Photo by Kyle McInnes
Of note- There were two first time pole winners Saturday. Linus Lundqvist in Indycar and Jamie Chadwick in Indy NXT.
Road America Starting Lineup
Tag: Linus Lundqvist
Ganassi Signs Lundqvist to Multi Year Deal
From Chip Ganassi Racing
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2023) – Chip Ganassi Racing announced today that the team has signed Linus Lundqvist to a multi-year contract.
Lundqvist is set to bring his championship credentials to Chip Ganassi Racing for his first full season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2024.
“Joining Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me,” said Lundqvist. “Stepping up to race full-time in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and to do so with one of the most successful teams in the history of the championship, is the moment I’ve been working for throughout my career. It is hard to explain how much this means to me. I am incredibly grateful to Chip, Mike and to everyone who has backed me on this journey, including of course my family.”
“It’s terrific that the opportunity to hire Linus, a proven winner, plus the reigning 2022 INDY NXT Champion is now a reality at Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull. “He has shown that his on-track performance creates the racecraft separation that’s required in INDYCAR today. Growing together with Linus is what comes next.”
After winning the 2022 INDY NXT championship, Lundqvist made the jump to compete in three INDYCAR races this season with Meyer Shank Racing.
Lundqvist wasted no time making his mark, setting the fastest lap time among all drivers in two of his first three races in the series.
“I have dipped my toes into INDYCAR racing in recent weeks, which will give me a little bit of a head start going into 2024,” said Lundqvist. “Coming up through INDY NXT has provided me with some important experience that will help me get up to speed. Having said that, this is an entirely new challenge as I prepare to join an established top team at the highest level of the sport. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead, but having a team like Chip Ganassi Racing put their trust in me is the greatest motivator I could ever have. I intend to do everything in my power to grab this opportunity and I look forward to all the moments ahead, next year and beyond.”
Lundqvist dominated throughout the 2022 INDY NXT season, clinching the championship by a margin of 92 points after earning five wins, nine podiums and seven pole positions. He made his series debut in 2021, where he finished third in the points standings with three wins, 11 podiums and three pole positions.
Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Lundqvist previously won the 2020 Formula Regional Americas Championship, the 2018 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship and the 2016 Formula STCC Nordic Championship.
Lundqvist will be embedded with the Chip Ganassi Racing team for the final two races of the season as he prepares for the next step in his career.
Source: Chip Ganassi Racingex
Lundqvist Makes Oval Debut as Pagenaud Still Out
Meyer Shank Racing announced today that Linus Lundqvist wiil return to car 60 at World Wide Technology Raceway in the Bommarito 500 next Sunday. The race will be the third for the 2022 Indy NXT champion this season.
Simon Pagenaud continues to recovery from his accident at Mid Ohio. he has not raced since. Lundqvist subbed for Pagenaud at Nashville. where he qualified for part of the race. At the Gallagher Grand Prix at IMS Lundqvist qualified and finished 12th.
Conor Daly filled in for Pagenaud at the Iowa double header.
Lundqvist is rumored to have signed with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2024
Lundqvist Stays With Meyer Shank for Gallagher Grand Prix
From Meyer Shank Racing:
Indianapolis, Ind. (8 August 2023) – After making an impressive NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) last weekend at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Linus Lundqvist will return behind the wheel of the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda for Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix (2:00pm ET, USA Network, SiriusXM Ch. 160).
While Simon Pagenaud continues to make gains in his recovery following an accident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month, which saw the Frenchman have a manufacturer brake failure, he has not been cleared by the INDYCAR Medical Team to participate in this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Lunqvist will make his second INDYCAR race start and once again be joined by full-season MSR driver Helio Castroneves in the Brickyard weekend which will see the NTT INDYCAR SERIES run in conjunction with NASCAR. The quick two day weekend, will feature an 85-lap race on Saturday, the second time that the INDYCAR SERIES has run on the IMS road course this year.
Lunqvist is coming off a big INDYCAR debut weekend in Nashville, which saw the 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone Champion advance into the Firestone Fast 12 in Qualifying and go on to post the fastest lap of the race on Sunday. Unfortunately, contact with the wall ended his race early, but Lundqvist will be looking for redemption this weekend.
The Swedish racer has four starts on the IMS road course in INDY NXT competition, starting on the pole in three out of the four races. He has two wins on his resume, both of which he started on the pole.
Castroneves returns to the site of his 2021 Indianapolis 500 victory, but this time on the road course layout. Castroneves will be making his 13th race start on the IMS road course this weekend. The INDYCAR favorite has collected two podium finishes on the road course, finishing third in 2014 and 2nd in 2017.
The Gallagher Grand Prix at IMS will be a quick two-day weekend with practice and qualifying on Friday, August 11th and the 85-lap main event set for a 2:30pm ET green flag start time on Saturday August 12th. USA Network will begin coverage at 2:00pm ET and SiriusXM will host live IndyCar Radio coverage on XM Ch. 160.
Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:
Helio Castroneves:
“The IMS road course is a place that has been very good for MSR, so I am looking forward to getting back to one of my favorite places. I think we learned a lot from the last race there in May, so that should help us this weekend. I’m ready to go!”
Linus Lundqvist:
“First I want to say a massive thank you to Mike and Jim for their trust to put me back in the car again. The Nashville weekend was great in so many ways. Obviously, a lot of impressions and a lot of new stuff for me going on that weekend and I was pretty disappointed with the way that it ended. It was my mistake and I enjoyed it up until that point. I think it also left me and the team wanting more, which I am grateful for another opportunity at Indy. I know it is going to be tough again, but now I have a whole race weekend under my belt. Hopefully we can string some good results together and find some good speed, but I feel like it is going to be a super weekend.”
Lundqvist Subs for Pagenaud at Nashville
Finally, Linus Lundqvist gets his shot. Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy NXT (Indy Lights) champion, will substitue for Simon Pagenaud in the 60 car for Meyer Shank Racing this weekendat Nashville.
Simon Pagenaud issues this statement this morning:
The news release from Meyer Shank Racing:
Lundqvist to Drive for Meyer Shank Racing in Nashville INDYCAR Weekend
Lundqvist will substitute for Simon Pagenaud in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda
Pataskala, Ohio (31 July 2023) – As Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) heads to the fourth street circuit on the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, the Ohio-based team will welcome Linus Lundqvist to its lineup alongside Helio Castroneves for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday (12:00pm ET, NBC, SiriusXM Ch. 160).
Lundqvist is stepping in for Simon Pagenaud, who continues to recover from a practice accident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this month. While he continues to improve, he has been advised by the INDYCAR Medical Team to not participate in this weekend’s event in Nashville.
Following the Mid-Ohio accident, MSR has continued to campaign the No. 60 Honda-powered entry, with the team’s IMSA Championship winning driver Tom Blomqvist making his INDYCAR debut on the streets of Toronto while Conor Daly stepped in on short notice to compete in both the Mid-Ohio race and the Iowa Doubleheader.
Now, the 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone Champion will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES race debut with MSR as he heads back to a track that he has seen much success at. Lundqvist excelled in INDY NXT competition, scoring third in the championship in his rookie campaign in 2021 and backing that up with a run to the title in 2022 on the strength of five wins and nine podium finishes.
In addition to his success in INDYCAR’s feeder series, Lundqvist has had two INDYCAR tests this year at Texas Motor Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.
Lundqvist heads into the Nashville event with some recent familiarity of the track, having swept the 2022 event with a pole and victory.
In honor of heading to the ‘Music City,’ the No. 60 machine will once again carry the all-new SiriusXM Channel, CARRIE’S COUNTRY – XM Ch. 60 – which is a specialty channel with music curated by the eight-time GRAMMY winner, Carrie Underwood.
Lundqvist will join INDYCAR SERIES veteran Castroneves who will drive the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda around the 2.17-mile street course. Castroneves has shown well in his two outings in Nashville, finishing ninth in 2021. Last year’s event saw Castroneves start from the back of the field following an engine change, but the Brazilian driver worked his way up to a 13th place finish.
The sister MSR car driven by Pagenaud, finished inside the top ten in 2022, finishing ninth after starting 13th.
The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will air live on, Sunday, July 30th on NBC starting at 12:00pm ET. All Practice sessions and Qualifying can be viewed on Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live IndyCar Radio coverage on SXM Ch. 160.
Meyer Shank Racing Team Quotes:
Linus Lundqvist:
“This is a moment I’ve been dreaming of literally since the start of my career. I could not be more excited about the prospect of finally making my NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut; I am extremely grateful to Meyer Shank Racing for this opportunity. This will be an incredible experience, but also the toughest challenge of my life. Sitting on the sidelines all year, it would be a massive task to join any championship towards the end of the season – let alone the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on the streets of Nashville. There’s been very little time to prepare, but I feel like the sheer excitement of this moment will make up for some of that. Of course, working alongside Helio – one of the true legends of this sport – will also be a huge asset. Last but not least, I would like to wish Simon Pagenaud a continued speedy recovery. While fully aware of everything I have to learn this weekend, I will do my very best to make him and everyone else on the team proud in Music City.”
Helio Castroneves:
“I’m super excited to head back to Nashville, it’s such a fun city and it has such great energy. The race has always been interesting and it’s very important to stay clean and consistent. We’ve had a pretty good car there the last two years, so I’m hoping that when we go back we’ll be even better. It will be an interesting weekend to have Linus with us as well, he is new to all of this, just like Tom (Blomqvist) was in Toronto. There will be a lot to learn for him, so we’ll see how he adapts.”
Lundqvist Gets Test with RLL as Harvey Cleared to Race; Series Going South?
Indycar fans got their exercise by jumping to a conclusion about Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing this week. First Jack Harvey, injured in a lap 42 accident at St. Pete, was finally cleared to drive again.
A few days later, the team announced that2022 Indy Lights champion Linus Lundqvist will get an oval test April3 at Texas, the day after the Indycar race there. Lundqvist was caught in a lowering of the champion award money which didn’t give him enough funding to secure an Indycar ride. Rahal said that they will see about entering him in a few races later in the year.
It would be easy to conclude that RLL is preparing a replacement for Jack Harvey at the end of the year. I’m not ready to make that leap yet, but Harvey’s inauspicious start to a make-or-break season certainly adds fuel to that suspicion. The next race at Texas is the one Harvey sat out in 2022 after suffering a concussion in a practice crash.
We will see how this plays out, but I look for a fourth Rahal entry at some races after May. I’m excited to see what Lundqvist can do. meanwhile, Let’s see if Harvey can turn his fortunes around.
Argentina Calling?
Mark Miles went to Argentina to check out a track for a possible Indycar race. Ricardo Juncos has been pushing for the series to race in his home country. In November Juncos held demonstration runs with Augustin Canapino which drew large crowds.
Track designer Tony Cotman accompanied Miles on the trip.
A race in South America needs to make perfect financial sense for the teams, the series, and the schedule. The gap between St. Pete and Texas would be the ideal spot for this race. There is plenty of time for transport back and forth, and it wouldn’t interfere with the rest of the schedule.
While I am not against an Argentina event, I’d rather the series focus on bringing back Milwaukee and adding other tracks in the United States. Indycar badly needs a race in the Northeast.
Champions Power, Team Penske Share Honorsat Victory Lap Celebration
From Indycar
| Lundqvist, HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing Saluted for Indy Lights Title INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022) – Will Power and Team Penske stepped into the spotlight again as the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions Saturday night during the Victory Lap Celebration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Power clinched his second series championship with a third-place finish in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet last Sunday at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca. He won his first title in 2014 with Team Penske. Australia native Power prevailed by 16 points over teammate Josef Newgarden, delivering Team Penske its record-extending 17th INDYCAR SERIES championship. Team Penske President Tim Cindric accepted the Championship Owner Award. Newgarden and Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing also were saluted for finishing second and third, respectively, in the standings. Power led the 2022 season with five NTT P1 Awards for pole, earning the NTT P1 Award as the best qualifier of the season. It’s the fifth time in his career he has won this award. Power also made history last weekend by winning his 68th career pole, breaking a tie with fellow legend Mario Andretti for the all-time INDYCAR SERIES record. Team Penske’s technical team also was honored with two awards. Kyle Moyer won the Team Manager of the Year Award for the fifth time. It’s the sixth time a Team Penske executive has won. Pennzoil presented Trevor Lacasse with the Chief Mechanic of the Year for the first time, the sixth time a Team Penske mechanic has earned this award. Power’s No. 12 Verizon Team Penske crew also won the Firestone Pit Performance Award for earning the most cumulative Pit Stop Performance Award points during the 2022 season. Team Penske drivers Power, Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin delivered nine of Chevrolet’s series-leading 11 victories this season, helping Chevy win the Manufacturer Award for the seventh time since it returned to the series in 2012 and the first time since 2017. Jim Danahy, U.S. vice president, Competition Motorsports Engineering for Chevrolet, accepted the award on behalf of his team .Christian Lundgaard was honored as the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year. Lundgaard, from Denmark, scored one podium finish, two top-five finishes and seven top-10s in the No. 30 Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He edged David Malukas of Dale Coyne Racing with HMD by 18 points in the standings for first-year series drivers. Success in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires also was honored this year at the Victory Lap, as in 2022 INDYCAR took over execution and promotion of the series that provides the last step of preparation for drivers aspiring to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Linus Lundqvist was honored as champion after a dominant season for HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing. Lundqvist, from Sweden, won a series-high five races in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry and clinched the Lights championship with a race to spare, ending with a 92-point advantage over Sting Ray Robb. Lundqvist also received a painting representing his 2022 championship season created by noted motorsports artist Jim Swintal, also a longtime INDYCAR SERIES race official. Swintal has painted these works for Lights champions every year since 1991.Andretti Autosport teammates Robb and Matthew Brabham also were honored for finishing second and third, respectively, in the standings. HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing owners Henry and Daiva Malukas accepted an honor for their championship-winning team this season in Lights. Hunter McElrea received the Rookie of the Year Award in Indy Lights. McElrea, from New Zealand, drove to two victories, seven podium finishes and three poles in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport entry en route to finishing fourth in the series standings. Newgarden and Lundqvist also received the AiM Sports Move Award for their respective series, presented to the driver judged to have made the most dramatic pass of the year. |
Lights Drivers Mum on Indycar Futures
Indycar photo: Kyle Kirkwood on track by Chris Owens
The top three 2021 finishers in Indy Lights, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, and Linus Lundqvist, talked about their very cold test day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. The trio had the opportunity to test an Indycar on the IMS road course. It was the first time in an Indycar for Lundqvist. Kirkwood and Malukas tested at Barber. Kirkwood also had a test at Sebring.
Kirkwood and Lundqvist drove cars prepared by Andretti Autosport; Lundqvist drove the number 2 car of Team Penske.
Much of the post test discussion centered on the Indycar prospects for the drivers.
Kirkwood, the first driver to win the championship on all three levels of the Road to Indy, still has no ride for 2022, but he hinted that things are moving in a positive way.
“We have an idea, yeah. I think we
have a direction. It’s not all said and done yet. As of today, which today is November
1st, I’ve been given permission to look elsewhere. I
haven’t been able to have conversations. I don’t know
exactly what I can and cannot say, so I’m going to keep my
mouth shut on the direction “.
Malukas is strongly thought to have a ride with Dale Coyne Racing for 2022. In response to a question about how far along his deal is, he would only say, “We will do 99.9%”
As for Lundqvist, it appears he has very little going on at the moment. He replied to questions about his Indycar future,
“Unclear I would say. You never
really know what’s going to happen. I would love to stay
here in the U.S. to start off with. Obviously I would love to
be in INDYCAR next year. If that doesn’t happen, then I’m
looking to do Lights another year.
You never really know because budget-wise it’s a very big
question. We’ll see what we can do during the winter, after
this test as well, what pops up. I’ll keep digging no matter
what.”
Tire Heat Biggest Surprise
All three drivers seemed most impressed by how quickly the tires got warm. It caught a couple of them by surprise.
Lundqvist commented, “Actually the Firestone tire, the grip that they have just
straight out of pit lane was a lot better than what I
experienced in Indy Lights. Obviously it takes a little bit of
time for the pressure to come up, but it wasn’t as bad as I
expected it. You just had to be a little bit careful. It was
not too bad. Obviously I think it would have been even
better when it was warmer. Within a lap or two the tires
were in.”
Malukas agreed with Lundqvist, “Comparing to Indy Lights, it’s like
night-and-day difference. With Indy Lights in this weather,
it would have taken quite some time.”
Kirkwood noted, “One thing I did notice that was pretty big, especially
compared to the Lights car, is the tires switch on so quickly
even in the very cool conditions, which I was not expecting
on the first few laps.”
Lundqvist concluded with a comment about how well Indy Lights prepares drivers for Indycar.
“What you learn in Indy Lights, you
can definitely bring on here. The cars are very similar in
some sense but quite different in others.
I think what I learned in Indy Lights is that you’re able to
drive a car just on the limit. That really rewards you in
INDYCAR as well. It’s that you have so much more grip to
play with. It’s not as much on a knife edge, I would say, as
the Lights car is. You got so much more to play with here.
I think you’re extracting a lot of lap times if you’re having a
similar driver style in the Indy Lights car if you bring it to
INDYCAR.”
“
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 