Newgarden drove to the first victory of 2021 for himself and Team Penske on Sunday, leading 73 of 80 laps and holding off a charging Marcus Ericsson to win The Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in the No.

2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet. It ended a dry spell of nine races without a victory for Newgarden and Team Penske, the winningest team in INDYCAR SERIES history.

The win, the first for Newgarden and Team Penske since the 2020 season finale last October at St. Petersburg, also snapped a streak of two straight race weekends of heartbreak for the driver and team. Newgarden has won the P1 Award at the last three races, including this one, but lost the lead late in the final three laps at both Race 2 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit on June 13 and the REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR on June 20 at Road America.

Two-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden also earned his 19th career victory on the same weekend that the legendary Team Penske is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its first INDYCAR SERIES win, by Mark Donohue on July 3, 1971 at Pocono Raceway. It also didn’t hurt that American driver Newgarden won on Independence Day.

“I’d start each stint and feel like we had everything under control,” Newgarden said. “You get to the back end of it, and I felt like I was starting to fall apart, so it was really hard to hang on. I had my wing man, Tim (Cindric, Team Penske president), coaching me all the way, just making sure I knew what was up.

“This team has been doing the job. Everyone has been giving me a hard time, asking what’s up with us not winning a race. But I don’t think these people at Team Penske could have done anything different. We’ve been in the game almost every race, had great performance. It’s great to seal a win here finally.”

Ericsson’s late charge in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda fell just short, but he earned his seventh top-10 finish of the season. Championship leader Alex Palou captured the final podium position in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Reigning and six-time series champion Scott Dixon helped Chip Ganassi Racing take three of the top four finishing positions, ending up fourth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda. 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alexander Rossi finished fifth in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda, his best result this season.

The fraught moments over the last 10 laps of the race for Newgarden were quite a contrast from earlier portions of the race on the undulating, 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit. Newgarden led Ericsson by 6.6 seconds before entering the pits for his final pit stop, on Lap 53.

That lead was trimmed to approximately four seconds shortly after Ericsson made his final stop, one lap after Newgarden.

The gap between the top two ebbed and flowed over the next 15 laps, with Newgarden padding his lead to 7.1 seconds on Lap 66. But then Newgarden started to encounter slower traffic ahead, and Ericsson began using his push-to-pass button more often to draw closer.

Ericsson pulled to within 2.6 seconds with five laps remaining, slicing that margin to 1.4 seconds with two laps to go. When the white flag waved to signal the final lap, Newgarden led Ericsson by .8665 of a second.

One mistake, and it could have been a third consecutive race of late calamity for Newgarden. But he kept his cool and deftly maintained enough of a gap from the slower traffic ahead so those cars’ turbulent air didn’t affect the handling of his machine and also didn’t let Ericsson get close enough to attempt a pass for the win.

“We had a great day,” Ericsson said. “I’m really proud of the whole team. We were pushing very, very hard there at the end to catch Josef. A couple of more laps, and we could have challenged for it. But overall, P2 was a very good result today.”

The strong day for Chip Ganassi Racing ended with three of its drivers in the top five of the series standings. Championship leader Palou is 39 points ahead of Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP. Dixon is third, 56 points behind Palou. Newgarden remained fourth, 69 points back of the leader, and Ericsson jumped three positions to take fifth in the standings, 104 points behind Palou.

In the early laps, Colton Herta – who started second in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda – appeared to be the only driver who could keep pace with Newgarden. But Herta’s chance to compete at the end for a win was eliminated by two troublesome pit stops.

A fuel probe issue kept Herta in the pits for 25 seconds on his first stop, on Lap 31, dropping him from second to eighth. Herta’s car then stalled when he was exiting the pits after his second and final stop on Lap 57. Herta ended up finishing 13th.

It took a few laps for the race to find its rhythm due to two early incidents.

On Lap 1, 2012 series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and Felix Rosenqvist ended up spinning after contact from cars behind them in Turn 4 due to first-lap traffic. Teammate James Hinchcliffe hit the rear of Hunter-Reay’s No. 28 DHL Honda, punting him into the tire barrier, and contact from Romain Grosjean turned around Rosenqvist’s No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

All of the drivers were able to continue. But Rosenqvist and Hunter-Reay needed lengthy pit stops for repairs and ended up finishing 23rd and 24th, respectively, both two laps down.

An incident on Lap 4 ended up eliminating 2014 series champion Will Power and Ed Jones from the race. Power spun after light contact with Dixon during a hard battle for position in Turn 5, with Power’s No. 12 Verizon 5G spinning 180 degrees and pointing toward the onrushing field in a cloud of white tire smoke.

Unfortunately, Jones never saw Power’s stranded car due to the tire smoke, and his No. 18 SealMaster Honda collided with Power’s car. inflicting heavy damage to both. Both drivers were released after evaluation at the track’s medical center.

Those two incidents triggered the only two full-course cautions of the race, helping Newgarden average 108.405 mph in the victory.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, Aug. 8 on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee, which starts a stretch of three consecutive race weekends for the series.

Following the highly anticipated street race in Nashville, the series heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on Saturday, Aug. 14 and then shifts to World Wide Technology Raceway for the final oval race of the season, the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on Saturday evening, Aug. 21.

The Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Results:

1. (1) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 80, Running
2. (3) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 80, Running
3. (7) Alex Palou, Honda, 80, Running
4. (5) Scott Dixon, Honda, 80, Running
5. (6) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 80, Running
6. (8) Graham Rahal, Honda, 80, Running
7. (18) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 80, Running
8. (20) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 80, Running
9. (22) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 80, Running
10. (19) Takuma Sato, Honda, 80, Running
11. (12) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 80, Running
12. (14) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 80, Running
13. (2) Colton Herta, Honda, 80, Running
14. (15) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 80, Running
15. (24) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 80, Running
16. (11) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 80, Running
17. (9) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 80, Running
18. (17) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 80, Running
19. (23) Jack Harvey, Honda, 80, Running
20. (26) Ryan Norman, Honda, 79, Running
21. (21) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 79, Running
22. (25) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 79, Running
23. (13) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 78, Running
24. (10) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 78, Running
25. (4) Will Power, Chevrolet, 3, Contact
26. (16) Ed Jones, Honda, 3, Contact

Race Statistics:
Winner’s average speed: 108.405 mph
Time of Race: 1:39:58.8551
Margin of victory: 0.8790 of a second
Cautions: 2 for 6 laps
Lead changes: 5 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Newgarden 1-29
Herta 30-31
Newgarden 32-52
Ericsson 53-54
Herta 55-57
Newgarden 58-80

INDYCAR SERIES point standings:

1. Palou 384
2. O’Ward 345
3. Dixon 328
4. Newgarden 315
5. Ericsson 280
6. Pagenaud 271
7. Herta 260
8. VeeKay 257
9. Rahal 256
10. Sato 226

The post Newgarden breaks through with first 2021 win on special Penske weekend first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Now he must put aside recent disappointments in races and win the Indy 200.

The two-time IndyCar Series champion and driver of the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet became the first series driver since 2015 to win three consecutive poles. Newgarden also was the top qualifier for the second race in Detroit and at Road America on June 19. But this one was close – almost too close.

Newgarden edged Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian’s Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda) by 0.031 seconds with his lap of 1 minute, 06.6739 seconds.

“That’s a little tighter than I wanted it to be,” Newgarden said. “That’s INDYCAR. It’s Mid-Ohio. Always tight here. So difficult.

“I think I’ve qualified second like three times, something like that,” he said. “It always comes down to being super tight at the end.”

Herta said he couldn’t compute the distance of a 0.031 second difference around this 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit:

“Probably very little, maybe like just the length of the P1 sticker,” he said.

The pole was the 14th of Newgarden’s career — his first at Mid-Ohio — and came on the 50th anniversary of Team Penske’s first INDYCAR victory (by Mark Donohue at Pocono Raceway in 1971).

Converting poles into wins has been a challenge of late for Newgarden, who is one of four winless drivers this season from Team Penske. The two-time series champion got passed by Pato O’Ward in the closing moments of the second Detroit race after leading 67 of the 70 laps and then had a gearbox failure at Road America with two laps to go after leading 32 of 55 circuits. He finished second and 21st in those races.

Poles are always important, and they come with a championship point. But at Mid-Ohio, statistics show the value of the pole even more. Fifteen of the 37 previous INDYCAR races – 40 percent – have been won by the fastest qualifier. Both of last year’s races were won from the pole and three of the past four have been.

Newgarden won the 2017 race at this track, and he will be aiming for his 19th career win in the series.

Marcus Ericsson (No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) qualified third with Will Power (No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet) fourth followed by six-time Mid-Ohio race winner Scott Dixon fifth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi sixth (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda).

Power advanced despite a nervous first six minutes of the first round when his crew battled an electronics gremlin. They got it repaired in time for him to utilize the Firestone alternate (red) tires to advance.

The Firestone Fast Six was comprised of two cars each from Team Penske, Andretti Autosport and Chip Ganassi Racing.

The first qualifying group had a strange ending. Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey (No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda) spun coming to the timing line on his final lap, drawing a local caution flag. Rossi and Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet) slowed but per rule had those laps disallowed.

Harvey lost his fastest lap for creating the situation. That kept Harvey and Pagenaud from advancing to the Round of 12, and they will start 15th and 23rd, respectively, Rossi and Sebastien Bourdais (No. 14 ROKiT/A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet) moved on.

Rossi was one of Michael Andretti’s four drivers securing a spot in the top 12. They swept the podium in last year’s second race at Mid-Ohio.

O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) had posted the fastest time in Saturday’s morning practice, but the temperatures rose considerably – and it will be hotter Sunday – and he failed to advance from the first round. He will start the 80-lap race from the 20th position.

O’Ward will have work to do to cut into the series lead of Alex Palou (No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda). Palou holds a 28-point lead and will start 13 positions higher than O’Ward. Palou missed a spot in the Firestone Fast Six by 0.0384 seconds, bumped by Ericsson on the final lap.

Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet) and Arrow McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist (No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) are back in the starting lineup after missing races.

VeeKay missed one race after breaking a clavicle in a cycling accident June 14; Rosenqvist was held out of two races following his crash into a tire barrier in the June 12 street race in Detroit. They will start 11th and 13th, respectively.

Two-time Indy Lights race winner Ryan Norman (No. 52 KOINU INU/EVO Honda of Dale Coyne Racing with RWR) will make his first IndyCar Series start from the 26th position.

He will start in the 13th row alongside seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson of Chip Ganassi Racing (No. 48 Carvana Honda).

The Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Qualifying Results:

1. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:06.6739 (121.919)
2. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:06.6770 (121.913)
3. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:07.0723 (121.195)
4. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:07.1161 (121.115)
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:07.1358 (121.080)
6. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:07.2181 (120.932)
7. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:06.4883 (122.259)
8. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:06.5946 (122.064)
9. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 01:06.6134 (122.030)
10. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 01:06.7517 (121.777)
11. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:06.7671 (121.749)
12. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 01:06.9232 (121.465)
13. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:06.7898 (121.707)
14. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:06.7313 (121.814)
15. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 01:06.8437 (121.609)
16. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 01:06.7882 (121.710)
17. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 01:06.8473 (121.603)
18. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:06.8642 (121.572)
19. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:07.0951 (121.153)
20. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:06.8679 (121.565)
21. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 01:07.5866 (120.272)
22. (45) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 01:06.9254 (121.461)
23. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:07.6740 (120.117)
24. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:07.0704 (121.198)
25. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:08.4077 (118.829)
26. (52) Ryan Norman, Honda, 01:07.4714 (120.478)

The post Newgarden Grabs Third Consecutive Pole at Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Newgarden led the opening practice for The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the HPD Ridgeline on Friday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The two-time series champion turned a top lap of 1 minute, 7.2524 in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, continuing a trend that has seen Newgarden win the P1 Award at the last two series races.

“It was a good session,” Newgarden said. “The thing I noticed right was that the car felt phenomenal. When you get into a car and it feels that good, you’re like, ‘Man, we got something right here coming into it.’

“I think we’re on the right track. Getting into the reds (alternate Firestone tires) in qualifying is going to be the tricky bit, to keep the balance. You normally put a lot of understeer here on reds. So far, so happy.”

Saturday’s action includes practice at 9:05 a.m. ET (live on Peacock), NTT P1 Award qualifying at noon (live on Peacock, 8 p.m. Saturday on NBCSN) and final practice at 3:30 p.m. Expect a tight race for spots on the 26-car starting grid, as less than one second separated the top 18 drivers in practice today.

The 80-lap race on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit is set for noon Sunday, live on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Pato O’Ward was second today on the time sheet with a best lap of 1:07.5050 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Jack Harvey ended up third at 1:07.5840 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda.

2018 Mid-Ohio winner Alexander Rossi was fourth at 1:07.7245 in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. 2015 Mid-Ohio winner Graham Rahal rounded out the top five at 1:07.7561 in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda.

This is a home race for Harvey and Rahal. Englishman Harvey’s team, Meyer Shank Racing, is based in nearby Pataskala, Ohio, and team co-owner Michael Shank is a native of Columbus. Rahal also is a native of the Columbus area.

“We just want a smooth weekend,” Harvey said. “It’s everyone’s home race at Meyer Shank Racing. Mike has been awesome. There’s no added pressure, but we all want to get a good result for him in the place he grew up.”

Championship leader Alex Palou ended the session ninth at 1:07.7951 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The practice included one red flag, 25 minutes into the session, when Felix Rosenqvist spun in Turn 1 and stalled in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Rosenqvist returned to the series today after missing the REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR on June 20 at Road America and Race 2 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit on June 13 due to a heavy crash in Race 1 at Detroit on June 12.

Rosenqvist ended up 13th quickest in the session at 1:08.0265. Another driver returning from an injury hiatus, Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing, was 18th at 1:08.2367 in the No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet. VeeKay missed the Road America round due to a broken collarbone suffered in a cycling accident.

The spin by Rosenqvist wasn’t the only incident of the session. Colton Herta came within inches of the concrete wall between Turns 9 and 10 earlier in the session in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda after going off track and bouncing through the grass.

The post Newgarden Speeds to Top of Friday Practice at Mid-Ohio first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Ericsson held off Rinus VeeKay and Pato O’Ward in a three-lap dash to the checkered flag after the second red flag of the event. Ericsson was in second place in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda when cars entered pit road for the red-flag period caused when Romain Grosjean crashed in the No. 51 NURTEC ODT Honda with six laps to go.

But Ericsson took the lead on pit lane when the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet of leader Will Power would not restart after the red flag period on a humid, sunny day with an air temperature of 80 degrees.

That apparent electrical control unit malfunction completed Ericsson’s charge from a disappointing 15th starting position, as the last five laps of the race – including two under caution – were the only circuits Ericsson led all day.

Swedish driver Ericsson pulled away from VeeKay’s No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet over the closing three laps under green of the 70-lap race, winning by 1.7290 seconds at an average speed of 93.509 mph.

P1 Award winner O’Ward was third in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, 1.9105 seconds behind Ericsson.

“For once, things fell my way,” Ericsson said. “It feels really good. For Will, I feel really bad for him with the way it ended for him. He did a tremendous job today. But it was my day today, and it was about time.”

Live coverage of Race 2 of this doubleheader weekend, another 70-lap event, starts at noon (ET) Sunday on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network. P1 Award qualifying for Race 2 is set for 9 a.m. and will be broadcast on NBCSN, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Ericsson’s first career win came in his 37th career start over three seasons. His previous best finish was second at this same 14-turn, 2.35-mile temporary street circuit in 2019.

Formula One veteran Ericsson also became the seventh different winner in the first seven races this season, a feat last achieved in 2017 and a milestone reached only in five prior seasons in the series’ century-long history. He is the fourth first-time career winner in 2021, joining Alex Palou, O’Ward and VeeKay.

Takuma Sato finished fourth in the No. 30 Panasonic/Mi-Jack Honda, while Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Graham Rahal rounded out the top five in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda.

Power and Ericsson were the dominant drivers in the closing stages of the race. Less than a second separated them once Power took the top spot on Lap 54 when leaders Rahal and RLL teammate Santino Ferrucci – on a different pit stop cycle – pitted on Lap 53.

A hotly anticipated closing duel between 2014 series champion and 39-time INDYCAR SERIES race winner Power and Ericsson vanished when Grosjean hit the wall in Turn 9 on Lap 64.

Series officials decided to halt the race under red-flag conditions, with all cars entering the pits. After a break of seven minutes, 29 seconds, the race resumed – without Power at the front of the field.

His ECU apparently malfunctioned, and his Team Penske crew could not start the car. The crew quickly installed a new ECU, and a dejected Power returned to the track and finished 20th, three laps down.

Before the late-race drama, the event quickly unfolded into a strategic duel with two clear paths.

One group of drivers pitted within the first five laps to shed the grippy Firestone alternate “red” tires for the increased durability of the Firestone primary “black” tires, choosing a three-stop strategy. O’Ward and VeeKay were among the drivers to choose this option.

The other group of drivers elected to start and stay on the Firestone reds for as long as possible before switching to their primary tires. Ericsson, Power and Sato were among the drivers who chose this option.

Then there was reigning and six-time series champion Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe. They were among just four of the 25 drivers who elected to start on primary tires, and they stayed out as long as possible to stretch fuel and tire wear into a two-stop race.

But that strategy – and those of the drivers who pitted early to make this a three-stop race — sailed into the Detroit River when Felix Rosenqvist crashed heavily in Turn 6 on Lap 25. The throttle on Rosenqvist’s No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet appeared to stick open, and he made heavy contact with the tire barrier and concrete barrier.

Rosenqvist’s No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet speared nose-first into the tire wall and concrete barrier in Turn 6, with an apparent stuck throttle. Rosenqvist was removed from the car by the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team, and he was transported to the infield care center for preliminary evaluation and then transported to a local hospital for more detailed evaluation, according to INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows. Rosenqvist was conscious, alert and talking throughout, Billows said.

The heavy impact forced the race to be stopped with a red flag while Rosenqvist was removed from his car and the concrete barrier and tire wall were rebuilt.

Racing resumed after a red-flag delay of one hour, 18 minutes. Dixon and Hinchcliffe had to make their first pit stops for fuel immediately, and many drivers who pitted early to switch to primary tires also dove into the pits under yellow for fuel and tires.

That reshuffling placed Power, Ericsson and Sato into the top three on the restart on Lap 30 after the red flag. VeeKay quickly passed Sato for third and joined Power and Ericsson in a three-way joust for the lead by Lap 36.

It was a tough day for the top two drivers in the standings entering this race, Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Palou and Dixon. Palou finished 15th after starting last in the 25-car field in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda, while Dixon ended up eighth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda.

Palou led Dixon by 36 points entering this event, but that lead was sliced to just 15 over O’Ward, who leaped over Dixon into second. Palou has 263 points, O’Ward 248 and Dixon 237. VeeKay is fourth with 231.

Dual in Detroit Race 1 Results

1. (15) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 70, Running
2. (12) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 70, Running
3. (1) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 70, Running
4. (16) Takuma Sato, Honda, 70, Running
5. (20) Graham Rahal, Honda, 70, Running
6. (21) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 70, Running
7. (2) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 70, Running
8. (11) Scott Dixon, Honda, 70, Running
9. (4) Ed Jones, Honda, 70, Running
10. (5) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 70, Running
11. (10) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 70, Running
12. (9) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 70, Running
13. (17) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 70, Running
14. (6) Colton Herta, Honda, 70, Running
15. (25) Alex Palou, Honda, 70, Running
16. (19) Jack Harvey, Honda, 70, Running
17. (13) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 70, Running
18. (24) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 69, Running
19. (23) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 67, Running
20. (7) Will Power, Chevrolet, 67, Running
21. (8) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 65, Running
22. (18) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 65, Running
23. (3) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 63, Contact
24. (22) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 49, Mechanical
25. (14) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 23, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 93.509 mph
Time of Race: 1:45:33.1123
Margin of victory: 1.7290 seconds
Cautions: 2 for 9 laps
Lead changes: 10 among 8 drivers

Lap Leaders:
O’Ward 1-2
Rossi 3-4
Grosjean 5
Jones 6-7
Power 8-11
Dixon 12-27
Power 28-48
O’Ward 49
Rahal 50-53
Power 54-65
Ericsson 66-70

INDYCAR SERIES point standings:
Palou 263
O’Ward 248
Dixon 237
VeeKay 231
Pagenaud 219
Newgarden 204
Ericsson 189,
Rahal 179
Herta 170
Sato 163

The post Ericsson Earns First Career Victory in Wild Race 1 of Chevrolet Dual in Detroit first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Will Power and Team Penske – both winless in this IndyCar Series season – burnished their credentials as threats to win the P1 Award and the race Saturday in Race 1 of the Dual in Detroit by leading practice Friday afternoon on the Belle Isle temporary street circuit.

2014 series champion Power saved his best lap for last, turning the quick time of 1 minute, 17.2768 seconds in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.

Power and the other 24 drivers in the field faced tough conditions, with the bumpy nature of the 14-turn, 2.35-mile circuit compounded by track temperatures tickling 120 degrees, with air temperatures in the mid-80s. Heavy traffic around the circuit also made it tough to assemble a clean lap.

“Yeah, it’s very hot out there,” Power said. “It’s just a physical track. You kind of hold your breath because there’s just so much commitment. I feel all right. The car is in a really good window. I was happy to get a lap in there at the end, with some guys backing up and such.”

Four-time IndyCar champion Sebastien Bourdais rebounded from a miserable May by ending up second in practice with a top lap of 1:17.4291 in the No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. Bourdais was taken out in crashes not of his doing at both races in the doubleheader in early May at Texas Motor Speedway, and he finished 19th in the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and 26th in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Title contender Pato O’Ward completed a sweep of the top three positions in practice for Chevrolet on home turf. O’Ward’s best lap was 1:17.5143 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Reigning and six-time series champion Scott Dixon was the fastest Honda-powered driver, fourth overall at 1:17.6178 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda. 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, another driver looking for a strong second half of the season, rounded out the top five at 1:17.6587 in the No. 27 AutoNation/NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda.

Championship leader Alex Palou was 15th at 1:18.7996 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He is racing at Detroit for the first time since the event wasn’t held last season during his rookie year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Palou will face an additional challenge Saturday by starting six grid spots behind his qualifying position due to an unauthorized engine change before the Indianapolis 500.

The challenging Belle Isle circuit snared two rookies early. Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin triggered a red flag 14 minutes into the session in separate incidents seconds apart.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson spun exiting Turn 3 in his No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda but made no contact and continued to the pits, where he served a five-minute penalty for causing a red-flag period.

Three-time Australian Supercars champion McLaughlin wasn’t as fortunate as Johnson. His No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet pushed wide in Turn 5 and hit the tire barrier, incurring front wing and suspension damage. McLaughlin was unable to return, losing his only session before qualifying on his first trip to this track.

Dual in Detroit Race 1 Qualifying Results

1. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 1:15.5776 (111.938 mph)
2. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 1:15.6584 (111.818)
3. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 1:15.7433 (111.693)
4. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 1:15.8119 (111.592)
5. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 1:15.8697 (111.507)
6. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 1:16.0832 (111.194)
7. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 1:16.0877 (111.187)
8. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 1:16.1293 (111.127)
9. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 1:16.6606 (110.357)
10. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 1:17.4333 (109.255)
11. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 1:17.8680 (108.645)
12. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 1:17.8776 (108.632)
13. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 1:17.0691 (109.772)
14. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 1:16.4620 (110.643)
15. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 1:17.1579 (109.645)
16. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 1:16.4713 (110.630)
17. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 1:17.2904 (109.457)
18. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 1:16.6093 (110.430)
19. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 1:17.4180 (109.277)
20. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 1:16.6694 (110.344)
21. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 1:17.5190 (109.135)
22. (45) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 1:16.6880 (110.317)
23. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 1:19.0944 (106.961)
24. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 1:17.5569 (109.081)
25. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 1:19.6697 (106.188)

The post Power Pushes through Heat, Traffic To Top Detroit Practice first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Castroneves joined A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) and Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) as four-time winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The Brazilian’s previous victories came in 2001, 2002 and 2009, all as a full-time driver with Team Penske, the winningest team in Indianapolis 500 history.

But this one was different. Castroneves drove the No. 06 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing to the team’s first Indy win and firstIndyCar victory.

Castroneves, 46, also became the fourth-oldest winner in “500” history in his first IndyCar start of the season, as he is scheduled to run only a partial schedule this year.

“It’s not the end; it’s the beginning,” Castroneves said. “I don’t know if it’s a good comparison, but Tom Brady won a Super Bowl, Phil (Mickelson) won the PGA, and now here you go. The old guys still got it, kicking the young guys’ butts. We’re teaching them a lesson.

“What a great team effort. Everyone was in sync. We didn’t make any mistakes. No. 4 – what a moment. I’m just so honored to be a part of this amazing group with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears. This is absolutely a dream come true.”

Castroneves, who started eighth, finished a stirring duel with 24-year-old Spaniard Alex Palou over the closing laps by passing Palou with a daring outside move in Turn 1 on Lap 199. He held off Palou’s No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to win by .4928 of a second.

The scintillating finish was the climax to the fastest Indianapolis 500 in history, with an average speed of 190.690 mph in a race slowed only twice by cautions for a total of 18 laps, both race-record lows.

2019 Indy winner Simon Pagenaud finished third in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, .5626 of a second behind Castroneves. Pato O’Ward was fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, while Ed Carpenter rounded out the top five in the No. 20 SONAX Chevrolet.

Just 1.2424 seconds separated the top five despite the last caution period of the 200-lap race ending on Lap 124.

Castroneves’ jubilant celebration thrilled the crowd of 135,000 fans under sun-splashed skies and temperatures in the high 60s. He climbed the frontstretch fence along with crew members and team co-owner Michael Shank.

Many current and past drivers rushed to congratulate Castroneves on becoming a four-time winner, with 1969 Indy winner Mario Andretti kissing him on the head in beatification. Foyt also sent Castroneves a message of congratulations.

“This stage is absolutely incredible,” Castroneves said. “I love Indianapolis. The fans, they give me energy! I’m serious.”

Castroneves made his final pit stop on Lap 172, followed by Palou on Lap 173. Palou slotted in front of Castroneves when he exited the pits, and they formed a three-car train with O’Ward in the virtual lead of the race, as numerous cars in front of them needed to make one final stop before the race ended.

Pagenaud, Sage Karam, Tony Kanaan and Santino Ferrucci peeled off from the lead for their final stops by Lap 180, putting Felix Rosenqvist, JR Hildebrand and Takuma Sato in the top three, respectively, and about 12 seconds ahead of Palou, Castroneves and O’Ward.

Meanwhile, Castroneves and Palou diced for position behind that lead trio, knowing they had plenty of fuel to reach Lap 200 and cognizant they would become the lead pack due to pit stops needed by the fuel-thirsty cars of Rosenqvist, Hildebrand and Sato if a caution flag didn’t fly late in the race.

That caution never came. Rosenqvist pitted from the lead on Lap 192 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, and Sato was forced to dive in for a splash of fuel from the lead on Lap 193 in the No. 30 Panasonic/PeopleReady Honda.

Castroneves inherited the lead on Lap 194, but Palou blasted past Castroneves for the lead in Turn 1 on Lap 196, reminiscent of Rick Mears’ decisive move against Michael Andretti in 1991 that led to his fourth win.

But Castroneves collected himself and placed his car in Palou’s draft on the front straightaway as they rocketed past the flag stand to start Lap 199. Then Castroneves returned the favor to Palou, using an identical outside move in Turn 1 to seize the lead.

Lapped traffic ahead over the closing laps posed a possible problem for Castroneves, but he used the wisdom gained over 20 previous “500” starts to hold off Palou, who showed skills beyond his years in just his second start.

“I’m super proud of finishing second,” Palou said. “It hurts a lot, but it was a good battle with Helio, and it’s better when you lose against the best.”

A caution on Lap 33 turned the race on its head early. Stefan Wilson locked his brakes and spun entering pit road in the No. 25 LOHLA SPORT/Cusick Motorsports Honda, hitting the outside pit wall with the right side of his car.

P1 Award winner Dixon was among a group of cars that had not pitted before the caution, but those cars started to run out of fuel because the pits were closed while the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team removed Wilson’s damaged car.

Dixon was leading when he, 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi and five other drivers made emergency stops on Laps 36 or 37 for fuel. Dixon and Rossi’s cars would not refire, and they were a lap down when racing resumed on Lap 46.

Dixon raced back to the lead lap in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda, but he ended up finishing 17th. 2016 Indy 500 winner Rossi finished 29th in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda, two laps down.

Palou took theIndyCar championship lead in this double-points race, building a 248-212 lead over six-time and reigning series champion Dixon.

The next IndyCar races are the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit doubleheader, the headline races of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on June 12-13 on Belle Isle in Detroit.

105th Running of the Indianapolis 500

1. (8) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 200, Running
2. (6) Alex Palou, Honda, 200, Running
3. (26) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 200, Running
4. (12) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 200, Running
5. (4) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 200, Running
6. (23) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 200, Running
7. (31) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 200, Running
8. (3) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 200, Running
9. (24) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 200, Running
10. (5) Tony Kanaan, Honda, 200, Running
11. (9) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 200, Running
12. (21) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 200, Running
13. (19) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 200, Running
14. (15) Takuma Sato, Honda, 200, Running
15. (22) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 200, Running
16. (2) Colton Herta, Honda, 200, Running
17. (1) Scott Dixon, Honda, 200, Running
18. (20) Jack Harvey, Honda, 200, Running
19. (25) Marco Andretti, Honda, 200, Running
20. (17) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 200, Running
21. (16) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 200, Running
22. (7) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 200, Running
23. (30) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 199, Running
24. (29) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 199, Running
25. (13) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 199, Running
26. (27) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 199, Running
27. (14) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 199, Running
28. (11) Ed Jones, Honda, 199, Running
29. (10) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 198, Running
30. (32) Will Power, Chevrolet, 197, Running
31. (33) Simona De Silvestro, Chevrolet, 169, Contact
32. (18) Graham Rahal, Honda, 118, Contact
33. (28) Stefan Wilson, Honda, 32, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 190.690 mph
Time of Race: 2:37:19.3846
Margin of victory: 0.4928 of a second
Cautions: 2 for 18 laps
Lead changes: 35 among 13 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Herta, 1
VeeKay, 2-30
Herta, 31-32
Dixon, 33-35
Castroneves, 36-38
Herta, 39-48
VeeKay, 49
Daly, 50-70
Castroneves, 71-76
Palou, 77
O’Ward, 78
Rahal, 79-81
VeeKay, 82-83
Daly, 84-102
O’Ward, 103-113
Rahal, 114-118
Palou, 119-124
Castroneves, 125-126
O’Ward, 127-130
Palou, 131-147
Castroneves, 148-149
O’Ward, 150
Sato, 151-156
Rosenqvist, 157
Dixon, 158-161
Palou, 162-168
Castroneves, 169-171
Palou, 172
Pagenaud, 173-175
Karam, 176-177
Ferrucci, 178-179
Rosenqvist, 180-192
Sato, 193
Castroneves, 194-195
Palou, 196-198
Castroneves, 199-200

INDYCAR SERIES point standings: 
Palou 248
Dixon 212
O’Ward 211
Pagenaud 201
VeeKay 191
Newgarden 184
Herta 154
Rahal 148
McLaughlin 143
Ericsson 138

The post Helio Joins Exclusive Club with Fourth Indianapolis 500 Victory first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Six-time and reigning IndyCar Series champion Dixon, who won the pole last Sunday at 231.685 mph, turned a top lap of 228.323 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda during the rain-delayed and rain-shortened session.

Practice started two hours, 37 minutes late due to persistent morning showers and ended 10 minutes short of its scheduled two hours when rain returned to the 2.5-mile oval. Cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 50s – about 25 degrees cooler than during Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying last weekend – increased grip and daring passes during the final practice before Race Day.

“Everybody felt like King Kong out there with the weather conditions,” Dixon said. “That may give you an indication of how the race will be. If it’s like this, it’s going to be mentally draining. There’s going to be a lot of action going on.”

Two Team Penske drivers starting in the back half of the field of 33 cars Sunday showed they have strong cars in traffic by posting the second- and third-fastest laps of the session.

2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud, starting 26th, was second at 227.157 in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet. Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, who is starting 21st, ended up third at 226.856 in the No. 2 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet.

Conor Daly was fourth overall at 226.399 in the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet. Daly was scratching his head at some of the aggressive moves by selected drivers during the final practice.

“It was like we were sacrificing our vehicles for a prize today,” Daly said. “Did you win anything today? I didn’t.”

2020 pole sitter Marco Andretti rounded out the top five at 226.396 in the No. 98 Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana/Curb Honda. He will start 25th.

While Team Penske, winner of a record 18 Indianapolis 500’s, was shut out of the first five rows in qualifying, the final practice results showed all four of its cars could contend for victory Sunday after strong performances in heavy traffic.

2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power was sixth overall at 226.223 in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet after squeezing into the last row of the field in the Last Chance Qualifying. Rookie Scott McLaughlin, the top Penske qualifier in 17th, was seventh in practice at 226.192 in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet.

The green flag for the 105th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Sunday. 

The post Dixon Cements Race Favorite Status by Leading Carb Day Practice first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Six-time and reigning IndyCar Series champion Dixon was fastest during the first day of Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday, and he also stood tall during the Firestone Fast Nine Shootout on Sunday in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda.

2008 Indy 500 winner Dixon also won “500” poles in 2008, 2015 and 2017, and he ties Rex Mays, A.J. Foyt and Helio Castroneves for the second-most poles in Indy 500 history.

“Winning a pole at the Indianapolis 500 is one of the toughest things to do,” Dixon said. “From a team standpoint, just how much work and effort goes into building these cars specifically for that pole run, it’s a lot of money and a lot of effort that it takes.

“We’ve been on the other side of it. We’ve had them before, but we’ve started well in the pack, too, where you can’t figure out why you’re in that position. Definitely feel good for the team. I know the team is going to be proud of what we achieved today. Again, it’s just the starting position. We have to work on the rest.”

Dixon, 40, will be joined by the two youngest drivers in the field in the front row on 105th Indianapolis 500 Race Day, Sunday, May 30.

Colton Herta, 21, will start second in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, falling just short of Dixon with a four-lap average of 231.655. Rinus VeeKay, 20, qualified third at 231.511 in the No. 21 Bitcoin Chevrolet and is the youngest front-row starter in the century-plus history of the race.

Herta was the eighth of nine drivers to make a single attempt during the Shootout, and his big run was good enough for provisional pole. But Dixon, the last driver on track due to being fastest Saturday, delivered with the sixth Indy 500 pole for Chip Ganassi Racing.

“It was pretty hairy,” Dixon said. “Glad it’s over. It was definitely pretty tense. I was able to watch Colton’s four laps, too. Wish I hadn’t before I went out. I knew his consistency was probably going to be a tick better than the other two, and it sure was.

“Yeah, at Turn 1 for the first lap was very loose, and I was already maxed out on all the controls. I knew it was just going to be holding on for lap three and four. Lap four was definitely pretty rough, especially through Turn 3.”

Said Herta: “Yeah, if I was a fan, I’d be really excited with that Fast Nine qualifying. Really, guys that just kept going faster every single run. It was actually really close for everyone.

“To beat Dixon, I think we really had to have that first lap and second lap just a tiny bit faster. We were so close.”

The second row will be comprised of Ed Carpenter, fourth at 231.504 in the No. 20 SONAX Chevrolet; 2013 “500” winner Tony Kanaan, fifth at 231.032 in the No. 48 The American Legion Honda; and Alex Palou, sixth at 230.616 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou produced a strong rebound from Saturday, when he crashed heavily during qualifying.

Two Indianapolis 500 winners are in the third row. 2014 Indy winner Ryan Hunter-Reay will start seventh at 230.499 in the No. 28 DHL Honda, three-time winner Helio Castroneves is eighth at 230.355 in the No. 06 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda, and Marcus Ericsson is ninth at 230.318 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Three teams dominated the first three rows. Chip Ganassi Racing put Dixon, Kanaan, Palou and Ericsson in the first three rows, Andretti Autosport is represented by Herta and Hunter-Reay, and Ed Carpenter Racing boasts VeeKay and team owner Carpenter.

The afternoon on the 2.5-mile oval started with plenty of drama during Last Chance Qualifying. Sage Karam, 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power and Simona De Silvestro earned the final three spots in the field.

Karam will start 31st in the No. 24 DRR-AES INDIANA Chevrolet after his run of 229.156. 2014 series champion Power will start 32nd in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet at 228.876 despite brushing the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 during his one qualifying run. De Silvestro rounds out the field in 33rd after her run of 228.353 in the No. 16 Rocket Pro TPO/Paretta Autosport entry.

2014 series champion Power brushed the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 on his single run during Last Chance Qualifying but held on to make the show in what he called the most nerve-racking day of his illustrious career.

Failing to qualify were Charlie Kimball in the No. 11 Tresiba/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and rookie RC Enerson in the No. 75 Top Gun Racing Chevrolet.

The next on-track session is a two-hour practice from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, May 28. The Miller Lite Carb Day practice is the last chance for drivers and teams to hone their Race Day setups.

Indianapolis 500 day 2 Qualifying:

1. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.3837 (231.685 mph)
2. (26) Colton Herta, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.4034 (231.655)
3. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Dallara-Chevy, 2:35.5000 (231.511)
4. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 2:35.5047 (231.504)
5. (48) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.8229 (231.032)
6. (10) Alex Palou, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.1039 (230.616)
7. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.1827 (230.499)
8. (06) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.2804 (230.355)
9. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.3054 (230.318)
10. (27) Alexander Rossi, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.8132 (231.046)
11. (18) Ed Jones, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.8148 (231.044)
12. (5) Pato O’Ward, Dallara-Chevy, 2:35.9360 (230.864)
13. (51) Pietro Fittipaldi, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.9481 (230.846)
14. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.0168 (230.744)
15. (30) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.0417 (230.708)
16. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.1395 (230.563)
17. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.1435 (230.557)
18. (15) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.1680 (230.521)
19. (47) Conor Daly, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.2314 (230.427)
20. (60) Jack Harvey, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.3922 (230.191)
21. (2) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.4735 (230.071)
22. (1) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.5354 (229.980)
23. (45) Santino Ferrucci, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.5563 (229.949)
24. (86) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.5961 (229.891)
25. (98) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.6089 (229.872)
26. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.6732 (229.778)
27. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.6964 (229.744)
28. (25) Stefan Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.7166 (229.714)
29. (59) Max Chilton, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.9195 (229.417)
30. (4) Dalton Kellett, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.6717 (228.323)
31. (24) Sage Karam, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.0982 (229.156)
32. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.2905 (228.876)
33. (16) Simona De Silvestro, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.6504 (228.353)

The post Dixon powers to Fourth ‘500’ pole in fastest Indy field first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

It was the second day this week that six-time and reigning IndyCar Series champion Dixon topped the speed charts, as he also was fastest Wednesday in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda.

“The team was really fast,” said Dixon, who also gained the advantage of drawing first in the qualifying order. “I think any time one of the Ganassi cars went out, they improved and improved in a big way.

“It was really tough out there today. Just really tough to get a clear track. I know it’s difficult. I know everybody wants to try to get a (qualifying simulation) run.”

Qualifying takes place from noon-5:50 p.m. (ET) Saturday, with positions 1-30 secured (noon-6 p.m., Peacock; 2-3 p.m., NBC; 3-6 p.m., NBCSN). On Sunday, the Fast Nine Shootout will determine the NTT P1 Award for pole and the order of the first three rows, and Last Chance Qualifying will determine which three of the five remaining cars will complete the starting field for the May 30 race.

Today was the first day of the event with elevated boost levels in the engine turbochargers, which continues through Saturday and Sunday for Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying. The additional boost added between 80 and 90 horsepower and increased speeds 8 mph from Thursday.

2008 Indy 500 winner Dixon’s top lap came with the benefit of an aerodynamic tow, which drivers won’t get in single-car qualifying this weekend. 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi was the fastest driver running alone on the 2.5-mile oval, marking him as a favorite to win the NTT P1 Award for pole Sunday. Rossi’s best no-tow lap today was 231.598 mph in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda.

“I only I think (I got) just one four-lap (qualifying simulation) run because people kept jumping out or whatever,” Rossi said. “It’s always interesting on days like this when you have an unfriendly wind in Turn 2. For whatever reason, Turn 2 is hard. I don’t know if the air is different over there.”

All the top five overall speeds today came in a tow from traffic. Colton Herta was second at 232.784 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, while 2013 Indy winner Tony Kanaan – fastest Thursday – was third at 232.690 in the No. 48 The American Legion Honda.

Marcus Ericsson was fourth at 232.531 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Alex Palou helped Honda-powered drivers sweep the top five spots on the speed chart, clocking in fifth at 232.155 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Rossi has been among the fastest no-tow drivers each day this week, so his perch atop that list today came as little surprise. Other drivers to watch this weekend based on their speeds without aerodynamic help include Graham Rahal, second today on the no-tow list at 231.518 in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda, and Pato O’Ward, third among the no-tows at 231.510 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

O’Ward and Rossi also were fast in traffic today. O’Ward’s best lap in the draft was 232.034, good for sixth overall. Rossi’s top tow lap was 231.863, seventh overall.

“There’s always surprises,” Rossi said when asked to predict qualifying. “I think this year has proved that correctly across all the races, right? How many races have we had, four or five? Five races, five winners. I think that’s a testament to the series, the level of all these teams and guys. The guy that’s going to be on pole is really anyone’s guess.”

The post Dixon Reaches 233, Rossi Tops among Solo Drivers on Fast Friday first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Six-time IndyCar Series champion Dixon led practice Wednesday for the 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge with a best lap of 226.829 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda as track and air temperatures climbed compared to Opening Day Tuesday. 2008 Indy 500 winner Dixon led three Chip Ganassi Racing drivers in the top five.

“I felt like I was little more comfortable yesterday,” said Dixon, who was eighth fastest Tuesday at 224.988. “Obviously, track conditions are different. The wind direction, especially (Turns) 2 to 4, swaps pretty big. The track temp was up today.

“Once it gets a bit hotter, I think everybody has a bit of washout, and it’s harder to stay closer. We’ll see with the race, but it looks right now like the race will be pretty cool, which will definitely make for a pretty robust race for people to watch. It’s going to be tight.”

Race Day is Sunday, May 30 at the 2.5-mile oval.

Ed Carpenter Racing drivers took the second and third spots on the speed chart Wednesday. Conor Daly was second at 226.372 in the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet, while team owner Ed Carpenter was third at 226.103 in the No. 20 SONAX Chevrolet.

ECR is surging during the Month of May, as Rinus VeeKay won the GMR Grand Prix for the team last Saturday.

Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Marcus Ericsson and Tony Kanaan rounded out the top five. Ericsson was fourth at 226.007 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 2013 Indy 500 winner Kanaan ended up fifth at 225.774 in the No. 48 The American Legion Honda.

“There are so many competitive cars out there, so, as always, it’s going to be a very tough race,” Dixon said. “Happy all the Ganassi cars are fast. Nice to see the 9 up top.”

The speed charts showed the unpredictable and competitive nature of this year’s deep field, which features nine “500” winners. 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power, who led practice Tuesday at 226.470 mph, was 15th today at 224.785 in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.

All the top speeds today came with the benefit of aerodynamic tows in heavy traffic, as 34 drivers combined to turn 3,326 laps during the six-hour session. 2016 Indy winner Alexander Rossi was the fastest driver running alone, turning a top no-tow lap of 221.114 mph in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda.

“We had a good car yesterday from the get-go, but overnight we worked on trying to get the car a bit better in dirty air and in a big group, and that’s been a big improvement today,” Ericsson said. “I feel like I can stay on the throttle in big groups, and that’s the key around here.”

RC Enerson completed Phase 2 and the speed requirement for Phase 3 of the Rookie Orientation Program in the No. 75 Top Gun Racing Chevrolet in a special session before the track opened for practice. Enerson didn’t participate in the open practice.

Practice resumes from noon-6 p.m. (ET) Thursday. It’s the last day before boost levels are elevated in the engine turbochargers for Fast Friday practice and Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday and Sunday, with the additional horsepower raising speeds.

The post Dixon Jumps to top as practice heats up at Indy first appeared on InsideRacing.com.