Tag: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

Today’s schedule: Sessioins in Bold on Peacoick

8 am: Gates Open

8:15 am: Trans AM Quals

9:05 am: IndyCar Practice

10:35 am: Trans AM Race

11:55 am: Indy NXT Command

12 pm: Green flag Indy NXT

1:15 pm: INDYCAR Qualsifying

4:10 pm: Pilot Challenge Race

Yesterday was alearning day. Today we see how much the Indycar drivers learned. Will today be smoother?

Qualifying should be key here as passing opportunities will be scarce. With the amount of yellows expected during the race, someone may come through from mid pack.

Some teams were speculating about a one stop race if there are enough caution laps. That might be tough to calculate and hit just right.

Here are a few photos I took yesterday as I fumbled my way through this maze of a setup.

Today’s Schedule:

Racing returns to downtown Detroit this weekend for the first time since 1991. Formula 1 raced the downtown streets from 1982-1989. CART then took obver the streets for three years, then moved to Belle Isle.

CART left the island and the city after 2001. Roger Penske got the race on Belle Isle started again in 2007. After a couple of false starts, Indycar returned in 2012 nd raced there until last year, missing 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

The track is a new layout, nothing like the F1 or CART tracks. From what I’ve seen, it looks very narrow with few passing opportunities. I will have a closer look when I get there later today.

Another feature of the venue is the split pit lane, with cars pitting on both sides of drive. the cars will funnel into a single exit. The race off pitlane could be the most interesting part of the race.

Detroit is the fifth downtown street race on the Indycar schedule. There has been talk of a street race in Denver and possibly simne other cities. What is the saturation point? The street courses draw well, and they are likely profitable in the long run, but too many can get tedious. Street racing does not ususally produce the most exciting competition, especially in the first few years of a circuit. I would like to see the series stay at five or even go down to four races on city streets.

Traxck position and qualifying will be key for this race. I say that for every street race, but on this track it is doubly important I hope Sunday doesn’t devolve into an F1 style race.

Points Battle

Since the Indianapolis 500 is over, we can start talking about points again. Alex Palou leads Marcus Ericsson by 20 points. 37 points separate the top four.

Palou showed n winning the title in 2021 that he does what he needs to do each race to amintain his lead. His stiffest competiton may come from 500 winnerJosef Newgarden, who is fourth in points. Plou needs tio win another race soemtime in the next three events.

The Edge

Since the circuit is new to everyone, who has the advantage? Andretti cars have been strong on the street courses this season with two poles and a win.

On a new course I would give the edge to Team Penske and Ganassi. They seem to be the best prepared and ready to take on new situations.

This will be an interesting weekend. I thin Romain Grosjean will finally break through for his first series victory,.

From Indycar

Race weekend: Friday, June 2 – Sunday, June 4 Track: Streets of Detroit, a 1.7-mile, nine-turn temporary street course (counterclockwise) Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 100 laps / 170 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: Race 1 – 45 laps/55 minutes; Race 2 – 45 laps/55 minutes 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: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation Firestone tire allotment: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate (weekend). Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in each race. One additional set available to teams fielding a rookie driver is available for the first session of the weekend. Twitter: @DetroitGP @IndyCar, #DetroitGP, #IndyCar Event website: http://www.DetroitGP.com INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2022 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) INDY NXT by Firestone Races 1 & 2: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing) 2022 NTT P1 Award winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) 1:15.2153, 112.477 mph Qualifying lap record: NTT INDYCAR SERIES New circuit INDY NXT by Firestone New circuit NBC Sports race telecast: 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday, June 4, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. NBC’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear race telecast will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Alex Wollf, Joel Sebastianelli and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear race (2:30 p.m. ET), INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader (11:55 a.m. ET Saturday and 12:40 p.m. Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): Friday, June 2  (All times local) 1:50 – 2:40 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice #1, INDYCAR Live 3 – 4:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #1 (90 minutes), Peacock Premium 5:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two 15-minute sessions with 8 minutes of green flag running): 5:30-5:45 p.m./Race #1; 5:50-6:05 p.m./Race #2), INDYCAR Live Saturday, June 3 9:05 – 10:05 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #2 (45 minutes), Peacock Noon INDY NXT by Firestone Command to start engines 12:05 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Race #1 (45 Laps/55 minutes), Peacock (U.S)/INDYCAR Live (Most international markets) 1:20-2:50 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium (live) Sunday, June 4 10 – 10:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock 12:45 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Command to start engines 12:50 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Race #1 (45 Laps/55 minutes), Peacock (U.S)/INDYCAR Live (Most international markets) 3 p.m. NBC on air 3:23 p.m. Command to start engines 3:30 p.m. Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear (100 laps/170 miles), NBC (live) Race notes: There have been five different winners in six NTT INDYCAR SERIES races to start the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), and Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1) have all won in 2023. The record for the most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear will be the first INDYCAR SERIES race held on the new nine-turn, 1.7-mile downtown Detroit street circuit and the 33rd INDYCAR SERIES race held in the Motor City. A 2.5-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit hosted CART events from 1989-1991 before the event moved to Belle Isle Park in 1992. Will Power, Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves each won three times at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park and are tied for most wins by an INDYCAR SERIES driver in the Detroit Grand Prix. In addition to Power, Castroneves and Dixon, other previous Detroit Grand Prix race winners entered include Pato O’Ward (2021 Race #2), Marcus Ericsson (2021 Race #1) Josef Newgarden (2019 Race #1), Simon Pagenaud (2013 Race #2) and Graham Rahal (2017 Race #1 and Race #2). ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS Helio Castroneves 3 2000, 2001, 2014 Race #2 Scott Dixon 3 2012, 2018 Race #1, 2019 Race #2 Will Power 3 2014 Race #1, 2016 Race #2, 2022 Graham Rahal 2 2017 Race #1, 2017 Race #2 Simon Pagenaud 1 2013 Race #2 Josef Newgarden 1 2019 Race #1 Marcus Ericsson 1 2021 Race #1 Pato O’Ward 1 2021 Race #2 The driver who has gone on to win the championship has won at Detroit seven times.  Josef Newgarden won Race #1 on Belle Isle in 2019, Scott Dixon won Race #1 on Belle Isle in 2018, Will Power won on Belle Isle in 2022 and won Race #2 on Belle Isle in 2014, Alex Zanardi won on Belle Isle in 1998, Bobby Rahal won at Belle Isle in 1992 and Emerson Fittipaldi won in downtown Detroit in 1989. Milestones:  Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 312th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Santino Ferrucci will attempt to make his 50th INDYCAR SERIES. Ferrucci made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut at Belle Isle in 2018. INDY NXT by Firestone Notes: The ultra-competitive INDY NXT by Firestone season resumes with a doubleheader on the downtown Detroit street circuit. Barber winner Christian Rasmussen leads his HMD Motorsports teammates Nolan Siegel and Danial Frost in the point standings with Indianapolis winner Matteo Naninni close behind. Qualifying for the doubleheader event takes on a new look with teams splitting Saturday’s 30-minute qualifying session into separate 15-minute periods with eight minutes of green flag running. Drivers will set the field for Saturday’s 45-lap race during the first 15 minutes, then after a short break for adjustments, take to the 1.7-mile street circuit for a second 15-minute session to set the lineup for Sunday’s 45-lap race.