Tag: IMSA

Saturday at IMS: IMSA Qualifying, Michelin Pilot Challenge Race

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Ther is a dense fog advisory this morning which may delay the start of action. Check the IMS app. Highs bear 90 degrees today. Find shade and hydrate.

All times Eastern:

7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open
8-8:15 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR Qualifying
8:20-8:35 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge GS Qualifying
8:55-10:25 a.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 2 (all classes)
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Autograph Session
11:10-11:50 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 2 (40 mins.)
12:05-12:45 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Pre-Race Grid Walk
1:05-3:05 p.m.: Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 Race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (two hours)
3:40-3:55 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTD Pro/GTD)
4:05-4:20 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (LMP2)
4:30-4:45 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTP
)5:10-6 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 2 (50 mins

.)TICKETS: $50 for General Admission seating for the IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult in General Admission grandstand seating locations and infield viewing mounds. Reserved seating is available for $179 in the Hulman Terrace Club.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7S.

PARKING: Main Gate Parking Alert – The Main Gate Lot is inaccessible due to the closure of Polco Street. A Main Gate parking pass will grant access to Lot 3 during the IMSA weekend. Please enter via 16th Street. Free parking, including ADA parking, is available in the Hulman Lot with limited availability. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $20 and in Gate 1 Lot for $50. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $20 and Gate 1 for $50. Free motorcycle parking in Gate 1.

CASHLESS OPERATIONS: IMS is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete ticket, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease via debit or credit card. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions.

MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation.

 

Porsche Leads Practice 1 at IMS

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Penske Entertainment Photo

Defending winner number 6 Penske Porsche led the way in today’s single practice for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. The Porsches dominated last year, locking out the front row and handily winning the race. Mathieu Jaminet had the quick lap of the day 2ith a time of 1:16.138.

The 01 Cadillac driven by Indianapolis 500 veteran Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van de Zande ended second on the speed chart. The Cadillac led much of the 90 minute session, and the Porsche edged in front in the final minutes.,

The LMP2 class was paced by car 11 from TDS. Former IndyNXT driver Hunter McElrea is part of this team, joining Mikkel Jensen and Steven Thomas.

A GTD car, the 023 Ferrari, led the touring classes with Ricardo Agostini behind the wheel.

The fastest GTDPro was the Pfaff Mclaren, car 9, driven by Marvin Kirchhofer.

The day began warm but pleasant. A brief sprinkle just after the start of practice for the IMSA Weather teach championship didn’t slow down the action, but the humidity rose sharply.

Practice 2 is at 8:55 am Eastern time Saturday, with qualifying at 3:40 pm.

Notes

It was nice to see Sebastien Bourdais driving at IMS again. I truly miss his not being in IndyCar.

Marshall Pruett is reporting that Rinus VeeKay will not return to Ed Carpenter Racing in 2025. I will have more on this later this weekend. It is awfully late to find another seat.

Today’s crowd seemed smaller than the Friday crowd last year. I hope attendance picks up the next two days.

Results

Note- driver in Italics drove the fast lap for that team.

IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks Begins Today

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It will be very warm this weekend. Remember to hydrate.

Information from IMS:

Friday, Sept. 20  INDIANAPOLIS
Information about IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks track activity Friday, Sept. 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

:SCHEDULE (All times local):
8 a.m.-5 p.m.: Public gates open
8:20-9:20 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1
9:35-10:05 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Qualifying
10:20-10:35 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying 1
10:40-10:55 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying 2
11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (all classes)
1:45-2:45 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 2
3-3:40 p.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1 (40 minutes)
4-4:50 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 1 (50 minutes)
TICKETS: $20 for General Admission seating for the IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult in General Admission grandstand seating locations and infield viewing mounds. Reserved seating is available for $104 in the Hulman Terrace Club.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-5 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7S
.PARKING: Main Gate Parking Alert – The Main Gate Lot is inaccessible due to the closure of Polco Street. A Main Gate parking pass will grant access to Lot 3 during the IMSA weekend. Please enter via 16th Street. 
Free parking, including ADA parking, is available in the Hulman Lot with limited availability. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $10 and in Gate 1 Lot for $25. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3 for $10 and Gate 1 for $25. Free motorcycle parking in Gate 1.
CASHLESS OPERATIONS: IMS is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete ticket, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease via debit or credit card. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions.
MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation.

TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks Features ‘Race within a Race’ 

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From IMS :


 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024) – Sports car racing is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on Sept. 20-22, with the unique, “race within a race” format of class racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge series.
Just one type of race car competes either on the 2.5-mile oval or the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at the Racing Capital of the World during NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. The length of those series’ races also is measured by laps, and there is just one driver assigned per car.
IMSA is different.
Four different classes of cars will race simultaneously when the featured Weather Tech Sports Car Championship race starts at 11:40 a.m. ET Sunday on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. And the race is not measured by laps; it’s measured by time – up to a six-hour endurance race this year after a two-hour, 40-minute “sprint” last year.
Drivers from all over the world compete for overall victory but also for first place within their respective class. That unique format always keeps the racing interesting, and the varying speeds of the four classes of machines creates intense racing within classes and plenty of traffic for the fastest classes to navigate for most of the race.The four classes of cars in the series are comprised of two styles of cars – prototype, which showcases the latest automotive technology and are designed uniquely for the racetrack; and GT, based on road-going production models.Teams also perform driver changes during selected pit stops, as drivers rotate in and out of the cars over the six-hour endurance race.So, let’s take a look at the four classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship:

Grand Touring Prototype (GTP): The newest and most technologically advanced Prototype race car debuted in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023, featuring a common hybrid powertrain for all entries that takes kinetic energy gained in braking and stores it in batteries for later use when needed. Five global automotive manufacturers – Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche – are entered in the class this weekend. Each manufacturer developed its unique internal combustion engine and bodywork styling.

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2): The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) is a closed-cockpit car developed by four approved constructors. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP2 cars are eligible to compete in other global series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro): GTD PRO, which debuted in 2022, includes race cars built to FIA GT3 technical regulations and offers the opportunity for factory teams and driver lineups to compete in the class. GTD PRO features a veritable rolling showroom of manufacturers competing in this class this weekend, including Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

GT Daytona (GTD): The GT Daytona cars are enhanced – not defined by – technology and use the global FIA GT3 specification. The GTD class this weekend consists of cars from a host of leading manufacturers, including Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans will recognize plenty of names competing in the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.

Current star Romain Grosjean is racing for Lamborghini in GTP, while four-time series champion Sebastien Bourdais and former NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Tom Blomqvist drive for Cadillac in GTP.
Former INDYCAR SERIES drivers Ben Hanley and Matt Brabham and INDY NXT by Firestone race winner Hunter McElrea are racing in LMP2, while former INDYCAR SERIES driver Jack Hawksworth is driving in GTD Pro for a team co-owned by INDYCAR SERIES champion Jimmy Vasser.
Ex-INDYCAR SERIES driver Gabby Chaves will team with Jarett Andretti – the son of former INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR race winner John Andretti – in the GTD class. Former INDYCAR SERIES drivers Devlin DeFrancesco and Jan Heylen and ex-INDY NXT by Firestone driver Rasmus Lindh also are racing in GTD.The Michelin Pilot Challenge also is racing this weekend at IMS. That series also features a “race within a race,” but with just two classes of production-based sports cars and touring cars.
A look at the two classes:

Grand Sport (GS): The Grand Sport class consists of SRO GT4-homologated cars with engines tuned to produce between 400 and 450 horsepower and can reach speeds faster than 160 mph. Competition is equalized by adjustments to fuel-tank capacities, ride height, power and weight. Manufacturers competing this weekend in GS include Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

Touring Car (TCR): The Touring Car class consists of WSC TCR-homologated cars with engines tuned to produce between 300 and 350 horsepower and can reach speeds faster than 140 mph. Competition is equalized by adjustments to fuel-tank capacities, ride height, power and weight. Manufacturers competing this weekend in TCR include Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda and Hyundai.
Former INDYCAR SERIES driver Robert Wickens will capture plenty of attention in the TCR class, driving a Hyundai for the team owned by former INDYCAR SERIES race winner Bryan Herta.
This exciting event weekend also will feature two single-make series in which competitors race the same brand of car, placing the skill of the driver in the spotlight.

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America features a 50-minute race at 4 p.m. Friday and another 50-minute event at 5:10 p.m. Saturday. Drivers compete in machines from the exotic Italian marque

.Porsche enthusiasts also can see the evocative German machines compete in identical 911 GT3 Cup race cars in two Porsche Carrera Cup North America races this weekend.
Both races are 40 minutes each. Race 1 is at 3 p.m. Friday, with Race 2 at 11:10 a.m. Saturday.Tickets and information for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks are available at IMS.com.

TIRERACK.COM BATTLE ON THE BRICKS PUBLIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 20
8:20-9:20 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1
9:35-10:05 a.m. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Qualifying
10:20-10:35 a.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying
110:40-10:55 a.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying
211:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1 (all classes)
1:45-2:45 p.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 2
3-3:40 p.m. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1 (40 mins.)4-4:50 p.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 1 (50 mins.

)Saturday, Sept. 21
8-8:15 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR Qualifying
8:20-8:35 a.m. Michelin Pilot Challenge GS Qualifying
8:55-10:25 a.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 2 (all classes)
11:10-11:50 a.m. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 2 (40 mins.
)1:05-3:05 p.m. Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 Race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (two hours)
3:40-3:55 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTD Pro/GTD)
4:05-4:20 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (LMP2)
4:30-4:45 p.m. WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying (GTP)
5:10-6 p.m. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race 2 (50 mins.)

Sunday, Sept. 22
11:40 a.m.-5:40 p.m. TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Race (six hours)

So It Can Be Done

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I knew the IMSA Weather Tech Schedule, but the Road America date didn’t register with me as falling during the Olympics. Why? because NBC had made a huge point to Indycar and NASCAR that they needed to put all their resources and personnel into the Olympics. Neither series would have a race on the network for three weeks. Yet, on the second week of the international quadrennial sports festival, here we have an IMSA race exclusively on Peacock.

Is IMSA can have a race exclusively on peacock, why couldn’t Indycar of Nascar have put on an event during this time? None of the Indycar or NASCAR talent outside of Leigh Diffey is in Paris. Georgia Henneberry, who usually works the pits for Indycar, was at road America doing her usual excellent job.

Apparently IMSA isn’t worried about ratings as much Indycar or NASCAR is, but the bar of expectations is not high for a peacock only event anyway. So, an Indycar race this weekend was possible.

I was grateful to have a race to watch this weekend, but allowing this race during the Olympics shoots down NBC’s argument that racing was not possible during this time.

As a result, Indycar will cram five races into a four week period, somewhat neutralizing the welcome break from a packed summer schedule. I jus think NBC wasn’t upfront about why the three week break was necessary. It’s obvious from yesterday that the network had the capacity to show races from Indycar and NASCAR.

Another Penske Win

Team Penske is having quite the season across all series. A 1-2 finish yesterday added to its Indianapolis 500 front row lockout and race win, its podium sweep at Road America, pole at Le Mans, and WEC victories.

The race itself was a disjointed affair with a plethora of caution periods interrupting periods of really good racing in the GTP and GT classes.

The pit reporting was outstanding. Georgia Henneberry and Chris Willner had timely interviews with drivers which provided context to the on track action.

I felt commercial breaks were way too frequent and much too long, especially with minimal side by side breaks. There were enough caution periods that all the advertising obligations could have been met before the final segment of the race. The three minute full screen break with 11 minutes to go and the outcome in doubt was a disservice to viewers.

Wrapping Up a Busy Week

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Alexander Rossi photo by James Black, Indycar

Yesterday seemed awfully quiet after a week of nonstop IMSA and Indycar activity.

The Spring Training at Thermal Club wasa hit with the drivers and car owners. There is some talk of a race at the facility, but I think it is a long shot. It is a private club, and a lot of infrastructure work needs to bring it up to Indycar and FIA standards. I think the race would be mainly for the club members, not the average fan. It could be Indycar’s version of the F1 Miami Grand Prix without the fake harbor.

I hope some club members had their interest piqued and want to invest in a team in some way. For now, let’s leave this track as a Spring Training site, and maybe allow a limited number of fans in next year.

Rolex 24 Gallery

Some photos taken by a pure amateur at the Rolex 24. As I said earlier, the GTP cars are beautiful and it is nice to have cars with distinct looks and sounds.

01 Cadillac
24 BMW
Turn 1 action.
Turn 3
On the banks
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus fought hard to earn a podium.

IMS Release: Sports Cars To Drive into Spotlight This Fall on IMS Road Course 

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From IMS:


 INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022) – Sports cars will reign this fall on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course as Porsche and the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli return for events in September and October, respectively.The Porsche Sports Car Together Fest is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Sept. 4, with the Indianapolis 8 Hour taking place from Friday, Oct. 7 through Sunday, Oct. 9. These unique race weekends provide an exciting, fan- and family-friendly conclusion to the 2022 season at the Racing Capital of the World.
Tickets for both events are available at IMS.com.
A look at the upcoming events at IMS:
Porsche Sports Car Together Fest – Sept. 2-4Porsche returns to IMS for the second annual Sports Car Together Fest, a three-day celebration of all things Porsche and car culture, along with trackside activities for families and fans of all ages. The full weekend of fun will highlight Porsche’s highest-performance models, including the GT line of road cars and the top one-make race series.
The weekend is expected to be the world’s largest gathering of Porsche GT cars and provide a spotlight on the 50th anniversary of the RS model.
While the Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by the Cayman Islands and the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama headline the racing action on the track, multiple aspects of the Porsche automotive and sports culture will entertain and educate Porsche fans and casual attendees alike at the Labor Day weekend event.
Indianapolis 8 Hour – Oct. 7-9The elite sports car drivers and evocative brands of the will compete for the third consecutive year at IMS in the Indianapolis 8 Hour endurance race. The Indianapolis 8 Hour will begin at noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 8 and run to 8 p.m., allowing fans a unique chance to watch cars race after sunset at IMS.
Since 2016, the series has brought together some of the world’s great standalone endurance events to compete under the FIA’s global GT3 sports car regulations. The race weekend at IMS is part of a globe-trotting campaign that races on at least three continents.
The world’s biggest luxury automotive manufacturers also consider Intercontinental GT Challenge as a key component of their customer racing programs. Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche are among the prestigious manufacturers competing in the series.
Also racing that weekend along with the Intercontinental GT Challenge is its North American series, GT World Challenge America.
More Sports Cars in 2023 at IMS
For the first time since 2014, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be back at the Racing Capital of the World on the weekend of Sept. 15-17, 2023, as the headline event of a full weekend of IMSA sports car action billed as the “IMSA Battle on the Bricks.”
The IMSA Battle on the Bricks weekend will be a three-day festival showcasing the pinnacle of North American sports car racing, including the premier GTP class featuring the new, technologically sophisticated LMDh prototypes. Fans also can camp in the IMS infield, access not available during any other race weekend.
Visit IMS.com for more information and to sign up to be the first to secure tickets for 2023.

Helio and Mike- A New Winning Combination- Quick Thoughts on the Rolex 24

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Photo; IMSA, Mike Levitt

When Mike Shank hired Helio Castroneves to run the 105th Indianapolis 500 last year, I just said, “Huh,” and didn’t give it much more thought. Of course Castroneves went on to win his fourth 500. Today Castroneves, along with Indycar teammate Simon Pagenaud, Tom Blomqvist, and Oliver Jarvis win the 60th Rolex 24.

The driver and owner have clicked and the chemistry may make life miserable for other teams.

Shank won the Rolex 10 years ago, which makes today’s victory extra special.

Great Day for Indycar– Seven of the twelve Indycar drivers finished in the top five in their classes. Alexander Rossi was on the second place team in DPi; Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, and Devlin DeFrancesco won the LMP2 class for Dragonspeed; Rinus VeeKay was second in LMP 2; and Kyle Kirkwood was fourth in GTD Pro.

Speaking of GTD Pro, the battle for the win over the last two laps between winner Mathieu Jaminet and Laurens Vanthoor was the best fight of the day. The drivers exchanged positions had contact with each other in the horseshoe and the bus stop on the final lap with Jaminet going on to win. Vanthoor spun and fell to third.

I’m glad to see Felipe Nasr finally win the Rolex after 10 years of trying.

This was an outstanding 24 hour race. There were compelling stories throughout the race. The DPi class provided a lot of the drama, with the Ganassi Cadillacs both experiencing issues which put them out of contention. Both cars looked strong in the middle of the race.

With six hours remaining, the outcome was in doubt in each class.

Kamui Kobayashi tried to singlehandedly keep the 48 competitive. He had a great first stint, but several issues put the car 22 laps down.

The crowd seemed down a bit, but the fans that did come didn’t seem to let the abnormally cold weather bother them.

From the parts of the Peacock broadcast I saw, NBC did a great job of coverage. James Hinchcliffe, to the surprise of no one was outstanding as a commentator. I enjoyed the times NBC went to break and on Peacock we just heard the sounds of the cars.

Daytona could use a video board and an extra grandstand or two in the International Horseshoe. The track also should figure out a way to get a stand by the Le Mans Chicane.

Taylor Holds Off Westbrook for Rolex Pole

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Photo: Business as usual for Wayne Taylor Racing: winning at Daytona. IMSA image

Ricky Taylor won the qualifying race yesterday and will start the Role 24 Hour race from the pole next Saturday. Taylor’s Wayne Taylor Racing Acura took the lead after pit stops and held off persistent attacks from Richard Westbrook in the JDC -Miller Cadillac over the final 30 minutes of the race. Westbrook’s car started on the pole for the race. Felipe Albuquerque qualified the car second, but the number 10 started last in class because of a technical violation.

Taylor clinched the victory just after the start of the final lap. Westbrook saw an opening going into turn one which Taylor quickly closed. Westbrook bumped Taylor, then spun, giving the number 10 Konica- Minolta car a clear path to the checkered flag.

Traffic helped Taylor stay in front, but once the contenders were clear, Westbrook closed in quickly. It was a great half hour battle.

Ben Keating and Mikkel Jensen won in LMP2. Keating started on the pole, and he will drive the number 52 in this class and the number 5 DPi Cadillac in the race. Keating has a good shot at a double win.

Jarrett Andretti Wins LMP3 Pole

Jarrett Andretti, son of the late John Andretti, teamed with Josh Burdon to win the LMP3 class in the Andretti Autosport entry. Attrition was high in this group, and is likely to be a factor next weekend as well. The number 36 Ligier started third Sunday.

Close Finishes in GTD Classes

Both GTD Pro and GTD saw close finishes. While the DPi cars battled, the GTD classes each had duels for the lead for the final 30 minutes also. Peacock gave some coverage of the fights, but I wish they had shown more.

In GTD Pro, the Lamborghini driven by Andrea Caldarelli and Mirko Bortolotti took first place. Bortolotti passed the Porsche driven by Alessio Piccarielli with 14 minutes to go and won by 0.475 seconds.

While the GTD finish was close- Lucas Auer and Russell Ward’ Mercedes won by just 0.509 seconds over the McLaren- the team led all but three laps from their outside front row starting spot.