Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Indycar Season Preview-2023 Breakthroughs and Hot Seats

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Today is the first in a series of preview articles as we head into the 2023 NTT Indycar Series season. Let’s take a look at four drivers who I think are going to have much improved years. Three are rookies from last year, and one young veteran I think is about to hit his stride. We will also look at some drivers who may be fighting for their jobs this year.

Drivers to Watch

Kyle Kirkwood

Kirkwood seems to be enjoying his new team. he has been quick in testing, as have his Andretti teammates. What remains to be seen is if his racecraft has improved. Last year Kirkwood sometimes tried too hard to overcome equipment deficits. the result was a lot of unforced errors and a 24th place finish in the final standings. He has the equipment and the team behind him to succeed this year. i expect to see a lot of the Kirkwood we saw on the Road to Indy in 2023. Will he win a race? I think that is possible, but not likely this season.

Christian Lundgaard

Lundgaard quietly earned Rookie of the Year in 2022, and showed steady improvement as the season went on. He earned seven Top 10 finishes, including two Top Fives and one podium. A year’s experience, backing by Hy-Vee, and an improving RLLteam should combine to see even better results for Lundgaard in 2023. I see him ending up in the TopTen at the end of the year.

David Malukas

A rough start to 2022 probably cost Malukas the Rookie of the Year title. He lost to Lundgaard by only 18 points. A driver who showed increasing maturity as the year progressed, Malukas drive to a brilliant second place at World Wide Technology Raceway. Malukas had one other top 10, at Iowa. He was the highest finishing rookie at the Indianapolis 500, but his lack of NASCAR titles cost him Indy Rookie of the Year. Of the three sophomores, I think Malukas is the most probable to eke out a win in 2023. Dale Coyne Racing doesn’t have the best equipment, but they know how to play the rules, and I think a race will fall his way.

Rinus VeeKay

It’s time for Rinus to stop teasing us. The potential is there for a breakout season. We have been waiting for the ECR driver to put together a solid, consistent season. VeeKay won the pole at Barber and finished third after a slow out lap following his second pit stop. He had a decent year in 2022 with six Top Tens and three Top Fives, but just one podium. Maybe we expect too much of VeeKay. I look for a top ten season finish and more regular top five appearances. A win is possible.

Hot Seats

Three drivers need to have really good seasons if they wish to stay in Indycar in 2024. One will be leaving his current team after the season, and this year is an audition for all the other teams. The other two have to show significant improvement in 2023.

Jack Harvey

We still aren’t sure what kind of a driver Jack Harvey is. Harvey had just one Top ten in 2022. That will not be good enough this coming season., I hoped for better results since he joined the series. For 2023, a different sponsor, different car number, and new crew may help Harvey rise to the level that fans have expected of him. I’m not expecting a win, but a final spot in the top 15 would be a significant improvement.

Romain Grosjean

I don’t know Grosjean’s contract status, but I thought when he joined Andretti, he would be a consistent contender for podiums and wins, 2022 was not a good year for Andretti overall, but I thought the former F1 driver would enhance their program. It didn’t happen. Grosjean has been quick in testing during the preseason, and he seems to feel the team has a better baseline heading into 2023. A win is possible, but more top five and top ten finishes are needed.

Felix Rosenqvist

Rosenqvist will depart Arrow McLaren at the end of 2023. In 2022,he had to fight to keep his job, and he showed himself to be up to the task. In 2023 his objective si to show the other teams that he belongs in Indycar. I think he does, and I have no doubt Rosenqvist will show well this season. A win will be tough given his teammates and the competition from other teams,but look for Rosenqvist to have a deal in place with a new team for 2024 before the season ends.

‘100 Days to Indy’ Premieres April 27

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From IMS:

VIEWERS, START YOUR ENGINES! THE CW NETWORK SETS MOTORSPORTS DOCUMENTARY SERIES “100 DAYS TO INDY” PREMIERE FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 27

Unscripted Series from VICE Media Group, Penske Entertainment & NTT INDYCAR SERIES to Chronicle Road to the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

February 17, 2023 (Burbank, CA) — Let the countdown begin. Today, on the 100th day until the start of the world’s premier motorsports competition, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, The CW Network is announcing its new documentary series 100 DAYS TO INDY will premiere on Thursday, April 27 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT). Produced by Penske Entertainment and VICE Media Group, the six-part series will take fans behind the scenes to chronicle the bold and brash personalities of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as they begin the 2023 season and start their quest for racing’s greatest prize.


“As we hit the 100 day milestone until the Indianapolis 500, the production team behind 100 DAYS TO INDY has been working tirelessly to capture the powerful stories of these incredible drivers as they compete at death-defying speeds to be the best of the best,” said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network.


From the balmy high-speed turns of St. Petersburg, Florida, to the demanding banked oval in Fort Worth and the sun-swept streets of Long Beach, California, every mile is an epic moment as 100 DAYS TO INDY takes viewers into the drivers’ seat for unprecedented access to top NTT INDYCAR SERIES stars as they compete for racing’s greatest prize: the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Of the 33 drivers racing for a coveted spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy, Helio Castroneves is eyeing his record fifth win while last year’s champion, Marcus Ericsson, is hoping to repeat. But they face fierce opposition from legendary Team Penske, led by two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, and rising stars from other rival teams like Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta and Christian Lundgaard. 100 DAYS TO INDY will showcase all the intense preparation, relentless competition, a few pranks and plenty of speed before the green flag drops and 300,000 fans roar at the world’s largest single-day sporting event.


Produced by multiple-award winning VICE World News, 100 DAYS TO INDY is directed and co-executive produced by Emmy® Award-winner Patrick Dimon and executive produced by Bryan Terry for VICE. Adam Marinelli serves as showrunner and co-executive producer, and Falguni Lakhani Adams is executive producer for VICE TV. 100 DAYS TO INDY is distributed globally by Vice Content Distribution.

Kanaan: ‘I Had a Great Career’

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Tony Kanaan admits that if he hadn’t finished third in the 2022 Indianapolis 500, he probably wouldn’t be talking about his final race coming up in May. Kanaan announced yesterday that the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 would be his final IndyCar race. The Brazilian driver has driven in Indycar/Champ Car since 1998.

How does a driver know it’s time to step aside?

“You don’t,” Kanaan said. “You’re never ready for this.
But you got to weigh your options. I went from a full-time
to a part-time. You’re 48. You had a great career. As
much as you don’t want to go, it’s there. If you’re smart,
you make the right decisions at the right time.”

Kanaan in the 500 has a win in 2013, a pole, nine top five finishes and 12 top 10s. In 2011 he started 33rd and passed 10 cars by the time the field reached the backstretch at the start. Only a caution flag prevented him from picking off a couple more cars. He led in each of his first seven 500s.

Kanaan after his popular win in 2013

He has 17 wins in Indycar racing14 poles, and 79 podiums. In winning the championship in 2004, Kanaan completed every lap of the season.

Kanaan and his Arrow McLaren team also announced a sponsor, SmartStop, a storage company, and the car number for Kanaan’s last ride, 66. The number has significance for the team and driver. His 318 consecutive starts is still the record.

“No. 66. Bruce McLaren and McLaren won their first race in 1966 Mark Donohue was here in ’72. My first go-kart number was No. 6. I picked that. My entire go-kart career,
I won five championships with that number. One of the races that I couldn’t race the 6, I raced 66. When Zak told me the story, the number, it’s just perfect.
That’s what we’re banking on,” Kanaan explained.

Kanaan has never been one to hide his feelings. Asked about how emotional Race Day will be, he said, “End of May, I think it’s going to get more difficult from now
on. I’m at peace in my decision. I have a great team
behind me. I think I had a great career. I have a really
good shot of winning this thing. If I win, might be sitting
here again next year. You never know.”

How will he fill his time after May?

“I’m probably going to come and bug Mark Miles and his team and Jay Frye here. I live five, ten minutes from here. Anything I can do? Can I warm the Corvette up? The Corvette needs a ride. Hey, Doug…”

Would he consider team ownership? It doesn’t sound likely.

“I actually own an eSports team that gives
me the feeling I don’t know if I really want to own a real
team ever. You never know. I mean, I love racing. I love challenges.
If the opportunity presents, 100%. I know for a fact my wife
will not let me spend any of my money, our money – her money, sorry – in a race team. But if the opportunity presents, I’ll consider. Anything that is involved in racing and INDYCAR, I’ll be willing to consider, for sure.”

Kanaan Will End Indycar Career after Indianapolis 500

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From @Indycar on Twitter

There will be a media conference at 2 PM Eastern Time today. I will have a story up afterwards,.

The time comes for all drivers. TK will be missed.

Sebring Test – Busy Morning, Laid Back Afternoon

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Photo: Rinus VeeKay

I don’t know how the 2023 Indycar season will turn out, but I can tell you that the cars will look great. I saw 10 cars on track today. Seven had new or improved liveries from last year. The 10th car was a one lap run by Team Penske car 22. Will Power drove the car, which will have more time tomorrow. I believe it is the car that is testing the new recovery system.

It was my first trip to Sebring gin three years. I was so glad to return. I have been inlove with this track since I was in fifth grade.

Teams on track today-

Andretti Autosport– Colton Herta, Romain Grosjean, Devlin DeFrancesco, kyle Kirkwood

Ed Carpenter Racing– Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly

Juncos Hollinger Racing– Callum Ilott, Augustin Canapino

Chip Ganassi Racing- Marcus Armstrong

Some fans who were there before I arrived said that he 22 and Josef Newgarden were out briefly early. They heard a slight whine from the ERS under braking.

My observations:

Before the lunch break , the track had a continuous stream of cars. In the 90 minutes I watched after lunch, action was more sporadic. The ECR cars of Rinus Veekay and Conor Daly looked to have turned the most laps. Colton Herta and Romain Grosjean looked very quick.

Rookie Augustin Canapino looked very smooth in the set of turns by the hotel.

Rookie Marcus Armstrong did a good job. He was the only Ganassi car running today.

Tomorrow will see more testing of the ERs, and nine more cars. I wish I could return, but other commitments await.

Here are some photos from today. Thanks for following along.

Augustin Canapino
Marcus Armstrong
Devlin DeFrancesco
Conor Daly
Kyle Kirkwood
Colton Herta

Grosjean Sees Stronger Season for Himself, Andretti

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Romain Grosjean came away from the Spring Training tests at The Thermal Club optimistic about the upcoming NTT Indycar season. I spoke with at the St. Pete track build, where the driver of the number 28 DH car for Andretti Autosport represented the series.

He enjoyed his time with Lamborghini at Daytona, but is now fully focused on having his best Indycar season.

About Thermal Club, Grosjean found it “different or better than what we expected really. The facility was amazing , the track was actually pretty good for testing so we actually learned a fair bit of stuff from the two days of of testing.”

Grosjean at Long Beach last year. He finished second.

Grosjean said the team left California ahead of where they were at this point in 2022.

“We have a better baseline that we had last year,” Grosjean said. “We have one more test in Sebring before coming here. We’re going to work on our street setup. Last year we were quite competitive. We should have won Long Beach, almost had the pole in Nashville, so we know on street courses we’re pretty good.”

The team’s dynamic is “pretty good I like Kirkwood andColton as well as Devlin. We’re good, we’ve got a good team. I’m excited to get the season going.”

Grosjean hopes to score his first Indycar win in 2023, but admits it is going to be tough with 27 cars.

5K Returns to St. Pete; Party in the Park Moves to Thursday

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From the firestone grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding:

INDYCAR Party in the Park and Wellcare Ambetter Health 5K set for Thursday, March 2 in downtown St. Petersburg
Community events will kick off the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding Weekend
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2023) – INDYCAR Party in the Park will kick off the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding weekend on Thursday, March 2. This free community activity will launch the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season-opening event held annually in downtown St. Petersburg and will take place in North Straub Park, positioned between Bayshore Dr. NE and Beach Dr. NE along the waterfront. Open to the public, the second annual INDYCAR Party in the Park will feature special guests, including NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers, music, giveaways, food and drink. Race cars running on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding weekend schedule will also be on display for fans to view up close.  

The party will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. EST and will coincide with another community event, the Wellcare Ambetter Health 5K on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track. The 5K will start and end on Bay Shore Drive NE, adjacent to North Straub Park, and will join the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding race track at Turn 9 on Central Avenue.

Part of the INDYCAR Party in the Park festivities will include recognizing 5K participants on stage. Registrations for the 5K are currently available online at 
gpstpete5k.com for $40 in advance, and all proceeds will benefit the Police Athletic League (PAL) of St. Petersburg, supporting its many programs positively impacting local children and teenagers. 
“We are excited to bring back these fantastic community events as we kick off both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding race weekend. It will be a fun, festive evening, and the party provides a great opportunity for fans to get up close to the race cars before they hit the track,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. “We urge everyone in the area to take advantage and come join us on the waterfront!”  

The 19th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding returns as the opening race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the 13th time. The event also features five support racing series on track with ten total races set to take the green flag over the three-day weekend. Sunday, March 5th’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, broadcasted nationally on NBC, caps off an exciting race weekend with an approximate 12:30 p.m. EST start. The weekend also features INDYCAR’s future stars as INDY NXT by Firestone speeds through downtown. More of the sport’s rising open-wheel stars will battle in doubleheader races for both the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires series. The jam-packed schedule also includes sports car action with racing from Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich and SRO’s GT America powered by AWS.

INDYCAR PARTY IN THE PARK

 When: Thursday, March 2, 2023 
Time: 5:30-8 p.m. EST 
Location: North Straub Park, 400 Bayshore Drive NE, St.

Petersburg Visit indycar.com for more information about the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding and the latest news on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Tickets for the race start as low as $25. For complete pricing, schedule and festival information, visit gpstpete.com. Follow the event on social media using @gpstpete and #FirestoneGP for the latest updates. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers.
About NTT INDYCAR SERIES:The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series. It features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including two-time and reigning series champion Will Power, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and reigning “500” winner Marcus Ericsson – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2023 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDYCAR, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:The 19th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (June 30-July 2, 2023), Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 1-3, 2023). 
For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

One Step Closer to Opening Day- St. Pete Track Build Begins

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I have covered this event for five years now, and it really gets me excited for the beginning of the Indycar season. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg had its formal track build ceremony this morning. Today was actually the fourth day of the track building process. The front grandstands are up, and some of the back stretch walls are line the track, although they need to be moved into their correct position. The track footprint is visible.

The track typically takes 25 days to build, barring rain delays, and 12 days to tear down.

Kim Green one of the owners of Green Savoree, spoke about improvements and suite sales for the 19th race on the streets of St. Petersburg. Green said that some of the suites are sold out and the others are close to being full, and that there are just a few openings for boats in the marina. He added that multiple new grandstands will have five inches of additional leg room.

In addition to the North American viewing outlets, 200 global outlets will carry the race.

Kim Green opens the track

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch reiterated the city’s support for the event.

Mayor Ken Welch

For the first time since 2019 the 5k run will take place on Thursday, March 2. The race will be in conjunction with the Party in the Park. I will post he release with details tomorrow. The party will feature drivers and cars and is open to the public at no charge.

Andretti Autosport driver Romain Grosjean flew his plane into the airport as the event began, then walked over to the backstretch as the event began. His landing should have been recorded.

Romain Grosjean talks about his love for the St. Pete race.

Indy NXT driver Ernie Francis, Jr. also spoke.

Ernie Francis, Jr. is excited for his second year in Indy NXT.

Notes

The Dali Museum is expanding. I spoke with a source from the museum and with Kim Green and learned that the expansion will not affect the course of the track. Green said that they are working closely with the city on this. Spectators might find some inconvenience in the area near the paddock.

I have never seen so many members of the media at this event. There were maybe three times the number of outlets covering this than last year.

USF driver Nikita Johnson and Mazda MX-5 driver Tyler Gonzalez, who won that thrilling race in Daytona by 0.01 seconds, also were on hand. If you watch just one other race at St. Pete, watch the Mazda Mx-5 race. This series puts on a great show.

I spoke with Grosjean and Francis, Jr. I will share what they said tomorrow. Thanks for following along today. It’s just 24 days until race day.

Wrapping Up a Busy Week

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Alexander Rossi photo by James Black, Indycar

Yesterday seemed awfully quiet after a week of nonstop IMSA and Indycar activity.

The Spring Training at Thermal Club wasa hit with the drivers and car owners. There is some talk of a race at the facility, but I think it is a long shot. It is a private club, and a lot of infrastructure work needs to bring it up to Indycar and FIA standards. I think the race would be mainly for the club members, not the average fan. It could be Indycar’s version of the F1 Miami Grand Prix without the fake harbor.

I hope some club members had their interest piqued and want to invest in a team in some way. For now, let’s leave this track as a Spring Training site, and maybe allow a limited number of fans in next year.

Rolex 24 Gallery

Some photos taken by a pure amateur at the Rolex 24. As I said earlier, the GTP cars are beautiful and it is nice to have cars with distinct looks and sounds.

01 Cadillac
24 BMW
Turn 1 action.
Turn 3
On the banks
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus fought hard to earn a podium.