Latest news with #INDYCARSERIES
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: Santino Ferrucci Continues Foyt's Recent Resurgence
INDYCAR Santino Ferrucci made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2018 at Belle Isle Park in Detroit with Dale Coyne Racing. Fast-forward to Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, and Ferrucci delivered the best result of his INDYCAR SERIES career, finishing second in the No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. 'Huge shoutout to this whole team,' Ferrucci said. This is the second consecutive week an A.J. Foyt Enterprises entry has finished runner-up. David Malukas secured second place in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet in the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25. Ferrucci's podium finish on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile Detroit street circuit also represents the team's best road or street course result since Takuma Sato finished second in 2015 at Belle Isle. But Ferrucci admitted frustration that his task to reach the front was made more difficult because he qualified 21st Saturday. 'I struggled in qualifying,' Ferrucci said. 'I made a lot of mistakes. I was really hard on myself yesterday. I thought it was all on me.' Ferrucci steadily worked his way through the field during Sunday's race, but a pivotal moment came on Lap 67 when Callum Ilott crashed in Turn 1, bringing out a caution. Ferrucci had just made his final pit stop on Lap 65, and with many of the leaders still needing to stop, the caution allowed him to cycle to the front when they pitted under yellow on Lap 69. He held the lead until Lap 78 when Kyle Kirkwood made the race-defining move to take over the top spot. Kirkwood went on to secure his fourth career victory and second of the 2025 season, both coming on street circuits after also winning the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13. 'The pit stops were phenomenal,' Ferrucci said. 'The stand was amazing. Perfect strategy. I just got lucky with that yellow.' The result capped off a historic two-week stretch for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, marking the first time since 2013 the team has finished on the podium in back-to-back races. That year, Takuma Sato won at Long Beach and followed with a runner-up finish in Brazil. Frustrated O'Ward Still Gains Points Pato O'Ward turned a challenging weekend into a solid result by climbing 11 positions from 18th to finish seventh Sunday in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. 'We survived it,' O'Ward said. 'It's been the worst performance weekend I've probably ever had in INDYCAR, really. We legit qualified 18th on just pure pace. We've had other times where we've been back there, but it's always been because of an issue, or I made a mistake here and there. This one was truly where we deserved to be.' Despite his frustrations, O'Ward made the most of the race through smart strategy and tire management. He and Josef Newgarden were the only two drivers in the 27-car field to start the race on Firestone Firehawk primary tires, then follow with another stint on the same compound, opting for durability over early pace. O'Ward pitted on Lap 53 to switch to the softer alternate tires, but when the caution came on Lap 67 due to Ilott's crash, it allowed him to pit again with the leaders and return to the more durable primary tire. That strategic move kept him in the top 10 mix during the closing laps. The seventh-place finish gave O'Ward a much-needed 22-point gain on championship leader Alex Palou, who crashed in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on Lap 72. O'Ward heads into the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway second in the standings, trailing Palou by 90 points. 'That's a positive considering where we were starting,' O'Ward said. 'There's plenty of racing to go. There's more championship left than what we've done. I think that there's a lot of points on the table, and you can't expect (Alex) Palou to be making a lot of mistakes.' Late Caution Costs Power Potential Podium Will Power was on track for a runner-up finish in Sunday's race, but late-race cautions and a challenging restart dropped him to fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Power was running second on the primary pit strategy before the Lap 67 caution triggered by Ilott's crash. That yellow shuffled the field, as Ferrucci, Kyffin Simpson and Marcus Armstrong had already pit and cycled ahead. Power exited pit lane behind Kirkwood but rejoined the race in fifth. By Lap 77, the running order was Ferrucci, Kirkwood, Simpson, Power and Colton Herta. Power made swift moves to get around Simpson and Ferrucci just before another major incident on Lap 83 when Louis Foster suffered a mechanical failure entering Turn 3, colliding with Felix Rosenqvist in a frightening crash. Foster walked away uninjured, and Rosenqvist was seen and released from the infield care center following evaluation. The race was red-flagged with Power sitting in second, but that moment turned out to be his undoing. On the restart with 11 laps to go, his car struggled on cold tires, and he lost positions, first to Ferrucci, then to Herta – ultimately settling for fourth. 'My car was very tough on the restart,' Power said. 'We were as good as them once our tires were warmed up but struggled before. It was almost like I'm driving on snow.' While Power acknowledged he likely didn't have the pace to challenge Kirkwood for the win, he believes he could have held second without the late cautions. Still, the result marked a significant personal milestone, earning his 140th career top-five finish, moving him past Michael Andretti (139) and tying him with Al Unser for sixth on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES list. 'A little disappointed I didn't get a podium, but obviously results really matter for me at the moment,' Power said. Simpson Earns Career-Best Fifth Simpson is establishing himself on street courses in his second season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. After earning a then career-best 10th-place finish at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13, the young driver took another leap forward by finishing fifth in Sunday's race, his best result in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The turning point came during Sunday morning's final practice session, where Simpson and his Chip Ganassi Racing team discovered Firestone alternate tires dramatically improved the performance of his No. 8 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 'We found that the alternate tire really made the car come alive,' Simpson said. Capitalizing on that knowledge, the team opted for two mid-race stints on the alternates, giving Simpson the grip and speed to move up the order. He made his final pit stop two laps before the Lap 67 caution brought out by Ilott's crash, which handed him crucial track position as others pitted under yellow. The strategy paid off, and Simpson stayed in the mix with the frontrunners for the remainder of the race, ultimately delivering a strong top-five result and building momentum as the series heads toward the summer stretch. Odds and Ends The last time prior to Sunday that three American-born drivers swept the podium in Detroit came in 1995 with Robby Gordon, Jimmy Vasser and Scott Pruett. The last time three Americans stood on the podium in any INDYCAR SERIES race was the second race in 2020 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, when Andretti teammates drivers Herta, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay were in the respective podium spots. Graham Rahal finished fourth that day, too, giving Americans a lockout of the top four spots. Scott Dixon finished 11th, extending his winless streak to 19 races with his last victory coming here in 2024. This is the fourth-longest winless drought of his career, trailing 39 races between 2003 and 2005, 36 races between 2001 and 2002 and 22 races between 2021 and 2022. Kirkwood delivered Andretti Global its 76th career INDYCAR SERIES victory. Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global have three podium finishes each since the series returned downtown in Detroit in 2023. Team Penske, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Arrow McLaren each have one. Kirkwood has a 2.33 average finish on street courses this season. The race featured 261 on-track passes, a record for this downtown circuit and the second-highest total in the history of the event, including races on Belle Isle. The race also featured an event record 181 on-track passes for position. recommended
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
'Plower' move? Kyle Kirkwood eyes INDYCAR action after Will Power's push-and-pass
DETROIT – Will Power chuckled a little watching the replay, but whether INDYCAR officials find humor in his new push-to-pass maneuver in practice Friday is still to be seen. The Detroit Grand Prix street course is notoriously tight in some areas, and Power got into the back of Kyle Kirkwood and decided to just keep pushing him until he got to a point where he could pass Kirkwood. The contact did slight damage to the underwing of Kirkwood's car but Kirkwood still posted the fastest time by the end of the opening INDYCAR practice. "He stopped in the middle [of the turn] and I tried to go, and he didn't and I thought I might as well move him out of the way and get a gap and then finish my run," Power said. "I just moved him ... I don't have a problem with him. I didn't even know who it was. "I was just in the back of someone and I was like, 'He's off-throttle and I'll keep pushing him until he gets passed this [other] car, move him out of the way and go.'" Kirkwood wasn't mad but also said he hopes for some sort of sanction (which typically is a reduction of practice time). INDYCAR officials had not said anything as of Friday night if Power will lose any time Saturday. "Does it give him the right to push my car through a couple of corners and almost cause a wreck?" Kirkwood said. "I don't think so. ... I expect INDYCAR to do the right thing with that. I'm sure they'll do something. Who knows what? I have never seen that before." Kirkwood did have some fun (we think) on social media. "I get Will's frustration," Kirkwood said. "Everyone's stopped. I'm frustrated, too. But the difference is I'm not pushing guys, I'm not running into the back of guys. Everyone knows Will to get animated sometimes and that's another moment of it." The Andretti driver is the only driver not named Alex Palou to win this year. "We're fast, so I'm not frustrated," Andretti said. "We're quick. We're a team that is going to come here and try to win and do everything in our power to win, and we're not going to let anybody ruffle our feathers." recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Alex Palou Savors Spoils of '500' Victory, Big Media Interest during NYC Tour
INDYCAR Alex Palou gained worldwide acclaim, INDYCAR SERIES immortality and a healthy monetary prize for winning the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But there's a good chance the Spaniard also lost something this week with his win: sleep. Palou embarked on a hectic victory tour stuffed with media engagements and public appearances in Indianapolis and New York just hours after winning 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, his first oval victory and his fifth win in six NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. 'It was a very busy couple of days,' Palou said. 'Went to different studios, different kinds of interviews. I had a lot of fun doing those. Got to experience some cool stuff in New York. 'Every time I was getting tired, the people in INDYCAR gave me small treats, like visiting the Empire State Building or stuff that made my day. It's been awesome. I would repeat this again next year after the '500.'' The celebrations started just a few hours after he took the checkered flag for his first career oval victory. Palou was honored alone on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis during Game 3 of the Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks' NBA Eastern Conference Finals game. He wore the winner's wreath and a Pacers' jersey with star Tyrese Haliburton's name and number while stepping into the spotlight on the court to rapturous applause of the sellout crowd. On Monday morning, May 26, Palou appeared remotely on morning shows 'FOX and Friends' and 'Good Morning America' in between the winner's photo shoot at IMS and on-site interviews with numerous local and national media outlets, including the Associated Press, FOX Sports and FOX Sports Radio. Then Palou and his family flew to New York that evening for a full schedule of appearances and interviews Tuesday and Wednesday in the country's most populous city, also known as the 'media capital of the world.' Palou appeared live in studio Tuesday morning on 'Good Day New York' on the FOX affiliate FOX 5 NYC before participating in numerous remote interviews with outlets ranging from 'The Dan Le Batard Show,' Muscle & Fitness magazine, the 'Speed Street' podcast hosted by fellow INDYCAR SERIES driver Conor Daly podcast and Spanish media. Then Palou headed to FOX Sports' studios in Manhattan to appear live on the popular daily sports talk show 'First Things First,' which also broadcast live last week from IMS. Co-host Nick Wright proudly wore the winner's wreath and drank the winner's traditional bottle of milk during the segment with Palou. Palou then was whisked to Citi Field in the borough of Queens, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch before the home New York Mets' game against the Chicago White Sox. Palou also gave the command, 'Mascots, start your engines,' on the field for the mascot race in the middle of the third inning. On Wednesday, Palou posed for photos in front an image of him drinking the winner's bottle of milk on the Victory Podium Sunday displayed on the giant video board in front of the NASDAQ stock market in world-famous Times Square. He then visited the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building for photos before more interviews with numerous media outlets, including CNN, SiriusXM and many other media in his native Spain. The New York portion of the trip ended early Thursday morning when Palou flew to Detroit and participated in pre-event media activities for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, which takes place Friday through Sunday of this week as the next race on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. recommended
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
2025 INDYCAR odds: Alex Palou opens as favorite for Detroit Grand Prix
INDYCAR heads to Detroit this weekend for the Chevrolet Grand Prix and fans can watch the exciting action on FOX . Fans can also dive into the odds for this weekend's race and wager on which driver they think has what it takes to get into victory lane. So far, the 2025 season has been all about Alex Palou . In his year of dominance, he's won five of the first six races, including the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 last weekend. And now — to no one's surprise — he's opened as the clear favorite for Detroit. Will anyone catch Alex this week? Let's dive into the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29. Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix 2025 Alex Palou: 8/5 (bet $10 to win $26 total) Scott McLaughlin: 11/2 (bet $10 to win $65 total) Colton Herta: 11/2 (bet $10 to win $65 total) Kyle Kirkwood: 6/1 (bet $10 to win $70 total) Josef Newgarden: 8/1 (bet $10 to win $90 total) Scott Dixon: 9/1 (bet $10 to win $100 total) Pato O'Ward: 9/1 (bet $10 to win $100 total) Will Power : 12/1 (bet $10 to win $130 total) Christian Lundgaard: 15/1 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Marcus Ericsson: 25/1 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Felix Rosenqvist: 25/1 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Marcus Armstrong: 25/1 (bet $10 to win $260 total) David Malukas: 40/1 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Alexander Rossi: 40/1 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Graham Rahal: 50/1 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Santino Ferrucci: 60/1 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Rinus Veekay: 80/1 (bet $10 to win $810 total) Robert Shwartzman: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Nolan Siegel: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Louis Foster: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Conor Daly: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total) Kyffin Simpson: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total) Devlin DeFrancesco: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total) Sting Ray Robb: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Jacob Abel: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Christian Rasmussen: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Callum Ilott: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Inside Line: Biggest Indianapolis 500 Takeaway?
INDYCAR Today's question: What was your biggest takeaway from the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge? Curt Cavin: Alex Palou's first '500' victory and the second grandstand sellout of the modern era were huge stories, to be sure. But the most significant development of this month was the television rating associated with FOX Sports' first race broadcast. Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said officials had modeled what a 5 percent year-over-year increase in Indy ratings would mean to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season as a whole, and it was a difference-maker. But a 40 percent increase, which is what was achieved? Well, that required a whole new model calculation, and Miles said the impact from the business side of the sport will be felt in a massive way. Eric Smith: My biggest takeaway was how much of an impact pit road had on the outcome of Sunday's race. While I do believe the best car and best driver won, I was shocked to see so many drivers were plagued by the slowest part of the track. Takuma Sato and Ryan Hunter-Reay have three '500' victories between them and led 99 of 200 laps, but each had issues on pit road, dropping them from winning contention. 2016 winner Alexander Rossi and two-time '500' winner Josef Newgarden both saw their days end on pit road, albeit not necessarily pit road problems, but mechanical failures while on pit road. Rookie pole winner Robert Shwartzman, Colton Herta and Rinus VeeKay each had brake problems entering their pit stops, effectively ruining any shot of victory. Not saying any of those drivers had a car capable of stopping Palou, but each could have fared better in the final results. Arni Sribhen: After three weeks at home in Indianapolis, the only thing I'm taking away from the Month of May is something I already knew coming into the two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Alex Palou is really good at INDYCAR SERIES racing. Numbers back it up. Five wins in six races. Six straight podiums. Three-hundred six points out of a possible 334. Face it guys, we're watching the 1927 New York Yankees, Michael Jordan and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls win 72 games or the early 2000s Ferrari F1 of Michael Schumacher, only it's a yellow-and-red NTT INDYCAR SERIES car and a driver having an 'amazing' year. Paul Kelly: Along the lines of Arni's thoughts, I'm beyond impressed at the history Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing are making this season. Let's get real: The championship race is probably all but over, and Palou could almost canter to his fourth Astor Challenge Cup in five years. But I don't want to see Palou and the No. 10 DHL team nickel-and-dime their way to a third straight title this summer; I want to see them crush the field like a relentless steamroller. I want Palou to challenge and even break the all-time record for victories in one INDYCAR SERIES season, 10, by A.J. Foyt in 1964 and Al Unser in 1970. Remember when the New England Patriots went 16-0 during the regular season in 2007? Their games became appointment TV that season, whether you liked Tom Brady and Co. or not (as a lifelong member of Bills Mafia, I loathe the Pats). The Indy 500 just drew its biggest TV audience since 2008, and continued Palou trips to Victory Lane may keep more of those fans around their sets than a couple more wins and a handful of top-fives through Nashville in August. Let's see the Palou wagon keep rolling at maximum speed. recommended
