INDYCAR News for the Week of March 1 – 10, 2019
The Open Wheel’s Sunday St. Pete photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s Parker Hall’s photo gallery from Sunday NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights action at the 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/10/2019)
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Newgarden starts off ’19 with a win at St. Pete – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the first race of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season with a win at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The full Top 5 was Newgarden, Dixon, Power, Rosenqvist, and Rossi. Full race results here. – INDYCAR – (3/10/2019)
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VeeKay grabs first Lights win in Race 2 at St. Pete – Juncos Racing rookie Rinus VeeKay won Indy Lights Race 2 on the Streets of St. Petersburg from pole position and led every lap. The full Top 5 was VeeKay, Claman, Sowery, Malukas, and Falchero. Full race results here. – Indy Lights – (3/10/2019)
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Sato fastest in morning warmup at St. Pete – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato topped the morning warmup for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:01.0942. The full Top 5 order was Sato, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, Rossi, and Leist. Full session results here. – INDYCAR – (3/10/2019)
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INDYCAR adds streaming deal for select Central and South American countries – “As part of its strategy to increase engagement with fans in Latin America, INDYCAR will livestream all 2019 NTT IndyCar Series races on IndyCar.com in Mexico and select markets in Central America and South America, excluding Brazil. In Brazil, the NTT IndyCar Series will air on both free-to-air TV and subscription services in 2019.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/10/2019)
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The Open Wheel’s Saturday St. Pete photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s Parker Hall’s photo gallery from Saturday NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights action at the 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/9/2019)
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The Open Wheel’s Firestone GP of St. Pete livery page – The Open Wheel’s livery feature of all the NTT IndyCar Series cars at the 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/9/2019)
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The Open Wheel’s Indy Lights St. Pete livery page – The Open Wheel’s livery feature of all the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires from the 2019 Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Cooper Tires is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/9/2019)
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Power wins 8th St. Pete pole – Team Penske’s Will Power won his eighth career Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg pole on Saturday with a lap of 1:00.459. The full Firestone Fast 6 order was Power, Newgarden, Rosenqvist, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, and Rossi. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (3/9/2019)
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Claman wins from pole in Lights Race 1 at St. Pete – Belardi Auto Racing’s Zachary Claman won Indy Lights Race 1 on the Streets of St. Petersburg from pole position and led every lap. The full Top 5 was Claman, Sowery, Askew, Malukas, and VeeKay. Full race results here. – Indy Lights – (3/9/2019)
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Hunter-Reay fastest again in Practice 3 at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay turned the fastest lap of Practice 3 for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:00.8966. The full Top 5 was Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, Sato, Pagenaud, and Power. Full session results here. – INDYCAR – (3/9/2019)
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Askew takes pole for Lights Race 2 at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport rookie Oliver Askew grabbed his first Indy Lights pole in Race 2 qualifying on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:05.5092. The full Top 5 was Askew, VeeKay, Megennis, Claman, and Sowery. Full session results here. – Indy Lights – (3/9/2019)
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Hunter-Reay leads the way in Practice 2 at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay topped Practice 2 for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:00.8969. The full Top 5 was Hunter-Reay, Pigot, Andretti, Herta, and Chilton. Full session results here. – INDYCAR – (3/8/2019)
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Claman takes pole for Lights Race 1 at St. Pete – Belardi Auto Racing’s Zachary Claman earned the pole for Indy Lights Race 1 on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:05.8084. The full Top 5 was Claman, Sowery, Askew, Malukas, and Megennis. Full session results here. – Indy Lights – (3/8/2019)
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Coyne w/Byrd-Hollinger-Belardi to enter ’19 Indy 500 with Davison as driver – “James Davison will be making a return to Dale Coyne Racing for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 in May as the team partners with Jonathan Byrd’s Racing, Hollinger MotorSport, and Belardi Auto Racing to run the #33 car for the Australian driver.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (3/8/2019)
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Schmidt named Grand Marshall for 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade – “The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500®, today announced that Sam Schmidt has been named Grand Marshal of the 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade.” Full release at the link. – 500 Festival – (3/8/2019)
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Rosenqvist fastest in Practice 1 at St. Pete – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist was fastest in the first NTT IndyCar Series practice of the year in Practice 1 for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:01.8215. The full Top 5 was Rosenqvist, Hunter-Reay, Ericsson, Dixon, and Rossi. Full session results here. – INDYCAR – (3/8/2019)
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Wickens’ story featured on Good Morning America – Good Morning America aired a segment on Robert Wickens’ incident and subsequent recovery. Check it out at the link. – GMA – (3/8/2019)
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Norman tops Lights practice at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Norman topped the charts in the only Indy Lights practice session of the weekend on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:05.9662. The full Top 5 was Norman, Askew, Claman, Malukas, and Megennis. Full session results here. – Indy Lights – (3/8/2019)
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The Open Wheel’s St. Pete preview – The Open Wheel’s preview of the opening INDYCAR race weekend of the season on the Streets of St. Petersburg is available at the link. It features full NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights weekend information, historical stats, predictions, fantasy advance, and more. – The Open Wheel – (3/7/2019)
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Carlin adds O’Ward for 13 races in ’19 including Indy 500 – “Reigning Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires champion Patricio O’Ward will compete in 13 NTT IndyCar Series races this season for Carlin. The 19-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, will be in the team’s second car for 12 races and in a third entry at the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge…O’Ward’s first race with Carlin will be at the INDYCAR Classic, March 22-24 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. He will team with Max Chilton at all 13 races, as well as with Charlie Kimball at the Indy 500. Kimball is scheduled to drive the second Carlin entry in the races where O’Ward will not compete.” Full release from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/7/2019)
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Lights St. Pete entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Cooper Tires on the Streets of St. Petersburg is available at the link. Ten cars are entered for the first race weekend of the season. – Indy Lights – (3/6/2019)
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Belardi adds Falchero to full-season Lights program – “GP3 veteran Julien Falchero joins Belardi Auto Racing for the entirety of the 2019 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. The French native will be piloting the the No. four machine for Belardi Auto Racing. After spending the past year competing for British team Arden Racing in the GP3 series, 22 year old Falchero makes the move to the U.S. with his eyes fixed on the 2019 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship.” Full release at the link. – Belardi Auto Racing – (3/6/2019)
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INDYCAR announces additional international broadcast deals – “INDYCAR’s exciting 2019 season will be shown worldwide as INDYCAR Media, the in-house global distribution arm of INDYCAR’s international media rights, has secured deals for NTT IndyCar Series action to be shown in approximately 100 nations. The 17-race season begins this weekend with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida. Qualifying will be held Saturday, with the race on Sunday. Among the nations reaching agreements to broadcast INDYCAR content in 2019 are Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Sweden, France, New Zealand and Brazil.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/6/2019)
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Wickens to attend race weekend at St. Pete – Robert Wickens will be in attendance for the NTT IndyCar Series race weekend at the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Wickens has public appearances scheduled for Friday and Sunday. More details at the link. – Robert Wickens – (3/6/2019)
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Miller’s Mailbag 3/6/19 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/6/2019)
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Hitachi and Team Penske announce continued partnership for ’19 – “Team Penske and Hitachi Group today announced a continuation of their partnership for the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season. Team Penske will enter its 53rd year of racing competition in 2019, and Hitachi is proud to carry on its dynamic relationship with Team Penske for the eighth-consecutive season. Team Penske and Hitachi have shared success both on and off the track since becoming partners in 2012. After a productive five-year relationship with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, Hitachi was paired with 2017 IndyCar Series Champion Josef Newgarden beginning with the 2018 season. This year, the familiar Hitachi branding will adorn Newgarden’s No. 2 Dallara/Chevrolet for eight of the 17 IndyCar Series races.” Full release at the link. – Team Penske – (3/5/2019)
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St. Pete spotter guide – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for the NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/5/2019)
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St. Pete entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/5/2019)
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SealMaster returns as primary sponsor on No. 18 for ’19 – “Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan announced today it has reached an agreement that will see SealMaster Paving Products as the title sponsor of the No. 18 SealMaster – Dale Coyne Racing w/Vasser-Sullivan entry for the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season.” Full release at the link. – DCRVS – (3/5/2019)
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Scuderia Corsa adds Flex-Box support for St. Pete – “Scuderia Corsa and the No. 20 entry driven by Ed Jones begin a new challenge together at the season opener of NTT IndyCar in St. Petersburg, Florida. Joining Scuderia Corsa at the inaugural 2019 NTT IndyCar race on car No. 20, is Hong-Kong based shipping conglomerate Flex-Box, the international leader in innovation and development of shipping containers. Hosting Flex-Box at a highlight event on the IndyCar calendar further broadens Flex-Box notoriety through and in motorsport.” Full release at the link. – Scuderia Corsa – (3/5/2019)
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Trackside podcast 3/4/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/4/19 is a great listen as always. Scott Goodyear is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (3/5/2019)
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IMS mailing out Indy 500 tickets – “Green and checkered arguably are the favorite color schemes of any Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge enthusiast, but fans also should look out for another one of their preferred hues very soon. The initial ticket mailing – sent in the famous light-blue envelopes from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office – started today for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26. Federal postal inspectors come to IMS with a large truck for the first mailing, and many IMS employees pitch in to help load the truck…It takes approximately nine to 10 weeks to package all pre-ordered tickets for mailing, from orders the day after the previous year’s race up to current orders. Hard work from employees in the Ticket Office and a computerized system administered by the IMS Information Services department ensure the ticketing process runs smoothly and on schedule.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (3/5/2019)
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Norman fastest in second Lights test session at Homestead – Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Norman led the second and final test session of the day for Indy Lights on the road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a lap of 1:15.1962. The full Top 5 was Norman, Megennis, Falchero, Claman, and Askew. Full session results here. – The Open Wheel – (3/4/2019)
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Dungy named grand marshal for St. Pete – “Tony Dungy, the Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach who currently serves as an analyst on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” will serve as the grand marshal of this weekend’s 15th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the inaugural race of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series. On Sunday (March 10), Dungy will give the command for Indy car drivers to start their engines, effectively kicking off the 17-race NTT IndyCar Series season, from the passenger seat in a Honda-powered two-seat Indy car known as “Honda’s Fastest Seat in Sports.” Once Dungy gives the command, he’ll lead the parade lap ahead of the rest of the field in the Honda Indy car, driven by racing legend Mario Andretti.” Full release at the link. – Firestone GP of St. Petersburg – (3/4/2019)
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Report: IndyCar warmup sessions to be expanded in ’19 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports INDYCAR will increase the number of NTT IndyCar Series morning warmup sessions in 2019. Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will have warmup sessions in addition to the street courses this year. Full story at the link. – RACER – (3/4/2019)
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Askew quickest in first Lights test session at Homestead – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew was quickest in the first test session of the day for Indy Lights on the road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a lap of 1:16.0139. The full Top 5 was Askew, Megennis, Malukas, Claman, and Norman. Full session results here. – The Open Wheel – (3/4/2019)
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IMS announces Month of May schedule – “The 2019 Month of May schedule is set for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, highlighted by 11 days of on-track activity for fans and a new format adding more action and drama to both days of qualifying for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Thirty-three drivers will line up to take the green flag for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at 12:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 26 on the historic, 2.5-mile oval. The sixth INDYCAR Grand Prix will kick off the Month of May at IMS at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11 on the 2.439-mile road course. Will Power of Team Penske will attempt to repeat his unprecedented sweep of both NTT IndyCar Series races in 2018.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (3/1/2019)
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Sky Sports to air all ’19 NTT IndyCar Series races in the UK – “Sky Sports will show every round of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series, including the world-famous Indianapolis 500, on the Sky Sports F1 channel after agreeing a new partnership with INDYCAR. The agreement means that every qualifying session and every race from all 17 rounds, starting with the 2019 curtain-raiser in St Petersburg, Florida on 10 March, will be live on Sky Sports F1. The pinnacle of the Series, the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500, takes place on 26 May.” Full release at the link. – Sky Sports – (3/1/2019)
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INDYCAR confirms 2019 Indy 500 qualifying procedure – “Bumping to secure locked-in grid positions on both qualifying days, the thrilling Fast Nine Shootout for the pole position and an opportunity to preview the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge with a full-field practice await NTT IndyCar Series fans May 18-19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway…The drama on Saturday, May 18 will be intense with competitors battling for one of the 30 locked-in starting positions and a berth in the Fast Nine Shootout the following day. Each entry is guaranteed one attempt and multiple four-lap runs may be made as time permits. Cars in positions 10 through 30 at the end of first-day qualifying on May 18 are locked into those starting spots for the race and will not re-qualify the next day…NBC’s coverage on Sunday, May 19 (12-3 p.m.) will feature two highly competitive battles – for the last three starting positions in the field of 33 and the pole-deciding Fast Nine Shootout to determine the starting order of the first three rows…Sunday’s action will be capped by a practice of nearly three hours that should serve as a preview of the Indianapolis 500. Cars will be trimmed in race setup and running in groups. NBCSN will provide the coverage (3-6 p.m.).” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/28/2019)
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DRR announces ’19 Indy 500 deal for Karam – “WIX® Filters announced today it is returning to the 2019 Indianapolis 500 set for May 26 with a continuation of its partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as chief technical partner for the team’s No. 24 Indy 500 entry and driver Sage Karam.” See the livery on our No. 24 livery page here. Full release at the link. – DRR – (2/28/2019)
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Trackside podcast 2/27/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 2/27/19 is a great listen as always. Pippa Mann, Tim Clauson, Taylor Kiel, Elton Julian, and Ed Jones are guests on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (2/28/2019)
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Clauson-Marshall Racing announces Indy 500 entry for Mann – “Today, Clauson-Marshall Racing, the United States Auto Club National sprint car champion team, announced they are partnering with Ross Motorsports, Indiana Donor Network and their Driven2SaveLives campaign to field an entry for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26, 2019. IndyCar Driver Pippa Mann will pilot the #39 Driven2SaveLives Clauson-Marshall Racing Chevrolet. Representatives from Clauson-Marshall Racing, Indiana Donor Network and Indianapolis Motor Speedway joined Mann today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to announce the entry and unveil the car.” See the livery on our No. 39 livery page here. Full release at the link. – Clauson-Marshall Racing – (2/27/2019)
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INDYCAR confirms LED panels for all cars in ’19 – “NTT IndyCar Series cars will again be equipped with LED displays to better assist fans with understanding how each driver is performing in every session this season and to aid the efforts of the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team in attending to disabled cars. The previous-generation matrix LED (light-emitting diode) system was discontinued midway through the 2018 season due to performance inconsistency on the cars. INDYCAR, the sanctioning body for the NTT IndyCar Series, contracted with a new manufacturer, MoTeC, to modify a system used in IMSA and apply it to NTT IndyCar Series cars for 2019.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/27/2019)
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Miller’s Mailbag 2/27/19 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (2/27/2019)
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Juncos announces Kellett as full-time Lights driver for ’19 – “Juncos Racing announced today Dalton Kellett would join the team for the 2019 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season. Kellett joins Indy Pro 2000 Champion Rinus VeeKay for Juncos Racing’s two car line-up. Dalton Kellett (Toronto, Canada) recently completed his third season in Indy Lights where he captured one pole and two podiums. The Canadian recorded three podiums between the 2016-2017 seasons and won the Hi-Tide Boat Lifts Kids on Track Spirit Award in 2017.” Full release at the link. – Juncos Racing – (2/26/2019)
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McLaren confirms No. 66 for Indy 500 – “Fernando Alonso will run with #66 on his car when he makes his return to the Indianapolis 500 with McLaren Racing in May. Fernando will be making his second appearance with McLaren at the 103rd running of the 500, having starred on his debut in the race in 2017, when he was entered as #29. The choice of #66 is to honour McLaren’s first victory at the Brickyard, achieved with Mark Donohue’s Penske-run M16 in 1972.” Full release at the link. – McLaren – (2/26/2019)
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