Tag: NBC
More Details on Texas Race Move to NBC
From Indycar:
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Classic 500s Abound on Television, Web
It won’t be the same as being at the track and seeing the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, but ESPN and NBC will feature several old 500s tomorrow.
The schedule:
Saturday:
Noon-ESPN- Virtual Legends Race from IMS
Sunday:
ESPN2
6:00 am- 2018 Monaco Grand Prix
8:30 am 2019 Monaco Grand Prix
3-5 pm 2006 Indianapolis 500
5-7 pm 2011 Indianapolis 500
7-9 pm 2014 Indianapolis 500
The races have three of the best finishes in 500 history.
NBC
Sunday
2-6 pm Enhanced replay of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 featuring interviews and commentary from Alexander Rossi and Simon Pagenaud.
Other viewing options
Classic races on You Tube
The IMS website will have virtual content all day today and tomorrow, including a race to be determined tomorrow afternoon.
Make the best of this weekend. let’s hope for the best come August.
Three 500s, Two Monaco GPs on ESPN2 Sunday
ESPN2 will help keep the traditional biggest day in motorsports alive Sunday with five encore presentations. Two previous Grand Prix of Monaco will begin the day. later in the afternoon the network will re-air three past Indianapolis 500s.
The schedule:
6 am 2018 Monaco Grand Prix
8:30 am 2019 Grand Prix of Monaco
These races are two of the better Monaco races of late. In 2018 Daniel Riccardo held off Sebastian Vettel. Riccardo battled engine and gearbox issues throughout.
In 2019 Lewis Hamilton beat Vettel by 2.6 seconds, close by f1 standards.
Plus you get to see Monaco for 4 hours. i love the setting for the race, although the racing isn’t always great. It’s one of the most iconic, classic venues for a race.
3 pm 2006 Indianapolis 500 Great duel at the end between Marco Andretti and Sam Hornish, Jr. The winner wasn’t decide until the cars reached the finish line.
5 pm 2011 Indianapolis 500 The 100th anniversary 500 featured probably the wildest finish ever. The J. R. Hildebrand seemed to have the race wrapped up crashed out of turn 4. Winner Dan Wheldon led less than a mile in what turned out to be a bittersweet victory.
7 pm 2014 Indianapolis 500 Ryan Hunter-Reay and Helio Castroneves stage a tremendous battle for the victory. Hunter-Reay’s pass in the grass was an incredible move.
NBC Replays 2019 Indianapolis 500
Overlapping ESPN’s replays will be NBC’s replay of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 from 2pm-6pm. The race features commentary from winner Simon Pagenaud and runner-up Alexander Rossi. A pre -race segment hosted by Mike Tirico features interviews with the two drivers.
These shows aren’t the same as being at the track on Sunday, but they are the best we have until now. Race day is hopefully just a little more than three months away. DVRs will be pretty busy this weekend.
“Back Home Again” Airs May 24
From Indycar:
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New Eras and Young Guns- The Future Begins at St. Petersburg
Race weekend is finally here. After a long, eventful off season, Indycar returns with a new series owner, a new advancement in safety, and some rule tweaks. Another great rookie class is waiting for their first round of competition. Several races will host expanded fields.
Two new eras begin tomorrow at 10:45 am when the NTT Indycar Series has its first practice session of the year. The 17th Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is the first event with Roger Penske in charge of the series. It also will be the first official session in which the aeroscreen becomes a part of Indycar safety.
The Kids Are Alright
One of the things to watch over the weekend is the young drivers. Last year’s outstanding rookie group and this year’s equally talented first year drivers make up almost a third of the grid for Sunday’s race. The rookie battle between Oliver Askew and Rinus VeeKay should be fun to watch all season. Alex Palou is the mystery rookie. He is quick, but is he on a team that can get him to the front? Felipe Nasr is new to Indycar, but his F1 and sports car experience should help him find speed quickly. These rookies not only have to battle the veterans, but also the second year drivers who amassed some stellar statistics in 2019. These nine drivers could be considered a class to watch by themselves.
The Aeroscreen and Pit Stops
This weekend will be the first time the aeroscreen is tested under race conditions. How will it affect the car’s handling in traffic? Will passing be easier, more difficult , or about the same? Teams need a couple of races to get a handle on the effects of the new safety attachment.
An extra crew member will be allowed over the wall this season to exclusively tend to the aeroscreen. The crew member can only work on the screen when the rear wheels of the car are off the ground. The duties are limited to tear offs and cleaning the screen. Since St. Pete is the first race with the aeroscreen, could we see some teams have pit stop issues? I’m sure the teams have practiced the new procedures, but in the heat of competition, things happen. I plan to watch pit stops closely Sunday.
Pit Strategy
The race distance has been shortened to 100 laps this year from the 110 it has been since 2013. 100 laps was the original distance beginning in 2005. I think it was probably done for television purposes. This shouldn’t change the need for three stops, but the timing of the final stop could depend on when the yellows fall. A team that pits late enough could end the race on red tires and have a speed advantage. Normally a team would want to be on blacks at the end of this race.
The Winner
If the recent trend holds, Josef Newgarden will win. His victory last year made him just the third winner since 2015. Juan Pablo Montoya won the first of back to back races in St. Pete then. Sebastien Bourdais went back to back in 2017 and 2018. Newgarden was just the fourth winner of this race to go on to win the series championship. Will Power was the last driver to win both in 2014.
Predictions
The race has had few caution periods for the most part in recent years. Qualifying position is the key to success. The pole winner doesn’t necessarily win, but with the exception of Bourdais’ two victories, starting near the front helps.
When we talk qualifying, we usually mean Will Power. He is the active leader in career poles and won the pole last year. Look for him to repeat as the top qualifier, but I look for Scott Dixon to finally win at this track.
Schedule Changes
It is possible the schedule may be adjusted during the weekend. I will keep you posted on any changes that occur. If you’re coming to the race, stay safe and wash your hands.
Hinchcliffe Joins NBC Broadcast Team
James Hinchcliffe will be part of the NBC motorsports broadcast team this year, beginning with the NTT Indycar Series season opener in St. Pete. Hinchcliffe has what is now a three race deal with Andretti Autosport todrive in the GMR Grand Prix, the 104th Indianapolis 500, and the Genesys 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.
He will serve as a driver analyst on pit road at St. Pete, Long Beach, Toronto, and Laguna Seca in addition to working as a part of NBC’s coverage in the week prior to the Indianapolis 500. Hinchclffe will also be part of the team covering select IMSA races beginning with the Sebring 12 hour March 20-21.
From Earlier: Season Preview Part I
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/90591962/posts/2604485664
Hinchcliffe will also work on the broadcast of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 4th weekend. Additional duties include Indy Lights commentary on NBC Gold.
I think this can only enhance NBC’s coverage. Hinchcliffe was in the booth in 2015 while recovering from injuries in a practice accident at Indianapolis. He was a huge hit with the fans. He also had a few great experiences on Wind Tunnel.
It’s Rolex 24 Race Day
Photo: Oliver Jarvis in the 77 Mazda leads the field to the green flag at 1:40 today.
The 2020 racing season gets underway this afternoon as the 58th Rolex 24 begins. A Mazda is on the pole and the question is can Mazda keep running for 24 hours. I look for a strong challenge from Penske Acura. The 6 car looks especially strong. Wayne Taylor Racing, in their first race without either of t Taylor brothers driving, could be a factor also.
The weather looks to be dry with moderate temperatures. After last year’s deluge., dry and mild is very welcome.
In GTLM, it could be a battle between the Porsches. They traded the lead back and forth in qualifying. A Lamborghini will win the GTLM class.
I hope to report every six hours.
The NBC network group has 16 hours of coverage. NBC shows the start and finish. Coverage is also on NBCSN and the NBC app. The app costs $19.95 for the entire IMSA season.
Indycar Modifies Push to Pass
Indycar has changed Push to Pass. The new system prevents other teams from knowing when a driver attempting to pass uses the system.
The details are in this article on Racer.com
https://racer.com/2019/12/27/indycar-tweaks-push-to-pass/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
I like this idea. Push to Pass has become Push to Defend more often than not. While I hope the new hybrid technology eliminates the use of this entirely this modification should make more passing possible.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 