The Chris Griffis Memorial Test is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. INDY NXT by Firestone drivers will turn laps on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ET. The annual open test is named in memory of Chris Griffis, the team manager of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports who passed away suddenly in September 2011. .WHAT: Chris Griffis Memorial Test WHO: INDY NXT by Firestone Drivers Abel Motorsports: Callum Hedge, Jordan Missig, Myles Rowe, Yuven Sundaramoorthy Andretti Cape INDY NXT: Ricardo Escotto Andretti Global: Salvador de Alba Jr., Dennis Hauger, Lochie Hughes, James Roe HMD Motorsports: Nolan Allaer, Bryce Aron, Christian Brooks, Caio Collet, Hailie Deegan, Josh Mason, Josh Pierson, Liam Sceats, Tommy Smith Juncos Hollinger Racing: Alexander Koreiba, Frankie Mossman Miller Vinatieri Motorsports: Jack William Miller
WHEN: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18Noon-12:45 p.m.: Media bullpen interviews with drivers Caio Collet, Hailie Deegan, Lochie Hughes, Myles Rowe and Yuven Sundaramoorthy; Trackside Garage 25WHERE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Oct. 11, 2024) – There’s still one jewel missing from Alex Palou’s racing crown, but testing Oct. 11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway showed he may be closer than ever to adding it next May.
Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou has won the championship three times in the last four seasons, but he still seeks his first Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge victory. But Palou led testing on the historic 2.5-mile oval Friday with a top speed of 224.342 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
.Palou’s best Indy 500 finish is second, behind Helio Castroneves’ historic fourth win in 2021. Palou earned his first “500” pole in 2023. “It was a good day of testing,” Palou said. “We tried a lot of stuff. Yesterday was Firestone, today was more us, Ganassi and Honda. We’re happy. You want to come here, and even if you’re testing a bunch of stuff, you want to be first.”
Looming right behind Palou on the speed chart was two-time reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, second at 223.973 in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. Rinus VeeKay was third at 223.383 in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda in his first day of testing with that team.
Graham Rahal was fourth at 222.650 in the No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, with 2022 “500” winner Marcus Ericsson rounding out the top five at 222.324 in the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda.
Eleven car-and-driver combinations – one driver from each team – combined to turn 1,123 laps in six hours of testing Friday after four drivers tested tires Thursday afternoon for Firestone. A primary area of focus for all teams and drivers was the new hybrid system, which made its competitive debut in July 2024.
The hybrid system offers the competitors and their twin-turbo V6 engines an additional 60 horsepower. Previous iterations of the hybrid package were previously tested during the development process, but this test marked the debut of the system as it will race next May.
“I think the overtake we get (from the hybrid) is nice,” Palou said. “I think it’s good enough to set up a pass maybe in the middle of the pack. We’ll have to see.”
The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is Sunday, May 25, live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Visit IMS.com for ticket and event details.
Rinus VeeKay is testing for Dale Coyne Racing today. He talked about the difficulty of finding a full time ride for 2025 at this late date.
“…there’s a few seats, but there’s no not really. There’s not really paying seats. So for me, it’s my priority to ride full time next year, and I think no matter what, so at least you have this opportunity now to show you how I work and show the engineers how I work, and what my feedback is. They seem pretty aggressive this morning. “
It was strange seeing Alexander rossi in a different driving suit.
Cars are back on track. I am going mout to watch for a while. I will have a wrap up later today.
It will be another beautiful day to watch vars run at IMS. The turn 2 mounds are open for viewing. I will be on site this afternoon.
Yesterday morning Sting Ray Robb was scheduled to drive the 18. Yesterday afternoon, An announcement was made that Rinus VeeKay would be in the car,. I don’t know if this is a job audition for VeeKay. Time will tell.
The drivers taking part in yesterday afternoon’s tire test agree that the hybrid will probably not have much effect on the racing in May.
Nolan Siegel easily completed his IMS rookie test this morning under clear skies and cool conditions. He needed to repeat the test he passed early because he failed to qualify for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. With his new ride at Arrow McLaren for 2025, qualifying should not be an issue.
“I’m going to be way better prepared this year,” Siegel said. “I’m excited to get back.”
“I’ll have more preparation, more time with the team. more time in the car, and more actual practice time here at the track.”
Siegel feels that knowing wht bhe will be doing for the next couple of years takes a lot off his plate. h ed rove seven different types of cars innthe first five months of 2024.
The four cars testing this afternoon-Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Josef: Newgarden, and Pato: O’Ward will do install laps and then return at 1 pm ET to begin the testing which goes until 5 pm.
Received confirmation that Sting Ray Robb will test in the number 18 car for Dale Coyne Racing tomorrow.
Nolan Siegel needs to retake his rookie test since he did not make the race in 2023.
Turn 2 mounds are open for viewing. The museum is still closed, but the gift shop is open.
Notes
Adam Stern reports that IndyCar is “far along” in talks for a 2026 race in Mexico City. Hmmm.
He also reported about another big street race in the United States, which many speculate might be Denver. If three new races come on line in 2026, what gets cut? I hope no oval venues. I am fine with Iowa going back to a single race.
Today, October 7, is the 100th anniversary of the opening of Riley Hospital for Children.
Editor’s note: Thanks to Dr. Richard Schreiner and Karen Stroup for providing sources for this story.
Many people become known for their success in business, art or politics; many are renowned for the accumulation of wealth. Few are known for their good deeds or contributions which benefit their communities long after they are gone.. One of the IMS founders deserves more credit for what he did behind the scenes in Indianapolis.
Arthur Newby, the first Vice President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ran several successful businesses in Indianapolis. He founded Indianapolis Chain and Stamping Company, which later became Diamond Chain. National Motors was another one of Newby’s companies. Joe Dawson drove a National to victory in the 1912 Indianapolis 500.
He also owned a board track for bicycle racing with Carl Fisher. In 1909, the two men, along with James Allison and Frank Wheeler pooled $250,000 to form the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation.
While Wheeler, Fisher, and Allison had mansions on Cold Spring Road, Newby lived in a home at 40th and Meridian Streets. He donated part of his property to the fledgling Hoosier Motor Club, the forerunner of the American Automobile Association, which had its main office at that location for decades. The site is now home to the Martin Luther King center. Tarkington Towers occupies the site of his home.
In 1916 their friend, the poet James Whitcomb Riley died. Fisher was an honorary pallbearer at Riley’s funeral.
The following year a meeting took place in the home of L. C. Boyd to explore creating a children’s hospital as a memorial to Riley. The hospital would be open to children anywhere in Indiana and would be free to those who could not pay. A story in The Indianapolis News from August 21, 1917, lists the attendees. If you have ever driven in downtown Indianapolis and noticed the names on some of the older buildings, it is likely that the founder of that company was either there that day or expressed interest in helping with the project.
Allison was the only member of the speedway ownership group to attend, but the other three owners sent telegrams pledging support with time and donations. Allison became a part of the committee to create plans for the children’s hospital. The committee chairman was J. K. Lilly.
Newby’s $50,000 donation was the largest individual contribution to the building fund. When the hospital opened in 1924, the outpatient clinic was named the Newby Exoclinic in his honor. A tile on the floor of the clinic honors Newby, who made the donation in memory or of his parents and sister,
The tile recognizing Arthur Newby’s gift to Riley Hospital now rests in the atrium lobby of the hospital, 24 feet from its original location in the outpatient clinic.
Newby’s contribution to Riley was arguably the most public of his philanthropical gifts. he built and bought homes for homeless people. He gave kids money to go to school with the stipulation that they did not reveal where the money came from.
Butler University and Earlham College also received sizeable gifts from Newby. he also purchased land in Parke County which he donated to the state of Indiana. The property is now Turkey Run State Park.
The link between Riley and the Speedway continues today. Riley sponsors the turn 2 suites. Drivers visit the hospital to meet with patients during May.
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024) – The Indianapolis 8 Hour Presented by AWS at Indianapolis Motor Speedway literally came down to a race against the clock. Wright Motorsports’ Laurin Heinrich of Germany held the late-race lead – comfortably, in fact – but he knew a five-second penalty was coming from an infraction on the final pit stop for the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Heinrich ran some of his best laps in the final minutes, but he crossed the finish line 4.74 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Dries Vanthoor and the Team WRT’s No. 31 BMW M4 GT3.Thus, Vanthoor officially won the eight-hour endurance event by .260 of a second. Last year, BMW’s margin at the finish was 53.110 seconds – and it actually was the car that took checkered flag first. “I don’t know what to say at the moment,” said Vanthoor, who spent the final hour of the race virtually matching Heinrich’s lap times on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at the Racing Capital of the World. “I gave it everything I had. It was an amazing fight. Yeah, I gave it everything I had. I’m exhausted. Yeah, we did it!” Heinrich said he was told of the impending time adjustment quite a while after it was announced, and he didn’t have enough laps left to keep the necessary advantage. He was disappointed to have lost the top spot on the podium in that manner .“It’s a bit of a shame (to) somehow lose the overall win,” he said. “I was told (on the team’s radio) nine minutes before the end of a five-second penalty. I drove my heart out. I could extend the gap a bit but, I mean, I was clearly faster.” The late-race drama as darkness settled over the historic motorsports facility was heightened by the fact both frontrunners were low on fuel. In fact, Vanthoor’s machine ran out on the cooldown lap, and it had to be towed to Victory Lane. “It was a fuel race to the end, but we managed to do it,” Vanthoor said. “I’ll need a few days to recover, but I’m very happy to be a back-to-back Indy winner.” Vanthoor also won last year’s race co-driving with Sheldon van der Linde of South Africa. The new driver in this year’s group was Charles Weerts of Belgium.This event brings together the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. In an interesting twist, Vanthoor and Heinrich both led their cars to Indy victories as their programs race in different categories. Heinrich also helped deliver a season championship for Florida’s Adam Adelson and California’s Elliott Skeer, who fought back emotions on pit lane after overcoming a 33-point deficit to ST Racing’s BMW. “Funny enough, how we came into the race it was the exact same scenario,” Skeer said. “Two cars against each other and whoever (finishes ahead) comes out the champion. Ultimately, last year didn’t go to plan, but this year we won this thing overall on track. Not only did we beat the car we need to, we beat every single car on track. It’s an unbelievable feeling.” The 23-car field included several drivers with IMS ties, including reigning and three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou, who won the pole for last year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Palou’s No. 4 Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing was already three laps off the pace with electrical issues when the Spaniard climbed behind the wheel, and he helped bring it home in 13th position. Still, that was good for third place in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Pro class. Former INDYCAR SERIES drivers Zach Veach and Gabby Chaves co-drove the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 with Luca Mars that finished fourth overall and second in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America event. They finished 53.149 seconds behind the race winner, one of six cars on the lead lap.The No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW that included INDYCAR SERIES driver Conor Daly finished 21st. Bell, Rowe Shine in Saturday’s Support Races Saturday morning’s single-make Toyota Gazoo GR Cup North America race featured many drivers with familiar motorsports names and celebrities .Jaxon Bell, the son of 10-time Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starter and NTT INDYCAR SERIES television analyst Townsend Bell, battled back from a drive-through penalty to become the highest finisher of those drivers – in 18th place in the 33-car field — in the No. 98 Copeland Motorsports Toyota. Driving for Eagles Canyon Racing powered by Fast Track Toyota were YouTube star Cody Jones finishing in the 23rd position and Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves 25th as the last driver on the lead lap. USAC standout Jade Avedisian finished 27th in the No. 24 Nitro Motorsports Toyota GR86.The race was won by Gresham Wagner, the driver of the No. 5 Copeland Motorsports Toyota who beat pole sitter Lucas Weisenberg (No. 46 Lucas Racing Toyota) by .733 seconds. The series’ second race of the weekend is Sunday at 11:55 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone veteran Myles Rowe earned a spot on the podium in his class in the first Pirelli GT4 America race of the weekend, held Saturday. It was the first sports car race of Rowe’s career.Rowe and co-driver Isaac Sherman finished third – seventh overall – in the Pro-Am division in the No. 098 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4. The 60-minute race was won by Corey Lewis and Tyler Gonzalez driving Smooge Racing’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO. Lewis crossed the finish line 5.172 seconds ahead of the field. The season-ending race is Sunday at IMS at 10:35 a.m. ET.
I have not heard officially about the test being open to the public yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.
The 2025 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) will take place in the morning of Thursday, Oct. 10, followed by a four-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES test in the afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will host a group test consisting of one car from 11 race teams Friday, Oct. 11. Nolan Siegel will attempt to complete ROP on Thursday. The test involves a series of laps at three controlled speed phases on the 2.5-mile oval. The Rookie Orientation Program is a prerequisite for participation in the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25, 2025. THURSDAY, OCT. 10 (Indy 500 Rookie Orientation Program, NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test) Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Josef Newgarden, Team Penske :9 a.m.-noon: Siegel ROP 1-5 p.m.: Ericsson, Newgarden, O’Ward, Palou NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test FRIDAY, OCT. 11 (NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test)
Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing TBD, Dale Coyne Racing Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Josef Newgarden, Team Penske 10 a.m.-noon: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test 1-5 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 