Latest news with #AlexanderRossi
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Practice Shots: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
INDYCAR Alexander Rossi considers WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca his home track. The 33-year-old grew up in Nevada City, California, just under four hours from the scenic road course. His first visit came at the age three, when his father, Pieter, brought him to the famed Monterey circuit. While Rossi doesn't remember much from that early experience, the trips continued as he grew older, ultimately inspiring his path into motorsports. "That's just something we did every year -- go to the CART race at Laguna," Rossi said. "I fell in love with the sport.' One of those visits proved pivotal. "When I was 10 years old, we were walking around the exhibitors, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway had a booth,' Rossi said. 'They were offering a sign-up sheet for a three-day go-kart clinic. It was actually my 10th birthday, and we signed up right there at the track. The rest is kind of history." Rossi is back for this weekend's Java House Grand Prix of Monterey (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, FOX Deportes and INDYCAR Radio Network), expecting family in attendance, a dynamic that brings added responsibilities off the track. This weekend is also unique in that Java House, the primary sponsor of his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, is also the title sponsor of the event. 'It's busier,' Rossi said. 'It's kind of reminiscent of a week of May schedule in some respects. But it's also a good problem to have. 'It's not something that any of us should complain about. You just manage it. The team does a really good job of making sure there's adequate time to focus on the engineering and performance side, meeting the obligations that Java House and that whole group will set out.' Rossi, an eight-time winner in the series, is 13 races into his first season with Ed Carpenter Racing following 147 combined races with Andretti Global (2016-2022) and Arrow McLaren (2023-2024). He's 18th in points with four top-10 finishes. Despite a rough start to the weekend, hitting the Turn 6 barrier during Friday's practice, Rossi remains optimistic. His track record at Laguna Seca is solid with a third-place finish in 2024, his third straight at the track. 'To be able to have a home race and the car that I drive is also the title sponsor of the event is sort of like a perfect dream scenario,' Rossi said. Drivers Get First Look at Laguna Seca Here are three observations about the first practice in preparation for Sunday's 95-lap race. · The Laguna Seca racing surface was notoriously abrasive -- a cheese grater of a track that delivered thrilling races as drivers tiptoed around the 2.238-mile road course. A 2023 repave changed the dynamic, changing how drivers approached the circuit in recent years. But Friday's session showed that the track is once again proving tricky, with several drivers overstepping the limit and noticing increased tire wear. Devlin DeFrancesco, Rossi, Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden each had off-track excursions during the session. · Pato O'Ward carried his momentum into Monterey by leading the opening practice session. Championship points leader Alex Palou was fourth in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. The two have gone head-to-head on natural road courses this season, finishing 1-2 with Palou beating O'Ward on two separate occasions. continued this momentum by leading the opening practice session. · Palou and Colton Herta have combined to win four of the last five Laguna Seca races. Herta was second fastest in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global. He finished runner-up to Palou last year. RLL Poised for Laguna Seca Breakout Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing believes it's poised for a breakout. Maybe that comes in this weekend's 95-lap race. Team owner Bobby Rahal knows the 2.238-mile circuit well – he is the all-time winningest driver at Laguna Seca with four victories(1984, 1985, 1986, 1987) and also earned his first major race win at the track in the 1979 Can-Am Series. His son, Graham Rahal (No. 15 WWEX Group Honda) is one of only six drivers -- Palou, Colton Herta, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, andKyle Kirkwood -- to reach the Firestone Fast Six at least four times this season, with all of Rahal's appearances coming in the last five races. He finished fourth at the Monterey track in 2021 and enters off a seventh-place finish last week in Toronto. Rahal's teammate Louis Foster (No. 45 Droplight Honda) has made it to the final round three times, while DeFrancesco (No. 30 Mi-Jack Honda) has done so once. DeFranceso crashed early in the session but remains confident about his prospects for the rest of the weekend. He noted the car felt strong before the incident and expects to be competitive on Saturday. Foster, who was ninth fastest on Friday, is also the only rookie to advance to the Firestone Fast Six this season, highlighted by his maiden NTT P1 Award at Road America, a session where Rahal also made the final round and qualified fifth. The British driver has raced at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca four times in INDY NXT by Firestone, winning both races in 2024 from pole position. McLaren Moves Into Andretti Global's Former Shop Arrow McLaren took ownership this week of its future NTT INDYCAR SERIES headquarters and has begun renovations on the facility located on the west side of Indianapolis. The project will nearly triple the size of the team's current Indianapolis based race shop. The organization purchased Andretti Global's former facility and is expanding it from 74,000 square feet to 86,000 square feet. In comparison, Arrow McLaren's current shop operates out of a 33,000-square-foot space. The team plans to move into the new facility in January, ahead of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. JM Bullion Expands Kirkwood, Andretti Global Partnership JM Bullion joined Andretti Global as a sponsor on Kyle Kirkwood's No. 27 Honda for last weekend's Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, where Kirkwood started and finished in sixth place. This week, Andretti Global announced that JM Bullion will continue as a sponsor for this weekend's race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as well as the Grand Prix of Portland on August 10. Kirkwood was seventh-fastest on Friday. Odds and Ends · The series returns to the track Saturday for practice at 11:30 a.m. ET and NTT P1 Award qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET. Both air on FS1, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network. · Saturday holds significant importance, as 23 of the 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Laguna Seca have been won from a top-three starting position. Since the series returned in 2019 after a 15-year hiatus (2005–2018), the winning drivers have started from first, first, 11th, 11th, and first on the grid, respectively. · Palou was third quickest in both pre-qualifying practice sessions last year. He'd go on to claim pole position and convert that into the race win. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda) was third on Friday. He has four top-seven finishes on natural road courses in 2025 and seven top-10 finishes in his last nine races overall. · Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard and Andretti INDY NXT Team Principal, Rob Edwards, join FOX Sports INDY NXT by Firestone coverage this weekend. Lundgaard is the analyst for Saturday's 35-lap race and Edwards for Sunday. recommended Item 1 of 1
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Practice Shots: Alexander Rossi, Rest of Field Get Friday Look at Laguna Seca
INDYCAR Alexander Rossi considers WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca his home track. The 33-year-old grew up in Nevada City, California, just under four hours from the scenic road course. His first visit came at the age three, when his father, Pieter, brought him to the famed Monterey circuit. While Rossi doesn't remember much from that early experience, the trips continued as he grew older, ultimately inspiring his path into motorsports. "That's just something we did every year -- go to the CART race at Laguna," Rossi said. "I fell in love with the sport.' One of those visits proved pivotal. "When I was 10 years old, we were walking around the exhibitors, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway had a booth,' Rossi said. 'They were offering a sign-up sheet for a three-day go-kart clinic. It was actually my 10th birthday, and we signed up right there at the track. The rest is kind of history." Rossi is back for this weekend's Java House Grand Prix of Monterey (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, FOX Deportes and INDYCAR Radio Network), expecting family in attendance, a dynamic that brings added responsibilities off the track. This weekend is also unique in that Java House, the primary sponsor of his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, is also the title sponsor of the event. 'It's busier,' Rossi said. 'It's kind of reminiscent of a week of May schedule in some respects. But it's also a good problem to have. 'It's not something that any of us should complain about. You just manage it. The team does a really good job of making sure there's adequate time to focus on the engineering and performance side, meeting the obligations that Java House and that whole group will set out.' Rossi, an eight-time winner in the series, is 13 races into his first season with Ed Carpenter Racing following 147 combined races with Andretti Global (2016-2022) and Arrow McLaren (2023-2024). He's 18th in points with four top-10 finishes. Despite a rough start to the weekend, hitting the Turn 6 barrier during Friday's practice, Rossi remains optimistic. His track record at Laguna Seca is solid with a third-place finish in 2024, his third straight at the track. 'To be able to have a home race and the car that I drive is also the title sponsor of the event is sort of like a perfect dream scenario,' Rossi said. Drivers Get First Look at Laguna Seca Here are three observations about the first practice in preparation for Sunday's 95-lap race. · The Laguna Seca racing surface was notoriously abrasive -- a cheese grater of a track that delivered thrilling races as drivers tiptoed around the 2.238-mile road course. A 2023 repave changed the dynamic, changing how drivers approached the circuit in recent years. But Friday's session showed that the track is once again proving tricky, with several drivers overstepping the limit and noticing increased tire wear. Devlin DeFrancesco, Rossi, Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden each had off-track excursions during the session. · Pato O'Ward carried his momentum into Monterey by leading the opening practice session. Championship points leader Alex Palou was fourth in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. The two have gone head-to-head on natural road courses this season, finishing 1-2 with Palou beating O'Ward on two separate occasions. continued this momentum by leading the opening practice session. · Palou and Colton Herta have combined to win four of the last five Laguna Seca races. Herta was second fastest in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global. He finished runner-up to Palou last year. RLL Poised for Laguna Seca Breakout Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing believes it's poised for a breakout. Maybe that comes in this weekend's 95-lap race. Team owner Bobby Rahal knows the 2.238-mile circuit well – he is the all-time winningest driver at Laguna Seca with four victories(1984, 1985, 1986, 1987) and also earned his first major race win at the track in the 1979 Can-Am Series. His son, Graham Rahal (No. 15 WWEX Group Honda) is one of only six drivers -- Palou, Colton Herta, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, andKyle Kirkwood -- to reach the Firestone Fast Six at least four times this season, with all of Rahal's appearances coming in the last five races. He finished fourth at the Monterey track in 2021 and enters off a seventh-place finish last week in Toronto. Rahal's teammate Louis Foster (No. 45 Droplight Honda) has made it to the final round three times, while DeFrancesco (No. 30 Mi-Jack Honda) has done so once. DeFranceso crashed early in the session but remains confident about his prospects for the rest of the weekend. He noted the car felt strong before the incident and expects to be competitive on Saturday. Foster, who was ninth fastest on Friday, is also the only rookie to advance to the Firestone Fast Six this season, highlighted by his maiden NTT P1 Award at Road America, a session where Rahal also made the final round and qualified fifth. The British driver has raced at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca four times in INDY NXT by Firestone, winning both races in 2024 from pole position. McLaren Moves Into Andretti Global's Former Shop Arrow McLaren took ownership this week of its future NTT INDYCAR SERIES headquarters and has begun renovations on the facility located on the west side of Indianapolis. The project will nearly triple the size of the team's current Indianapolis based race shop. The organization purchased Andretti Global's former facility and is expanding it from 74,000 square feet to 86,000 square feet. In comparison, Arrow McLaren's current shop operates out of a 33,000-square-foot space. The team plans to move into the new facility in January, ahead of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. JM Bullion Expands Kirkwood, Andretti Global Partnership JM Bullion joined Andretti Global as a sponsor on Kyle Kirkwood's No. 27 Honda for last weekend's Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, where Kirkwood started and finished in sixth place. This week, Andretti Global announced that JM Bullion will continue as a sponsor for this weekend's race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as well as the Grand Prix of Portland on August 10. Kirkwood was seventh-fastest on Friday. Odds and Ends · The series returns to the track Saturday for practice at 11:30 a.m. ET and NTT P1 Award qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET. Both air on FS1, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network. · Saturday holds significant importance, as 23 of the 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Laguna Seca have been won from a top-three starting position. Since the series returned in 2019 after a 15-year hiatus (2005–2018), the winning drivers have started from first, first, 11th, 11th, and first on the grid, respectively. · Palou was third quickest in both pre-qualifying practice sessions last year. He'd go on to claim pole position and convert that into the race win. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda) was third on Friday. He has four top-seven finishes on natural road courses in 2025 and seven top-10 finishes in his last nine races overall. · Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard and Andretti INDY NXT Team Principal, Rob Edwards, join FOX Sports INDY NXT by Firestone coverage this weekend. Lundgaard is the analyst for Saturday's 35-lap race and Edwards for Sunday. recommended Item 1 of 1
Fox Sports
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Java House To Serve as Primary Sponsor of Laguna Seca Race
INDYCAR Java House, the innovative, Indianapolis-based cold brew coffee brand, has been named title sponsor of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES event this month at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, which will take place July 25-27 at the iconic road course, marks the only visit to Northern California for North America's premier open-wheel series. This is Java House's first event title sponsorship. 'We are delighted to welcome Java House as a sponsor for our INDYCAR event weekend,' said Mel Harder, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. 'Cars and coffee are a classic combination, and we're excited to share this fantastic coffee with our guests.' Race fans can enjoy samples of Java House's full line of beverages, including its Amazingly Smooth cold brew coffees, lattes, teas, hydration drinks and more, throughout the race weekend. Java House products also will be integrated throughout all hospitality areas, including premium luxury suites and club style pavilions. The fun won't stop at the track, as Java House Cold Brew Espresso Martinis will be served at select restaurants in the Monterey area leading up to and during the race. In addition to its support of the Monterey event, Java House serves as a primary sponsor on Alexander Rossi's No. 20 and Christian Rasmussen's No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) Chevrolets throughout the 2025 season. 'We are thrilled for Java House to become the title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Monterey,' said Ted Gelov, owner and CEO of Heartland Food Products Group. 'INDYCAR has been an outstanding platform to grow our brand and connect with a passionate fan base. This partnership continues our commitment to expanding Java House's presence on a national stage – with more big things to come in 2025 and beyond.' For more information or to purchase tickets for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, visit Learn more about Java House at
Fox News
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Pato O'Ward Leading Arrow McLaren Charge But Still Work To Be Done
With two drivers in the top four in points, Arrow McLaren can feel closer to challenging for an INDYCAR title. Pato O'Ward, who finished second in the INDYCAR trip to St. Louis last week, sits 73 points behind series leader Alex Palou. Christian Lundgaard, in fourth, is 129 points back. For O'Ward, he feels good about where he's currently positioned. "All we need to do is just keep on our wagon and keep pushing forward, and we'll see if we're sitting pretty in Nashville [the season finale]," O'Ward said. So how pretty are things at Arrow McLaren — an organization whose parent now competes for wins on a regular basis in Formula 1? If you are McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, you have to be happy with O'Ward and Lundgaard. Lundgaard came from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and in his first year with the team last season, he finished 11th in the standings. Alexander Rossi, who Lundgaard replaced, finished 10th in the standings last season. Rossi is now at Ed Carpenter Racing and is 10th in the current standings. Arrow McLaren's somewhat rookie Nolan Siegel is 21st, a disappointing start to the season. A few weeks ago in Detroit, Brown indicated he wasn't going to have a fast trigger after a season last year when two drivers ran that car until Siegel was hired for the final 10 races of the season. "I'm not changing any drivers this year," Brown said. "My big thing is progress ... and seeing that he's continuing to grow as a driver." That being said, Brown indicated that "more is needed" from Siegel. Brown always keeps people thinking, both with his own team and how he views the series as a whole. His ideas can seem extreme but also honest, so that can make him a polarizing figure. The love-hate relationship in the Formula 1 paddock for him is on full display in the Netflix series "Drive to Survive." He's frustrated by INDYCAR's slow progress to design a new race car, which Brown believes could increase the quality of racing. Teams were told last week that the car won't be ready until the 2028 season. "We are in sore need of a new car," Brown said prior to that decision. "I understand we're waiting on the engine formula, which will drive what type of car you need. But I think at the end of the day, we've done a lot of Band-Aids on this car, and it's why it weighs so much, it's not fast enough, et cetera, et cetera." Now that the team knows it must race this car for at least another two years, there shouldn't be (if there was) any waiting to focus on the development of the new car and not the current one. If McLaren wants to be a factor — Ganassi and Andretti have won all the races this year with Palou and Kyle Kirkwood — and you've got to believe Penske will eventually emerge, McLaren will need O'Ward to remain consistent, Lundgaard to be even more consistent and Siegel to show more than flashes of potential. O'Ward, who has four podium finishes this year, is positive when talking about trying to catch Palou, who has won five races this year. "The guy has been on a run," O'Ward said. "He has five wins or something. I've got zero wins. I've just got a handful of podiums. "We need to start racking up some wins, and that'll make that points count come down a lot faster than what you're seeing now." Lundgaard's emergence with the team is a test for O'Ward in some ways, as it could create a similar dynamic to their Formula 1 team of two drivers with similar results trying to establish themselves as the top driver on the team. O'Ward has held that role for the last four years. "I think it's great for the team," O'Ward said last month. "I think it's great that we have two cars that are fighting. Nolan is coming up to speed quickly this year, and I think that that's a boost that the team needed. "To be fairly honest with you, I feel like my biggest competitor is myself. Always is. Always has been. I'm very confident with what I could do with the race car when it's what I need. ... I've always been on my own island. Still am." He also quipped that "I love that the media is making a big deal out of it right now." That's the attitude one would expect from athletes. They have to embrace the competition. Time will tell if O'Ward will continue to embrace at the least the outward resemblance of an intrateam competition. But he's right. For now, he needs to be on his own island trying to catch Palou. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alexander Rossi's Indy 500 car catches fire in pit at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi saw his Indianapolis 500 run end Sunday afternoon when his car went up in flames on pit row. Rossi was unsure what exactly happened to start the fire, citing a possible fuel coil. Advertisement "That's what is so painful about this place. You have to do everything right," Rossi said. Alexander Rossi's Indy 500 car catches fire at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chris Sims is a digital producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 live race results: Alexander Rossi's car catches fire in pit
