 p.m. Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear (100 laps/164.5 miles), FOX (live)

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear will be the third INDYCAR SERIES race held on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile downtown Detroit street circuit and the 35th INDYCAR SERIES race held in the Motor City. A 2.5-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit hosted CART events from 1989-91 before the event moved to Belle Isle Park in 1992.Scott Dixon has four wins in Detroit, the most wins by an INDYCAR SERIES driver in the Detroit Grand Prix. Dixon won three times at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park and on the streets of downtown Detroit last year. In addition to Dixon, other previous Detroit Grand Prix race winners entered include Alex Palou (2023), Will Power (2014 Race #1, 2016 Race #2, 2022), Pato O’Ward (2021 Race #2), Marcus Ericsson (2021 Race #1), Josef Newgarden (2019 Race #1) and Graham Rahal (2017 Race #1 and Race #2).

Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 346th consecutive start, extending his record streak…Dixon passed Mario Andretti for the all-time in INDYCAR SERIES starts with his 408th start May 25 at Indianapolis and will extend his record with a start Sunday.

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:The ultra-competitive INDY NXT by Firestone season resumes with a downtown Detroit street circuit event. Dennis Hauger leads the point standings on the strength of three wins in the first four races, but the other race winner this season, Hauger’s Andretti Global teammate Lochie Hughes, is hot on the Norwegian’s heels for the title and the financial benefits to advance to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Group qualifying will decide the starting grid on road and street circuits. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying sessions. With 12 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.