Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Return to the Mile

thepitwindow

Today’s Schedule (Central Time)

1:30 pm Indy NXT practice Indycar Live

2:45 pm Indycar High line practice (2 groups, 15 minutes each)

3:30 pm Indycar all car practice (90 minutes) Peacock; Indycar Radio

Indycar fans’ loud clamoring for a return to to the Milwaukee Mile is just hours away from being realized. It may be a case of be careful what you wish for. How many of the fans who screamed the loudest for the series to return to the oldest track in the US will come to watch either or both of the 250 lap races Saturday and Sunday? How will the racing be?

I’m not sure there will be anything resembling a sellout. The racing could go either way. We could see the parade that was Iowa, or we could see a competitive event similar what we saw at WWTR two weeks ago.

No matter the size of the crowd or the quality of the racing, I will celebrate the return of arguably the second most historic venue on the Indycar circuit. This weekend should have lots of intrigue. The championship is up for grabs, and I am anxious to see what Race Control this week about will starts and restarts.

Nathan Brown of the Indy Star reported on a meeting between drivers and race control to clarify restart procedures. The drivers want a line painted on the track to define the end of the restart zone. They also want a penalty for a driver who does not maintain a constant speed. I assume we will find out today what will be done about it.

Both races are scheduled for 250 laps. I think that the races of a doubleheader should be different lengths. Saturday’s race should be 275 laps and Sunday’s 225 circuits. I don’t enjoy seeing the same event two days in a row.

How Much Will Experience Matter?

Only five drivers in the field- Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, and Katherine Legge- have raced at Milwaukee. Power and Dixon have won here, and Newgarden earned his first career pole at The Mile.

Experience may play a small part in success this weekend, but the stronger teams will still be up front. Team Penske drivers have won all the oval races in 2024, and I believe someone on the team will win one of the races.

Points Chase

After Sunday, I expect Alex Palou’s lead in the championship to be even smaller than the 49 point advantage he h now has. I am assuming Will Power will win one of the races. Palou has yet to win on an oval, and I do not believe that strek gets broken Saturday or Sunday. If it does, the title is his.

While I believe Power will win one of the races, the Penske streak ends with Scott Dixon winning the other race.

Rasmussen to Compete in Final Three Oval Races for ECR

thepitwindow

From Ed Carpenter Racing:

 Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that Christian Rasmussen will finish the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season behind the wheel of the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet.
The 24-year-old Danish rookie will compete in this weekend’s doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile and the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. 
While team owner Ed Carpenter was scheduled to drive in the remaining events this year, he found importance in providing an opportunity to Rasmussen.
“First off, this was a very difficult decision for me to make. I want to make it clear that this is not a retirement announcement,” stated Carpenter. “However, the reality is, I have not performed to the level that I expect of myself for the team. Christian tested at Gateway prior to the race and he showed me that he deserves this expanded opportunity. He also had such a strong performance during the Month of May and has earned the chance to continue his development. I am excited to watch him finish the season out strong for the No. 20 crew and the entire ECR team.”
Rasmussen’s final race of 2024 was set to be last weekend’s road course event at Portland International Raceway, but he will now compete in the last three races of the season. Rasmussen, the 2023 INDY NXT champion, won both short oval races on his way to the title last year. In addition to his duties this season as road and street course driver of the No. 20, he also competed in ECR’s third Indianapolis 500 entry. He earned the distinction of being the highest finishing rookie in the field, driving from 24th to 12th over the course of the 500-mile race. 
Rasmussen is grateful to Carpenter, his teammate and team owner.
 “First and foremost, I am incredibly thankful to Ed for providing me this opportunity,” Rasmussen said. “I am excited to drive the No. 20 in the remaining three races and I am fully committed to giving the team my absolute best. While I haven’t raced at Milwaukee or Nashville before, my past performances on ovals have been strong and I’m eager to add these tracks to the list!”
Though the Milwaukee Mile will be Rasmussen’s first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on a short oval, he recently completed a test day at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Rasmussen’s full-time teammate, Rinus VeeKay, will also be making his Milwaukee Mile debut as the track returns to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar for the first time since 2015. Nashville Superspeedway will also be a new venue for both as the 1.33-mile oval has not been on the schedule since 2008. 
On-track activity at the Milwaukee Mile will begin with over two hours of practice this coming Friday, August 30. Saturday, August 31 will begin with qualifying for both races with Lap 1 setting the starting field for Race 1 and Lap 2 determining the grid for Race 2. The first race of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will begin at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday and will stream exclusively on Peacock. The second race of the doubleheader will take place on Sunday, September 1 at 1:30 p.m. CT with coverage on USA Network. About Ed Carpenter RacingEd Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting eight wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The team’s 2024 driver lineup has included a combination of Carpenter, rookie Christian Rasmussen and fifth-year veteran Rinus VeeKay. More information on Ed Carpenter Racing may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/. Custom 2019 ECR Logo.png
    

Power Surge in Portland

thepitwindow

Top photo by Kyle McInnes

Will Power beat pole sitter Santino Ferrucci to the first turn and dominated the Grand Prix of Portland, leading 101 laps on his way to his third victory of the season. Points leader Alex Palou finished second and lost just 12 points to Power in the championship.

“Every win I get now is so special,” Power said in the post race press conference. He said that the series is so competitive now that each win is “a big deal.”

The race itself was static. Besides Ferrucci slipping to eighth at the end, few drivers improved their positions. Scott McLaughlin finished seventh after starting 20th, Pato O’Ward moved from 23rd to 15th, and Alexander Rossi improved go 12th from 18th.

For the first time in recent memory, the field got through turn 1 cleanly, but Scott Dixon was squeezed by Kyle Kirkwood, and then Pietro Fittipaldi hit him, sending Dixon into the Armco and out of the race.. It was the only caution of the afternoon.

Power used pit strategy to extend his lead, only losing the top spot during his stops.

Romain Grosjean spun in turn 1 and took some time to refire his engine. He then turned the car in the right direction right into the path of Christian Rasmussen. Both cars continued, but pitted as they came around.

Notes

Scott Dixon has finished last at two road races this year, yet he sill has an outside chance at the title. Dixon will probably be eliminated after the first race in Milwaukee next Saturday.

Power has led more than 100 laps in the last two races.

Can Alex Palou finally get an oval win in one of the final three races? Should he get the victory, it would pretty much seal his third title. He indicated in the media availability that it is a goal.

The championship is realistically down to just four- Palou, Power, Herta, and McLaughlin. While eight are still mathematically eligible, several will probably be out of the running after next weekend.

I will have some more thoughts tomorrow. Thanks for following along this weekend.

Portland Race Day; Lineup and Tire Selections

thepitwindow

Today’s Schedule:

9:30 AM Gates Open
10:20 AM – 11:15 AMINDY NXTRace (35 Laps or 55 mins)
11:40 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIESDriver Introductions
12:30 PM BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland – NTT INDYCAR SERIESRace (110 Laps)

The Indycar race is on USA Network. Indy NXT and Indycar races are on Peacock.

Good morning from Portland. Today is expected to be the best weather day of the weekend, with a temperature of 70 degrees at the green flag and about 75 degrees when when checkered flag waves.

If Will Power beats Santino Ferrucci to turn 1, he should come away with the win. If not, mit could be anybody’s race. Several fast cars are startiing in the second half of the grid, including Alexander Rossi, Scott McLaughlin, and Pato O’Ward.

Alex Palou attempts to at least maintain his current 59 point lead from third. Power is the only contender starting ahead of him, and he is 66 points behind.in fourth place. The top six are separated by just 98 points, but it would take two bad races by Palou for him to be in trouble. I think Race 1 at Iowa was his bad race for the year.

The official lineup, with penalty assessments, and the starting tire for each driver:

I’ll be back after the race with a quick wrapup.

McLaughlin, Simpson Assessed Engine Penalties

thepitwindow

Photo b y Kyle McInnes

From Indycar:

McLaughlin will start 20th tomorrow.

INDYCAR Announces Portland International Raceway Grid Penalties 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024) – INDYCAR officials have announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 3 Team Penske and No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing for unapproved engine changes following qualifying 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 event, which is the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Sunday, Aug. 25 at PIR.

Shock Pole for Foyt Team

thepitwindow

Photo by Kyle McInnes

Hiring Michael Cannon has paid off handsomely for A. J. Foyt Racing. Santino Ferrucci sits on pole for tomorrow’s Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland. Ferrucci sits 11th in the points with several top 10 finishes this year as gthe Foyt team has had a resurgence in 2024.

Ferrucci played a waiting game and was the last car to get on track in the Fast Six. It was an unusual Fast Six, with Will Power and Alex Palou the only regular guests. Besides Ferrucci, Kyle Kirkwood, Graham Rahal, and Christian Lundgaard made it through to the final round.

Round 1 saw Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas, who were fast in the two practice sessions, eliminated. Scott Dixon and Colton Herta went out in the Fast 12, as did Josef Newgarden, Romain Grosjean, Marcus Armstrong, and Marcus Ericsson.

Alex Palou was leading the second round when he spun exiting turn 12. He was able to keep the car running, and returned to the track. The spin cost him his best lap up to that point, but he recovered to advance to the final segment.

Notes

Kirkwood and Rahal will star 11th and 12th, respectively when their six place grid penalties are assessed. Malukas will line up in row 13 with his penalty.

Today’s attendance is probably the best I’ve seen for a Saturday at Portland.

Points leader Palou will start third. Will Power, fourth in the standings is the only contender ahead of him.

Power still has not won a pole this season.

Results

McLaughlin Stays on Top

thepitwindow

Photo by Kyle McInnes

Scott McLaughlin continues to pace the Indycar field at Portland after the second practice. McLaughlin turned a lap 0f 58.8605 seconds this morning under cool conditions. David Malukas was just two hundredths of a second behind. Malukas will serve a six spot grid penalty for the race.

The field is quite tight. 26 of the 28 cars were within seven tenths of the leader. Only Felix Rosenqvist and Toby Sowery were more than a second behind the leader.

Felix Rosenqvist had a wild ride over the turn 1 curbing, captured by Peacock. He is now just two hours short of getting his pilot’s license.

Three red flags stopped the session briefly, but the field id get the full 45 minutes of green flag time allotted. Will Power spun and stalled in the first five minutes of the session. Sting Ray Robb went off track in turn 11 and went nose first into the tire barrier. Toby Sowery went off tack requiring a stoppage near the end of the session.

Qualifying begins at 12:30 pm Pacific Time.

Results

Notes

Get your spotters guide handy. There are nine cars this weekend with a shade of red and white liveries here. Several cars, notably the number 14, are in a livery that is a complete departure from their usual colors.

It is warming up quickly, and conditions for qualifying should near ideal.