Latest news with #Indy500RookieoftheYear
Indianapolis Star
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
'I take that personally': Scott McLaughlin unashamedly defends Roger Penske after scandal
INDIANAPOLIS — Vulnerability isn't a natural strong suit for most men. But on Thursday at Indianapolis 500 media day, driver Scott McLaughlin didn't stifle his emotions when discussing the recent firings of three critical Team Penske strategists following the team's violation for a modified attenuator prior to Fast 12 qualifying. 'It's frustrating that this has blown up as it has, and it's cost three people that I'm very close with their jobs,' McLaughlin said. Although McLaughlin called the firings 'sad,' the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series and Indy 500 Rookie of the Year said he respects team owner Roger Penske's decision to fire team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski and general manager Kyle Moyer. After telling the media that he "won't speak too much more" about the Penske violations and firings following the first question, McLaughlin later addressed the issue again and defended Penske. 'I'm disappointed with how Roger's name is being thrown through the mud (and) his integrity,' McLaughlin said. 'Our team, the people on the floor, the people that spend hours away from their families trying to build these cars and basically being thrown to the mud. I take that personally.' McLaughlin believes the scandal is being 'taken out of proportion' and fears people may forget what Penske has done for the sport. Penske owns IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with his decorated team. Ben Bretzman will replace Moyer as McLaughlin's strategist on race day. McLaughlin called Bretzman his 'best friend' and said he's excited to work closer with him. Communication won't be difficult for the two as Bretzman manages the timing stand for McLaughlin on test days. If that wasn't enough experience, their time playing video games together has already built enough chemistry. 'We've got amazing people coming in from a substitute perspective and helping us out,' McLaughlin said. 'A real pity': Will Power recalls week of Team Penske violations, staff firings before Indy 500 After a week filled with turmoil and an unfortunate crash in practice Sunday, McLaughlin's focus faces in one direction. 'Overall, my view is just to focus forward and win Roger (Penske) his 21st (Indianapolis 500),' McLaughlin said. 'And I tell you what, there is that much motivation within the team (and) within my stand.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Jimmie Johnson to drive two-seater at Indy 500 with NFL legend Tom Brady
Jimmie Johnson will drive the IndyCar two-seater at the Indianapolis 500 later this month, and his passenger will be none other than NFL great, Tom Brady. Along with his seven NASCAR Cup titles, Johnson is also a former IndyCar driver and the 2022 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Brady is his own kind of seven-time with seven victories in the Super Bowl, earning Most Valuable Player in five Super Bowls. The uniquely designed two-seater has been utilized several times in the past, giving VIP guests the full IndyCar experience. Most recently, MLB legend Alex Rodriguez went around the track in the two-seater at St. Pete. It has also featured Lady Gaga, Diplo, Bon Jovi, Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, and many more in recent years. At Indy, Johnson and Brady will lead the parade laps for the 109th running of the Indy 500. Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady Alexander Trienitz / Motorsport Images Alexander Trienitz / Motorsport Images Advertisement 'I love the Indy 500,' said Johnson in a release. 'There is an energy and excitement around the '500' that is unlike anything I have experienced before. Certainly, pre-race ceremonies are the ultimate racing experience that I've had outside of the car. I'm thrilled to be a part of the program and to see the stands full one more time. I'm extremely honored to come back and do it and to be able to also share this experience with another seven-time champion.' After taking Brady for a ride around IMS, the NASCAR Hall of Famer will fly to Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina to compete in NASCAR's longest race -- the Coca-Cola 600. It will be Johnson's 700th start in the Cup Series. Now competing part-time as a co-owner at Legacy Motor Club, his last start came in the season-opening Daytona 500 where he finished an impressive third. It's not quite the 'Double' that fellow NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson will be attempting, as he aims to compete in both races on the same day. Read Also: Will Power leads rain-affected Indy 500 practice at 227mph To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'I'm happy to get it out of the way': Kyle Larson crashes in Indianapolis 500 open test
INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson's second day of Indianapolis 500 open testing ended just a single turn into his first flying lap of getting a sneak peak at Fast Friday and qualifying weekend speeds ahead of his sophomore Indy 500 campaign Thursday morning. But the 2024 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year feels the ride he took through Turn 1 and into the outer wall SAFER barriers — Larson's first crash in an Indy car — taught him an important lesson all the same. After all, as the saying goes, there are two kinds of IndyCar drivers: ones that have crashed and ones that will. Advertisement 'Hopefully this is the only time I'll crash in an Indy car, and it's a bummer,' he said. 'But at the same time, I'm happy to get it out of the way here early into the Indy 500 stuff (this year), and we can hopefully try and work on our balance quite a bit now. 'It didn't feel too different than hitting the wall in a similar fashion in a NASCAR. Obviously, I know there can be much bigger wrecks than that at Indy, but I'm happy it didn't feel too bad. It just felt normal, I guess. I've never hit the wall before in an Indy car, and as I knew I was going to hit the wall, I was like, 'OK, here we go, we'll see if it feels way worse than hitting the wall in a NASCAR.' But it felt very similar.' Day 2: Indy 500 open test speeds, top laps in qualifying setups at IMS Sato crashes after Larson: Two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato crashes Thursday morning at IMS Advertisement Larson kicked off his second attempt at the Indy 500, and potentially his first successful attempt at completing the double, on Wednesday just as strong as he'd often looked on the timing charts during his first go-around in 2024, when he qualified fifth, led laps in the race and looked primed for at least a top-10 before a late-race pitlane speeding penalty ruined his day. After completing his veteran refresher test — a session mired a bit with radio communication issues, but a two-phase test he completed nonetheless — Larson finished the final three-hour full-field session ranked 11th in overall lap times and sixth in single-lap no-tow speeds. But in the cockpit, Larson said after his crash Thursday that he was anything but comfortable. Since taking the checkered flag in May and being whisked away in a series of golf cart, SUV, helicopter and private jet rides to Charlotte Motor Speedway, where his hopes at being the first driver to attempt the double in a decade ended after severe storms delayed the 500 four hours and then moved east and ended the 600 just past the halfway point and just as Larson reached his pit box, Larson hadn't been on track in an Indy car or taken part in any simulator work. Since May, IndyCar has adopted a hybrid system that, along with brief spurts of up to 60 additional horsepower and various ways to build and then deploy that extra speed, has added roughly 100 pounds to the rear of the car, changing the balance of the car in the process. To turn those solid speeds, though, Larson said he was dealing with a fair amount of understeer, meaning the car wasn't turning the amount he would've expected given the amount he was turning the wheel. The issue, the Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports driver said, left him missing his marks through the corners and feeling like he needed a couple laps for his tires to deliver the proper amount of grip he'd grown accustomed to. Just over an hour into the two-and-a-half-hour Thursday morning high boost session, Larson was just preparing to get a taste of the much higher speeds — the top no-tow laps were nearly 12 mph higher Thursday morning than Wednesday afternoon (220.835 mph vs. 232.565 mph). He'd turned a warmup lap and said he was feeling some of the same sensations as the day prior and was already a bit unnerved at the balance issues a higher top-end speeds. Advertisement Don't have Indy 500 tickets yet?: Better hurry as sellout nears, IMS president Doug Boles says Just one lap into Thursday morning's 'high boost' session of Indy 500 Open Testing, Kyle Larson lost control and slammed into the Turn 1 wall, ending his day and two days of testing. 'I was kinda tight yesterday, and I think it just carried over to today, and going faster just magnified it all. As soon as I turned into (Turn 1), I realized, 'Oh, I'm in trouble here,'' Larson said. 'I felt a little understeer through (Turn 3) and (Turn 4), especially in 4 coming to the green (flag). And as soon as I turned into (Turn 1), my hands were already in a bad spot. 'I was just hoping honestly to get through there and then bail on the lap, but once these things take off, you're going so fast and the walls just come up so fast that you're kinda along for the ride. Advertisement 'I don't think there was anything I could've done other than bailing coming to the green (flag), but it's hard to do that. And as soon as I turned into (Turn 1), my foot was fluttering while (I was) wide open. And I just smashed the wall. I bailed a while before I hit the wall, but once you lose the front (of the car), you're along for the ride.' Contingency plans: IndyCar clarifies Indy 500 replacement driver protocols for Kyle Larson, Tony Kanaan Larson's initial contact came as his right-side tires pancaked the wall in the exit of Turn 1, destroying his suspension and turning him into a passenger as he attempted to slam on the brakes and wait for the car to stop. He slid underneath the white line through the south short chute before aiming again for the outer wall in Turn 2 where he made contact again and his car then stopped. Astutely, he said he managed to get his hands off the steering wheel before the initial impact, managing to avoid a possible hand or wrist injury. Advertisement 'You're just along for the ride, sliding. The second hit didn't hurt or anything, but you can see the wall coming, so you're like, 'I don't know what this is going to feel like,'' said Larson, who will return to IndyCar action May 13 with the opening day of Indy 500 practice. 'I tend to move on and forget about things pretty quickly, so I don't think getting into the wall will affect (my) mental side of things when we come back in May.' 34 drivers, 12 teams: Here's who's on the 2025 Indy 500 entry list Day 1: Hitting a wall, mechanical failures and stars the test Your viewing pleasure: Indianapolis 500 2025 practice, qualifying, race schedule Who raced in both Indy 500 and NASCAR on same day? Larson is the sixth driver to attempt the double, though just four have driven in both on the same day: Advertisement John Andretti: 1994, 10th at Indy, 36th in Cup. Robby Gordon: '97, Indy was postponed by rain; 2000, sixth at Indy, 35th in Cup; '02, eighth at Indy, 16th in Cup; '03, 22nd at Indy, 17th in Cup; '04, stepped out of Indy during a rain delay in favor of Jaques Lazier, finished 20th in Cup. Tony Stewart: 1999, ninth at Indy, fourth in Cup; 2001, sixth at Indy, third in Cup, becoming the first driver to complete 1,100 miles. Kurt Busch: 2014, sixth at Indy, 18th in Cup. Davy Jones tried in 1995, but he failed to qualify for the Cup race. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kyle Larson crashes in Indy 500 open test; NASCAR Cup star injury update
