Tag: Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca

Race Recap: Java House Grand Prix of Monterey

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After six very good races in a row, IndyCar produced a rather dull show yesterday at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca. The winner was never in doubt as Alex Palou won his eighth race of the season. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver should clinch the title at the next race in Portland.

Palou has a chance to finish the season with a record 11 wins should he sweep the rest of the schedule. A. J. Foyt won 10 races in 1964, and Al Unser, Sr. matched that victory total in 1970. Mario Andretti won nine times in 1969.

There were a couple of interesting on track battles, the best of which was between Colton Herta and Christian Lundgaard for second place late in the race.

Pato O’Ward did not get the start he needed from second place and had to settle for fourth place. He lost 22 points to Palou. If O’Ward does not gain 14 points on Palou at Portland, the championship is officially over.

Where is Race Control?

Once again race control dropped the ball and failed to throw an immediate yellow flag after Marcus Ericsson spun and stalled with his car sitting on the track in a dangerous spot on lap 77. It seemed to be at least a lap before the caution flag came out.

I believe the flag was held so that Alex Palou and other cars could pit. Allowing pit stops is not a good reason to withhold a necessary yellow. For those in the “No one should have their race ruined by a yellow crowd, I say, “breaks of the game.” Should a baseball umpire not call ball four on a high and wide pitch because it will spoil a pitcher’s no hitter?

Yes, Palou was the fastest car Sunday, but things happen, and the fastest car sometimes loses out because of circumstances. Ericsson’s car was in a vulnerable position and created a potential for a collision. One day, race control will get bitten by this dangerous practice of waiting to display a caution flag. I hope we don’t have to wait until something bad happens to see a change in procedures.

Ilott’s Great Drive

Callum Ilott gave Prema its best finish of the year, finishing sixth after starting 24th. He made several passes and used great pit strategy to advance. PREMA has done a very respectable job in their first IndyCar season, winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500 and now has two top 10 finishes for the season. Rookie Robert Shwartzman is just four points behind Louis Foster for Rookie of the Year.

Rookie Race

Louis Foster now leads Shwartzman by four points for Rookie honors with three races left. The pair entered yesterday’s race tied in points. Each has won a pole, Shwartzman has two top 10 finishes, while Foster’s best finish is 11th.

The rooie title will come down to the season finale at Nashville.

Laguna Seca Race Day; Tire Selections

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Alex Palou can’t clinch the title today, but he could set up a celebration in Portland. Today is probably Pato O’Ward’s last shot at keeping a title chase in play. I’m sticking with my original pick of Colton Herta to win today.

I have a commitment this afternoon, so I will watch the race this evening on replay. Look for my post race story tomorrow.

Starting Tire Selections

Qualification Results

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It is fitting that the top two drivers in the championship will start tomorrow’s race in the front row. A welcome back to the Fast Six to Will Power and Josef Newgarden. Four of the top six have won at Laguna Seca.

A 30 minute session, which will serve as the pre race warm up, will take place at 7 pm Eastern this evening. It will be shown on FS2.

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Revised Schedule: Qualifying Groups

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Practice has been canceled. The new schedule with Eastern times.

Today:
When fog lifts more, INDY NXT Quals FS1
2:30 pm: INDYCAR Quals FS1
4:30 pm: INDY NXT Race (35 Laps, 4:36p Green) FS2
7-7:30 pm INDYCAR Warmup FS2

Sunday:
1p: INDY NXT Race 2 (35 Laps, 1:06p Green) FS1
3p: INDYCAR Race FOX (95 Laps, 3:22p Green)

Qualifying groups based on yesterday’s practice:

Practice 1 Results

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A wild session with lots of off track excursions and two red flags. Alexander Rossi slid into the tire barriers and sustained some right front damage. Josef Newgarden spun off track and got stuck in the sand.

Pato O’Ward doesn’t think this title fight is over.He led most of the session.

From yhesterday:

Returning to My Roots

Practice 2 is at 11:30 Eastern and qualifying is at 2:30 Easte3rn. Both sessions are on FS1.

Results

Laguna Seca Preview

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Maximize and minimize. The final four races of the IndyCar season come down to those goals for two drivers. Pato O’Ward has to maximize the number of points each weekend to cut into the 99 point deficit he faces. Alex Palou has to minimize how many points he loses to O’Ward.

Palou won this race from the pole in 2024, his second win at laguna Seca. O’Ward has never finished higher than fifth here.

The Java House Grand Prix of Monterey begins the last quarter of the season, and it is the last race in a stretch of of five races in four weeks, and the results may further tighten Palou’s hold on the title or give O’Ward a bit more of a chance.

The picturesque track in Monterey, California, has hosted 27 IndyCar races beginning in 1983 with a 15 year gap after the 2004 race. The track served as the season finale until last year.

I received news yesterday that the famous Corkscrew sign no longer graces the hilltop near the highest point of the track. I hope there are signs to replace it.

In addition to the tiny bit of intrigue at the front of the standings, there is a terrific battle for 10th place going on. David Malukas is in 10th right now, seven points ahead of Rinus VeeKay and 19 points up on Santino Ferrucci. Malukas trails Will Power by four points for ninth place.

Only three drivers have won the last three races at this venue- Palou in 2022 and 2024; Colton Herta in 2019 and 2021; and Scott Dixon in 2023. I would not be surprised if one driver from this trio isn’t atop the podium on Sunday. I think Herta finally gets his first win of the season this weekend.

This weekend will likely be filled with 2026 schedule talk and silly season speculation, or possibly some confirmations.

This weekend’s schedule: Times are Pacific. Note Sunday’s IndyNXT race is on FS2.

Java House Grand Prix of Monterey Fast Facts

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Race weekend: Friday, July 25-Sunday, July 27
Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile permanent road course in Monterey, California
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Java House Grand Prix of Monterey: 95 laps / 212.61 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 & 2: 35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes (each race)
Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: A maximum of 50 activations total or 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 415 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires unless wet conditions are declared. One additional set is available for the weekend’s first session to teams fielding a rookie driver. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Four new sets to be used during the event weekend. Two carryover sets from the Mid-Ohio event may be used during Friday’s practice sessions.
X: @WeatherTechRcwy, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #JavaHouseGP, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @weathertechraceway, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #JavaHouseGP, #INDYCAR
Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT Facebook: @WeatherTechRaceway, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #JavaHouseGP, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, #JavaHouseGP, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.weathertechraceway.com
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com
2024 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) INDY NXT by Firestone Race 1: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global) Race 2: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), 1:07.1465, 119.988 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winners: Race 1: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 1:12.1760, 111.627 mph Race 2: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 1:12.4444, 111.214 mph
Qualifying records: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Christian Lundgaard, 1:06.4610, 121.226 mph, Sept. 9, 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone Christian Rasmussen, 1:11.7225, 112.333 mph, Sept. 9, 2023
FOX Sports telecasts:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 5 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Java House Grand Prix of Monterey 3 p.m. ET, Sunday, FOX (live).
Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. A Spanish-language telecast of the race will be available on FOX Deportes.
 INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 4 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 6:35 p.m. ET Friday, FS2; Qualifying, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race 1, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race 2, 1 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Alex Wollf are the turn announcers. Jonathan Grace, Dan Rusanowski and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Java House Grand Prix of Monterey race (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, INDY NXT by Firestone races (4:25 p.m. ET Saturday and 12:55 p.m. ET Sunday), NTT P1 Award Qualifying (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM 218, www.indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, July 25
1-1:25 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS2 (Live)
2-3:20 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (45 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups for 10 minutes each), FS2 (Live)
3:35-4 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, FS2 (Live)
Saturday, July 26
8:30-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes limited guarantee), FS1 (Live)
10-10:30 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two groups, 12-minutes each / Fastest lap determines the lineup for Race 1, second fastest lap determines the lineup for Race 2), FS1 (Live)
11:35 a.m. – Java House Grand Prix of Monterey NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (Live)
1:31 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 “Drivers Start Your Engines” 1:36 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), FS2
Sunday, July 27
9:02-9:27 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS2 (Live)
10:01 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
10:06 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), FS1 (Live)
Noon – FOX on air
12:15 p.m. – Java House Grand Prix of Monterey “Drivers, start your engines”
12:22 p.m. – Java House Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/212.61 miles), FOX (Live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship facts: · Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with four races to go for the fourth time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Palou also led the championship with four races to go in 2021, 2023 and 2024, when he won the title. Palou has led the point standings since the beginning of the season. · There are four drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Kyle Kirkwood and Scott Dixon. Any driver who trails the points leader by 162 points or more following this race will be eliminated from contention. · Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season seven times: Bobby Rahal (1986, 1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Michael Andretti (1991), Alex Zanardi (1998), Cristiano da Matta (2002) and Alex Palou (2024). ·
Since 2008 when INDYCAR SERIES racing unified under the NTT INDYCAR SERIES banner, the eventual series champion has won the 14th race of the season four times. The most recent occurrence was in 2021 when Alex Palou won at Portland. Other drivers to win the 14th race of their championship season were Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2009, 2010) and Scott Dixon (2008). Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the largest deficit overcome by the eventual champion was 59 points by Dario Franchitti in 2010. Scott Dixon overcame Juan Pablo Montoya’s 54-point lead in 2015. Point differential: The 99 points separating Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward is the largest point margin with four races remaining since 2008. During that span, the average lead with four races remaining is 43.22 points. Team Penske has won six times at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Penske’s winning drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988, 1990), Rick Mears (1989), Paul Tracy (1993, 1994) and Helio Castroneves (2000). Chip Ganassi Racing has five wins with Scott Dixon (2023), Alex Palou (2022, 2024), Alex Zanardi (1996) and Jimmy Vasser (1997). Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has three wins with Bryan Herta (1998, 1999) and Max Papis (2001). Twenty-four drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Scott Dixon has seven starts, most among the entered drivers. Nine entered drivers have led laps at the track – Colton Herta 183, Alex Palou 166, Kyle Kirkwood 24, Will Power 23, Dixon 22, Pato O’Ward 15, Felix Rosenqvist 11, Alexander Rossi 10 and Josef Newgarden 10.
Rookies Jacob Abel, Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the first time this weekend. Foster swept the INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader last season at Laguna Seca. Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 353rd consecutive start, extending his INDYCAR SERIES record streak…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 253rd consecutive start, the third-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 216th consecutive start, the sixth-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Dixon passed Mario Andretti for the INDYCAR SERIES record for starts with his 408th start May 25 at Indianapolis and will extend his record to 416 with a start Sunday…Dixon’s win July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – his 59th INDYCAR SERIES win – extended two ongoing INDYCAR SERIES records he holds: seasons with a win (23) and consecutive seasons with a win (21). Dixon’s second-place finish July 13 at Iowa Speedway extended two additional ongoing INDYCAR SERIES records he holds: podium finishes (145) and top-five finishes (215). INDY NXT by Firestone notes: The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader will be the series’ 31st and 32nd races at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca. Previous INDY NXT by Firestone winners at Laguna Seca include Bryan Herta, Andre Ribeiro, Greg Moore, Tony Kanaan, Cristiano da Matta, Scott Dixon, Townsend Bell, Spencer Pigot, Rinus VeeKay, Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Rasmussen. Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Louis Foster swept the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader in 2024. The INDY NXT by Firestone title fight between Dennis Hauger and Lochie Hughes heads west for its final doubleheader weekend when the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey hits the track on Saturday and Sunday. Hauger leads Hughes by 79 points headed into the pair of 35-lap races, with series veterans Caio Collet and Myles Rowe looking to make it a four-man sprint to the finish. The ultra-competitive 2025 season has seen four winners in nine races and seven different drivers finish on the podium. Push to Pass could play a key strategic role at Laguna Seca as INDY NXT by Firestone drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking, similar to the drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds. Group qualifying will decide the starting grid on road and street circuits. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying sessions. With 12 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.