Tag: Hy-Vee Indycar Weekend

From Indycar:

It;’s the busiest day of the weekend with Indycar qualifying, Race 1, and Indy NXT race on the schedule.

Today’s schedule. Eastern Times. Iowa is in the Central Time Zone

8 am: Gates Open

8:30 am: IndyCar Quals

10:10 am: Indy NXT Green Flag

11:50 am:@carrieunderwood Concert

1:20 pm: Driver Intros

1:49 pm: Invocation

1:50 pm: Anthem

2:01 pm: Command

2:06 pm: Green Flag

4:30 pm:@kennychesney Concert

First- wishing my friend and colleague Steve Wittich a speedy recovery from his medical issue. We media types are having a bad run right now.

Today;s schedule in Eastern Times. iowa is in the Central Time Zone:

3 pm: Gates Open

3:15-4 pm: IndyNXT Practice

4:30-6 pm: IndyCar Practice

6:30 pm: Indy NXT Qualifying

8:30 pm: Pit Stop Comp

Iowa Speedway is my favorite non Indy oval. I love the way the cars zip around the 7/8 mile track. The action is fast and furious, and cars are always in trtaffic. Well, maybe not Josef Newgarden, but the others for sure. The double heare conept, which began during the pandemic, has stuck at Iowa.

In 2022, the races were between concerts. Hy-Vee and Indycar put a lot of money into sprucing up the track facilities and garnering some headline acts. It was a hit.

For 2023, the promoters got even bigger name acts, and they raised the ticket prices. Will they draw the same crowd as last year? We shall see.

One change this year, which I don’t care for, is that both races are the same distnce, 250 laps. I think Saturday’s race should be 300 laps. The different race lengths woul;d make the weekend more interesting.

Qualifying is key at Iowa. since the return to day races, the winners have come from the first two rows.

Newgarden dominated the event last year, winning race 1 and was on his way to an easy victory in race 2 when a part failure spun him into the turn 4 wall. What will this year bring? Here are some things to look for.

Arrow McLaren- The Clock is Ticking

It is hard to believe that no driver from arrow McLaren has won a race this season. Pato O’Ward was in a positon to win threer races- St. Pete, Texas, and the Indianapolis 500. Mechanical hiccups and yellow flags thwarted his chances.

O’Ward had the second best car at iowa last year, and he won Race 2 after Newgarden’s misfortune.

The team is also good at Gateway. I think McLaren has the three remaining oval races to get into the win column. If not, their offseason may be even more interesting than it already is going to be.

I have a feeling O’Ward wins one of the two races this weekend.

Who Stops Newgarden?

Newgarden has won at Iowa four times. last year was pure domination by him for two days. As we enter the weekend, there is nothing to indicate we won’t see the same type of performance as last year. Newgarden has won four of the last five oval races starting with Iowa in 2022. We are likely to see the same two winners as we had in 2022.

Did Honda Testing Help?

Honda teams tested at Iowa recently, and Chip Ganassi drivers were very happy with the results. This track has favored Chevy in recent years, but Honda, thanks to Alex Palou, has won more races in 2023. What hasn’t Honda won? An oval race.

As Palou continues his relentless march to the title, this is the weekend where he could hit a bump in the road. The good news is, he doesn’t need to win. Palou just needs to stay in shouting distance of Newgarden and Scott Dixon. A two race lead in the points affords him that luxury. A top five finish is sufficient for Palou.

RLL Momentum

Ganassi aside, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is arguably the team with the most momentum in the paddock right. Fresh from Christian Lundgaard’s pole and victory in Toronto, the team seems to at last have their act together. This weekend could be redemption for their Indianapolis nightmare.

Notes

Matthew Brabham returns to IndyNXT with Juncos Hollinger Racing, replacing Matteo Nannini.

Simon Pagenaud will miss his third and fourth cionsecutive races while he recovers from the concussion he suffered at Mid Ohio. Conor daly will agiain drive for MSR.

If Palou maintains his current lead he will clinch the championship after Gateway.

From Indycar

Race weekend: Friday, July 21-Sunday, July 23 Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa Race distance: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Saturday) | Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade: 250 laps/223.5 miles (Sunday) | INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway: 75 laps/67.05 miles Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Fourteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend | INDY NXT by Firestone: Three sets for use during the race weekend Twitter: @indycaratiowa, @IndyCar, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250 #INDYCARInstagram: @indycaratiowa, @INDYCAR, #HyVeeHomefront250 #HyVeeOneStep250, #INDYCARFacebook: @HyVeeINDYCARWeekend, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAREvent website: www.hyveeindycarweekend.comINDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2022 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIESJosef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet), Race #1; Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), Race #2 INDY NXT by FirestoneHunter McElrea (Andretti Autosport) 2022 NTT P1 Award winner:Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 18.0607 seconds, 178.099 mph (Race 1); 18.0796 seconds, 178.013 mph (Race 2) One-lap qualifying record:NTT INDYCAR SERIESHelio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014 INDY NXT by FirestoneColton Herta, 19.6441 seconds, 163.835 mph, July 9, 2017 NBC race telecast: Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, July 22, NBC; Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, 2 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC. Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dave Burns, Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters. Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecasts of the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway 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. Nick Yeoman (Saturday) and Jake Query (Sunday) are the turn announcers. Michael Young be the pit reporter alongside Query (Saturday) and Yeoman (Sunday). The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart race (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade race (2 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (10:55 a.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway 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 Central): FRIDAY, JULY 21 2:15-3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR Live 3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock 5:30-6:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR Live 7:30 p.m. Pit Stop Competition SATURDAY, JULY 22 8:30 a.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock 10:05 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway “Drivers, start your engines) 10:10 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway (75 laps/67.05 miles), Peacock 2 p.m. NBC on air 2:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 2:06 p.m. Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live) SUNDAY, JULY 23 10:05-10:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES systems check (Out and In Lap) 1 p.m. NBC on air 1:25 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 1:30 p.m. Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade (250 laps/223.5 miles), NBC (Live) NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:T he Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 11th and 12th races of the 2023 season. There have been six different winners in 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this 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), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) and Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2023. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014. Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, featuring the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade, will be the third and fourth oval races of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous two oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500). Newgarden has won five of the last seven oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule – including one of the two races during the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend in 2022. The remaining oval race will take place Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade will be the 18th and 19th NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Iowa Speedway.  Josef Newgarden and Ryan Hunter-Reay are the only entered drivers to win at Iowa Speedway more than once. Newgarden has four wins (2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2 and 2022 Race #1) while Hunter-Reay has three wins (2012, 2014 and 2015). Past winners Pato O’Ward (2022 Race #2), and Helio Castroneves (2017) are also entered in the event. ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS Josef Newgarden 4 2016, 2019, 2020 Race #2, 2022 Race # 1Ryan Hunter-Reay 3 2012, 2014, 2015 Helio Castroneves 1 2017 Pato O’Ward 1 2022 Race #2 Andretti Autosport has won seven of the 17 previous races at Iowa Speedway (Dario Franchitti 2007, Tony Kanaan 2010, Marco Andretti 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012, 2014 and 2015 and James Hinchcliffe 2013). Team Penske has five wins (Helio Castroneves 2017, Josef Newgarden 2019, 2020 Race #2 and 2022 Race #1 and Simon Pagenaud 2020 Race #1). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins (Dan Wheldon 2008 and Franchitti 2009). Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dario Franchitti and Josef Newgarden are the only drivers to win at Iowa Speedway and win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season. Newgarden accomplished the feat in 2019, Hunter-Reay in 2012 and Franchitti in 2007 and 2009. Scott Dixon is the only driver to have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Iowa, and although he has 11 top-five finishes in his previous 17 starts on the oval, he’s never won at “The World’s Fastest Short Track.” Twelve drivers entered have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 1,506, Helio Castroneves 644, Will Power 234, Dixon 130, Pato O’Ward 97, Takuma Sato 64, Graham Rahal 32, Ed Carpenter 18, Conor Daly 17, Felix Rosenqvist 7, Alexander Rossi 4 and David Malukas 1). Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend presents the first chance for Alex Palou to complete the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge. The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has already scored wins on a street course (Streets of Detroit) and a road course (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course). He would become the second driver to claim a $1 million bonus to be split among his team and chosen charity – The American Legion – should he win on an oval. Josef Newgarden won the bonus last season. Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 316th and 317th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history. Tony Kanaan holds the INDYCAR SERIES record with 318 consecutive starts…Ed Carpenter will attempt to make his 200th career INDYCAR SERIES start in Sunday’s Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes:The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway marks the start of the second half of the 2023 season. Rookie Nolan Siegel leads the championship standings by 16 points over his HMD Motorsports teammate Christian Rasmussen. Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea (39 points behind) and Louis Foster (42 back) are close behind.The INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway will be the first of two oval events this season for INDY NXT by Firestone. Hunter McElrea claimed the checkered flag last season and will look to become the first repeat winner at Iowa in INDYCAR’s development series. The second oval race of the season is Aug. 26 at World Wide Technology Raceway.Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first series win in 2023?

All Times Central

Friday, July 21

3:30 pm-5 Practice Peacock

Saturday, July 22

8:30-9:30 am Qualifying (lap 1= race 1; lap 2=race 2) Peacock

2:06 pm Race 1 250 laps NBC, Peacock

Sunday, July 23

1:30 pm Race 2 250 laps NBC, Peacock

Hy-Vee and Iowa Speedway have named race title and presenting sponsors for the Indycar double header at Iowa Speedway July 22 and 23.

Both races will be 250 laps. I’m disappointed. In 2022, Saturday’s race was 250 laps and Sunday’s race was 300 laps. I like the different distances. It caused teams to take a different approach the second day. Now we will see basically the same race two days in a row.

Here is the official announcement from Indycar:

Hy-Vee, Inc. and INDYCAR announced March 22 that the two NTT INDYCAR SERIES 250-lap races during the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway will be focused on honoring America’s heroes and fighting hunger across the United States. Hy-Vee partners Instacart and Gatorade will support the weekend efforts with each industry-leading company serving as a presenting sponsor of the Saturday and Sunday races.

Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend will be held July 21-23 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Saturday, July 22 will be an all-day salute to United States veterans and military service men and women, culminating with the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart. The race is named for the company’s longtime initiative that supports veterans and military members. Hy-Vee‘s commitment to veterans and military, and their families, dates back to the early years of Hy-Vee‘s history.

Throughout the day on Saturday at Iowa Speedway, special events, displays and even the music and entertainment featured throughout the venue will honor veterans and pay tribute to military members for their service to our country.

The focus of Sunday will be combating hunger across the country with the running of the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade. The race is named for Hy-Vee’s One Step program, which has funded initiatives to support clean water initiatives, packaged meals and reforestation efforts across the Midwest and all over the world.

In February, Hy-Vee announced its 100 Million Meals Challenge, bringing together Feeding America partner food banks, manufacturers and suppliers, as well as Hy-Vee customers, to help support people across the Midwest who are experiencing food insecurity. The initiative continues throughout the year across all Hy-Vee, Dollar Fresh Market and Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh locations. To support the Challenge, Hy-Vee customers can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar during checkout to donate to the cause. All funds collected at stores will go directly to partner food banks serving their local community. Customers can also donate online by going to www.feedingamerica.org/hy-vee.

Hy-Vee is also working with national food manufacturers and suppliers to provide food and funds to benefit the 18 Feeding America partner food banks that operate in its eight-state region. Each of these food banks will be featured on Sunday of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, along with representatives from Feeding America. Fans in attendance at the track will be able to scan a code and donate to Feeding America.

“We are proud to help support Hy-Vee’s commitment and dedication to helping people and communities across our country during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend,” said Bud Denker, president of Penske Corporation, which owns INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “We look forward to honoring our service men and women on Saturday of race weekend and helping to fight hunger through Hy-Vee’s 100 Million Meals Challenge with Feeding America on Sunday at Iowa Speedway. We also want to thank both Instacart and Gatorade for their support and partnership as we host an amazing weekend of racing and entertainment, July 21st through the 23rd.”

To purchase tickets and learn more about Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, visit www.hyveeindycarweekend.com.