The good news that NBC will have 14 NTT Inycar Series races on network television s tempered by the loss of night races. The closest race to a night event is at World Wide technology Raceway., with a broadcast start time of 6 pm Eastern. That means the race starts around 5:30 Central time and will be done around dusk.
I really don’t understand why this race is not under the lights since it is slated for USA Network. I get that big NBC doesn’t want to show a prime time weekend night race. But why can’t USA show a night race.
The other race scheduled for USA Network is Belle Isle. I find that puzzling as well, considering that Roger Penske is the race promoter. Why not make that an NBC and put Iowa’s Saturday race on USA at night?
I hope this is a temporary schedule transition and there is at least one true night race in 2023. Indycars at night look fantastic. The colors really pop under the lights. They seem to be faster. Most important is that at Iowa and Gateway, to a lesser extent, the racing is better at night. As the track cools, the cars’ handling changes. A fast car early in the race can turn into a handful later, while someone struggling before sundown can turn into a rocket.
Maybe we will get a long rain delay at Iowa like there was in 2019 when a twilight race turned into a late night/early morning affair. It appears my night racing will be limited to the Rolex 24 in a couple weeks.
The absence of night races is my only complaint with the television schedule. Generally, I like the early start times for most of the races. Fans should be able to get home in time to get some sleep before going to work on Monday.
This announcement is one I have been waiting for. Remember, these are television times, not race start times. The one disappointment I have is that it appears neither Iowa race will be a night race meaning World Wide Technology Raceway is the only race after dark on the schedule. I am happy that mid Ohio retained its early start time.
For Immediate ReleaseINDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Jan. 10, 2022) – NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the broadcast start times for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, which will feature a record 14 races on broadcast network NBC, headlined by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET). The first six races of the season will air on NBC, including the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at noon (ET) Sunday, Feb. 27. NBC Sports will also present the third consecutive year of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader July 30-31 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with the INDYCAR race at noon (ET) Saturday, July 30 on NBC. Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2022 INDYCAR schedule include: The 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, on NBC, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns to NBC at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, April 10.The third consecutive year of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course the weekend of July 30-31, with the INDYCAR race on Saturday, July 30 on NBC .The much-anticipated second iteration of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, and first presentation of the race on network television, will air at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Aug. 7 on NBC.The season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be presented at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 11 on NBC. Peacock will exclusively stream an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race for the first time in 2022 when the Honda Indy Toronto race will be held at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, July 17. Peacock will simulstream all races airing on NBC and all qualifying and practice sessions, as well as coverage surrounding the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Indy Lights races, race day warmups and full-event replays of 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races also will be available on Peacock. NBC Sports’ 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage schedule:
Tuesday James Hinchcliffe announced that he was stepping back from full time Indycar racing. Today he is now in the broadcast booth for NBC, covering Indycar and some IMSA races. It’s not his first foray into broadcasting, and many thought television is where Hinchcliffe would land when his career ended. He replaces Paul Tracy in the booth. Leigh Diffey and Townsend Bell return for 2022. Hinchcliffe will provide insight into what the current car with the aeroscreen is like to drive.
The Indycar on NBC announcement:
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE JOINS NBC SPORTS AS MOTORSPORTS ANALYST
Hinchcliffe to Serve as Analyst for NTT INDYCAR Series and Select IMSA WeatherTech Championship Series Events
Will Make 2022 INDYCAR On-Air Debut at Season-Opener at Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27 on NBC
2022 NTT INDYCAR Series Features Record 14 Races on NBC Broadcast Network, Including 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29
STAMFORD, Conn. – December 16, 2021 – INDYCAR fan-favorite and veteran driver James Hinchcliffe has joined NBC Sports as a full-time analyst for its coverage of the upcoming 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series. Hinchcliffe will join play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey and analyst Townsend Bell to comprise NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team for the 2022 season.
In addition to his role on NBC Sports’ exclusive INDYCAR coverage, Hinchcliffe will also serve as an analyst for select IMSA races. Hinchcliffe will make his 2022 INDYCAR on-air debut at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, February 27, on NBC.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the NBC Sports team this year,” said Hinchcliffe. “I got a taste of calling INDYCAR back in 2020 and that really solidified my desire to get into this side of the sport. It’s always been a passion of mine to educate people about INDYCAR, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to help tell those stories from the booth alongside a couple of pros in Leigh and Townsend.”
“James Hinchcliffe is one of the most dynamic personalities in motorsports and we’re excited to bring ‘The Mayor of Hinchtown’ straight from the car and into the booth for NBC Sports,” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “James’ engaging personality, combined with his unique perspective of what these drivers are experiencing in real time, will be a great addition to our motorsports coverage.”
Hinchcliffe recently announced he was stepping away from full-time competitive racing following a decade in INDYCAR which included six race wins and the 2011 NTT INDYCAR Series Rookie of the Year award. Hinchcliffe was also awarded the INDYCAR Fan Favorite Award in 2012 and 2018.
The 2022 Indycar schedule which had a rather low key release yesterday- an internet story posted between the final warmup for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey and the Indy Lights race- is not atypical of recent schedule releases. The schedule has some good, some bad, and some things that just make you shrug your shoulders. I think most of the scheduled was dictated by available slots on NBC.
The schedule:
The Good
From a selfish standpoint, this schedule is one where I could attend every race with no logistical issues whether or not I go to Florida for the winter.
Iowa returns to the schedule with a double header. The twin bill adds one more oval race to the schedule.
Fan favorite Iowa Speedway returns with two races in 2022
Toronto stays on the schedule as they make a third attempt to hold the Honda Indy. The pandemic has caused the race to be cancelled in 2020 and this year.
Fourteen of the races are on big NBC. The channel consistency makes it easier for fans to find the race and not wonder which channel to find.
Long Beach returns to its traditional spring date. I think this is a more natural time slot for the second oldest race on the calendar.
Texas’ new early date will have cooler temperatures than the June date has endured. It might change the racing, although as long as the PJ-1 compound is on the surface, not much will change.
Detroit is not a double header. I like this change, although the racing at Belle Isle has been quite good in the last two events.
The Bad
The start of the season is not to my liking. One race a month with three weeks between races is not a good way to build a strong viewer base. I have no problem with St. Pete in February, but Indycar continues its pattern of having the opening race, then a three week gap until the next weekend. This trend now extends to race three.
If there are just two races in June, spread them out. May is packed with events on all but one weekend, and the two June races follow immediately. Teams have five straight weekends of races and Indianapolis 500 qualifying.
While I am happy that Texas will run during cooler weather, the date conflicts with the Sebring 12 Hour Race. Many Indycar drivers also run that event since the teams need an extra driver. Either the Indycar drivers will miss Sebring or there will be some red eye flights out of Florida late Saturday night. I know some fans who will be torn between which event to attend. I’m saving up for my private jet starting now.
July has four events with five races, followed by just two races in August and two more in September.
Once again, the season ends too early. September 11 should be when the stretch run for the title begins. Indycar should schedule races for September 25, October 9, and the finale October 16.
The Meh
Two races, Detroit and World Wide Technology (Gateway) are on USA network. I would like to know why those races were chosen for the alternate network. Will the races on USA rotate year to year?
Toronto’s return is assigned to Peacock exclusively. Does this mean the series thinks this race’s spot is still tenuous? Again will the race that gets on peacock rotate from year to year? Are some races more equal than others?
Three Indycar races at IMS are too many. The third race, part of the Indycar/NASCAR doubleheader, should go to another venue. The double header was a nice showcase this year, but I think the concept will get old quickly. Indycar shouldn’t be the undercard to NASCAR’s minor league seies.
I appreciate how difficult it must be to put a schedule together with all the parts that must fit together, but sometimes I wonder why there have to be such huge gaps in the calendar.
The rest of the week we will talk about the season finale and the championship with possibly some driver announcements thrown in.
Colton Herta leaves the pits after a stop. Indycar photo by Chris Jones
Some rambling thoughts on a race with some entertaining parts:
Colton Herta’s win in today’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey was pretty much a foregone conclusion, but there was some entertaining action behind the front two.
Herta’s two wins this year have come from the pole position. In his two victories Herta has led 188 of 195 laps.
Romain Grosjean put on quite a show, in moving from 13th on the grid to third at the end. He made some excellent passes, especially in the Corkscrew, and his altercation with Jimmie Johnson was probably the highlight of the race. Grosjean caught Johnson at the top of the hill leading to the Corkscrew, but he appeared to misjudge his speed. His car got airborne as the two collided, and Johnson was forced to go off track in the turn. How Grosjean did not have damage to nd his race I don’t know.
Indycar photo by Chris Jones
Grosjean is now just 20 points behind Scott McLaughlin for Rookie of the Year honors although he has run three fewer races.
Alex Palou started fourth and seemed content to run the entire day in second place after he fell into the position. Alexander Rossi collided with Herta in an attempt to take the lead. The two touched wheels and Rossi spun into the dirt and stalled. A lap later Will Power, who started third, pitted with an engine issue.
Palou is now very close to winning the series title next week at Long Beach. He extended his lead over Pato O’Ward to 35 points. Josef Newgarden, the only other driver who is still in contention, is 48 points behind. Newgarden needs to get the maximum 54 points while Palou finishes 25th or worse. An 11th place result next week will give Palou the title if O’Ward wins the maximum number of points. Palou is taking nothing for granted next week. After the race, he said,
“INDYCAR you cannot relax at any moment. We just keep doing what we’ve been doing, race hard, race smart, and hopefully we can get that championship without needing to finish 11 or anything. We will try and get the best result as possible.”
Another nice run for Ed Jones today with a 10th place finish. Jones is ending his time with Dale Coyne Racing on a high note. He has qualified and raced well except for Gateway.
Simon Pagenaud ‘s eighth place was his best finish in a while. This has been Pagenaud’s best weekend of the year.
Oliver Askew has done enough this weekend to earn a ride somewhere for 2022. In just his second race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, the former Indy Lights champion qualified fifth and came home ninth. I’m not sure theses last three races are an audition for RLL, but I’m sure someone in the paddock has noticed what he did.
O’Ward’s fifth place seems surprising. He was fighting the car and the tires all day, yet pretty much maintained his spot in the top five. he will be a champion some year.
Scott Dixon charged into the top five on the first lap, then faded after colliding with Takuma Sato. I can’t remember the last time Indycar went into the season’s last race without Scott Dixon having a chance at the championship. Still, he will finish fourth in the standings.
Jimmie Johnson recorded his best Indycar finish, 19th. He showed some competitiveness, making a couple of passes for position and had that great battle with Grosjean.
I thought that NBC could have spent some time in the prerace show talking about the schedule for 2022. I didn’t like seeing it mentioned during the race when it cut away from on track action. You would think they would have given it more emphasis since 14 of the races will be on NBC.
Honda clinched the engine manufacturer’s title with Herta’s win.
Alex Palou can move closer to the Astor Cup today. Indycar photo by Joe Skibinski
Today’s schedule: All Times Pacific
Today’s race will determine how many are still left to fight for the championship next weekend in Long Beach. Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon are on the brink of elimination given their starting spots. Pato O’Ward should still be in the hunt after today, and points leader Alex Palou has things pretty much in his control. Anyone who leaves the track 50 or more points behind is out of contention.
The winner has started on pole here 15 times in the 23 previous races, and every winner has started in the top six. As unpredictable as 2021 has been, that tradition might get a bit of a shakeup today.
Tire degradation and grip are going to be crucial for success in the race. In the post qualifying media conference, Herta said about tires,
“My initial feeling is that it’s going to be a black race. You’re going to want to get off those red tires. I guess the important thing we’ll try to learn about is how long can we make those tires last before the huge dropoff comes in.”
The race is 95 laps, five laps longer than the 2019 distance. Teams will likely make three stops. A two stop strategy would be very iffy.
Alexander Rossi added, “The tire deg is pretty aggressive. I don’t know what that means (smiling). A lot of people are wanting to pit for new tires, like in practice after 12 laps, and we got to go 25. There’s going to be a lot of screaming on the radio from people.”
Rossi also talked about the tendency tooverdrive the track, which has resulted in numerous off course incidents so far this weekend.
“But also you can’t underdrive. It’s one of those places, it’s a pretty fine line. I think on street courses you’re rewarded for trying as hard as possible most of the time. Some of the road courses, it’s a little better. Like Indy GP, I feel it’s better to almost underdrive. Here you have to be on the 100%, not 101%, not 99%. ”
Indy Lights
Kyle Kirkwood led flag to flag in yesterday’s race and now leads David Malukas by eight points. He is on the pole again for Race 2 today. The Indy Lights season concludes at Mid Ohio October 1-3.
I’ll have a warmup summary and of course post race comments later today.
Marti Update: Marti is in rehab and is showing tremendous improvement. She may be able to come home around the end of the month,, which seemed unlikely a week and a half ago. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers
Today’s schedule:
Sunday’s race is the last one of the year on NBC. Next week’s season finale will be on NBCSN>
Today the California Cup Rush begins-two races to determine the NTT Indycar Series champion for 2021. I feel sorry for the winners of theses last two events if they happen to be non contenders. No one ever remembers who they are. I think it’s exciting to have this year’s title chase end on two classic tracks- Laguna Seca, now known by the awkward name of Weather Tech Raceway, and Long Beach, the second longest running race in the Indycar Series.
This weekend will be the 24th Race at the track near Monterey. CART began racing here in 1983 and continued until 2004. Indycar returned in 2019, and last year the pandemic cancelled the race. Colton Herta won the race from pole in 2019.
Given all the twists and turns of this incredible season, it is apt that the penultimate race include a corner named The Corkscrew.
Just 34 points separate the top three drivers-Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, and Josef Newgarden- making the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey the key race in the championship. In a normal year this would be the season ender. The race will seem like a year end event. The title fight is the main thing to watch this weekend, but other things are at stake as well.
Battle for the Astor Cup
Palou, O’Ward, and Newgarden don’t need to win, but each driver will look to finish ahead of the other two. Scott Dixon has a minimal chance of being the hunt, but 49 points behind at this point seems like too much to overcome.
Palou could clinch the title this weekend, but he would have to earn the maximum number of points-54- and even then it depends on where Newgarden and O’Ward end up. I have no doubt the battle goes down to the last lap at Long Beach.
I think both Newgarden and O’Ward will gain a bit of ground on Palou, who will still lead heading into the finale. I still believe, as I’ve said since early May, that Palou will win the title.
Rookie of the Year
Scott McLaughlin leads Romain Grosjean by 38 points after Portland. Grosjean has driven three fewer races than McLaughlin this year. He sat out Texas and the Indianapolis 500. Another Top 10 finish could wrap up the Rookie title for McLaughlin. He just needs to gain12 points on the Dale Coyne driver.
Grosjean couold still catch McLaughlin, but it will be difficult. Team Penske was strong here in 2019. Will Power finished second and Simon Pagenaud ended the race in fourth. Newgarden was eighth, but he was points racing to win the title.
Overal, I think Grosjean has had a better year than McLaughlin, but the three missed races will cost him the Rookie crown.
Desperately Seeking Victory Circle
Alexander Rossi and Graham Rahal are still looking to end their winless streaks which have stretched for more than one full season. Each of them had an opportunity to win last week at Portland.
Rossi contended at Gateway until car trouble put him in the wall late in the race. Rahal has had pit strategy cost him wins this year. Rossi last won at road America in June, 2019. Rahal last won in June 2017.
Other drivers looking to break victory droughts are Takuma Sato, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Simon Pagenaud.
Notes
We may see the Indycar schedule for 2022 this weekend. From what i’ve heard the season will start early and end early. A couple of venues are still working out dates.
Since Ryan Hunter-Reay and Andretti Autosport officially announced their separation this week, will we see the new driver of the 28 presented this weekend? I still believe it to be Romain Grosjean.
I’m hearing that Takuma Sato may be driving for Dale Coyne next year. That makes sense, and lends further credence to the rumor of Jack Harvey going to RLL.
Push-to-pass parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.
Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race. (Note: A seventh set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.)
Qualifying record: Helio Castroneves, 1:07.722, 118.969 mph, Sept. 8, 2000
NBC television broadcast: Race, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 19, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.
Peacock Premium Live Streaming: This weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes will be the lead announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Dan Rusanowsky and Alex Wolff will report from the pits. The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 205 and 211, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Sept. 17
2:30–3:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock Premium (live)
Saturday, Sept. 18
10:45–11:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2, Peacock Premium (live)
2:05 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium (live)
Sunday, Sept. 19
9-9:30 a.m.– NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock Premium (live)
11:50 a.m. – Driver introductions
Noon – NBC on air
12:23 p.m. – Start engines command
12:30 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/214.51 miles), NBC (live)
Championship Facts:
Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with two races to go for the first time in his career. Palou has led the point standings after nine of the 14 races this season.
Palou leads Pato O’Ward by 25 points with Josef Newgarden (-34), Scott Dixon (-49) and Marcus Ericsson (-75) behind. Palou assumed the point lead following his win at Portland. The lead has changed hands six times between Palou, O’Ward and Dixon.
There are five drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson. Any driver who trails the points leader by 54 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.
Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship six times: Bobby Rahal (1986 and 1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Michael Andretti (1991), Alex Zanardi (1998) and Cristiano da Matta (2002).
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with two races to go has failed to win the championship five times. Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019 are the exceptions who have won the title after leading with two races remaining.
Don’t call it a comeback: No point lead is ever safe in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Five times since 2008, a driver has made up a deficit with two races to go to win the championship – Dario Franchitti, who trailed Ryan Briscoe by four points in 2009 and Will Power by 23 points in 2010; Ryan Hunter-Reay, who trailed Will Power by five points with two races remaining in 2012, Scott Dixon, who was in third place, 48 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015 and Power who overcame a four-point deficit to Helio Castroneves in 2014.
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH TWO TO GO (2008-2021)
YEAR
LEADER
SECOND
LEAD
CHAMPION
2008
Scott Dixon
Helio Castroneves
78
Scott Dixon
2009
Ryan Briscoe
Dario Franchitti
4
Dario Franchitti
2010
Will Power
Dario Franchitti
23
Dario Franchitti
2011
Dario Franchitti
Will Power
26
Dario Franchitti
2012
Will Power
Ryan Hunter-Reay
5
Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013
Helio Castroneves
Scott Dixon
49
Scott Dixon
2014
Will Power
Helio Castroneves
4
Will Power
2015
Juan Pablo Montoya
Graham Rahal
42
Scott Dixon (-48)
2016
Simon Pagenaud
Will Power
27
Simon Pagenaud
2017
Josef Newgarden
Scott Dixon
18
Josef Newgarden
2018
Scott Dixon
Alexander Rossi
29
Scott Dixon
2019
Josef Newgarden
Alexander Rossi
35
Josef Newgarden
2020
Scott Dixon
Josef Newgarden
72
Scott Dixon
2021
Alex Palou
Pato O’Ward
25
?
RACE NOTES:
There have been nine different winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Portland International Raceway), Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Texas Motor Speedway-2, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1, Streets of Nashville), Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, World Wide Technology Raceway) and Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2) have all won in 2021. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
There have been seven different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden and Will Power) The only repeat winners in that stretch are, Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville), Newgarden (Mid-Ohio and WWT Raceway) and Palou (Road America and Portland).
The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be the 24th INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but just the second since 2004. Teo Fabi won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 1983. Colton Herta – who won the most recent race at the track in 2019 – and Helio Castroneves -who won at the track in 2000 – are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
Thirteen drivers have won at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca from the pole – Teo Fabi (1983), Bobby Rahal (1985), Danny Sullivan (1988), Rick Mears (1989), Danny Sullivan (1990), Michael Andretti (1991 and 1992), Paul Tracy (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Bryan Herta (1998 and 1999), Helio Castroneves (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Patrick Carpentier (2003) and Colton Herta (2019).
Team Penske has won six times at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Penske’s winning drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988 and 1990), Rick Mears (1989), Paul Tracy (1993 and 1994) and Helio Castroneves (2000). Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has three wins with Bryan Herta (1998-99) and Max Papis (2001). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and Jimmy Vasser in 1997.
Eighteen drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Helio Castroneves has four starts, most among the entered drivers, but hasn’t raced at the track since 2001. Five entered drivers have led laps at the track (Colton Herta 83, Will Power 6, Scott Dixon 2, Sebastien Bourdais 1 and Simon Pagenaud 1).
Four rookies – Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin – are expected to compete. The four rookies, along with veteran drivers Oliver Askew, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay, will all be making their first INDYCAR SERIES at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
For Immediate Release
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Jan. 10, 2022) – NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the broadcast start times for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, which will feature a record 14 races on broadcast network NBC, headlined by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 