Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix Fast Facts

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Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 13 – Saturday, Aug. 14
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)
Race distance: 85 laps / 207.3 miles

Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.
Firestone tire allotment: Five sets primary, four sets alternate (Note: A sixth set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.)

Twitter: @IMS @INDYCAR, #TheBrickyard #INDYCAR
Event website: http://www.ims.com
INDYCAR website: http://www.IndyCar.com
2020 race winners (Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader): Josef Newgarden (No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) and Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)
2020 NTT P1 Award winners (Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader): Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet), 1:09.6903, 125.992 mph; Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 1:08.9767, 127.295 mph.
Qualifying lap record: Will Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)
NBCSN telecasts: Qualifying, 7 p.m. ET Friday, NBCSN (live) and Peacock Premium; Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix, 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NBCSN (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy. Kevin Lee and Marty Snider will be the pit reporters.
Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and
qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Chris Denari, Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan and Ryan Myrehn will report from the pits. The Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 138 and
Sirius XM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.


At-track schedule (all times local):


Friday, Aug. 13 (All times are local)
3-4 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium
7-7:50 p.m.: Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (two rounds knockout qualifications/10 minutes
each), NBCSN and Peacock Premium (Live)


Saturday, Aug. 14
8:45-9:15 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock Premium
12:30 p.m.: NBCSN on air
12:55 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”
1 p.m.: Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), NBCSN (Live)
Championship facts:
Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with five races to go for the first time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Palou has led the point standings after seven of the 11 races this season.
Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road
course in 2014, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship
twice: Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the championship leader with five races to go has gone on to win the championship seven times. Those drivers were: Scott Dixon (2008, 2018 and 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2016)and Josef Newgarden (2019).
Point differential: The 42 points that separate Alex Palou and Scott Dixon is the seventh closest point margin since 2008. Entering this season, the average lead with five races to go since 2008 was 43.9 points.

Race Notes:
There have been eight different winners in 11 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this
season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America), Colton Herta (Streets
of St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Texas
Motor Speedway-2, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Road Course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson
(Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1, Streets of Nashville) and Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course) have all won in 2021. The modern record (1946-present) for most
different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
There have been eight different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races
(Alex Palou, Colton Herta, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Helio
Castroneves, Marcus Ericsson and Josef Newgarden) The only repeat winners in
that stretch are O’Ward (Texas-2 and Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2) and Ericsson
(Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville)
The Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix will be the 11th INDYCAR SERIES event
conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. Scott Dixon, Josef
Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Rinus VeeKay are the only drivers to
win on the IMS road course. Pagenaud won the GMR Grand Prix in 2014, 2016 and
2019, Power won the GMR Grand Prix in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and the second race of
the Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader in 2020. Dixon won the 2020 GMR Grand Prix,
Newgarden won the first race of the 2020 Harvest GP doubleheader and VeeKay won the GMR Grand Prix in May.
The 28 cars entered in the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix is the largest field of cars entered in a non-Indianapolis 500 INDYCAR SERIES race since 29 cars
started at Kentucky Speedway in 2011.
Romain Grosjean, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist and Sebastian
Saavedra have won the pole position in the GMR Grand Prix. Saavedra claimed thepole in 2014, Power in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020, Pagenaud in 2016, Rosenqvist in2019 and Grosjean in May of this year. Power and Rinus VeeKay won the NTT P1 Award in the Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader last October.
Four NTT P1 Award winners have won the GMR Grand Prix from the pole: Will Power in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and Simon Pagenaud in 2016. Power also won the second Harvest GP race from pole in 2020.
Eight drivers have competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway road course – Scott Dixon, James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato. All are entered this weekend.
Scott Dixon has finished first or second in four of his last seven starts on the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Six rookies — RC Enerson, Romain Grosjean, Jimmie Johnson, Christian
Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin and Cody Ware — are entered this weekend. Enerson will be making his first start of 2021, while Lundgaard will be making his INDYCAR SERIES debut. Ware will be attempting to compete in both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Saturday and NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
Twenty-five of the 28 drivers entered in the event have competed in INDYCAR SERIES races on the IMS road course. Fifteen entered drivers have led laps in INDYCAR SERIES races: Will Power 285, Scott Dixon 69, Simon Pagenaud 68, Josef Newgarden 59, Rinus VeeKay 48, Romain Grosjean 44, Graham Rahal 41, Colton Herta 29, Ryan Hunter-Reay 22, Felix Rosenqvist 16, James Hinchcliffe 4,
Alexander Rossi 2, Marcus Ericsson 1, Jack Harvey 1 and Alex Palou 1.

Entry List- 28 cars Set for Big Machine Spiked Coolers GP

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Last weekend/s Music City Grand Prix boasted the largest non Indianapolis 500 grid since 2013. This weekend’s Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix is even bigger with 28 cars entered. Cod Ware is again in the 52 for Dale Coyne with Rick Ware Racing , and Helio Castroneves is back in the 06 for Meyer Shank Racing, RLL runs the 45 again, but F2 driver Christian Lundgaard replaces Santino Ferrucci. Top Gun Racing with R C Enerson looks to finally make their Indycar debut Saturday.

Broadcast Times and Sources for Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix

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Twilight qualifying highlights the Indycar weekend schedule. This week qualifying is live on NBCSN.

FRIDAY, AUG 13 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET Practice 1

  FRIDAY, AUG 13 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET Qualifications

   SATURDAY, AUG 14 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM ET Warmup

  SATURDAY, AUG 14 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM ET Race

Bob Jenkins, One of IMS Radio Network’s All Time Greats

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Top: IMS Photo

I just got home from Nashville and see this news. It is a sad day. I met Bob only a couple of times. hew a real gentlemen in addition to being a racing broadcast legend. rest in peace, Bob.

The official story from IMS:

LEGENDARY MOTORSPORTS BROADCASTER JENKINS DIES AT 73

August 09, 2021 | By Curt Cavin

Veteran radio and television broadcaster Bob Jenkins, a former “Voice of the 500” inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2019, died Aug. 9 at age 73 after a valiant fight with cancer.

The voice of the Liberty, Indiana, native was heard globally over five decades on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, serving several positions, including chief announcer from 1990 through 1998. Jenkins was one of only four people to serve as television play-by-play announcer in ABC’s 54-year history of broadcasting the Indianapolis 500.

With an easygoing, friendly style that mirrored his personality, the beloved and respected Jenkins anchored NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on television and was a frequent contributor to the public address system at IMS. Jenkins also was a frequent master of ceremonies at “500”-related functions, including the Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration.

In one form or another, Jenkins was connected to IMS for more than 40 years, and his most familiar call was the thrilling finish of the 1992 race between Al Unser Jr. and Scott Goodyear.

“The checkered flag is out, Goodyear makes a move, Little Al wins by just a few tenths of a second, perhaps the closest finish in the history of the Indianapolis 500,” Jenkins said on radio, his baritone voice climbing a few octaves.

The victory margin of .043 of a second remains the closest finish in the race’s 105-year history.

Jenkins attended his first “500” in 1960 and said he had only missed two races since – in 1961 when he couldn’t get anyone to take him, and in 1965 when he was on a trip as a high school senior. He came to the track last May while fighting his illness to receive the Robin Miller Award, where he made a brief, poignant acceptance speech and was warmly received by a large group of friends and admirers from the racing community and media.

Indiana University graduate Jenkins turned his love of music into a job in radio, first as a news reporter at stations in Fort Wayne and Valparaiso and then at WIRE in Indianapolis as the co-anchor of a nationally syndicated farm news show “AgDay.”

Jenkins, who had attended Indiana dirt-track races with his father, landed his first position in motorsports in 1979 as the backstretch announcer on the IMS Radio Network. His friend Paul Page, a member of that broadcast team and an employee at rival WIBC, helped him land the job. Later, Page helped Jenkins start the USAC Radio Network.

Jenkins was one of the first on-air employees of ESPN when it launched in 1979. For more than 20 years, he was the lead voice of NASCAR races for ESPN and occasionally ABC, including the first seven Brickyard 400s at IMS. His pairing with former stock car drivers Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons became one of the popular trios in motorsports broadcasting history.

If there was a form of motorsports on U.S. television, Jenkins likely was involved with it at some point in his career.

Along with his NASCAR and IMS work, Jenkins anchored for the Indianapolis-based company that produced ESPN’s popular “Thunder” series broadcasts of USAC Sprint Car and Midget series races, and he was the host of “SpeedWeek” on ESPN.

Jenkins’ voice was used in several motorsports video games and films, including NASCAR-centric “Days of Thunder” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.”

INDYCAR, IMS Partner with Imagen To Debut New Digital Content Site

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From Indycar and IMS:

SiteCloud-Based Platform Streamlines Access to Rich Archive
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Aug. 2, 2021) – Penske Entertainment Corp. has launched a new digital asset site in partnership with intuitive rich media management platform Imagen, providing modern, comprehensive access to the vast archive of digital content of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The new site can be accessed at content.indycar.com or content.ims.com. The site uses the Imagen Pro platform for media, race teams, race promoters, domestic and international broadcast partners and corporate partners to download video, audio, images, news content, publications and much more.
“Digital assets are essential to help tell the stories that continue the growth of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Allison Melangton, Penske Entertainment Corp. senior vice president. “The cloud-based Imagen Pro platform makes it easy for media, race teams and partners to find and access this content quickly and efficiently from any connected device while also providing us with many tools to build and manage our library and track its usage.”
Users can begin to register for the new site immediately at content.indycar.com or content.ims.com, with content from the 2021 INDYCAR and IMS racing season available. The previous INDYCAR and IMS media sites also will remain functional through the end of this year during the transition to the new platform.
The tools built into the Imagen Pro platform offer detailed information on each piece of content, with additional related content available just a click or tap away. The Imagen Pro platform also will allow Penske Entertainment to provide much more video content and clips, a mainstay of social media and other popular digital platforms.
Imagen Pro also provides Penske Entertainment Corp. with full control over storing, managing and tracking the INDYCAR and IMS media libraries, with automated processes for ingest, tagging and distribution.
“I’m delighted to be working with INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as their need for a flexible and agile solution that scales with the growth of their business made Imagen the perfect fit,” said Nick Ashwin, Imagen vice president of sales. “I look forward to continuing our efforts to streamline their content lifecycle and ultimately maximize the value of their content.
”Imagen is an intuitive and highly customizable rich media management platform that enables sports organizations, media companies and enterprise sectors to intelligently manage their video and creative content. Imagen is used by globally to manage, gain insight into and distribute organizations’ expanding video and media libraries – enabling fast, easy and secure access to content.
With offices in the United Kingdom and New York, Imagen’s customers include the English Premier League, Penske Entertainment Corp., St. Louis Zoo, America’s Cup, Major League Baseball, Women’s Tennis Association, BP, Reuters, BBC, Team Rubicon, the UK’s Ministry of Defence, IMG and many more.For more information visit, imagen.io/products/platform/.MEDIA CONTACTSAlex Damron
Vice President, Corporate Communications,
Penske Entertainment Corp.
+1-317-492-6734, adamron@brickyard.com
 Dave Furst
Vice President, Communications
INDYCAR
+1-317-492-6244, dfurst@indycar.com
 
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Top Gun to Debut at IMS Road Course

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Photo from Top Gun Racing’s twitter account

From Top Gun Racing’s Twitter account:

Top Gun Racing will compete in the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile road course at @IMS on August 14th #INDYCAR / #BigMachineGP

The team has scheduled a test for later this month to prepare for the August 14 Indycar road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. R C Enerson is presumed to be the driver.

Top Gun entered the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500his past May but failed to qualify. he Big machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix will be the team’s first race in the NTT Indycar Series.

Top Gun is seeking sponsorships. the information is below:

Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink Is Back Aug. 18-19 at IMS

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Great news from Indianapolis Motor Speedway

From IMS, which also provided the cover photo

June 02, 2021 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The BC39 is back.

Exciting United States Auto Club (USAC) NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship racing will return Wednesday, Aug. 18 and Thursday, Aug. 19 to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the third Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink. The event is back for its third running after a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in a new calendar slot – the week after the NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader at IMS.

Tickets will go on sale soon, with information available at IMS.com/BC39. Reserved seat ticket prices for qualifying and the feature event Thursday, Aug. 19 will start at $35, the same price as in 2019.

“Everyone missed the wheel-to-wheel action of the BC39 last year, and race fans have asked us since last summer when it’s returning to the schedule,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “It’s back – and better than ever. We can’t wait.

“This event delivers two nights of some of the most exciting racing you can see anywhere, and it also raises awareness for such an important cause, the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives. We also appreciate the continued support and promotion of USAC Midget racing and the BC39 by NOS Energy Drink.”

The event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.

“Everyone at Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives is thrilled to see the BC39 return to its rightful place on the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget schedule,” said Taylor McLean, Bryan Clauson’s sister and marketing program specialist at Indiana Donor Network. “The Driven2SaveLives BC39 has not only become a destination event for teams but also a place for race fans to honor Bryan and share how their lives have been impacted by organ donation and transplantation. We cannot wait to celebrate not only Bryan’s legacy, but the legacy of all of those who decided to say yes.”

Fans also can visit IMS.com/BC39 for more information about pit passes, camping and prepaid parking.

This year’s Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink also will be the conclusion of nearly a week of exciting action on the road course and The Dirt Track at IMS. The NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader takes place Aug. 13-15, with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Xfinity Series conducting separate races Saturday, Aug. 14 and the NASCAR Cup Series racing on the IMS road course for the first time Sunday, Aug. 15.

Visit IMS.com for more information on tickets to all IMS events in 2021. https://www.facebook.com/v2.0/plugins/comments.php?app_id=1570557269837095&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df2cf5375cbf349a%26domain%3Dwww.indianapolismotorspeedway.com%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.indianapolismotorspeedway.com%252Ff125e257c9cf098%26relation%3Dparent.parent&color_scheme=light&container_width=0&height=100&href=https%3A%2F%2Fdev.ims.com%2Fnews-multimedia%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F02%2Fdriven2savelives-bc39-august-2021&locale=en_US&numposts=5&sdk=joey&skin=light&version=v2.0&width=751

Quick Thoughts on the 105th Indianapolis 500

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Just a few observations before I fall asleep while attempting to watch the replay of the race. i will have a more detailed post tomorrow.

As if I need more proof that i am old:

I have seen the fourth victory of all four four time winners. Of their 16 total victories I have seen 14 of them.

Today’s race was one of the best I have ever seen. Anywhere. Definitely one of the top three 500s I have witnessed in person.

It was strange seeing the infield empty. I sit across from the turn 2 mounds and seeing any grass at all is unusual.

Either IMS sold too many seats or people sat wherever they wanted to. I did not observe what i would call social distance seating.

Graham Rahal and Conor Daly are two drivers who never seem to catch a break at the speedway.

The track used to smile on Alexander Rossi. I wonder what he did to make her dislike him.

The crowd reaction to Daly taking the lead was great to hear.

That was an exciting, tense duel between Alex Palou and Helio Castroneves.

Will Helio return next year?

Great job by Simon Pagenaud to finish third from 22nd on the grid.

This has to one of Will Power’s most forgettable days at IMS.

Santino Ferrucci has IMS figured out.

Today was one of the best examples of the saying,, ” The race is won or lost in the pits.”15 pit penalties assessed today. It appears Indycar was very consistent in their rulings.

More tomorrow. Thank you all for following this weekend and during the first week at Indy.

It’s RACE DAY !

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After two years fans get to witness the Indianapolis 500 in person on its proper date. Not everyone who wants to be here will for various reasons, but the 135,00 in attendance are thrilled to return. Let’s hope for a full house in 2022.

Today’s schedule:

Gates open 6 am

The forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s at the start of the race climbing into the upper 60s by the end of the race. It will be about 10 degrees warmer than it was on Friday. It sounds like perfect racing weather.

A late prop bet for gamblers- over/under on how many tears will be shed when Jim Cornelison sings “Back Home Again in Indiana.” My number is 3 million and I’m taking the over.

Enjoy the race.