Tag: NTT Indycar Series

JHR Signs Grosjean

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To the surprise of no one, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced today that Romain Grosjean will drive the 77 car in the NTT Indycar Series in 2024. A sponsor was not named.

The announcement comes just a week after the team and driver Callum Ilott parted ways.

Grosjean and team principals will have a news conference at 2 pm Eastern time today. Look for more about this story later.

The brief announcement from the team:

Juncos Hollinger Racing announces new addition to 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES line-up
Indianapolis, November 2 2023: Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) is thrilled to announce the addition of Romain Grosjean to its 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES roster. He will drive the team’s #77 Dallara-Chevrolet – a proven machine on the racing circuit.

A seasoned competitor joins JHRRomain is no stranger to high-speed competition, having completed the 2023 season at 13th place in the INDYCAR points standings. His standout performances included consecutive second-place finishes at both the Long Beach and Alabama circuits.
A new challenge for an industry veteranWith nearly a decade of consecutive Formula One racing seasons under his belt, Romain took the INDYCAR scene by storm in 2021. At 37, he sees the transition to JHR as an exciting new chapter in his already illustrious career.
“I’ve been closely following JHR’s ascension in the past few seasons. The team has showcased significant growth and I am eager to contribute my experience as we aim for a strong 2024 season,” he said.
Leadership’s perspectiveRicardo Juncos, JHR co-owner and team principal, said: “Romain brings an unparalleled pedigree in motorsports. His leadership and experience are precisely what we need to propel JHR to new heights in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”
Brad Hollinger, JHR co-owner, added: “Romain has a history of competing at the pinnacle of motorsports. His expertise will be invaluable as we strive to redefine our performance metrics, both on and off the track.”
Looking ahead to 2024The team is set to kick off its 18-round NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign on the Streets of St. Petersburg on March 10, 2024. With the addition of Romain, JHR solidifies its commitment to achieving new milestones in the upcoming season.

Full Repave of Racing Surface Completed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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Planning for comprehensive project began in 2022

Article and photos from Mid Ohio Sports car Course

Photos provided courtesy of Kokosing/Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 31, 2023) – A full repave project of the entire racing surface at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was completed last week, officials from Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which owns and operates the track, announced today. Ohio-based Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. began initial repair work the week of October 16th, followed by milling the existing track surface on Monday, October 23 and completing the paving of the final asphalt surface layer on Friday, October 27. 
The project was a collaborative effort using the expert services of Kokosing Construction Company, Inc., Kokosing Materials, Inc. and Advanced Materials Services, LLC. Planning and thorough research for the repaving began in 2022 with a test layer placed in Turn 1 for performance evaluation of a racetrack-specific asphalt mixture during the 2023 racing season. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course racing surface was last repaved starting fall 2005 and completed in spring 2006.
“We were blessed with outstanding weather last week for the crews to complete this major project in a relatively short amount of time,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner, president and chief operating officer of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “It was a tremendous accomplishment and collaboration between Kokosing Construction, Kokosing Materials, Advanced Materials Services and our own track operations team to make it happen. We look forward to getting race cars on it for the first time next spring!”
Last week’s work utilized approximately 100 people, 5,000 manpower hours, 15 trucks to remove approximately 6,000 tons (300 truckloads) of old track material and 30 trucks to haul in 6,000 tons of the new asphalt mixture onto the property. The project encompassed 11,550 feet of surface paving, 3,500 feet of various turn reinforcement, 500 feet of full depth repair in the Keyhole and Turn 12 areas and 300 feet of transverse joint repair. 
After milling the racing surface, the second step of the process for Kokosing featured asphalt repairs and reinforcement of high stress areas which required additional milling depth. For the final stage, two pavers placed the asphalt surface layer at 40-foot width around the entire circuit, working in echelon (side-by-side pattern) to avoid a centerline joint throughout the track’s 2.258-mile, 13-turn or 2.4-mile, 15-turn layout. The old, milled track material is being recycled and regraded to create additional paddock and parking surface areas on the Mid-Ohio property. 
“Plans for the 2023 project started in 2022, immediately after completing the resurfacing of Turn 1,” said Bart Moody, vice president of asphalt estimating and engineering at Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. “Logistical challenges had to be overcome to produce the mix and perform the work with limited time and access. A full-time truck coordinator was in constant communication with material trucks to ensure they entered and exited the track at the correct locations as work progressed. Crews worked extended hours in order to maintain the schedule that made use of unseasonably warm weather for October in Ohio.”
Aggregates were sourced locally in Ohio from Olen Corporation’s Upper Sandusky and Fredericktown plants. Durable aggregates were selected to withstand the loading applied to the track, and a highly polymerized asphalt binder was produced by Kokosing Materials, Inc. to withstand the high temperatures and stresses. The asphalt mixture used was tested at the Kokosing Materials Asphalt Plant and at the track for a variety of properties such as asphalt content, gradation and density. 
“The stresses on a racetrack, especially road courses with tight turns, are much higher than those typically seen on conventional asphalt pavements,” said Graham Hurley, project engineer at Advanced Materials Services, LLC. “The much stiffer PG 88-22 asphalt binder used counteracts the shear stresses imparted on the track surface by race cars, which prevents any ravelling that may occur. Additionally, the specifications used for this project were much tighter than a traditional highway specification. The target minimum softening temperature for asphalt binder and the target in-place density values were both set higher than conventional specifications for vehicular traffic. Kokosing successfully met these higher conditions with ease.”
The new track surface will be allowed to cure for over five months in advance of the 2024 season. The road course annually hosts a variety of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned race events as well the driving and riding courses provided by The Mid-Ohio School. 
The full schedule and ticket information for the 2024 major spectator events featuring IMSA, SVRA’s SpeedTour, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, American Motorcyclist Association and MotoAmerica will be announced at a later date. Children 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult at all Mid-Ohio events. Visit midohio.com for more information, and follow its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse, Twitter at @Mid_Ohio or Instagram at @officialmidohio for the latest news.   
About Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 380 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary race track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally-sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been owned and operated by Green Savoree Mid-Ohio, LLC since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.
For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on Twitter @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.
About Kokosing:Kokosing is one of the largest family-owned construction companies in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Known for unwavering integrity and exceptional safety and quality, Kokosing companies provide extensive resources for their customers. Kokosing’s primary business lines include industrial, transportation, pipelines, water and wastewater, marine and renewable energy. Additionally, aggregates and asphalt material suppliers are part of the Kokosing family of companies.
About Advanced Materials Services LLC:Founded in 2007 and located in Auburn, Alabama, Advanced Materials Services, LLC provides pavement engineering, testing, and consulting services. AMS supports all aspects of flexible pavement design, testing, and construction inspection, particularly for specialty pavements, such as airfields, automotive proving grounds, intermodal facilities, and racetracks. AMS staff have over 60 years of cumulative experience in the development of asphalt specifications, asphalt mixture design, quality assurance support, materials research, and geotechnical engineering. To date, AMS has provided support to over 35 racetracks across the country.

Thoughts on Ilott and JHR; Notes

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While the news that Callum Ilott and Juncos Hollinger Racing agreed to “mutually part ways” came as a shock at first, after some reflection, it wasn’t really a surprise. The tension had been there all season.

At last spring’s open test at IMS Ilott expressed frustration about some issue with the car.

There was the incident at Long Beach where he exited the pits in front of teammate Agustin Canapino. Fans of the Argentinian were outraged and flooded Ilott’s Twitter account with death threats and tasteless comments. The team response to these comments were mild.

JKHR laid off some people midseason, and Ilott’s performance faltered.

At Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, both drivers were contending for high top 10 spots when their cars came together. I thought it was more Canapino’s fault, but Ilott took the brunt f the blame. Again, the death threats and vile comments were hurled Ilott’s way. The series and some drivers issued strong statements of condemnation, but JHR released a rather tepid response, barely a reprimand.

I wondered at the time how Ilott could stay at a team that would not support him.

Iam sure money has something to do with his departure. Canapino had to scrape together a new deal for 2024 since the government of Argentina could not renew their sponsorship.

JHR did Ilott a disservice by releasing him so late. There may be just one quality ride available, which Ilott can’t afford.

Now Ilott joins a pool of five drivers who are vying for maybe four full time seats. There are also some European drivers like Enzo Fittipaldi and Theo Pourchaire who will be testing with Indycar teams soon.

Ilott is a driver with some talent, and I would love to see what he could do with none of top rides. We may not get that chance next year, which would be Indycar’s loss.

Notes

I confirmed Friday that the IMS Museum’s last day before closing for nearly 18 months for renovation is November 5th. The gift shop will move to the white building just south of the museum and will be open beginning November 6th.

Pietro Fittipaldi’s ride in the number 30 car for RLL continues Indycar’s string of Brazilian drivers which was nearing extinction. His brother Enzo will be testing with Dale Coyne Racing soon. I’m not sure Enzo is ready for Indycar, but we have seen drivers make this leap before.

Ilott, JHR Part Ways

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In a stunning development, Juncos Hollinger racing and driver Callum Ilott have “mutually agreed” to go their separate ways. The team and Ilott each published notices late this afternoon.

Ilott had assumed he would return to the team, which held an option on him until December 8. There just a few open seats left, and most of the better rides are spoken for. Ilott was vague about his future, saying only that his “…eyes are fully fixed on 2024 and the journey that follows.”

The statement from Juncos Hollinger Racing:

Indianapolis, October 26 2023: Juncos Hollinger Racing regrets to announce the departure of Callum Ilott from the team. After a period of collaboration and shared goals, both parties have mutually decided to part ways, effective immediately.
Callum Ilott, a talented and promising driver, joined Juncos Hollinger Racing with high aspirations for the 2022 season. Juncos Hollinger Racing would like to express its sincere appreciation for his contributions over the last two years.
“While it is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Callum Ilott,” said Ricardo Juncos, co-owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing, “I would like to express my gratitude to Callum for all of his efforts during his time with our team, and we deeply appreciate his contributions.
“We wish him the very best in his future endeavors. Callum has shown immense talent, and we have no doubt that he will continue to make his mark in the world of motorsport.”
Callum Ilott also shared his thoughts on the decision, stating: “I want to extend my gratitude to Juncos Hollinger Racing for the opportunity to be part of their team. I have immense respect for the organization, and our time together has been a valuable experience. I look forward to exploring new opportunities and challenges in my racing career.”
Brad Hollinger went on to express his best wishes for Callum’s future endeavors: “While we bid farewell to Callum as a driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, we wish him every success in his next chapter. We have no doubt that his talent and determination will continue to shine.”
Juncos Hollinger Racing is committed to its ongoing pursuit of excellence in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and remains focused on its goals for the 2024 season.
The team will provide updates regarding its driver lineup for the upcoming season in due course.

I will have more thoughts on Ilott’s departure tomorrow. It would be a shame for the Indycar series to lose this talented driver.

Rasmussen Joins ECR in Road /Street Role

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It’s great to have the 2023 Indy NXT champion in the Indycar field for 2024. The only negative I see is that he will sit out five of the final eight races, which are ovals This may cost him a chance at Rookie of the Year,

The team’s announcement:

Reigning INDY NXT Champion Joins ECR as Road and Street Course Driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet; Will Compete in Indianapolis 500 in ECR’s Third Entry

(INDIANAPOLIS) October 25, 2023  – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that Christian Rasmussen will join the team as part of the team’s 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign. The 23-year-old Danish driver will compete in all road and street course events in the No. 20 Chevrolet and transition to ECR’s third entry for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Rasmussen’s ascension to North America’s premier open-wheel series comes on the heels of his recent 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone title, his third championship in the past four years.

“I am very excited to join Ed Carpenter Racing for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season!” stated Rasmussen. “It is a dream come true and something I’ve been working towards for a long time now. I want to thank Ed Carpenter and Tim Broyles for the opportunity and I’m ready to get to work and show everyone what we can do!”

Rasmussen was only nine years old when he claimed his first karting championship in Denmark. He arrived in the United States in 2018 and began his road to INDYCAR the following year. He is only the second driver in history earn a championship in each open-wheel junior category that currently feeds the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – USF2000 (2020), USF Pro 2000 (2021) and INDY NXT (2023). This year’s title was the culmination of a dominant season that included five wins, eight podiums, 10 Top 5 finishes and 13 Top 10s in 14 races. By the season finale, he merely had to start the race to clinch the championship; instead, he led every lap and earned his fifth victory of the year.

Team owner Ed Carpenter continues to be an advocate for young talent with Rasmussen becoming the sixth INDY NXT champion to race an ECR Chevrolet. Carpenter commented, “Christian is a driver that has really stood out during his climb through the Road to Indy program and he showed his ability to be a real closer in the second half of his INDY NXT championship run.”

“He did an excellent job when we tested him at Barber Motorsports Park last month and showed that he is fully ready to take the next step into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We are excited to add him to our lineup and we are anticipating a successful 2024 season!” Carpenter continued.

ECR is transitioning back to a model the team utilized for many years, splitting the No. 20 between the talents of two drivers. While rookie Rasmussen will compete in the 12 road and street course events, Carpenter will take over the No. 20 for the six oval races in his 22nd season. Both will be entered in the Indianapolis 500 alongside Rinus VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet. VeeKay, who is also 23, will be competing in his 5th NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and step into a veteran role as ECR’s senior full-time driver.

ECR President Tim Broyles stated, “Christian is someone we have had our eye on for quite a while. He has proven that he is qualified to be a part of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and we are pleased that Ed Carpenter Racing is able to provide him with this well-deserved opportunity.”

Since its inception in 2012, ECR has raced exclusively in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The team has shown its versatility by earning multiple wins across each style of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and super speedways. ECR boasts 40 Top 5 results to date, 24 of which have been podium finishes. For 11 of the team’s 12 Indianapolis 500s, ECR has had at least one car qualify in the first three rows. An ECR Chevrolet has sat on the front row nine of those years, including three pole positions by Carpenter (2013, 2014 and 2018) and VeeKay’s second starting position this year.

Rasmussen has already been behind the wheel of an ECR Chevrolet, completing a successful day of testing with the team at Barber Motorsports Park in late September. His debut NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will consist of five street circuits, six road courses, one non-points paying exhibition event and the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Rasmussen’s 2024 campaign will begin with the season opener on March 10, 2024, in the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

RLL Names Pietro Fittipaldi Driver of Car 30

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I sure did not see this coming. This announcement narrows the possibilities for Indy NXT champion Christian Rasmussen.

The news release from RLL:

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (October 23, 2023) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that current Haas F1 Team reserve and test driver, Pietro Fittipaldi, who is also a multiple open-wheel champion and race-winning world endurance championship driver, will drive the No. 30 entry for his first full season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition in 2024. Fittipaldi, the Brazilian-American grandson of 1989 INDYCAR champion and two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, returns to the series after having made 9 starts in 2018 and 2021 for Dale Coyne Racing. Details on the sponsorship for the entry will be announced at a later date.

Fittipaldi, 27, made six starts in the INDYCAR SERIES in 2018 — three on oval tracks and three on road courses — with his best start being 10th in Phoenix and best finish of 9th coming at Portland. He had planned to compete in more races, but his program was curtailed midseason after breaking both legs in an accident in the World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in May of that year. In 2021, he split the season in the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware entry with Romain Grosjean, running three of the four oval races. His best qualifying effort came in his Indianapolis 500 debut of 13th place, which earned him the “Fastest Rookie Award” and his best finish was 15th in Race 2 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 10 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 20th Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. North America’s premier open-wheel series will crisscross the United States, including a stop for the 108th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, before culminating in Nashville for the championship finale Sunday, Sept. 15. All on-track action can be seen on NBC or NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service or USA Network. For more information about the series or team, visit http://www.indycar.com and http://www.rahal.com.

QUOTEBOARD:

PIETRO FITTIPALDI, driver of the No. 30 Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It’s an honor to join a team of the caliber of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. With the experience I’ve gained over the last few years in F1 and other racing series, I am looking forward to the challenge of racing in INDYCAR, one of the most competitive and versatile racing series in the world. I want to thank Mr. Rahal, Mr. Lanigan, and Mr. Letterman for the opportunity and their trust and confidence in me. I can’t wait to get started.”

BOBBY RAHAL, Co-Owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to have Pietro join RLL as the driver of the No. 30 car. He has had previous experience in INDYCAR in doing partial seasons with Dale Coyne Racing and impressively qualifying 13th at Indianapolis in 2021. I got to meet him then and since that time he has worked hard to become the reserve driver for Haas F1’s team. And from our discussions, I have been impressed with the maturity and experience that he will now bring to our program. I look forward to seeing what he can do over a full season of INDYCAR competition in 2024.”

MIKE LANIGAN, Co-Owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: “We are proud and excited to welcome Pietro to our team. The Fittipaldi family name has always been associated with winning and competitiveness in our sport. The legacy lives on with Pietro and we welcome the challenges in keeping the tradition alive.”

About Pietro Fittipaldi
Pietro Fittipaldi, 27, is in his fifth consecutive season as an official test and reserve driver for Haas F1 Team. Fittipaldi was born in Miami, Florida and is a grandson of two-time FIA Formula 1 World Champion (1972, 1974) and double Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi (1989, 1993). He rose through America’s karting ranks from 2006-10 before making his debut in stock cars in 2011, where he was crowned champion and “Rookie of the Year” in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series for Limited Late Models. A move to the Late Models category in 2012 earned another “Rookie of the Year” title for the Brazilian, followed by victory in the Pepsi 200 Fall Brawl, the biggest Late Model race of the year. Switching to open-wheel racing for 2013, and relocating to Europe, Fittipaldi competed in the British-based BRDC Formula 4 Championship and the BARC Formula Renault Championship. A dominating 2014 season in the Protyre Formula Renault Championship delivered a title with 10 wins from 15 starts. Fittipaldi graduated to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2016, scoring three podiums, and raced in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship, winning the series title courtesy of four victories from nine podium finishes. Another open-wheel title followed when Fittipaldi won the Formula V8 3.5 Championship in 2017 with six wins, 10 podiums, and a series-record 10 pole positions (previous record held by Kevin Magnussen/Daniel Ricciardo). 2018 saw Fittipaldi return to the United States to compete in the INDYCAR SERIES with Dale Coyne Racing, his deal commencing with April’s event in Phoenix. His race program was curtailed however after breaking both legs in an accident in May’s World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps while planning to participate in the full season. Fittipaldi returned to his INDYCAR commitments at the end of July that season, making five more starts with a best finish of ninth place at the Grand Prix of Portland in September still racing with a fractured leg. In 2018 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Fittipaldi was signed as Haas F1 Team’s official 2019 reserve and test driver. He capped his year with a Formula 1 debut steering the team’s VF-18 at the post-season Pirelli tire test. 2019 saw Fittipaldi combine a season competing for Audi Sport Team WRT and Team Rosberg in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), with testing and development duties behind the wheel of the Haas VF-19 – testing in Spain, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, as well as extensive simulator development throughout the season. Continuing in 2020 as reserve and test driver, Fittipaldi subsequently made his debut in F1 with two grand prix starts for the Haas F1 Team standing in for the injured Romain Grosjean at the Sakhir Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. In 2021 and 2022, he continued as the Haas F1 Team reserve and test driver and took part in F1 free practice sessions as part of mandated “rookie” sessions and carried out pre and post-season test duties for the team. Also in 2021, he competed in the European Le Mans Series with Team InterEuropol, securing the team’s best finish in their history with second place at Spa-Francorchamps and their best qualifying position of third in Monza. While simultaneously continuing as Haas F1 Team’s reserve and test driver in 2023, he competed in the World Endurance Championship with Team JOTA. A season highlight was a victory in the Six Hours of Monza World Endurance Championship race in the LMP2 class.

Canapino Retuns to Juncos Hollinger Racing

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Agustin Canapino will be back in the 78 car in 2024. The 33 year old Argentine driver made quite an impression in 2023 with three 12th place finishes and a 21st place final standing.

Canapino entered last season with zero open wheel experience but became more competitive in the second half of the year. he ran as high as fifth in the season finale at Laguna Seca and ended the race in 14th place.

His return for 2024 was in doubt because of turmoil and inflation in the government of Argentina, which had sponsored the car in 2023. Funding ahs been found, apparently.

Callum Ilott, who drove the 77 car for Juncos Hollinger, is expected to return, but there has been no formal announcement as the team looks for funding.

Openings to Fill

Ilott and Graham Rahal are both unsigned, but each driver is expected to keep their seats.

Open seats by car number are:

Rahal letterman Lanigan Racing- 30

Andretti Global- 29*

*This car may or may not run in 2024.

Dale Coyne Racing- 18, 51

Ed Carpenter Racing- 20

A> J. Foyt Racing- 14

Hybrid Testing Wrap-up

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If last week’s hybrid testing at IMS proved anything, is that the drivers are still uncertain how the new power tool will work during a race, how it will affect fuel mileage, and its effect on tire wear. Two of the drivers participating in the test, Marcus Ericsson and David Malukas, not only need to learn how to work the new hybrid system, but they also have the added burden of getting acquainted with new teams as well.

Ericsson and Malukas spoke to the media after the morning session on Friday.

Both drivers are excited about their new teams, and they are happy to get the opportunity to test so soon.

Ericsson likes that he is going o Andretti as a known quantity, unlike when he joined Ganassi four years ago.

Marcus Ericsson

“I hadn’t really shown what I can do (when joining Ganassi) and then now, coming from being a 500 winner, and then, winning multiple races. I think you can definitely feel that excitement from the organization and the team for me to get there and you know, I’m excited to get to get going and get working. I think, like I said, the potential is really big in the team…”

Ericsson said that the hybrid addition will keep the drivers even busier in the cockpit, but he thinks it will show which drivers really are the best.

“…on an oval you have the weight jacker, you have in front the rear bar and now you have to regen and deploy as well, so it’s getting busier in the cockpits I think that’s the biggest thing. And then we’re still working on you know, different things, which is you know, how much range and how much deploy and all that. There’s still a process that we’re going through that I think is exciting, it’s exciting, but it’s serious. It’s a really cool up here that we’re gonna have, and I’m hoping it’s gonna be a way where you can as a driver be, you know, smarter than your competitors and do it better than your competitors. “

Ericsson is thrilled that he has the opportunity to test with his new team so soon, and he hopes to get to do more testing to help him learn the team and the car.

Malukas was a bit overwhelmed at the wealth of resources he now has available at Arrow Mclaren, and he is excited to take advantage of them.

David Malukas

“I walked in and every quarter I looked around, obviously shining gold and like so many so much stuff. And you know coming in I don’t even know how to use it but thankfully they have you ever good. Everybody’s been super friendly and introducing everything to me. They can get comfortable. And specifically, Tony has been showing me the ropes. Like hey, so this is how you use this resource. This is what I think you should do and it’s really getting me comfortable and getting used to all these sporting resources.”

Like Ericsson, Malukas is excited to get some laps in the car with his new team, and he appreciates their trust in him.

“Yeah, they’re trusting me I can get the feedback and from my side, I just get to do laps and do more and more laps and at the end of the day, the more practice.”

He thinks the hybrid power system is a positive foir the series.

“I find it very good. I’ve you know been enjoying it. You know, it adds more tools for the drivers I feel like it can kind of separate you know, the drivers from the top to that the best to the worst on when it comes to hydroset. It’s another tool that you can time to regen once you deploy setup passes. I think it’s gonna have a bit of a bit of a big play here at the moment.”

Malukas isn’t sure what effect the added weight will have on tire wear. he was hoping they will get more information Friday afternoon.

” I think we’ll see by the end of today. Once we start doing a bit longer runs, being in traffic, seeing how it’s gonna play out but it all depends on when you want to use that extra power. You know, if you want to say the tire, use it on the straight, don’t use it in the corner and then it’s you know, you’re kind of saving the tire.”

There will be some more hybrid testing at different tracks before the end of the year, but testing isn’t racing. The big test will be at St. Pete in the season opener. Until then we have to wait and see.

Final Day of IMS Hybrid Testing

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Today’s Schedule:

9 am-noon: Hybrid testing-Ericsson/Palou (Honda), Malukas/Power (Chevy)
1-5 pm: Hybrid testing- Ericsson/Palou (Honda), Malukas/Power (Chevy)

No interruptions for rookie tests today as Marcus Ericsson and David Malukas get a turn at trying out the new configuration. Both drivers are at new teams in 2024, so this test gives them some seat time with their new situation.

The weather should be good, war with up to a 15% chance of rain.

Sadly, today ends the racing season at IMS.

Make sure to get out to the museum before it closes next month.