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Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Inside Line: Biggest Surprise So Far This Season?
INDYCAR Today's question: What's your biggest surprise about the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season after seven of 17 races? Curt Cavin: I thought Alex Palou might lead this championship effectively wire to wire, but I could not have imagined him being 112 points clear six races into the season and still 90 points up after being knocked into the tire barrier in the seventh race. Palou is crafting an all-timer of a season, and he can become the first Indy 500 winner since Dario Franchitti in 2010 to also take home the series championship. (For comparison, Franchitti won that year's title by five points.) Palou's cushion is so cushy that he could stay home each of the next two races and likely still have the lead. Yes, there are five oval races among the 10 remaining races, and Palou hasn't won at any of those tracks. But there are also four permanent road courses to come, and he has combined to win seven series races on those circuits. I'll set the over/under for his final points advantage at 60. The over seems safe to me. Eric Smith: My surprise is Scott Dixon and how quiet he's been. The six-time series champion is seventh in points, 138 back of his series-leading Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Palou. While it's unfair to compare anyone to Palou, especially on the run he's having, Dixon must at least be in the conversation. They're teammates, and for years we compared what Palou was doing to Dixon. Ultimately, Dixon is on his fourth-longest winless drought of his career at 18 races and has just two victories in his last 24 tries. My biggest takeaway is that Dixon has just three podium finishes during this winless streak, has been the top CGR finisher twice and has 15 laps led, seven this season. That's after enduring his worst points finish last year (sixth) since 2017. Now, Dixon can certainly go on a run and march toward a record-tying seventh championship, but he's going to have to leap ahead of not just Palou, but six other drivers, to make it happen. Arni Sribhen: If you look at the top 10 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers' standings, you shouldn't be surprised to see two drivers from each of the series 'Big Four' teams – Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske, Andretti Global and Arrow McLaren. But that the other two spots are occupied by the duo from Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian certainly might be. MSR is the top-performing two-car effort in the series with Felix Rosenqvist sitting sixth in the championship and Marcus Armstrong lying in 10th. Sure, there's a technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing, but MSR had one with Andretti Global over the past few years. And the cars are 100 percent prepared and maintained by the MSR crew in Pataskala, Ohio. The team – especially primary co-owners Jim Meyer and Mike Shank – deserve the credit for stepping up their game in the first half of the season. Paul Kelly: I didn't have the three Team Penske drivers at fifth (Will Power), eighth (Scott McLaughlin) and 12th (Josef Newgarden) in the standings on my bingo card after seven races this season. Most teams would be content with those results, but this is Penske, a team that has defined excellence in North American open-wheel racing for more than 50 years. Sure, the technical violations during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 and subsequent dismissal of leading team executives Tim Cindric, Ron Ruzewski and Kyle Moyer took wind from the team's sails last month, but the team only had three podium finishes this season before the '500' – all third places, one each by Newgarden, McLaughlin and Power. There are many opportunities to right the ship in the next 10 races, which include five oval races, a Penske specialty. Plus, the team has enough depth in its engineering and management roster to compensate for the departure of the management trio. But Penske drivers have won just one NTT INDYCAR SERIES title since 2019 – Power in 2022. That's the longest dry spell since the team went without a title from 2007-13, a period of dominance by Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global, which ironically appear to be teams a rung above Penske on the series superiority ladder this season. recommended
Miami Herald
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
St. Thomas University students will get a taste of motor sports through race team sponsorship
Jeff Plunkett was trembling. Plunkett is what some might call a nerd. He is the dean of St. Thomas University's College of Health, Sciences and Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology at Georgia State, and he completed his post-doctoral training at the University of Miami. But Plunkett is also a gearhead. He has been to Daytona International Speedway more than 50 times, and that's why he was so thrilled recently when STU announced a partnership with the Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) team. 'I'm a huge racing fan,' Plunkett said. 'I'm shaking. I'm so excited.' STU will sponsor Meyer Shank in the IndyCar Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 24. Other universities have forged similar relationships with racing teams through the years. Texas A&M has sponsored both NASCAR and IndyCar teams. Indiana University has a Motorsports Engineering program that partners with IndyCar. And Purdue has a long history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the Purdue Grand Prix. But Michael Shank, one of the owners of MSR Racing, said that the partnership with STU is unique. 'Purdue and some of those other schools have race-engineering-based classes,' Shank told the Miami Herald. 'These are kids who want to do mechanical engineering and aerodynamic engineering and can get a motor sports degree. But what we're doing here is different.' The difference, Shank said, is that STU students — across many majors — will contribute to MSR. For example: STU's fashion students will create a new fire suit for MSR driver Marcus Armstrong to wear on race day. Dr. Ashlee Rzyczycki, the program director for STU's Fashion, Merchandising and Design major, has issued a challenge to her students to 'create a look that is fashion forward and yet captures the essence or car racing.' The top six designs will be sent to the Meyer Shank team, which will narrow it down to three. From there, fans will choose the winning design on social media. 'It's not just about the fashion of the suit,' Rzyczycki said. 'It's about the technical aspects. It's about marketing and branding.' Armstrong said he likes colorful suits. 'You can really get away with going extra [on racing suits],' he said. 'There's no such thing as too much. … I don't know if I should've said that [laughs], but I'm looking forward to seeing what the students come up with.' Marieth Useche, an 18-year-old freshman from Venezuela who enrolled at STU in January, has come up with three sports drinks that Armstrong can use for hydration on race day. She created three flavors and gave them names that are apropos: Victory Lap Mint Mojito; Push 2 Pass Passion Fruit Mai Tai; and Pole Position Mango Mojito. In her presentation to the Meyer Shank team, Useche mentioned that temperatures can reach over 140 degrees in a race car and that drivers can lose five to 10 pounds during a race from sweating. 'Hydration is key for motor sports athletes to maintain focus and energy for the entire race,' she said. 'Dehydration can result in a reduced response time and in difficulty in concentration.' Naeve Duarte, who plays on the STU women's basketball team and is a master's degree student, gave a pitch to MSR based on a partnership with Neuralink, a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk. 'The driver will wear a headset that will record the driver's brain data in real time as he or she moves around the track,' Duarte said. This information will be useful for the Meyer Shank team, but, Duarte said it will also 'give fans an opportunity to experience what a driver goes through in a racing simulator.' Plunkett's science and technology students will get a look at the actual numbers that impact racing. 'Gone are the days where you used to build a car in the garage, take it to the track and have the engine succeed or fail,' Plunkett said. 'Today, with all the parity in Indy Racing, NASCAR and Formula 1, it comes down to milliseconds. Data given from the driver and the car to the team can make the difference between winning and second place.' Plunkett said he has already met with MSR engineers. 'Our students will be able to compare MSR's data to other racing teams and say, 'Here is where we can have an advantage.' 'It's going to be fascinating.' In the future, Plunkett will look to his exercise and physiology team to study potential performance enhancements for drivers. If this goes well, Plunkett said, team owners could pick drivers that have certain performance markers. 'Think of it like the NFL Draft where all those athletes get measured and tested at the [scouting] combine,' Plunkett said. 'The same could one day be true for drivers due to on-track and off-track testing.' In addition to all of this, Shank said there might be an opportunity for an STU student to update the MSR logo, which is 20 years old. About the partnership in general, Armstrong said: 'We have a lot of experienced people in our industry, but we don't have as much creative people who will think outside the box.' The deal between STU and Meyer Shank was first discussed in April 2024. Marc Cannon, who is on STU's Board of Trustees and is also a major sponsor of Meyer Shank, made the introduction. In January, STU President David A. Armstrong met with Shank and fellow MSR owners Helio Castroneves and Tim Meyer. Castroneves, who is one of only four drivers who has won the Indy 500 a record four times, was immediately sold on the idea. 'But he wanted it to be innovative,' Cannon said. 'He wanted it to have a purpose.' David Armstrong — no relation to MSR driver Marcus Armstrong — was initially concerned about whether STU could financially afford the sponsorship. 'I said, 'Don't worry about it — we'll make it affordable,'' Cannon said. 'MSR won't make any money on the deal.' Cannon said the price tag is $250,000 — less than half of what a sponsorship would normally cost. In return, STU gets great publicity, including its logo on the car and racing suit, and a valuable experience for its student. Meyer Shank gets some new ideas. It's a win-win-win. 'The business of racing is massive,' David Armstrong said. 'For our students who are majoring in sports administration, this is great for them to be a part of because of the amount of money that's in racing. It's insane — from the cars, to the advertising and to all the people involved. 'Plus, education should be fun. This will be a fun opportunity, and I can't wait to see the end product in Milwaukee.' Cannon said a few other racing teams have already tried to find out details of what Meyer Shank is cooking up with STU. Shank, meanwhile, said he usually talks to other car owners. Getting ideas from a younger generation is appealing. 'I'm all in,' Shank said. Driver Marcus Armstrong is just 24 years old, but prior to coming to St. Thomas for the announcement of this deal, he had never set foot on a college campus. A native of New Zealand, Armstrong left home at age 13, living in Italy as he chased his driver dreams. But because he is now in this partnership with STU, someone asked if the university might give him an honorary degree. That's when David Armstrong got the last word on the question of an honorary degree. 'If he wins,' STU's president said with a smile, 'because that's what we do here at STU.'
Indianapolis Star
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
'A bit hungry and could use a coffee': Marcus Armstrong prepares for Indy 500 qualifying run
INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus Armstrong emerged from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield care center Saturday afternoon looking for a coffee and some food. And then as soon as his backup No. 66 Honda might be ready, the 24-year-old New Zealander is eyeing a return to the track. Five hours prior, the Meyer Shank Racing driver was being extricated from his mangled car after it slid and slammed into the wall during Indianapolis 500 qualifying practice and put on a gurney by IndyCar's AMR safety team, his legs strapped to it as he was rolled into the safety vehicle. More than 90 minutes after his accident, Armstrong emerged from the care center, walking under his own power and was whisked away to MSR's garages to survey the damage to not only his car but his body. More than 90 minutes after his crash, the series medical team had released Armstrong but not cleared him to return to the cockpit. Due to IndyCar's protocols around concussions, triggered when cars and drivers' ear buds record a certain G level of impact in a crash, the medical team requires them be reevaluated before a return to on-track action. Following that second review around 1 p.m., Armstrong had been cleared to return. 'The experience was an interesting one, for sure,' Armstrong told IndyStar after his second visit to the care center. 'I was expecting clearly a lot more grip when I arrived in Turn 1 than there was, but we didn't quite get everything right. 'It is what it is. My first reaction was, 'Oh, I hope I'm OK, because I thought it may be a little worse than it was, and I was hoping I wasn't badly injured. But some time passed, and I'm all good, and now we're going to drive again.' Armstrong elaborated that he underwent X-rays along with the concussion tests to make certain he had no other internal injuries. 'I feel good. Feel a bit hungry and could use a coffee, but yeah, I'm all good,' he said. 'I'm confident we can make the field. I want to at least get a shake-down (run) today, in case we have to do all the things tomorrow, but I'm confident we'll be OK.' With his primary 500 car written off in the crash that started with a bobble in Turn 1 and led to Armstrong losing the rear of his No. 66 Honda, spinning around and having the left-rear corner making first contact with the outer SAFER barrier before the left side whirled around and slammed into the wall, too, MSR will go to a backup car for any future attempts Armstrong makes this weekend. That car is one reserved for road and street course racing for Armstrong — one that had raced on the IMS road course last weekend and that was prepped for the Detroit Grand Prix in two weekends. At the time of writing, MSR officials said it would be close as to whether the team would have enough time to get Armstrong back on track in any form Saturday. Its first target would be an initial lap or two as nothing more than a systems check to ensure the backup No. 66 was properly prepped, and if there's additional time, then they might attempt to lock themselves into the top 30 and ensure a spot in the 109th Indy 500. Should they fail to make an attempt before the checkered flag at 5:50 p.m., or if their attempt leaves them unable to crack the top 30, they'll go onto Sunday's Last Chance Qualifier with three other cars vying for the final three spots in the race. Despite his vicious crash, Armstrong said he has no worries about his confidence. 'I absolutely expect to be flat in (Turn) 1 and (Turn) 2 on my first lap,' he said.
Indianapolis Star
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Will Marcus Armstrong return to Indy 500 qualifying after crash? Team says 'going to define him'
INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Shank, the team co-owner at Meyer Shank Racing, told IndyStar he's "90%" sure that Marcus Armstrong, the team's full-time IndyCar driver who suffered a severe crash Saturday morning in Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just over 10 minutes into Indianapolis 500 qualifying practice, will be cleared to return to the cockpit later this weekend. More than 90 minutes after Armstrong's crash, the New Zealander emerged from the IMS infield care center under his own power before boarding a golf cart and returning to the team's garages in Gasoline Alley. He did not speak to assembled media. An IndyCar spokesperson said that Armstrong had been "seen and released" from the care center but not yet cleared to return to the cockpit. IndyCar's protocols around high-impact crashes where the car and/or the driver's earbuds register a certain threshold of Gs in the impact require the driver to undergo a follow-up check before the driver is cleared to return to the cockpit. IndyCar did not explicitly state that Armstrong was in those protocols, but Shank referenced that was what his driver was waiting on to be cleared. The MSR team co-owner said the team hopes to learn Armstrong's status around 1 p.m., but said that that is not firm. "I'm 90% there (that Armstrong will be cleared) unless (IndyCar medical director Dr. Julia Vaiser) sees something she doesn't like," Shank told IndyStar. "That doesn't mean he's not going to feel great in the morning. "But there's nothing abnormal. One step at a time." Shank said he'd just spent 20 minutes sitting and talking with Armstrong and noted the 24-year-old's enthusiasm to hop right back in the car as soon as he's allowed. Shank said he had no hesitation to let Armstrong hop right back in. "He's ready to get in. He's ready to go flat into (Turn) 1," Shank said. "This is going to define his driving right now. When you hit the wall that hard, it's not fun, even in today's (safety) standards, which are high. This is going to define him right now. That should be the story." With Armstrong's primary oval car, which the team both used during last month's Indy 500 open test, as well as the first week of 500 practice, out of commission after the morning crash, MSR mechanics immediately began preparing Armstrong's road and street course car that ran last weekend during the Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS road course and had been readied for the Detroit Grand Prix weekend (May 30-June 1). As of around 10:45 a.m. Saturday morning, it was not yet clear whether MSR would be able to ready the backup No. 66 car in time to get on track by the end of Day 1 at 5:50 p.m., though Shank said that was the target. "The goal is obviously to get (Armstrong) in, and if we're really lucky today, we'll try to do a run if we're really lucky," Shank said. "We're just going to put all of our Speedway stuff on (the backup). (The primary car) was really fast, really fast. "Our goals shift a little now. Our expectations shift. The car is not probably going to have the speed the other one had and that Felix's has had and that (Armstrong's) did last night." Shank said he had done "some preliminary work" in terms of exploring backup options in case Armstrong is not cleared to return to the cockpit, but that he was not yet having any backup options coming by the garage to do any sort of initial seat fit or exploratory work until Armstrong's status is learned this afternoon. Among the logical options, given MSR's technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing, would be ex-CGR driver Linus Lundqvist, who drove to IndyCar Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 8 CGR Honda in 2024, but who said he had his contract terminated in January as CGR scaled back from five full-time cars to three as the series instituted a charter program that mandated a maximum of three chartered cars per team. CGR held onto multi-time champions Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, as well as well-funded 2024 rookie Kyffin Simpson, and it agreed to loan out its contracted driver Armstrong to MSR as the teams struck their technical alliance. Chip Ganassi Racing general manager Mike Hull told IndyStar that the decision on drivers to put into the No. 66, should it require a substitute, "is (MSR co-owners) Mike (Shank) and Jim (Meyer's) call." "We do influence them technically, and we help each other technically, and we talk about driver choices, but it's still up to them," Hull said. "They had the choice (last fall) on who drove that car, and it just worked out (to be Armstrong)." Hull added that though the team does not talk publicly about contracts, Linus is "free to do whatever he wants to do." Lundqvist, Romain Grosjean, Pietro Fittipaldi and Katherine Legge would all not require a special veteran refresher session to fill-in for Armstrong because they competed in IndyCar's most recent oval race last fall at Nashville Superspeedway. So if Armstrong was not cleared to return to action Saturday, one of those four would be allowed, by IndyCar's rules, to hop into the car right away for a qualifying run Saturday afternoon without any other hoops to jump through. If Armstrong was not cleared and MSR did not have the car back out on-track Saturday, it would then fall into the Last Chance Qualifying session Sunday afternoon with four cars vying for the final three spots in the field. Teams falling into that pool will get an hour of practice before making their final qualifying attempts.
Borneo Post
17-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Homegrown tech platform Metadise aims to drive Sarawak's digital leap forward
Anielia flashes a thumbs-up while trying out the Metadise Sim Racing simulator, while Gan (first right) and members of the Metadise team look on. KUCHING (May 17): Metadise Sdn Bhd (Metadise), a homegrown tech company focused on immersive virtual platforms and digital talent development, was officially launched at The Podium today , signifying a major boost to Sarawak's growing digital innovation ecosystem. The launch was officiated by Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Anielia Siam, who represented MEITD Minister Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn. In a speech read on his behalf, Roland described Metadise as 'a testament to Sarawak-born innovation.' 'As a pioneering metaverse platform, it opens new possibilities in immersive experiences, from education and tourism to commerce and culture. 'Built on local creativity and ambition, it exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking solutions that will drive us into the next phase of digital transformation,' he said. Metadise chief executive officer James Gan shared that the company had recently been awarded a digital grant from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, which will accelerate its mission in building high-impact digital solutions for Sarawak and beyond. 'This grant is not the destination, it is a responsibility. 'A commitment to walk the talk, and to deliver real, measurable impact on the ground,' he said. Gan delivering his speech at the launch of Metadise Sdn Bhd. – Photo by Chimon Upon Gan also highlighted initiatives under the Metadise Electronic Sport Club, including the flagship Metadise Sim Racing programme, which fuses simulation technology, skills training, and youth engagement. 'All of these efforts are designed under the HRDCorp (Human Resource Development Corporation Malaysia) framework, ensuring alignment with national talent development goals, while staying grounded in local Sarawakian needs,' he added. Guests were treated to a preview of Metadise Smart Reality (MSR) and a tour of the Metadise Academy, showcasing the platform's potential in interactive education, tourism, and e-commerce through immersive 3D (three-dimensional) environments. A highlight of the launch was the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Metadise and key partners, which are FAME International College, Xturn Ventures, Taiwan and Kenal Limited Holdings, Hong Kong. These partnerships are aimed at advancing metaverse integration, education innovation, and the digital arts across local and international networks. The event also had Lucky Draw, DJ performance, and networking session, making the grand launching a well-rounded celebration of innovation, collaboration, and future possibilities for Sarawak's digital economy. For more information, visit digital innovation Metadise metaverse Roland Sagah Wee Inn
