Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Penske Entertainment Acquires Grand Prix Association of Long Beach

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  Ambitious INDYCAR Growth Agenda Rolls ForwardI
 
NDIANAPOLIS/LONG BEACH, Calif. (Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024) – Penske Entertainment announced today the newest member of its growing event portfolio, confirming the acquisition of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC, from longtime owner Gerald R. Forsythe. The association administers the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the longest-running major street circuit race in North America. The purchase is expected to provide significant investment for the marquee NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, to further enhance this can’t-miss celebration of speed and Southern California motorsport culture for years to come.This upcoming year marks the 50th edition of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, with special programming planned to mark the occasion.
The race will return to network television, with FOX set to broadcast the event Sunday, April 13.
“We’re incredibly proud to be the new stewards of this cherished and iconic event,” said Roger Penske. “This is the most historic and prestigious street circuit race in North America, and we’re excited to work with Jim Michaelian and his great team in Long Beach to ensure continued success and growth over the long term. This race and its loyal fans matter so much to everyone across the INDYCAR community, and we’re looking forward to a very special 50th anniversary celebration this April, as well.”
“As we prepare to celebrate a truly remarkable milestone, the 50th anniversary of this amazing event, it’s fitting that we have such exciting and important news to share about its future,” said Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach President & CEO Jim Michaelian. “Roger and the team at Penske Entertainment understand the special history and unique qualities that give us such a strong foundation and will be ideal partners as we continue to deliver an exceptional race weekend for our fans moving forward. I also want to acknowledge the significant contribution that the previous owners, Jerry Forsythe and the late Kevin Kalkhoven, made to the success of our event over the past 19 years.”As an acclaimed and highly attended annual event located in the nation’s entertainment capital, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a premier race weekend for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Working alongside the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach team, Penske Entertainment plans to invest in bolstering and enhancing the experience for race fans, sponsors and hospitality customers.“
This is a major race weekend, not just on our calendar but across the motorsport landscape,” Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles said. “We’re committed to preserving the core attributes that make it best in class while also working on some exciting and bold initiatives to make its future even bigger and brighter.”
The three-day weekend regularly attracts crowds of over 190,000 people to its 1.968-mile racecourse surrounding the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. The 2024 edition featured a supercharged atmosphere, which included the largest attendance in the modern INDYCAR era. The event brings global attention and positive economic impact to its home city, while also maintaining a charitable organization – the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach – which has donated more than $4.2 million to those in need within the Long Beach community.
“The Grand Prix is an incredibly vital and vibrant asset for our community and an annual event that drives commerce, attracts tourism and elevates cultural connectivity across our city,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “Penske Entertainment will be a committed and energetic partner for the future that seeks to preserve and enhance this event’s rich history and strong legacy. We’re looking forward to a great working relationship that benefits everyone who calls Long Beach home.”
As part of today’s announcement, Penske Entertainment and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach released a special video, narrated by former Indy 500 Honorary Starter and acclaimed actor Milo Ventimiglia. You can watch here.
Today’s news marks the continuation of an ambitious and productive period for Penske Entertainment, which owns and manages INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. In September, the organization announced the establishment of the first charter system in INDYCAR’s history, providing NTT INDYCAR SERIES owners meaningful and enhanced value across their entries.
In October, Penske Entertainment unveiled the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, powered through a first-of-its-kind joint venture with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel racing series, featuring an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses across the United States and Canada. Beginning in 2025, FOX Sports will be the exclusive home of all INDYCAR action, providing a network broadcast via FOX of all 17 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport series in the U.S. to broadcast every race on network television. 

Who Gets the Final Five Spots? 2026 Scheduling

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A veteran may be out, and a relative newcomer might be in as it appears that one of the five open seats for the 2025 IndyCar season is about to be taken.

In a RACER article by Marshall Pruett yesterday, Romain Grosjean said he has tried, but it does not appear that he will come up with enough budget to retain his ride at Juncos Hollinger Racing. Grosjean believes 2024 was his best season in Indycar, sounded frustrated with the system and the expense s of running a team.

Earlier today, Tony Donohue reported that Sting Ray Robb will be confirmed tomorrow for one of the seats at JHR. Robb brings a large budget and may be able to fund both cars. If that is the case, who gets the second seat?

I have a feeling that at this point Grosjean wouldn’t mind a par time ride on just the road and street courses. Could Conor Daly run the ovals?

Assuming the Robb to Juncos Hollinger announcement occurs on Thursday, here is whatbis left:

JHR- 1 seat

Rahal-1 seat

Coyne- 2 seats

There are many drivers available. Rinus VeeKay and Linus Lundqvist are the top names without a ride. I think VeeKay will end up in one of the Coyne seats. It all wil come down to who can pay and what the team owners are willing to pay to get who they want. It will be a very interesting time the next two months.

2026- A Schedule Shake Up?

We already have a new race in 2026 n Texas, and talk is heating up about a race in Mexico as well. Texas will likely be a spring race, and Mexico will probably want some distance from the fall F1 race for its IndyCar event. Another new race also might be coming, but perhaps not until 2027.

If the series is adamant about a 17 race season, what drops off the current season? If it were up to me, The Thermal Club would be the first to go. Obviously, Iowa would become a single race, and I am fine with no double headers.

I could see a much more dynamic schedule in 2026. I’m thinking the FOX deal may actually inhibit the schedule from achieving a really exciting program. IndyCar really needs a 20 race calendar. A schedule of that length will allow IndyCar to enter the underserved areas of the country like the east and northeast.

Notes

Since many folks are leaving what has been the most common social media site, which i wil still post on for a while. I am now also publishing on Threads and BlueSky. Look for the pit window on Threads and @racenut on Blue Sky.

More on Bobby Allison from IMS

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This story is from IMS. My story from earlier today-

Bobby Allison, 1937-2024

Stock Car Legend, Indy 500 Veteran
Bobby Allison Dies at 86 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024) – Stock car racing legend Bobby Allison, who also made two Indianapolis 500 starts in the 1970s with Team Penske, died Saturday, Nov. 9 in Mooresville, North Carolina. He was 86.
Allison was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, with his 85 victories fourth on the all-time win list at stock car racing’s highest level. His 336 top-five finishes are second only to Richard Petty.
Allison also won the 1983 championship and finished runner-up five times during a Cup Series career that lasted from 1961 through 1988.He delivered on NASCAR’s biggest stages, winning the Daytona 500 in 1972, 1982 and 1988, and was triumphant in the Southern 500 four times and the World 600 three times.
During the early 1970s, less-restrictive team contracts and sponsor commitments allowed drivers to cross over to other series, and Allison was drawn to the Indianapolis 500 after team owner Roger Penske noticed his speed in a Can-Am car during a test in late 1972 on the road course at Riverside, California.
Penske suggested that Allison test an INDYCAR SERIES car, and he was impressively quick during a trial run at Ontario (California) Motor Speedway, which had identical dimensions to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
That opened Allison’s eyes to the possibility of attempting to compete at Indy, and the family genes of speed already were confirmed in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1970 when brother Donnie finished fourth and was named Rookie of the Year.
Penske named Bobby Allison to his Indy 500 team in 1973 as teammates with defending winner Mark Donohue and oval specialist Gary Bettenhausen.
Allison qualified 12th with a four-lap average speed of 192.308 mph, then the fastest speed ever by a rookie, aided by this being the second year the cars featured huge, bolt-on rear wings to substantially increase downforce.That promising qualifying run went up in smoke – literally – on the ill-fated Race Day in 1973 when a connecting rod broke on his Team Penske McLaren/Offenhauser on the first lap, relegating him to 32nd place.
Allison did not return to Indy in 1974, shaken by the death of friend Swede Savage in July 1973 from injuries suffered in a crash in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. But Allison was back in Team Penske’s lineup in 1975, as teammate to Tom Sneva.
Allison qualified 13th and spent nearly the entire first half of the race running in the top 10, including leading Lap 24 during pit stop cycles. He was running eighth when a gearbox failure ended his race after completing 112 laps. He was credited with a deceptive 25th-place finish in his second and final Indianapolis 500 start.
He also made four other USAC Championship Trail starts in 1975 for Team Penske, with a best finish of sixth at Ontario.
Florida native Allison then focused on NASCAR as the leader of a group of drivers who moved to Hueytown, Alabama, in the late 1950s to compete for higher purses on short tracks in that state, earning the moniker “The Alabama Gang.” Other early drivers in that “gang” included his brother Donnie and Red Farmer, with Jimmy Means, Neil Bonnett, Bobby Allison’s son Davey Allison and Hut Stricklin later affiliated with that group.
Bobby Allison, then age 50, memorably held off his son Davey for victory in the 1988 Daytona 500. He also earned national attention nine years earlier when he jumped into a fight in the infield between his brother Donnie and Cale Yarborough on the last lap of the 1979 Daytona 500.
Bobby Allison’s driving career ended in 1988 after he suffered serious injuries in a crash at Pocono Raceway. He then fielded a Cup Series team from 1990-96, with marginal success.
Allison’s accomplishments earned him induction into many racing Halls of Fame, including the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was named as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers during the organization’s 50th anniversary in 1998 and again was acclaimed as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers during the 75th anniversary celebration in 2023. Allison also was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver six times. 

Bobby Allison, 1937-2024

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Bobby Allison, a two time starter in the Indianapolis 500- and three-time Daytona 500 winner, died yesterday. Allison started the 500 in 1973 and 1975, driving for Roger Penske. He qualified well, 12thn in 1973 and 13th in 1975, but mechanical issues relegated him to finishes of 32d and 25th.

Bobby and his older brother Donnie were stars in the second decade of NASCAR, and Bobby’s son Davey was a rising star who died in a helicopter crash in 1993, just 11 months after Bobby’s other son, Clifford, died in a practice crash at Michigan International Speedway.

Donnie and Bobby helped put NASCAR on the map in 1979 when hey were involved in the fight with Cale Yarborough in the Daytona 500. Yarborough and Donnie collided, and Bobby pulled over to see if everyone was okay. The ensuing scuffle made national headlines and contributed to NASCAR’s growth in popularity.

Bobby also drove in four other IndyCar races in 1975, with a best finish of sixth in the first of two races at Ontario Motor Speedway. He also drove at Pocono and Michigan.

Bobby held off his son Davey for his last win in the 1988 Daytona 500, when he was 50 years old.

In my younger days when I followed all sorts of racing it was hard not to root for bobby Allison. He was true racer. If drivers like him were still in NASCAR, I might still be following it. I don’t think I can name five of their drivers today. Rest in Peace, Racer. Thanks for the great memories.

Shwartzman Returns to PREMA for IndyCar Debut

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From PREMA:

PREMA Racing is thrilled to announce that Robert Shwartzman will be joining the team for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Reuniting with the PREMA family after a successful stint in Endurance racing, the 25-year-old Israeli will return to single-seaters, completing the team’s Chevrolet-powered effort for the upcoming season.
 
Shwartzman joined PREMA for the first time in 2018, claiming third place in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and ending up as the top rookie of that year, to which he added the Toyota Racing Series title. In 2019, he cruised to the inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship title of the new era, kicking off PREMA’s dominant form in the series.
 
He stayed with the team for his jump to the FIA Formula 2 Championship, where he achieved six wins and 14 podium finishes in two seasons, becoming vice-champion in 2021. He made his Formula 1 testing debut in 2020 with Scuderia Ferrari, continuing to test with the Italian squad and Haas F1 Team the following year.
 
In 2022, he was appointed as a test driver by Scuderia Ferrari and made several Formula 1 testing and free practice appearances, while also performing simulator duties. In 2023, after joining the Italian manufacturer’s F1 reserve driver pool, he entered the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, securing one win. For 2024, he was confirmed as a reserve driver in Formula 1, and made his prototype racing debut, driving a Ferrari 499P in the FIA World Endurance Championship. After taking part in his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours, he delivered a memorable win at the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin.
 
Coming back to PREMA Racing, he will be joining forces with fellow alumni Callum Ilott for the team’s ground-breaking INDYCAR debut. While facing new challenges, including racing on ovals, his raw speed, experience, and insight into the team’s work ethic and method will make him a brilliant asset for the coming season and beyond.

Rene Rosin – Team Owner, PREMA Racing
“We are extremely delighted to welcome Robert back to the PREMA family. We have had some exceptional seasons together, winning a lot of races and the 2019 FIA F3 title, and we also thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He is an extremely talented driver and I think that, by working together, we will be able to overcome the steep learning curve that lies ahead of us. I cannot wait to see him and Callum compete under the PREMA banner again.”

Piers Phillips – CEO, PREMA Racing INDYCAR
“Having completed our line-up is a major step forward as our operation continues to prepare for its first INDYCAR season. Robert has a very impressive resume and has been competitive everywhere he went, from single-seaters to GT and prototypes. We think his skills and versatility will help him considerably, and will also help our team to learn faster and be more efficient. We look forward to getting the work started with Robert, Callum and Chevrolet as soon as possible.”

Robert Shwartzman
“I’m definitely very very excited to be back at PREMA to start a new adventure in INDYCAR. Everything will be new to us and there will be many challenges, but it will also be a lot of fun and a lot of work at the same time. I think a very successful future lies ahead for us. INDYCAR is a very competitive series, with so many strong drivers, and I’m looking forward to the racing, as it looks really cool. I have never driven on ovals and to master them, it will be a completely new challenge. However, with PREMA we achieved a lot in the past, and I think that my F1 and Endurance experience will be helpful to make us evolve fast and get up to speed quickly.”

Five Years Ago

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November 4, 2019- I had just left the coffeehouse after breakfast with a group of my friends. My plan was to go to the gym, then run some errands. A text as I got to my car changed my schedule, and it changed much more.

“What do you think of Penske buying the Speedway?” my friend asked.

I had no idea what she was talking about. I read the article attached to the text.

I drove home, checked my email, and saw that a press conference was set at IMS for 10 am. I changed clothes- after all, you want to look nice for an ownership change like this- and drove to the track.

After five years of Penske ownership of IMS and the IndyCar series, what has improved? What still needs to change? I have a few thoughts.

IMS

The improvements Penske has made to Indianapolis Motor Speedway are sweeping and were sorely needed. The track and facilities have never looked better in my lifetime. Everyting is pristine, and the added touches such as the tables outside the main grandstands and the new grab n go market in the plaza have brought the track into the 21st century.

I love the additional high quality video boards and the new PA system.

Bringing an IMSA event to IMS is a high quality enhancement to the racing programs at IMS.

I am still not completely sold on the qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500, although I have warmed up to it a bit. I still think the pole should be decided on Saturday so that the winner can use Sunday for publicity while the rest of field is set. If there has to be a shootout, go back to nine cars. Twelve is overkill and cheapens that segment of qualifying.

The IndyCar Series

If it were not for Roger Penske, there might not be a series today. He purchased it at the right time, and he kept it going through COVID. I am not sure if COVID caused some of the delays in the hybrid debut, but it did not help the situation.

The competition has been at a high level, although I felt it dropped of a bit this past season.

The series itself seems to be mired in a time warp. A new chassis is badly needed. The hybrid boost needs to be turned up. The schedule has also gone stale, although the addition of Milwaukee and Nashville mad for a great ending to the year.

I do have hope for the future, however. The 2026 schedule looks like it may be a radical departure from what we have seen with the addition of a proposed race in Mexico and possibly Brazil. My only hope is that the schedule expands to 18 races and that no oval race is sacrificed.

IMS and the 500 are in good shape. The series has an opportunity in the next couple of years to get stronger, but there cannot be huge delays as there with the hybrid. A new car no later than 2027 would be helpful, but 2026 would probably be ideal for the new machine.

Simpson Confirmed at Ganassi; Browne, Koolen Fill CGR Indy NXT Seats

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Chip Ganassi Racing today confirmed Kyffin Simpson as driver of the number 8 car for the 2025 IndyCar season. The move was long anticipated. Simpson, 19, from the Caymen Islands, drove car 4 for Ganassi in 2024, finishing 21st in the standings. Simpson finished 21st on the lead lap in the Indianapolis 500, leading three laps.

Ganassi Indy NXT

Neils Koolen and Jonathan Browne will drive for Ganassi’s new Indy NXT team. Both drivers have some Indy NXT experience, driving for HMD in 2024.

Koolen (l), Browne (r)

Koolen, 23 years old from the Netherlands,, finished 10th in the Indy NXT race at IMS last May. He also spent time in the European le Mans Series in 2024.

Browne, 24, ran the entire season for HMD, finishing 13th in the standings. The Irish driver earned eight Top 10 finishes.

Floersch Tests IndyNXT; IndyCar Grid Still in Limbo

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HMD Motorsports announced last week that Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch will drive in today’s Indy NXT test at Barber Motorsports Park.

Floersch, 23, has driven in Formula 3 and has also driven in the European Le Mans Series. In 2018 Floersch suffered a spine fracture in a horrific accident in Macau when her got airborne and landed outside the track after tearing through the catch fence. She underwent a 10 hour surgery and made a full recovery.

Floersch is exploring her options for 2025and has not signed with any series.

IndyCar Grid- Still 5 Seats Open

Filling the IndyCar grid for 2025 will come down to who has the cash. There are two open seats at Dale Coyne Racing, two at Juncos Hollinger Racing, and one opening at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

While no drivers have been formally announced for the second car at Meyer Shank Racing, the third Chip Ganassi Racing seat, or the second car at PREMA, it is presumed that they are all spoken for.

Available drivers include Rinus VeeKay, Linus Lindqvist, Conor Daly, Jack Harvey, Sting Ray Robb, Devlin DeFrancesco, Jamie Chadwick, and Katherine Legge.

Robb and de Francesco have money, and they could possibly help find a teammate.

Coyne might try to cobble together a rotating lineup as he did last season, but the charter rules limit each entry to three drivers a season.

I think VeeKay, Robb, and Lundqvist have the best chance at landing full time rides, while the others we may see in part time roles. It would be a shame not to see Jamie Chadwick make her IndyCar debut this season.

Pato on a Roll

The Pato O’Ward frenzy at the Grand Prix of Mexico this past weekend was quite a sight to behold, and it made the absence of an IndyCar race in Mexico even more of a glaring schedule omission. I am hopeful the race will happen in 2026, and there is now more room for optimism.

Several credible sources are reporting that O’Ward will run some demo laps in an IndyCar during the Formula E weekend at the circuit in January.

My IndyCar Rules Change Wish List

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

There seems to be a bit of a break in the IndyCar news cycle. The boff time was nice, and I spent the last 11 days living in movie theaters enjoying the Heartland Film Festival. Now, back to work.

This is my annual plea for the series to amend some rules. some of these changes i have advocated before, and a couple are based on things that happened in 2024.

Keep the pits open during a yellow. Gathering up the field causes more yellow laps, and it has caused some running order confusion leading to even more yellow laps. Not closing the pits avoids penalties, and cars that absolutely need a splash of fuel can keep their track position. This procedure will also add some randomness back to the sport. The series is overmanaging the races (See last 10 laps of 2023 Indianapolis 500).

Throw the yellow when it needs to be thrown. If the pits are kept open, there is no need to delay a yellow, or allow a yellow to give an advantage to car that spun. Immediate yellows will avoid dangerous situations like we had in Toronto, where Pato O’Ward was a sitting duck. O’Ward got hit by three cars, and Santino Ferrucci got airborne.

Set oval qualifying order by practice speeds. The current practice is for cars to qualifying in inverse order of entrant points. This gives the series virtually the same qualifying order every oval race. By using inverse order of practice speeds, we will see a new order each race, and the fastest car will still be up front. Occasionally a leader will have a bad practice, and go early, but again, more randomness.

The Indianapolis 500 sets qualifying order by random draw; why can’t there be randomness at the other ovals as well? It is one step IndyCar could do to make oval qualifying a bit more interesting.

Stiffer penalties for restart violators. Leaders who do not follow the correct restart procedures should have some sort of penalty. Going to the rea or a drive through is too severe. Perhaps they should give up two spots. if they’re fast enough to lead, they should be able to get back out front. Also, race control needs to wave off restarts if the field is not set properly.

Vary the length of the two races at doubleheaders. The doubleheader may be heading toward extinction, but as long as they are on the schedule, I think the first race should be longer than the second. If one tenth of the distance is added to Race 1 and subtracted from race 2, the mileage would be the same. A longer first race and a shorter second race would also let the fans head home earlier on Sunday. Sometimes Sunday’s race seems exactly the same as Saturday’s- the same pit windows, same fuel saving strategy- which longer and shorter races could avoid.

Keep exploring the use of alternate tires on ovals. The alternate tires on ovals is intriguing. It seemed to work well at Nashville, and I think Firestone can continue to refine the differences between the two compounds. Anything that will spice up the ovals. I’m in favor of.

I’m sure the series officials will read this and take these ideas to heart as they always do. Anyway, it’s great to be back. There is some news to catch up on, and I will share that in the next day or so.