Tag: Meyer Shank Racing

Armstrong will drive the No. 60 MSR Indy car starting in 2027

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Silly Season Week continues.

From Meyer Shank Racing.

Pataskala, Ohio (July 3, 2026) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) announced today that Marcus Armstrong has signed a multi-year contract extension that will keep the New Zealander with the organization beginning in 2027. As part of the agreement, Armstrong will transition to the team’s No. 60 MSR Honda for the start of the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
Since joining Meyer Shank Racing in 2025, Armstrong has established himself as one of the series’ brightest young talents. In his first season with the team, he earned his second career NTT INDYCAR SERIES podium at Iowa Speedway while recording 11 top-10 finishes, showcasing the consistency and speed that have made him a championship contender.Armstrong has continued that upward trajectory throughout the 2026 campaign. With seven races still remaining on the schedule, the 25-year-old has already collected five top-10 finishes and delivered one of the standout drives of the season in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. After charging through the field after starting 16th,
Armstrong battled for the lead in the closing laps before crossing the finish line in fifth place in one of the closest finishes in race history.
His pace has been evident throughout the season, including a heartbreaking near-victory at Road America where he was on his way to claim his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES win before mechanical issues ended his day with fewer than five laps remaining. Despite the setback, Armstrong has consistently demonstrated the speed, racecraft, and determination that have made him a cornerstone of MSR’s future.
“I’m proud to announce a multi-year partnership with MSR,” said Armstrong. “I want to thank Mike, Jim, Tim and Helio for this opportunity and for believing in me. I feel that Meyer Shank Racing gives me one of the strongest cars on the grid every weekend. Our goals are aligned, we want to win races and be consistently fighting at the front. I especially look forward to returning to the Indy 500 having unfinished business from this year. We still have eight races left this season and we have some strong momentum going. I’m ready more than ever to close out this season on a high note and start prepping for 2027.”
The contract extension reflects the confidence both Armstrong and Meyer Shank Racing have in continuing to build toward race wins and championship success together. As Armstrong prepares to take over the No. 60 Honda beginning in 2027, the team remains focused on finishing the 2026 season strong and turning its race-winning pace into victories.
“Since joining the team, Marcus has really shown that he is a top contender, something that is not easy to do in this field,” said Mike Shank. “His work ethic, feedback, and determination to improve every weekend make him exactly the kind of driver you want to build around. We’ve seen tremendous growth from him, and we’re excited to continue that journey together starting in 2027.”
Meyer Shank Racing continues to finalize plans for the No. 66 MSR Honda and expects to announce the driver for the team’s second full-time entry at a later date. 

MSR Confirms Felix Rosenqvist’s Departure After Season

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From IndyCar:

Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly

INDYCAR Staff Writer

2 HOURS AGO

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The first domino of the 2026 Silly Season has toppled, as Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian co-owner Michael Shank confirmed driver Felix Rosenqvist is leaving the team after this season.

Rosenqvist is enjoying a career revival with MSR, which he joined in 2024 after three seasons with Arrow McLaren (2021-23) and two seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing (2019-20). He is sixth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings this season, boosted by the biggest victory of his career in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

“It’s unfortunate that Felix has decided to move on from MSR at the end of the season, particularly given everything we’ve accomplished together, including this year’s Indy 500 victory,” Shank said in a statement provided to INDYCAR.com. “Over the past several years, Felix has played an important role in helping build this program into what it is today, and we’re grateful for his contributions both on and off the track.

“There are still eight races left on the schedule, and everyone at MSR remains fully committed to achieving the strongest results possible in the championship and delivering for our partners.”

The Swede also finished sixth last season in points with MSR, matching his career best set as a rookie with CGR in 2019. Rosenqvist, 34, has four top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season in the team’s No. 60 Honda alongside teammate Marcus Armstrong in the No. 66 Honda.

No announcement has been made about Rosenqvist’s future destination or his replacement at MSR.

“While we wish Felix nothing but success in the next chapter of his career, our focus at MSR is on the future and ensuring we have the right driver in place for the 2027 season,” Shank said. “As a team, we’ve made tremendous progress over the last few years, and maintaining that momentum is a top priority. We’re actively evaluating our options and hope to have an announcement to make in the coming months, so stay tuned.”

Road America Wrap Up- Resiliency, Heartbreak, Frustration

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Some thoughts on an amazing race yesterday at Road America:

We may never see a road course that good again, but I hope the XPEL Grand Prix 2026 edition becomes the gold standard for road racing in IndyCar. Typical races here are rather pedestrian with cars strung out over the four plus mile circuit. Sunday saw passes for the lead, a variety of pit strategies, game changing cautions, and frustrated drivers. A race fan can’t ask for more than they received this Father’s Day.

Yesterday’s event is a candidate for the best race of the year, along with the three oval races to date.

The breakdown-

A Resilient Drive from Lundgaard

I thought Christian Lundgaard’s day was over by turn three. Punted by Scott Dixon, the McLaren driver needed to pit to replace the front wing and take on a new set of tires. Lundgaard fortunately stayed on the lead lap, ahead of leader Alex Palou.

He said in the post-race press availability that his car seemed faster after the repairs. Lundgaard passed David Malukas for second place and went after leader Marcus Armstrong. He was catching Armstrong, but it appeared his chase would end just short. Armstrong’s engine let go with just two laps to go, and Lundgaard claimed his second win of the season.

Lundgaard has quietly become the team leader at McLaren. He is fourth in the standings, just 17 points out of second place.

Heartbreak for Armstrong

It’s late in the race. Marcus Armstrong leads David Malukas as both drivers seek their first career win in IndyCar. Armstrong’s margin over Malukas is healthy one, but then Malukas gets passed by Lundgaard, who is mounting a charge. Will he snatch victory from Armstrong?

We will never know if he would have, as Armstrong began slowing om lap 52. His Honda engine expired the next lap, leaving the Meyer Shank driver stopped on the side of the road, his first victory gone up in smoke.

It was clear all weeke3nd that Armstrong had the strongest car, and he backed it up for all but the final couple of laps, when it counted the most.

What we are seeing is the Meter Shank Racing team becoming a force to deal with in the series. While they are still not in the top tier conversation, the team has made significant headway this season. Felix Rosenqvist won the Indianapolis 500, while Armstrong led tthe penultimate lap.

Rosenqvist and Armstrong combined to lead 32 of the 55 laps on Sunday.

Is There a Caution Rule That Satisfies Everyone?

The short answer is no. Last year when cautions were held for pit stops or not thrown for cars or debris “off the racing line,” there wer some unhappy teams and drivers complaining about thye advantage the policy gave the leaders.

In 2026, cautions have abounded, for the most part, I think they were necessary. Participants are still confused, wondering if or when the yellow will wave. We have seen several teams caught out by yellows. Rosenqvist’s team owner Mike Shank was quite upset after the race by the yellow that may have cost the 500 winner a chance at the win.

No matter what the rule or enforcement policy is, as long as it is consistent, I’m fine with it. I’ was not a fan of the old rule, and I like what is going on this season with it.

No matter which way the series goes, people will be unhappy if a particular instance hurts them. Well, that’s racing. There is an element of luck involved. The same rule may be to your advantage in the next race. It will all balance out.

Notes

I saw Will Power’s onboard of the last lap incident with Graham Rahal. It appeared Rahal moved over in front of Power, and Will could not avoid contact. This one is on Graham.

A massive crowd saw a great race. We may see even more fans at road America in 2027.

How big was the crowd all weekend? This is the first year I had trouble finding a spot to park my golf cart anywhere (First World problems, i know).

Turn 5 lower grandstand prior to morning warmup Sunday.

Grandstands that are normally half empty, even on race day, were full for the morning warmup yesterday and for morning practice on Saturday.

Thanks for following along this past weekend. The Pit Window will be on hiatus until July2, as I take a little journey to Ireland. There will be some Mid-Ohio coverage remotely when u get back. I’ve not heard of any racing over there during my visit.

Arlington Recap- Kirkwood’s Pace Overcomes Pit Stop Issues

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The king of the streets has returned. Kyle Kirkwood used the blistering he showed on Saturday to pass Alex Palou on lap 55 to win the inaugural java House Grand Prix of Arlington. The win was the sixth of Kirkwood’s fairly young career. Five of the victories coming on street courses.

It was not an easy victory as Kirkwood had issues on two pit stops. A loose wheel nut rolled in front of Kirkwood’s car as left on his second stop, turning the nut into a missile which ricocheted off of the pit wall. His final stop was 9.5 seconds, nearly two seconds slower than Palou’s simultaneous stop as the right rear tire was slow getting on.

Kirkwood quickly brought the deficit down and made a brilliant pass in turn 13 to overtake the reigning series champion. Kirkwood expanded the lead to more than thre seconds before a caution for Christian Rasmussen slowed the field on lap 68. Kirkwood pulled away on the restart to begin the final lap as the yellow flew again Roman Grosjean and Nolan Siegel collided.

Thoughts

Will Power bounced back from his troubles during the first two weekends with a strong third place finish. Sunday was the first session in which he did not make contact with the wall or another car. Power led 16 laps, the same number of laps that both Palou and Kirkwood led.

In addition to Kirkwood’s pit woes, Andretti teammates Power and Marcus Ericsson also had difficulties in the pits. Ericsson finished fourth. The pace of the Andretti cars allowed them to overcome their long stops. Pit work cost Colton Herta a couple of races over the last two years. If the team can improve their service work, Andretti can be a consistent contender.

Phoenix was a tough act to follow, but I thought Arlington produced a good race. Several tire strategies were in play, and there were fights for the lead and some battles further back in the field. A pass for the lead with less than 20 laps remaining is always a good look.

The long street course with a wide surface helped produce the good racing. It was nice to see a street course with room to maneuver. From what I saw, the event was a huge success.

Teams on the Rise

Meyer Shank Racing and ECR are showing signs of gaining strength and being in the mix all season. Had Felix Rosenqvist not jumped the restart at the end, Meyer Shank was looking at having both cars finish in the top 10. Marcus Armstrong ended the day 10th, and Rosenqvist was in fifth before his penalty.

ECR saw both Alexander Rossi and Christian E=Rasmussen qualify in the top 10. Rossi came home ninth Sunday. Rasmussen ended last after his crash on lap 68. Rasmussen led most of the way last weekend at Phoenix before his incident with Power. Rossi has two consecutive top 10 finishes.

FOX

Some questions about the broadcast:

Will we ever get a live pit stop timer?

Can the network show a little more flexibility with commercial breaks? Yesterday ads were so frequent and ill timed that I thought there would be a commercial break when the leader got to turn 10 on the last lap. Full screen commercials late in the race were especially annoying.

Fast Six Shootout

I talked about the shootout Saturday in my post

Ericsson Takes Arlington Pole

A Welcome Break, then on to Barber

The series takes a short break next weekend before heading to Barber Motorsports Park.

The first three races have produced three different winners from three different teams and three different pole winners from two different teams. In 2025 IndyCar did not see a third different winner until Mid Ohio in July. I hope this competitive diversity continues.

A different driver has led the championship each week. It’s nice to see the title in doubt.

Blomqvist Wins Pole as Meyer Shank Racing Continues Quick Pace at Indy

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From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025) — They may find it hard to believe, but it’s pretty safe to say Tom Blomqvist and Meyer Shank Racing have the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course figured out when it comes to practice and qualifying.
Next comes the most important part – a six-hour endurance race Sunday.
Former NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Blomqvist won the overall and GTP class pole Saturday for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship race in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06 prototype, turning a top lap of 1 minute, 14.569 seconds.

SEE: Qualifying Results

The pole continued a stretch of domination for Blomqvist and co-driver Colin Braun, another NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran. They led the opening practice Friday and the pre-qualifying practice this morning on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course
.“We actually have thought this was a bit of a bad track for us,” Blomqvist said. “In the past, we’ve never really figured it out. So, the guys put a lot of energy into it to come up with something that makes more sense, and let’s give it a go. That’s what we came here with, something very different than what we’ve run in the past, and it’s worked from the get-go.
“So, that gives you a lot of confidence.”
Meyer Shank Racing also earned its fourth consecutive pole this season. The team also has two wins, on the Streets of Detroit and at Watkins Glen in June.Now MSR will try to win this prestigious Michelin Endurance Cup event that starts at 11:40 a.m. ET Sunday and ends at 5:40 p.m.
“It’s a six-hour race, and the strategy is super-important,” Blomqvist said. “A lot can happen in an IMSA race. You need to make sure you make the right calls at the right time and be on the right side of the strategy. It’s very easy for something to be unlucky or to make a bad call, and that puts you out of the race.”
Jack Aitken qualified second at 1:14.610 in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.
Wayne Taylor Racing, headquartered in nearby Brownsburg, put both of its prototypes on the second row. Louis Deletraz qualified third at 1:14.715 in the No. 40 Cadillac V-Series.R, while Ricky Taylor was fourth at 1:14.804 in the team’s No. 10 Cadillac.
The reigning winners, the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL entry of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, qualified eighth in the 12-car GTP field at 1:15.133 with Dries Vanthoor behind the wheel.
Nick Boulle led a sweep of the first two qualifying spots in the LMP2 class by United Autosports USA. He was quickest at 1:17.846 in the team’s No. 2 ORECA LMP2 07, followed by Daniel Goldburg at 1:18.222 in the team’s No. 22 prototype.
Dan Harper took the top qualifying spot in the GTD PRO class for Paul Miller Racing, stopping the clocks at 1:23.259 in the team’s No. 48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Casper Stevenson won the pole in the GTD class with a best lap of 1:23.088 in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. That time was quicker than the pole for the factory-supported GTD PRO class.
McLaren Goes 1-2 in Michelin Pilot Challenge Race
Michael Cooper took the lead with less than one minute remaining and drove the No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsports McLaren Artura GT4 to overall and Grand Sport class victory in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120, a two-hour race for the Michelin Pilot Challenge series.It was the second win of the season for Cooper and co-driver Moisey Uretsky. This also was the first 1-2 finish for McLaren in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition.

SEE: Race Results

“I just took any opportunity I was given, whether it was inside, outside, wherever,” Cooper said. “I was willing to try anything to get that win. We got a win at Daytona to open the season and haven’t had a podium since, so I thought it was worth risking for.
“I think everyone was really struggling with braking and grip overall. So, maybe I just managed that a little better early in the stint and had a bit more in the end.”
Jesse Lazare scrambled into second in the last minute to finish second in the No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4 that he shared with Alexandra Hainer. Robert Noaker and Cameron McLeod finished third in the No. 60 KOHR MOTORSPORTS Ford Mustang GT4.
Cooper and Lazare passed Noaker for first and second, respectively, with less than a minute to go, and Lazare also got past for second. Cooper completed a stirring drive from 17th to third from just past halfway until a caution bunched the field with 17 minutes to go.
American Cooper passed Canadian Lazare for second in Turn 1 with four minutes to go and then set his sights on Noaker. On the decisive pass, Noaker led down the back straightaway and through Turn 10, but Cooper then edged past in the next right-hand corner.
Spanish manufacturer Cupra earned its first Michelin Pilot Challenge victory in the Touring Car class, as co-drivers Eric Powell and Tyler Gonzalez won by 6.988 seconds in the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Cupra Leon VZ TCR. This is Cupra’s first season in IMSA competition, and it became the first manufacturer to earn its maiden IMSA win since Alfa Romeo in 2021.
The No. 7 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 shared by Celso Neto and Ryan Eversley finished second, while Karl Wittmer and LP Montour drove the No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 to third.
Ericsson’s Brother Wins Again in Lamborghini Series
Hampus Ericsson now has one up on his older brother, 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson, as he earned his second victory at IMS in two days by sweeping Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America events this weekend with co-driver Danny Formal.
The duo triumphed in the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan by 11.067 seconds over teammates Trent Hindman and Jackson Lee, son of FOX Sports INDYCAR announcer Kevin Lee, in the No. 69 Huracan. Those WTR cars finished in the same order in Friday’s 50-minute race.
Aaron Jeansonne won the second 40-minute Porsche Carrera Cup North America race of the weekend. He drove the No. 24 Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to victory by .981 of a second over the No. 78 Topp Racing Porsche of Ryan Yardley, who earned his second runner-up result of the weekend.Race 1 winner Zachary Vanier placed third in the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche.
Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. 

Meyer Shank Racing Dashes to 1-2 in Opening IMSA Practice at Indy

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From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 19, 2025) – The 2025 surge continued Friday for Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian, this time in sports cars at Indianapolis.
Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian placed its two Acura ARX-06 prototypes atop the overall and GTP class time sheets Friday in the opening practice for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
SEE: Practice Results
Former NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Tom Blomqvist posted the quickest time of the 90-minute session on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course, 1 minute, 16.209 seconds in the No. 60 entry. He will share that prototype machine with fellow INDYCAR SERIES veteran Colin Braun in the six-hour race that starts at 11:40 a.m. ET Sunday.
“The length of the race and traffic management will be key for us,” Braun said.
“We had a chance to do some testing at IMS, and this group continues to jell.”
Nick Yelloly was second at 1:16.477 in the team’s No. 93 entry shared with Renger van der Zande and Kaku Ohta.
“From the run we’ve been on recently, there’s no reason we can’t fight at the front again,” Yelloly said.
MSR has earned two victories this season, with the No. 93 triumphing on the Streets of Detroit and the No. 60 winning the Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen, both in June. Van der Zande and Yelloly are tied for fourth in the GTP point standings, with Blomqvist and Braun sixth.
That success mirrors the team’s improvement this season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where drivers Felix Rosenqvist (sixth) and Marcus Armstrong (eighth) both finished in the top 10 of the final standings.
Jack Aitken ended up third in the GTP practice at 1:16.532 in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.
The reigning winners of the six-hour endurance race, the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL entry of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, ended up seventh at 1:16.773 with Dries Vanthoor behind the wheel.
There should be tight competition for the pole in GTP qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, as slightly more than eight-tenths of a second was all that separated the 12 GTP cars in the field.
Mikkel Jensen led LMP2 practice with a best lap of 1:17.407 in the No. 11 TDS Racing Oreca LMP2 07. One of his teammates is former INDYCAR SERIES driver and INDY NXT by Firestone race winner Hunter McElrea. The No. 11 team has won the LMP2 class in this event the last two years.Qualifying for the LMP2 class starts at 4:05 p.m. ET Saturday.
In the GT Daytona Pro class, Davide Rigon was quickest at 1:24.419 in the No. 81 Ferrari 296 GT3. The GTD PRO class qualifies at 3:40 p.m. ET Saturday.
Valentin Hasse-Clot was quickest in the GT Daytona class with his lap of 1:24.403 in the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. Interestingly, Hasse-Clot’s time was quicker than the best lap in the factory-supported GT Daytona Pro class. GTD qualifying starts at 3:15 p.m. ET Saturday.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge series will conduct a two-hour race at 12:40 p.m. ET Saturday with its two classes, both on track Friday for two practice sessions
.Michael Cooper was quickest overall in the Grand Sport class with his best lap of 1:29.552 in the No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsports McLaren Artura GT4.
Tyler Gonzalez led the Touring Car class at 1:31.471 in the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Cupra Leon VZ.
Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying starts at 8 a.m. ET Saturday.
Racing began Friday in the single-make series competing this weekend at the Racing Capital of the World.
Pole sitter Danny Formal and co-driver Hampus Ericsson, the younger brother of 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson, won the first of two 50-minute Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America races in the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan. WTR finished 1-2 in the race, as the team of Trent Hindman and Jackson Lee, son of FOX Sports INDYCAR announcer Kevin Lee, placed second in the No. 69 Huracan.
The second race is at 5:10 p.m. ET Saturday.
Zachary Vanier drove his No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to victory by .486 of a second over the No. 78 Topp Racing Porsche of Ryan Yardley in the first of two 40-minute Porsche Carrera Cup North America races. The second race is at 10:45 a.m. ET Saturday
.Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. 

Armstrong Stays at MSR for 2026

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Meyer Shank Raving has resigned Marcus Armstrong for the 2026 IndyCar Series season. The announcement from Meyer Shank Racing:

Pataskala, Ohio (18 August 2025) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is pleased to confirm that Marcus Armstrong will return the team and drive the No. 66 Honda for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Armstrong has quickly become a consistent and competitive force in his first season with MSR, delivering strong performances throughout the 2025 campaign. The 25-year-old New Zealander has recorded ten top-ten finishes so far this season, highlighted by a podium at Iowa Speedway — the second of his INDYCAR career.

With momentum building through the second half of the year, Armstrong is aiming to finish the season inside the top ten of the championship standings for the first time in his career — a testament to the growth and promise he’s shown in the No. 66 SiriusXM Honda.

“I’m very pleased and grateful to be back with Meyer Shank Racing and my crew for 2026,” said Armstrong. “The professionalism and attention to detail is a benchmark throughout the field and we have certainly improved with time together which has been great. We’ll look to build on our momentum and work hard to climb the points standings.”

Armstrong has also impressed in qualifying, matching his career-best starting position of third (Toronto), and earning a second-row start with a fourth-place qualifying effort to kick off the season in St. Petersburg.

“We’re thrilled to have Marcus back for 2026,” said Mike Shank, co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing. “He’s really grown a lot this season and we’re seeing that in his results as the season has gone on. His performance this year has shown that he has all the tools to fight at the front. We’re excited to continue building on this progress together.”

Armstrong and Meyer Shank Racing still have two races left on the 2025 calendar and are looking to close out the season on a high note.

Road America Wrap Up- Palou Flies Solo

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The air was hot, the track was hot, and t5he action was hot. Teams played Pit Stop Roulette, but in the end, we saw the same result.

The fuel save master just missed, and the tire master came out on top again. In an entertaining, action packed race at Road America where the winner wasn’t decided until the last three laps. Alex Palou won his sixth race of the year after Scott Dixon fell two laps short on fuel.

Some thoughts:

The chaotic start with eight laps of caution in the first 12 laps led to a wide mix of pit and tire strategies, which in turn led to a lot of on track battles. From my view in turn 5, I’m surprise there were only five caution periods. Drivers were pushing each other to the outside with lots of contact. I have never seen so much dust kicked off at the exit of the turn as I did yesterday.

I had a good view of Sting Ray Robb’s incident. he was fortunate that he scrubbed off some speed on the concrete barrier before he hit the tire wall. It appeared he couldn’t brake. It seems I say this every race, but hats off to the safety design features of this chassis. Robb stopped in a place where the AMR safety stations a truck, but still it seemed as if they were headed to Robb before he came to an abrupt stop.

Great Drives

Santino Ferrucci finished third after starting 18th. Scott Dixon finished ninth from 25th on the grid, and he had a chance to win because of pit strategy. Rinus VeeKay started 22nd and finished 10th, overcoming three penalties.

David Malukas started seventh, went off track on lap 1, and roared back to end the race where he started. Malukas complained of the heat affecting him. While no other driver mentioned it, I’m sure heat was a factor for many.

Penske’s Lost Year

For the last two races, I have thought that Team Penske would begin a comeback to being a factor. At Gateway the trio of Will Power, Scott McLaughlin, and Josef Newgarden qualified first, second, and fifth. None finished the race.

Yesterday the team started fourth, eighth, and 10th. They finished 12th, 14th, and 25th. Josef Newgarden has four results lower than 20th and is 17th in points. McLaughlin and Power are still in the top 10 in points, but ypoun have to wonder for how long?

Even before the organizational shakeup in May, the team seemed not quite up to their usual standards. It is sad to see a team decline as rapidly as they have.

MSR Rising

Felix Rosenqvist finished second as he continues to quietly stay in the top five in points. Rosenqvist is now fourth in the standings, and teammate Marcus Armstrong’s fifth place result has him standing 11th for the year.

MSR has thrived in their relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Foyt Ascending

It ius ironic that A. J. Foyt Racing is doing better tha the team they have atechnical alliance. The association with Team Penske has yielded marked improvement for one of the smallest teams in the paddock.

As not6ed earlier, Santino Ferrucci and David Malukas both had top 10 results yesterday. Ferruci is now ninth in points and Malukas is 12th, a far cry from the years when this team hovered on the brink of missing out on the Leaders ‘Circle.

After seven rather mundane races, IndyCar has produced two very good, exciting races with lots of passing, position battles, and doubts about who would win until near the end of the race. I hope this trend continues when the series goes to Mid-Ohio in a couple of weeks.

Results

Marco Returns for Indy; Helio to Attempt Daytona 500

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The Andretti name stays on the grid. The rumors and speculation have been put to rest. Andretti Global confirmed that Marco Andretti will return to the team for his 20th Indianapolis 500. The 2020 Indianapolis Pole winner has eight top 10 finishes and top 5 runs in the 500. His best finish was his rookie year, when he was nipped at the line by Sam Hornish, Jr., in 2006.

Andretti’s’ last Top 10 was in 2017, an eighth-place result, and his last Top 5 was in 2014 when he ran third. In addition to his pole, Andretti also started on the outside of the front row in third.

Castroneves Tries Daytona

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 next month with Trackhouse Racing. Castroneves, a part owner of Meyer-Shank racing, will also drive in the Indianapolis 500.

I like when drivers race in different forms of racing outside their primary category, but the corporate. proprietary nature of racing today makes it such a big deal when it happens. It shouldn’t be. Drivers used to race in several different series all the time during the season.

The Field of 33

Andretti’s entry brings the entry list to 33 for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The entry list to date:

McLaren (4): O’Ward, Siegel, Lundgaard, Larson

Penske (3): Newgarden, McLaughlin, Power

ECR (3): Rossi, Rasmussen, Carpenter

Foyt (2): Ferrucci, Malukas

JHR (2): Robb, Daly

Prema (2): Ilott, Shwartzman

DRR (2): RHR, Harvey

Andretti (4): Herta, Kirkwood, Ericsson, Andretti

Ganassi (3): Simpson, Dixon, Palou

MSR (3): Rosenqvist, Armstrong, Helio

RLL (3): Rahal, DeFrancesco, Foster

DCR (2): TBA, TBA