Tag: Indianapolis 500

Indycar Slays the Dragon

thepitwindow

The weaving, bobbing moves down the front stretch in the final laps of the Indianapolis 500 are gone, banished yesterday i a ruling by Indycar. The Dragon, which started in 2019 with Simon Pagenaud trying to break the draft and maintain his lead over Alexander Rossi, reached a ridiculous extreme in 2023 when Josef Newgarden used the pit entry lane to fend off Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson followed Newgarden into the area below the pit line.

Newgarden came close to the attenuator, the outer end cap to the pit wall. In the past, the attenuator has caused massive crashes. Kevin Cogan in 1989 hit the attenuator head on and his car split in two, with the engine sliding down pit lane. In 2020, Oliver Askew hit the end of pit wall late in the race, causing an extensive debris field. Askew got a concussion as a result of the impact.

In 2024, drivers will not be allowed to go below the pit line exiting turn 4. I think this is a good move by Indycar. It should force drivers to conform more to the one defensive move rule.

The series did not address the cause of the chaotic ending to last year’s race, which was the excessive use of the red flag. In their desperation to have a green flag finish, race control threw three red flags. Chaos reigned on the restarts as drivers weren’t sure how many more chances they would have to improve their position. I understand that a ruling is coming that will designate the last lap on which a red flag may be used, barring safety concerns. I hope it is around lap 180.

Safety Improvements

IMS has made several physical improvements to track safety, installing more SAFER barriers and refreshing the existing foam walls.

Inside turn 1,700 feet of catch fence has been added behind the wall, and 800 feet of new SAFER barrier is in turn 4,

In the north short chute, 85 feet of the foam wall replaces a guardrail.

Around the entire track, new SAFER wall has replaced all the preexisting barriers.

Sato Returns to RLL for the 500

thepitwindow

From Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing:

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (February 15, 2024) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, Takuma Sato, will return to the team for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. AMADA AMERICA, Inc. a leading global machine tool manufacturer and supplier in the sheet metal industry, will be the primary sponsor for 2017 and 2020 Indy 500 winner Sato’s No. 75 Honda-powered entry in the May 26 event.

Sato competed for RLL in 2012 and from 2018-2021. He has earned six NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, four of which have come with RLL, including the team’s second Indy 500 win in 2020. Most recently, Sato competed in oval races with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023. The 2024 Indy 500 will mark his 15th time to participate in the Indianapolis 500 and sixth with RLL.

AMADA was the primary sponsor of the team’s No. 30 entry at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on April 30, 2023 and this will be their first time to participate in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” They will also be a major associate sponsor of the No. 30 entry driven by Pietro Fittipaldi for the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, near their Buena Park, Calif. headquarters.

Sato, a native of Tokyo, Japan, has made 220 starts in the INDYCAR SERIES since his rookie season in 2010, which is sixth among active drivers and 22nd all-time. His Indy car highlights include wins in the 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500, 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, 2018 Portland Grand Prix, 2019 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama and Bommarito 500 at WWT Raceway, with four of the six coming with RLL. Of his 14 podium finishes to date, 10 have come with RLL as have three of his 10 Indy car poles. Prior to joining the INDYCAR SERIES, he competed in 90 Formula One races between 2002-2008 with his highest finish of third at the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 10 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 20th Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. North America’s premier open-wheel series will crisscross the United States, including a stop for the 108th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, before culminating in Nashville for the championship finale Sunday, Sept. 15. All on-track action can be seen on NBC or NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service or USA Network. For more information about the series or team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.

About AMADA AMERICA, Inc.
AMADA AMERICA, INC. is headquartered in Buena Park, California. AMADA is the leading global machine tool manufacturer and supplier in the sheet metal industry. The AMADA brand represents Quality, Service, and Sustainability. AMADA machine tools consistently set global standards for performance and reliability. Each year, AMADA continues to develop and perfect innovative sheet metal manufacturing solutions with the objective of maximizing our customers’ productivity.

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 2024, the team will compete in its 33rd 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, 111 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 23 wins – including the 2019 and 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance races, 30 poles and 101 podium finishes prior to the start of the 2024 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.

QUOTEBOARD

TAKUMA SATO, Driver of the No. 75 AMADA Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I’m absolutely thrilled to make my return to the 108th Indy 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. A heartfelt thank you to Bobby, Mike, and David and the entire organization for this incredible opportunity. Gratitude overflows as I am driving the No. 75 entry with primary sponsorship from AMADA. My journey with RLL spans over a decade marked by shared successes and rejoining the team fills me with immense excitement. Here’s to reconnecting with familiar faces and forging new alliances. I just can’t wait to get to work.”

STEPHEN KEATING, EVP of Sales & Key Accounts, AMADA: “We are incredibly excited to partner with the renowned Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team at the 108th running of the Indy 500! Our partnership signifies a joint commitment to engineering excellence and innovation. We eagerly anticipate that this iconic race will demonstrate the strong collaboration between our two technology-driven organizations.”

BOBBY RAHAL, Co-Owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “We’re very pleased to welcome back Takuma to the team. We obviously had a great deal of success together and as I’ve said many times, Takuma’s spirit is something that motivates not only me and the entire team, but also his fans. We’re looking forward to his contributions and having a successful Indy 500.
“We were actively looking for a machine tool company a few years ago that could give us a competitive advantage, and we got to know AMADA and learn more about the tremendous machines and the technology services they provide. And, of course, our facility is a showcase for some of their technology in our production area. After having them with us as a primary sponsor in 2023, we’re thrilled that the relationship continues to grow. I can’t imagine a better match than AMADA, Takuma and our team.”

MIKE LANIGAN, Co-Owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “It’s exciting to have Takuma return to the team for the Indianapolis 500. As he has shown, he knows how to win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his experience will add value to our overall program. It’s also particularly exciting to have a globally-recognized company like AMADA join us in this program after first working together in 2023.”

The First Signs of Spring

thepitwindow2 Comments

The 2024 Indycar season takes another step forward this week. On Thursday the track build officially begins in St. Pete for the March 10 season opener. I continue to be amazed at how quickly the track is built and then torn down after the race. I will be on site to cover the event.

Another good sign last week was the Arrow McLaren livery presentations of their three 2024 cars.

The cars of Alexander Rossi, David Malukas, and Pato O’Ward

I like Rossi’s car the best. It has the throwback feel of the Marlboro McLaren F1 car. The white trim gives it a clean look.

Malukas’s car is too similar to Scott Dixon’s machine. It seems like all Indycar teams have to employ a certain combination each year, and we see a field full of nearly identical themes.

Pato’s car does not look different from the car he has run the last couple of years. i assume this a brand mandate, I don’t dislike it, I was just hoping for something a bit bolder.

Bumping At the 500

The entry list for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 could end up at 35 or 36.

In addition to the 27 full time teams, Andretti will field a car for Marco Andretti, and Arrow Mclaren is adding Kyle Larson. Ed Carpenter Racing brings in a third car for Christian Rasmussen. Abel Motorsports should return with R C Enerson. Dreyer and Reinbold with Don Cusick has announced Ryan Hunter-Reay and Conor Daly.

There is talk that Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will have an entry for two-time 500 winner Takuma Sato.

A. J. Foyt Racing will decide by the end of February if they will run a third car for the 500, which would put the field at 35. There may be one other entry.

We won’t have to worry about guaranteed spots in 2024.

Season One of ‘100 Days To Indy’ To Be Available on Paramount+

thepitwindow

From Indycar

Docuseries Premiers Globally Friday, Feb. 16

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024) – Paramount+ announced Feb. 7 that all six episodes of the first season of the docuseries “100 Days To Indy” will be made available on the service globally for the first time Friday, Feb. 16, with the exception of Japan, which will follow Tuesday, April 19.
Produced by Penske Entertainment and VICE Media Group, “100 Days To Indy” charts the adrenaline-fueled journeys of NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ best drivers in their pursuit of victory at the iconic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the world’s largest single-day sporting event.
Following bold, brash personalities in their on-and off-track lives, the 100-day buildup to the final showdown begins on the starting grid of the 2023 season’s first race at St. Petersburg, Florida. From there comes high-octane drama, fearless driving and fiery competition stretching from St. Petersburg across the country until the winner crosses the finish line at the Indy 500, securing their position in motorsport’s history books in front of more than 300,000 fans.
The global field of 33 drivers racing toward the prestigious Borg-Warner Trophy hails from 15 nations and includes four-time winner Helio Castroneves, who is chasing a record-breaking fifth win, and 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson. But earning racing’s most coveted prize means they’ll first have to see off two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, plus a whole new generation of young drivers vying for their slice of the multimillion-dollar purse, including Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta and Christian Lundgaard.
“100 Days To Indy” is directed by Emmy Award-winner Patrick Dimon, and the executive producer is Bryan Terry for VICE. Adam Marinelli and Dimon are co-executive producers.
Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Japan and South Korea.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms. 
 

Return of Indy’s Loch Ness Monster

thepitwindow

It’s back. The guaranteed Indianapolis 500 starting spot monster has arisen from the depths of what I thought was a deep, deep grave. In a story by Nathan Brown of the IndyStar this morning, the idea is included with talk of a franchise system for Indycar.

In 2019, I wrote a piece called “The Soul of the Race,” in which I argued against the concept of guaranteed spots. Indulge me as I quote my own brilliant statement from that article-

“…guaranteed spots in my opinion does not fall in the category of tradition. It’s called qualifying. It means you have to meet a standard which in this case means being one of the fastest 33 drivers. That is one tradition that must stay. A chance to win the greatest race in the world should not just be handed to someone.”

I still stand by this statement.

Guaranteed spots would reduce qualifying days to a rather dull affair. If you don’t have speed for the pole, why go all out? Just post a time. How many one-offs will want to enter knowing there are only so many spots for them?

Brown’s article quotes team owners talking about how devastating missing the race has been for their teams sponsor wise. Brown points out that just six teams of the 16 that have been bumped in the last 15 years are still in Indycar.

Near the end of the article, Mark Miles said that there will still be bumping.

“I do believe that whatever happens in that regard, we’ll want to make sure there’s bumping. I think there’s a number of considerations on how that might end up, but at the end of the day, the tradition of bumping is important (at the 500), and we need to find a way to continue it,” Miles said.

I have a suggestion. If one of the teams that has a membership gets bumped, pay them what 33rd place finishing full time team would earn, and have a team in the race add the sponsor of the bumped car.

As far the franchise or membership concept, i have mixed feelings about it, which I will talk about later this week.

DRR/Cusick Sign Hunter-Reay and Daly for 500

thepitwindow

Dreyer and Reinbold will again team with Don Cusick for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Conor Daly will team with 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay in the two car effort.

In 2023 Stefan Wilson qualified one of the cars which was entered by Cusick. In the Monday practice after qualifying, Wilson broke his back in a crash. Many were expecting Wilson to return for 2024.

Cusick decided to distribute his money to both DRR cars, which I believe led to Wilson not having enough funding. \About Wilson, Cusick said in a video call yesterday:

“As far as Stefan goes, unfortunately he had the injury, I
think it set him back a little bit. I’m not sure that he’s done
trying to be a part of the Indy 500. Look, we’ll always
support him. He’s a good guy and a good friend. He is the
reason that we ended up in the Indy 500.
That said, he’s given us his full support and blessing.
Depending on what happens this year, hopefully he’s
around in May and able to say hi to everybody.”

Hunter=Reay and Daly are both eager to work together, and they appear to be on the same page about race strategy. Hunter_r reay talked about the craziness which occurred near the end of last year’s race, which ended in a red flag fiasco.

“There needs to be a higher level of respect amongst the
drivers in superspeedway racing. We are out there doing
230, 240, whatever you want to call it,” Hunter-Reay said.
“There was a lot of moves last year that were very road
course like, street course like. Especially on restarts,
things like that.
I think as a group, it needs to be brought up and we need
to be conscious of it. Yeah, then you have the unknowns,
some new drivers coming in again. We’ve always had that.
We’ve always had an influx of some new drivers to the
Speedway, the 500. You kind of deal with that as it goes.
Definitely there were some questionable points in the race
that we need to address that as a group.”

Daly believes that there will be changes coming based on a drivers’ meeting in December.

“After attending the drivers meeting in
December, there’s definitely going to be some, I think,
adjustments to how things are called, right? Josef
Newgarden snaking down the straight below the pit lane
entry, I think that’s probably going to go away. I think the
drivers are always pretty unified in what we want to see on
how many moves you can make down the back straight if
you’re trying to snake down the back straight, stuff like that.”

I have heard that the dreaded dragon move will be pretty much banned.

The DRR/Cusick situation reflects the best and the worst of the racing business. Three capable drivers, all good guys, and only two seats available. I feel for Stefan Wilson. On the other hand, DRR has its strongest driver lineup in several years, and the team always has competitive cars at the 500.

Newgarden Joins the Immortals

thepitwindow

It was an event fitting for the occasion. The unveiling of the most recent Indianapolis 500 winner’s face on the Borg Warner trophy each December has become akin to the coronation of a new ruler of England. The winner is known in May, then in December his likeness is officially placed on the trophy.

The reveal event has evolved over the years. The first one I attended was in 2016. It was a low key affair. Alexander Rossi spent some time with a group of fans before his face was shown on the Borg Warner trophy. Before Covid, these little affairs were held at the IMS Museum.

In 2022, Marcus Ericsson saw his image in sterling at a luncheon near downtown, followed by a nice buffet lunch. Last night, i think IMS may havefound a permanent home to honor its reigning champion.

The trophy stood in all its grandeur with a 1914 Stutz Bearcat in the background.

The Stutz Museum hosted the event. Attendees sat among classic Stutz automobiles, including a 1973 Stutz Black Hawk. 

I think some of the cars were removed to accommodate last night’s event.

Newgarden’s image is one of the better ones in recent years. His features stand out, and you can tell who it is. Too many of the recent winners’ faces seem to have sameness about them.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN – BORG WARNERTROPHY

Newgarden is still overwhelmed by his victory. You can hear it in his voice as he speaks about last May. He hopes to attend this end of year event again as the honoree.

“As soon as you win the Indy 500, you want to win it again,” he said.

The Stutz Museum is open Saturday and Sunday from 10am-6pm, Thursday Friday form 4pm – 8 pm. Admission is free and is open to the public. It is a good idea to check before going in case it is closed for a private event.

Indy 500 Winner Newgarden Unveils Image on Borg-Warner Trophy

thepitwindow

From Indycar. I will have a follow up story with more photos later this morning.

 INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Dec. 15, 2023) – 2023 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Josef Newgarden unveiled his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy on Dec. 15 in Indianapolis, one of the most significant honors since he won his first Indy 500 on May 28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Newgarden, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, earned his first victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. This was the 19th Indy 500 victory for Team Penske.
The unveiling ceremony took place at the Stutz Museum. Located in downtown Indianapolis, the Stutz Museum is a boutique car museum showcasing rare classic cars alongside Indianapolis automotive history.
The bas-relief, sterling silver image of Newgarden is the 110th face to be affixed to the iconic trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 since 1936.
“It’s a tremendous honor to even compete in the Indy 500,” Newgarden said.
“Having my face added to the Borg-Warner Trophy is one of the coolest parts about winning the race. I already had a lot of respect for the trophy, but learning about the process and how detailed it is, it’s incredible what (sculptor) Will Behrends does each year.
“Finally seeing the finished product is very special. I thought I knew what it would be like to win the ‘500,’ but there’s a deeper appreciation than you can imagine.”
Renowned sculptor Behrends created Newgarden’s image, as he has for every winner since 1990.Behrends begins his creative process by studying a series of 360-degree photos of the winner to get a baseline for sculpting. 
Newgarden then visited Behrends’ studio in Tryon, North Carolina, for an in-person session where Behrends constructs a full-scale clay model of the driver’s face.
This life-size clay version is used as reference for Behrends to construct the smaller model, a piece created out of a mixture of oil-based clay. The smaller clay model is turned into a mold and cast in wax before being sent to a jeweler to be transformed into sterling silver. Behrends completes his process by polishing and buffing the sculpture before adhering it to the trophy.
“It is my absolute honor, on behalf of BorgWarner, to unveil Josef’s image on the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy today,” said Michelle Collins, global director of marketing and public relations, BorgWarner.
“This solidifies Josef’s place in history as one of the few who have conquered the tremendous feat of winning the Indianapolis 500. We extend our congratulations to Josef and Team Penske and also our thanks to our sculptor Will Behrends, who makes this all a reality.”
Originally designed in 1935, the sterling silver trophy measures over 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches tall and weighs more than 110 pounds as it carries the sculpted face of every victor since 1911.
Early next year, Newgarden will receive his BorgWarner Championships Driver’s Trophy, also known as the “Baby Borg,” a miniature replica of the large-scale Borg-Warner Trophy.
Tickets for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and all Month of May events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are on sale at IMS.com. 

Movie Review-The Lionheart

thepitwindow

Familiarity with a documentary subject can be a dangerous thing. it colors the way you view the film. It is fun to remember the high points, and it fills the viewer with dread knowing what is about to occur. This was the case at the premiere of The Lionheart at the Heartland International Film Festival last night in Indianapolis.

Laura Brownson’s 108-minute film kicked off the film festival in a sold-out theater. All were looking forward to a story about two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon. Indirectly the film is about Wheldon, but the main focus is on his widow, Susie Wheldon and his sons, Sebastian and Oliver.

The film presents Wheldon’s life and racing career with television highlights and home movies of his early carting career interspersed with the daily lives of Susie helping their sons pursue their racing dreams. Both boys display talent in karting, and they have signed with Andretti Global. Sebastian just completed his first season in F4 juniors and will join him soon.

This is in reality Susie’s story. The scenes of her as she processes her grief tugged at my heart in an all too familiar way. I suffered the same type of loss 10 days after she did.

Yet, it is not a sad tale. The film opens with Dan joking around as he is recording radio promotions. I found joy in seeing the playful Wheldon race fans adored. The story moves forward with vignettes from Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Dan’s father Clive, and Bryan Herta. You can feel the pain of Dan’s loss when Clive Wheldon’ talks about his son.

Then, as I’m sure most of the audience knew, as the film wound down, Las Vegas reared its ugly head. Sebastian and Oliver were scheduled to race at Las Vegas Speedway in a kart race in the track’s parking lot. Oliver is reluctant to go at first, and I think Susie has some concerns about the trip as well. Sebastian is fine with racing there. Eventually they all make the trip. Susie goes inside the track to the spot of the fatal accident.

There are scenes of the crash, and Susie talks about the horrors she went through that day.

While the title refers to Dan Wheldon, Susie is the star of the story. her resolve to do whatever she can to see that her sons are happy, the sacrifices she makes for them, and her efforts keeping Dan’s memory alive make her the real Lionheart.

The Lionheart will have another showing Saturday, October 14 at 7 pm at Newfields. As of this morning tickets are available. I understand that HBO has purchased the film and it will be released in 2024.