Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Quick Thoughts-Milwaukee Race 1- Pato- monium

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

All of a sudden Indycar oval racing is good again. The gloom and doom following the Iowa doubleheader has vanished like gossamer on windy day.

WWTR had a good race, and this evening’s race also produced a good show. The race ended with Will Power chasing down winner Pato O’Ward. Races always seem more fun when Pato wins. Itb was certainly a poular victory with the fans.

O’Ward, the most popular driver in Indycar and Mexico, dominated the race ince he took the lead, staying at the front for 133 laps. Any other winner would have been overshadowed by third place finisher Conor Daly, who started 25th and gave. Juncos Hollinger Racing their first podium..

O’Ward first took the lead on lap 68, led again from lapo 119-185, and took the lead for good on lap 195. He managed traffic beautifully, keeping Will Power at bay to win by just under two seconds. It was one of O’Ward’s more convincing wins.

Daly- From 25th to 3rd

Juncos Hollinger Racing hired Conor Daly to replace Agustin Canapino for one reason- to get into the Leaders’ Circle. Based on tonight’s result, it looks as if they made the right choice. The 78 is now 21st in entrant point -above the cut line.iiDaly does well on ovals, but tonight was arguably one of the best drives of his career, He started 25th in a car that had not shown except for a few solid qualifying efforts and brought home the team’s first Indycar podium.

Daly admitted in the post race press conference that finances may keep him from keeping htis ride in 2025. JHR would be well served to find a way for Daly to stay. The team has shown improvement this season, and I think Daly could help take another step forward.

Notes

Katherine Legge recovered from a spin and earned a top 20 finish.

Why did the last caution, for debris, require 16 laps?

Power cut Alex Palou’s lead to 43 points as Palou managed a fifth place result. Power shave 11 points from the advantage. Even he cuts 11 points in each of the final two races, Palou still takes his third title.

Power noted in the press conference that Indycar, not NASCAR, should be racing in Mexico.

Results

McLaughlin, Newgarden Take Milwaukee Poles in a Penske 1-2 Lockout

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Scott McLaughlin will be on the point for the start of this afternoon’s first Milwaukee 250, while teammate Josef Newgarden will move to 11th after taking a nine place grid penalty.

Tomorrow, Newgarden has the pole and McLaughlin starts second, as Team Penske continues their oval domination in the 2024 season.

Race 1 Qualifying Results:

The 11 mile an hour speed separation between McLaughlin and last place Pietro Fittipaldi means that the leaders will encounter lapped traffic very early in the race.

David Malukas will move up to the front row for the start this afternoon.

Sunset is at &:27 pm Central time. Barring a long red flag or a race with lots of yellows, the race should easily finish before sundown. Ifr not, Indycar may declare a timed race.

Remember, kids, today’s race is exclusively on Peacock at 5 pm Central.

Race 2 Results

As of now there are no penalties assessed for Race 2, so this should be tomorrow’s starting lineup.

Notes

I talked to a couple of peoples in a Dunkin Donuts this morning who are in town for the race. They are originally from Indy but now live in Texas. They flew to Milwaukee for the race.

I drove to the track a little before 10 and there was a line toget in.

I heard that garage passes are sold out.

Thanks to Dale Coyne Racing for providing me workspace this weekend.

Milwaukee’s schedule has accomplished something oval tracks have had difficulty with. There is minimal downtime once cars get on track. Indycar follows Indy NXT after a brief transition, and the action is virtually nonstop. The only change I would make is to have Sunday’s race start an hour earlier.

INDYCAR Announces Milwaukee Mile Grid Penalties 

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 INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024) – INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing and No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing for unapproved engine changes following the Friday, Aug. 30 practice at the Milwaukee Mile.
The teams were in violation of:Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next race, which is the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 today, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile. 

First, We Qualify, Then We Race

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

Today’s Schedule:

SATURDAY, AUG. 31
Noon-12:45 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR LIVE
1:15 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock
2:55 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100 (“Drivers, start your engines”)

3 p.m.  INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), Peacock
4:40 p.m. Peacock on air
5:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
5:05 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 (250 laps/253.75 miles), Peacock (Live)

It’s an old school race day at an old school track today. The historic Milwaukee Mile has qualifying and a race for both Indy NXT and Indycar. Today’s Indycar race is only on Peacock.

I hope we see a bit more speed today than the times that were posted yesterday, I didn’t expect laps below 160 mph. Patrick Carpentier’s track record of 185 looks safe for another year.

While qualifying may affect the early running order in the race, this will come down to a battle between the usual suspects. Unless Josef Newgarden does not qualify well, his nine spot grid penalty won’t matter. He will be up there near the end. After qualifying, we will have a better read on how the race could shape up. I still see Scott Dixon winning one of the races, and a Penske driver winning the other one.

Notes

How many fans will come out today? It sounds as if the series is hoping for 15,000, which would be decent considering it is a holiday weekend. Labor Day events typically do not draw well.

As I mentioned yesterday, the track looks much better than I remember from the last time Indycar was here early in the last decade. The place looks clean and fresh. The many concession booths and permanent buildings behind the grandstands appear to have also received a bit of freshening up.

I’ll be back early this afternoon with a wrap up of qualifying and the starting lineup.

Milwaukee Fast Facts

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Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Fast Facts  
Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 30-Sunday, Sept. 1
Track: Milwaukee Mile, a 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wisconsin
Race distance:NTT INDYCAR SERIESHy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1: 250 laps/253.75 miles (Saturday)Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2: 250 laps/253.75 miles (Sunday)INDY NXT by FirestoneINDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile: 90 laps/91.35 miles

Hybrid energy deployment parameters:NTT INDYCAR SERIESUnlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 135 kilojoules (kJ) per lap
.Firestone tire allotment
:NTT INDYCAR SERIESThirteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend.
INDY NXT by FirestoneTwo new sets for use through the event weekend. A carryover set from the Milwaukee Open Test in June may be used during pre-qualifying practice Friday
.X: @TheMKEMile, @IndyCar, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @themilwaukeemile, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT
Facebook: @MilwaukeeMileRacing, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.wistatefair.com/wsfp/indycar-weekend-at-the-milwaukee-mile/
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2015 race winners (most recent event):
NTT INDYCAR SERIESSebastien Bourdais (No. 11 Team Hydroxycut-KVSH Racing Chevrolet)INDY
NXT by FirestoneFelix Serralles (No. 4 Belardi Auto Racing)2015 NTT P1 Award winner (most recent event)
:Josef Newgarden (No. 67 Hartman Oil CFH Racing Chevrolet), 42.9320 seconds, 170.223 mph (two laps)
2015 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner (most recent event): Spencer Pigot (No. 12 Juncos Racing), 48.4397 seconds, 150.868 mph (two laps)One-lap qualifying record:NTT INDYCAR SERIESPatrick Carpentier, 20.028 seconds, 185.500 mph, May 30, 1998INDY NXT by FirestoneMark Hotchkis, 23.692 seconds, 151.952 mph, June 2, 1996
USA Network/Peacock race telecasts: Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1, 5:40 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 31, Peacock; Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2, 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 1, USA Network. Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dillon Welch and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters.
Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while the race telecast of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 will air exclusively on the streaming service. USA Network’s telecast of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 will be simulcast on Peacock. The INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE
.INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query, Michael Young and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 (5:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (3:45 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 218, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times Central):
FRIDAY, AUG. 30
1:30-2:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR LIVE
2:35 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps, Peacock
2:45-3:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES High-Line Session (Two groups, 15 minutes each), Peacock
3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, Peacock
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
Noon-12:45 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR LIVE
1:15 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock
2:55 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100 (“Drivers, start your engine
s”)3 p.m.  INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), Peacock
4:40 p.m. Peacock on air
5:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
5:05 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 (250 laps/253.75 miles), Peacock (Live
)SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
11 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps, Peacock
1:30 p.m. USA Network on air
1:56 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
2 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 (250 laps/253.75 miles), USA Network (Live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship facts:
Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the second time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Palou also led the championship with three races to go in 2023 when he won the title. Palou, who has led the point standings after nine of the 14 rounds this season, took the point lead at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey in June.There are eight drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Will Power, Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood. Any driver who trails the points leader by 109 points or more on Saturday or 55 or more points following Sunday’s race will be eliminated from contention.Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Milwaukee in 1939, 19 drivers have won the Milwaukee Mile in their INDYCAR SERIES championship-winning seasons: Will Power (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2011), Sebastien Bourdais (2006), Al Unser Jr. (1994 , 1990), Nigel Mansell (1993), Michael Andretti (1991), Johnny Rutherford (1980), A.J. Foyt (1964, 1980), Joe Leonard (1972), Al Unser (1970), Mario Andretti (1966), Rodger Ward (1959, 1962), Jimmy Bryan (1956), Chuck Stevenson (1952), Tony Bettenhausen (1951), Johnnie Parsons (1949), Ted Horn (1947), Rex Mays (1941).Point differential: The 54 points separating Alex Palou and Will Power is the fourth-largest point margin with three races remaining since 2008. During that span, the average lead with three races remaining is 34.3 points.Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship 10 times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014 and 2022, Simon Pagenaud in 2016, Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019 and Alex Palou in 2023

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:
The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will be the 15th and 16th races of the 2024 season.
There have been seven winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2024 season. Pato O’Ward (Streets of St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Scott Dixon (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Detroit), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway-1), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500, World Wide Technology Raceway), Will Power (Road America, Iowa Speedway-2, Portland International Raceway) and Colton Herta (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2024. The modern record (1946-present) for the most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will be the fifth and sixth oval races of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The first four oval races were won by drivers from Team Penske. Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500 and World Wide Technology Raceway), Scott McLaughlin (Iowa Speedway-1) and Will Power (Iowa Speedway-2). The remaining oval race is scheduled for Sept. 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will be the 114th and 115th INDYCAR SERIES events at the Milwaukee Mile. Scott Dixon and Will Power are the only drivers to win at Milwaukee entered in the event.
ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS
Scott Dixon 1 2009
Will Power 1 2014J
osef Newgarden has won 10 of the last 15 oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. Newgarden finished fifth at Milwaukee in 2014 and 2015 and scored his first INDYCAR SERIES pole position at the track in 2015
.Five drivers have previous starts at Milwaukee Mile – Scott Dixon, Katherine Legge, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Graham Rahal. Dixon has 12 starts, most of all drivers. All five drivers have led laps at the track (Power 233, Dixon 190, Newgarden 109, Legge 12 and Rahal 5).
Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 337th and 338th consecutive starts, extending his record streak…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 200th consecutive start on Saturday… Saturday’s race will mark Dixon’s 400th INDYCAR SERIES start, making him only the second driver to reach that milestone, behind Mario Andretti with 407 … Will Power will attempt to make his 300th INDYCAR SERIES start on Saturday, becoming the 10th driver to reach that mark … Christian Lundgaard (Saturday) and Kyle Kirkwood (Sunday) also will mark their 50th INDYCAR SERIES starts this weekend.
INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes:Andretti Global’s Louis Foster is enjoying a historically dominant season, leading the series in wins (six), poles (five), laps led (207 of 485), top-five finishes (11) and top-10 finishes (12) through 12 races. Foster, a native of England, owns a 79-point lead over second-place Jacob Abel of Abel Motorsports. Foster can clinch the season championship with a finish of fifth or better in Milwaukee. 
 

Newgarden Leads Milwaukee Practice

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Photo by Kyle McInnes

Josef Newgarden had the fastest lap in the only practice session for the Milwaukee double header. Newgarden was a tenth of a second faster than Scott Dixon.

The 90 minute session ran uninterrupted until Christian Rasmussen spun and hit the wall in turn 3 with six minutes left.

Newgarden said in the post practice media conference that the track feels different because the cars are heavier, but he thinks the track is the same.

The top half of the field:

The track and fairgrounds look very nice, much nicer than I remember from 2015. I had forgotten how flat the turns are here.

Thata will do it for me for today. I’ll be back in the morning with a preview of a very packed Saturday.

 INDYCAR Announces Milwaukee Mile Grid Penalties 

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From Indycar:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 30, 2024) – INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 2 Team Penske, No. 6 Arrow McLaren, No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing and Nos. 30 and 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for unapproved engine changes following the Sunday, Aug. 25 race at Portland International Raceway.The teams were in violation of:Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next race, which is the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile.