All times Eastern.
St. Pete Broadcast Start Times
Tag: Indy NXT by Frestone
Some IndyCar Notes
Tough news in Indy NXT today as Yuven Sundaramoothy will not be able to compete in 2025 due to budget issues. The Wisconsin native posted the following statement on X today:
I hope he gets back in 2026. He was coming on strong toward the end of the year.
Chili Bowl News– Katherine Legge will participate in the Chili Bowl in Tulsa next month. She will drive for Abacus Racing. Santino Ferrucci also drives for Abacus.
New Chassis? According to Racer magazine, Indycar owners got a look at renderings for a new chassis scheduled to begin racing in 2027. according to the story the reviews were mixed. The new car does not look much different from the current one. Disappointing if true. I want to see something sleeker and bolder.
Grid check– One spot at Juncos and two at Dale Coyne are all that remain to complete the 2025 IndyCar grid. I think Conor Daly will get the Juncos opening, and Rinus VeeKay will have one of the seats at Coyne. The final seat at Coyne is anyone’s guess.
I’ll be back to finish out the week with a review of the Netflix series Senna and some thoughts on the charter system and the implications that are surfacing.
Accomplished Motorsports Executive Buck Named Director of INDY NXT by Firestone
From IndyCar
| INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024) – Veteran racing industry executive Richard Buck has been named as director of INDY NXT by Firestone, INDYCAR officials announced Dec. 10. Buck takes over all operations and competition for INDY NXT by Firestone, the developmental series of INDYCAR that prepares drivers, engineers and other team personnel for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Phoenix native Buck assumes his new role after 35 years of motorsports experience, including operations and project management, competition officiating, engineering and race strategy in NASCAR and INDYCAR. “I am thrilled to return to my racing roots in INDYCAR,” Buck said. “I have always kept my eye on the sport, and the opportunity to be the director of INDY NXT was something I could not pass up. The developmental series is on the rise as it continues to advance talent to the premier open-wheel series in North America.” Buck most recently served as the president and CEO of motorsports consultant 3194 Motorsports LLC and as the managing director of the NASCAR Cup Series from 2014-2019. Before that, he was the vice president of racing operations in IMSA from 2013-2014 before stints as the managing director for GRAND-AM, NASCAR’s Touring Series and NASCAR’s Racing Development in Canada and Mexico from 2005-2013. “The competition is fierce, and the future is bright for INDY NXT by Firestone,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “With his vast motorsports experience, Richard is a tremendous fit for the series’ leadership role, and we are excited to welcome him back into the INDYCAR family.” Introduction to INDYCARBuck was originally introduced to INDYCAR in 1979 when he began working with a long list of accomplished drivers while accumulating Indianapolis 500 by Gainbridge wins and INDYCAR SERIES championships: |
| Years | Team | Position | Drivers |
| 1996-2000 | Precision Preparation Inc. (PPI) | Team Manager and Race Strategist | Cristiano da Matta Robby Gordon Hiro Matsushita Max Papis Scott Pruett Oriol Servia |
| 1985-1996 | Penske Racing | Crew Chief | Emerson Fittipaldi Rick Mears Danny Sullivan Paul Tracy Al Unser Al Unser Jr. |
| 1985 | Alex Foods Racing | Crew Chief | Johnny Rutherford |
| 1982-1984 | Provimi Racing | Crew Chief | Tony Bettenhausen Derek Daly Arie Luyendyk |
| Other Experience in Motorsports While at PPI, Buck also helped the team field teams in developmental Toyota Atlantic series, NASCAR and various off-road racing series. His transition to NASCAR came in 2000-2004, when he served in a variety of team managerial and race strategist roles at Team Gordon, Andy Petree Racing, Petty Enterprises, Robert Yates Racing and Curb Agajanian Performance Group. Buck’s motorsports career began in the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, working for Gary Stanton Racing and popular drivers Steve Kinser, Ronnie Shuman, and Sammy and Jeff Swindell. The 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season begins Sunday, March 2 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Coverage throughout the 14-race season can be seen via FOX Sports on either FS1 and FS2, with audio coverage available from the INDYCAR Radio Network. |
Simpson Confirmed at Ganassi; Browne, Koolen Fill CGR Indy NXT Seats
Chip Ganassi Racing today confirmed Kyffin Simpson as driver of the number 8 car for the 2025 IndyCar season. The move was long anticipated. Simpson, 19, from the Caymen Islands, drove car 4 for Ganassi in 2024, finishing 21st in the standings. Simpson finished 21st on the lead lap in the Indianapolis 500, leading three laps.
Ganassi Indy NXT
Neils Koolen and Jonathan Browne will drive for Ganassi’s new Indy NXT team. Both drivers have some Indy NXT experience, driving for HMD in 2024.
Koolen, 23 years old from the Netherlands,, finished 10th in the Indy NXT race at IMS last May. He also spent time in the European le Mans Series in 2024.
Browne, 24, ran the entire season for HMD, finishing 13th in the standings. The Irish driver earned eight Top 10 finishes.
Hailie Deegan Debuts in Chris Griffis Test
Hailie Deegan recently signed with HMD Motorsports to drive in the Indy NXT by Firestone series in 2025. She will test car number 38 tomorrow in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at IMS. Deegan will join seven other rookies in the 22 car field.
Deegan, 23, has focused on the NASCAR Truck Series, and has also raced in Xfiniti and ARCA. She began her racing career in the Lucas Off Road Racing Series and the NASCAR K&N stock car series.
Tomorrow’s schedule:
9 am ET- 4 pm Testing.
The turn 2 spectator mounds are open for viewing.
Entry list:
Jamie Chadwick Indycar Test Set
It was just a matter of time.
Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick will have her first Indycar test September 30 at Barber Motorsports Park September 30. The test with Andretti Global, her current team, comes in her second year in Indy NXT and is seen as a step toward an Indycar ride.
Chadwick, 26, is a two time champion of the European W Series, and she won her first Indy NXT race at Road America on June 9. She has shown steady improvement.
On her X account, Chadwick posted,
“Incredibly excited and a massive thank you to the team for the opportunity.”
Mahoney to Test at IMS Road Course
F2 driver Zane Mahoney will test today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Mahoney is fourth in the F2 standings.
RLL has an opening for next year as Christian Lundgaard will move to Arrow Mclaren.
Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix Schedule- First Look
All times eastern
Friday, April 26
3:40 pm-4:55 pm Practice 1 Peacock, Indycar Radio
Saturday April 27
12:15 pm-1:15 pm Practice 2 Peacock, Indycar Radio
3:30 pm-5:00 pm Qualifying Peacock, Indycar Radio
Sunday, April 28
10:15 am- Final Warmup (30 minutes) Peacock, Indycar Radio
1 pm-4 pm television window NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
1:40 Green Flag NBC, Peacock, Indycar Radio
Indy NXT is also racing this weekend. USF Juniors, featuring Sebastian Wheldon, also is on the schedule.
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding Fast Facts
From Indycar:
| Note: A digital copy of the 2024 INDYCAR Media Guide is available for download by clicking here. It is also available in the media guide section of the INDYCAR Content Site at http://content.indycar.com. A limited number of printed copies will be available beginning this weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Race weekend: Friday, March 8 – Sunday, March 10 Track: Streets of St. Petersburg, 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit (clockwise) through downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, including a runway of Albert Whitted Airport Race distance: 100 laps / 180 miles (NTT INDYCAR SERIES) | 45 laps / 81 miles / 55 minutes (INDY NXT by Firestone) Push-to-pass parameters:NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. \\INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend with one new set used for qualifying and another new set used during the race. A carryover set from the preseason testing may be used during the first practice. X (formerly known as Twitter): @GPSTPETE, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR Instagram: @gpstpete, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR Facebook: @GPSTPETE, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR TikTok: @IndyCar, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR, @greensavoreeracingpromotions Event website: www.gpstpete.com/ INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2023 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIESMarcus Ericsson (No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)INDY NXT by FirestoneDanial Frost (No. 68 HMD Motorsports) 2023 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Romain Grosjean (No. 28 DHL Honda), 59.5532 seconds, 108.810 mph 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Autosport), 1 minute, 05.1103 seconds, 99.523 mph Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 59.3466 seconds, 109.189 mph, Feb. 26, 2022 (set in Round 2 of qualifying)INDY NXT by FirestoneDavid Malukas, 1 minute, 4.6491 seconds, 100.233 mph, April 23, 2021 NBC Sports telecast: Race, noon ET Sunday, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Marty Snider, Kevin Lee and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. Universo will provide a Spanish-language telecast. Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions, qualifying and races as well as INDY NXT by Firestone races will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman and Jake Query are the turn announcers. Michael Young, Ryan Myrehn and Jonathan Grace are the pit reporters. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218 and SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio 85, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practice and qualifying sessions and races are available on racecontrol.indycar.com, the INDYCAR App and SiriusXM 218. At-track schedule (All Times Local/Eastern Time): Friday, March 8 1:35-2:10 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE 2:45-4 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Saturday, March 9 8:25-9:10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE 9:35-10:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (Limited guarantee of 45 minutes of green flag time), Peacock 1:05-1:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (Two groups, 12-minute session with green flag of one timed lap), INDYCAR LIVE 2-3:30 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Sunday, March 10 9:10-9:40 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock 10:10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (45 laps / 81 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock (Live) Noon – NBC Sports on air 12:23 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines” 12:30 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (100 laps / 181 miles), NBC, Universo and Peacock (Live) “WHAT TO LOOK FOR” AT ST. PETERSBURG: 1. Will track record fall? While the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season awaits the arrival of the 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with hybrid technology after the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, teams will push the limit until then with enhanced possibilities of track records with lighter chassis components prepared for the hybrid addition. They include a lighter, 3D-printed titanium aeroscreen top frame. Without compromising overall strength and durability, the new INDYCAR top frame saves seven pounds from the previous model. Additionally, a switch to a magnesium gearbox casing and bellhousing – located between the INDYCAR SERIES combustion engine and the gearbox and will house the hybrid assist unit – will provide additional weight savings .2. Dixon seeks his first win on the streets of St. Petersburg. Who wouldn’t take Scott Dixon’s resume as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver?He has six NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships, which trails only the seven INDYCAR SERIES titles collected by A.J. Foyt. His 56 wins rank second on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES victory list, behind Foyt’s 67, but the streets of St. Petersburg might be his kryptonite. It is one of five tracks on the schedule where Dixon is winless and the one where he has the most starts (19).Still, Dixon has been successful on the streets of St. Petersburg. Dixon has four runner-up finishes at the circuit and has an average finish of 7.63 in his 19 previous starts. He has finished in the top 10 in his last eight starts.3. Power Plays Poles at Will. Will Power is the greatest qualifier in modern INDYCAR SERIES history, as his 70 career poles are the INDYCAR SERIES record.The tale of Power’s qualifying success can best be told through the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where he has won nine of the last 14 poles. The only drivers to score a pole in the last 10 years in St. Petersburg not named Will Power are Takuma Sato in 2014, Robert Wickens in 2018, Colton Herta in 2021, Scott McLaughlin in 2022 and Romain Grosjean last season. In total, Team Penske has won the pole position in 11 of the past 17 St. Petersburg races.Power has scored at least one pole position in each season since 2009, including two NTT P1 Awards last year. It’s almost a sure bet that Power will add to his record this season, and don’t be surprised if it starts during NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday afternoon. 4. Split practice to be trialed. Deployed on a trial basis in St. Petersburg, the field will be split into two groups following a 20-minute “All Cars” session to begin Practice 1.Following the 20-minute “All Cars” session, each group – split by odd and even numbered pit boxes – will receive two 10-minute segments on an alternating basis. As in qualifying, the clock in Segments One and Two will stop for the first red flag condition of each practice segment. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding will be the 21st INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of St. Petersburg, dating to 2003 and the 20th race promoted by Green Savoree Promotions. Marcus Ericsson won the 2023 race, while Romain Grosjean won the NTT P1 Award. Paul Tracy won the inaugural race on Feb. 23, 2003, under CART sanction, while Sebastien Bourdais started from the pole that year.The St. Petersburg INDYCAR SERIES race has been run every year since 2003 except for 2004. No driver has competed in every St. Petersburg race, but Scott Dixon has started 19 consecutive races.Will Power (2010 and 2014) and Josef Newgarden (2019-2020) are the only entered drivers to win at St. Petersburg more than once. Six past winners are entered: Power, Newgarden, Graham Rahal (2008), Colton Herta (2021), Scott McLaughlin (2022) and Ericsson.Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou arrives at the season opener as the defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion for the second time in three seasons. The two-time series champion will look to make history by becoming the first repeat champion since Dario Franchitti won three in a row for Chip Ganassi Racing from 2009-11.Team Penske has won at St. Petersburg 11 times, including seven of the last 12 races with Castroneves (2012), Power (2014), Juan Pablo Montoya (2015-16), Newgarden (2019-2020) and McLaughlin (2022).The 2024 season marks the 20th season of the Firestone Fast Six qualifying format. Since the format debuted at the 2005 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, 65 drivers have participated in Firestone Fast Six qualifying at 20 road and street circuits. Not surprisingly, NTT INDYCAR SERIES all-time pole record holder Will Power leads all drivers with 96 career Firestone Fast Six appearances, only one ahead of six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon.Career Firestone Fast Six AppearancesRANKDRIVERFAST SIXES1Will Power962Scott Dixon953Helio Castroneves664Josef Newgarden495Ryan Hunter-Reay456Dario Franchitti427Simon Pagenaud408Graham Rahal329Ryan Briscoe3110Tony Kanaan30Four drivers have won the race from the pole – Castroneves (2007), Power (2010), Herta (2021) and McLaughlin (2022). The St. Petersburg winner has qualified fourth in five of the last 20 races.Dixon is expected to make his 386th INDYCAR SERIES start, which is fourth on the all-time list. Dixon has made 322 consecutive starts heading into the weekend, which is the longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.· Rookies Colin Braun, Christian Rasmussen and Kyffin Simpson will make their NTT INDYCAR SERIES debuts at St. Petersburg. Veteran Pietro Fittipaldi is slated to race on the streets of St. Petersburg for the first time. The two other NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookies entered, Tom Blomqvist and Linus Lundqvist, debuted in 2023.INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:The expected 22-car field for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg would be the largest INDY NXT by Firestone field at St. Petersburg since 2009 when 27 cars were on the grid.The 2024 season features a deep and talented field with INDY NXT race winners such as Nolan Siegel, Louis Foster and Reece Gold joining a promising rookie class that includes Myles Rowe (2023 USF Pro 2000 champ), Callum Hedge (2023 Formula Regionals America champion) and Caio Collet (Formula 3 race winner/Nissan Formula E reserve driver). Other contenders include returning drivers Jacob Abel, Josh Pierson, James Roe and Jamie Chadwick.INDY NXT by Firestone has added a new team for the second consecutive season. Miller Vinatieri Motorsports – co-owned by former INDYCAR SERIES competitor Dr. Jack Miller and former NFL standout Adam Vinatieri – will make its debut at St. Petersburg with driver Jack William Miller.Group qualifying will decide the starting grid on road and street circuits. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying sessions. With 12 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.Since 2005, a driver who won at least one of the races at St. Petersburg has won the INDY NXT by Firestone title six times, the most recent being Kyle Kirkwood, who won the first race of the doubleheader in 2021. |
Jacob Abel Back with ABEL Motorsports for Shot at 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone Title
From Abel Motorsports:
Speedway, Ind. – INDY NXT by Firestone veteran, Jacob Abel, will be back behind the wheel of an ABEL Motorsports Dallara IL-15 for another shot at the INDY NXT championship in 2024. Abel will once again be doing battle in the No. 51 ABEL Construction car for the duration of the 14-race schedule.
It was a breakout season in 2023 for the Louisville Kentucky native, highlighted by his first pole position at the Iowa Speedway along with 4 podium finishes and 8 top 5 finishes, on track to a 5th place finish in the season championship. To top the year off for Abel, the 22-year-old completed his first laps behind the wheel of an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car on November 6th at Sebring International Raceway.
“I’m really looking forward to returning for a 3rd season of INDY NXT in 2024.” Said Abel. “2023 was a big year of growth for our team and me personally, and I’m excited to carry that momentum into the 2024 season.”
2-years of progression has led to the 2024 INDY NXT season for Abel, whose goal is clear: to win races and contend for the season championship. After spending most of the season in the championship battle in 2023, Abel knows the key to success in 2024 and is ready to build on the pace and consistency that was found last season.
“We had lots of highs in the 2023 season.” said Abel. “We fought for wins at multiple different races throughout the season but were never able to end up on the top step for one reason or another,” exclaimed Abel. “2024 will be all about putting everything we’ve learned from the past couple of years together to hopefully contend for the championship.”
Abel becomes the 2nd driver announced for ABEL Motorsports for the 2024 INDY NXT season alongside series rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy, as ABEL Motorsports looks to expand to a full season multi-car effort in INDY NXT.
Next up for Jacob Abel and the ABEL Motorsports outfit is the final INDY NXT test of 2023 on November 13th at the Barber Motorsports Park. “I’m excited to get to Barber and start working on 2024, that was one track we struggled a little bit on last year which will make maximizing this test very important,” said Abel. “We get more testing this offseason than we did last year, so it will be very important for everyone on our team to work diligently to maximize these days to fully prepare us for St. Pete and the rest of the season.”
Keep up with all things ABEL Motorsports, including off-season driver announcements, by following the team on social media @abelmotorsports or by visiting www.abelmotorsports.com for all of the latest news surrounding the team.
2024 INDY NXT SCHEDULE:
Round 1 – March 8 – Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – St. Petersburg, FL – Street Course
Round 2 – April 28 – Barber Motorsports Park – Birmingham, AL – Road Course
Rounds 3/4 – May 10-11 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, IN – Road Course
Round 5 – June 2 – Detroit Grand Prix – Detroit, MI – Street Course
Rounds 6/7 – June 22-23 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, CA – Road Course
Round 8 – July 7 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, OH – Road Course
Round 9 – July 13 – Iowa Speedway – Newton, IA – Oval
Round 10 – August 17 – World Wide Technology Raceway – St. Louis, MO – Oval
Round 11 – August 25 – Portland International Raceway – Portland, OR – Road Course
Round 12 – August 31 – Milwaukee Mile – Milwaukee, WI – Oval
Round13 – September 15 – Music City Grand Prix – Nashville, TN – Street Course
XXX
Abel Motorsports including team Principal, Bill Abel, has been competing since 1972. ABEL Motorsports is now on to the third generation with Jacob Abel being the flagship driver for the team. The team was able to capture the inaugural F3 Americas Championship in 2018, and currently competes in the freshly rebranded INDY NXT by Firestone, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well as the team’s first entry into the Indianapolis 500 with driver RC Enerson in 2023. For more information visit the official team website at: www.abelmotorsports.com
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 