News for the Week of May 14 – May 20, 2018

The Open Wheel’s Indy 500 qualifying photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s photo gallery from qualifying for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (5/20/2018)

Carpenter wins Indy 500 pole for third time in his career – Ed Carpenter Racing’s Ed Carpenter won the pole for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with a four-lap average of 229.618mph. It’s the third Indy 500 pole of his career. The starting grid in the first three rows will be Carpenter, Pagenaud, Power, Pagenaud, Bourdais, Pigot, Patrick, Castroneves, and Dixon. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/20/2018)

RHR tops Indy 500 Practice 7 – Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay used a tow to top Practice 7 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a lap at 230.507mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Andretti, Rossi, Pagenaud, and Castroneves. Pagenaud topped the no tow report at 229.409mph. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/20/2018)

Castroneves fastest in Saturday Indy 500 qualifying, Hinch and Mann fail to qualify – Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves was fastest in Saturday qualifying for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with a four-lap average of 228.919mph. However, the news of the day was Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ James Hinchcliffe failing to qualify for the race along with Dale Coyne Racing’s Pippa Mann. The full fast nine that will compete for the pole on Sunday are Castroneves, Carpenter, Pagenaud, Power, Bourdais, Pigot, Pagenaud, Dixon, and Patrick. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/19/2018)

INDYCAR announces new engine regulations in place for 2021 – “Beginning in 2021, INDYCAR engines will produce more power due to a new configuration, the sanctioning body announced today. The 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines are projected to generate at least 100 more horsepower than the current 2.2-liter platform, with more than 900 horsepower achieved in the 2.4-liter formula when using push-to-pass overtake activation. Providing stability for the Verizon IndyCar Series and its competitors, the engine regulations will be in place for six years, through the 2026 season. INDYCAR has utilized the 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6 formula since 2012, with exclusive use of twin turbos since 2014. Engines will continue to turn at a maximum of 12,000 RPM.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (5/19/2018)

Castroneves tops Indy 500 Practice 6 – Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves was fastest in Practice 6 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Saturday morning with a lap at 229.505mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Power, Hildebrand, Chaves, and Karam. Davison was able to complete 14 laps in the session. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/19/2018)

The Open Wheel’s opening week of Indy 500 practice photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s photo gallery from the opening week of practice for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (5/19/2018)

Indy 500 qualifying order – The order for Saturday qualifying for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (5/19/2018)

Marco leads the way on Fast Friday in Indy 500 Practice 5 – Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti was fastest in Practice 5 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Friday with a lap at 231.802mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Wickens, Carpenter, Servia, and Power. Power was fastest on the no tow report with a lap at 229.780mph. James Davison made hard contact coming out of Turn 2 in the session and is cleared to drive. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/18/2018)

DCR officially names Ferrucci to drive No. 19 at Belle Isle – “Dale Coyne Racing and Paysafe are pleased to announce that 19 year-old American racer Santino Ferrucci will be making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut with the team in June as he takes over the wheel of the #19 Paysafe car for the Dual in Detroit doubleheader weekend at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park June 2 and 3. Due to the injuries suffered by Pietro Fittipaldi in a World Endurance Championship event earlier in May, the Dale Coyne Racing team has had to do some reshuffling of its driver line up and have turned to the young American from Connecticut to fill the seat for the race weekend in Detroit.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (5/18/2018)

Report: Ferrucci in play for Belle Isle seat with DCR – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Haas F1 development driver Santino Ferrucci is rumored to be making his Verizon IndyCar Series debut with Dale Coyne Racing in their No. 19 car at the Belle Isle doubleheader weekend. Full story at the link. – RACER – (5/18/2018)

Trackside podcast 5/17/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 5/17/18 is a great listen as always. David Malsher is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (5/18/2018)

Rahal fastest in Indy 500 Practice 4 – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal was fastest in Practice 4 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Thursday with a lap at 226.047mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Kanaan, Andretti, Carpenter, and Karam. Hildebrand brought out the first yellow flag for contact of the month with this incident in Turn 4. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/17/2018)

INDYCAR announces use of I-PAS “goggles test” for concussion evaluation protocol – “INDYCAR drivers are now required to undergo a clinical eye-tracking computer test recently cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. It has been implemented as part of the sanctioning body’s concussion evaluation protocol, it was announced today. Drivers competing in this month’s Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil – plus drivers in the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder program – have been tested by the innovative system known as I-PAS and created by Pittsburgh-based Neuro Kinetics, Inc. The I-Portal Portable Assessment System, commonly referred to as the “goggles test,” runs high-quality diagnostic tests to evaluate patients with symptoms of dizziness and/or balance disorders, especially those associated with medical conditions such as concussions, migraines or BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).” Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (5/17/2018)

Oladipo named pace car driver for Indy 500 – “Victor Oladipo, who blossomed into an NBA All-Star in his first season with the Indiana Pacers, will drive the 2019 Corvette ZR1 Pace Car and lead the field of 33 drivers to the start of the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Oladipo averaged 23.1 points per game in the 2017-18 NBA season with the Pacers after being traded from Oklahoma City. That outstanding performance elevated him to become the leading candidate for the 2017-18 NBA Most Improved Player Award, which will be announced at the end of June.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (5/17/2018)

The Open Wheel’s Indy 500 livery page – The Open Wheel’s livery photos of all the Verizon IndyCar Series cars from preparation for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. – The Open Wheel – (5/17/2018)

Trackside podcast 5/16/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 5/16/18 is a great listen as always. Ed Jones is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (5/17/2018)

Marco tops the charts in Indy 500 Practice 3 – Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti was fastest in Practice 3 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Wednesday with a lap at 227.053mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Dixon, Sato, Wickens, and Kimball. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/16/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 5/16/18 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (5/16/2018)

Trackside podcast 5/15/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 5/15/18 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (5/16/2018)

Castroneves fastest in Indy 500 Practice 2 – Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves was fastest in Practice 2 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Tuesday with a lap at 224.665mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Carpenter, Howard, Dixon, and Andretti. Tuesday’s practice was split into three sessions for veterans, rookies (ROP), and then the entire field. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/15/2018)

Indy 500 qualifying spotter guide – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for qualifying for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (5/15/2018)

Pagenaud tops Indy 500 Practice 1 – Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud was fastest in Practice 1 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Tuesday with a lap at 225.787mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Castroneves, Newgarden, Andretti, and Carpenter. Tuesday’s practice was split into three sessions for veterans, rookies (ROP), and then the entire field. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/15/2018)

DCR names Claman De Melo as replacement for Fittipaldi at Indy 500 – “After his strong performance at last weekend’s INDYCAR Grand Prix, Zachary Claman De Melo is returning to the seat of the #19 Paysafe car this week, making his Verizon IndyCar Series oval debut at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway…Claman De Melo is replacing his teammate Pietro Fittipaldi who was originally scheduled to participate at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway aboard the team’s #19 Paysafe car. However, injuries suffered in a qualifying crash at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on May 4 during a World Endurance Championship event have sidelined him for at least eight weeks.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (5/15/2018)

SPM announces AFS partnership for Howard No. 7 at Indy 500 – “Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) announced today it will begin a partnership with AFS Racing for a co-entry in the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500. The partnership between the two teams will see SPM personnel utilizing AFS Racing’s equipment. The No. 7 One Cure Schmidt Peterson Motorsports/AFS Racing Honda entry for this year’s Indianapolis 500 will be piloted by IndyCar veteran Jay Howard.” One would think this would rule Sebastian Saavedra out of the vacant No. 19 seat at Dale Coyne Racing. Full release at the link. – SPM – (5/15/2018)

Trackside podcast 5/14/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 5/14/18 is a great listen as always. Colton Herta is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (5/15/2018)

Monday Musings: INDYCAR Grand Prix – The Open Wheel’s Dylan Reynolds’ “Monday Musings” piece on the INDYCAR Grand Prix weekend is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (5/14/2018)

Andretti Autosport No. 25 livery for Wilson revealed at IMS – The livery of Andretti Autosport’s No. 25 machine for Stefan Wilson for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race was revealed on Monday afternoon. See the livery on our No. 25 livery page here. – IMS – (5/12/2018)

Report: McLaren exploring full-time IndyCar effort in ’19 – Adam Stern reports McLaren is “exploring” a full-time effort in the Verizon IndyCar Series for 2019. More at the link. – Adam Stern – (5/14/2018)

ABC’s INDYCAR GP ratings up from ’17 – Adam Stern reports ABC’s television broadcast of the INDYCAR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earned a 0.8 overnight TV rating, up from 0.7 last year. – Adam Stern – (5/14/2018)

Hemsworth announced as honorary starter for Indy 500 – “Hollywood actor and TAG Heuer brand ambassador Chris Hemsworth will serve as honorary starter for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500, waving the green flag on Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hemsworth was recently seen in Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” which set a box office record of $640.9 million worldwide on opening weekend. He is also known to motorsports fans for his portrayal of Formula One legend James Hunt in Ron Howard’s biopic ‘Rush.'” Full release at the link. – IMS – (5/14/2018)

The Open Wheel’s INDYCAR Grand Prix photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s photo gallery of Verizon IndyCar Series and Indy Lights action from the INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (5/12/2018)

Power wins INDYCAR GP in dominant fashion – Team Penske’s Will Power won the INDYCAR Grand Prix from pole in a dominant display on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The rest of the Top 5 was Dixon, Wickens, Bourdais, and Rossi. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/12/2018)

INDYCAR Grand Prix liveries from the IMS road course – The Open Wheel’s livery photos of all the Verizon IndyCar Series cars from the 2018 INDYCAR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. – The Open Wheel – (5/12/2018)

Herta sweeps Lights weekend with Race 2 win at IMS – Andretti Steinbrenner Racing’s Colton Herta won an incredible Indy Lights Race 2 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The rest of the Top 5 was Telitz, Franzoni, Urrutia, and Norman. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (5/12/2018)

Indy Lights liveries from the IMS road course – The Open Wheel’s livery photos of all the Indy Lights cars from the 2018 Indy Lights Royal Purple Synthetic Oil Grand Prix of Indianapolis supporting the Lupus Foundation of America on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. – The Open Wheel – (5/12/2018)

Power takes Pole for 2018 INDYCAR GP – Team Penske’s Will Power won the pole for the INDYCAR GP in Indianapolis with a lap of 1:09.8182. The rest of the Firestone Fast 6 order was Wickens, Bourdais, Hinchcliffe, King, and Newgarden. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/11/2018)

On-car digital displays won’t be used at IMS – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports the digital displays on the cars of the Verizon IndyCar Series won’t be in use at either race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Teams have been instructed to remove the SPAA05 panels from the roll hoop fairings and the associated loom and control box from each entry for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and Indy 500 due to widespread issues that were experienced with the panel hardware during recent Speedway tests.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (5/10/2018)

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