Latest news with #AstorChallengeCup
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Practice Shots: Drivers Waste Little Time Finding Limit in Detroit
INDYCAR With the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in the mirrors of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the road ahead features 11 races at 10 venues to end the season. The pursuit of the Astor Challenge Cup is in high gear. Up next: Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood turned the fastest lap of the first practice on the downtown street circuit, but the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda sat quiet on pit road for most of the session after taking rear contact from Team Penske's Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) in a two-corner shove that might foreshadow another chaotic race. Mid-race rain and eight cautions slowed last year's 100-lapper, and there was additional car-to-car contact that didn't necessitate a yellow flag. Here are three takeaways from what has transpired in this event after one on-track session: An Adventurous First Practice The 27 car-and-driver combinations have already pushed the limits of the nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit. If the contact between Power and Kirkwood wasn't enough, Juncos Hollinger Racing's Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) nosed into the tire barrier, and a slew of other drivers directed their cars to run-off areas to avoid wall contact. The question was, who didn't have a tire lockup on the bumpy streets? One of those who scooted off course was Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet). He finished second on the speed chart, which is a morale boost after the New Zealander crashed out of the '500' before the race even started. Indy's top two finishers, Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and AJ Foyt Racing's David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technology Chevrolet), went off course in this weekend's first practice session without contact. Basically, no harm no foul. But again, maybe it's a preview of what's to come for the third race held on this circuit. The drivers will get more track time Saturday in the form of a second practice (9 a.m. ET) and qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (noon ET). Both sessions will air live on FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Sunday's 100-lap race is on FOX at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Race for Second With Palou clutching a staggering 112-point lead after winning five of the season's first six races, the standings reflect a battle for second place. As it stands, it's Arrow McLaren teammates Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) and Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) tussling for that position. O'Ward leads Lundgaard by 13 points. The battle for second applies to races, as well. Five different drivers have finished second in the season's first six races. That's Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, O'Ward in The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Thermal Club, Palou in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Lundgaard in the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, O'Ward in the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Malukas in the '500.' Andretti Global's Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Siemens Honda) finished second to Dixon in last year's Detroit race, and he considers this his best track on the schedule, which is saying a lot since he has had three outstanding drives in the '500,' including a win in 2022. Dixon, who has 58 career race wins, has 52 career runner-up race finishes. Both totals rank second all time in their respective categories. Chip Ganassi's Honda-powered team has won both downtown street races in Detroit – Palou in 2023, Dixon last year. Lundgaard: Palou Can't Win 'for the Rest of His Life' Lundgaard scored his best finish in the '500' – he was seventh – and continues to be one of the drivers on the upswing. Lundgaard believes he is having a championship-worthy season, but there's not a lot more he can do until Palou bobbles. 'He can't win the rest of the races for the rest of his life,' Lundgaard said of the Spaniard who was a surprising 15th on Friday's speed chart. 'They're doing everything extremely well. They're executing every opportunity they have, and even if they do make a mistake, they make up for it at the next opportunity they have. It's just a really strong group, and they're just good at every (type of circuit). There is no real weakness. 'But it doesn't take much (to slip up). A small bit of contact, and he's out of a race, you know? It could be (not) his fault, and that could end the streak.' Lundgaard had the fifth-best lap in Friday's practice. O'Ward was seventh. Both hope to be in position to capitalize on Palou's misfortune, if or when that ever comes. recommended
Fox Sports
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Nonstop Spring Stretch Revs Up This Weekend at Barber
INDYCAR Rest up, friends. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is about to engage high gear. Beginning with this weekend's Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park, cars will be on track 14 of the next 18 weekends as teams chase race wins and the prestigious Astor Challenge Cup. Fourteen races will be contested in that span, plus Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge qualifying. SEE: Event Details This month is particularly busy, with track activity on 16 of the 30 days. After this weekend's race in Birmingham, Alabama, the action heats up at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 10 and the 109th Running of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' on Sunday, May 25. Capping the month is practice and qualifying for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, a 100-lap street race Sunday, June 1. This weekend's event opens with Friday's practice at 3:30 p.m. ET (FS2, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Saturday's schedule has the weekend's second practice at 11:30 a.m. (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network) and qualifying for the NTT P1 Award at 2:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Sunday's Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix airs at 1:30 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). McLaughlin: Barber's Latest King The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has staged races at Barber Motorsports Park since 2010, and a common thread is the two-year occupancy drivers have had in victory lane. Initially, it was Will Power with command, winning the 2011 and 2012 races. Then Ryan Hunter-Reay won two in succession (2013, 2014). Josef Newgarden conquered the events in 2017 and 2018. Scott McLaughlin is the latest double winner. McLaughlin's win last year was particularly impressive. He led 58 of the 90 laps, controlling the first 27 laps as the pole winner. A late caution brought Power and his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet closer to the front, but McLaughlin held him off by 1.3194 seconds for the first of his three wins during the season. A return to Barber Motorsports Park could be what juices McLaughlin's season. Since winning the pole for the year's first race, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, the driver of the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet has finished races in the fourth, 27th and sixth positions. He is eighth in the standings and can't afford to have series leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing get too far ahead of him. McLaughlin is 73 points in arrears. Power Powerful at Barber Power's success at this 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course runs deeper than his two race wins. He also leads all drivers with four poles. Power is one of three drivers to have competed in all 14 races at the track – Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal (No. 15 Hendrickson International Honda) are the others – and he has consistently strong. He has amassed 216 laps led at the track, pacing the field in nine different races. He has completed every lap in all but one race (he went off course midway through the 2018 event). As for finishes, no driver can match Power's productivity. He has 11 top-five finishes, including last year's second-place effort. He finished second in 2021 and third in 2023. Like McLaughlin, Power needs to start finishing ahead of Palou to have any chance at winning the season title. Power, who is bidding for his third series championship, is ninth in the standings, 79 points out of the lead. Can Palou Remain at the Front? Palou, whose No. 10 Honda features HRC sponsorship and a different, colorful livery this weekend, has started the season with race finishes of first, first and second to build a 34-point lead over his nearest championship contender, Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda). Those chasing the winner of the past two titles – and three of the past four – might not want to be reminded that many of Palou's best tracks are coming up. Of the next 11 venues on the schedule, Palou has won series races at seven of them, including two each on the IMS road course, Road America, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Portland International Raceway. He is also a former race winner at Barber Motorsports Park (2021), on the downtown street circuit in Detroit and at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and he was second in one of last year's races at Iowa Speedway. He also seems overdue to win the Indianapolis 500 given his performances over the past four years (119 total laps led, average finish of 5.0). Palou has been consistently strong in the races at Barber Motorsports Park, posting top-five results in each of the past four races. In succession, he has finished first, second and fifth twice, leading 72 laps in those starts. Picking Pole Winner There have been three races this season and three different drivers earning the top starting position. There are 15 drivers in this weekend's 27-car field who have been No. 1 in qualifying at some point in their career in the series. Last year, eight drivers won a pole in this series. Competition in qualifying never has been better on display than at Barber Motorsports Park, where the past nine races have seen poles from nine different drivers. Beginning with Helio Castroneves' pole there in 2015, the top qualifier has been Simon Pagenaud, Power, Newgarden, Takuma Sato, Pato O'Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Romain Grosjean and McLaughlin. Will another driver make it 10 new faces clutching the NTT P1 Award? Kirkwood, who won the pole (and the race) at Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, is a strong possibility. So is Meyer Shank Racing's Felix Rosenqvist, who has qualified in the top four in three of his past four starts in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda. Another one to watch is Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard, who qualified second in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in the most recent race on a permanent road course, in March at The Thermal Club. Lundgaard and Rosenqvist are third and fourth in the standings, respectively. Rosenqvist Joining the No. 100 Club This is scheduled to be the 100th career start for Rosenqvist, whose first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race was the 2019 event at St. Petersburg, Florida. He finished fourth in that race. Rosenqvist will become the eighth driver in this weekend's 27-driver field to reach 100 starts. Dixon leads the way at 405 starts, and he can break Mario Andretti's all-time record as early as the '500.' Power has made 305 starts. Rahal has 295 starts and can achieve 300 in next month's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology Raceway. Newgarden has made 218 starts, Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet) stands at 150 starts and Conor Daly (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) is at 118 starts. Colton Herta of Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian has made 102 starts after earning No. 100 in this year's season-opening race. recommended
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Palou and Ganassi Go 1-2 in IndyCar Season Opener at St. Pete
One of the big questions for the NTT IndyCar Series field entering the 2025 season was how to halt the title march of three-time and two-time defending series champion Alex Palou. They're still searching for that answer, even after the first race of the season Sunday on the sunny streets of St. Petersburg. Palou opened his quest for a third consecutive Astor Challenge Cup as series champion in the best way possible, winning the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding in a master class of strategy, speed and patience. He drove his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 2.8669-second victory over teammate and six-time series champion Scott Dixon, who said afterward that he contested the last 90 laps of the 100-lap race without radio communication in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 'What an amazing job by everybody,' Palou said. 'They gave me everything we needed this weekend to win. I told you yesterday we had a really, really fast car. 'Our strategy changed a lot during that first yellow, but I'm so glad we got that No. 10 in Victory Lane. It's been 138 days since Nashville (2024 season finale), and I've been dreaming about this every single night.' Spaniard Palou, who started eighth, earned his 12th career victory in the series. The Ganassi team secured its first 1-2 finish since July 2023 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden rounded out the podium finishers in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet after Dixon passed him for second on the final lap. NTT P1 Award winner Scott McLaughlin finished fourth in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet, as Team Penske joined Chip Ganassi Racing with two drivers in the top four. McLaughlin was one of seven drivers out front today, leading a race-high 40 laps. Florida native and resident Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top five finishers at his home race in the No. 27 Chili's Honda fielded by Andretti Global. Palou took the lead for good on Lap 75 when Felix Rosenqvist made his final pit stop in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing. It was the culmination of a race of split strategies, as drivers who started on the grippier, less durable Firestone Firehawk alternate tires – including Palou, Dixon and Newgarden – jumped into the pits on Lap 3 during the only caution period to shed the alternates for Firestone primary tires. That proved decisive, yet Palou didn't just inherit the lead at the race's three-quarter mark and cruise to Victory Lane. He produced blazing in and out laps surrounding his final pit stop at the end of Lap 72, undercutting his teammate Dixon, who couldn't discuss strategy with his team and reacted to Palou's pit move by stopping one lap later after being slowed by thick traffic. After his final stop, Dixon exited the pits behind a charging Palou. 'We were just kind of flying blind out there,' Dixon said of his radio problems. 'Ultimately, I think they were trying to call me in because on that last lap we had before we pitted, there was just so much traffic, and we lost two or three seconds. That's where the 10 car got us.' Said Palou: 'I think he (Dixon) got trapped in traffic a little bit. That's why the 10 stand decided to pit a little bit early. We had a really clean out lap, could run fast and just opened a gap from there.' Palou was 4.502 seconds ahead of Newgarden on Lap 75, but that gap didn't last. Newgarden sliced that margin to 2.4 seconds by Lap 88 as Palou coped with turbulent air from the car ahead of him, the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet of Sting Ray Robb, who was racing to stay on the lead lap. Newgarden took advantage and continued to stalk Palou, pulling to within.8186 of a second after Lap 95. Dixon also was gaining ground in third. But a potential logjam of three cars battling for the checkered flag was scattered when Palou finally lapped Robb in Turn 1 on Lap 96. Newgarden and Dixon squirted past Robb on the same lap, but the traffic-free clean air allowed Palou to pull away immediately. Palou expanded his gap to 1.1959 seconds after Lap 97 and 1.6938 seconds at the white flag at the end of Lap 99. His lead grew even more during the final trip around the 14-turn, 1.8-mile street circuit as Dixon and Newgarden dueled for second. Dixon got past fellow Indianapolis 500 winner and series champion Newgarden in Turn 10 on the final lap. 'I felt like our car today certainly was capable of winning,' Newgarden said. 'Just didn't quite get there for a couple of reasons. Pit cycles, obviously, we needed to go longer, and we had a shift at the end that we didn't realize, so we kind of had to give up that second place.' 2024 St. Petersburg winner Pato O'Ward used a mix of strategy and speed to climb from the 23rd starting spot to finish 11th in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. That was the biggest climb from start to finish by any of the 27 drivers in the field. The next NTT IndyCar Series race is The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix on Sunday, March 23 at Thermal, California (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, IndyCar Radio Network).
