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Fox News
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
'Wrestling A Bear': Differences between INDYCAR, NASCAR, and Formula 1 cars
The differences between a NASCAR Cup Series car and an INDYCAR car are pretty obvious. The stock car looks a little bit like the car folks can drive on the street. Its wheels don't stick out beyond the fenders. The open-wheel car — with wheels that do stick out — looks much different and has a higher-pitched sound, thanks to its turbocharged engine versus a NASCAR engine that is normally aspirated. A stock car, when set up correctly, is one that often feels as if it is supposed to wiggle on a driver and potentially wreck. The best drivers get it to that brink. The open-wheel car is run on the brink but maybe not to the point where the driver is uncomfortable as it would be in the stock car. Because once these cars snap around, there isn't much saving them. Now the difference between an INDYCAR and a Formula 1 car? That's a little more nuanced. So we asked McLaren driver (and defending winner of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg) Pato O'Ward, who tested a Formula 1 car in December and is ready to make his 90th INDYCAR start this weekend. "Two different beasts," O'Ward said. "Formula 1 is very neck-heavy just because of the lateral Gs and longitudinal Gs. I would say INDYCAR is extremely upper-body heavy because no power steering. "You're kind of like wrestling a bear with the INDYCAR. F1 acts a bit more gentle." Here are a few more specifics about each of the cars: NASCAR: A Cup car at Indianapolis goes 180 mph and at some other tracks can eclipse 200 mph. It is a normally aspirated 358-cubic inch engine that races at 670 horsepower. It has a wheelbase of 110 inches, a width of 78.6 inches and height of 50.4 inches and weighs 3,200 pounds without the driver. The series runs primarily on ovals, with five permanent road courses and one street course. INDYCAR: The cars reach 240 mph at Indianapolis with their twin-turobcharged 2.2-liter, V-6 hybrid engine that generates 650-700 horsepower. And drivers can obtain an additional 120 horsepower with the push-to-pass and hybrid systems (that 120 hp is if they are activated at the same time). It runs on ethanol (NASCAR and F1 both use unleaded fuel). The wheelbase is 117.5-121.5 inches and it weighs 1,635-1,785 pounds without the driver, depending on the course. It is 75.75-76.5 inches wide with a height of 40 inches. INDYCAR competes primarily on street and road courses with a handful of ovals. FORMULA 1: These cars run 230 mph but run only on street or road courses. Their turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 engine produces 1,000 horsepower (800 from the engine and about 160 from its hybrid recovery system). The wheelbase is much bigger than the other cars as it is 142 inches. The cars weigh 1,752 pounds without the driver, with a height of 37.4 inches and width of 78.74 inches. 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. Full INDYCAR on FOX coverage:
Fox Sports
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
'Wrestling A Bear': Differences between INDYCAR, NASCAR, and Formula 1 cars
The differences between a NASCAR Cup Series car and an INDYCAR car are pretty obvious. The stock car looks a little bit like the car folks can drive on the street. Its wheels don't stick out beyond the fenders. The open-wheel car — with wheels that do stick out — looks much different and has a higher-pitched sound, thanks to its turbocharged engine versus a NASCAR engine that is normally aspirated. A stock car, when set up correctly, is one that often feels as if it is supposed to wiggle on a driver and potentially wreck. The best drivers get it to that brink. The open-wheel car is run on the brink but maybe not to the point where the driver is uncomfortable as it would be in the stock car. Because once these cars snap around, there isn't much saving them. Now the difference between an INDYCAR and a Formula 1 car? That's a little more nuanced. So we asked McLaren driver (and defending winner of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg) Pato O'Ward, who tested a Formula 1 car in December and is ready to make his 90th INDYCAR start this weekend. "Two different beasts," O'Ward said. "Formula 1 is very neck-heavy just because of the lateral Gs and longitudinal Gs. I would say INDYCAR is extremely upper-body heavy because no power steering. "You're kind of like wrestling a bear with the INDYCAR. F1 acts a bit more gentle." Here are a few more specifics about each of the cars: NASCAR: A Cup car at Indianapolis goes 180 mph and at some other tracks can eclipse 200 mph. It is a normally aspirated 358-cubic inch engine that races at 670 horsepower. It has a wheelbase of 110 inches, a width of 78.6 inches and height of 50.4 inches and weighs 3,200 pounds without the driver. The series runs primarily on ovals, with five permanent road courses and one street course. INDYCAR: The cars reach 240 mph at Indianapolis with their twin-turobcharged 2.2-liter, V-6 hybrid engine that generates 650-700 horsepower. And drivers can obtain an additional 120 horsepower with the push-to-pass and hybrid systems (that 120 hp is if they are activated at the same time). It runs on ethanol (NASCAR and F1 both use unleaded fuel). The wheelbase is 117.5-121.5 inches and it weighs 1,635-1,785 pounds without the driver, depending on the course. It is 75.75-76.5 inches wide with a height of 40 inches. INDYCAR competes primarily on street and road courses with a handful of ovals. FORMULA 1: These cars run 230 mph but run only on street or road courses. Their turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 engine produces 1,000 horsepower (800 from the engine and about 160 from its hybrid recovery system). The wheelbase is much bigger than the other cars as it is 142 inches. The cars weigh 1,752 pounds without the driver, with a height of 37.4 inches and width of 78.74 inches. 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. Full INDYCAR on FOX coverage: INDYCAR Power Rankings: Alex Palou tops preseason list, but for how long? INDYCAR on FOX primer: 25 key questions answered for the 2025 season McLaren boss Zak Brown 'couldn't be more excited' for start of 2025 INDYCAR season How to watch the 2025 INDYCAR season: TV channels, streaming, dates Old faces, new places: Ranking INDYCAR lineup changes for 2025 Two-time defending INDYCAR champ Alex Palou's next challenge: Conquering ovals 5 INDYCAR storylines to watch in 2025: Alex Palou's three-peat attempt Hailie Deegan moving from NASCAR to open-wheel racing for 2025 recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
USA Today
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: How to watch season-opening race today
IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: How to watch season-opening race today The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season begins in Florida, with Sunday's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg serving as the first of a 17-race calendar. Pato O'Ward won last year's edition, but hardly in traditional circumstances. Josef Newgarden celebrated following the conclusion of the race, but more than a month later, IndyCar announced that the Team Penske driver had been disqualified for violating the push-to-pass rules. O'Ward was elevated to race winner as a result, with Will Power and Colton Herta behind him. The 31st IndyCar season sees Spanish driver Álex Palou aiming to claim a third straight season championship, and that path begins with a street circuit on Florida's gulf coast. St. Petersburg has never been Palou's best event, though, with the three-time IndyCar champion only managing two top-five finishes in five attempts. Here's what to know to watch the start of the 2025 IndyCar Series at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: How to watch IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: Time, TV channel, live stream Date: Sunday, March 2 Sunday, March 2 Time: 12 p.m. ET 12 p.m. ET TV : Fox : Fox Stream: Fox Sports app, Fubo (free trial) Watch IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Fubo 2025 IndyCar Series: Race schedule, TV channel Here is the complete 2025 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, including the broadcast start times. All times Eastern. Sunday, March 2 : Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (street course), Fox, 12 p.m. : Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (street course), Fox, 12 p.m. Sunday, March 23 : The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix (road course), Fox, 3 p.m. : The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix (road course), Fox, 3 p.m. Sunday, April 13 : Grand Prix of Long Beach (street course), Fox, 4:30 p.m. : Grand Prix of Long Beach (street course), Fox, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 4 : Grand Prix of Alabama (road course), Fox, 1:30 p.m. : Grand Prix of Alabama (road course), Fox, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10 : Grand Prix of Indianapolis (road course), Fox, 4:30 p.m. : Grand Prix of Indianapolis (road course), Fox, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 25 : Indianapolis 500 (oval), Fox, 10 a.m. : Indianapolis 500 (oval), Fox, 10 a.m. Sunday, June 1 : Detroit Grand Prix (street course), Fox, 12:30 p.m. : Detroit Grand Prix (street course), Fox, 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 15 : Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (oval), Fox, 3 p.m. : Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (oval), Fox, 3 p.m. Sunday, June 22 : Grand Prix at Road America (road course), Fox, 3:30 p.m. : Grand Prix at Road America (road course), Fox, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 6 : Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (road course), Fox, 2 p.m. : Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (road course), Fox, 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12 : IndyCar Race Weekend - Race 1 (oval), Fox, 5 p.m. : IndyCar Race Weekend - Race 1 (oval), Fox, 5 p.m. Sunday, July 13 : IndyCar Race Weekend - Race 2 (oval), Fox, 2 p.m. : IndyCar Race Weekend - Race 2 (oval), Fox, 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20 : Indy Toronto (street course), Fox, 2 p.m. : Indy Toronto (street course), Fox, 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27 : IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix (road course), Fox, 3 p.m. : IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix (road course), Fox, 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10 : Grand Prix of Portland (road course), Fox, 3 p.m. : Grand Prix of Portland (road course), Fox, 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 : Milwaukee Mile 250 (oval), Fox, 2 p.m. : Milwaukee Mile 250 (oval), Fox, 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31: Music City Grand Prix (oval), Fox, 2:30 p.m. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Fox Sports
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Pick me! Pick me! The definitive guide to choosing your favorite INDYCAR driver
It's almost time for drivers to start their engines for the fastest racing on earth as the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg kicks off the 2025 INDYCAR season this weekend on FOX. But who should fans root for when the green flag drops on Sunday at noon ET? Well, there are 27 full-time drivers in the series, so there are quite a few to choose from. Below, we give you some helpful nuggets about each, along with their explanations of why fans should cheer for them. The Pop Star: Pato O'Ward Who is he? More than any other INDYCAR driver, Pato O'Ward has the strongest following — at least on social. It's no wonder the Mexican driver has his country wanting an INDYCAR race. The McLaren driver has seven wins in the last four years. Fun fact: He considers himself a foodie. O'Ward says: "I promise to be great entertainment all year." The Determined: Josef Newgarden Who is he? The 34-year-old Newgarden has won 31 races over the last 10 INDYCAR seasons, including back-to-back Indy 500 triumphs. The Penske driver seems to be one of the more emotional INDYCAR drivers when things go wrong and one of the most cold-blooded when he sees a chance to pounce. Fun fact: Has appeared on "American Ninja Warrior" and participated in the NFL Combine. Yes, really. Newgarden says: "If you want to cheer on someone that is the ultimate competitor that wants to do anything to essentially fight for a victory, that's me. That's what I wake up every day trying to figure out how to do better." The Fiery: Will Power Who is he? Power, who turns 44 Saturday, is known to have emotional outbursts when someone angers him with a move or a decision. However, the Penske driver seems to get over it somewhat quickly — or at least much quicker than the highlight remains viral. Fun fact: Enjoys drumming and purchased his first drum set at the age of 15. Power says: "I'm very, very passionate about what I do. I love what I do. I love racing. I love the series. I love competing against the best in the world." The Champion: Scott Dixon Who is he? There are several drivers who have won titles, but Scott Dixon leads all active drivers with six championships and 58 victories. The 44-year-old New Zealander looks like he could race another 10 years for Ganassi, although we figure his career will end sooner than later. Fun fact: Appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019. Dixon says: "The question is probably why shouldn't they [root for me]? ... And try to celebrate a seventh championship." Mr. Consistent: Alex Palou Who is he? Alex Palou rarely seems to have a bad day. The 27-year-old Spaniard has been running at the finish in 42 of the last 43 races. In those 43 races, he finished in the top three 19 times (that's good for 44 percent). No wonder he has won the championship the last two years and three of the last four. Fun fact: Is a passionate pickleball player. Palou says: "They should root for me because I'm going to give all of them attention at the track if they see me and I'm always going to try my best on track." Mr. Popular: Colton Herta Who is he? Colton Herta just seems to attract a following, whether it's because of his wavy hair or the Formula 1 rumors that come with him. The Andretti driver has nine wins and enters his seventh season in INDYCAR. Fun fact: Plays drums in the rock band The Zibs. Herta says: "I'm extremely fast. I win races and I've got a great team behind me." The Beachgoer: Kyle Kirkwood Who is he? Kyle Kirkwood lives in Florida. He likes his surfing. And fishing. And diving. Oh, and he can race, too. The Andretti driver won twice in 2023. Fun fact: Enjoys deep-sea fishing. Kirkwood says: "They should root for me because I'm the best. Plain and simple. Just kidding. I'm the guy that came up from karting with no racing background [in my family]." The Unintimidated: Marcus Ericsson Who is he? Marcus Ericsson races hard and seems to just go about his business racing. The 34-year-old Swede has four career wins, but it's been two years since his last victory in the 2023 season opener. He's changed teams since then, going from Ganassi to Andretti before the start of last year. Fun fact: Was once a youth hockey goalie before pursuing a racing career. Ericsson says: "I'm just a normal guy from Sweden coming over to America and living my dream." The Friend: Scott McLaughlin Who is he? Scott McLaughlin brought his New Zealand spirit to the United States after winning three consecutive Supercar championships. His transition to INDYCAR wasn't easy, but it's still unknown whether the Penske driver will reach superstar results. Fun fact: Enjoys golf and plays weekly rounds with Penske teammate and NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney. McLaughlin says: "I feel like I'm a fun guy. ... Ever since I've come from Australia and New Zealand, I've had a ton of American fans jump on board the "Thirsty 3s" [his number] and I think everyone appreciates that we have fun but are serious about our business as well." The Antagonist: Santino Ferrucci Who is he? Santino Ferrucci gets under the skin of other drivers with what some would say are outlandish moves on the track. He only seems to care a little bit about that, though. The 26-year-old driver from Connecticut loves to race, so driving for A.J. Foyt seems appropriate. Fun fact: Was featured in GQ magazine as an 11-year-old karting prodigy. Ferrucci says: "I'm a breath of fresh air for the series ... and overall a very hard racer." The Fan: Conor Daly Who is he? Conor Daly loves to talk racing, so it's not a surprise that he has a podcast where he ... talks racing. That love of the sport, as well as talent, has kept him in and out of rides and substitute roles over the last 10 years. He starts the season hoping that it will be a full-time year (pending sponsorship, as always) with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Fun fact: Hosts "Speed Street" podcast for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media. Daly says: "Fans should root for me because we like to have a great time and celebrate if we're successful. ... I like to be a fan myself. I love racing." The Veteran: Graham Rahal Who is he? Rahal enters his 19th year of full-time INDYCAR racing. The son of driver and team co-owner Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal has six career wins. Fun fact: Is a diehard fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Rahal says: "I think I'm a nice guy. I've been through the goods, the bads. I've fought the battles, and we keep pushing on." The Frustrated: Alexander Rossi Who is he? Rossi enters his 10th season in INDYCAR and with a new firesuit as he joins Ed Carpenter Racing. This is his fourth organization. The 33-year-old Rossi has had plenty of highs and lows with eight victories and finishes as high as second in the standings and as low as 11th. He does a podcast each week, where he details the ups and downs of a driver who had just two podium finishes in the last two years. Fun fact: Enjoys flying and has his private pilot's license. The Nice Guy: Felix Rosenqvist Who is he? Talk to people around INDYCAR and many say Rosenqvist is one of the nicest people in the paddock. The Meyer Shank Racing driver appeared to be on the brink of a breakout season a couple of years ago but is still searching for it. Fun fact: Hobbies include skiing, skateboarding, hiking and video games. Rosenqvist says: "Why is the sky blue? I don't know [why fans should root for me]. That's a question for you." The Underdog: Rinus VeeKay Who is he? VeeKay spent the last five years at Ed Carpenter Racing. The 24-year-old has finished 12th to 14th in the standings each year but did not earn a podium finish in 2023 or in 2024. So the split from ECR is somewhat understandable but also was a little bit of a surprise. He'll drive for Dale Coyne Racing this season. Fun fact: Enjoys cycling. The Young and Confident: Marcus Armstrong, Nolan Siegel, David Malukas Who are they? These three drivers are all young and all have shown the ability to wheel a race car fast. The expectations from themselves and from their fans are that they will have the best seasons of their careers. The 24-year-old Armstrong had four top-five finishes in 29 starts over the last two years at Ganassi and moves to Meyer Shank this year. The 20-year-old Siegel ran 12 races last year (one top 10) and enters his first full season at McLaren. The 23-year-old Malukas had two podiums in 2022 and 2023 driving for Dale Coyne and then missed his breakout year last year after being sidelined early with a broken hand. Now, he is ready for his first season with Foyt. Fun fact: Siegal was admitted to Stanford University but deferred his enrollment to focus on his racing career. Armstrong says: "They should root for me for performance reasons ... and because I'm, like, kinda cool." Siegel says: "I drive a good-looking race car, I have a good time and I'm going to win some races." Malukas says: "We're going to have some really good results ... and a lot of memes to come out of it for sure." The Ready To Prove: Christian Lundgaard, Callum Ilott, Christian Rasmussen Who are they? Christian Lundgaard moves from Rahal to McLaren, and there will be higher expectations — from fans and from Lundgaard himself. The 33-year-old from Denmark had one win in his three seasons at Rahal. He steps into a solid opportunity after showing promise the last three years. Rasmussen is also from Denmark, and after doing 13 races for Ed Carpenter Racing last year (he didn't do four of the oval races), he ran well enough that he gets all the events this year. Meanwhile, Ilott joined the new Prema Racing team, and while he didn't have a ride in 2024, he finished 11th in a pair of respectable substitute roles for McLaren last year. Fun fact: Rasmussen has a passion for old cars. Lundgaard says: "Hopefully I'm going to beat all of them. That's the plan." Ilott says: "I'm fun, still just about young. I love racing." Rasmussen says: "Good things are happening for Ed Carpenter Racing ... that will boost our competitiveness." The Doubted: Kyffin Simpson, Sting Ray Robb, Devlin DeFrancesco Who are they? These three drivers are still relatively young in their INDYCAR careers and will need to show that they can be in the mix. Simpson enters his second season at Ganassi, and his best finish in his rookie season was a 12th-place finish. Robb enters his third season in the series and first with Juncos Hollinger Racing with one top 10 over the last two years. DeFrancesco was full-time in 2022 and 2023 (his best was 12th) and is back this year with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Fun fact: Robb's unique name is from a combination of his ancestral roots in Stirlingshire, Scotland, and his grandfathers' names. Robb says: "I'm fun, I'm an American patriot, I love racing and my faith is a big part of who I am." DeFrancesco: "I'm a fun, outgoing Canadian. How about that?" The New Kids: Louis Foster and Jacob Abel Who are they? The drivers who finished first and second in the INDY NXT standings last year both make the move to INDYCAR's top series — Foster at Rahal Letterman Lanigan and Abel at Dale Coyne. They won't find success as quickly as they did in the developmental series but no one expects them to do so, either. Abel went to Butler University, not too far from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fun fact: Abel attended Butler University in Indianapolis. Foster says: "I'm a rookie and I'm new. ... It's going to be quite a fun year of learning and hopefully not too many mistakes." Abel says: "At my heart, I'm just a normal, Midwest, American kid. ... I'm one of the most relatable drivers to all the fans in the paddock." The Unknown: Robert Shwartzman Who is he? The 25-year-old Shwartzman was born in Israel and raised in Russia. He is well known to those who follow Formula racing in Europe. He was a test driver for Ferrari, but questions remain on whether he will adapt to INDYCAR and be successful. He has a huge following of 1.6 million on Instagram. Fun fact: Is a massive Star Wars fan nad has a large collection of lightsabers. Shwartzman says: "I'd like to believe that they like me. I'm funny and as an athlete, I want to believe I can deliver results where they can cheer for me." 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. recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
