IZOD IndyCar Series News
Franchitti handed Target Chip Ganassi its fourth Indy 500 victory in a dominating performance under a searing sun (90 degrees at the green flag) and worldwide spotlight – 45 years after his hero, Jim Clark, won at Indy.
Will Power, whose drive to an IZOD IndyCar Series’ record three consecutive victories was derailed April 11 at Barber Motorsports Park, is back on track.
Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, recorded a quick lap of 1 minute, 09.3185 seconds in the 10-minute Firestone Fast Six shootout on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit to earn the PEAK Performance Pole Award for the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, recorded a quick lap of 1 minute, 09.3185 seconds in the 10-minute Firestone Fast Six shootout on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit to earn the PEAK Performance Pole Award for the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, the newest member of the Andretti Autosport quartet, received a bear hug from the CEO in Victory Circle. That meant a lot coming from a racing champion – Michael Andretti.
Sebastian Saavedra, driving the No. 29 William Rast/Bryan Herta Autosport car, topped the time chart with a quick lap of 1:15.1732 on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn circuit.
Helio Castroneves, waiting in the No. 3 Team Penske car for the start of the morning practice session on the Long Beach temporary street circuit, thought he had suppressed the torrent of emotions of the previous six months.
Five things to watch during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18: Penske street power, Looking for victory No. 6, Marco looking to extend streak, Forward progress, and Hitting the brakes.
The No. 26 car had to pit for a 3.3-second splash of 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol on Lap 82 of 90, relinquishing the lead to Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves.
That’s all it took in a race full of strategy and excietment – with all 25 cars running at the finish for the first time in IZOD IndyCar Series history, only two full-course cautions breaking up the lap dashes and a crowd double what the promoter was expecting cheering every lap.
That’s all it took in a race full of strategy and excietment – with all 25 cars running at the finish for the first time in IZOD IndyCar Series history, only two full-course cautions breaking up the lap dashes and a crowd double what the promoter was expecting cheering every lap.
Will Power topping the Timing & Scoring lap time has been a familiar sight at Barber Motorsports Park.
Let’s see, there was the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test back in late February. Then there was practice on April 9 and the first two rounds of qualifications. Finally, the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car had the quickest lap time in the 10-minute Firestone Fast Six session and Power claimed his second PEAK Performance Pole Award of the season.
Let’s see, there was the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test back in late February. Then there was practice on April 9 and the first two rounds of qualifications. Finally, the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car had the quickest lap time in the 10-minute Firestone Fast Six session and Power claimed his second PEAK Performance Pole Award of the season.
Andretti Autosport chairman and CEO Michael Andretti announced that the team will field the No. 43 Team Window World car for his cousin at Kansas Speedway on May 1 and for the Indianapolis 500 on May 30. After his debut on the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway oval in the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300, John Andretti will attempt to qualify for his 11th Indy 500. Opening Day is May 15, with qualifications on May 22 and 23.
Takuma Sato will drive on a familiar racetrack – an anomaly during his first IZOD IndyCar Series season – next week at Barber Motorsports Park in the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union.
Andretti Autosport has announced a joint effort with Richard Petty and sponsor Window World to field a fifth IZOD IndyCar Series entry with driver John Andretti, according to a news release. The team will compete at Kansas Speedway May 1 and in the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.
Just in case Will Power wasn’t cognizant of the calendar, Dario Franchitti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Justin Wilson – and a host of other IZOD IndyCar Series drivers – will quickly remind him that the season is a marathon.
Alex Tagliani didn’t forget Bruno Junqueira’s gracious act at last year’s Indianapolis 500, and the Brazilian driver will compete for a starting berth this May in a second FAZZT Race Team car.
Junqueira qualified a Conquest Racing car on Bump Day in the 30th position. But he stepped out of the entry for Tagliani, who had failed to make the field.
Junqueira qualified a Conquest Racing car on Bump Day in the 30th position. But he stepped out of the entry for Tagliani, who had failed to make the field.
Will Power might have started this season as the afterthought in Penske Racing's loaded IndyCar stable of drivers.
But with the racing surface quickly drying in the mid-morning sun, 24 cars took the green flag without rain tires attached. Ticket holders who returned and weekday downtown workers who filled in the grandstands (gates were opened for free admission) were treated to a quite a show – 10 lead changes among eight drivers, dramatic runs in the corners, crashes and Will Power holding off Justin Wilson by 0.8244 of a second to take the checkered flag in the 100-lap event.
Sunshine broke through the clouds just as Grammy-award winner Jon Secada hit the final notes of the national anthem, eliciting cheers from spectators and a quiet “thank you” from event promoters and Mayor Bill Foster.
The sixth Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was postponed 18 hours because of more than 4 inches of rain that overwhelmed the temporary street circuit and, in conjunction with lightning, created unsafe conditions for race participants and ticket holders.
The sixth Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was postponed 18 hours because of more than 4 inches of rain that overwhelmed the temporary street circuit and, in conjunction with lightning, created unsafe conditions for race participants and ticket holders.
The scene was a first for both the team owner and 21-year-old driver – her first race not in the No. 67 Dollar General car and his first time behind the wheel for the 3-year-old IZOD IndyCar Series team. Rahal is driving for Sarah Fisher Racing this weekend and at Barber Motorsports Park on April 9-11 for the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
Goodyear, watching the Pace Car Team loosen up the brakes of the Honda Accords on March 25, predicts that the diverse series schedule – which includes nine street/road events -- will again produce a tight championship race.
Honda Canada was introduced as the title sponsor for the Honda Indy Edmonton on July 23-25. The announcement makes Honda Canada the title sponsor of both Canadian IZOD IndyCar Series races in addition to the August event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Power, who won the season opener in Brazil two weeks ago, topped the lap time chart on another temporary street circuit in St. Pete in preparation for the three rounds of qualifications March 27 with a best of 1 minute, 2.3200 seconds (103.979 mph).
In the inaugural Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Ryan Briscoe led 43 of the 100 laps only to be involved in a multi-car logjam in Turn 10 that relegated him to 14th place. In his next visit, in 2008, Briscoe started fifth and led 11 laps only to again be knocked from contention by contact.
There’s a caveat in Graham Rahal’s deal with Sarah Fisher Racing: He has to introduce the team owner/driver to Jim Tressel, football coach at The Ohio State University. Just joking.
Four drivers competed in their first series race (plus 2007 Firestone Indy Lights champion Alex Lloyd participating in his first street/road course event) March 14 in the São Paulo Indy 300 with mixed results but experience to transfer to the next event on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
The classic Racing Green and Yellow livery used on Lotus Racing cars in the 1950s and ‘60s returns to North America, with its debut on the No. 5 KV Racing Technology car in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 28.
Defending champion Dario Franchitti of Scotland won the pole position for the IndyCar season-opener on the streets of Sao Paulo on Sunday.