Tag: NTT Indycar Series

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.

Kirkwood Leads Final Test

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Photo from @FollowAndretti

Kyle Kirkwood led the fourth test session at The Thermal Club this afternoon. Kirkwood finished second, third, and first in the three sessions he ran. His team needed to change a clutch yesterday afternoon, and Kirkwood missed the second round. Kirkwood’s time of 1:38.8279 was the third fastest overall for the two days.

Kirkwood spoke about his excitement to be with Andretti this season.

“My entire goal last year was to take a car that everyone knows
is usually mid pack or towards the back and put it up front.
That was always a goal of mine. That was exciting for me.
It’s also exciting to be in a fast car and be fast in a fast car.
There’s benefits to both. I’m just as excited as I was last
year, to be honest. I’m definitely leaving this place in a happier spot than most
of the events last year.”

The Spring Training event at The Thermal Club seems to have been a big hit with the drivers, but they expressed doubts about holding a race there. Kirkwood thinks it would be a lot like Barber, with few passing opportunities..

Results:

Ericsson Leads Session 3

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Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing led the third Spring Training session as lap timnes continue to improve. 13 drivers had times in the 1:38 range. Yesterday’s leader, Colton Herta, was 14th. Kyle Kirkwood, who missed the second round yesterday afternoon, was third fastest nthis morning. Kirkwood was second quick Thursday morning.

The session ended about 90 seconds early when Felix Rosenqvist suffered his third off road of the two days of practice.

Results:

The final test session begins at 4:30 PM eastern.

Testing Continues- Can Herta Be Caught?

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Indycar photo by Joe Skibinski

Today’s schedule at Thermal Club:

  • Test 3: Friday, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. PT
  • Test 4: Friday, 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. PT

Timing and scoring on Indycar.com

Marshall Pruett will also post some video on YouTube

I will have a wrapup tonight and session results throughout the day.

Some news broke last night regarding the Indianapolis 500. If you missed it , here is the link:

    Double Points Get the Checkered Flag

    Double Points Get the Checkered Flag

    thepitwindow5 Comments

    Call it Irony, if you will. I just finished watching Hallelujah! the Leonard Cohen documentary, on Netflix. I turn to social media and find another reason to shout Hqllelujah!

    Indycar informed the team owners that double points will not be awarded at the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. Qualifying points for the fast twelve are still in effect. Well, one step at a time.

    Double points were first awarded in 2014, at the 500 and the other 500 mile races at Pocono and Fontana. In 2015 double points went to the winner of the 500 and the season finale. In 202 the last race of the year went back to single points.

    Oddly double points for winning the 500 never helped a driver to the championship. The extra points, despised by many and scorned by others, hurt those who had a bad Memorial Day weekend more than they helped the 500 winner finish atop the standings. The gaps in points made it difficult for a driver to get back in the hunt.

    With double points in effect, the largest gap from first to 33rd was 110 points. Starting in 2023, the largest gap will be 60 points, a more reasonable deficit to come back from with 11 races remaining.

    I am glad to see the extra points go. Now let’s work on throwing a yellow flag when it needs to be thrown, regardless of pit situations, and keep the red flag hidden except for safety and rain.