Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Rosssi Praises IR-28 After Day 1 of Testing

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The future is here. On an historic day interrupted by weather, 2016 Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi drove the new Ir-28 Indy car on its first official test run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Rossi had nothing but praise for everyone who helped prepare the car for the test and shared how meaningful the test was for him.

“I’ve been a part of some new car launches before, and I can’t say that any have gone as smooth as this one has,” Rossi said. “That’s down to everyone involved. We’ve all been waiting for this for a long time. Drivers, fans, teams, sponsors and all of you have been looking forward to it, and now it’s finally here.”

Rossi compared the day to Christmas morning.He continued his assessment of the car and the test.

“The car has a lot of incredible qualities that we haven’t even scratched the surface of yet. It was an incredible start and just a joy to drive.”

“Aesthetically, it ticks every box you could hope for,” he said. “I was blown away the first time I saw it. The pictures don’t do it justice. The presence it has in person is pretty amazing. It looks aggressive, and even with a completely new chassis, new aerodynamics, new electronics and a spec damper package, the baseline was very comfortable from the get-go. There’s obviously a lot more to unlock, but it was a great starting point.”

“To be able to be a part of this next evolution of INDYCAR and do it at IMS, a place that means so much to me and all of us here, is super cool,” Rossi said. “I get to play a small part in the history and the future of this championship, and that’s a big privilege. I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Tomorrow 2026 Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou gets an opportunity to test the car. Sunday’s run is scheduled to go from 8 am to 2 pm, weather permitting.

Notes

The car is much better looking in person than it appears in teh photos and renderings.

The aeroscreen is wider than the renderings show it to be, but it still is a major improvement over what we see on the current car. Integrating the screen into the framework is a big help.

The rear wing on the road course configuration is massive.

I loved the sound of the engine. I know the actual engines may not sound exactly like what we heard today, but it was loud and throaty like an IndyCar engine should be.

Even at today’s modest laps, I could tell, this car is fast. I liked the way it exited turn 14 and how it ran up the front stretch.

I’ll close with a few more photos I shot today. I can’t wait to see this car on tack again tomorrow.

The IR-28 Era Begins

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The tentative schedule:

IMS road course. Turn 2 mounds open for viewing.

9a-4p on Saturday Alexander Rossi
8a-2p on Sunday Alex Palou
Weather permitting of course.

IndyCar says they will test in damp conditions, but while it is raining, which is currently the case,

@Indycar_Wxman has a less than optimal forecast for this weekend.

My weather app predicts a break in the rain between 10 am and noon.

For the test, the engine is a 2.4 mule engine that was in development when the new engine was proposed a few years ago.

If you choose to go to the track despite the conditions, please be weather alert for lightning.

I will keep you updated on X @tutorindie and on Facebook at Mike Silver.

From yesterday:

Wilbur (Bill) Shaw: The Final Link

Wilbur (Bill) Shaw: The Final Link

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Photo: Wilbur Shaw, Jr. beside the Boyle Maserati and the Boyle Racing headquarters truck on the frontstretch at IMS. From Gentlemen, Start Your Engines The Rest of the Story by Bob Gates and Wilbur Shaw, Jr.

Three months ago, Merle Bettenhausen died, bringing an end to one of the most storied racing families. I wrote at the time how much his passing hurt. That pain hit even harder as I learned that Bill Shaw, son of Wilbur Shaw, died this past Monday at the age of 80, closing another chapter of the Speedway’s glory days.

The son of the three-time winner chose his own path, His father strongly discouraged him from racing. He moved to Arizona, where he cultivated his love of horses and rodeo.

A chance meeting with Chan Kibbee, the CEO of Phillip Morris, who arrived in Arizona in an AC Bristol, turned Bill’s thoughts to racing. He chose to pursue road racing instead of a path that would lead to the Indianapolis 500.

Another chance meeting, this one with race driver Bob Bondurant, changed the course of bill’s life. In 1966, Bondurant was severely injured in a crash at Watkins Glen. Although he recovered, his racing career was over. Bondurant opened a high-performance driving school in 1968.

Bill met Bondurant at the Speedway while Bondurant was an adviser on the movie Winning. and he convinced the younger Shaw to attend his school. Bill did very well at the school, then returned home and worked at Stokely-Van Camp.

Bondurant called Bill later that year. he remembered how well Shaw di at the school, and he asked him to become an instructor.

Shaw went on to race at what is now the Rolex 24 at Daytona. His best finish was fifth overall in 1973, driving a Ferrari for Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team.

Bill worked in real estate,and became an evasive driving instructor for the Secret Service. The program was defunded in 1977.

In 2018 Bill collaborated with author Bob Gates to write an addendum to Wilbur’ Shaw’s autobiography, Gentlemen, Start Your Engines. The biography adds The Rest of the Story to the title. The first part is the original, which I read at least three times in seventh and eighth grade. Of course, I had to read it again so the addition would make sense.

In the second part, Bill recalls life as the son of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is a passenger in the pace car for the 500 in the early 1950s.

There is a poignant passage about the night of October 30, 1954, when eight-year-old Bill answers the phone to learn that his father has been injured in a plane crash. he hands the phone to his mother, who is informed of the fatal result.

Wilbur had told his son to “Run your own race,” and Bill, Jr. certainly followed his dad’s advice.

Racing and Indianapolis Motor Speedway now is left with the legacies of drivers from the post Shaw era. The modern era has new stories to tell. Thankfully we still have some Unsers and Foyts around. I hope that they outlive me.

From May

Merle Bettenhausen, 1943-2026; The Last of the Bettenhausen Line

Book Reviews

Book Review: Wilbur Shaw’s Story Continues in Updated Version of His Autobiography- Part I
Book Review: Wilbur Shaw’s Story Continues in Updated Version of His Autobiography- Part II

Grant Joins USAC Century Club with Indiana Sprint Week Win at IMS 

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From IMS:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, July 23, 2026) – Justin Grant joined an elite club of United States Auto Club legends Thursday night at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, earning his 100th career national feature victory in the opening race of the 39th USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by K&N Filters.
Grant, from Ione, California, became the fifth driver to reach the century mark in USAC national series competition, joining A.J. Foyt, Rich Vogler, Mel Kenyon and Dave Darland.This was Grant’s second consecutive victory in this USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship race. It also was the fourth consecutive year Grant drove to a victory and his fifth win overall on the 1/5th-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of the famed IMS oval.
He won an opening night feature in the BC39 USAC Midget National Championship event in 2023 and 2025 and won the BC39 main feature in 2024.
“It’s been an incredible career for me to live through and experience,” Grant said. “I’ve been so fortunate and so blessed. To win at IMS with this TOPP Motorsports team, I’m speechless. Couldn’t think of a better place to win No. 100.”
Grant led 29 of the 35 laps in the No. 4 TOPP Motorsports car, pulling away in the closing laps from runner-up Jake Swanson in the No. 5T Daming Swanson Motorsports machine. Grant earned $10,000.
Logan Seavey finished third in the No. 57 Abacus Racing entry, followed by 2026 BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors winner Briggs Danner in the No. 39 Hogue Racing Enterprises machine. Shane Cottle rounded out the top five in the No. 34 Jeff Olson car.
Grant and Swanson were the class of the field throughout the entire feature after starting from pole and third, respectively. Their differing tactics became apparent from the drop of the green flag, as Grant rode the tackier cushion of dirt around the high line of the oval while Swanson stayed glued to the bottom of the track.
Swanson’s strategy paid off on Lap 4 when he powered past Grant exiting Turn 2.
But on Lap 10, Swanson lost momentum on the low line exiting Turn 2, and Grant pounced on the lead on the back straightaway while staying on the high line.Grant never trailed thereafter despite three cautions, rocketing away on the high line on every restart. He also learned an important lesson when he sampled the low line earlier in the race.
“You had to run really hard and make a lot of your speed on entry here,” Grant said. “You’ve got to be really focused. I wasn’t really set up to run on the tires (low line) like that. I bailed out (of the low line) probably a little earlier than I needed to, but I just felt like I was a sitting duck down there.
“So, I just got up, got the top cleaned off, got my momentum and my rhythm up there. Once I got the lead, I felt really good.”
Swanson eventually moved to the high line after a restart with about five laps to go, but Grant was too strong to catch.
“I knew the days were numbered there on the bottom,” Swanson said. “I rode down there as long as I could because I went up there and tested it, and I really didn’t feel all that great up there. So, I knew once I got to pacing with Justin, I was going to have a hard time staying with him.” 

Sprints at IMS: Heats complete; C Main Next

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On a rare pleasant July evening, Indianapolis Motor Speedway kicks off Indiana Sprint Week for the second year.

The heats ran smoothly with few incidents and no red flags.

The heat winners:

Heat 1- Charles Dvis, Jr.\Heat 2- Jaden Rodgers

Heat 3-Kyle Cummind

Heat 4-Robert Ballou

Heat 4- C J Leary

Heat 3 was the wildest heat with lots of action for the lead.

The C main is about to start.

The lineup:

Follow along on X for the rest of the night. I will have a full report tomorrow morning.

Today at IMS

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From IMS:

 From yesterday
https://thepitwindow.blog/2026/07/22/usac-indiana-sprint-week-fires-up-thursday-night-at-the-dirt-track-at-ims/
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 22, 2026) – Information about Brickyard Weekend and USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by K & N Filters activity Thursday, July 23 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

SCHEDULE (All times local and subject to change)
:4-10 p.m.: USAC Public Gates Open, The Dirt Track at IMS
5-7 p.m.: Brickyard Weekend Hauler Parade, Main Street, Speedway
6 p.m.: Engine Heat, The Dirt Track at IMS
6:30 p.m.: USAC Sprint Car Hot Laps
7:30 p.m.: USAC Indiana Sprint Week Opening Ceremonies
7:45 p.m.: USAC Sprint Car Heat Races
8:30 p.m.: USAC Sprint Car C Main
9 p.m.: USAC Sprint Car Semi-Feature
9:30 p.m.: USAC Sprint Car Feature

TICKETS: Indiana Sprint Week reserved seating tickets start at $65. General admission is $55 and includes Section 7-12, Rows B-K and Sections 1-2 for ADA seating. Pit passes are $40 and are not valid for gate admission. Fans must have a grandstand ticket to add pit passes.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: Fans may access the Sprint Car event through Gates 9, 10, 10A, or 11A. Cars will enter through Gate 10 off 30th Street. Gate 2 is a credential-only gate and should not be used for entry into the event. A sealed, 1-liter bottle of unfrozen water will be permitted. No glass, no alcohol.

PARKING: Pre-paid parking is available in the Northwest Gravel Lot for $30. Paid parking is available in Lot 7 (North 40) for $20. ADA parking is available in both lots

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

MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, seniors (55 and over) are $23, and military (former and active) are $18. Tickets can be purchased online at https://imsmuseum.org/tickets/.

USAC Indiana Sprint Week Fires Up Thursday Night at The Dirt Track at IMS

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From IMS:

 
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 23, 2026) – The 39th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by K&N Filters will start Thursday night, July 23 at the most famous racetrack in the world – Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Thirty-seven drivers will attempt to earn a spot in the 35-lap feature race on the 1/5th-mile The Dirt Track at IMS, located inside Turn 3 of the fabled IMS oval.
The winner will earn $10,000.The event will feature an invitational field as determined by these parameters:–
Finished inside the top 30 of the 2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship point standings.–
Finished inside the top 30 of the 2025 USAC Indiana Sprint Week point standings.– Ranks inside the top 30 of the 2026 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship standings as of July 5.–
Ranks inside the top 10 of the 2026 Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car standings as of July 5.–
Any active driver who has previously won an Indiana Sprint Week main event.–
Two IMS promoter’s options.
Justin Grant captured the debut IMS event on the Indiana Sprint Week schedule in 2025, charging from fifth to the lead just after the midway point of the 35-lap main event. C.J. Leary also won a USAC National Sprint Car exhibition at The Dirt Track at IMS in September 2024, racing his way from seventh to first
.Among the drivers chasing the 2026 USAC Indiana Sprint Week title are past ISW champions Robert Ballou (2015), Brady Bacon (2016, 2023), Kevin Thomas Jr. (2017, 2021), Leary (2019), Chase Stockon (2020), Grant (2022) and Logan Seavey (2024), along with recent ISW feature winners Kyle Cummins, Mitchel Moles, 2026 BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors winner Briggs Danner and Jake Swanson, along with many more.
USAC Indiana Sprint Week, a cornerstone of sprint car racing in the Hoosier State since 1988, has captivated fans for decades. Indiana Sprint Week’s 2026 schedule consists of nine events at nine different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 23-Aug. 1.
Gates open at 4 p.m. ET Thursday at The Dirt Track at IMS, with an engine heat at 6 p.m., and hot laps and group qualifying at 6:30 p.m. Those sessions will be followed by heat races, a C-Main, a feature redraw, the semi-feature and the 35-lap feature main event.
Tickets and more information are available at IMS.com.

Entry list:

Indianapolis 500 Veteran Treadway Dies at 56 

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From IMS:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, June 1, 2026) – Rick Treadway, who started the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died May 30 in a motorcycle accident. He was 56
.Indiana native Treadway, the son of 1997 Indianapolis 500-winning team owner Fred Treadway, started 17th and placed 29th in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the No. 5 Sprint/Kyocera Wireless/Airlink Enterprises G Force/Chevrolet fielded by his father’s team and as a teammate to two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk. Treadway and Tony Kanaan were eliminated from the race in an accident in Turn 3 on Lap 90.
The Indy 500 start was the highlight of Treadway’s INDYCAR SERIES career, which consisted of 11 races in the 2001 and 2002 seasons for his father’s teams Treadway-Hubbard Racing and Treadway Racing.
He made his INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2001 at Kentucky Speedway and his final start in 2002 at the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish was fifth at the 2001 season finale at Texas.
Before joining the INDYCAR SERIES, Treadway competed in Formula 2000 junior formula racing and in various short-track open-wheel series, including the USAC Silver Crown and National Midget Series. He also raced in SCCA competition.
Treadway, a graduate of Indiana State University, worked in business development and as a commercial pilot for his charter air service. He also served as an Federal Aviation Administration-certified flight instructor.

Kirkwood Leads Choppy Session

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Kyle Kirkwood emerged with the fastest lap of the weekend in a morning practice interrupted by several red flags.

Rinus VeeKay lost an engine to bring out the second stoppage of Detroit Grand Prix practice. The first one was to retrieve a blue flag dropped by a corner marshal.

Christian Lundgaard lost his engine during the first group practice. It has been a difficult month for Chevy engines beginning with the Open test in late April.

Kirkwood had scraped the wall with his right rear tire, but he returned before the end of the group round to set the quickest lap. Just 4 tenths of a send separate Kirkwood from fourth place Alex Palou.

Results:

Qualifying Groups;

Group 2 looks brutal. One contender might get knocked out.