INDYCAR News for the Month of August 2020

Newgarden takes Gateway Race 2 win – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden took advantage of a quick final pit stop to hold off Pato O’Ward for the win in Race 2 of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The full Top 5 was Newgarden, O’Ward, Power, VeeKay, and Dixon. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/30/2020)

Dixon holds off Sato for Gateway Race 1 win – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon held off a late charge by Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato to win Race 1 of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The full Top 5 was Dixon, Sato, O’Ward, Herta, and Ericsson. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/29/2020)

Power and Sato take pole positions at Gateway – Team Penske’s Will Power (Race 1) and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato (Race 2) earned the pole positions in qualifying for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Full Race 1 qualifying results here. Full Race 2 qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (8/29/2020)

O’Ward tops practice at Gateway – Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward topped the charts in the only NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice session of the weekend at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway with a lap at 181.532mph. The full Top 5 was O’Ward, Power, Dixon, Daly, and Sato. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/28/2020)

Guaranteed Rate extends deal for No. 55 Dale Coyne Racing entry – “Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States, is returning as primary sponsor on the Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh car driven by Alex Palou this weekend. The #55 Guaranteed Rate Honda will be back in action at World Wide Technology Raceway for the Bommarito Automotive Group doubleheader weekend on August 29 and 30 for Rounds 8 and 9 of the 2020 season. Guaranteed Rate made its first appearance on Palou’s car at last weekend’s Indianapolis 500.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (8/28/2020)

Franchitti to drive two-seater at Gateway – Dario Franchitti will drive the Honda two-seater at the front of the field at this weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. – HPD – (8/28/2020)

Furst to join INDYCAR as VP of Communications – Dave Furst is set to join INDYCAR as vice president of communications from Indianapolis’ WRTV-6. Full story at the link. – IndyStar – (8/28/2020)

Report: INDYCAR’s Nashville discussions nearing final agreement – Adam Stern reports INDYCAR’s Thursday visit to discuss a future NTT INDYCAR SERIES event in Downtown Nashville went well. An INDYCAR statement said the following: “We collectively agreed to work toward finalizing an agreement to bring an urban racing festival to Nashville.” More at the link. – Adam Stern – (8/28/2020)

The Open Wheel’s Gateway preview – The Open Wheel’s preview 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (8/27/2020)

Gateway spotter guide – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/27/2020)

Gateway entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/27/2020)

Report: INDYCAR aiming for September 11-13 for Mid-Ohio – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports INDYCAR has “submitted to local authorities for approval” a proposal to stage their NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course over September 11th to 13th. Full story at the link. – RACER – (8/26/2020)

CGR unveils Monster livery for No. 10 at Gateway – Chip Ganassi Racing has unveiled a Monster Energy livery for their No. 10 entry for Felix Rosenqvist this weekend at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Check it out at the link. – Chip Ganassi Racing – (8/26/2020)

Miller’s Mailbag 8/26/20 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (8/26/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/25/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/25/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/26/2020)

Indy 500 was NBC’s second-most watched sporting event since January – “NBC Sports’ presentation of the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 3.737 million viewers, making it NBC Sports’ second-most watched INDYCAR race on record and NBC’s second-most watched sports event since January, according to Fast National Data from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.” Full release at the link. – NBC Sports – (8/25/2020)

Pigot released from hospital after scary Indy 500 crash – Spencer Pigot announced he was released from the hospital on Sunday night after his scary crash that brought out the final caution of the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. – Spencer Pigot – (8/24/2020)

Sato wins 2nd career Indy 500 – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato won the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The full Top 5 was Sato, Dixon, Rahal, Ferrucci, and Newgarden. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/23/2020)

The Open Wheel’s Indy 500 starting grid feature – The Open Wheel’s starting grid feature with photos of all the starting lineup for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (8/21/2020)

Coyne No. 55 adds Guaranteed Rate as primary sponsor for Indy 500 – “Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh is pleased to welcome Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States, as the primary sponsor on Alex Palou’s #55 car for Sunday’s 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. The #55 Guaranteed Rate Honda piloted by the rookie driver will be starting from seventh on the 33-car grid. Palou has been impressive since turning his first ever laps at the 2.5-mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week, finishing every practice and qualifying session in the top 10.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (8/22/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/21/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/21/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/22/2020)

Three generations of the Andretti family to lead Indy 500 to green – “For the first time in its storied history, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) will host three generations of racing royalty on track together just before the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23. Legendary racer Mario Andretti will take his son Michael on a thrill ride in Honda’s Fastest Seat in Sports, before Mario’s grandson and Michael’s son, pole winner Marco Andretti, leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field to the green flag.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (8/21/2020)

O’Ward tops Indy 500 Carb Day practice – Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward topped Carb Day practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with a lap at 225.355mph. The full Top 5 was O’Ward, Dixon, Rossi, Sato, and Askew. There were no incidents in the session. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/21/2020)

The Open Wheel’s Indy 500 livery feature – The Open Wheel’s livery feature with photos of all the cars at the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (8/21/2020)

Carpenter rides with USAF Thunderbirds – Ed Carpenter got to ride with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds on Thursday. Check out a video from the experience at the link. – United States Space Force – (8/21/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/20/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/20/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/21/2020)

GP of Portland announces three-year extension with City – “After reaching a three-year extension to their current agreement, City of Portland and Green Savoree Portland LLC officials announced today that the Grand Prix of Portland will return to the Pacific Northwest and Portland International Raceway (PIR) through at least 2023. The 2021 date for the Grand Prix of Portland at PIR will be announced by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES later this year. The event was cancelled this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Oregon’s statewide restrictions on public gatherings.” Full release at the link. – GP of Portland – (8/20/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/19/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/19/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/20/2020)

IMS confirms Indy 500 pre-race performers – “The stirring sounds of the Singing Surgeons and Jim Cornelison highlight pre-race festivities for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23, performing live at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the emotional and historic countdown to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson, who went viral in March with their Instagram rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Cornelison, a powerful tenor and an IMS fan favorite, returns for his fourth consecutive performance of “Back Home Again in Indiana.”” Full release at the link. – IMS – (8/19/2020)

Miller’s Mailbag 8/19/20 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (8/19/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/18/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/18/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/19/2020)

Report: Team Penske full-timers to return for ’21 – The Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Brown reports Roger Penske told him the three 2020 full-time Team Penske drivers are expected to return for 2021. There has been speculation one of their drivers could be on the move to bring in the team’s Supercars star Scott McLaughlin. Full story at the link. – Indianapolis Star – (8/18/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/17/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/17/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/18/2020)

USAF Thunderbirds to perform pre-race flyover before Indy 500 – “The world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform the pre-race flyover for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pre-race coverage for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” starts at 1 p.m. (ET) on NBC, with the green flag scheduled for 2:30 p.m. “America’s Ambassadors in Blue” – officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron – will fly in their signature “Delta” formation over IMS in an impressive display of their skill and their precision.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (8/17/2020)

Marco fastest again in Sunday Indy 500 practice – Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti followed up his pole-winning performance by pacing Sunday practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with a lap at 224.122mph. The full Top 5 was Andretti, Castroneves, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, and Ferrucci. Dixon had an incident in the session but was checked, cleared, and released and returned to the track within the session. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/16/2020)

Marco takes pole for 104th Indy 500 – Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti earned the pole for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday with a 4-lap average of 231.068mph. The Fast Nine order on the first three rows of the grid will be Andretti, Dixon, Sato, VeeKay, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe, Palou, Rahal, and Rossi. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (8/16/2020)

Davison to miss Sunday Indy 500 practice to drive at Daytona – Rick Ware Racing reports James Davison will miss Sunday practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race as he will drive for the team’s NASCAR entry in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the Daytona International Speedway road course. – Rick Ware Racing – (8/16/2020)

Marco leads Andretti Top 4 in Saturday quals; Penske cars miss Top 9 – Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti’s 4-lap average at 231.351mph was fastest in Saturday qualifying for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The full Top 9 advancing to compete for the pole on Sunday are Andretti, Hunter-Reay, Rossi, Hinchcliffe, Dixon, VeeKay, Palou, Rahal, and Sato. All four Team Penske cars finished outside of the Top 9 with Newgarden the top performer in P13. There were no incidents. Full Saturday qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (8/15/2020)

The Open Wheel’s Indy 500 livery feature – The Open Wheel’s livery feature with photos of all the cars at the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (8/14/2020)

Marco tops the charts in Fast Friday Indy 500 practice – Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti’s lap at 233.491mph topped the charts in Fast Friday practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The full Top 5 was Andretti, Daly, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, and Pigot. There were no incidents. Hunter-Reay topped the no tow report at 232.124mph. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/14/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/13/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/13/20 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (8/14/2020)

Dixon posts quickest time in Thursday Indy 500 practice – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon’s lap at 226.102mph was fastest in Thursday practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The full Top 5 was Dixon, Sato, Andretti, Daly, and Palou. Alonso had the only incident of the session (see paragraph below). Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/13/2020)

Alonso crashes in Thursday Indy 500 practice – Arrow McLaren SP’s Fernando Alonso crashed during Thursday practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. View the incident here and his interview after he was checked, cleared, and released here. – INDYCAR – (8/13/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/12/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/12/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/13/2020)

Hinch fastest in Wednesday Indy 500 practice – Andretti Autosport’s James Hinchcliffe’s lap at 224.526mph was fastest in Wednesday practice for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The full Top 5 was Hinchcliffe, Andretti, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, and Alonso. There were no incidents. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/12/2020)

Spotter guide released for 104th Indy 500 – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been posted. Check it out at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/12/2020)

Miller’s Mailbag 8/12/20 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (8/12/2020)

IMS announces 2020 Corvette Stingray as official Indy 500 pace car – “A Torch Red 2020 Corvette Stingray coupe will serve as the Official Pace Car for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, continuing Chevrolet’s tradition of leading the field to the green flag. The Pace Car will be driven by GM President Mark Reuss. This year, the race will be held outside of May for the first time – Sunday, Aug. 23 – with live NBC coverage at 2:30 p.m. (ET). This marks the 17th time a Corvette has served as the Pace Car, starting in 1978, and the 31st time a Chevrolet has led the field dating to 1948 when a Fleetmaster Six convertible held the honor.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (8/12/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/11/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/11/20 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/12/2020)

RLL announces Hy-Vee as primary sponsor of No. 45 at Indy 500 – “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that Hy-Vee, Inc., an employee-owned supermarket chain that operates more than 275 retail stores across eight Midwestern states, will be the primary sponsor of Spencer Pigot’s No. 45 NTT INDYCAR SERIES entry at the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, August 23.” View the livery on our No. 45 livery page here. Full release at the link. – RLL – (8/11/2020)

Entry list released for 104th Indy 500 – The entry list for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been posted. It features 33 car and driver combinations. Check it out at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/10/2020)

DragonSpeed confirms 33rd Indy 500 entry for Hanley – DragonSpeed has confirmed an entry for their No. 81 machine for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race for driver Ben Hanley. This makes 33 entries for the race. – DragonSpeed – (8/8/2020)

U.S. Space Force primary sponsor for ECR No. 20 at Indy 500 – “The U.S. Space Force announced a partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing this morning on FOX & Friends. Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, Chief of Space Operations unveiled the No. 20 U.S. Space Force Chevrolet with driver and team owner Ed Carpenter. The three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner will carry the colors of the U.S.’s new military branch in this year’s 500-mile race, scheduled for August 23, 2020. Through ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ Carpenter and ECR will build awareness of the U.S. Space Force in race fans and Americans all over the country.” View the livery on our No. 20 livery page here. Full release at the link. – ECR – (8/8/2020)

Davison gets Indy 500 ride with Coyne and various partners – James Davison will drive the No. 51 Honda entry for Dale Coyne Racing with NASCAR team Rick Ware Racing and a multitude of sponsors in the upcoming 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Full story at the link. – NBC Sports – (8/8/2020)

Trackside podcast 8/5/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/5/20 is a great listen as always. Mike Hull is a guest on the show. – 107.5 The Fan – (8/5/2020)

Miller’s Mailbag 8/5/20 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (8/5/2020)

IMS announces decision to hold Indy 500 with no spectators – “It is with great regret that we announce the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on Aug. 23 without fans. This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership. As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened. Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment. We encourage Hoosiers to continue making smart decisions and following the advice of our public health officials so we can help get Indiana back on track.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (8/4/2020)

Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio postponed to later in 2020 – “INDYCAR and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course have agreed to postpone The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio scheduled for Aug. 7-9 until a date to be determined in September or October. This decision was made through communication with local health officials given the current environment. Our team continues to work with all of our partners and our local government to identify a date later this year when we can host The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available. Visit midohio.com for ongoing updates.” Full release at the link. – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – (8/1/2020)

ECR announces Pearn as lead engineer for No. 47 at Indy 500 – “Ed Carpenter Racing has welcomed championship-winning crew chief Cole Pearn to its engineering staff for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Pearn will return to racing for the Month of August, serving as lead engineer for Conor Daly. Daly will compete in ECR’s third entry, the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet…He became an engineer with Richard Childress Racing before shifting to Denver-based Furniture Row Racing. In 2015, he was promoted to crew chief of the team’s No. 78 with driver Martin Truex. The pair won the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series championship, competed in the title race in four of five years, and won a series-high seven races last year.” Full release at the link. – ECR – (7/29/2020)

Johnson completes exciting IMS INDYCAR test – Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson tested an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car with Chip Ganassi Racing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Tuesday and by all accounts it went well. Scott Dixon and Mike Hull worked with Johnson throughout the day and gave great reviews. Johnson has raved about his experience to the media and on his social media and it’s believed there may be an opportunity for this to grow to races somewhere down the line. Full story from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (7/29/2020)

Miller’s Mailbag 7/29/20 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (7/29/2020)

Trackside podcast 7/28/20 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 7/28/20 is a great listen as always. Mike Hull is a guest on the show. – 107.5 The Fan – (7/29/2020)

INDYCAR announces Portland and Laguna Seca cancellation and adds doubleheaders – “The NTT INDYCAR SERIES released an updated 2020 race calendar today featuring several modifications. Three events already scheduled on the series calendar will now become doubleheader weekends, including INDYCAR’s upcoming race weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Prior to the originally scheduled Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, Aug. 9, the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will square off in another championship-points paying event Saturday, Aug. 8. In addition, the race weekends at World Wide Technology Raceway in August and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in October will become doubleheader weekends. WWTR will feature races Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30. IMS will add a road course race Friday, Oct. 2 before the already scheduled event Saturday, Oct. 3.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (7/27/2020)

INDYCAR News From Last Month