Latest news with #TheThermalClubINDYCARGrandPrix
Fox Sports
17-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Sudden Impact: Driving Legend's Tips Provide Fast Results for Sting Ray Robb
INDYCAR Sting Ray Robb joined Juncos Hollinger Racing this offseason after spending his previous two NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons with Dale Coyne Racing in 2023 and AJ Foyt Racing last year. He is already benefiting from one of JHR's resources. Robb strives to become a series mainstay but is aware he needs more than one top-10 finish in 34 previous starts to help that endeavor. So, he used a relationship that JHR team principal David O'Neill has in Europe to try and take the next step. O'Neill was named to that position last May but has a background as a former team manager of Haas F1 Team. While working overseas, O'Neill developed a relationship with legendary driver coach Rob Wilson. O'Neill thought it would be a great step in Robb's progression as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver to head to England and get some of Wilson's magic teaching. Robb received that mentorship between The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on March 23 and last Sunday's 50th anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. 'He's a legend,' Robb said of Wilson. Wilson, a former racer from New Zealand, moved to England in the 1970s and became one of the most respected driver coaches in the world. He's mentored many prominent drivers with a clientele list that includes names like Michael Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Marco Andretti, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Rosberg and Valentino Rossi, among others. 'He's still quick in a car, thankfully,' Robb said. In his first race after Wilson's guidance, Robb tied his best career NTT INDYCAR SERIES finish by placing ninth at Long Beach. Robb also finished ninth last August on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval. Robb, who started 19th, charged forward, gaining at least one position on track in 23 of the 90 laps, ranking second-best among the 27-car field in that category. 'That's what I needed,' Robb said. 'Every little thing matters in this sport. I think it's crazy to think that you can do it all on your own and just be some hotshot thinking you don't need it. I'm not good enough to do that. 'So, I'm not going to tap myself on the back by any means but having the humility to come forward into the year based off the last two years of challenging seasons and just trust the group around me, trust in the legend of Rob Wilson, if you will. No doubt that that guy is who he is for a reason. He's a legend in his own right.' As far as Wilson's methods, Robb said he puts drivers in the worst car available to teach them the art of handling. 'If you can drive those cars, then you can drive anything,' Robb said. 'That's sort of the theory, but it's not just the brake later, hit the gas stuff. It's how you approach the car, how you approach the track – he does a good job, and he's worked with some great guys like this before. How he does things is very simple, and he's definitely one of those guys whom you can sit and have a conversation with. Conversations are going to teach you as much as sitting in the car next to him, too' Robb also said Wilson confirmed the tendencies he already had behind the wheel were correct. That assurance provided Robb plenty of confidence leading into Long Beach, and that paid off with a career result. Robb also got some clarity with family history during the trip to the United Kingdom, too. While visiting England, he took some time to be a tourist with his wife, Molly. They toured London, Paddington, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and more. Best of all, the Robbs traveled to Scotland. Many associate Robb's name with the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. His dad is a Corvette enthusiast, which inspired Sting Ray's given name at birth. However, that's only part of the background. The 'Sting' part of his name is also short for Stirlingshire, Scotland, from where his dad's ancestors hail. Robb, born in Payette, Idaho, never had visited Scotland. This was a prime opportunity to experience a country that means so much to his heritage. 'I told Molly, 'I don't care what we do, I have my two days of driving, and I want to see Stirlingshire,'' he said. 'Have to. Once we do that, we can do whatever else. I don't care what it is.' recommended
Fox Sports
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Power Rankings: Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power Gain Big Ground
INDYCAR Kyle Kirkwood dominated the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend by earning NTT P1 Award honors and taking the victory in the 90-lap race Sunday. That allowed the Andretti Global driver to take a significant climb in the Power Rankings. However, Alex Palou had his worst finish of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a runner-up. His hold on the top spot of Power Rankings remains intact leading into the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Here's who joins Kirkwood and Palou in the rankings after the third race of the season in Long Beach: ↔10. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet; Last Rank: 10) Rossi's top-10 streak came to an end on the streets of Long Beach when he finished 15th. However, dual top-10 finishes out the gates in his first season with Ed Carpenter Racing and qualifying eighth last weekend leave him narrowly in the top 10 of Power Rankings. ↓9. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 6) Dixon began his quest for a record-tying seventh championship with a runner-up result in St. Petersburg. He started 11th and finished 10th at The Thermal Club and finished eighth from starting 14th at Long Beach. The speed isn't quite there yet to challenge for race wins, but he's one of just five drivers to secure a top-10 finish in all three races this season joining Palou, Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard and Felix Rosenqvist. ↓8. Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 2) O'Ward's street-course problems were evident in Long Beach, where he qualified ninth and finished 13th. His other Long Beach finishes are 27th, fifth, 17th and 16th, respectively. The street-race woes aren't exclusive to Long Beach. He qualified 23rd and finished 11th in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg by RP Funding. Away from street circuits, O'Ward earned his first NTT P1 Award since 2022 at The Thermal Club, led 51 of 65 laps and finished second. Luckily for him, there's not another street course until the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on June 1. ↑7. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 8) McLaughlin started and finished sixth in an uneventful Long Beach weekend. But that was his best result in five Long Beach tries and got his season back on track. McLaughlin qualified 25th and finished 27th in a tough day at The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. He began 2025 with an NTT P1 Award and fourth-place finish after leading a race-high 40 of 100 laps in St. Petersburg. ↑6. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 9) Power is making a habit of charging through the field after tough qualifying performances. In Long Beach, he climbed from 13th to finish fifth. That comes after charging from 21st to finish sixth in the The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. He was the top Team Penske finisher in each race. ↔5. Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda; Last Rank: 5) Herta has two front-row starting positions in three races. Unfortunately, he's not turned those solid Saturdays into super Sundays. A slow pit stop in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding relegated him to a 16th-place finish. In Long Beach, Herta faded to seventh. Between those races, Herta started fourth and finished fourth in The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. ↔4. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda; Last Rank: 4) Rosenqvist qualified third and finished seventh in St. Petersburg. He charged from ninth to finish fifth at The Thermal Club. In Long Beach, he qualified and finished fourth. The Swede is fourth in points, the best standing he's had since he finished fourth in the 2019 and 2024 INDYCAR SERIES season openers at St. Petersburg. The 2019 race was his series debut. ↔3. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3) Lundgaard has had a solid first outing with Arrow McLaren finishing eighth in St. Petersburg after leading 23 laps, qualifying second and finishing third at The Thermal Club and charging from 12th to finish third at Long Beach. ↑2. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda; Last Rank: 7) Kirkwood had a strong Long Beach weekend, earning NTT P1 Award honors and leading 46 of 90 laps en route to his third career victory, two coming on the 1.968-mile street course. Kirkwood also began 2025 with a strong outing. He was quickest in the opening practice of the season at St. Petersburg and charged from ninth at the start of the race to finish fifth in the season opener. Kirkwood then qualified eighth and finished in that spot at The Thermal Club. ↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1) Palou started third and finished second Sunday in Long Beach. He won the previous two races and leads Lundgaard in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points standings by 34. The Spaniard has been atop the Power Rankings for more than a year and that continues into the May 4 race at Barber Motorsports Park. recommended
Fox Sports
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
INDYCAR Announces Rules Violation, Penalty from The Thermal Club
INDYCAR INDYCAR has announced a penalty for the entry of No. 26 Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian from The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on Sunday, March 23. Andretti Global was in violation of: Rule 14.1.4. Approved Suppliers must submit bulletins to INDYCAR for approval prior to releasing bulletins to Entries. Once Submitted bulletins are approved by INDYCAR, Members are subject to enforcement by INDYCAR. During post-race technical inspection Sunday, INDYCAR discovered the team incorrectly attached the anti-intrusion plates on the aft leg of the front lower wishbones by using only one plate per side of the chassis instead of the two per side (a total of four), which were mandated in a Dallara bulletin released Feb. 14, 2025. The safety-inspired anti-intrusion plates were introduced to INDYCAR chassis following the 2015 practice incident involving driver James Hinchcliffe at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. According to the rulebook, the violation is considered a Non-Race Procedure Penalty (9.2.3.), which includes the issuance of a monetary fine (9.2.3.2.) and the forfeiture of points and awards (9.2.3.5.). The No. 26 entry has been fined $25,000 and will forfeit 10 championship entrant points and all prize money associated with the race at The Thermal Club. Updated 2025 season entrant standings are available here. Members may contest the imposition of the penalties detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rulebook. recommended
Fox Sports
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
David Malukas Working with Engineers To Set Up for Success at Foyt
INDYCAR David Malukas made a big move in his career by joining AJ Foyt Racing in the most recent offseason. Foyt is a motorsports legend, and the opportunity to race for a team with such a rich history was irresistible for Malukas. 'Each conversation has been amazing,' he said. 'Obviously, for me it was a little bit hard because I'm going into it as like it's A.J. and you're trying to have a normal conversation, but the entire time it's like I'm talking with A.J., so I'm kind of trying to act normal. 'But he was very chill. It almost felt like we were good friends, and he started talking about the stories and the past and the history. To say that he's had me on the team meant a lot, too. The conversations we've had have been great, so I just hope to give him some results in return.' Malukas has a career-best finish of second during his three seasons in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, with Dale Coyne Racing and Meyer Shank Racing. But driving the No. 4 Chevrolet will be a significant platform to showcase his skills and contribute to the Foyt legacy while also helping the team build for its future. The path to delivering results is consistency. Malukas is learning the team as much as the team is learning Malukas. In racing, car setups are a blend of science and driver preference. Teams often aim to build a versatile car that can be fine-tuned for different conditions. However, a lot comes down to how each driver feels behind the wheel. Drivers have unique driving styles, and their feedback helps engineers make adjustments to the car. Interestingly, many teams welcome different driver styles, especially in development stages. Having a mix of drivers with varying approaches gives engineers a broader data set to work with, helping them fine-tune the car's performance across a wider range of conditions. While one driver might prefer a more aggressive setup with a looser rear end, another might want a car that feels more planted and stable. Malukas is early in his career, especially driving with a new team. So, having Ferrucci as a teammate with two solid seasons with Foyt initiates a starting point. As a result, Malukas' 2025 finishes are a mixed bag, but that's because what Ferrucci likes in a car differs from Malukas' driving style. Malukas charged from 17th to finish 13th in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. He qualified 12th and finished 18th in The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. 'We're just working off of Santino's setup and working from that baseline into something that we like,' Malukas said. 'So, hopefully eventually we can get to the point where, 'OK, let's unload the data.' I think we're getting already so much closer.' Ferrucci delivered a career-high 11 top-10 finishes last year. He finished a career-best ninth in the championship standings. Both marks were the best for the team in more than two decades. Ferrucci also won the first NTT P1 Award of his career at Portland International Raceway, the first pole for the team since 2014. Ferrucci leads Malukas by one spot (17th to 18th) and three points in the standings. 'It's very different,' Malukas said of Ferrucci's car setup. 'He really wants it to be the rear end sliding everywhere, and it's not easy,' he said. The next step of improvement will come when the team can dial in more of what Malukas likes in a car. That process continues to evolve, including at Thursday's private test on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Coming up are the Indianapolis 500 Open Test next month in addition to two more race weekends, at Long Beach (April 11-13) and Barber Motorsports Park (May 2-4). Malukas expects the team to collect enough data by that point to start dialing a setup into a car from what he likes at the IMS oval in preparation for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26. During last year's Month of May, Malukas worked with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES content team while nursing torn ligaments in his left wrist from a mountain bike accident in February 2024. That led to a premature release from his Arrow McLaren contract two months later, as he never made a start with that organization. 'I'm excited to go out there and perform and forget this injury ever – well, it's not perfectly back, but it's a lot better, so I'm really excited,' he said. recommended in this topic
Fox Sports
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: PREMA, Robert Shwartzman Work Overtime
INDYCAR Robert Shwartzman did not complete an NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice lap before qualifying 27th for Sunday's The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix – but he had a very good reason for starting last in the field. Around 24 hours before NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday, the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet caught fire exiting Turn 6 on his first lap in Friday's practice session. The team immediately started to thrash in its paddock spot to build a new car from almost the ground up for rookie Shwartzman. The fact the car made a track appearance Saturday was remarkable. 'The damage was so severe we didn't have any other choice than to pivot and go to a backup car,' PREMA Racing CEO Piers Phillips said. By rule, a backup car isn't put together on the trailer. The backup car is just the monocoque portion of the chassis, but an assembly of other parts is required. The situation was intense for the team, especially with a tight deadline to get the car ready in 15 hours for the second practice session, which started at 10 a.m. local time. A normal process of building a race car before a race weekend is two to three days, Phillips said. The engine, hybrid system, a lot of electronics and numerous parts had to be attached to the backup chassis overnight. The work began immediately when the car returned to the paddock and lasted until around 4 a.m. local time. Shwartzman even stepped in to help with the changeover, showing a strong sense of teamwork and dedication. 'I think that shows how the group operates,' Phillips said. 'The camaraderie and the togetherness.' The team nudged Shwartzman to leave its work area around midnight to get some rest and prepare for how to attack the 17-turn, 3.067-mile track near Palm Springs, California. He was back in the morning ready to help with the final preparations to get the car on track to do an install lap in practice. 'I think it sounds really corny, but I think you see how good a team is when it's up against it,' Phillips said. 'The winning part is easy. It's when you've got to come from behind and dig in. And I think that's when you really see. 'I was really pleased, because obviously, for a lot of people, it's the first time they've done this. The attitude, the energy, the kind of upbeat vibe that, yes, there's a few tired people, but everyone's still up for the fight.' January Test Helps Andretti Global Get Up To Speed Andretti Global struggled through The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge weekend last year. Colton Herta was the lone representative among the three drivers in the 20-lap main event of the exhibition race. He finished fourth. Kyle Kirkwood finished 10th in his heat race while Marcus Ericsson crashed in qualifying and finished 12th among 13 drivers in his heat race. The top six finishers in each 10-lap heat advanced to the 12-driver All-Star race. Sunday's 65-lap race airing at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, Fox Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network is a points-paying event. Andretti Global couldn't afford to hemorrhage points, so it used a test day Jan. 28 at Thermal to expedite its growth. That translated into an improved performance this weekend. 'The test was more just to try and get a better baseline setup for us because we were struggling quite a bit here last year,' Ericsson said. 'To be fair, I think we got that.' Herta qualified his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fourth, Ericsson will start fifth in his No. 28 Bryant Honda while Kirkwood rolls off eighth in the No. 27 Chili's Honda. Persistence Helps Daly Land New Sponsor Juncos Hollinger Racing announced before the morning practice session that Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers will sponsor the No. 76 Chevrolet driven by Conor Daly this weekend at The Thermal Club. The car will feature the Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers logo with 76 Renewable Diesel branding. 'It's every day you're just trying to continue to build this program and trying to figure it out,' Daly said. 'So, it's, it's about as Last Minute Larry as you can do, but we're going to keep it going. We're going to keep working on it, so it'll be fun.' Daly is friends with someone in the company and has worked on the sponsorship deal for several years but never got it done until now. 'You got to always try to cross and work on these things,' Daly said. 'It helps our program. And certainly more support, which is really nice.' The iconic 76 orange ball logo was placed on the car at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding with the number 76 replacing 78 as part of the deal. Daly had merchandise made before the season with the number 78 branding on it. 'We're trying to make some merch, and hey, if you bought some 78 merch, it still counts, cause my helmet still says 78 on it,' he said. 'I'm in the same boat as everyone else. And my shoes, too.' Daly Learns from Former F1 Driver Sargeant Daly is among six drivers in the field to have never raced an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car on this track. He used an unconventional method to prepare – calling former Formula One driver Logan Sargeant to get advice on how to attack the 3.067-mile road course. Sargeant, who made 37 F1 starts for Williams Racing, got his first taste of NTT INDYCAR SERIES machinery Nov. 19, completing 84 laps in the No. 06 Honda of Meyer Shank Racing around The Thermal Club. Daly and Sargeant are friends, so Daly called up the former F1 driver for advice. 'He was like, 'Man, degradation,'' Daly said. 'We were just chatting about that. And he was like, 'It's something that we are all aware of, but that makes racing, and it makes it our job tougher, but it should be hard.'' Day qualified 15th for Sunday's race. He started 22nd for the season opener at St. Petersburg. Odds and Ends Pato O'Ward leads the field to green Sunday in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for the sixth time in his career. Five of his six poles have come on natural terrain road courses. The green flag for Sunday's race is 3:22 p.m. ET. The Thermal Club is the third road or street circuit to debut on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar since 2021. Chip Ganassi Racing drivers won the previous two debut races. Ericsson won the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville in 2021, and Alex Palou won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear when it debuted its new course in downtown Detroit in 2023. Palou starts third, Scott Dixon 11th and Kyffin Simpson 20th. The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix will be the first of six natural terrain road course races on the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The other events are scheduled for Barber Motorsports Park on May 4, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 10, Road America on June 22, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 6, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 27 and Portland International Raceway on Aug. 10. recommended
