Junco Hollinger Racing announced this morning that Callum Ilott will drive full time for the team in 2022. Ilott is driving for Junco Hollinger in the final three races of the 2021 season which concludes Sunday at Long Beach.
Ilott finished second in F2 in 2020 to Mick Schumacher, who went to Haas in Formula 1. He has served as a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo this season.
In his first two races, Ilott has done a decent job given the time he has had in the car and the relative newness of the team.
No other team announcements are expected until next week.
Practice for the Acura grand prix of Long Beach begins at 6 pm Eastern on Peacock.
The Astor Cup will add a first time name Sunday. Indycar Photo by Chris Owens
Today’s Schedule: Eastern Time
Indycar Practice 6:00 pm-6:45pm
I am always shocked when the weekend of the last Indycar race of the season arrives. I’m excited for the race, but sad that I have to wait several months for the cars to hit the track again. Fortunately the gap until next season is shorter than in most years with St. Pete coming up in February.
Indycar returns to the longest running street race in the United States. In a normal season, Long Beach would be the third race of the year, but the event has been hit hard by the pandemic. The race was cancelled last season, and the promoters moved it to the fall in hopes that the COVID restrictions would ease enough to run the race. The Acura Grand pPx of Long Beach will go on with the specter of the Delta variant still lurking.
To gain entrance to the track, fans must show proof of vaccination or a negative test result no earlier than 72 hours prior to the day of entry.
The championship is all but over although most writers have amused themselves this week presenting scenarios in which Alex Palou could lose the title. This has been a crazy year, but I don’t think he is in danger. If neither Josef Newgarden nor Pato O’Ward win the pole Saturday, the chase is essentially over. There is still a points battle to keep an eye on.
Tight Battle for Rookie of the Year
The 2021 rookie class, though small, has impressed. Scott McLaughlin leads Romain Grosjean by 20 points. Grosjean has won a pole and been on the podium three times. McLaughlin has one podium and a couple of top fives. McLaughlin has run every race, while Grosjean skipped the first three ovals.
Romain Grosjean
The Long Beach will not allow Grosjean to make some of the spectacular passes he did last week, but he will still do well. I’m not sure he can catch McLaughlin in points, but I have been most impressed with Grosjean.
I have a new level of respect for Jimmie Johnson. After a long career in NASCAR, to step in an Indycar and try to learn on the job, takes courage I’m not sure I have. He has improved tremendously since the start of the year, and he has been racing people the last two weekends.
The Kids Did All Right
The new Indycar champion will be no older than 24 years old. Alex Palou, who has a fairly comfortable lead, has shown patience and maturity despite two consecutive hard luck DNFs late in the season.
Alex Palou
Pato O’Ward has had one the three fastest cars on the grid in 2021. Pato has a reputation for overdriving the car at times and using up his tires too quickly. A couple of bad results early in the year may have cost him a better chance at the title going into this weekend.
Palou needs to finish 11th or better to clinch the championship.
Last Rides
Ryan Hunter-Reay will drive his final race for Andretti Autosport Sunday. The 11 year affiliation produced an Indianapolis 500 win and a series championship. Hunter-Reay will most likely be driving in the 500 next season, but whether he runs full time is not known.
James Hinchcliffe will also have his last run in the 29 car for Andretti. I think his Indycar options are limited.
Is this Takuma Sato’s last drive for Rahal Letterman Lanigan? We should know next week. Sato won the 500 for the team in 2020.
Simon Pagenaud will leave Team Penske after Sunday. I believe he has another team lined up for 2022. Pagenaud won the 500 in 2019 and the series title in 2016.
The Race
Before the pandemic, Long Beach belonged to Alexander Rossi. In 2018 and 2019, Rossi won the pole and the race. In 2019, he won by 20 seconds. I look for him to be strong again. Rossi has had a frustrating season, but the last few races he has qualified well, but hasn’t always had the results to show for how he raced. He is especially hungry after the first lap incident last week put him out of contention for the win.
Rossi will win for the third straight time at Long Beach. Grosjean will make the rookie race even tighter but McLaughlin will prevail for the season.
2019 race winner (most recent): Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda)
2019 NTT P1 Award winner (most recent): Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda), 1:06.4811, 106.569 mph
Qualifying lap record: Helio Castroneves, 1:06.2254, 106.980 mph, April 8, 2017
NBCSN telecasts: Qualifying, Saturday, Sept. 25 (3 p.m. ET, live); Race, Sunday, Sept. 26 (3 p.m. ET, live). Leigh Diffey will be the play-by-play announcer for NBCSN’s telecast of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.
Peacock Premium Live Streaming: This weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and NTT P1 Award qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming 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. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wolff will report from the pits. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach 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. 24
3-3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock Premium (live)
Saturday, Sept. 25
9-9:45 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2, Peacock Premium (live)
12:05 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), NBCSN/Peacock Premium (live)
Sunday, Sept. 19
9-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock Premium (live)
Noon – Driver introductions
Noon – NBCSN on air
12:38 p.m. – Start engines command
12:45 p.m. – Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (85 laps/167.28 miles), NBCSN (live)
Championship Facts:
Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with one race to go for the first time in his career. Palou has led the point standings after 10 of the 15 races this season.
There are three drivers mathematically eligible for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden. Neither Palou nor O’Ward has won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. Newgarden has won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship twice in the last four seasons (2017 and 2019).
This is the 37th INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of Long Beach and the first time that the INDYCAR SERIES championship will be decided at the track. The temporary street circuit routinely hosts an April race.
The winner at Long Beach has gone on to win the championship in the same season 14 times: Mario Andretti (1984), Al Unser Jr. (1990 and 1994), Jimmy Vasser (1996), Alex Zanardi (1997 and 1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (1999), Paul Tracy (2003), Sebastien Bourdais (2005, 2006 and 2007), Dario Franchitti (2009), Scott Dixon (2015) and Simon Pagenaud (2016).
KEY CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STATISTIC: This is the 16th consecutive year that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion will be determined at the final race of the season.
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH ONE TO GO (2008-2021)
YEAR
LEADER
SECOND
LEAD
CHAMPION
2008
Scott Dixon
Helio Castroneves
30
Scott Dixon
2009
Scott Dixon
Dario Franchitti
5
Dario Franchitti
2010
Will Power
Dario Franchitti
12
Dario Franchitti
2011
Will Power
Dario Franchitti
11
Dario Franchitti
2012
Will Power
Ryan Hunter-Reay
17
Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013
Scott Dixon
Helio Castroneves
25
Scott Dixon
2014
Will Power
Helio Castroneves
51
Will Power
2015
Juan Pablo Montoya
Graham Rahal
34
Scott Dixon
2016
Simon Pagenaud
Will Power
43
Simon Pagenaud
2017
Josef Newgarden
Scott Dixon
3
Josef Newgarden
2018
Scott Dixon
Alexander Rossi
29
Scott Dixon
2019
Josef Newgarden
Alexander Rossi
41
Josef Newgarden
2020
Scott Dixon
Josef Newgarden
32
Scott Dixon
2021
Alex Palou
Pato O’Ward
35
?
Race Notes:
There have been nine different winners in 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Portland International Raceway), Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), 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 (Helio Castroneves, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Colton Herta). 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).
This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will mark the 37th INDYCAR SERIES event on the historic street circuit. Mario Andretti won the first INDYCAR race there in 1984. Alexander Rossi won the race in 2018 and 2019. No race was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sebastien Bourdais (2005-2007) was the last back-to-back-to-back winner at Long Beach.
Al Unser Jr. has won the most times at Long Beach (six), while Sebastien Bourdais, Will Power and Alexander Rossi are the only entered drivers with multiple wins. Bourdais won three straight races from 2005-2007. Power won in 2008 and 2012, and Rossi won in 2018 and 2019. Other former race winners scheduled to compete are Helio Castroneves (2001), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2010), Takuma Sato (2013), Scott Dixon (2015), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and James Hinchcliffe (2017).
Five drivers have won the race from the pole – Mario Andretti (1984, 1985 and 1987), Al Unser Jr. (1989-90), Helio Castroneves (2001), Sebastien Bourdais (2006-07) and Alexander Rossi (2018-19).
Twenty of the 28 drivers entered have competed in INDYCAR SERIES races at Long Beach. Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power each have 14 starts, most among all entered drivers. Eleven entered drivers have led laps: Helio Castroneves 179, Bourdais 173, Power 170, Hunter-Reay 151, Alexander Rossi 151, Scott Dixon 103, Takuma Sato 67, Simon Pagenaud 54, James Hinchcliffe 25 and Josef Newgarden 4.
Four California natives are entered: 2018 and 2019 race winner Alexander Rossi is a native of Nevada City, while Andretti Autosport teammate Colton Herta hails from Valencia. Charlie Kimball is from Camarillo, and NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Jimmie Johnson is from El Cajon.
Four NTT INDYCAR SERIES 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, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay, will all make their first INDYCAR SERIES start on the Streets of Long Beach.
7:30 AM Gates Open 9:00 AM – 9:20 AM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Practice 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM IMSA Practice 11:10 AM – 11:30 AM Stadium SUPER Trucks Practice 12:35 PM – 1:00 PM Global Time Attack Practice 1:20 PM – 2:35 PM IMSA Practice #2 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM INDYCAR Practice #1 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Qualifying 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES All-Driver Autograph Session (INDYCAR Paddock – Open to all race attendees) 4:45 PM – 5:55 PM IMSA Qualifying 6:15 PM – 6:35 PM Super Drift Challenge Practice 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM Formula D Super Drift Challenge Competition #1
Saturday, September 25
7:30 AM Gates Open 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM INDYCAR Practice #2 10:05 AM – 10:35 AM Stadium SUPER Trucks Race #1 10:40 AM IMSA Race Pit Set Up 11:05 AM – 11:20 AM Global Time Attack Competition #1 12:05 PM – 1:20 PM INDYCAR Qualifying & FIRESTONE FAST 6 1:30 PM IMSA Pre-Race Ceremonies Begin 2:06 PM – 3:46 PM IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix of Long Beach (100 min) 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Race #1 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM Super Drift Challenge Practice 5:30 PM Vince Neil Concert Presented by Acura and ASM Global 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Formula D Super Drift Challenge Competition #2
Sunday, September 26
7:30 AM Gates Open 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM INDYCAR Warm Up 10:10 AM – 10:25 AM Global Time Attack Competition #2 10:45 AM – 11:05 AM Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge Race #2 11:10 AM – 11:20 AM Acura NSX Hot Laps 11:25 AM – 11:40 AM Mothers Exotic Car Parade 11:54 AM INDYCAR Pre Race Ceremonies Begin 12:05 PM Indy Cars to Grid 12:38 PM “Drivers Start Your Engines” 12:39 PM INDYCAR Pace Laps 12:45 PM – 3:00 PM ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH (Season Finale of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES – 85 Laps) 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Stadium SUPER Trucks Race #2
TIME CERTAIN SCHEDULE – All sessions, except as noted, to start and finish on schedule
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.
This event should be renamed the Herta Family Invitational. Colton Herta’s pole today is the fifth for the family. His father Bryan won three straight pole from 1997-1999, and now Colton has two in a row. The elder Herta also won the race in 1998 and 1999, which almost makes the winner tomorrow a foregone conclusion. I don’t think it will be that simple, though.
Herta has three poles and five second place starts this season. His results from the front row have been mixed, and he has just one win.
It was an exciting, dramatic session to set the grid for tomorrow’s 95 lap race. The points leader just squeezed into the second round, the two cars that led the practice sessions did not advance, and off track excursions led to drivers losing positions.
It has been a long time since we have seen an all Andretti front row. Alexander Rossi moved to the front row due to Power’s penalty.
I feel bad for Scott McLaughlin, who looked to be in position to advance, but pitted when he had time for another lap. I’m sure it was a communication mixup.
Herta beat Power’s best lap by .027 seconds as time expired. Power’s lap was deleted because he did not slow for a local yellow.
Alex Palou was the fastest of the title contenders. After barely escaping Round 1, Palou made the Fast Six and he will start fourth. O’Ward was the only other driver with a chance at the title to make the Fast Six. O’Ward starts sixth after losing his fastest two laps when he spun off course. Josef Newgarden will start 17th tomorrow, his second consecutive ninth row start. Scott Dixon will start eighth.
The star of qualifying today was Oliver Askew. He took RLL’s third car to the Fast Six, led his Round 1 group, and will start between Palou and O’Ward. Today was Askew’s second career appearance in the Fast Six.
It was nice to see Simon Pagenaud have a respectable qualifying day. Pagenaud has struggled in qualifying all season. He made the second round today and will start ninth.
What happens to Newgarden’s car in qualifying? For the second week in a row, the two time champion was one of the fastest in practice, but did not make it out of Round 1.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 