Latest news with #Indy500
Gulf Today
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Katherine Legge joins Indy field for Xfinity, Cup races
Katherine Legge will return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in more than a year, this time in a stock car. Legge is set to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series races in Indianapolis later this month after last racing on the famed Indy track in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. The Cup Series' Brickyard 400 is set for July 27, while the Xfinity race takes place July 26. Legge has competed In four Cup Series starts this season with her best finish -- a 19th-place showing -- coming at the Chicago Street Race on July 6. The native of England has also raced in the Xfinity Series this year and plans to race in two other Cup Series events later this season: Watkins Glen (Aug. 10) and Las Vegas (Oct. 12). Katherine Legge, driver of the #78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, on Sunday. AFP In March, Legge became the first woman to compete in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick in 2018 when she raced at Phoenix and finished 30th. Legge won at Long Beach in 2005 in the Toyota Atlanta Championship and qualified for the Indy 500 for the first time in 2012, making her the ninth woman to make it into the field. Her qualifying lap speed of 231.627 mph for the 2023 Indy 500, as well as a 231.070 mph four-lap average, were the fastest ever for a woman. Reuters
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Arrow McLaren prepping Linus Lundqvist as potential replacement for Nolan Siegel at Toronto
Arrow McLaren has signed ex-Chip Ganassi Racing driver Linus Lundqvist as a reserve driver for this weekend's Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto street race, the team announced Monday. Practice begins Friday afternoon, but Nolan Siegel might not be cleared to return to the cockpit after suffering a minor concussion in a late-race crash Saturday at Iowa Speedway. Siegel was not cleared for Sunday's race by IndyCar medical officials that morning. Given the short break between the races and belief late Saturday that Siegel would be cleared, Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan opted not to run Siegel's No. 6 car Sunday. Doing so would've required requesting from IndyCar a special 15-minute shakedown session with a substitute driver on Saturday night, Kanaan said. And given the car repair time in the wake of Siegel's crash — one so hard that the SAFER barrier required repairs — the team principal didn't want the team scrambling with so much uncertainty. 'I missed it': Ex-Team Penske IndyCar leader relishing new chapter with Arrow McLaren Arrow McLaren briefly explored the possibility of Kanaan starting Sunday's race and parking immediately after the green flag, but IndyCar wouldn't approve such a move because Kanaan hadn't taken part in an on-track session during the weekend. An emergency on-track session wasn't available Sunday morning. Lundqvist was at Iowa Speedway on Sunday. The 26-year-old Swedish driver with 20 IndyCar starts will ready himself this week for what could amount to his first time inside an IndyCar cockpit since the 2024 season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. As Kanaan told select media Sunday morning ahead of that day's race, Lundqvist will be in the team's shop throughout this week as Siegel is put through a regimented recovery plan that includes light workouts, time on a racing simulator and evaluation by Ryan Harber, the team's head of human performance, health and wellness. Siegel will be reevaluated by IndyCar's medical team Thursday morning to determine his ability to drive in Toronto. How close was Tony Kanaan to driving?: Nolan Siegel's status, possible backup drivers for Toronto Lundqvist will be with the team all weekend and available should Siegel experience any discomfort in his return or if he isn't cleared. Lundqvist finished 13th in his lone start at Toronto a year ago. He finished 16th in points in his lone full-time IndyCar season in 2024 with five top-10s, a pair of podiums (Barber and World Wide Technology Raceway) and a pole (Road America), but he entered this season without a ride after CGR scaled back from five full-time cars to three as IndyCar launched its charter system that caps teams at three full-time entries guaranteed to start each race (minus the Indy 500).
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Louis Foster Leads the Charge as Sports.com and Lottery.com Drivers Deliver in Iowa
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link. NEWTON, Iowa, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEGG Media Corporation (NASDAQ: SEGG, LTRYW) ('SEGG Media' or the 'Company'), a leading technology company transforming the global intersection of sports, entertainment and gaming today announced the results from a weekend of intensity, growth, and high-impact visibility for SEGG's flagship brands, and at Iowa Speedway. As the Sukup INDYCAR race weekend concluded, all eyes now turn to Toronto – where SEGG Media is poised to continue its upward trajectory on one of the most iconic street circuits in North America. Andretti Global's Louis Foster underlined his credentials as IndyCar's top rookie, maintaining his lead in the Rookie of the Year standings. The 21-year-old qualified 12th and 16th for the weekend's two races, continuing his season average of 12.5 in a 27-car field despite weather disruptions that cut short practice. In Race 1, Foster showed speed and composure, pushing through the field and coming alive after a mid-race aero balance change. 'It was good to get a good result on an oval, it matched roughly what we did at the Indy 500,' . 'We were there on pace, on merit. The pit stops were phenomenal by the team, and I think we could've finished top 10 with a more comfortable balance.' Race 2 brought another clean drive and valuable points as Foster worked forward again and managed race strategy perfectly. 'Not many drivers stayed consistent across both races, so I'm happy that we did,' 'We fought hard for the positions we earned.' His oval average now stands at an impressive 13.33. In the NTT INDYCAR Series, Callum Ilott showed strong form in both qualifying and race pace before a late-race incident ended his charge prematurely. Despite a penalty and contact, Ilott's recovery drive from deep in the pack highlighted the resilience of both driver and team. PREMA Racing delivered a breakthrough result as Robert Shwartzman stormed to a career-best P9 finish – the team's highest placement of the 2025 campaign so far. After battling through setbacks, Shwartzman capitalized on strategy, tire management and raw pace to crack the top ten in commanding style. Though adversity struck in the Indy NXT paddock as Seb Murray was not medically cleared to compete in Sunday's race, the Andretti Cape driver remained on-site, proudly supporting the team from trackside and ensuring strong continued presence for through fan engagement and broadcast exposure. and continued to gain market visibility with on-car branding, in-paddock engagement, and major television coverage throughout the weekend. Louis Foster's stellar drive will be celebrated in a separate release following one of his strongest INDYCAR performances to date. The SEGG Media drivers now shift focus to Toronto, where the combination of tight city corners, passionate fans, and global media presence provides the perfect stage for the next chapter in the and motorsport and brand expansion journey. 'Louis, Callum, and Seb continue to elevate the visibility and value of our brands across North America,' . 'This weekend was a strong statement, and we're looking forward to continuing the charge in Toronto.' About SEGG Media Corporation SEGG Media (Nasdaq: SEGG, LTRYW) is a global sports, entertainment and gaming group operating a portfolio of digital assets including and Focused on immersive fan engagement, ethical gaming and AI-driven live experiences, SEGG Media is redefining how global audiences interact with the content they love. For additional information, visit This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual. CONTACT: Contact media relations at media@
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Hometown hero Kyle Larson looks to defend his Sonoma title
If you enjoy racing at NASCAR's snaking road courses, you have come to the right place over the past five races. For the third time in that quintet, drivers will mix in plenty of right-hand turns to go along with the usual left-handers when the Cup Series travels to its lone stop in California for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, the 110-lap race at Sonoma Raceway. Kyle Larson is surely thrilled to be back in the Golden State's wine country -- and not just because he hails from Elk Grove, just 90 minutes away from the 12-turn track. The race's defending winner beat Martin Truex Jr. and Chris Buescher over the final 51 caution-free laps a year ago. However, the 2021 Cup champ has not had much go his way since his history-making efforts in running at Indianapolis and Charlotte on the same Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. The hometown hero at the 1.99-mile track has run poorly since doing the "Double," wrecking in both the Indy 500 and Coke 600. In the seven races starting in Charlotte, his average finish is 17.6 with his best showing being fifth at Michigan. But the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver is safely in the playoffs, of course. His three wins tie him with Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for the most, and he is a two-time winner in Napa Valley's vineyard region. Kyle Larson However, it was Shane van Gisbergen who sipped sweet success Sunday for the second time in the three Cup races held on the Chicago Street Course. In the first one there in 2023, the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing driver recorded career win No. 1. He was victorious in last year's Xfinity race but finished last in the Cup event following a crash. Last weekend, the New Zealander earned the pole in both races and scored two victories. He became the first driver to win from the pole on both Saturday and Sunday since Kyle Busch did it in 2016 at Indianapolis. "This joint, it changed my life," said SVG, whose three wins in 33 races make for a fine start in Cup racing and puts him with the most wins by any foreign- born driver. With Chicago's future in real question -- the three-race agreement is over -- SVG is one of many drivers who would relish a fourth in the Second City, though San Diego may be the next stop on the streets. In the playoff chase, SVG's win slots him fourth in the postseason lineup with seven races remaining, but with 12 winners locked into the playoffs, three of the final four positions have tightened up. The first winless driver, 13th-place Tyler Reddick, holds a vast 104-point lead over Alex Bowman in 14th. And while a victory might be expected of Reddick in his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, none of his eight wins have come at any of the next seven venues. Bowman leads Buescher by just four points, while Bubba Wallace, who finished 28th Sunday after being spun twice, holds the final playoff spot in 16th by only two points over Ryan Preece. It is then a 41-point drop-off to 18th-place AJ Allmendinger with 400 points. Larson (2024, 2021), Busch (2015, 2008) and lame duck Trackhouse driver Daniel Suarez (2022) will be the only active competitors in Sunday's field who have taken home Sonoma's checkered flag. Reuters
Indianapolis Star
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
He covered every big sports story from Bob Knight to IndyCar: Journalist Dick Mittman dies
INDIANAPOLIS — Throughout his illustrious 46 years as the consummate newspaper man — always a pro, always a gentleman, who learned his trade in the days of old school journalism where hot type abounded and newsrooms bustled and reporters' desk drawers might or might not have had a bottle of whiskey inside — Dick Mittman compiled 10,188 bylines. He amassed those stories, an average of 217 a year, at The Indianapolis Times, The Indianapolis Observer, the Chicago Daily News, the Indianapolis News and the Indianapolis Star, where he ended his career. Perhaps best known as a sports journalist focused on auto racing at his beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mittman also covered IU basketball during the Bob Knight era, the Indiana Pacers, the 1984 Olympics and Butler basketball. But his most memorable time, Mittman once said, was sitting in a World Series hospitality suite for two hours next to Casey Stengel, the incorrigible manager of the dominating championship New York Yankees in the 1950s. "Never one to back down, Mittman has verbally jousted with A.J. Foyt and Bob Knight ... and won their respect," IndyStar columnist Robin Miller wrote when Mittman retired from the Star in 1998. "Nobody ever worked harder to get a story under deadline, and his tenacity is what makes him a good reporter. And also to his credit, Dick always tried to see the best in people." When Mittman died last week at the age of 92, condolences from coworkers, competitors, friends and family poured out on social media. "Dick had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Indy 500," said Dawn Mitchell, who worked with Mittman at the Star. "Sorry to learn of the passing of Dick Mittman whose byline and smooth writing style graced so many race reports and feature stories down through the decades," said Mark Bourcier, an author and writer from Indianapolis. "The man generated as many stories as he wrote and lived a full, fulfilled live," said Conrad Brunner, who worked with Mittman at the Star. The memories of Mittman included mentions of how kind he was, how respected he was and how fair he was. That is why Mittman was able to get the scoop from sources who trusted him, and that is why he was able to get interviews with high-profile people who usually refused to talk to the press. "His job never felt like work," Mittman's obituary reads, "because he loved every minute of it." "Richard 'Dick' Carl Mittman, 92, traded in his press pass for angel wings on July 1, 2025" Mittman's dreams of one day having that coveted press pass started early. He was still in high school when he started as a copy boy at The Times in 1950. A year later, he had impressed the higher ups at the newsroom enough to be named the critic for radio, television and movies. After graduating from Arsenal Tech High School, Mittman married his late, beloved wife Pat on Jan. 30, 1953. Days later, he got on a ship headed to basic training to begin his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. While in the Army, Mittman wrote for the military publication Stars & Stripes where he realized his love of journalism and storytelling meant newspapers would be his career. After finishing a two-year stint in the Army, Mittman returned to The Times working on the city desk writing headlines and editing copy. "But they knew I wanted to cover sports and I finally got to cover the Bloomington semistate and then interview Oscar Robertson," Mittman told IndyStar when he retired in March 1998. "I moved into sports full time after that." That sports department was made of of six guys and Mittman made $70 a week. He didn't care one bit. He was living his dream and that dream would get even bigger when Mittman got his first big story ... the 1957 Indianapolis 500. His prolific and well-written accounts of that race and his sports coverage for the next six years earned him the job of sports editor at The Times in 1963. But two years later, the newspaper which was the Star's morning competition folded. Mittman landed a job with a local weekly called The Indianapolis Observer, then moved a few hours northwest where he spent a year with the Chicago Daily News. Then came the call he had been waiting for. The Indianapolis News was offering him a job as a reporter covering racing. "Dick's affection for auto racing, turned out to be a timeless plus for the motorsports community," Miller wrote when Mittman retired. "Because he enjoyed midgets, sprint, stock cars, dragsters and Indy cars, he always lobbied to get them space whether it was in The Times, the News or the Star." But racing wouldn't be the sport that defined Mittman. "He covered pretty much every sport that involved a ball, puck, horse, wheel or stopwatch," Mittman's obituary reads. "His words painted the picture of the sports world for readers across the country, from the 1984 Olympics to a pass he famously threw — yes, threw — to Dan Marino in the Hoosier Dome. (We like to think Dan's career peaked right then)." Mittman was on the beat for IU basketball in the 1970s leading up to the team's undefeated season and national title in 1976. The year before, he captured the contentious aura of the red sweater wearing, raving Knight. "Bob Knight is madder than a wet hen. Or a dry duck. Or a spurned Lattin lover," Mittman wrote in a January 1975 News article. "Knight's anger is aimed at the press. Sports Illustrated magazine features a cover story on his No. 1 ranked Hoosiers and, even more so, on him. He considers the article demeaning." A year later, Mittman was there to witness Knight leading his team to the NCAA national championship. The headline on his article in bold, black lettering read: "One, uno, ein or un. IU proves its ranking." "Quinn Buckner did a fancy little dance in front of the Indiana University bench and suddenly the cork popped on two years of pent-up emotions," Mittman wrote. "Hoosier players jumped, hugged and raised their arms in triumph as the clock ticked off the final seconds of an 86-68 victory over Michigan." That national championship ended two seasons of nearly unparalleled basketball excellence with IU undefeated in both regular seasons. "It has been a two year quest to get this," Knight told Mittman after the NCAA title was won. For the next two decades, Mittman would touch almost every sport that competed in Indianapolis. In 1984, he was chosen to cover the summer Olympics, where he proved he had earned the spot. At the top of the front page of the Indianapolis News' evening edition July 28, 1984, above the masthead, a promotion of what would be coming in next week's newspaper included the words "Dick Mittman at the Olympics." At those games in Los Angeles, Mittman wrote of a "bubbly" gymnast Mary Lou Retton as a "favorite winner." He watched Carl Lewis explode a final 100 meters in 8.94 seconds to win his fourth gold. Mittman called it "watching history." He dubbed Cheryl Miller "certainly one heck of a basketball player." "Bobby Knight said he would whip the world and he did," Mittman wrote after the U.S. won gold. "And he did it well, getting only one technical foul." While Mittman was usually the one writing about other people throughout his career, he sometimes did things that captured the attention of other reporters who wrote articles on him. Mittman made news for coming up with an idea more than 50 years ago to give an award to an Indy 500 driver the day before the race. It was an award no driver really wanted. The honor, named The Jigger Award by the members of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association, was typically given to one of the last drivers bumped from the field, usually a driver who failed to qualify under unusual circumstances. Mittman and his presence at IMS turned him into an icon. In 2017, when IndyCar team owner David Letterman was ending a news conference, he called out for one of the sports writers he used to read in the Indianapolis News. 'Where is Dick Mittman?' Letterman asked. 'Did he go home?'' "About that time, the white-haired, retired Mittman was within earshot and replied to Letterman's query," wrote. ''Yes,' Mittman replied. 'I'm over here.'' 'My God, I've been seeing your byline since I was a kid,' Letterman said. 'Nice to meet you. You were a fixture in our house forever. Thank you very much." Mittman's newspaper career came to an end in 1998. His last assignment was to cover the Butler men's basketball run in the NCAA tournament. His last article was published March 14, 1998, after Butler lost to New Mexico 79-62. After retiring at 65, Mittman went to the Indy Racing League and Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he worked in public relations. "It was auto racing that truly revved Dick's engine," reads Mittman's obituary. "He capped his legendary writing career with his dream job at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, covering the sport he loved most. As a proud, longtime member of the IMS Oldtimers Club, Dick wasn't just reporting on racing. He was part of its history." Mittman was preceded in death by his wife, Pat. He is survived by his children Randy (Michelle) Mittman, Julie Gootee, and Rick (Jerri) Mittman; grandchildren Evy (Kevin) Daly, Bailie, Reed, and Sam Mittman; great-grandchildren Kevin, Elizabeth, Hannah, Andrew, and Abby Daly; sisters-in-law Linda Smith and Karen Mittman; and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, and fellow sports fans. "Christmas Eve will never be quite the same without Dick's dramatic reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' but the stories, love and laughter he gave us will echo forever," reads Mittman's obituary. "If a life well-lived is measured by the memories left behind, Dick's legacy is a treasure chest overflowing." Mittman's memorial service is noon Monday at Flanner Buchanan Washington Park East, following a visitation 9 a.m. to noon. Share memories of Mittman or plant a tree in his honor.
