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
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.”
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.”
Simon Pagenaud will miss his second consecutive race recovery from his accident at Mid Ohio two weeks ago. Tom Blomqvist, who drives the Meyer Shank GTP car in IMSA, will drive the 60 car in the Honda Indy Toronto.. There is speculation that Blomqvist will join the Indycar team full time in 2024.
Blomqvist won the IMSA event at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park last Sunday.
The news release from Meyer Shank Racing:
Blomqvist to Substitute for Pagenaud at Toronto
Fresh from IMSA CTMP victory, Blomqvist drafted in as Pagenaud Continues Mid-Ohio Recovery
Toronto, Ontario (11 July 2023) – When Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) found itself in need of a replacement driver for the injured Simon Pagenaud this weekend in Toronto, the team just walked through the doors of its IMSA program and tabbed another experienced champion to take the wheel.
Two-time defending and reigning Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona winner Tom Blomqvist will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut this weekend, taking the reins of the No. 60 AutoNation / Sirius XM Honda. The move was made necessary Tuesday after the series’ medical staff did not clear Pagenaud to compete this weekend as the Frenchman continues his recovery from the effects of a dramatic barrel-rolling crash that took place in Saturday’s practice at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Blomqvist, who won the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech Championship with Meyer Shank Racing, has run primarily in sports cars and prototypes in the last seven seasons after having started his career in open-wheel racing. Last weekend, Blomqvist claimed pole position at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on his way to victory at the track with co-driver Colin Braun.
The Toronto outing will not be his first on board an INDYCAR SERIES race car, as Blomqvist had an INDYCAR test with MSR in Sebring in October of 2022. The British-born driver came up through the karting ranks and ran four seasons in various Formula 3 series in Europe, scoring 12 wins. He also broke Lewis Hamilton’s record as the youngest champion of the Formula Renault UK series, taking the crown at the age of 16.
His INDYCAR SERIES debut comes in Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto, as the series battles for the 37th time on the 11-turn, 1.786-mile street course that winds through the city’s Exhibition Place grounds.
This weekend’s MSR lineup features drivers on both ends of the seat time spectrum as the rookie Blomqvist will be joined by veteran Helio Castroneves (No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) who is looking to reprise previous successes on the course that lies in the shadow of the Princes’ Gate.
Castroneves has five front-row starts to his credit in Toronto, including pole positions in 2000 and 2004. The Brazilian has led laps in seven of his starts in the Ontario city and has finished on the lead lap in each of his last nine INDYCAR starts there.
Sunday’s 85-lap race will air on Peacock on Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, July 15, beginning at 2:45 p.m. with live coverage on Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live race coverage on XM Ch. 160.
Lexington, Ohio (2 July 2023) – Conor Daly will race the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid following a practice incident that has sidelined Simon Pagenaud.
On Saturday, a manufacturer brake failure saw Pagenaud unable to slow for the high-speed Turn 4 during the morning practice session. Pagenaud took quick action to initiate a spin to reduce his speed, leaving the track sideways, but going airborne as the car was caught by the run-off gravel outside the corner. The No. 60 entry made a series of rolls at high speed before coming to a stop against the tire wall. Fast work from the AMR Safety team saw him extricated promptly and safely as he was transported to the on-site INDYCAR medical facility.
Pagenaud was evaluated and released by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES medical team, but required to be signed off per protocol to return to action. A follow up test did not provide the clearance for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner to race Mat Mid-Ohio on Sunday.
“First and foremost, I have to speak to the safety of these cars,” said MSR Team Owner, Mike Shank. “To walk away from an accident like that is incredible and we cannot thank everyone at INDYCAR, the AMR INDYCAR safety team and the INDYCAR medical team for everything they did to get Simon out and evaluated as quickly as possible.
“This is obviously not a scenario that we had planned for, but everyone at MSR has pitched in to get our backup car ready for Sunday,” continued Shank. “It’s actually Helio’s Indy 500 car and the one he won the 500 with in 2021. We have to thank Conor for being here and stepping into this, he’s been super great through all of the chaos. Now we will get back on our feet and see what we can do in the race.”
Daly steps into the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda with plenty of laps under his belt at Mid-Ohio. This will be his eighth NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at Mid-Ohio with his best finish of sixth in his Rookie season in 2016 which followed a run to the front of the field, leading 22 laps and moving up 16 positions.
“Obviously I have to think about Simon, you hate to see someone wreck like that,” said Daly. “The most important thing is to get him as healthy as possible, as soon as possible. This is his car and his group of folks and I am here to do the best job that I can for this team. I’ve known Mike (Shank) for a long time and I’ve tested for his sports car team many years ago. I’ve always had a lot of respect for this organization. It’s an honor to be a part of this group and fill in – we will just do the best job that we can.”
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is set for 1:30pm ET on Sunday, July 2nd. MSR driver Helio Castroneves will start 19th while Daly will start 27th.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Acura had paced the practice sessions, but a red flag with five minutes left in qualifying looked to quash their shot at the pole for Saturday’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona International Speedway.
Nick Tandy crashed in the bus stop, tearing part of the nose off of his Penske Porsche. he drove the damaged car back to the pits, but the cleanup on track took most of the remaining time in the 20 minute session. IMSA allowed the GTP cars one more flying lap.
Blomqvist was last on track and turned a lap of 1:34. to take the pole from Ricky Taylor in the Wayne Tayor with Andretti Acura. Taylor had the fastest time before the red flag. He finished third.
Pole winners for each of the five classes:
Notes
Kevin Magnussen has withdrawn from the race. He needs surgery on his hand. Will Power withdrew earlier/
A friend of mine who was at the Roar last weekend. thinks the Porsches will be very strong in the race.
Attrition in the GTP class might be high. it’s the first race for the new cars and engines.
Ricky Taylor will have an Indycar test with Andretti Autosport. I hop eit leads to at least a ride in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 5, 2022) – INDYCAR officials have announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing entry for an unapproved engine change following Saturday’s race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.The team was in violation of:Rule 16.2.3.2 A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.According to Rule 16.6.1.2, the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Sunday, Aug. 7 on the streets of Nashville.
Meyer Shank Racing seems to have taken it upon themselves to uphold then honor of the older drivers,. 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud had the fastest time Tuesday in the second day of testing at Sebring International Raceway.
Four time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves had the second fastest time, giving Meyer Shank Racing the top two spots on the chart.
Last year’s wave of young drivers may still grab most of the attention in season, but Pagenaud and Castroneves may have something for them.
Defending NTT Indycar Series champion Alex Palou was sixth fastest Tuesday.
2021 Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood was the fastest rookie Tuesday with the fifth quickest lap.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 