Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Roar Before the 24- Lots of Changes for Full Timers and Indycar Drivers

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The Roar Before the 24 began today with a totally different look for the IMSA Weather Tech field. Several full time drivers are with new teams. As a result, some of the Indycar regulars who serve as the extra drivers needed for the endurance races are also in new situations. The most notable Indycar drivers to switch are Scott Dixon, who will drive for Wayne Taylor Racing this year after Chip Ganassi’s Ford GTLM program ended after 2019.

The majority of drivers who participated in the NTT Indycar Series in 2019 are in the DPi class. Alexander Rossi and Simon Pagenaud are in Team Penske Acuras. Rossi is in car number 6 and Pagenaud in car 7. Dixon will drive in the 10 car. Ryan Hunter-Reay is with the number 55 Mazda. Matheus Leist, who at present does not a ride in Indycar for this year, is driving the endurance races for JDC-Miller in car 85.

Colton Herta returns to defend his GTLM win in the 2019 Rolex 24 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan in the number 25 BMW.

Part time Indycar drivers running this weekend at Ben Hanley with Dragonspeed in the 81 LMP2 entry and James Davison the number 2 Multimatic Riley, also in LMP2.

Katherine Legge returns on an all female team, but not with Henricher/MSR. She will drive the 19 GTD car for GEAR Racing powered by GRT Grasser. The Lamboghini Hurracan will be very competitive.

Go to the link to view the full entry list:

Click to access 2020_iwsc_roar_official_entrylist.pdf

 

Things Will Seem Weird

There are things about the Roar that will look strange. Wayne Taylor Racing will not have a driver named Taylor.  It was hard enough last year getting used to Ricky Taylor in the Penske Acura. Now we also need to adjust to his brother Jordan in a Corvette GTLM.

I will miss the Ganassi Ford GTLMs. I loved the look of the car and its distinctive sound. I’m glad that their regular drivers have found other rides.

Normally watching Sebastien Bourdais in the endurance races is no big deal, but it’s difficult to realize that the number 5 Cadillac will be his home for the season. I hope he can find something for the Indianapolis 500.

I hope the smaller field, just 40 cars this year, can see more entries starting next season. I understand it’s economics, but sad to see the numbers going down. Some of the shorter races may see even smaller grids.

The Schedule

Saturday, January 4

7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Garages Open
7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Scout Days Open Garage inside the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship garage
7:30 AM
Infield & UNOH Fanzone open
7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Scout Days Start/Finish Line Track Walk
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
DIS Tours available – Purchase at Daytona Ticket and Tours building
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Scout Days fishing available on Lake Lloyd
8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Pick up sheet to earn Scout Days Unit Excellence Ribbon at the GEICO Campgrounds information booth
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM
IMSA Prototype Challenge qualifying
8:45 AM
Scout Days STEMWERX Wind Tunnel activity signups at UNOH Fanzone Main Stage (limited spots available)
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Rolex 24 At DAYTONA trophy photos in Gatorade Victory Lane
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Scout Days Tram Track/Venue Tours departing from Tram Plaza
9:00 AM – 9:20 AM
Michelin Tire Workshop in Pilot Challenge Paddock
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice session #3
10:00 AM
Scout Days STEMWERX Wind Tunnel activity (must sign-up in advance)
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
IMSA WeatherTech Championship practice session #3
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Autograph Session: IMSA Prototype Challenge drivers under FPL Solar Patio in UNOH Fanzone
10:30 AM
Guided IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Garage Tour Sign-Ups (limited spots available, UNOH Fanzone Main Stage)
11:20 AM – 12:00 PM
IMSA Prototype Challenge Pre-Race Access/Grid Walk
12:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Race – IMSA Prototype Challenge At DAYTONA (3 Hours)
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Driver Panel: AIM Vasser Sullivan in Driver Meeting Room
1:30 PM
Guided IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Garage Tour (limited spots available, sign-up begins at 10:30 AM at UNOH Fanzone Main Stage)
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Fan Forum: “Women in Motorsports” in Driver Meeting Room
2:00 PM
Scout Days STEMWERX Wind Tunnel activity (must sign-up in advance)
3:15 PM
Celebrate with the IMSA Prototype Challenge Winners at Gatorade Victory Lane
3:30 PM
Guided WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Garage Tour Sign-Ups (limited spots available, sign-up begins at 3:30 PM at UNOH Fanzone Main Stage)
3:35 PM – 4:05 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #4
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying (GTD)
4:40 PM – 4:55 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying (LMP2)
5:00 PM
Scout Days STEMWERX Wind Tunnel activity (must sign-up in advance)
5:10 PM – 5:55 PM
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice session #4
5:30 PM
Guided WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Garage Tour (limited spots available, sign-up begins at 3:30 PM at UNOH Fanzone Main Stage)
5:55 PM – 6:15 PM
Michelin Tire Workshop in Pilot Challenge Paddock
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #5
8:30 PM
Scout Days movie showing inside the UNOH Fanzone
Sunday, January 5th
7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Garages Open
7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Scout Days Open Garage inside the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship garage
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
IMSA Pinewood Derby at DAYTONA on UNOH Fanzone Stage
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
DIS Tours available – Purchase at Daytona Ticket and Tours building
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Scout Days fishing available on Lake Lloyd
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Scout Days Unit of Excellence Ribbons awarded at GEICO Campgrounds information booth
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice session #5
9:00 AM – 3:45 PM
Infield & UNOH Fanzone open
10:30 AM – 11:35 AM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #6
11:50 AM – 12:05 PM
IMSA WeatherTech Championship qualifying (GTLM)
12:15 PM – 12:30 PM
IMSA WeatherTech Championship qualifying (DPi)
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice session #6
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #7
4:00 PM
Event concludes

 

 

Red Flag Revision; Helio Back in May

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The NTT Indycar Series will change its rule concerning work done on a car during a red flag period. The new rule calls for exclusion from the race if the crew attempts to make repairs while the race is stopped. The previous rule provided for a minimum two lap penalty for unapproved work while the race is under a red flag.

The revision is likely in response to Pocono last year. After the five car accident in turn 1 of the opening lap, the cars of Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and James Hinchcliffe were repaired while the race was stopped. All three were assessed a 10 lap penalty when they rejoined the race. Rossi was in a battle for the season championship and needed every point he could get. The accident and his 18th place finish still dealt a huge blow to his title chances.

I like this rule. It takes away any possible advantage a car could gain under a red flag. Part of the need to get a car back on track is the current points system. I’ve never liked the idea of every position earning points. If a team knows they are not going to get points for a race, there is not a need to work on the car under a red flag.

Castroneves Back for May

Three time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will again drive for Team Penske in the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500. It will be his 20th time in the race. Castroneves will also drive in the GMR Grand Prix on the Speedway’s road course on May 9.

Castroneves has been driving full time in IMSA for Penske’s Acura DPi team since 2018. It is believed he had a three year agreement with Penske to drive at Indianapolis. 2020 is the third year of this agreement

The 44 year old Brazilian has finished 11th or better 15 times in his 19 previous races. He finished 27th in 2018 and 18th last year. He has a great career at IMS. In addition to his three wins, Castroneves has finished second twice and has a third place and a fourth place finish.

I’ll be back later today with a preview of the Roar Before the 24.

Indycar Race Changes Discussed on Wildfire Sports

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Happy New Year! I’m ready for another great year of sharing my racing thoughts with you. Thank you all again for a wonderful 2019. I just published a new piece on Wildfire Sports about some procedural changes at certain tracks. I’ll be reporting from Daytona this weekend about the Roar. Here is the link for Wildfire Sports:

http://wildfireradiosports.com/index.php/2020/01/02/indycar-tweaks-race-procedures/

Movie Review: Uppity- The Willy T. Ribbs Story

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“They called me uppity, uppity n*****, and I loved it,” Willy T. Ribbs says as his story opens. The documentary,  Uppity- The Willy T. Ribbs Story,  tells the story of a driver who not only faces the usual obstacles of no money and few contacts, but also the additional hurdle of prejudice because of his skin color as he tried to succeed in a mostly white man’s sport. It is produced by Chassy Media, Adam Corolla’s production company, which also produced Winning -The Racing Life of Paul Newman.

He was the first African American to test a Formula 1 car and the first to drive in the Indianapolis 500. When Ribbs decided he wanted to be a racing driver, his goals were to drive Indycar and Formula 1. He reached one goal and had a chance at the other one.

I came to realize while watching  the film  that Ribbs was a darn good driver. I had only been familiar with his Indycar career. While he didn’t have much success in his brief time in the series, Ribbs won races in Trans Am and IMSA. He is tied for eighth all time in IMSA with 17 career wins. Ribbs would drive  whatever  an opportunity came along, including NASCAR and Trucks at the end of his career.

The documentary is nicely structured into segments by seasons and the series Ribbs drove in. The film has some great racing footage including some of Ribbs in Formula Ford in England. He clinched the Formula Ford championship with three races left in the season. He returned to the United States hoping to get a ride in a professional series.

Marshall Pruett of Racer Magazine provides technical and inside commentary throughout the film. He explains the money aspect of racing as well as the difference between the cars in various series. In addition to the main interviews with Ribbs, we also get viewpoints from Al Unser, Jr., Bobby Unser, Robby Unser, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., and David Hobbs.

Ribbs raced despite death threats, equipment sabotage, and team orders . Like most drivers, he felt he was better than his competition.  Much of the time, he backed it up.  He received help from Dan Gurney,  Jim Trueman, Paul Newman, Don King,  and Bill Cosby. He was friends with Muhammad Ali, who gave him advice early in his career.

Humpy Wheeler, the promoter who put Ribbs in a stock car at Charlotte in 1978, also received a death threat. When Ribbs returned to NASCAR in 1986, he found the same hostility as eight years earlier.  

Throughout his career, Ribbs was never far from controversy. He almost refused to race when he was told to let teammate David Hobbs win an event. Ribbs was fined for hitting a driver he felt cut him off on track. Later he was suspended by IMSA after punching Scott Pruett after a race. Ribbs thought Pruettt spun him out and cost him a win late in the race. His Ali Shuffle victory dance on the roof of his car after a win annoyed some people. It was really no different than Helio Castroneves climbing the fence. I found that annoying.

Ribbs was really no different than some white drivers, but his skin color caused many to view him as more outspoken and more aggressive. While he maybe could have handled some situations differently, Ribbs remained faithful to his grandfather’s advice to “Be your own boss.” He lived by those words his entire career.

The final segment of the film is the most dramatic. It records his attempts to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. In 1985 ribs entered in a hastily thrown together car with the help of Don King, who got Miller Brewing Company to sponsor the effort. In pre May testing, it was obvious the chief mechanic didn’t want Ribbs to be in the race. The setups were not good and Willy was uncomfortable. He had enough experience to know that this arrangement wasn’t going to work. He withdrew from the race on April 27.

Ribbs returned to Indianapolis in 1991 with financial help from Bill Cosby. Derrick Walker assembled the team, which ran on a shoestring budget throughout the month. The team blew four engines, including one early on Bump Day. The drama of the day is captured very well and creates some tremendous drama. His triumphant qualifying run is filled with tension even though we know the outcome. This is the best part of the documentary.

I wrote about his 1991 qualification last May.

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/111149089/posts/9456https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/111149089/posts/9456https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/111149089/posts/9456v

Willy T. Ribbs is a complicated, controversial figure in auto racing, but he broke through one of the sport’s final barriers in becoming the first African American to drive in the Indianapolis 500.

I wholeheartedly recommend this film. It is an important part of racing history. I liked the vintage film clips, although some of the worst crashes at Indianapolis are among them.

In the final interview segment, Ribbs talks about the 1993 500 when he was running at the finish of the race.

“I won. I didn’t win the Indianapolis 500, but I won.”

Be sure to watch the credits after the movie. The producers pay tribute to black drivers who raced before and after Ribbs. Charlie Wiggins, Joie Ray, Wendell Scott, Bubba Wallace, Chase Austin, and Lewis Hamilton are acknowledged. They also recognize the Black American Racing Association.

 

 

Indycar Modifies Push to Pass

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Indycar has changed Push to Pass. The new system prevents other teams from knowing when a driver attempting to pass uses the system.

The details are in this article on Racer.com

https://racer.com/2019/12/27/indycar-tweaks-push-to-pass/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

I like this idea. Push to Pass has become Push to Defend more often than not. While I hope the new hybrid technology eliminates the use of this entirely this modification should make more passing possible.

Indycar’s Top Stories of 2019

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Photo: Indycar

From the NTT Indycar Series:

Top INDYCAR Stories of 2019

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 18, 2019) — While INDYCAR enjoyed several intriguing stories during this year’s NTT IndyCar Series season, the blockbuster came after the season when Roger Penske announced that Penske Corporation would be acquiring Indianapolis Motor Speedway, INDYCAR and additional Hulman & Company holdings.

The November announcement was no doubt the most captivating story of 2019 for INDYCAR, but it also ranked among the top stories in all of motorsports with its worldwide interest.

Tony Hulman purchased the Speedway in dilapidated condition in November 1945 and turned it into one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues. Over the past 75 years, Hulman and his family have reshaped the facility and hosted Indy cars, NASCAR, Formula One, MotoGP, major golf tournaments and concerts, among other events.

The official sale is scheduled for early January and most expect the impact Penske will have on the sport and the famed track in the future could be even greater than his record 18 Indianapolis 500 victories.

With the Penske acquisition news leading the way, here’s a look at INDYCAR’s top stories of the year:

  1. Penske acquires IMS, INDYCAR: Tony George, Hulman & Company’s Chairman of the Board, said he first approached Roger Penske about buying the company’s assets on the final day of the NTT IndyCar Series season, which was Sept. 22 in Monterey, Calif., at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. Private, highly confidential meetings were held over the next six weeks, with only a handful of executives included in the negotiations. Penske seemed genuinely pleased that one of the biggest secrets in motorsports history held until the deal was formally announced Monday, Nov. 4, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  2. NBC airs its first Indianapolis 500, becomes exclusive home of the NTT IndyCar Series: The 500 had been on ABC since 1965, so that alone made the switch to NBC newsworthy. But NBC also significantly increased exposure for the NTT IndyCar Series through its first of a multiyear deal. Eight races were shown live on network television, three more than in 2018, and fans enjoyed action of all on-track activity via NBC Sports Gold, a leading direct-to-consumer product. Another positive was the inclusion of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in NBC’s “Championship Season” marketing campaign.
  3. NTT joins as the series’ title sponsor: The signing of a multiyear agreement with the global information technology and communications leader was executed in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The agreement affords INDYCAR the opportunity to benefit from NTT’s digital innovations, including the evolution of the INDYCAR Mobile App and integration of NTT’s proprietary Smart Platform.
  4. INDYCAR introduces Aeroscreen, hybrid technology: INDYCAR announced a partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies during the Indy 500 race weekend for the development and implementation of an Aeroscreen for enhanced driver cockpit protection. The safety innovation, which will make its competition debut at the outset of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season, consists of a ballistic Aeroscreen anchored by titanium framework that encompasses the cockpit. The Aeroscreen had its first on-track test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Team Penske’s Will Power, who both considered the initial outing a success. Other tests followed at Barber Motorsports Park, Richmond Raceway and Sebring International Raceway. The Aeroscreen has been described by INDYCAR President Jay Frye as “a game-changer.” For 2022, INDYCAR, in partnership with Chevrolet and Honda, will implement a single-source hybrid system in its race cars. In keeping with INDYCAR’s history of integrating innovation into the sport, the hybrid powertrain will mark the first time that vehicles will depart from the traditional, manual hand-held electric starters to a hybrid component that can be activated by the driver from the cockpit. Additionally, engines are targeted to exceed 900 horsepower.
  5. Pagenaud has a history-making Month of May in Indianapolis: For the first time, the same driver won all three major Indianapolis Motor Speedway events in May: the INDYCAR Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 pole and the 500 itself. In the 500, Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud led 116 of the 200 laps and outdueled Alexander Rossi of Andretti Autosport in the final laps to become the first Frenchman to win the race since Rene Thomas in 1914. Pagenaud also became the first pole winner to win the 500 since Helio Castroneves in 2009.
  6. Juncos/Kaiser bump McLaren/Alonso from Indianapolis 500 field: Who imagined Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula One World Champion who ran so well in the 500 in 2017, failing to earn a spot in his return? Or revered McLaren, which came to Indy with its own program for the first time in this era of the sport, also going home early with Alonso? But the orange No. 66 Chevrolet was in a precarious position in the final minutes of qualifying, and Kyle Kaiser, driving for the small, part-time Juncos Racing team, ran four laps fast enough to make the show in a thrilling David-vs.-Goliath matchup.
  7. Newgarden wins four races, captures second series championship: Josef Newgarden won a season-high four races en route to his second series crown in three years with Team Penske. He also joined Sam Hornish Jr. as the only Americans to win multiple series crowns since Al Unser Jr. in 1994. Newgarden jumped to the top spot in the standings by winning the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and relinquished the position only once – after Simon Pagenaud won the 500 – to effectively go wire-to-wire against a strong field.
  8. History-setting Herta leads stout rookie class: Colton Herta of Harding Steinbrenner Racing made the first emphatic statement by winning the season’s second race, the inaugural INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas, to become the youngest race winner in INDYCAR history at 18 years, 11 months, 25 days. Herta added another victory in the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Felix Rosenqvist of Chip Ganassi Racing won the season’s Rookie-of-the-Year Award on the strength of two top-three and six top-five finishes while the Indianapolis 500’s top-finishing rookie, Santino Ferrucci of Dale Coyne Racing, produced three fourth-place finishes in addition to a seventh at Indy. Marcus Ericsson of Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports finished second in the second Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix race while Carlin’s Pato O’Ward put on a show at COTA in finishing eighth. Ben Hanley of DragonSpeed, a part-time team making only its third INDYCAR start, delivered a strong effort at the 500, qualifying 27th.
  9. McLaren, SPM merge, hire O’Ward and Askew: McLaren, with its Formula One pedigree and rich history, announced in August its full-time return to Indy car competition in a partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The team was rebranded Arrow McLaren Racing SP and also announced a partnership with Chevrolet. More change followed with the 2019 driving tandem of James Hinchcliffe and Marcus Ericsson being replaced by Oliver Askew and Pato O’Ward, the two most recent series champions of Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires. At 23 and 20 years, respectively, Askew, the 2019 champion, and O’Ward, the ’18 champ, form the youngest pairing in the series.
  10. Rossi re-signs with Andretti Autosport: The 28-year-old Alexander Rossi could have become a highly sought-after free agent with a number of enticing options, but he decided to re-sign with Andretti Autosport in July. In addition to announcing a multi-year deal with Rossi, Andretti Autosport also announced a renewal with Honda. The Rossi-Honda tandem was strong in 2019, with the Californian finishing third in the NTT IndyCar Series championship, which was the top finish for the engine manufacturer. He also delivered dominating wins at Long Beach and Road America, leading an impressive 134 of the combined 140 laps, and a runner-up finish in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Thoughts

I have no argument that these afre the top stories. I would have put the Herta story 5th and moved the Pagenaud story to 7th. The others I think are appropriately ranked. Let’s face it. The top story should have been 1, 2,and 3.