Tag: Pocono Raceway

Street Sweeping- Rahal Dominates Belle Isle Weekend

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There were track records broken, there were accomplishments not seen in several years, and they all took place in two very typical, ordinary races. The weekend was totally dominated by Graham Rahal. The only drama in either race was whether  Rahal would have an issue on a pit stop. He led Race One from the pole on Saturday, only losing the lead during pit cycles. In Sunday’s race he had to get to the lead from his third starting position, but after taking the lead on lap 23 , he controlled the race. The only potential problem was the restart after the red flag with four laps to go. It turned out no one wanted to fight him for the lead when the race resumed.

Takuma Sato set a new track record with a time of 1:13.6732, to win Sunday’s pole. The record was barely twenty-four hours old, as Rahal lowered the standard on Saturday in winning the top starting spot. More on Saturday’s qualifying in a bit. Sato finished eighth Saturday and fourth Sunday, one of the strongest performances in a while by the winner of the 500 the week following the race.

Rahal is the first driver to sweep a double header weekend since Scott Dixon took both races in Toronto in 2013. He is also the first American born winner at Detroit in 21 years, when Michael Andretti won the Detroit race. Oddly,  Rahal is 2017’s first repeat winner, breaking his 24 hour drought.

I noted in my preview that I thought there would be a seventh different winner on Saturday and the streak would end Sunday. The same winner was not what I had in mind, but Indycar racing is a strange beast sometimes.

Penske teams had a difficult day Saturday, but rebounded Sunday with a second place for Josef Newgarden and a third for Will Power.  Had the race stayed green, Newgarden could have possibly challenged for the lead on the last lap. He was gaining almost a second a lap on Rahal.

Points Battle

Scott Dixon leads by eight over Helio Castroneves. Neither has won a race this season, but both have put together consistent top 5 and top 10 finishes. The variety of winners has helped them stay in front. Graham Rahal jumped to sixth place with his  two wins. This is the best season long title fight in a long time.

Saturday Qualifying

Helio Castroneves appeared to have set a track record and won the pole for Saturday’s race. The Verizon P1 presentation was in full swing when it halted abruptly, and Rahal was awarded the pole. Castroneves was assessed a penalty for not slowing for a local yellow. He lost his record lap and the pole.  If Indycar was investigating, the presentation should have waited until a ruling was made. It made the organization look bad. No, it was downright embarrassing.

Red Flag?

I am not necessarily against a late red flag if track conditions warrant- damage to a barrier, a hole in the track, a huge debris field. I am against a late red flag just to have a green flag finish. Yesterday’s red flag had the appearance of being more for the second reason.  Yes, there probably was oil on the track from Spencer Pigot”s car. If the field is circling under yellow, the cars can be directed away from it. The oil wasn’t covering the entire track at that section.

Fact of racing- sometimes races end under yellow. I am fine with that. Fans are not entitled to a green flag finish every race.  The other major American series has a rule to ensure ending under green, but yesterday  that backfired and their race finished under yellow.

Bottom line, if there are fewer than five laps left and there is no danger to the drivers, do not throw the red flag. A one or two lap shootout that could cost someone who dominated  the race all day is not good for the series. It manipulates the finish.

Some Stats

Rahal led a combined 96 of the 140 laps run.

There were only 8 laps of yellow all weekend.

Josef Newgarden made a 3 stop strategy work, while all the other top finishers were on a 2 stop schedule.

On to Texas

There is one race left in this marathon stretch of racing, next Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Graham Rahal is the defending champion. Can he win three in a row?  I’ll discuss his chances later this week.

Belle Isle Preview; Thoughts on The Victory Banquet- I Don’t Know You Any More

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The Verizon Indycar season improbably reaches the halfway mark this weekend with The Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit.  It seems way too early in the year to be talking about the halfway point, but with a 17 race schedule, , Sunday is number 8. After next weekend’s race at Texas, the schedule slows down and the races are spread out more.  Texas will be the fifth straight weekend Indycar has been in action, plus the week of practice at IMS. Crews must be exhausted. Here are some thoughts on the Belle Isle event.

This is a very nice event. The volunteer staff is friendly and helpful, and GM throws a lot of support toward the race. The track is not one that produces great racing. Drama usually is dependent on how cautions fall and the weather. The last two years weather has had an effect on the outcome in at least one race of the weekend.  This year, there is the added drama of Honda unreliability and the lingering question of whether Helio Castroneves will break his three year victory drought. There have been six different winners in six races this season. How long will this continue? I think it goes for one more race, then Sunday will see the first repeat winner of the year.

Other things to look for- Will Ed Jones back up his third place finish in the 500? How will Esteban Gutierrez do in his role subbing for Sebastien Bourdais? What effect will Dixon’s foot injury have on his chances? Can A. J.  Foyt Racing finally have a successful race? Conor Daly has three finishes in the top six here.

This track should give Honda a slight edge as we witnessed in the street courses at St. Petersburg and Long Beach. Chevy won the poles there, but Hondas were strong in the races.  I look for the same situation in race one and a Chevy pole and win in race two. Remember, this is a home game for Penske.

My picks- Tony Kanaan will win Saturday’s race.  Sunday Will Power wins from the pole.  The points race will continue to be topsy-turvy at least through Road America. As long as there so many different winners at the beginning of the season, no one will take command for a while.

Both races are on ABC at 3:30 pm Eastern time both days. Practice and qualifying will be live streamed.

The Victory Banquet

As much as I look forward to the Indianapolis 500 every year (already excited for the 102nd running), I also eagerly anticipate watching the Victory Banquet the day after the race.  Each driver gets to speak about his race and thank those who helped him compete.  It used to be a clean, straightforward program. Short clips of the driver in action preceded each driver’s appearance, there was a brief chat with the emcee, then the racer spoke.  I miss those days.

I have seen this program deteriorate for a few years. Last Monday’s edition was the worst abomination yet. From the dreadful jazz number that began the show to Dave Calabro’s constant attempts at hipness, I finally stopped watching until the time Takuma Sato was about to accept his reward.  He had a long speech, not necessarily unprecedented for winners, and Calabro tried to get him to wrap it up.  If someone wins the Indianapolis 500, he or she should get to talk as long as they want to. Next year, I will most likely record it and skip right to the winner’s presentation.  The late night talk show bit with two drivers interviewed at once takes away from each of them a chance to talk to the fans directly.  I’m not sure how the selections for the  chair talks are made, but it classifies the field into those more important to talk to, and those who are just supposed to just get their check and sit down.

I realize the old format was dated and changes occur over time, but this format needs to go.  It was tedious and over the top Hollywood wannabe.  I don’t even recognize this Monday after the race thing.  End Rant.

Enjoy the races this weekend. I will be back next week with thoughts on the action from Detroit, a Texas preview, and possibly another feature.

 

Weird, Wild, Wonderful- The 101st Indianapolis 500

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I have seen a lot of 500’s, but never one as strange as this one.  There were really three parts to this one, each with its own subplot. There was great racing, there were horrific accidents, and there was  a great finish.  If you were in a pool where you had to pick the top ten, you probably didn’t fare well.  No one else in the pool did either.

The first 50 laps had some of the best, cleanest racing I’ve ever seen at Indy. There was passing galore and blinding speed. I knew it wouldn’t last, but it was sure fun. After the first yellow and the ensuing red flag, there was no flow to the race. Cautions came with regularity, interrupting any chance at a rhythm.  Many of the accidents seemed more severe than usual this year.

My seat was right in front of the Howard/Dixon accident.  It was one of the most horrific accidents I have seen at the Speedway. I would rank it second behind the 1964 lap 2 accident. I’m  talking about accidents that were in my view from my seat. The flying car and and flying debris were frightening. Fortunately all the safety features of the track and the car did their job. It was a relief when Dixon got out of what was left of the car. More on this in the notes.

Eleven cautions will chop up any race.  Several yellows were just a few laps apart. While this changes race strategies, it does not help the racing.  What it did, however, was set up a terrific finish.  In the end , Takuma Sato erased the disappointment of his failed attempt to win the 2012 race.

The last twelve laps were great. After the cleanup from a wild five car melee, Max Chilton gamely tried to hold his lead,  but he had more fuel than he needed and his tires probably cooled too much during the yellow. Chilton had pitted before everyone else so his tires had less life in them. It came down to a shootout between Sato and Helio Castroneves. When Sato took the lead with 5 to go, he was able to hold off Castroneves for a popular win. Sato’s unbridled screaming on the radio was a joy to listen to. Quite a contrast from Rossi’s stunned shock last year. Rossi, however, grew into a great champion, and Sato will also be a very good one.

Overall, it was a good race, not a great one.  With fewer cautions this race had the makings of a classic. There was the drama of contenders dropping out, unexpected drivers surging to the front, amazing rookie performances, and a furious duel to the finish.  The 500 continues continues to be the best race of the year.

Notes:

The Howard/Dixon accident emphasized the need for some form of cockpit protection. A piece of Dixon’s car nearly landed on Howard’s head, and Dixon’s car almost landed on Castroneves. I am not in favor of completely closed canopies, but something over the driver’s head should be developed. The outcome may have been worse had Dixon hit a fence post. He broke the fence above the tunnel entrance. Fortunately it didn’t appear anyone was walking or driving in the open area at the time.  A net over the tunnel might be a good safety addition.

What was the deal with Tony George and, “Drivers Start Your Engines?” That is NOT how you start the 500. Other races, yes. Not this one. IMS needs a rethink on this issue.

Jim Cornelison did a fantastic job singing “Back Home Again in Indiana” and arrangements should be made to have him sing it every year.

Fernando Alonso proved what a talented driver he is. He adapted and learned quickly all month.  He figured out how to race here quickly and looked very smooth all day.  He had a most impressive rookie month. Alonso adapted to the hectic schedule of Indy and enjoyed it all. His return is not a sure thing yet, but I hope we see him here again.  Alonso brought an electricity to the Speedway I haven’t felt from a driver in a long time.

Ed Jones also deserves a shout out as a rookie. Jones has had a great season so far and did very well all month, finishing third in the race.  I was skeptical of how he would do in Indycar as I had attributed his Indy Lights success to being with Carlin. But he has talent. Watch out for him the rest of the year.

Honda engines continued their unreliability. Ten engines were lost in May, including those in the Grand Prix. The three blown engines Sunday belonged to contenders. Andretti seems to have had more than their share of lost engines this year.  They were going for power over reliability. This decision could have championship implications. It is a trend to keep an eye on as the series moves to Detroit.

I do not enjoy the breaks in the opening ceremonies. They take away from what used to be a dramatic buildup to the start.  The ceremonies need to be shortened and put in one block culminating with the start.

The points battle has really tightened up. Castroneves leads with three drivers just eleven points behind.  Look for another new leader after Belle Isle. The six Indycar races to date have had six different winners.  It is hard to believe Scott Dixon is not one of them. There may not be a definitive leader until after Iowa.

Michael Andretti couldn’t win the 500 as a driver, but he now has tied Lou Moore for second place with five wins as an owner. Andretti cars has won five times in thirteen years, and three of the last four.   Sato’s only two career wins have come in Indycar’s most prestigious events, Long Beach and Indianapolis.

 

 

101st 500 Preview- Almost as Many Storylines as the Number of Races

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An international star, engine reliability, a struggling power team, and  an intriguing front row have come together to create what should be a competitive, compelling race on Sunday.  All these factors should come into play at some point during the race. Fernando Alonso has created quite a buzz as he goes into his first race. He seems to be comfortable in the car and on the track. Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves look for the final piece of their legacies.  Honda teams hope they have engines that will go the distance. Local hero Ed Carpenter couldn’t win the race from either of his pole starts, but he is hoping that starting second works out better. Alexander Rossi, the defending champion, backs up his title with a front row start.

Alonso has been Indy’s media star this month.  The international exposure hasn’t hurt.  He has done very well so far. I expect him to do well in the  race, and finish in the top ten, perhaps even a top five.  Pit stops will be a key factor for him as well as race traffic. During Monday’s practice he seemed very much at ease passing other cars. How he handles the flying start in a three wide formation may tell us how his race might go.

Honda cars very much have the advantage at the track, but their engines have had issues during the month.  At least five have blown, including two in the Grand Prix.  Can one last the distance and win? Alonso’s engine had a precautionary change before qualifying Sunday. Honda also lost a strong contender with Sebastien Bourdais’ crash last Saturday.

Team Penske has symbolized the struggles Chevy has had this month. They seem to have less straight line speed than the Hondas.  Chevrolet entries had trouble keeping pace with the Hondas Monday.  Will Power,  Ed Carpenter , J.R. Hildebrand, and Sage Karam seem to be the best of the bowties.  Still, I look for the Penske cars of Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Josef Newgarden to be players toward the middle of the race. I think Montoya will move up quickly.

Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Ryan Hunter-Reay  are the strongest Hondas. Hunter-Reay will be in the top five very quickly, and will battle for the lead after the first stop. If the Andretti team can avoid the gremlins that have plagued their cars all season, the race will be between these three.  In Monday’s practice, Dixon and Kanaan looked the strongest on track.

Ed Carpenter will contend early. If he can stay out of trouble, he will be one to watch near the end.  He has the speed to stay with the Hondas. His teammate Hildebrand should also also be in the mix.  We may see an early charge to the front by Carpenter unless Dixon pulls away at the start.

Dark horses- Alexander Rossi, Marco Andretti, Alonso, and Ed Jones should all have great days. Jones has been quietly going about his rookie season. I would not dismiss his chances for a good finish.  Rossi will provide a strong title defense. Marco could erase years of frustration and set up for a decent season.

Turn 2-  This was a challenging part of the track last weekend. In addition to the terrifying Bourdais crash, several cars clipped the wall in nearly the same spot. The wall in front of the Fuzzy’s suite may not stay white for long. I hope everyone gets through on lap 1.

Oh yes- I’m supposed to make a prediction. I am going against recent history here. Scott Dixon will win his second 500.  He has not had the engine issues other Hondas have had.  It has been eight years since we’ve had a winner from pole, so the timing is right. It has also been six years since someone has won from the first three rows.  He will lead the majority of laps, but this will not be an easy win.

The rest of the race:

Rookie of the Year– Fernando Alonso will probably win this, although Ed Jones will make a very strong case for himself.

Cautions-  7 for 55 laps.

Highest Placing Chevy– Will Power, a top 5

First out-  Jack Harvey

 

Race Week-My Love/Hate Relationship

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I both love and hate race week. There is unbridled excitement. By Wednesday people find me annoying. (That late? you’re asking).  There is stress, mainly worrying about the weather, but also getting preparations done in time.

I vow every year to not worry or even listen to anything weather related until Wednesday, and not take a forecast seriously until Thursday. How does that work out?  Well… Monday I might sneak a peek at the weather app and close it quickly.

Tuesday I do the same thing. If I see a sun, my anxiety goes down. A hint of cloud sets me off in a panic. Then Wednesday i became Mr. Meteorology. I start talking like I’m an anchor on the Weather Channel. I really want a full, dry,  uninterrupted race.

It’s not all stress. I have daily rituals leading up to Friday morning. Going to Carb Day helps make the week shorter. Here is a diary of my daily routine, beginning right after qualifications end:

Sunday night:  Come home, watch the qualifying show on dvr, get ready for Monday final practice.

Monday: Glance at weather app, close it quickly, start rain panic no matter what it says. My philosophy- it will get worse. Cut starting lineup from newspaper and start learning positions.

Tuesday: Glance at weather app, get in more panic mode, locate rain gear. make supply list for the track and our pre-race party.

Wednesday: Study weather forecast and start freaking out. Where did the sun icon go? Bring it back! Shop for supplies. Place race ticket in ticket holder and place in car. I’m negotiating to have this ceremony live-streamed.

Thursday: More party preparations. Start tracking the monsoon heading this way from China. The timing always looks bad. Await the arrival of friends coming in for Carb Day.

Friday: Carb Day! the weather looks good for the whole weekend! Maybe. Celebrate the day and go to the Burger Bash at night.

Saturday: Legends Day. Vintage cars on track, drivers’ meeting, hanging out anticipating the next day.  A sense of resignation sets in that whatever weather happens is what I deal with. Get ready for pre-race party.  Get three hours of sleep, then

RACE DAY!

Usually, it’s not as bad as i think it will be, but I’m sure I’ve subtracted 20 years from my life worrying about getting the race in. One year I will enjoy race week without any stress. That will be the year I am not going.

 

 

500 Qualification Recap- The Iceman Speedeth

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First, a word about Saturday. Incidents like Sebastien Bourdais had and the ensuing dread that accompanies it5 are the price we fans pay for loving racing so much. These things will will happen occasionally. I am glad they happen with much less frequency than they used to.That does not make these things any easier. That was one of the five worst crashes I have witnessed in person at the Speedway.  It was a relief to hear today that Bourdais is improving and should recover from his injuries.

Thanks to Tony George for the SAFER Barrier and the Holmatro Safety team for their outstanding work.  Two drivers’ lives have been saved by them over the last three seasons.

Now, for today. It was wonderful to see speed return to IMS.  The fastest qualifying laps and average  in 21 years gave Scott Dixon the pole for the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500. It is Dixon’s third pole and second in three years.  Ed Carpenter will start second, his third front row in five years.  Alexander Rossi, the defending champion, starts third.  This is a very strong front row.

Honda dominated the Fast Nine with six entries. The Chevrolets in the final, shootout will start second, sixth ( J. R. Hildebrand), and ninth (Will Power).

Overall, not a great qualifying day for Team Penske. After Power in ninth, the next fastest qualifier was Juan Pablo Montoya, who will start eighteenth. Do not dismiss them for the race, however. They will make their presence known.

Dixon’s first lap of 232.595 was the fastest single lap since 1996, and his four lap average of 232.164 also was the best since Arie Luyendyk set the record.

Other notable efforts today-

Fernando Alonso will start fifth in his first 500. His crew had to change the engine in the 29 car after the morning practice. The crew should also get a mention for quickness as it just slightly more than an hour to make the switch.

Rookie Ed Jones will start eleventh.  He had to be thinking of his teammate Bourdais on today’s run, but handled it like a veteran.

Buddy Lazier turned his fastest laps of the week and will start thirtieth.

Notes:

James Davison will replace Bourdais in car 18. That car did not appear today and will start last. There are rules in place that cover this situation.

I saw genuine excitement and heard more cheering today from the fans than I have in a long time on a qualifying day. The high speeds really had people enthused. I hope the series finds a way to increase speed safely.

I plan to post every day through Friday this week.  It’s finally Race Week!

Qualifying Preview- A Toss-Up; Lots of Questions After a Weird Week of Practice

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I have never seen a practice week where no one driver stood out consistently. As a team, Andretti was probably the strongest overall.  Today, with the qualifying boost,  Only one Chevy, Juan Pablo Montoya, was in the top 10.

So, who will win the pole? I have no idea. The last row is easier to predict than the front row. It appears both Chevy and Honda were both holding back a bit this week.  I can’t believe the Penske cars are as slow as they were today.  I’m not sure the Coyne cars will replicate today’s speeds.  Sebastien Bourdais was fastest today  with a tow and Ryan Hunter-Reay fastest without one.  A pole for Bourdais gets him back in the points chase.It would help Hunter-Reay make up some ground from his DNFs .

Ganassi cars have been very quiet. They seemed to be very excited about getting the race started, but haven’t really been to the front much.

Schmidt_Peterson Motorsports seems to be coming together. Both James Hinchcliffe and Mikhail Aleshin had good runs today, as did Jay Harvey, who led Thursday’s practice.

This weekend will be very intriguing. Who was sandbagging? Who showed all they had? Has Honda solved the engine issue that has bitten several teams, including at least one in the Grand Prix last weekend?

We will have all the answers by Sunday evening. Next week I will have several posts, including my mostly inaccurate race predictions.

Notes:

Jim McElreath, 1962 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, died Thursday at the age of 89. McElreath was a popular driver, started 15 times in the 500, with a best finish of third in1966. He had six top 10 finishes. His last 500 was in 1980.

Spencer Pigot and Zach Veach were unhurt in crashes late this afternoon. their crews have a lot of work to do to be ready for tomorrow. Pigot may have to go to a spare tub.

Power Surge in Indy Grand Prix; Dixon and Castroneves Tired Out

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At last, we had a race that wasn’t a fuel saving race. It was a tire saving race. Will Power won after using up his first set of rubber earlier than he anticipated, then adjusted his pace to make the tires last last an entire stint. Helio Castroneves tried saving his primary set until the end of the race, but could not keep with those on reds and lost three spots at the end. Scott Dixon put on a late charge, cutting Power’s lead in half before his tires were used up. he most likely didn’t have anything for Power in any case.

While the leader, whether it was Power or Castroneves, jumped into large leads, the action behind them was furious. Graham Rahal moved up from starting twentieth to a sixth place finish. Improving fourteen spots without the benefit of a caution is a tremendous drive. Spencer Pigot seemed to pass everyone in the field except the leaders. His ninth place finish was a season high. He had the same type of run going at St. Pete until his brakes exploded. Alexander Rossi passed several cars at the start. He had great runs early in a stint, but faded at the end of each pit rotation.

It was another bad day for Sebastien Bourdais. The St. Pete winner suffered engine failure on the third lap. Bourdais has completed just three total laps in the last two races. He has gone from leading the points to seventh. Charlie Kimball appeared to suffer a similar fate a few laps later.

Marco Andretti”s tough season continues. After a drive through penalty for unavoidable contact with Tony Kanaan on lap one, he spent the race a lap down to the leader.  The good news for the  Andretti team is all four cars were running at the finish, including a third for Ryan Hunter-Reay. Rossi finished eight and Takuma Sato twelfth.

Overall, I thought it was one of  the better races so far this year in this year of not really great racing overall.  There was lots of passing and strategy to hold my interest.  Not sure we should panic yet, but we are getting close to 2008 levels of dull racing.

This race has only had two winners in its four years and has been won from the pole the last three years.

Notes:

The attendance looked to be around 35-40, 000, probably about what this event can draw consistently.  Last year the weather held the crowd down a lot. Unless it’s the 500, it is impossible to make the Speedway look full.

One improvement I’d like to see during qualifying for the Grand Prix:

During Round 1 Group 1 the top of the pylon showed time remaining in the session. for all groups after that, it showed the top speed of the leader. I would prefer to see time remaining for all groups, especially the Firestone Fast 6. The session leader’s speed can be shown at the end of the session. Time remaining wasn’t even displayed on the video boards.

The Points:

I think we are in for a great points battle this year. Pagenaud leads Dixon by just ten, and Scott has not won a race yet. Power won his first of the season Saturday. He rarely wins just one. Power is fifth, just 46 points behind. With all the points available for the next two weeks, the standings should look quite different on May 29.  I still think Power can win the title, but his teammate Josef Newgarden could be a dark horse.

There’s Another Race this Month:

Now begins my favorite fortnight of the year, the lead-up to the Indianapolis 500.I’m fortunate that i can go to the track each practice day. I love the daily ebb and flow of cars that are great one day and awful the next. Qualifying weekend si still exciting, even though I find this new format dreadful on many levels. I understand much of it is dictated by economics, but surely there  has to be a better way to do this.

This Honda’s time to shine. Last year they had the superior speedway package and I expect them to again. I know Ganassi drivers can’t wait for practice to begin. We shall see.

I am planning two more posts this week, one on an Indycar newbie’s 2-seaqter ride, and I hope one on a former winner from the 30″s. Before you ask, it was not a race I saw. I will also have a qualifying preview Friday evening and a wrap up next Monday.  Have a great week. i hope to see you at the track.

Preview- Grand Prix of Indianapolis Will Penske Dominate Again?

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At last, the Speedway opens for the month of May. Practice for the Indianapolis Grand Prix begins today, when Indycar takes the track at 9:15 this morning.  The race is tomorrow on ABC, beginning at 3:30 pm ET.

The first three editions of the this race have seen Simon Pagenaud win twice, including last year. Will Power won the second year. Pagenaud comes into the event as the points leader, just as he did last year. The difference is he has only won once this year. In 2016, this was third consecutive win.  The points battle is tighter this season so far.

There have been four winners in four races this year, the last two races won by Penske drivers. We may not have a fifth different winner after this race, nor a different team winning.  Pagenaud has excelled on this track , and I expect him to do so again. If he falters, look for Power to get his first trip to Victory Circle this weekend.

This will be another Chevy at the front show, though Honda is  eagerly awaiting the start of 500 practice next Monday. Honda will be happy with a top five on Saturday.

As far as this weekend’s attendance, I have no idea. The last two years have seen the crowd shrink from year one, which was between 55 and 60 thousand. In 2015, rain was predicted for the race, but the race was dry. The weather in 2016 was even colder than the 1992 500.  It will be interesting to see if the improved weather this year draws more fans. In any case, there is Indycar racing at IMS this weekend, and then the best two weeks of the year begin.

News and Notes:

Sebastian Saavedra was confirmed as driver for the second Juncos car. He will drive car 17, sponsored by AFS.

Several teams have revealed their liveries for the 500 the last few days. This will be one of the best looking fields in recent memory.  Several cars have a retro look with hints of cars from the past. I’m excited to see the entire field together.

Back with a race recap Sunday and a preview of what I hope to bring you during practice week.