Colton Herta posted the fast time in the afternoon session of Indycar’s open test in California. His teammate Kyle Kirkwood, second in the morning round, did not participate in the second session. The team was replacing the clutch on the 27 Auto Nation Honda.
13 cars cracked the 100 second mark.
The results:
Tomorrow’s schedule is similar to today’s. Session 3 begins at noon Eastern time.
Photo from @FollowAndretti
Colton Herta led an Andretti 1-2 in the opening test session of 2023 at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California. Kyle Kirkwood was second in his Andretti Autosport debut Herta had the only lap under one minute,forty seconds.
From photos and videos I have seen, the track looks beautiful and the mountain backdrop provides a spectacular setting.
The results:
Session 2 began at 4:30 Eastern time and runs until 7:30.
The NTT Indycar Series begins its 2023 season with a two day open test at the Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California. All teams will have 11 hours of test time on the 2.9 mile, 17 turn track beginning at noon Eastern today.. There is talk of having a race here someday, but a lot work will be needed to bring the track up to race quality.
The schedule:
Session start times: All times Pacific
Live streaming is not available, but timing and scoring will be on the Indycar app.
| (PALM SPRINGS, Calif.) February 1, 2023 – Ed Carpenter Racing (“ECR”) announced today that the team’s 2023 lineup will be fully supported by new digital marketplace BITNILE.COM. The team’s two full-time entries, the No. 20 of Conor Daly and the No. 21 of Rinus VeeKay, in addition to ovals-only No. 33 of Ed Carpenter, will each compete throughout the upcoming season as BITNILE.COM Chevrolets. BITNILE.COM, an immersive digital marketplace, which is set to launch and “go live” one month from today, on March 1, 2023. The new BITNILE.COM liveries feature metallic gold on the front of each car with an innovative transition in color to represent the evolution of digital marketplaces. All three cars carry a cohesive look with Daly’s base color of blue, VeeKay’s featuring white and Carpenter’s car primarily black. The BITNILE.COM branding and metallic gold will carry across all trackside uniforms and equipment. “The launch of our new next-generation marketplace is scheduled for March 1 to coincide with the start of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season,” stated Milton “Todd” Ault, III, BITNILE.COM’s Executive Chairman. “We believe that the demographics of the INDYCAR fan base fit perfectly the intended target of BITNILE.COM, which has led us to become the one of the biggest team partners in the series and branding all three ECR cars this season.” The 12th season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition for ECR features an identical driver lineup for the fourth consecutive year. Daly, from Noblesville, Ind., will race the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for the entirety of the 2023 season. The 31-year-old will reach his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and this year’s Indianapolis 500 will be his 10th. VeeKay is the longest-tenured full-time driver in ECR’s history and will compete behind the wheel of the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for a fourth year. The 22-year-old Dutchman, who has been with ECR since his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut, will make his 50th start at Barber Motorsports Park in April. Carpenter remains the only active owner/driver in INDYCAR, as he races in the five oval events in the No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. The Indianapolis native will compete in his 20th Indianapolis 500 this May and make his 200th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at the second Iowa Speedway race in July. ECR team owner Carpenter stated, “We are excited to confirm BITNILE.COM as our team partner and unveil our new paint schemes.” Carpenter continued, “Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay are both very talented drivers who bring a wealth of experience to our team. As for the No. 33 BITNILE.COM entry, I am excited to be back behind the wheel for the oval races, which will include my 20th Indianapolis 500.” Team President Tim Broyles is confident the talent of the drivers, coupled with ECR’s continual preparation since the end of last season, will give the team a competitive edge. “The entire team has worked tirelessly in the offseason to make sure our cars are at the forefront of performance. The new BITNILE.COM designs will make them stand out on the track,” said Broyles. The new Nos. 20 and 21 will be on track for the first time tomorrow as Daly and VeeKay participate in the Thermal Club Open Test. The full-field test spans two days and will take place at The Thermal Club, a private, world-class facility located just outside Palm Springs, California. The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins March 5 in the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Carpenter will join Daly and VeeKay at Texas Motor Speedway on April 2 for his first race of the season. |
| CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet |
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| RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet |
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| ED CARPENTER, No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet |
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| About BITNILE.COMBITNILE.COM, Inc. plans to launch its next-generation digital marketplace on March 1, 2023, offering real and virtual experiences and products. The platform, which will readily accept Bitcoin, is being developed to enable users to access the metaverse via the web browser allowing usage on any device including mobile, tablets, PC’s and virtual reality headsets. The BITNILE.COM metaverse experience is expected to not only include eCommerce, but is being built to include social, immersive video games, games of skill and chance, and more. The company is a subsidiary of Ault Alliance, Inc. (www.Ault.com). For more information and to register for the upcoming marketplace launch, please visit www.BITNILE.com. |
| About Ed Carpenter RacingEd Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting eight wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The 2023 season will see the team continue to compete with two full-time entries: the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet with Conor Daly behind the wheel and the No. 21 BitNile Chevrolet, driven by Rinus VeeKay. Carpenter will round out the team’s three-car effort on the ovals, campaigning the No. 33 Chevrolet. More information may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/. |
| From Indycar: INDYCAR To Feature New Medical Unit during 2023 Season State-of-the-Art Facility To Debut at Open Test at The Thermal Club INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023) – INDYCAR, with longtime partner IU Health, is rolling into its new season with a new mobile medical facility. The INDYCAR Medical Unit will make its debut at the year’s first Open Test, held Thursday-Friday, Feb. 2-3 at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California. The transporter with double slide outs will provide an environment for consistent and accessible care during each NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone event. Previously, INDYCAR’s medical team utilized a combination of a mobile trailer and the facilities available at the venues that host events. With the substantially upgraded mobile unit, the sanctioning body can better serve its growing paddock. “INDYCAR medical has always been the industry standard of care and service in motorsports,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The investment into the INDYCAR Medical Unit is an important step in continuing that expectation and assuring that all personnel will receive excellent care.” Among the features of the INDYCAR Medical Unit: Four functional areas, one with two hospital beds Equipment needed to care for patients with urgent or emergent needs, including a portable X-ray machine, a resuscitation cart and assorted orthopedic care supplies Workspace for the doctors and nurses who travel with the sport Meeting areas for patient consultation and emergency updatesVideo feeds to enable the staff to monitor the on-track actionThe INDYCAR Medical Unit will be available during the hours the garages are open, and INDYCAR will work with local officials to determine the most strategic location for the unit at each venue. “The INDYCAR Medical Unit is a product of continued collaboration of INDYCAR and IU Health and is an important addition to our continued effort to enhance care for competitors, others who work in the sport and their families,” INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Julia Vaizer said. “The unit will be available to drivers, allowing us to evaluate them in the most efficient yet effective manner to develop next steps. We also will provide that level of care for all members of the paddock. INDYCAR’s season begins March 3-5 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season debut, Sunday, March 5, will be available beginning at noon ET on NBC with a simulstream available on Peacock. Peacock also will provide coverage of the INDY NXT season opener that same day beginning at 9:55 a.m. ET. The INDYCAR Radio Network will provide coverage of both races, with audio available on the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.Note: Media interested in a tour of the new INDYCAR Medical Unit during the Open Test Feb. 2-3 at The Thermal Club should contact Suzi Elliott at selliott@brickyard.com for availability and times. |
A statement from A. J. Foyt Racing yesterday:
Arrow Mclaren has revealed liveries for cars number six and seven. You need to look closely to tell them apart.
Alexander Rossi’s number 7 has light blue trim while thesix car that Felix Rosenqvist will drive has a darker shade of blue. The cars both retain the papaya orange as the contrasting color.
Both cars are shown with the cr number in blue. The team may change the number decal back to black for visibility. I’m not sur how the blue will show up in bright sunlight. I really like the blue numbers.
Rossi’s car has more a Gulf livery feel to it. Gulf is one of my favorite liveries in the history of racing.
I assume Pato O’Ward’s car, the number five, will be revealed tomorrow. I hope it has a different look than these two..
I will be En route to Daytona for the Rolex 24 tomorrow. I will have reports when I can get to a WiFi spot, or from my phone.
Indycar’s 27 car grid, 28 on ovals, is the largest field in12 years. The competition should be as close as it was in 2022, but the two to three extra cars mean points are at more of premium. Finishing positions from 25th or worse are worth only 5 points each, and in 2023 there will be more chances for a driver to earn the fewest possible points each race. Traffic at some of the shorter road courses and the street courses will be a constant issue for the leaders. I like that possibility.
The field has only three rookies- Benjamin Pedersen, Agustin Canapino, and Marcus Armstrong. Armstrong will have a difficult time winning Rookie of the Year since he is only running 12 races. I think Pedersen has the best shot at rookie honors.
There are five former series champions in the field- Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud, and Alex Palou. Palou is the only under the age of 30. the champions represent 11 titlesw, with Dixon holding six of them.
Seven Indianapolis 500 winners are in the 2023 grid. Takuma sato is running an oval only schedule, but the others- Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Marcus Ericsson, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, and Alexander Rossi. The group represents 11 500 victories. Only Castroneves with four and Sato with two have won multiple 500s.
For the first time since 2014, Andretti Autosport will not have a former 500 winner in their lineup.
Team Penske (Chevrolet)
Will Power
Josef Newgarden
Scott McLaughlin
Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet)
Pato O’Ward
Felix Rosenqvist
Alexander Rossi
Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet)
Rinus VeeKay
Conor Daly
Ed Carpenter- ovals only
A. J. Foyt Racing (Chevrolet)
Benjamin Pedersen (Rookie)
Santino Ferrucci
Juncos Hollinger Racing (Chevrolet)
Callum Ilott
Agustin Canapino (Rookie)
Andretti Autosport (Honda)
Colton Herta
Romain Grosjean
Devlin DeFrancesco
Kyle Kirkwood
Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda)
Scott Dixon
Alex Palou
Marcus Ericsson’
Marcus Armstrong (Rookie) (road/ street courses); Takuma Sato (ovals)
Meyer Shank Racing (Honda)
Helio Castroneves
Simon Pagenaud
Dale Coyne Racing (Honda)
David Malukas
Sting Ray Robb (Rookie)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Honda)
Graham Rahal
Christian Lundgaard
Jack Harvey
As expected, 2 time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was confirmed as for the oval portion of the number 11 car with Chip Ganassi Racing. Sato has won 6 Indycar races including the 500 in 2017 and 2020. Three of his wins have come on ovals. Marcus Armstrong will drive the 11 on road and street courses. He also has earned10 poles. Sato has driven for Andretti Autosport, A. J. Foyt Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Dale Coyne Racing in his Indycar career.
The announcement from Chip Ganassi Racing:
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato will join Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023 to pilot the No. 11 Honda in oval competition, while Marcus Armstrong will drive the road and street course races.
Sato brings more than two decades of experience racing at the highest level of the sport to the defending Indianapolis 500 winners who have won 14 INDYCAR SERIES championships, including nine across the past 15 seasons of competition.
“First of all, I would like to thank Chip and Mike for helping put this all together. I am extremely excited to join Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2023 season,” said Sato. “The organization has been at the top of our sport for decades and needless to say, extremely competitive. Focusing on the oval races is a new chapter for me but I’m thrilled to have the ability to race with team members and teammates that have won the championships and Indianapolis 500 in the past, which is a tremendous advantage. I just can’t wait to get started.”
“What a terrific opportunity to have Takuma Sato drive our No. 11 Honda INDYCAR on the ovals in 2023. He is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner who contributes with the experience of knowing how to win, by matching the strength of his three teammates, which equals four who race as one,” said Managing Director Mike Hull. “Chip Ganassi Racing looks forward to the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500.”
Sato has raced in the INDYCAR SERIES over the past 13 seasons, where he has earned six wins, 14 podiums and 10 pole positions. Sato has made 215 career INDYCAR SERIES starts, the sixth-most among active drivers and the 22nd-most in all-time history.
Sato is the most recent driver to attain multiple wins in the Indianapolis 500, capturing victories in 2020 and 2017. Sato’s first victory in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing came after re-claiming the lead with just six laps to go, etching his mark in the history books as the first Japanese driver to ever win the race. Then in 2020, he won the race for the second time after starting from the front row in P3 position.
Prior to his INDYCAR career, Sato raced in Formula 1 for seven seasons (2002-08). He earned 44 points with one podium appearance across 90 career series starts. Sato registered a top-10 finish in the Formula 1 points standings in 2004, where he achieved his podium finish at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Sato also won the British Formula 3 championship in 2001, earning 12 wins as well as victories in the Marlboro Masters of F3 at Zandvoort, and the prestigious Macau F3 GP.
Source: Chip Ganassi Racing
