News for the Week of April 25, 2016 – May 1, 2016

ECR unveils PFS liveries for No.’s 6 & 21 – Ed Carpenter Racing unveiled their Preferred Freezer Services liveries for the No. 6 & No. 21 cars for both the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. See the liveries on our No. 6 and No. 21 livery pages. – Ed Carpenter Racing – (5/1/2016)

Report – INDYCAR race weekend in Boston called off – RACER reports that Grand Prix of Boston organizers have called off their event and are exploring other options. “An event of this magnitude requires considerable city and state support, and though we did overcome significant obstacles and demands that have been presented to us, the most recent demands regarding the flood zone issues and requirements of additional expenditure on the line of credit with no guarantees of overcoming those issues have left us no options but to cancel the race in Boston and look at other options,” said John Casey, CEO and President of the Grand Prix of Boston in a statement. “At this juncture the demands that have been asked of us make this event in Boston economically unviable and despite robust corporate partnerships and excellent tickets sales, if we have no guarantee of MEPA approval then time was of the essence to make this difficult decision. It is very disappointing for everyone who has worked so hard on the event and all of our corporate partners and fans who have supported the Grand Prix of Boston.” Full details at the link. – RACER – (4/29/2016)

“Lionheart – Remembering Dan Wheldon” to be released at IMS – “From the week of the Angie’s List GP of Indy onwards, you will be able to purchase the book for $74.99 (£49.99) at any of the Legends stores on-site at the Speedway. There will also be several promotional events at the track throughout the month, giving you plenty of opportunity to meet the team and maybe get your copy signed by some of the motorsport legends involved in this very special project.” Keep an eye on the Amazon listing here. – Lionheart – (4/29/2016)

Downtown Georgia Street to Host Free “Rock-IN-Roar 500” Music Festival on May 20 – “All are invited to the public are invited to this free, family-friendly event. Rock-IN-Roar 500 is a free music festival and community celebration that officially “drops the green flag” on Race Week in Indianapolis. Food and alcohol will be available for purchase. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite race-day attire. Witness this once-in-a-lifetime event as 500 local musicians, led by John Mellencamp keyboardist Troye Kinnett and IndyCar driver Will Power, join together to perform One Republic’s “Love Runs Out” in a musical tribute to the spirit of the 100th Indy 500. Local and national acts will also perform throughout the night, with star radio personality Kristi Lee joining IndyCar driver Townsend Bell as hosts and emcees. Food trucks and beer and wine will be on-site to keep the party going late on this Friday before Indianapolis 500 qualifications. Attendees will also be treated to the debut of SPECTACLE: Sights & Sounds of the Indy 500 on Georgia Street, a free Indy 500-themed light show featuring some of the most memorable radio calls from 100 years of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Following the event, SPECTACLE will continue through Race Day, (Sunday, May 29) at 9 p.m., 9:20, 9:40, and 10 each night on Georgia Street.” – IMS – (4/29/2016)

IMS posts construction update – Indianapolis Motor Speedway has posted an excellent update on their Project 100 construction. Plenty of pictures and specific updates available at the link. – IMS – (4/29/2016)

Alfe to unveil No. 35 car on May 10th – Alfe Heat Treating, the sponsor for AJ Foyt Racing’s No. 35 entry for both IMS races in May to be driven by Alex Tagliani, will officially unveil “their” car at the Foyt Wine Vault on May 10th. They’re also sanctioning a contest for free tickets to the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis: “Before the racing begins, five race fans will have already experienced the luck by entering a Facebook contest one week prior to the special unveiling event. Alfe Heating is sponsoring a contest for which five winners will receive two tickets for the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indy on May 14th.” – NBC Sports – (4/29/2016)

Profile of Dale Pelfrey – The Indy Lights website has posted an excellent profile and interview of Team Pelfrey owner Dale Pelfrey. Good insight into the man who has spotted plenty of young INDYCAR talent and helped them out on the Mazda Road to Indy ladder. – Indy Lights – (4/29/2016)

Furst reports Buddy Lazier’s 500 effort is real – WRTV’s Dave Furst tweeted this on Thursday: “I’m told Buddy Lazier’s #Indy500 effort next month is sponsored & better prepared than last 2 yrs. Full program with Chevy power.” – Dave Furst – (4/28/2016)

IMS Turn 2 hotel plans on hold – Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have been investigating the possibility of a new hotel at Turn 2 and plans are on hold for the moment as the current Turn 2 suites are the ideal location but they’re also a current success. “I would never say never, but I don’t see it happening in the next handful of years,” Speedway President Doug Boles told IBJ this week. On the current Turn 2 Suites: “These seats and suites sell really well where you’d probably have to put it. These suites are sold out,” Boles said. “You’d have to remove that and build new. These suites are a different cultural experience than our suites anywhere else [at the track].” – IBJ – (4/28/2016)

Video of Helio’s American Ninja Warrior run – Fox Sports 975 out of Indianapolis has posted a fan video of Helio Castroneves’ run through the American Ninja Warrior course. Check it out at the link. – Fox Sports 975 – (4/28/2016)

Frye comments on ’17 aero possibilities – David Malsher of Motorsport.com has posted an excellent interview with INDYCAR president of competition and operations Jay Frye as the duo discusses what may or may not be possible as rumors of a homogenized aero kit for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series continue to circulate. Frye mentions that the regulations for ’17 are already in place and if they were to deviate from that it would require groups from both sides agreeing on the solution. Too good to shorten so check it out at the link. – Motorsport.com – (4/28/2016)

INDYCAR participants wait it out for American Ninja Warrior – Rain and storms delayed the American Ninja Warrior course attempts by Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden on Wednesday night but Helio Castroneves took to the course around 1AM. More at the link. – WTHR – (4/28/2016)

Trackside podcast 4/27/16 – 1070 The Fan’s popular Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 4/27/16 is a great listen as always. The duo recaps the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama and begins to preview the Month of May at IMS. – 1070 The Fan – (4/28/2016)

Rucker to perform national anthem before Indy 500 – “Three-time GRAMMY Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Darius Rucker will perform the national anthem before the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Rucker will sing in the traditional spot on “500” Race Day before the 33 drivers are called to their cars and the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana.”” “With just over a month until our historic 100th Running, we are pleased to announce Darius Rucker will perform the national anthem on Race Day,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “Darius has a unique set of skills as a musical artist and connects on a personal level with fans across the globe. We know he’ll deliver a performance befitting such a monumental day and help ensure this year’s pre-race, my own favorite time of the year, is an unforgettable experience.” – IMS – (4/27/2016)

Brabham turns 134 laps in Team Murray Sebring test – Driving one of Sebastien Bourdais’ chassis, Matthew Brabham turned 134 laps at Sebring International Raceway on Tuesday in a test with PIRTEK Team Murray as he and the team prepare for their Indianapolis double in May. “What an awesome day,” Brabham said in a media release. “To arrive at the track at 7 am this morning and see the car in PIRTEK Team Murray branding really brought home that this whole program is real. These cars are obviously a lot more physical to drive than open wheels cars I have been used to in the past and it was a typical hot Florida day, but apart from being a little stiff in the neck, which is to be expected, I feel great.” – NBC Sports – (4/27/2016)

1969 film “Winning” featuring Paul Newman to be shown at IMS on 5/19 – The Indy Film Fest is screening a showing of Winning (1969) featuring Paul Newman at the Pagoda Plaza inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 9PM on Thursday, May 19th. Tickets available at the link. – Eventbrite – (4/27/2016)

Miller’s Mailbag 4/27/16 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (4/27/2016)

KVRT confirms Indy 500 entry for Stefan Wilson – “IndyCar driver Stefan Wilson announced today that he will compete in the 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil with 2013 winners KV Racing Technology. The 26-year old Briton is able to fulfill his dream of competing in the world’s largest one-day sporting event thanks to Indiana Donor Network and Gap Guard.” “Like so many other drivers, I grew up dreaming about the Indianapolis 500 and it’s all I’ve worked toward for the past few years. Justin raced in the 500 eight times and it was a dream to join him on the starting grid and race against him. I just never anticipated a situation where Justin wouldn’t be there with me,” said Stefan Wilson. See the livery here. – NBC Sports – (4/26/2016)

Dixon continues to lead 52 week rankings post-Barber – Scott Dixon continues to lead our tennis-style last 52 week point standings feature after the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama but Juan Pablo Montoya and Graham Rahal are closing in. Simon Pagenaud moved into the Top 5 after the second of his two straight wins. See the full rankings at the link. – The Open Wheel – (4/26/2016)

INDYCAR drivers to compete on American Ninja Warrior in Indy – Verizon IndyCar Series drivers Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden will compete on the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course in Indianapolis on Wednesday. If they can complete the course they’ll move on to the second round on Thursday for the opportunity to advance to the finals in Las Vegas. “I realized that to become a ninja, wow, you have to sacrifice a lot,” said Castroneves. “That’s not my day job so I’ve got to be really careful. You throw yourself through a lot of the areas that, if you are not prepared, you can actually hurt yourself.” – Indianapolis Star – (4/26/2016)

Servia excited to have 500 plans in place already – It’s been rare for Oriol Servia to have his Indy 500 plans in place this early over the last few years and he’s excited to already have his plans in place to drive for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Marotti Racing in an entry for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. “It feels great to have a little more than one night to prepare to jump in a car,” Servia joked. “I had great races in the past at this little place, and it’s coming at a point in my career that I feel the most prepared. So I couldn’t be happier. I also couldn’t be happier to join Sam’s team and organization, who we actually shared the front row in 2011. I know they’re going to give me probably the best shot I could have in a one-race entry program.” More at the link. – NBC Sports – (4/26/2016)

Honda/Herta/Shank are last 500 option for Chaves – Marshall Pruett reports for RACER that Gabby Chaves’ chances for an entry for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race will hinge on a deal for a Honda engine, a chassis from Bryan Herta (plus subsequent updates), a crew from Michael Shank Racing, and financing. “Honda can do the engine; we’re making sure it’s the latest spec, which is what we’re working through right now,” Chaves told RACER. “Shank is interested, but we’re still working on that, and we’re still working on the budget part, which is really tight, and Bryan’s chassis needs to be updated to all of the latest [2016] parts, so that will take money. Those are the things holding us up now. If we had all the budget we needed to update everything and cover the costs to go racing, it would happen. That’s the last hiccup.” More at the link. – RACER – (4/25/2016)

GP of Boston CEO: “”This race is happening” – RACER has posted a nice article after an interview with Grand Prix of Boston CEO John Casey. “This race is happening,” Casey told RACER. “We have had every timetable set forth before us. There’s always obstacles. Man-made, non-man-made. With a big event like this in a big metropolitan city, we’ve met every obstacle, conquered every obstacle, and anything that comes up between now and September 2 we will conquer because we have the support of the state and the city and the majority of the population.” Much more at the link. – RACER – (4/25/2016)

AFS Racing to field own team with Saavedra for the 500 – RACER’s Robin Miller reports that Gary Peterson and AFS Racing will field their own team with Sebastian Saavedra as the driver as an entry for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. “I’m [entered] as AFS Racing and Ganassi is not running my car,” Peterson told RACER. “They can’t do it with a shortage of crew in the series and with the addition of Ford GT sports car program. Chip and Mike [Hull] were so good to me last season and we have a great friendship. But it will be an AFS entry and have a great engineer and acting team manager who have all worked together which we will announce later.” – RACER – (4/25/2016)

KV to announce third Indy 500 entry/drive on Tuesday – “KV Racing Technology to announce third Indy 500 entry on Tuesday, April 26. KV Racing Technology is adding a third driver to its team for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. This announcement will also be streamed live on IndyCar.com.” – IMS Press Release – (4/24/2016)

Pagenaud wins two in a row with Barber victory – Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud followed up his win at Long Beach last week with a victory in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Pagenaud passed Rahal in tight battle late in the race to further extend his championship lead. The rest of the Top 5 was Rahal, Newgarden, Power, and Montoya. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (4/24/2016)

Urrutia grabs first career win in Lights Race 2 at Barber – Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ Santiago Urrutia won his first career race in Indy Lights in Race 2 of the Legacy 100 at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday. He was joined in the Top 5 by Jones, Stoneman, Enerson, and Blackstock. Championship leader Felix Serralles spun on Lap 2 and finished P15. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (4/24/2016)

Servia officially named as driver for SPM/Marotti No. 77 at 500 – “Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) announced today that Oriol Servia will pilot the team’s third entry for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Schmidt Peterson with Marotti Racing No. 77 entry.” – SPM – (4/23/2016)

Pagenaud takes the pole at Barber – Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud won the pole for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama with a lap of 1:06.7262. Sebastien Bourdais set a new track record in Round 2 of qualifying with a lap of 1:06.6001. The rest of the Firestone Fast 6 was Power, Newgarden, Dixon, Bourdais, and Rahal. Juan Pablo Montoya was last in his Round 1 group and will start last in P21. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (4/23/2016)

Jones grabs first win of ’16 in Lights Race 1 at Barber – Carlin’s Ed Jones won Indy Lights Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park from pole and led every lap. He was joined on the podium by teammate Felix Serralles and Zach Veach. Shelby Blackstock and Zachary Claman De Melo joined the trio in the Top 5. Championship leader Kyle Kaiser suffered a mechanical issue and finished in P15. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (4/23/2016)

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