Tag: Indycar

Mid Ohio Qualifying Day

thepitwindow

Welcome to Day 2 at Mid Ohio. Indycar practices at 10 am and then qualifying begins at 1:35. The qualifying session will be carried live on NBCSN beginning at 1:30.

Drivers are hoping for an uninterrupted practice session this morning. Scott Dixon said last night that he was hampered by the red flags in really finding speed.in yesterday’s start and stop sessions.

The track has added some new features this year. First, the main entrance road up to the infield bridge has been repaved.  A new Victory podium has been built. There is a new digital scoring pylon located in turn 6, which doubles as a Verizon cell tower. See the photos below.

I will be back here later with some quick thoughts on qualifying. My full report on the day will appear on Wildrieradiosports.com later tonight. I also posted my Day 1 summary on wildfire last night. Check it out.

IMG_4007
The new Victory Lane Podium at Mid Ohio
IMG_4033
The scoring pylon and cell tower

Indycar News and Notes

thepitwindow

Programming note- Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio will be televised live on CNBC at 3 pm ET and re-aired on NBCSN at 6:30 pm Sunday.

It seems as if Indycar has a news item or two every day lately. Here are a few tidbits.

Mo Nunn

Mo Nunn died last Wednesday after battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Nunn was the engineer who helped Chip Ganassi’s team first taste success with Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya. Mike Hul credits Nunn for his current success Ganassi has.

A former Formula 1 driver and team owner, Nunn also owned teams in CART and the IRL. Tony Kanaaan drove for Nunn in CART before going to Andretti Green in 2003.

My friend George Phillips wrote a nice tribute to Nunn on Monday. you can read it here:

https://oilpressure.wordpress.com/

Mid Ohio Features Return of Three Drivers

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio will see the return of Jack Harvey in the number 60 Meyer-Shank racing entry. This is a home race for Michael Shank, who is looking to eventually become a full time Indycar team.

Pietro Fittipaldi, recovered from fracturing both legs in a practice accident at Spa two months ago, returns to the 19 car for Dale Coyne Racing. His absence allowed Zachary Claman De Melo toget more time in the car. DeMelo did a nice job. I’d like to see him in a full time ride.

Conor Daly will again be driving for Harding Racing. He took Gabby Chaves’ place in Toronto, giving the team its best qualifying and finishing position of the year. Chaves is still under contract with the team through 2019. He will be back in the car at some point. The team is pleased with the technical information Daly is providing. Harding is hopeful of having a two car team next season.

Rahal Says Steak n Shake May Return

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing owner Bobby Rahal said that Steak n Shake may return as a sponsor of Graham Rahal’s car in the future. The company withdrew this year to redirect funds elsewhere. It would be great to see them back. Steak n Shake did a lot of activation with signs and prerace weekend appearances by Rahal at their restaurants.

Wildfire Sports is My Home for Mid Ohio

I will be reporting for Wildfire Sports this weekend Friday through Sunday. You can find my columns at wildfireradiosports.com.

I will post quick thoughts here and live tweet during the weekend. Follow along on the blog’s Twitter account @PitWindow.

Mid Ohio usually produces some big announcements about the next season.  Stay tuned

 

1956- A Year of Beginnings and Endings

thepitwindow

1956 started a new chapter in American open wheel racing and also saw the preliminary beginnings of today’s modern Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   The American Automobile Association had announced in August 1955 that it would no longer sanction racing after the season ended. It had been the deadliest year in history. Three starters from the 1955 500 were killed racing, including Bill Vukovich in the horrific crash during the 500. Jerry Hoyt, the pole sitter, suffered fatal injuries in July, and former pole sitter Jack McGrath died in a crash in November. The United States Auto Club formed in September 1955 and the transition was nearly seamless. USAC sanctioned  open wheel racing until CART was formed, then continued to sanction just the 500 through 1997.

Another Good Find

My annual visit to the memorabilia show the day before the Indianapolis 500 yielded another great bargain – the 1956 500 program. Last year I bought a mint 1954 program for $20. I later found a sticker inside the front cover indicating  an $80 price tag. The 1956 program was not in mint condition and was just $7. Like the program I got last year, there were bonuses inside. The owner had stapled  newspaper articles about qualifying and the  race inside the program.

The cover was one of the first white background covers with the traditional flags over the wing and wheel. This cover lasted into the early 70’s. I wouldn’t mind a return to this cover instead of the artsy fronts that change every year now.

The ticket envelope, white in those days, is also attached. Some photos follow at the end of the article. The owner of the program  wrote qualifying lap speeds in the entry list section of the program and also the number of laps each driver completed in the race.  A newspaper clipping of the 500 entry list taped on an ad page had the names of drivers added to cars written in ink. From that list, Eddie Sachs took over the number 58 car from Len Duncan and Dempsey Wilson got a ride in the vacant car 22. Sachs did not qualify and was first alternate.

IMG_20180718_163345

The story of the 1955 race had just one sentence alluding to the Vukovich crash, and no photos of the accident. The two time winner’s photo on the very crowded memorial page with the date of date of the race was the only other hint of what happened.

The pre-race ceremonies were a crisp, compact 40 minutes before “Gentleman, Start Your Engines” and the green flag at 10 am Central Time. Pat Flaherty won the race from the pole, followed by the next year’s winner, Sam Hanks. Flaherty won $93, 819 for his victory.  Paul Russo, the 33rd place finisher, received $3, 974.

After the race, the speedway removed an iconic feature, the pagoda, which had stood since 1926. A steel and glass master control tower replaced it. A wall separating the pits from the track also appeared for 1957.  The Museum opened in the east wing of the building at 16th and Georgetown, built for $100,000.

In some ways it seems the Speedway never changes. The basic look remains the same. Race Day pretty much follows the same pattern, although some changes have lengthened the prerace program.  Yet it is still the original track from 1909, paved over many times. What we see today is the result of Tony Hulman’ vision after his first decade of owning the track.

img_20180718_163500.jpg
The new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at the corner of 16th and Georgetown.
IMG_20180718_163359
The entry list with qualifying lap speeds and race laps completed. This program spent a lot of time at the track.
IMG_20180718_163433
A group of spinning cars on the front stretch. Hanks would recover and finish second. The scramble happened on lap 23.

 

 

2019 Indycar Finale at Laguna Seca

thepitwindow

The Verizon Indycar Series announced today that Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca will host the Indycar season finale in 2019. The event is scheduled for September 20-22  Indycar raced at the northern California track from1983- to 2003 under CART sanction. Champ Car sanctioned the last race in 2004.

The announcement most likely means that Sonoma will not return to the schedule. Remarks by Sonoma Raceway president Steven Page indicated that Sonoma would “seek other opportunities” if the finale moved.  I think it would be difficult for that area to support two Indycar races, even though they would be at opposite ends of the calendar.

Pros and Cons of the Move

Pros

Sonoma’s attendance has been flat the last four years. I have attended since 2014, and didn’t notice an appreciable difference from year to year. Weather Tech Raceway Laguna  Seca has a chance to build a crowd at an historic venue for Indycar. I’m not saying the racing will be better, but the opportunity to build an audience over the next three years is there. The track will be another chance to see how the new aerokit works. Sonoma this year may give us a clue.

Monterey has a larger, closer population base to draw from. The Monterey area is as beautiful as Sonoma, and is closer to more potential fans.

The track has fourteen months to promote. The management should be on the phone to Gateway to find out how to promote a race.

The race is a week later than the finale is later. Keep pushing the season toward October.

Cons

The finale is still on a road course. A road course gives the points leader heading into the event a big advantage. An oval would give the drivers behind more of a chance.

The race will finish late on a Sunday afternoon or early evening in the East, meaning less recognition for the series champion.

If Portland is still the next to last race on labor Day weekend, there will be a three week gap until the final. That is too long to build momentum for the race that could determine the championship.

 

I’m always willing to give tracks a chance. It will be fun watching how this event turns out.

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Quick Thoughts- Honda Indy Toronto https://t.co/6Qlbh0QPfN- Honda Indy Toronto

thepitwindow

Indycar put together another good race. The Honda Indy Toronto was a great follow-up to the great race in Iowa last week. This was a street brawl. Cars banged together, fought for position, went wider than anyone thought possible at Toronto. The race played well on television.

The new aero kit has definitely improved the street course races. They have all seen more passing and action than in year’s past. I hope what we saw last weekend means they have finally figured out the oval configuration. Pocono and Gateway will provide those answers. I’m not sure if there is much to be done on road courses. At Road America Newgarden didn’t run away and hide from Hunter-Reay, but Hunetr-Reay couldn’t pass.

Good Days Spoiled

Marco Andretti had fourth place locked up until he pitted for fuel with two laps to go. Was there a fueling issue on his last stop?

Spencer Pigot was on his way to his second good finish when he hit the wall and had to retire.

Josef Newgarden had the race in hand, and would probably have had a close fight for the win with Scott Dixon when he brushed the wall on a restart. He clawed his way back to 9th, but lost a lot of ground to Dixon in the title chase.

Good Days Rewarded

Simon Pagenaud had his second podium of the season in what has been a frustrating year for the former series champion. The next race at Mid Ohio is a track where he done well. It will be interesting to see if his success carries over.

Tony Kanaan’s sixth place was AJ Foyt Racing’s best result of the year.

Robert Wickens reached the podium in his first home race. Teammate James Hinchcliffe finished fourth. This is the third straight year a Canadian driver has been on the Toronto podium. Hinchcliffe finished third the last two years.

Conor Daly stepped into the 88 Harding Racing car this week. He started 11th and finished thirteenth, Harding’s best overall weekend of the year. Daly is a master of jumping in a car at the last minute and doing well. Harding is looking to put a second car on the grid in 2019. Could Fall be a candidate for that seat?

Charlie Kimball in fifth was the best result for Carlin Racing this year.

Zach Veach finished seventh after starting 22nd.

Dixon in Control of the Title

Dixon’s quest for a fifth championship is looking better. he now leads Newgarden by 62 points. I believe this is the biggest lead this late in a season since Juan Pablo Montoya held a commanding lead in 2015. Dixon has done very little wrong this year, taking as high a finish as he could, then finally breaking through at Detroit for his first 2018 victory. He and Newgarden now lead the series with three wins each.

Dixon has now won 44 races, just 8 behind Mario Andretti. If you don’t appreciate this future legend yet, start now. He definitely belongs with the greats of old.

My full Toronto recap will be on wildfireradiosports.com Tuesday. Wednesday watch this column for a story on the 1956 Indianpolis 500.

A Home Game for SPM Drivers- Honda Indy Toronto Preview

thepitwindow

Photo above from Honda Indy Toronto website

The Verizon Indycar series makes its only trip outside the United States this weekend in Toronto. James Hinchcliffe gets to race at home coming off his victory in Iowa. Teammate Robert Wickens also can claim Toronto as his home track. Look for great results from this pair this weekend.  With Zachary Claman DeMelo also in the field, this is the first time in several years that three Canadian drivers have been in this race.

Indycar has had a long history at Exhibition Place beginning in 1986. The race was off the calendar in 2008, but returned the next year following the merger. This was one of the venues where double headers took place in 2013 and 2014.  Michael Andretti won at Toronto seven times, including three sets of back to back wins in 1991 and 92, 1994 and 95, and 2000 and 2001.

Active drivers who have won previously are Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais, Josef Newgarden, and  Scott Dixon. Power leads active drivers with three wins. Newgarden and Dixon each have won twice. Dixon swept the 2013 doubleheader for his two victories.

The event has the buzz of Indy about it, making it a fun race to attend. After track activity, there is Toronto to explore. This race is definitely worth a trip. Public transportation makes it easy to get to.

Does Honda Street Course Domination Continue?

Hondas have dominated on street circuits this season. Power has had the strongest Chevy on the streets with two seconds and a seventh place finish. He has qualified second twice and third once. Newgarden has not qualified well and although he has three top ten finishes, he hasn’t really been a factor in any of the street events.

Honda has won the pole for all four street races.  Alexander Rossi has won two poles.  This trend should continue. Hondas seem to like tracks with slow corners and short straightaways.

A Great Weekend for the Home Team?

The momentum SPM and Hinchcliffe have from winning Iowa and Honda’s strength on this type of track point to a great weekend for the team. Robert Wickens excelled at St. Pete and is one of the favorites to win his first career Indycar race Sunday.  Wickens has been in contention in most races this season and will be a factor on race day.

Indy 500 2018 190

Robert Wickens is one of the favorites for his hometown race. Photo: Mike Silver

Can Dixon Extend His Points Lead?

We are in the part of the season where points are as important as who wins the race. Dixon’s big lead suffered a slight drop last Sunday, but not enough to put his spot in jeopardy. It would be a shock if he had two bad races in a row. I’m not sure if he’ll extend his lead, but he may have a different runner-up chasing him to Mid-Ohio.

Is the Duel Back On?

My picks- Rossi on pole and Wickens winning the race. In a perfect world, they will both start on the front row. Rossi and Wickens could develop into a great rivalry with their different driving styles. Rossi has gained a reputation for his aggressive, unapologetic style on track, while Wickens drives steadily and doesn’t push the envelope.

Daly to drive for Harding

Conor Daly will drive the 88 Harding car this weekend, replacing Gabby Chaves. In a statement from Harding the team states they are looking to audition drivers for a second car next year and want some fresh input on the car. They are also looking at some Indy Lights drivers. Chaves will be back in the car at some point this season has a contract for 2019 with Harding.

Look for my Toronto recap on wildfirradiosports.com early next week. I will catch up on Indycar news in this space mid week, and I plan to have a feature story on a n historic turning point in 500 history.

Quick Thoughts on the Iowa Corn 300

thepitwindow

This was the best oval race of the season, maybe the best race of the year to date. The lead was not safe, there were battles for position and lots of passing, both high and low. Cars were going different speeds allowing for separation. There were two on track passes for the lead, including one for the win. I don’t know what more anyone could want.

James Hinchcliffe could have done donuts for thirty minutes if he wanted to. He is the master of the comeback after being knocked down by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2016, the year after his near fatal crash, he won the pole for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. This year he gets bumped, but comes back to win a race.

It was evident early that Hinchcliffe had the fastest car. After the first pit stop, the car was not getting off turn 2 well, but the next stop corrected that problem. Josef Newgarden had a very fast car as well, but not as fast as Hinchcliffe’s. newgarden had the early advantage of track position. Once Hinchcliffe caught and passed him with 45 laps to go, it was game over.

Congratulations to Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot on his first career podium. Pigot drove a smooth race after starting 19th and fought with Hinchcliffe for second after the restart. I have expected great things from Pigot. It seemed something always kept him from getting a good result.

The Finish

I have no problem with the way the race finished. A caution with six laps to go on a larger track may not have been a problem to have a one or two lap shootout. A track the size of Iowa chews up laps quickly even under caution. Jay Frye and Ryan Novak explained their case after the race. They just ran out of time. No team was told that the race was going back to green. Those that pitted did so on their own hoping the race would resume.

Fans are not entitled to a green flag finish, Races end at the scheduled distance. I do not want to see this changed in Indycar.

Cutting Into Dixon’s Lead

Scott Dixon should put a table outside his hauler with a sign reading, “Please Put Your Points Here.”  Alexander Rossi and now Josef Newgarden have given back precious points. Rossi lost 22 points in Detroit Race 2 by trying to stay in front of Hunter-Reay. Newgarden lost the runner-up spot today with the late pit stop costing him eight points. Dixon now leads Newgarden by 33 points, but it could be closer.

None of the contenders  besides Newgarden had a good day.

The Crowd

Attendance seemed to be slightly better than the last two years, but still not great. The buzz is that there will be a race  next year and that it will be a night race. Moving today’s race up a couple hours helped, but I know a lot of people who still could not attend because of work Monday.

Watch for my full race recap on Wildfireradiosports.com on Tuesday.

Power Wins Iowa Pole; Newgarden Completes Another Penske Front Row

thepitwindow

Their  positions from Road America are reversed, but the Team Penske duo of Will Power and Josef Newgarden again grabbed the front row spots for tomorrow afternoon’s Iowa Corn 300. Power won his 52nd career pole with an average of 182.371, edging Newgarden  by 0.24 seconds.  Only the top four qualifiers topped 180 mph.  Ryan Hunter-Reay starts third and Simon Pagenaud starts fourth.

In a qualifying session that pretty much followed expectations, the biggest surprises were the performances of Spencer Pigot and Marco Andretti.  Both were in the top ten in morning practice, but huge second lap drop-offs have them starting 18th and 19th respectively. Zach Veach, another front runner in the morning, will start 14th.

Notes

The top five in points will start in the top six positions. Pagenaud is the only top six starter not in the top five.

For the second race in a row, the fifth place driver in the standings won the pole.

Points leader Scott Dixon starts sixth. He has yet to win at Iowa Speedway.

Observations from Final Practice

Alexander Rossi put on quite a show passing lots of cars. he would stalk them for a few laps, then was able to pass on either side. His best pass was on Simon Pagenaud. he chased the Penske driver but quite the run he needed. When the pair came upon the slower car of Matheus Leist, Rossi got Pagenaud to end up directly behind Leist, slowing him enough for Rossi to dart around him. It was a thing of beauty.

Zach Veach looked very good, passing cars and running a consistent line.

Pagenaud lost an engine with less than 10 minutes left in the session.

 

Good Morning from Iowa

thepitwindow

Welcome to Iowa Speedway for Indycar’s race weekend. This could be a pivotal weekend in the future of this event. Will the decent temperatures improve attendance? How will the new cars race here? Will Iowa return to a Saturday night race next year? If so, will the date change? We will have the answers to the first two questions by tomorrow afternoon. The last two will take a while.

I will have a qualifying wrapup later tonight. During the day I will be tweet updating. Follow along on @PitWindow.