Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Siegel Completes Rookie Test

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Nolan Siegel easily completed his IMS rookie test this morning under clear skies and cool conditions. He needed to repeat the test he passed early because he failed to qualify for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. With his new ride at Arrow McLaren for 2025, qualifying should not be an issue.

“I’m going to be way better prepared this year,” Siegel said. “I’m excited to get back.”

“I’ll have more preparation, more time with the team. more time in the car, and more actual practice time here at the track.”

Siegel feels that knowing wht bhe will be doing for the next couple of years takes a lot off his plate. h ed rove seven different types of cars innthe first five months of 2024.

The four cars testing this afternoon-Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Josef: Newgarden, and Pato: O’Ward will do install laps and then return at 1 pm ET to begin the testing which goes until 5 pm.

Received confirmation that Sting Ray Robb will test in the number 18 car for Dale Coyne Racing tomorrow.

ROP, Tire Testing at IMS Today

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Today’s Testing Schedule:
9 am – 12 pm: Nolan Siegel ROP

1-5 pm: Firestone Tire Test: 4 cars: Andretti: Ericsson, Ganassi: Palou, Penske: Newgarden, McLaren: O’Ward

Nolan Siegel needs to retake his rookie test since he did not make the race in 2023.

Turn 2 mounds are open for viewing. The museum is still closed, but the gift shop is open.

Notes

Adam Stern reports that IndyCar is “far along” in talks for a 2026 race in Mexico City. Hmmm.

He also reported about another big street race in the United States, which many speculate might be Denver. If three new races come on line in 2026, what gets cut? I hope no oval venues. I am fine with Iowa going back to a single race.

RLL Signs Indy NXT Champ Foster

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Rahal Lanigan Racing has signed 2024 Indy NXT champions Louis Foster to a multiyear full-time deal. It is nice to see the Indy NXT champion get a season long ride again.

The announcement from RLL:

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (October 9, 2024) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Louis Foster, who just completed a dominant run to his second open wheel title in three years, will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with the team in 2025 as part of a multi-year deal. Details on the sponsorship for the entry will be announced at a later date.

Foster, 21, won a series-high eight of the 14 races this season in the INDY NXT Championship for Andretti Global. He led the series in wins (8), poles (7), podiums (12), laps led (362/640) and completed every lap of competition to beat Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel to the title by 122 points. His previous title came in the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 Series, where he won seven races en route to being named the champion in the season finale.

Foster tested an Indy car for the first time in September of 2023 with Andretti Global at Road America. RLL is currently working to solidify Foster’s test program in preparation for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and that may include a test later this year.

The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 2 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 21st Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. North America’s premier open-wheel series will crisscross the United States, including a stop for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, before culminating in Nashville for the championship finale Sunday, August 31. All on-track action can be seen live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network. For more information about the series or team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.

QUOTEBOARD:

LOUIS FOSTER, driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “I am really looking forward to working with the team. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have Indy 500 victories, obviously Bobby has won an Indy 500 and there is a great wealth of knowledge with the team. I want to thank Bobby, David and Mike for their faith in my abilities and I want to thank all my sponsors who have helped me achieve my dream of driving in INDYCAR, in particular Copart. I can’t wait to start my INDYCAR career with the team and hopefully we can have a long and successful career together. I’m hoping that coming off the experience gained from winning the INDY NXT championship, that will leave me in a good stance to get the ball rolling. This is where the hard work starts. We will start the preparations and make sure we get hit the ground running in St. Pete.”

BOBBY RAHAL, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “We are very pleased that we have been able to come to an agreement with Louis to have him drive for the team for the next several years. He obviously dominated INDY NXT in 2024 and we feel he has a big future ahead of him and are happy to support the ladder system INDYCAR has created. We look at this as a long-term relationship that will go beyond the existing terms and are very excited to get started on preparations for the 2025 season and his series debut.”

MIKE LANIGAN, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “We are very excited to have Louis Foster drive for us over the next few years. I look forward to watching him grow into a future INDYCAR star. He reminds me of another driver — the late, great Justin Wilson.”

About Louis Foster
Louis Foster, 21, will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2025. Foster was born on July 27, 2003 in Odiham, England and inherited his passion for motorsport from his father Nick, who was a former British Touring Car Championship driver. Foster began karting at the age of nine at local karting circuits Camberley Kart Club and Forest Edge Kart Club and won championships at each, in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

He made his car racing debut in the final three meetings of the 2017 Ginette Junior Championship, driving for Elite Motorsport and went on to compete in that year’s Ginetta Junior Winter Series, where he won the rookie championship.

He returned to the championship in 2018 and was a persistent title contender throughout the season. Foster claimed 19 podiums, including 9 victories, plus four pole positions and two fastest laps on his way to second place in the championship and was the top rookie. He scored the most points of any driver but lost out on the title by just eight points to teammate Adam Smalley after dropped scores were accounted for. During the campaign, Foster accrued several records: the first rookie to win three races in one weekend, the first driver to win five races in succession and the youngest driver to score an outright victory.

Following his successful stint in Ginetta Juniors, Foster moved to single-seaters when he joined Double R Racing for the 2019 F4 British Championship. He was immediately on the pace, taking victory in only the second race of the season and followed that with a strong weekend in Donington, winning two races and scoring a third-place finish in the other to give him a 17-point lead in the championship. Across the rest of the season, Foster accrued another three wins and nine podium finishes – dominating at Silverstone – to finish the year third in the championship, remaining in the title hunt until the season finale weekend at Brands Hatch.

In 2020, Louis returned to Double R Racing and stepped up to the BRDC British F3 Championship where an impressive season-long performance, including three wins, earned him the rookie championship and third place overall. For 2021, Louis raced in Europe with Motopark in Euroformula Open and finished runner up in the championship during which he won a record three wins over the event at Spa Francorchamps. His performance garnered attention and a nomination for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

The 2022 season saw Louis move to the United States and race in the Indy Pro 2000 series with Exclusive Autosport. Despite racing on street circuits and ovals for the first time, Louis impressed all season long and won the championship in dominant fashion on the strength of seven wins which earned him back-to-back nominations for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

He moved up to the INDY NXT by Firestone series in 2023 with Andretti Autosport and earned two wins and four poles in his rookie season. In September of that year, he also drove an Indy car for the first time at Road America. His series-high eight wins, seven poles and 12 podiums en route to the 2024 INDY NXT Championship netted a record-setting average finish of 2.07 during the season and his 10 total wins over his INDY NXT career moved him to a tie for second place to Greg Moore, who had 13. In 2023, he was selected to join the BRDC SuperStars program and remained part of this in 2024.

Texas Track Unveiled at Official Celebration

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The highlight of the celebration to welcome IndyCar to Arlington at AT&T Stadium today was the unveiling of the 2.73 mile, 14 turn track layout. The event, sxcheduled for March, 2026, is a joint venture between the Dallas Cowboys, Penske entertainment, and the Texas Rangers entertainment group, REV.

The track:

It’s not a bad layout as street courses go. I like that there is just one truly square corner, turn 14. The series will use a double-sided pit lane similar to what the Detroit race employs. I like the 0.9 mile straight on the backstretch, and there appears to be three good passing areas. I am not too sure about turn 6. It comes right after a hairpin at turn 5, and it seems to be an afterthought of a turn.

Newgarden, Palou Represent IndyCar

Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou attended today’s event as driver representatives. It was appropriate to have the current Indianapolis 500 winner and the reigning series champions present, but I have to wonder why Pato O’Ward was not invited. This race is essentially his home race, and he will likely be responsible for a lot of the ticket sales and attendance in March of 2026. Swing and a miss by IndyCar in an otherwise stellar presentation.

Penske Entertainment, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers Team Up for INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington 

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From Indycar. More details tomorrow.

 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race Coming to Arlington Entertainment District in March 2026

ARLINGTON, Texas (Monday, Oct. 7, 2024) – Three championship organizations are uniting to bring an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race to the streets of Arlington, Texas. Penske Entertainment, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers, have announced a first-of-its-kind joint venture to establish and operate the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, with the initial race set for March 2026.
The 2.73-mile track layout will feature two iconic sporting venues recognized by fans around the world: AT&T Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers. The track will weave through Arlington’s core sports and entertainment district, which features an all-star lineup of events and venues and annually sells more than 1.6 million tickets to spectators near and far.
A celebration ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at Texas Live!, a special entertainment center located between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. The ceremony will unveil additional details about the proposed event, including a video that showcases the full track layout. Tomorrow’s gathering is closed to the public.
The new racing event will provide the city of Arlington and its organizers a national network television showcase, with FOX set to provide live coverage through its recently unveiled partnership with INDYCAR.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel racing competition, featuring stars from across the globe competing at speeds faster than 230 mph. Along with hosting the world-famous Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the series boasts a mix of oval, temporary street circuit and permanent road course races across North America, with the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington set to become its newest high-octane marquee event.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is sanctioned by INDYCAR, the governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series and part of the Penske Entertainment family.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING – EVENT LEADERSHIP
“Through a truly remarkable and innovative partnership, we’re going to build racing’s next global spectacle. Everyone involved is fully committed to delivering an incredible and unique event weekend for the city of Arlington, anchored by the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We’re grateful to the Cowboys, Rangers and REV Entertainment for entering into this partnership with us, and, of course, to Arlington’s leadership team for their excitement and ongoing support.” – Roger Penske, Penske Corporation chairman

“We are thrilled to join forces with the Texas Rangers, Penske Entertainment, and the city of Arlington to bring Grand Prix racing to the streets of the Arlington Entertainment District. The collaboration between our organizations will make the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington special, providing a unique NTT INDYCAR SERIES race experience for fans attending, while also creating a showcase with our friends at FOX and those watching around the world. An event of this magnitude is another great reflection of what we imagined over 15 years ago that AT&T Stadium could be a part of.” – Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager

“Today is a historic day for the Texas Rangers and REV Entertainment. We are proud to be at the forefront of the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington alongside such esteemed organizations in Penske Entertainment and the Dallas Cowboys. This event will set a new standard for the Arlington Entertainment District, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to experience what Arlington has to offer.” – Neil Leibman, Texas Rangers chief operating officer

“We are truly thankful to our partners for their vision and dedication to bringing the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington here to The American Dream City. I can’t think of a more beautiful and vibrant backdrop for this competition than Arlington’s world-class Entertainment District, which has proven again and again to be a premier destination for sports and entertainment. This announcement is an economic win for North Texas, and we’re looking forward to welcoming this incredible racing series and its fans for an unforgettable experience.” – Jim Ross, Arlington mayor

MORE ABOUT THE INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF ARLINGTON
Planning and preparation for the race weekend is underway, with veteran motorsport industry executive Bill Miller announced today as president of the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington. Miller brings more than three decades of experience to the role, including previously serving as president of California Speedway and senior vice president of operations at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a leading worldwide voice for more than 7,000 companies in the automotive aftermarket.
The INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington will provide a full weekend of racing and entertainment, with general admission, reserved seating, VIP hospitality and party zone areas available. Fans can register their interest by visiting the newly launched website: www.gparlington.com.
About Penske Entertainment: Penske Entertainment is a leading provider of world-class sports and entertainment, comprised of INDYCAR, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions. INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, INDY NXT. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features 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.

About REV Entertainment: REV Entertainment is a full-service company with the goal of producing first-class sports and entertainment events nationwide. REV Entertainment serves as the official events partner of the Texas Rangers, including serving as the official booking agent for both Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas. REV Entertainment has also created and produced several original concepts, including the Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown, one of the highest attended tournaments in college baseball. REV Entertainment also includes several entities focused on enhancing the events and entertainment business nationwide, including REV Production Services, REV Sports Management, REV Food Service, and REV Sports Marketing. For more information, visit REVEntertainment.com. 

2025 Indy 500 Rookie Orientation,NTT INDYCAR SERIES Tests Oct. 10-11 at IMS 

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From IMS:

I have not heard officially about the test being open to the public yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.

 The 2025 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) will take place in the morning of Thursday, Oct. 10, followed by a four-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES test in the afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will host a group test consisting of one car from 11 race teams Friday, Oct. 11.
Nolan Siegel will attempt to complete ROP on Thursday. The test involves a series of laps at three controlled speed phases on the 2.5-mile oval. The Rookie Orientation Program is a prerequisite for participation in the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
THURSDAY, OCT. 10 (Indy 500 Rookie Orientation Program, NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test)
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global
Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
:9 a.m.-noon: Siegel ROP
1-5 p.m.: Ericsson, Newgarden, O’Ward, Palou NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test
FRIDAY, OCT. 11 (NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test)

Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global
Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
TBD, Dale Coyne Racing
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing
Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing
Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
10 a.m.-noon: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test
1-5 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Test

Champions Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honored Again at Victory Lap Celebration

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From Indycar:

Foster Celebrated for INDY NXT by Firestone Title

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Sept. 30, 2024) – Alex Palou was honored for his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the past four years during the Victory Lap Celebration on Sept. 30, the headline of an incomparable 2024 season for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Palou won two races in the No. 10 DHL Honda and scored 13 top-five finishes in 17 races to become just the 13th driver in history to earn at least three INDYCAR SERIES championships. He is just the seventh driver to win three titles in four years and first since Dario Franchitti won three straight from 2009-11 – also for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Spanish driver Palou won the Astor Challenge Cup for the title by 31 points over Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian’s Colton Herta, earning the 16th INDYCAR SERIES championship for Chip Ganassi Racing and the organization’s fourth in the last five seasons.
Palou was one of four members of Chip Ganassi Racing to receive special honors at the ceremony, which took place in the Gallagher Pavilion at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Linus Lundqvist of Sweden received the Rookie of the Year Award as the top-finishing first-year driver in the standings. The 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone champion recorded a pole, two podiums and four top-10 finishes in the No. 8 The American Legion Honda to surpass Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyffin Simpson by 97 points in the standings.
Team owner Chip Ganassi accepted the Championship Owner Award, and Palou’s chief mechanic, Ricky Davis, was presented the Pennzoil Chief Mechanic Award. Additional season honors for the Ganassi team included the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Team Manager award to Blair Julian and Mike LeGallic.
The awards haul was a reward for a dominant year by Indianapolis-based Chip Ganassi Racing. The team took the top spot in the driver standings and the Rookie of the Year title in the same season for the second straight year.
Much like the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and Rookie of the Year, the Manufacturers Award race had a familiar result. Chevrolet edged Honda by just 132 points to win its third consecutive engine manufacturer title and ninth overall since it returned to the series in 2012.
Eric Warren, General Motors executive director of global motorsports competition, accepted the award on behalf of the Chevrolet team. Team Penske took home a pair of end-of-season awards. Scott McLaughlin claimed the season-long NTT P1 Award, while Will Power accepted the Firestone Pit Performance Award on behalf of his No. 12 Team Penske crew.
INDYCAR’s development series was also recognized at the Victory Lap Celebration, as Louis Foster of Andretti Global was honored as 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone champion, capping a dominant season.
Foster won a series-high eight of the 14 races this season in the No. 26 Copart / Novara Technologies entry. He led the series in wins, poles, podiums, laps led and completed every lap of competition to beat Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel to the title by 122 points.HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet was named INDY NXT by Firestone Rookie of the Year. Collet, from Sao Palou, Brazil, finished third in the series standings with a victory. 

Andretti Shake Up- Michael Steps Aside

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As the not so calm. not so quiet IndyCar offseason enters its second week, a major bombshell exploded this morning. Michael Andretti, former champion, successful car owner, and head of the Andretti Global racing enterprise, will step down as CEO to “focus on the strategic side” of the operation. Dan Towriss, owner of Gainbridge Financial Group, will be the new CEO. Towriss bought an ownership stake in then Andretti Autosport in 2022.

A statement from Andretti Global announced the change, but gave few details:

“Michael’s goal has been to transition to a more strategic role with Andretti Global and focus less on the operational side of the race team,” the team said in a statement. “Michael and Dan Towriss have been working closely on developing this new structure, one which Michael is excited to see take shape under Dan’s guidance.

“Michael remains engaged and will continue to serve as a strategic advisor and key ambassador.”

The statement also said that more details would be forthcoming after Andretti and Towriss have had a chance to “talk to the team.”

Thoughts

I find it mind boggling to think that Michael Andretti is not charge of his team if he were 75 or80 years old, I would get it.

I don’t get the “until we talk to the team” part. If an organization is making a seismic change like this, shouldn’t the team be talked to before anything is released to the public?

The Andretti shake up bookends a week that started with Ed Carpenter Racing announcing an ownership stake purchase by Ted Gelov of Heartland Foods. Will All IndyCar teams be owned by corporate entities with no racing backgrounds eventually like Formula 1? I hope that never happens.

Off season turbulence will be the norm this fall and winter, I believe. I understand this story is still developing. Who knows what else we will find out?

I will update as I learn things and they are confirmed.

Indianapolis 500 Veteran Moran Dies at 74

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From IMS:

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024) – Rocky Moran, a veteran of three Indianapolis 500 starts and one of the most respected sports car racers of his generation, died last weekend after a battle with cancer. He was 74.
After failing to qualify with Salt Walther’s small team in 1987, Southern California native Moran made three consecutive “500” starts from 1988-90, with a best finish of 14th in 1989 while driving the No. 33 Skoal Classic March/Cosworth owned by the legendary A.J. Foyt. He also made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1988 in a Foyt-owned car, finishing 16th in the No. 48 Skoal/Trench Shoring March/Cosworth as the second-highest placing rookie in the field. His final start came in 1990 with Gohr Racing. He earned the 33rd and final spot in the field in an older car and was credited with 25th place in the No. 56 Glidden Paints Lola/Buick when his engine expired after he completed 88 laps. It was his final INDYCAR SERIES start.
Moran made unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the “500” in 1992 and 1993 with Menard Racing and Team Losi, respectively.
The popular, versatile Moran never raced a full season in INDYCAR SERIES competition, but his talent still attracted rides from prominent team owners besides Foyt. Moran drove for Dan Gurney’s All American Racers in his INDYCAR SERIES debut in 1981 at Watkins Glen. He qualified a strong seventh in the No. 48 Pepsi Challenger Eagle/Chevrolet, drove to first and led 21 laps. A storybook victory in his first series start was denied when the team didn’t put enough fuel in the car to make the finish during his final pit stop. Moran still was credited with sixth place in a race won by Rick Mears.
He started his amateur racing career in the early 1970s on the West Coast in open-wheel and sports cars before climbing to national sports car series such as Trans Am, Can-Am and IMSA later in the decade. Gurney didn’t forget Moran’s impressive INDYCAR SERIES debut with AAR in 1981 and hired him as a driver for the team’s factory sports car program in the IMSA GTO class in 1986. Gurney also hired Moran to team with Willy T. Ribbs in an earlier version of a Toyota prototype in IMSA competition in 1991, and they earned a podium finish at Portland.
The pinnacle of Moran’s sports car racing career came in 1993 when he teamed with PJ Jones and Mark Dismore to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona, a year after they finished fourth. It was the first Rolex 24 victory for AAR and Toyota.
Moran is survived by his wife, Kayla; daughter, Kelly; sons Rocky Jr. and Cody; and seven grandchildren. Rocky Moran Jr. made starts in stock cars, sports cars and INDY NXT by Firestone. His INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2015 at Long Beach in a Dale Coyne Racing car was cut short before the race by a broken thumb suffered in a crash.