Tag: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

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. 

Kings of Chaos Rule at Detroit

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

When the dust settles in a chaotic Indycar race, fans can rest assured that either Scott Dixon or Marcus Ericsson will be out front. Both drivers thrive on chaos, whether of their own doing or the rest of the field’s.

Dixon drove another masterful fuel saving race, squeezing 44 laps out of his last fill up. He has two wins and a third place in 2024, and now leads the championship by 18 points over Alex Palou.

Meanwhile, Marcus Ericsson charged hard but fell eight tenths of a second short. Ericsson needed a good result coming off a nightmarish Indianapolis 500 and battling electrical gremlins Friday.

Not a Race for the Weak of Heart

It seems as if every car had contact at some point. If you drove your car into turn three, you expected to get hit. half of the eight cautions were for issues in turn 3. Several incidents did not bring out the yellow flag there as well.

17 of the first 40 laps had Oriol Servia in the pace car at the head of the field.

Penalties were assessed early and often. Of the 12 handed down, Will Power received four of them. Still, because of the numerous cautions, he ended up sixth. His last penalty came on lap 60. Power had another penalty rescinded, or he would have fouled out.

When the green flew on lap 73 for the final time, fans saw the best racing of the day as a three-way battle for the lead between Dixon, Marcus Armstrong, and Ericsson developed. Armstrong, like Dixon, was saving fuel and to yield second place. he ran out of fuel just as he took the checkered flag.

Was it pretty? No. Was it sloppy? Yes. There will be a race or two like this during a season. I’m glad we got one out of the way so early. I think the twelve days at IMS were exhausting for everyone, and the four hour rain delay didn’t help matters much.

Today we saw the aftereffects of the 500 fortnight. Road America will be a welcome sight next weekend.

The Correct Follow Up to Indy?

Should Detroit be the next race after the 500? With the mazing viewership numbers last Sunday, which may have brought in some new fans, Indycar chooses to go to a tight street track which invites crashes and televises it on an obscure cable channel. I don’t see how this keeps the momentum going after Indianapolis.

I am not against racing in Detroit. The city’s automotive history alone makes it worthy of having a race. There are parts of detroit I really like.But a better track where actual racing can take place would be great. perhaps this race could be at the end of June.

Indycar also needs to look into taking a week off after the 500. it would give the winner more time for appearance at more leisurely pace.

Notes

The 500 winner’s next race curse continues. Josef Newgarden had a fueling issue on his first stop, ran over an air gun on his next visit, nearly injuring a crewman in another pit, served a penalty for it, then hit the wall and broke a toe link, ending his day in 26th place.

This date in Alex Palou history: Palou finished 18th, his first finish outside the top 10 in 637 days.

I’m not sure what it will take for Colton Herta to win a race. He has to be the most frustrated driver in the paddock.

Felix Rosenqvist improved 16 positions to finish sixth. Saturday was the first time this year he had not qualified in the top 10.

Thanks for following along this weekend. I will be posting just basic information about Road America the next couple of days, and I’m not sure how much coverage I will be able to do. I leave for France and LeMans Wednesday afternoon.

Results

Newgarden Fastest in Warmup

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A cool damp track made for a tricky warmup session this morning. Josef Newgarden edged Colton Herta for the fastest lap with a 1:02.0463 circuit. Herta was just 184 ten thousandths slower.

Early morning rain left the track still damp, especially near the walls. Many cars got sideways but the drivers were able to recover.

The session ended 90 seconds early when Theo Pourchaire had trouble refiring his car after ending up in a runoff area.

Televison coverage begins at noon on USA and Peacock. green flag is set for 12:45 Eastern..

Results