Tag: Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca

Herta Fastest in Fast, Disjointed Practice

thepitwindow1 Comment

Colton Herta led Friday practice for Indycar’s season finale in a session interrupted five times by red flags. Herta”s time of 1;07.5382 is under the track record set in 2000 by Helio Castroneves. Pato O’Ward was second, and Alexander Rossi finished third. O’Ward also beat the track record.

Times were all on the primary tires. teams were just beginning to run the alternates when red flags near the end of the session prevented any significant runs on the alternate tires. Tire degradation of the primary tires appeared low.

“We didn’t get to do a proper run,” Herta said of the alternate, red-sidewall tires. “I think some of the teammates did, which is a good thing for me at least to understand what they do and how we can make the car a little bit better.

“But it’s really close. I feel really happy with how everything is. It’s a good-looking race car this weekend, and I hope to try to make it to Victory Lane with it.”

The newly paved surface proved quick as expected, but anyone going just a bit offline ended up off track. Romain Grosjean made contact with the tire barrier in turn4, damaging the left front suspension. Will Power had heavy contact and suffered a cut tire and rear end damage.

Scott Mclaughlin’s spin into the gravel with about three minutes left ended practice.

Indycar practices again tomorrow at 1 pm Eastern, then qualifies at 5 pm Eastern.

Results

Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race Preview

thepitwindow

Today’s schedule: All times Eastern

5:30 pm-6:45 pm- Indycar Practice 1

Another Indycar season comes another all too quick end Sunday in Monterey at one of the nicest tracks on the schedule. The track has made several improvements with a new p[edestrian bridge and a complete track repaving.

There is still plenty to play for this weekend as Indycar wraps up its 2023 season. Rookie of the Year, Leaders’ Circle, and third place in the standings all need to be decided. The track record is in definite jeopardy Saturday.

Repaved Track- Faster Speeds

The track has been completely repaved, and the times at yesterday’s open test show the results. Nine drivers bettered Helio Castroneves’ qualifying record of 1:07.722 set in 2000. Will power led the way with a lap at 1:07.2762.

“Very nice, very smooth,” Power said after the session. “A lot of grip. Yeah, it’s incredibly fast. Yeah, it will be a mid-six (1:06.5) in quali by the time it’s all said and done. Rubber down, mid-six.”

The full results:

Rookie of the Year

Marcus Armstrong leads Agustin Canapino by 26 points and just has to finish ahead of Canapino to win the title. A top 10 finish would be sufficient.

The rookie chase this year has been unusual. Armstrong leads despite not driving in the five oval races. Canapino is spending his first year in open wheel cars.

I think Armstrong will win the title. He signed yesterday to stay with Ganassi and drive full time.

Third Place

Josef Newgarden holds third place with 470 points. Pato O’Ward is nine points behind, and Scott McLaughlin is 22 points back in fifth. The third spot is up for grabs but given Team Penske’s strength here. i look for Newgarden to keep the position.

O’Ward’s best hope is to win the race.

Race to the Top of the Bottom

The 78 car of Agustin canapino is just two points out of the last spot for the just under $1 million reward for the top teams. The 60 which will be drive3n again by Tom Blomqvist, tenuously holds the final spot.

The 29 of Devlin DeFrancesco and the 30 with rookie Juri Vips sit just ahead. The 30 has only an eight point lead over the 78. Keep an eye on these foru cars in qualifying and the race.

With the championship decided, the final money spot is something to focus on this weekend.

Notes

Will Power has a streak of winning at least one race in 16 seasons. Will he keep the streak intact? Three other drivers- Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward, and Colton Herta-won in 2022, but have not seen Victory Circle this season.

NBC will have a 55-minute pre-race show Sunday beginning at 2:30 pm Eastern. The green flag is at 3:26 pm Eastern

Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Fast Facts

thepitwindow

from Indycar:

Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile permanent road course in Monterey, California
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey 95 laps / 212.61 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 & 2 (each) 35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes
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: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. Note: Teams will be allotted four sets of tires for Thursday’s Open Test. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires.
 INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. A carryover set from the Portland event may be used during the first practice.


X (formerly known as Twitter): @WeatherTechRcwy, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCARInstagram: @weathertechraceway, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCARFacebook: @WeatherTechRaceway, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCARTikTok: @IndyCar, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAREvent website: www.weathertechraceway.comINDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.comINDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com

2022 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIESAlex Palou (No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)INDY NXT by FirestoneRace 1: Sting Ray Robb (No. 2 Andretti Autosport)Race 2: Christian Rasmussen (No. 28 Andretti Autosport)
2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 1:11.6127, 112.505 mph
2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winners:Race 1: Sting Ray Robb (No. 2 Andretti Autosport), 1:15.7209, 106.401Race 2: Christian Rasmussen (No. 28 Andretti Autosport), 1:15.3618, 106.908 
Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESHelio Castroneves, 1:07.722, 118.969 mph, Sept. 8, 2000INDY NXT by FirestoneMax Chilton, 1:14.2329, 108.534 mph, Sept. 12, 2015
NBC Sports race telecast: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 10, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Marty Snider, Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.
Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman, Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wollf are the pit reporters. The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey race (3 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader (3:20 p.m. ET Saturday and 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Thursday, Sept. 711 a.m.-4 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test
Friday, Sept. 8
1:15-2:05 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, INDYCAR LIVE
2:30-3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock
Saturday, Sept. 9
9:05-9:35 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two 12-minute sessions / Session 1 determines the lineup for Race 1, Session 2 determines the lineup for Race 2), INDYCAR LIVE
10-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes limited guarantee), Peacock
12:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 “Drivers Start Your Engines”12:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
2 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 10
9-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock
9:55 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 “Drivers Start Your Engines”10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
11:30 a.m. – NBC on air
12:19 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey “Drivers, start your engines”
12:26 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/212.61 miles), NBC (Live)
Race Notes:
Alex Palou became the first INDYCAR SERIES champion since 2007 to clinch the series title before the finale with his win at Portland International Raceway and looks to cap his dominating 2023 in style at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he won in 2022.There have been seven winners in 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa Speedway-2 ), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Nashville), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Portland), Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2, World Wide Technology Raceway).The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be the 26th INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but just the fourth since 2004.
Teo Fabi won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 1983. Alex Palou, Colton Herta and Helio Castroneves, who won at the track in 2000, are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.Thirteen INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca from the pole – Teo Fabi (1983), Bobby Rahal (1985), Danny Sullivan (1988), Rick Mears (1989), Danny Sullivan (1990), Michael Andretti (1991 and 1992), Paul Tracy (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Bryan Herta (1998 and 1999), Helio Castroneves (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Patrick Carpentier (2003) and Colton Herta (2019 and 2021).Team Penske has won six times at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Penske’s winning drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988 and 1990), Rick Mears (1989), Paul Tracy (1993 and 1994) and Helio Castroneves (2000). Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has three wins with Bryan Herta (1998-99) and Max Papis (2001). Chip Ganassi Racing also has three wins with Alex Palou (2022), Alex Zanardi (1996) and Jimmy Vasser (1997).
Twenty-one drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Helio Castroneves has six starts, most among the entered drivers. Nine entered drivers have led laps at the track (Colton Herta 174, Helio Castroneves 92, Alex Palou 67, Will Power 23, Josef Newgarden 5, Felix Rosenqvist 5, Romain Grosjean 4, Scott Dixon 2 and Callum Ilott 1

.INDY NXT by Firestone notes:The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader will be the series’ 27th and 28th 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 and Kyle Kirkwood. Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Sting Ray Robb and current INDY NXT by Firestone point leader Christian Rasmussen split the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader in 2022.Christian Rasmussen of HMD Motorsports is enjoying a dominant season, leading the series in wins (four), laps led (240 of 475) and top-10 finishes (11) through 12 races. Rasmussen, a native of Denmark, owns a 65-point lead over second-place Hunter McElrea of Andretti Autosport. Rasmussen can clinch the season championship by leading by at least 54 points on Saturday or maintaining his lead on Sunday.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.Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first INDY NXT win in 2023 at Laguna Seca? 
 

The Schedule’s the Same, but Some Venues are Changing

thepitwindow2 Comments

Indycar’s 2023 schedule features the same venues as 2022, but that doesn’t mean nothing has changed. Three tracks- Road America, Detroit, and Weather tech raceway Laguna Seca- will be different. The Grabd prix of Detroit moves to downtown from Belle Isle, and then other two tracks will be completely repaved.

The new Detroit downtown layout will feature a dual pit lane, with cars pitting on both sides. I’m not sure how this will work out in real time. Teams will need to put some thought into their pit choice, and decisions on when to pit could come down to what cars in neighboring pits are doing.

I will need to see how this track works inre al life. On paper it has too many square corners for my tatse.

Road America Repave

The Road America repave was chronicled by thwe track on social media in a series of videos. We might see slower speeds for a year as the the track gets rubbered in and cures.

This video is fascinating

Weather Tech Raceway Upgrades

Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca is investing $10 million in upgrades, including repaving then track and replacing the pedestrian bridge near the start/finish line. Several drivers are not in favor of repaving the track. I’m not sure i like the idea either. How will it change the racing? We will have to wait and see.

I’m glad there will be a new bridge, which will be wider and more up to date. It was always an adventure crossing it. The other upgrades will bring an aging facility more up to date. There were signs of some improvements in September. One improvement took away a great viewing spot, however.

Indycar Opens Season with Thermal Club Test

thepitwindow

Indycar Spring Training returns with an open test at The Thermal Club in California. Two other open tests are scheduled for 2023. The release from Indycar:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES To Host Open Test
at The Thermal Club 

 Three Open Tests in 2023 Include Annual Indy 500 Open Test, 
Test at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Oct. 10, 2022) – INDYCAR will conduct three Open Tests for 2023 in preparation for key moments during the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
The first Open Test of 2023 will feature the series’ initial trip to The Thermal Club for a season preview Thursday and Friday, Feb. 2-3. The private, world-class facility, located just outside of Palm Springs, California, opened its 470-acre property in 2012 and is known as a premier circuit for club racers and sports car enthusiasts.
INDYCAR will use a combination of the North Palm and South Palm circuits to create a 17-turn, 2.9-mile layout for the 2023 test.
“We liken this to a preseason scrimmage,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The teams will be doing everything it takes to prepare for a run at the 2023 championship at a new and unique backdrop for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The facility is spectacular, and I know everyone at The Thermal Club cannot wait to welcome our paddock.”
Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains and known as the ultimate destination for driving-minded motorsports enthusiasts, The Thermal Club has everything from luxury homes to a motorsports village and gourmet restaurants. The facility was named “Professional Motorsport Facility of the Year” at the 2017 Professional Motorsports World Expo in Germany.
“For us, it means every INDYCAR fan is going to get an inside look at the best cars in the world on what we think is the best track in the world,” said John Rogers, owner, The Thermal Club.
“It’s a wonderful thing, and we’re very happy it’s worked out with INDYCAR and Thermal.”
The Indy 500 Open Test is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 20-21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The annual test on the famed 2.5-mile oval provides crucial preparation for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, scheduled for Sunday, May 28. The entire field for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is expected to participate in the test.
The third and final Open Test of the 2023 season comes Thursday, Sept. 7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, just three days before the Astor Challenge Cup is awarded to the season champion at the same facility after the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
Drivers at the Laguna Seca test will get an extra day to come to grips with the planned repave of the legendary 2.238-mile facility, which is expected to be completed by June 2023.The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 5 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the Streets of St. Petersburg. Coverage will be available on NBC, Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Laguna Seca Wrap Up

thepitwindow2 Comments

Post season depression is beginning to settle in, so I will attempt to combat it with a few final thoughts on the season finale.

Weather Tech Raceway is a nice track. i love the way it flows and its elevation changes. One the track sorely lacks are video boards. The only video screens are high atop the scoring pylon, too high and far away for most fans to see. I hope the management will consider installing some fan friendly screens.

I enjoyed watching Sunday’s morning warmup from turn 4. It is a sweeping righthander where you hear the change in engine pitch and hear the tire over the rumble strips as the cars head for the climb up to the corkscrew.

Will Power on his way to his second Indycar title

I watched the race from the front stretch just past the starting line. There was some fun drag racing going on at that spot throughout the field. I could see if a pass was successful when the cars got turn 4. My vantage point allowed me to see turn 4 and 5 to the right, and turns 9 and 10 to the left.

Yellow Nonsense

It was not the first time this season race control did this, but I hope it’s the last. Waiting to throw a yellow so that everyone can pit while a car is stopped in a dangerous position is foolish and detracts from the spirit of the game. They say they don’t want to ruin anyone’s race, but whether a race gets ruined is really the team’s choice when they choose when to pit or what tires to use. Let the teams ruin their own races. If a yellow is required, throw it, regardless of the lap or pit window. Indycar might as well go to competition cautions if they continue this policy.

The Sad Saga of the Final Race Winner

Whoever wins the final race of the season, if he’s not the series champion, gets a laurel and hearty handshake and then moves along. I know everyone is eager to crown the champion, and there is a television window to consider, but Alex Palou’s win was significant in many ways.

The win came amid the controversy surrounding his uncertain situation with Ganassi/McLaren for 2023, and ongoing legal battles. I admire the way Palou has kept his focus while all this is happening.

The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey was also the final chance Palou had to win a race as defending series champion. 2004 was the last year in which the previous year’s champ did not win a race.

It’s a difficult situation. I hope Indycar can find a way to give the final race winner more recognition.

A Final Note to Start the Offseason

I am already sick of the Kyle Busch in the Indianapolis 500 next year talk. If he does come, at least there will be no suspense about Rookie of the Year.

Quick Thoughts- Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey

thepitwindow

Congratulations to Will Power on his second Indycar championship. Power had a consistent season. His lowest finish was 19th at Road America, and he only finished outside of the top ten four times.

Race winner Alex Palou avoided the distinction of being the first defending championsince 2004 to not win a race the following year. Scott Dixon was the last champion to not have a win the nfoloowing year. It was a brilliant drive in what may be Palou’s final ride for Ganassi.

Congratulations to Christian Lungaard on winning the Rookie of the Year.

Palou overcame a six place grid penalty after an engine change. He backed up his fastest time in Saturday’s practice by leading this morning’s warmup.

What a great drive by Josef Newgarden coming from 25th to second.

I admire Palou’s ability to focus on the job at hand and push all the off track drama to the side. To win a race in the atmosphere he endured the second half of the season is amazing.

What a tough way for Callum Ilott to end the season after a great qualifying yesterday. With Juncos Hollinger Racing expanding to two cars form 2023, Ilott should have a more consistent year.

Newgarden won five races this season yet came up short in the championship. Two finbishes of 24th and 25th probably cost him the title.

Results

Thanks for following along this weekend. Tomorrow is a long btravel day. I willm have a season wrap up on Tuesday.