Tag: Devlin DeFrancesco

Qualifying Wrap Up- Same Old Story

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I was okay with Alex Palou winning three of the first four races. I’m not sure if I feel that way about him winning three fourths of the poles too. The Chip Ganassi driver won the top starting spot for tomorrow’s Sonsio Grand Prix in a dramatic qualifying which saw numerous lead changes throughout the last two rounds.

Palou took the pole on his final lap, edging Graham Rahal by four tenths of a second. The Fast 12 was a mix of regular suspects and some new faces. Louis Foster and Kyffin Simpson joined the group.

A Great Day for RLL

Rahal Letterman Lanigan burst fourth in Practice 2, taking the top three spots. Rahal led Louis Foster and Devlin DeFrancesco. Would they back it up in qualifying?
Foster led a lot of Round 2 and was on top for some of the Fast Six. Rahal took the lead in the Fast Six, but Palou’s last lap knocked him off the pole.

Three very happy drivers

The race might be another matter, though. Palou has run away and hid from the field. I hope tomorrow is a bit different.

Early knockout disappointments- Colton Herta just =missed the second round. Scott Dixon was uncompetetive, and Rinus VeeKay, usually quick on the road course, had issues in the morning.

Pato O’Ward was quick in practice, qualified eighth. he complained afterwards of being slow on the straights.

The question for race day is how the special tire rule will work. Does it give Palou more of an advantage or will it allow the racing up front to be more competitive?

That will do it for me for Friday. See you all tomorrow.

 Iconic Blue Envelopes Containing Indy 500 Tickets Mailed to Fans across Globe 

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It’s that time of year.

From IMS:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, March 12, 2025) – Indianapolis 500 fans will watch their mailboxes after the highly anticipated blue envelopes featuring Race Day tickets were mailed Wednesday, March 12 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster and Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist were on hand to assist with the initial mailing, which included shipments to all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and 38 countries around the world as race fans eagerly await the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25.
“I just like to do this to kind of amp myself up a bit for the ‘500,’” Rosenqvist said. “It feels like you’re actually kind of starting May when you’re here. I love it.
“It’s cool to see the manual processes. It gives you a good perspective when you see all the tickets and everything, and the logistics behind everything.”
DeFrancesco, Foster and Rosenqvist also took time to write notes and signatures on a few envelopes, with these special messages going to ticket buyers from their native countries.
DeFrancesco hails from Canada, with Foster from Great Britain and Rosenqvist from Sweden.
“It’s hugely rewarding and very grateful to be here, helping loading the tickets for them to get shipped out,” DeFrancesco said.
“So many fans from my country in Canada, to be able to see passes already going out today and people’s anticipation for this race in May is great.”
It takes approximately nine weeks to package all pre-ordered tickets for mailing, from orders the day after the previous year’s race up to current orders. Hard work from employees in the Ticket Office and other Penske Entertainment Corp. departments ensures the ticketing process runs smoothly and on schedule.

A few facts and figures about this year’s initial ticket mailing:
Number of tickets sent: More than 215,000 items (includes 170,000 Indy 500 Race Day tickets, parking, qualification and practice tickets, concert tickets, etc.
)Number of blue envelopes sent: More than 32,000
Number of U.S. Postal Service trays to accommodate envelopes: More than 650
Weight of all ticket envelopes and trays in first mailing: More than 6,600 pounds
Hours needed to fill envelopes by hand: More than 1,000 person-hours
Number of working days to package envelopes: 46
Number of Penske Entertainment employees who fill envelopes: 56
Number of states distributed: 50
Number of countries distributed: 38 (including United States)

Federal postal inspectors came to IMS with a large truck for the first mailing. DeFrancesco, Foster and Rosenqvist joined several IMS employees in helping to load the trucks.
“It’s pretty impressive,” NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis 500 rookie Foster said. “I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but it’s super cool to see all the guys and girls here working super hard and getting fans ready who have probably been waiting for this day since Monday after the ‘500’ last year. It’s a super-cool event, and I’m super happy that we’ve been invited to be here.”
Receiving an eagerly awaited blue envelope in the mail is a rite of spring for thousands of fans of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” But why are the envelopes blue?
In the 1970s, Indianapolis 500 tickets were mailed in brown envelopes with the IMS return address in the upper left corner. In the 1980s, a heavier-stock, gray-colored envelope was introduced to mail the tickets, with just the IMS Post Office box number in the upper left corner. A computerized printer also was used for the first time in the 1980s to print ticket customers’ name and address on each envelope.
When the NASCAR Cup Series was added to the IMS schedule in 1994, the Ticket Office needed a way to distinguish between the envelopes containing tickets for the Indianapolis 500 and the annual NASCAR race, especially if the Postal Service returned the envelope as non-deliverable.
So, the IMS Ticket Office decided to color-code the ticket envelopes for each event. Indianapolis 500 ticket envelopes became blue, Brickyard Weekend envelopes became purple, Sonsio Grand Prix envelopes became green, and ticket envelopes for other IMS events use a variety of colors, including red, cream, gray and yellow.
Tickets for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25, the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 10 and all other Month of May events are available at IMS.com/Tickets or via the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700.

RLL Signs DeFrancesco; Three Spots Left on 2025 Grid

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From Rahal Letterman lanigan Racing

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (December 9, 2024) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that Devlin DeFrancesco will compete full time for the team in the No. 30 Honda-powered entry beginning with the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in a multi-year deal. Details on the sponsorship for the entry will be announced at a later date.

“I’m very excited to be back in the INDYCAR SERIES,” said Canadian DeFrancesco. “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has an amazing history and is also on an impressive trajectory. Seeing all the work that is going on from the men and women behind the scenes, it is easy to see that this team and myself are very hungry for results. I look forward to getting started with all the great people here.”

DeFrancesco, 24, has made 34 starts in NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport with his best start being fifth at the August 2023 road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He earned career-best finishes of 12th place at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2022 and the Detroit street race in 2023.

“I’m very pleased that we are able to welcome Devlin to the team,” added Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. “We had the chance to witness his ability while he was at Andretti and there were clearly times when he was quite competitive so I’m confident that we can have a lot of good races together. We’re looking forward to his contribution to the team.”

The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 2 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 21st Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. North America’s premier open-wheel series will crisscross the United States, including a stop for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, before culminating in Nashville for the championship finale Sunday, August 31. All on-track action can be seen live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network. For more information about the series or team, visit www.indycar.com and www.rahal.com.

About Devlin DeFrancesco

Devlin DeFrancesco, 24, was born in Toronto, Canada on January 17, 2000. He started his racing career in karting at the age of six and has won races in North America and European karting.

In 2014, DeFrancesco placed 2nd overall in the Italian Championship and 3rd overall in the CIK FIA European Championship. In 2014, he sustained an injury to his wrist that required two surgeries and that kept him out of a full racing series for approximately a year. As part of his rehabilitation, Devlin attended the Carlin Academy, where he used a combination of simulators and on-track testing to prepare for FIA Formula 4-style racing.

In 2015, DeFrancesco was selected to be a part of the Generation Ganassi Driver Identification Program, a mentoring and talent development program that aimed to identify and assist up to 10 North American drivers between the ages of 13 and 18. When he graduated from karts in 2015, he competed in the Ginetta Junior Championship with HHC Motorsports that year. In early 2016, he competed in New Zealand’s Toyota Racing Series with Giles Motorsport and finished the season 10th overall.

He joined Carlin Motorsports for the 2016 MSA Formula season and won three races and finished fifth in the point standings. He continued to compete for Carlin in 2017 and moved to the Euroformula Open and Spanish Formula 3 Championships. He won three races and five podiums en route to the Spanish Formula 3 title and won one Euroformula Open race as well as a total of seven podium finishes to finish third in the championship overall. He also competed in the final two rounds of the 2017 FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Carlin.

He teamed up with Carlin again in 2018 for the F3 European Championship, competing in the two opening rounds but was forced to withdraw from the following round due to dental surgery and subsequently made the switch to join the GP3 Series for the reminder of the 2018 season while teaming up with MP Motorsport. In 2018, he made his IMSA debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the DPI class with JDC-Miller MotorSports and finished sixth with co-drivers Cindric, Alon and Trummer. He returned to IMSA competition later that year with the team in the Petit Le Mans event and finished ninth.

In 2019, he competed in the inaugural FIA F3 Championship with Trident Racing and gained valuable knowledge. He also returned to IMSA for the Rolex 24 at Daytona with JDC-Miller MotorSports and teammates Barrichello, Vautier and Goikhberg. The race ended before the 22nd hour due to heavy rainfall and the team was scored in fifth place.

His return to the F3 Championship with Trident Racing was announced in February 2020, but he was forced to withdraw from the season due to COVID-19 and being immuno-compromised.

Also in 2019/20, he competed in a partial season of the F3 Asian Championship with Absolute Racing and finished seventh in the championship with three podiums despite missing the final three rounds due to the pandemic.

In 2020, DeFrancesco joined Steinbrenner Racing and Andretti Autosport to compete in the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship. He scored two wins and was runner-up to the champion, Sting Ray Robb. He moved to Indy Lights in 2021 in a car co-entered by Steinbrenner Racing and Andretti Autosport. With two podiums and nine top-five finishes, he finished sixth in the points standings.

In January of 2022, DeFrancesco and his co-drivers, Colton Herta, Patricio O’Ward and Eric Lux, won the LMP2 class of the Rolex 24 at Daytona before he made his INDYCAR SERIES debut in March with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport where his best finish was 12th at WorldWide Technology Raceway in his rookie season. In 2023, he earned his best career INDYCAR start to date of fifth place at the August road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and matched his best finish of 12th place at the Detroit street race.

In 2024, he competed in the Endurance Cup in the GTD class in IMSA with Forte Racing’s Lamborghini team.

About Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, based in Zionsville, Ind., is co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, former CBS Late Show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan. In 2025, the team will compete in its 34th year of competition and will attempt to add to its 30 Indy car wins – including the 2004 Indy 500 from pole with Buddy Rice and the 2020 Indy 500 with Takuma Sato — their 37 poles, 112 podium finishes and 1992 series championship. The team also competed in the American Le Mans Series from 2009-2013 as BMW Team RLL where they won both the Manufacturer and Team Championships in the GT category in 2010 and swept all three GT titles in 2011 – Manufacturer, Team and Driver. In 2012, the team finished second in the Team Championship and third in the Manufacturer Championship and in 2013, the team finished second in the Driver, Team and Manufacturer Championship. From 2014 to 2021, BMW Team RLL competed in the GTLM class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a two-car program. In 2022, BMW M Team RLL competed in the GTD PRO class in IMSA while simultaneously ramping up for a two-car program in the much-anticipated GTP class in IMSA for 2023. In total, the team has earned 24 wins – including the 2019 and 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance races, 30 poles and 103 podium finishes prior to the start of the 2025 season. BMW M Team RLL highlights also include second-place finishes in the Manufacturer, Team and Driver championships in 2015 and 2017 and being named the 2020 Michelin North American Endurance Champions.

DeFrancesco Happy with Rookie Season, Eager for 2023

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Rookie Devlin DeFrancesco has learned a lot and believes he has had a good first year in Indycar. I spoe with the Andretti Autosport driver this morning.

Assessing the season, Defrancesco said,

“You know, I’d say probably a 6.5 out of 10. Last race was a strong showing, for me; the test we had your week and a half ago was very strong for me by the end,. So understandingthe season has just been getting better and better and nothing more to secure two strong finishes.”

While DeFrancesco is happy with his improved qualkifying, he is hoping to translate starting positions into great results.

” I really think it’s all coming. I think this weekend could be a very strong weekend for me. I’m very comfortable with the car now knowing what I need to go faster what I need in certain times, with balance and things like that. And if you look at even the last few test days, we’ve done from start to finish, we don’t seem to get lost anymore. It’s just a constant progression through the day. And that was especially our day here. It’s what it seemed to be. So even our day in Laguna. You know, we started off fairly strong, we try to keep things Things seem to quite work. And we went back to where we we knew we were good in tuned on it. So that’s really been I think, what’s been helping me a lot recently.”

Leasrnuing how to work with the red alternate tires had been a work in progress this season for the rookie.

“Knowing what you need from the black to the red tire is tricky because you don’t get a lot of time on the right tires a lot more front a lot more grip in general. So I think knowing what you can balance and the balance when you have to take is critical and it’s been more often than I have gotten it right this year. But now knowing what I need it’s definitely coming to.”

For the final two races of 2022, DeFrancesco will be happy to match speed with his teammates/

“You know, just know similarspeed to my teammates and their security, this leader circle I know this is what’s important for myself. It’s a form of mentoring for my team and sponsors. “

DeFrancesco, like the rest of us, wishes for a shorter off season so he can apply this season’s lessons.

“100% That’s mainly what I’m looking forward to, you know, it’s a shame the offseason is so long, you know, I wish it wasn’t as long as it was but it’d be good to get into these last two races strongly and just build on this momentum going into next season.”

The 2023 Grid- Clearer and Murkier

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Photo: Devlin Defrancesco at Long Beach

Just when you thought Silly Season was over, the NTT Indycar Series grid for 2023 became both clearer and cloudier in the last week.

Devlin DeFrancesco will stay in the 29 car for Andretti Autosport in 2023. He has had a somewhat uneven season, but DeFrancesco has qualified well in several of recent races. He started ninth at Gateway

Colton Herta

Formula 1 rumors have again risen around Colton Herta. Red Bull has made inquiries about his filling one of the Alpha Tauri seats which may soon be vacant. Herta is still shy of the required 40 points for an F1 super license. My guess is he is back in the 26 for one more year. Herta would likely be a reserve driver in F1 in 2023.

The Newest Hottest Driver

I thought it was a foregone conclusion that David Malukas would be back with dale Coyne Racing next year. The rookie has begun to get notice from other teams, and his second place at gateway two weeks ago really cranked up the free agent buzz.

David Malukas

There seems to be great interest from Chip Ganassi Racing, which could have as many as two openings in 2023, depending on the Alex Palou situation with McLaren, and whether Jimmie Johnson returns with Carvana.

This puzzle may not be resolved for awhile. My fear is that Malukas may end up the odd man out. That would be a huge mistake for the series.

Where Do Indy Lights Drivers Fit?

Linus Lundqvist will most likely win the Indy lights championship and have three Indycar races, including the Indianapolis 500, guaranteed. If Malukas moves to Ganassi, could Lundqvist move into the seat at Coyne?

Matthew Brabham and Hunter McElrea are also seeking Indycar rides. Ernie Francis, Jr. may also be looking to move up, at least for the 500.

Indycar in2023 will have the usual problem of too many drivers seeking too few seats. The grid is expected to expand next season, but the driver situation will only improve when the elusive third OEM appears.

DeFrancesco: Indycar Suits My Style More

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Devlin DeFrancesco knows what he likes, and he likes drivcing Indycar. The NTT Indycar Series newest rookie met the media this morning. he is excited to move up from Indy Lights. DeFrancesco thinks Indycar’s more aggressive style suits him better than racing in Indy Lights did.

“Honestly, personally, I found
the car suited me much more. I got to grips with it quite
quickly” DeFrancesco said. “Definitely from midday onwards in Sebring I was
already coming to grips with it and then Barber it didn’t take
me that long to get up to speed. I really enjoy the car. I
can’t wait to be in the thing again, and I’m really excited to
get going for next year.”

The Canadian driver has big plans for his first year in the series. He shared those goals.

“There’s much more aero, as well, so able to carry a lot
more momentum speed and be a lot more aggressive in
the medium high-speed stuff, as well, which suits me quite
more. I’m excited to get going racing, try reds out for the
first time, seeing what those do in qualifying. There’s a lot
of stuff that I’m looking forward to doing, and I think there’s
definitely going to be some good results in the pipeline for
2022.

For sure there are going to be
some races where I think we’re going to be very
competitive and at the front, and I’d like to go home with
Rookie of the Year and I’d like to be fighting more towards
the front, especially by the end of the year. That’s
definitely my plan.”

As for which tracks DeFrancesco believes he will be strongest, he named the higher speed road courses and the ovals.

“I’ve always seemed to be very strong at the higher speed
tracks with high-speed corners. Ovals, as well, is
something I’ve taken to quite quickly and seem to quite
enjoy. Definitely the higher speed stuff I’m looking forward
to getting at, especially the ovals, Barber, fast tracks like
that, St. Pete, as well. I was quite quick there in Lights, so
looking forward to getting back there for INDYCAR.”

Like all rookies, we will see if his race craft meshes smoothly with his speed.

Michael Andretti Talks F1, Indy Lights

Michael Andrerti put to rest rumors about his attempted purchase of the Formula 1 Alfa Romeo team. it was not financial.

Andretti said, ” I’d just like to
put an end to some of these rumors that the deal fell
through because of financial reasons. That couldn’t be
further from the truth. That had nothing to do with that. It
basically came down to control issues in the final hours of
the negotiations. That’s what killed the deal.
I’ve always said if the deal is not right, we’re not going to
do it, and in the end it wasn’t right. So we continue to look
for other opportunities.”

Andretti explained that he would not be in control of the team had the purchase gone through, so he withdrew.

Andretti also said that Colton Herta would have been placed in the Formula 1 program and Kyle Kirkwood would have taken over the 26 car.

Will Kirkwood return to Andretti? It won’t be in 2022, but Andretti said,

“Yeah, so from that standpoint, that’s why unfortunately at
the moment we don’t have a spot for Kyle, but that’s not to
say we won’t in the future. We’re definitely going to watch
him, and I’m hoping he gets a full-time ride to get
experience, and we’ll see how that goes.
The goal is to get him back in our family one day again.”

Andretti emphasized that DeFrancesco did not take a seat from Kirkwood. There was a three year plan to put DeFrancesco in an Indycar seat.

Indy Lights was another hot topic during the press conference. Andretti strongly believes in the program and he is happy that Roger penske brought the junior series back into the Indycar paddock.

“I believe it’s the foundation for our series. You look at the talent that
comes out of it every year. 90 percent of our drivers have
come through that. That’s where our future stars are.
That’s where the future is of our sport. For me, it was very
important that we keep it alive in any way we could.”

Andretti also shared his thoughts on the absence of the Freedom 100.

“I guess we can be a little bit
different on our views on that. I think he’s looking at the big
picture, I guess, and that is protecting the 500, and he’s
just always worried that if there’s a bad accident or
whatever on Friday it could affect Sunday’s race.
You can’t argue with that, but having said that, I think it was
a great race for experience for these drivers, and it always
put on a great show. My gosh, everybody was excited for
that race to see what was going to happen, and it always
came down to inches at the end of the race.
It is a little disappointing for sure not having the race there,
but it is what it is.”

Steinbrenner Staying Put

George Steinbrenner IV has no plans to strike out and form an independent team. He has been a part of Andretti for six years and sees no reason to leave at this time. Steinbrenner said,

“You know, that — if the
team(time) ever comes where it sort of makes sense from an
operational/financial standpoint, then sure, absolutely it
would be awesome. But again, so far there hasn’t really
been the opportunity or really the reason to sort of leave
what the program is that we’ve had going on.
Sure, yeah, it’s definitely something we’ve thought about,
talked about, looked into, but don’t really have a timeline or
timetable for when or if it would be a reality.”

I really can’t think of a good reason for him to leave, either.

on Freedom 100

:

DeFrancesco Confirmed at Andretti

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Image from Andretti Autosport

It’s not a surprise, but now it is official. Devlin DeFrancesco will drive the number 29 car for Andretti Autosport. The 29 29 is the Steinbrenner/Andretti entry. The statement from Andretti Autosport:

11.04.21

Graduating from the Road to Indy ladder, Devlin DeFrancesco has been confirmed to pilot Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport’s No. 29 Honda for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The Italian-Canadian driver made his first outings behind the wheel of an Indy car at two recent test days with Andretti Autosport and will make his first official race start on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida in February.   

“We’re thrilled to keep Devlin in the Andretti Autosport family as he makes his final jump up the Road to Indy ladder into INDYCAR,” said Michael Andretti, CEO and Chairman, Andretti Autosport. “Devlin has been a great addition to our Indy Lights program and has showed a lot of growth and strength at the recent test days. I think he’ll continue to grow with INDYCAR and I’m really glad that we could again partner with George and the Steinbrenner Racing team for the No. 29.” 

“Two years ago, we started a journey with Devlin with the intent to one day take him all the way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and I’m thrilled that day has come,” said George Steinbrenner IV, CEO, Steinbrenner Racing. “From Indy Pro 2000 to Indy Lights and now to INDYCAR, he really impressed with his two initial days in an Indy car and we’re excited to see him in action in 2022.”

After making his Road to Indy debut in 2020 with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport in Indy Pro 2000, DeFrancesco has quickly ascended the Road to Indy ladder moving into Indy Lights in 2021 and ultimately into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2022. DeFrancesco earned the Rookie of the Year title and finished second in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship in 2020 and scored two podiums, nine top-five finishes, and 18 top-10 finishes in his Indy Lights debut season in 2021.  

“I am incredibly grateful to Michael (Andretti) and George (Steinbrenner IV) for the belief they have shown in me over the past two seasons moving up the Road to Indy ladder,” DeFrancesco said. “To now take that final step into INDYCAR with two of the world’s biggest names in sports – Andretti and Steinbrenner – is an incredible opportunity that I can’t wait to take full advantage of. I have three very experienced teammates to learn from and that is what makes this opportunity even more exciting. To get to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport and to contest the Indianapolis 500 is a dream come true and I’m so looking forward to getting started.” 

DeFrancesco rounds out the Andretti Autosport 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES lineup joining already announced drivers Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS / AutoNation Honda), Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda) and Romain Grosjean (No. 28 DHL Honda).  

The 21-year-old’s debut INDYCAR season will again be supported by his 2021 Indy Lights sponsors including hydrogen production and dispensing fueling infrastructure innovators, PowerTap Hydrogen; Kimoa – the fashion, clothing, and accessories brand founded by Fernando Alonso; world-class racing simulator manufacturer AIS; Apple’s largest premium retail partner, Simply Mac; Seattle, WA-based Jones Soda Co; software and services company Fyllo; Seattle-WA and Miami, FL-based Sol Yoga.