Tag: NBC

Road America Official Announcement on Fan Attendance

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From Indycar:

If you are planning to attend Road America, there is some important information in this announcement.

INDYCAR to Welcome Fans
for July 9-12 Race Weekend at Road America
INDIANAPOLIS (June 25, 2020) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will welcome fans back to the track for the first time in 2020 on July 9-12 at Road America for the REV Group Grand Prix presented by American Medical Response doubleheader race weekend.

Under the guidance of public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal authorities, INDYCAR and Road America will observe safe social distancing practices and provide enhanced hygiene and safety precautions for all fans attending the event.

All guests will be screened in their vehicles with contactless temperature checks before entering the parking areas, and only essential racing personnel will have access to the INDYCAR paddock. A PPE kit that includes a face mask as well as hand sanitizer will be provided to each guest upon arrival to the track.

Fans are encouraged to practice safe social distancing and wear a cloth face-covering where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures will also be implemented throughout the facility during the weekend. Guests are encouraged to print their tickets at home to have a contactless experience at the gates and easier entry. Additional protocols and guidelines for spectators can be found at www.roadamerica.com/safety.

The race weekend will feature two full points races for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on back-to-back days – July 11 and 12 – as part of the REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR. The weekend schedule will also be bolstered by two junior development series of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, the Indy Pro 2000, and USF2000, of which many drivers of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES are graduates.

Fans have three quick, convenient methods to buy tickets:

Online: Visit www.roadamerica.com Tickets are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Print your tickets to save time and enjoy a contactless experience at the gates.

Phone: Call 800-365-RACE or 920-892-4576 between 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.

In-Person: Visit the Road America Ticket Office at the Road America Administration Building off of State Highway 67 (Gate 6) between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.

Gates open at 7 a.m. and races run rain or shine. For more information, call 800-365-RACE (7223) or visit www.roadamerica.com

Anyone 16 years old and under is always FREE with a paying adult at the gate.

All active-duty first responders will receive FREE entry to the REV Group Grand Prix presented by American Medical Response weekend. First responders, including law enforcement, fire, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, will be admitted free of charge by showing valid identification indicating active service in the form of a department-issued ID, badge, copies of certifications or an active roster copy from their department on department letterhead. FREE admission must be redeemed at the gate and is only valid during the event weekend.

About INDYCAR:
INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series known as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The series features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including five-time series champion Scott Dixon, reigning series champion Josef Newgarden and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The season, which runs from June to October, currently consists of 14 races in the United States and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, which is annually run in May, but rescheduled for August at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.

Schedule Set for GMR Grand Prix

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The on track schedule is now in place for the NTT Indycar Series second race of the season. The GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will run July 4 as part of the first NASCAR/Indycar doubleheader. Advertising is now calling it a triple header because of the Xfinity race on July 4 as well. If Indy Lights were also part of the program would they bill it as a quadruple header? I don’t think so. From my perspective, it’s still a doubleheader.

The Indycar on track schedule:

Friday, July 3

11:30 am- Practice

4:30 pm- Qualifying   NBC

July 4

9 am- Warm up

Noon- Race  NBC

Green flag around 12:15

I assume the practice and warmup will be available on NBC Gold.

I’ll be back later today with  comments on some Indycar news of this week.

Television Times and Channels for July NTT Indycar Series Races

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As the Indycar series ramps up for its first set of races- Five races in 15 days, NBC Sports now has set coverage times and channels. There will be no fans at the GMR Grand Prix. Road America and Iowa will have fans in attendance.

Iowa will put 6,00 tickets on sale this coming Friday at 10 am ET. I kindly request that you wait until I have purchased mine before you get online. Thanks in advance.

The schedule:

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Quick Thoughts- Genesys 300

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Nice that NBC acknowledged what is going on in the country at the start of the broadcast.

It was a race. It was a nice distraction from everything else happening in the world. We got through it. Not the best race ever, but drama was beginning to build near the end. Rosenqvist made a poor decision to pass when he did.

Scott Dixon now has a chance to get his 50th career win this season. I hope it comes at a race where fans are allowed.

I was surprised there weren’t more cautions. VeeKay and Palou’s accident I thought would be the first of rookie accidents all night.

This was probably not the best race to showcase on NBC.

Passing seemed to improve as the night wore on. I hope that high part of the track can be improved for next year.

A 5-7 lap window to require tire changes might have put more strategy into the race. There was mor strategy than i expected with the yellows and teams deciding to pit early. Thanks to NBC for keeping track of tire laps on screen.

Solid runs for Veach, Carpenter, Daly, Askew, and Kanaan.

Kimball lost what would have been a terrific debut for A. J. Foyt Racing. It was nice to see the Foyt cars competitive.

Ryan Hunter-Reay had an amazing run recovering from the issues at the start to finish eighth and on the lead lap.

Conor Daly is the best thing that has happened to Carlin racing since they entered Indycar.

Oliver Askew is exactly what I thought- patient and steady. It was a great job for a rookie at Texas to move up 11 places.

I can’t remember seeing so many cars have issues on the grid before engines fired.

Pit crews were rusty from the layoff, but they will get back into form next month.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some more detailed thoughts. I’m just glad that there was a live race to watch, it was a safe night, and that we all had a taste of the normal for a few hours today.

Thanks for following along today.

 

 

Newgarden On Pole for Genesys 300

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Josef Newgarden nipped Scott Dixon for the pole for tonight’s Genesys 300. Newgarden, the final qualifier, averaged 215.740 to beat Dixon by 0.03 seconds.

Takuma Sato crashed during his qualifying run. He will likely start in his backup car.Rinus VeeKay, who had crash in practice, did make an attempt. Neither did Santino Ferrucci. A statement from Dale Coyne Racing said the car didn’t feel right.

Starting grid will be up in a few months minutes.

Dixon Leads Practice; Tough Day for ECR

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Scott Dixon moved to the top of the speed chart with two minutes left in the two hour practice session for tonight’s Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. The session in very warm temperatures was interrupted three times for incidents. Two of the stoppages were caused by cars from Ed Carpenter Racing.

About 15 minutes into practice rookie Rinus Veekay drove too far below the white line in turn 2 and crashed hard into the outside wall. The car suffered heavy left side damage, including the gearbox. The crew is trying to get the car ready for qualifying at 5 pm Eastern time. they may use some parts with Air force branding from Conor Daly’s road course car.

With about an hour left, Ed Carpenter spun on the exit of turn 4. He made very light contact with the wall and punctured a rear tire. Carpenter complained of understeer just before the spin.

Two minutes after practice resumed, Ryan Hunter-Reay crashed in turn 2. There was some damage to the car, but it should be ready for qualifying.

Hondas dominated the session, at one time holding the first six spots. Three Andretti Autosport drivers, Marco Andretti, Zach Veach, and Colton Herta, swapped the lead for about 15 minutes. With two minutes left in the session, Scott Dixon  moved to the top with a lap of 215.995 and held on until the checkered flag.

The top 12:

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Notes

A big concern for tonight’s race is the dark sections of the track where a traction compound was put down for the NASCAR race. There is no grip in that area and drivers had a difficult time holding on if they got too much of their car in it. I hope this doesn’t cause the race to be a single groove processional show.

Tony Kanaan’s 7-11 car looks amazing.

Pato O’Ward had the quickest Chevrolet and third fastest in the session.

Five teams had drivers in the top 10.

It was nice to see Charlie Kimball in a Foyt entry finish 11th.

Three Andretti drivers were in the top 10. Alexander Rossi and Hunter-Reay were not two of the three.

The six newest drivers in the field have an average age of 21 years, 4 months. All are in their first or second year in the series. The full field average is just over thirty years,  Kanaan and Takuma Sato raise it to that level.

Race preview from yesterday:

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/90591962/posts/2741819644

 

 

All Texas in A Day

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Greetings from Texas Motor Speedway. Just kidding. Of course I’m in Indianapolis as we prepare for the first Indycar race of the season. Coverage of all sessions for the Genesys 300 can be viewed on various NBC channels beginning at 1 pm Eastern. Today’s schedule and broadcast platforms:

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After the race, NBCSN will present a 30 minute post race show. The first 30 minutes of practice is dedicated to rookies and veterans who have not raced at Texas previously. Approximately four hours will be on television.

Look for coverage here at The Pit Window after each session.

Unknowns Make for Intriguing Indycar Opener

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The NTT Indycar Series finally gets its season going tomorrow night at Texas Motor Speedway. The Genesys 300 is one of only two races this season running on its original date.  The second race at Iowa July 18 is the other one. The 1.5 mile oval has hosted Indycar since 1997.

Saturday will be a day of unknowns. The new aeroscreen gets its first test in racing conditions and its first night trial. How will the 35 lap tire limit play out? Five drivers have not driven at Texas before. Will they be a factor? Will the COVID protocols in place be effective? Are the drivers bothered that there will not be fans in attendance?

The Aeroscreen

Texas heat might play a factor in the midday practice and qualifying sessions. We will get a good idea about what further work may need to be done for cockpit cooling. As the sky darkens during the race, how will the drivers’ vision be affected? Scott Dixon expressed concern about the screen at night but thinks everything will be fine.

The added weight of the screen and the higher center of gravity it creates will affect tire wear. This is one of the reasons for the tire limit.

Will tear offs cause someone a problem? The short stints may not help provide an answer.

35 Lap Stints

Indycar has mandated a maximum of 35 laps on a set of tires during the race. I like this idea better than competition cautions since it keeps the track green, but teams should have some latitude. The pit windows CART employed might be a better idea. It would throw some strategy into the race.

We could see some teams pitting slightly earlier to gain track position. Will some teams take fuel every second stop or short fuel each time? I have not heard what penalty will be assessed for a car that exceeds 35 laps on a stint.

Is 35 laps long enough to allow for some tire wear? Is pack racing going to result because the tires are not falling off?

Texas Newbies

Three rookies, Alex Palou, Oliver Askew, and Rinus VeeKay not only begin their Indycar careers tomorrow night, but begin at a very challenging track. Pato O’Ward and Jack Harvey will also be racing at Texas for the first time. These five drivers will have their own 30 minute session immediately prior to the practice session. Thirty minutes may not sound like much, but it does give them plenty of room to figure out the track and get a sense of how fast it is.

It does concern me having Texas as the season opener, especially after such a long layoff for everyone. Adding rookies to the mix also causes me some worry.

COVID Protocols

Indycar is fortunate that NASCAR has had several races since the pandemic began and is able to observe how their safety protocols have worked. From what I have heard, they are working well.

Indycar teams may bring no  more than 20 people to the track, including the driver. Several teams are bringing fewer personnel. The teams will be housed in every other garage. Pit boxes are extended to 45 feet from 40 feet. Everyone entering the track will have their temperature taken. Masks are required.

If this is what is needed so that racing can occur, I’m fine with it. The last thing we need is for someone in the paddock to get ill. That would probably shut down the season.

No Fans

We can joke all we want to about how it won’t look much different than many of the recent Texas races, but fans do bring some energy that I feel does come across on television. The lack of people in the stands will be most noticeable before and after the race. During the race I never notice the stands anyway.

It may be something we need to adjust to.

The Race

Look for the big three to control the show tomorrow. It could come down to a battle between Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, and Alexander Rossi. Texas usually comes down to a late strategy call. If that is the case Saturday, Newgarden will win again.

Notes

We are finally going racing. Special thanks to Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway, for working with Indycar to make this race happen. Gossage has  supported Indycar since Texas Motor Speedway opened.

The schedule changes allow Tony Kanaan to compete in his 318th consecutive Indycar race. Kanaan was scheduled to only drive the ovals for A. J. Foyt Racing. Had the season began in St. Pete as scheduled, the streak would have been over.

Green flag is 8 pm EDT on NBC.