Tag: Jack Harvey

Race Day at St. Pete!

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Today’s Schedule:

All Times Eastern. Warmup and Indy NXT race on FS1. IndyCar race on FOX with pre race beginning at noon.

After 167 long days, IndyCar races again this afternoon with the 21st Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Drivers predictions for the race range from interesting to chaotic. Tires are the major concern. Firestone has created the wider gap between alternates and primary tires that the series requested. Some drivers aren’t sure the alternates can last a full fuel stint, and others say the primaries are degrading faster than usual.

Marbles could be an issue on track andfit should be fun for the fans watching how the different strategies play out.

Pato O’Ward will be coming from 23rd and will have to pick his way through field to get to the front. Will Power in 13th will be another driver to watch.

In the end, I like Colton Herta to end up in Victory Lane.

FOX Debut

FOX begins its coverage of IndyCar today. I am eager to see the replay later this week. I watched the replay of qualifying last ight, and I liked much of what I saw, but the still have some work to do.

I thought the booth was great. Will Buxton did a fine job, an James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell seemed to have stepped their game a notch too. I really like the telemetry graphic, which appeared as a faux dashboard. I like that it showed the car’s track location and he distance to the next turn. The driver portraits were a nice touch, although some were a bit cartoonish.

I thought Jack Harvey had a fine debut as a pit reporter. I could sense his nervousness, and he asked safe but good questions. I’m sure he will grow into the role and relax as the season goes along, but he is off to a great start.

For qualifying FOX needs to indicate which tire a driver is using, and also display the pace in comparison to other drivers. The scoring pylon wasn’t even on during McLaughlin’s last lap in the Fast Six. I wanted to see if he was on track to get the pole.

I will be back later with warm up results and tire selections in a bit, then a quick race summary after the race. Look for a more detailed analysis tomorrow.

FOX Goes for Familiarity with Pit Reporter Lineup

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Like they did with the broadcast booth, FOX Sports has kept faces familiar to IndyCar fans on pit road as the network announced its pit reporters. Kevin Lee and Georgia Henneberry return along with driver Jack Harvey. Jamie Little will begin the season as Henneberry tends to her newborn and will come on in June.

The pit road crew compliments the trio in the booth where Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe will join Will Buxton. Ony Buxton and Harvey are new to IndyCar broadcasts.

The news is a great relief to me, especially where Lee is concerned. I can’t imagine an IndyCar television broadcast without him. From some comments he has made on Trackside this winter, I did not think there was any chance he would return to the series.

Little has worked the pits for the Indianapolis 500. She is a consummate professional.

Henneberry is an outstanding reporter who has gotten better every season.

Harvey has expressed an interest inthe broadcasting sid eof racing, and i am glad he will get a chance. I will give him a pass at St. Pete and Thermal as he settles into his new role. Harvey will be driving for DRR in the 500.

FOX has done a great job with creative promotiions this year. They have assembled a competent, knowledgeable crew to call the race. The question is, how will the production look? Will there be fewer intrusive commercials? Will we see excessive replays of the same action?

One of the ways I judge a race broadcast is by the number of green laps shown. I hope time returning from commercial breaks isn’t cluttered with race recaps or prolonged aerial shots of the surrounding area. Save that for prerace.

I am excited to see what the race broadcast looks like.

DRR Sets 500 Lineup of Hunter-Reay and Harvey

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Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports announced this morning that Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner of the 2014 Indianapolis 500 and 2012 series champion, will return in one of their two entries for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Jack Harvey will drive the second car.

Harvey is a veteran of seven Indianapolis 500s, with a best finish of ninth in 2020. His last 500, in 2023, is known for Harvey’s bumping teammate Graham Rahal out of the field on the day’s final run.

Harvey ran a partial season for Dale Coyne Racing in 2024. In 2023 he began the year with Rahal Letterman racing, but was let go midseason.

Hunter-Reay will drive for DRR for the third consecutive year. He started the race 12th last year and dropped out after 107 laps due to contact, finishing 26th.

Long Beach Will See Some New Looks

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This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will feature more experimentation in the practice format and a new look aeroscreen. The version of the aeroscreen announced yesterday is four pounds lighter than the original version. With the lighter frame, which was already on the car, the entire unit’s weight has been reduced by 11 pounds.

From the photos, the screen looks as if it has a narrower profile from the front view, which is a good thing aesthetically. The original screen made the cars appear to be carrying a large wastebasket as viewed head on. The top of the scree has cooling ducts built in. The top piece is 3 D printed rubber.

More Practice Tweaks

Indycar will continue to experiment with Free Practice 1 on Friday. At St. Pete, All cars 20 minutes of practice followed by four alternating 10 minutes periods.

For Long beach, all cars will get 45 minutes followed by a five minute break. Then there will be two 10 minute sessions, with the field split by alternating pit boxes as they were in St. Pete. Rookies will be allowed to run in all sessions regardless of their pit assignments.

The clock will not stop for yellow or red flags in the 45 minute period, but will stop on the first red in the 10 minute periods

I applaud Indycar for doing in season experiments rather than waiting until after the season to implement changes for the next year. Practice can be dull at times as many drivers sit out parts of the time to save tires.

Who’s Driving?

Dale Coyne Racing will have Jack Harvey back in the 18 this weekend, and Nolan Seigel, who was slated for that car, will move to the 51. This is an extra race for Harvey, who will drive for Coyne at various races through the season. I would not be surprised to see him in a car for the Indianapolis 500.

We are still awaiting a formal announcement for the driver of Arrow McLaren;’s car 5. David Malukas is not ready to return, and Callum Ilott has a conflict with his WEC schedule.

Rumors are swirling that F2 driver Theo Pourchaire will be in the seat come Friday, but no word from the team yet.

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Harvey, Siegel, Braun to Race for Coyne

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Dale Coyne Racing today named Indycar veteran Jack Harvey, Indy NXT driver Nolan Siegel, and sports car ace Colin Braun as drivers in a split program for the 2024 season.

Harvey will drive car 18 in 14 races. Siegel will take the wheel of the car for Thermal, Long Beach, the Indianapolis 500, and Toronto.

Colin Braun will drive the 51 at St. Pete and Thermal, with the possibility of more races later in the season.

Rick Ware Racing returns as a partner on the 51 car.

Coyne has signed INVST as a sponsor.

I wonder why Harvey was not given the opportunity to drive in the 500 after his banzai qualifying run last year. Siegel could drive at Indy in the 51.

The 51 still has an open seat for 16 races. I’m sure they will have a driver for the 500, but what about the rest of the season?

Daly Replaces Harvey at RLL for Gateway

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Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing today announced that Conor Daly will replace Jack Harvey as the driver of car 30 for the next IndyCar race at World Wide Technology Raceway. A statement from Harvey indicated that his tenure at RLL was over.

My understanding is that the team wil audition drivers in the final two races of the season at Portland and Laguna Seca.

Jack Harvey is one of the nicest drivers in the paddock. I hope he finds a ride that is a good fit for him.

From earlier:

The Last IMS Doubleheader?

The Last IMS Doubleheader?

It has been a strange year for Daly. He began 2023 as the full driver of car 20 for Ed Carpenter Racing. He was relieved of that ride after Detroit. Daly then subbed for then injured Simon Pagenaud at Mid Ohio and Iowa. He is now driving for his third team this season. Oddly, each car he has or will drive bears a number ending in zero.

Here is the statement from RLL:

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (August 15, 2023) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced a change to their 2023 driver lineup for the No. 30 entry today. Veteran Conor Daly will compete for the team at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) on August 27. The driver for the No. 30 entry for races at Portland International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be announced at a later date.

Daly has made 107 NTT INDYCAR SERIES starts since his debut in 2013 and earned his first series pole at the Iowa Speedway short oval in 2020 for Race 1. He has competed in six of the last seven INDYCAR SERIES races held at WWTR and has earned four top-10 finishes with his best being fifth in 2017.

The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season resumes with the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on August 26-27, which will be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on August 27. All on-track action can be seen on NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service. For more information about the series or team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.

QUOTEBOARD:

BOBBY RAHAL, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “First, I would like to thank Jack Harvey for all of his efforts on behalf of RLL for the last year and a half. He committed fully to the team but for whatever reason, we weren’t able to achieve the results that he or the team deserves and we wish him well in the future. We will use the final three races of the season to gauge other racing talent. I’m very pleased that Conor has agreed to join us in St. Louis. He’s been strong there and I feel that he can bring value to the team while also providing us with a strong effort. I look forward to having him with us.”

CONOR DALY, driver of the No. 30 Honda at WWTR: “It means a lot to have a chance to drive for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team. I’ve known Bobby ever since I was a child, our families are very close. Mike Lanigan is someone that has known my dad for a long time, and I’ve known him well too. And David Letterman is a friend of our family as well so it’s very special to have the chance to drive for this organization. I will obviously do the best job that I can for them to make them proud and make their partners proud and I hope to be able to deliver everything they are looking for. I’m excited for the chance to get back behind the wheel at one of my favorite tracks at World Wide Technology Raceway.”

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Palou Wins Pole; Harvey Squeezes In

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It was a game of thoudandths at both ends of the field this afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jack Harvey earned the final spot on the grid on the final lap of his third attempt. Alex Palou edged Rinus VeeKay by six thousandths of a mile per hour to win the pole for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Jack Harvey

In the last chance shootout, Christian Lundgaard and Sting Ray Robb easily secured spots 31 and 32. Jack Harvey qualified next. Graham Rahal quickly bumped Harvey out of the field. Harvey took a second try, but failed to beat out his teammate.As time ran out, Harvey returned to the track. After three laps, he was still behind, but close. His fourth lap was good enough to earn the final starting position by sevn thoiusandths of a mile per hour.

The Fast Six run for the pole saw Palou post a 235 mile per hour lap on his first circuit. he ended with a 234.217 mile per hour average. It was just enough to edge Rinus VeeKay by six thousandnths of a second. Fekix Rosenqvist was third after an anticlimactic run.

Notes

Today continued the drama of yesterday. The only issue I had is with the last cg=hance qualifying. It needs at least 5 cars to work. Havign justfour cars left too much diwn time as Harvey tried to run out the clock before his final runs. Six cars would be ideal in the last chance.

The pole was definitely earned. Having to make three qualifying runs over two days is a grind for the drivers qand the teams. The money awrd for the pole needs to be bigger. The points award should go up as well.

This week was devastating to the Rahal team., One the biggest stars of the series is on the sidelines for the biggest race in the world. it is not the first time this has happened. I believe this isw the first time that a father and son have both had the misfortune to be bumped from the race. Bobby waqs bumped in 1993.

Today’s attendance was the largest I’ve seen on a qualification day in at least 10 years, maybe longer.

I’ll Have some more thoughtson the weekend tomorrow. Thanks for following along this weekend.

Harvey Not Cleared to Drive; Some Other Notes

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Jack Harvey, injured in a crash during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 5, has still not been medically cleared to drive. The driver of the number 30 car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will miss today’s team test at Barber Motorsports Park.

The nature of the injury is not known, but I believe it has something to do with his wrists.

Juri Vips, a former F2 driver, will fill in today. Harvey will be reevaluated before the Texas race. In 2022 he missed the Texas race after suffering a concussion in the final practice.

Harvey was rumored to be in a make or break year, and the injury and missing time in the car is not helping his cause. Vips also tested with the team last October.

Albert Whitted Airport Getting Another Look

The airport in St. Petersburg is getting another look by the mayor’s office for a possible conversion to another use. When Ken Welch became mayor two years ago, surveys were conducted to see if the city could make better use of thland. Now, the process is beginning again. One of the runways serves as the front stretch and pits for the Grand Prix.

Photo from Tampa Bay Times

The race has just extended its agreement with Indycar for two more years. It will take at least that long for any plans to surface, so I wouldn’t be concerned just yet.

The front stretch (R) is a runway at Albert Whitted Airport the rest of the year

I remember the first time this subject came up, something was mentioned about the FAA having a say in the matter. Stay tuned, but for now, we’re still racing in St. Pete.

Indycar Drivers at Sebring

This weekend’s Mobil 12 Hours of Sebring will feature five full time Indycar drivers and a driver entered in the Indianapolis 500. Three of the drivers are from Andretti Autosport- Devlin DeFrancesco in the number 51 LMP 2 car, Kyle Kirkwood in the Vasser-Sullivan Lexus number 14 GTD Pro, and Romain Grosjean in the number 3 Lamborghini, also in GTD Pro.

Scott Dixon will drive the 01 Cadillac GTP for Ganassi, and Helio Castroneves will drive for his Indycar boss, Mike Shank, in the number 60 GTP Acura.

Katherine Legge will drive car 66, an Acura NSX, in the GTD class.

I will have more Sebring coverage later this week.

Indycar Season Preview-2023 Breakthroughs and Hot Seats

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Today is the first in a series of preview articles as we head into the 2023 NTT Indycar Series season. Let’s take a look at four drivers who I think are going to have much improved years. Three are rookies from last year, and one young veteran I think is about to hit his stride. We will also look at some drivers who may be fighting for their jobs this year.

Drivers to Watch

Kyle Kirkwood

Kirkwood seems to be enjoying his new team. he has been quick in testing, as have his Andretti teammates. What remains to be seen is if his racecraft has improved. Last year Kirkwood sometimes tried too hard to overcome equipment deficits. the result was a lot of unforced errors and a 24th place finish in the final standings. He has the equipment and the team behind him to succeed this year. i expect to see a lot of the Kirkwood we saw on the Road to Indy in 2023. Will he win a race? I think that is possible, but not likely this season.

Christian Lundgaard

Lundgaard quietly earned Rookie of the Year in 2022, and showed steady improvement as the season went on. He earned seven Top 10 finishes, including two Top Fives and one podium. A year’s experience, backing by Hy-Vee, and an improving RLLteam should combine to see even better results for Lundgaard in 2023. I see him ending up in the TopTen at the end of the year.

David Malukas

A rough start to 2022 probably cost Malukas the Rookie of the Year title. He lost to Lundgaard by only 18 points. A driver who showed increasing maturity as the year progressed, Malukas drive to a brilliant second place at World Wide Technology Raceway. Malukas had one other top 10, at Iowa. He was the highest finishing rookie at the Indianapolis 500, but his lack of NASCAR titles cost him Indy Rookie of the Year. Of the three sophomores, I think Malukas is the most probable to eke out a win in 2023. Dale Coyne Racing doesn’t have the best equipment, but they know how to play the rules, and I think a race will fall his way.

Rinus VeeKay

It’s time for Rinus to stop teasing us. The potential is there for a breakout season. We have been waiting for the ECR driver to put together a solid, consistent season. VeeKay won the pole at Barber and finished third after a slow out lap following his second pit stop. He had a decent year in 2022 with six Top Tens and three Top Fives, but just one podium. Maybe we expect too much of VeeKay. I look for a top ten season finish and more regular top five appearances. A win is possible.

Hot Seats

Three drivers need to have really good seasons if they wish to stay in Indycar in 2024. One will be leaving his current team after the season, and this year is an audition for all the other teams. The other two have to show significant improvement in 2023.

Jack Harvey

We still aren’t sure what kind of a driver Jack Harvey is. Harvey had just one Top ten in 2022. That will not be good enough this coming season., I hoped for better results since he joined the series. For 2023, a different sponsor, different car number, and new crew may help Harvey rise to the level that fans have expected of him. I’m not expecting a win, but a final spot in the top 15 would be a significant improvement.

Romain Grosjean

I don’t know Grosjean’s contract status, but I thought when he joined Andretti, he would be a consistent contender for podiums and wins, 2022 was not a good year for Andretti overall, but I thought the former F1 driver would enhance their program. It didn’t happen. Grosjean has been quick in testing during the preseason, and he seems to feel the team has a better baseline heading into 2023. A win is possible, but more top five and top ten finishes are needed.

Felix Rosenqvist

Rosenqvist will depart Arrow McLaren at the end of 2023. In 2022,he had to fight to keep his job, and he showed himself to be up to the task. In 2023 his objective si to show the other teams that he belongs in Indycar. I think he does, and I have no doubt Rosenqvist will show well this season. A win will be tough given his teammates and the competition from other teams,but look for Rosenqvist to have a deal in place with a new team for 2024 before the season ends.