INDYCAR News for the Month of February 2022
OpenWheel.com’s St. Pete photo gallery – OpenWheel.com’s photo gallery from the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida is available at the link. – OpenWheel.com – (2/27/2022)
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OpenWheel.com’s St. Pete livery feature – OpenWheel.com’s livery feature with photos of all cars and drivers at the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida is available at the link. – OpenWheel.com – (2/27/2022)
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McLaughlin gets first INDYCAR win at St. Pete – Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin earned his first victory in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with a win from pole in the 2022 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg. The full Top 5 was McLaughlin, Palou, Power, Herta, and Grosjean. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/27/2022)
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OpenWheel.com’s Indy Lights St. Pete livery feature – OpenWheel.com’s livery feature with photos of all cars and drivers at the 2022 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida is available at the link. – OpenWheel.com – (2/27/2022)
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Brabham wins wild Lights opener at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Matthew Brabham won in his Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires return in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg after two of his teammates, McElrea and Rasmussen, dropped out of the race. The full Top 5 was Brabham, Pedersen, Lundqvist, Robb, and Frost. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/27/2022)
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Andretti Autosport announces Askew as INDYCAR reserve driver – “Oliver Askew will be a fixture on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES scene with Andretti Autosport as the official reserve driver. The reserve driver is a staple position in many European ranks, including Formula E where Askew now competes full time, teams must have a designated test or reserve driver at the ready. To better align across platforms and offer continued growth and opportunity to its global family of drivers, Andretti Autosport is adopting this mindset in its INDYCAR program.” Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (2/27/2022)
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Herta tops morning warmup at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta topped the charts in the morning warmup for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:00.3283. The full Top 5 was Herta, Newgarden, Palou, Ilott, and Dixon. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/27/2022)
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McLaughlin earns first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole at St. Pete – Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole in qualifying for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 59.4821. The full Firestone Fast 6 order was McLaughlin, Power, Herta, VeeKay, Grosjean, and Pagenaud. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/26/2022)
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McLaughlin quickest in Practice 2 at St. Pete – Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin’s lap of 59.7342 was quickest in Practice 2 for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg. The full Top 5 was McLaughlin, Herta, Pagenaud, Rossi, and Power. There were incidents in the session for Harvey, Grosjean/Sato, and Palou. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/26/2022)
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McElrea leads Lights final practice at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea led final practice for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:05.7693. The full Top 5 was McElrea, Frost, Lundqvist, Pedersen, and Abel. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/25/2022)
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Grosjean fastest in Practice 1 at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Romain Grosjean’s lap of 1:01.0525 was fastest in Practice 1 for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg. The full Top 5 was Grosjean, Herta, Power, Pagenaud, and Rahal. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/25/2022)
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McElrea earns Lights pole at St. Pete – Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea earned the pole for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:05.2812. The full Top 5 was Lundqvist, Rasmussen, McElrea, Robb, and Frost. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/25/2022)
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Lundqvist tops Lights Practice 1 at St. Pete – HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing’s Linus Lundqvist topped the charts in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice 1 for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:05.7856. The full Top 5 was Lundqvist, Rasmussen, McElrea, Robb, and Frost. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (2/25/2022)
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INDYCAR releases fan survey results – “INDYCAR and Motorsport Network today announced the key findings of the 2022 Global INDYCAR Fan Survey. Launched in January, the Global INDYCAR Fan Survey was commissioned by INDYCAR, hosted by Motorsport Network and analyzed by Nielsen Sports, the global information, data and measurement experts. Conducted in 11 languages across the Motorsport.com platform and receiving feedback from over 53,000 fans in 147 countries, the survey revealed that INDYCAR has maintained a loyal and approving fanbase, while growing its ranks among younger and more diverse demographics in recent years.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/25/2022)
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6 drivers with recent INDYCAR ties to drive in SRX this summer – The Associated Press’ Jenna Fryer reports six drivers with recent INDYCAR ties will race full or part-time in the 2022 Superstar All-Star Experience (SRX). Those drivers are Marco Andretti (full schedule), Paul Tracy (full schedule), Tony Kanaan (five races), Helio Castroneves (3 races), Ernie Francis Jr (2 races), and Josef Newgarden (1 race). Full story at the link. – AP – (2/24/2022)
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Steinbrenner Racing expands ownership group with Julia Steinbrenner – “Steinbrenner Racing enters the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES with a new ownership structure with Julia Steinbrenner joining her brother George IV’s team as co-owner. Steinbrenner Racing continues to partner with Andretti Autosport in 2022 to field the No.29 Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport Honda-powered entry, with new driver Devlin DeFrancesco joining the team.” Full release at the link. – Steinbrenner Racing – (2/23/2022)
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INDYCAR announces automated highlight partnership – “INDYCAR, the sanctioning body for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and WSC Sports, the global leader in AI sports video technology, today announced they will partner for the 2022 INDYCAR season to bring AI-powered video highlights direct to fans. WSC Sports’ platform identifies key moments in each race and automatically publishes highlights and content to NTT INDYCAR SERIES digital properties, along with driver and team social channels. This is the first time AI-fueled technology will deliver real-time content directly to NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans, ultimately providing more access and personalized content to consumers across the racing season.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/23/2022)
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Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/23/2022)
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Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the 2022 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/23/2022)
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RACER Q&A 2/23/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (2/23/2022)
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Trackside podcast 2/22/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 2/22/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (2/23/2022)
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Dale Coyne Racing partners with HMD Motorsports’ Lights program – “With a confirmed move to the NTT INDYCAR Series in a naming partnership with David Malukas and the #18 entry of Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports, the Dale Coyne Racing name and logo will be visible in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires program.” Full release at the link. – HMD Motorsports – (2/22/2022)
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Multimatic becomes Technical Partner for TJ Speed Lights entry for Roe – “Advancing up the ranks in open-wheel motorsports, James Roe is set to compete in the 2022 IndyLights Presented by Cooper Tires program. Announcing TJ Speed as his team for the upcoming season, Roe is pleased to confirm Multimatic as Technical Partner in his growing list of supporters. Multimatic will supply engineering support to Roe’s #12 Indy Lights machine for the duration of the coming season. Multimatic branding will feature on the Irish driver’s car, driver suit and team wear.” Full release at the link. – James Roe – (2/21/2022)
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INDYCAR unveils ’22 “DEFY EVERYTHING” brand campaign – “The NTT INDYCAR SERIES launched the newest version of its “DEFY EVERYTHING” brand campaign this morning, setting the stage for an action-packed, adrenaline-filled season featuring 17 races across North America. DEFY EVERYTHING serves as a bold rallying cry for NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes as they pursue their championship dreams while facing grueling and dynamic physical and mental challenges along the way. This year’s full campaign narrative video was posted across NTT INDYCAR SERIES digital channels just minutes ago and can be viewed on YouTube here.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/21/2022)
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Serravalle joins Abel Motorsports for St. Pete – “In a last-minute deal, Canadian Antonio Serravalle will enter this weekend’s Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires event. Joining Abel Motorsports for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Serravalle will return to Indy Lights for 2022 and look to build off a privateer effort from the 2021 season that saw him compete with his father owned Pserra Racing program.” Full release at the link. – Antonio Serravalle – (2/21/2022)
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Andretti F1 pursuit still very much in progress – Mario Andretti tweeted on Friday that Michael Andretti “has applied to the FIA to field a new F1 team starting in 2024.” Check out Mario Andretti’s tweet at the link. – Mario Andretti – (2/18/2022)
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HMD Motorsports adds Sulaiman to Lights lineup – “After contending in a partial Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Championship season in 2021, Manuel Sulaiman is returning to the grid with HMD Motorsports in 2022. Beginning his campaign on the Streets of St. Petersburg next weekend, Sulaiman will return to the #59 entry and join veteran teammates Danial Frost, Christian Bogle, Linus Lundqvist and Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports entry Benjamin Pedersen.” Full release at the link. – HMD Motorsports – (2/18/2022)
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Martin Garrix to headline Indy 500 Snake Pit – “Superstar DJ and producer Martin Garrix will headline a stellar lineup of global electronic music artists at the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light on Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the biggest and best party of Race Weekend. deadmau5, Galantis, Steve Aoki and Yellow Claw also will perform at the Race Day concert during the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Performances begin early in the morning in the infield adjacent to Turn 3 of the IMS oval, with specific set times to be announced.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (2/17/2022)
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Google and DoorDash added as presenting sponsors for Iowa INDYCAR weekend – “Hy-Vee, Inc. and INDYCAR announce that Google and DoorDash will be the presenting sponsors for the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, July 22-24, 2022. PepsiCo will be a key event sponsor, as well as the sponsor of Hy-Vee’s No. 45 car throughout the race season. Tickets for Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.hyveeindycarweekend.com or by calling the race ticket office at (641) 417-6007.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/16/2022)
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OpenWheel.com’s Sebring livery feature – OpenWheel.com’s INDYCAR livery feature with photos of all cars and drivers at the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Test at Sebring International Raceway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (2/16/2022)
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Pagenaud and MSR lead Day 2 of Sebring testing – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Meyer Shank Racing’s Simon Pagenaud led the team’s 1-2 finish at the top of the speed charts in Day 2 of NTT INDYCAR SERIES testing at Sebring International Raceway on Tuesday in a 14 car test. Full story at the link. – RACER – (2/16/2022)
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RACER Q&A 2/16/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (2/16/2022)
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Marco confirmed for Indy 500 with sponsorship from KULR – “KULR Technology Group (NYSE American: KULR) has joined five-time Indy 500 championship winning team, Andretti Autosport, to serve as the primary sponsor of Marco Andretti’s No. 98 Honda for the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge. The 2022 Greatest Spectacle in Racing will mark the third-generation driver’s 250th INDYCAR career start.” Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (2/15/2022)
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Herta tops Day 1 of Sebring testing – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta topped the charts in Day 1 of NTT INDYCAR SERIES testing at Sebring International Raceway on Monday in a 17 car test. Full story at the link. – RACER – (2/15/2022)
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Trackside podcast 2/14/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 2/14/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (2/15/2022)
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Magnussen gets CGR No. 10 test at Sebring – Kevin Magnussen was the driver of an evaluation test for Chip Ganassi Racing in their No. 10 car at Sebring International Raceway on Monday. Alex Palou will be in the car on Tuesday. Full story at the link. – RACER – (2/15/2022)
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Arrow McLaren SP unveils ’22 liveries – “Arrow McLaren SP today unveiled the team’s 2022 driver lineup and liveries to a live global audience ahead of this year’s NTT IndyCar Series season. Pato O’Ward will once again pilot the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and Felix Rosenqvist will take the wheel of the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.” See the liveries on our No. 5 and No. 7 livery pages. – Arrow McLaren SP – (2/11/2022)
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HMD confirms Lundqvist for ’22 Lights season – “Over the past three seasons, HMD Motorsports has continued to expand and grow into a top team in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Championship. For the 2022 season, HMD will continue their growth by adding a fifth car the to the team’s lineup with the return of three-time race winner and championship hopeful Linus Lundqvist.” Full release at the link. – HMD Motorsports – (2/10/2022)
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Rosenqvist wins INDYCAR-Motorsport Games Pro Challenge – “Rosenqvist, who was winless in the 2021 season with Arrow McLaren SP, won the inaugural INDYCAR-Motorsport Games Pro Challenge esports event Wednesday, Feb. 9 on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He beat series rookie David Malukas of Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports to the finish by 3.010 seconds in the 20-minute feature race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit. Sage Karam of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing finished third. The top three finishers received donations to a charity of their choice, with Rosenqvist winning $10,000 for Conquer Paralysis Now, Malukas $8,000 and Karam $5,000. Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing earned $2,500 for charity in an entrant lottery among the remaining finishers in the 20-car field.” A replay of the event can be viewed here. – INDYCAR – (2/10/2022)
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Andretti Autosport reveals new for ’22 No. 27 livery – Andretti Autosport has unveiled a new combined Napa and AutoNation livery for their No. 27 entry for Alexander Rossi for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. See the livery on our No. 27 livery page here. – Andretti Autosport – (2/10/2022)
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RACER Q&A 2/9/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (2/9/2022)
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Trackside podcast 2/7/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 2/7/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (2/8/2022)
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Arrow McLaren SP and Lucas Oil announce partnership extension – “Arrow McLaren SP and Lucas Oil have extended their long-term partnership in a multi-year agreement, with the Indianapolis-based manufacturer and distributor of high-performance automotive oils and additives, continuing its 18-year relationship with the team. The partnership will see continued Lucas Oil branding on both the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and the No. 7 VUSE Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, along with the driver racesuits of Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. Lucas Oil will serve once again as a partner to the team and Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, as he competes in the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.” Full release at the link. – Arrow McLaren SP – (2/8/2022)
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Juncos and Carlin to have technical alliance in ’22 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Juncos Hollinger Racing and Carlin will have a technical alliance for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES but Carlin will not have their own entry. Full story at the link. – RACER – (2/8/2022)
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Chilton calls time on INDYCAR career – Motorsport.com’s David Malsher-Lopez reports Max Chilton has retired from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to pursue interests at Le Mans and the WEC. Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (2/4/2022)
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INDYCAR announces esports event for 2/9 – “Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”) and INDYCAR announced today that the INDYCAR-Motorsport Games Pro Challenge will take place Wednesday, Feb. 9, with the first official esports event between the two parties including many NTT INDYCAR SERIES stars. Among the drivers expected to compete are reigning champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, four-time Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden of Team Penske and more. Fans can tune in to watch the full race day at the INDYCAR YouTube channel, starting with the pre-show at 6 p.m. (ET). The green flag for both heats and the race will drop at 6:30 p.m., with the race conclusion and interviews to take place thereafter at approximately 7:15 p.m. NBC Sports’ INDYCAR host and pit reporter Kevin Lee will be the host.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (2/2/2022)
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rFactor 2 announces addition of INDYCAR IR-18 – “Great news everyone – today we are absolutely delighted to announce the fantastic INDYCAR IR-18 will be heading to rFactor 2 next week – bringing arguably the toughest and most impressive open wheel racing category in the world to our simulation for what should be an incredible driving experience…Ever keen to ensure our players have the opportunity to experience the thrills of racing a wide variety of interesting and exciting content within rFactor 2, we couldn’t help but notice the astounding resurgence of INDYCAR racing in recent years, quickly coming to the conclusion that this type of car would be a perfect fit to replicate within rFactor 2.” Full release at the link. – rFactor – (2/2/2022)
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RACER Q&A 2/2/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (2/2/2022)
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Trackside podcast 2/1/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 2/1/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (2/2/2022)
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PPG renews sponsorship deal with Penske and moves to No. 2 – “PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced that it will renew its sponsorship of Team Penske and two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden, who is set to drive the No. 2 PPG Chevrolet in 2022…The car will be driven by Newgarden in eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Newgarden,who has represented PPG on multiple occasions since joining the Penske team, claimed the INDYCAR SERIES Championship in 2017 and 2019.” Full release at the link. – PPG – (2/1/2022)
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INDYCAR stars shine at Rolex 24 – NTT INDYCAR STARS and teammates Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud were a part of the overall winning combination at the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona over the weekend with Meyer Shank Racing. Devlin DeFrancesco, Colton Herta, and Pato O’Ward were teammates for the LMP2 class winners DragonSpeed. Full story from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/31/2022)
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Force Indy steps up to Indy Lights with Francis Jr. – “Force Indy has announced its entry for the 2022 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship with Ernie Francis Jr. driving the team’s No. 99 car. Haitian American Francis heads to Force Indy after three wins in his lone season in the Formula Regional Americas Championship and a second-place finish in the inaugural season of the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), with a win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.” Full release at the link. – Force Indy – (1/27/2022)
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Tickets for Iowa Speedway on sale now – “Tickets for the turbocharged 2022 Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, July 22-24, go on sale today and fans are encouraged to purchase early and be part of the exciting three-day weekend full of high-speed racing, live music and great food at Iowa Speedway. Fans can get tickets online at www.HyVeeINDYCARWeekend.com or by calling the event ticket office at 641-417-6007.” Full release at the link. – hyveeindycarweekend.com – (1/26/2022)
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’23 engine formula tests to begin in March – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports the first on-track tests of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES engine specifications are scheduled to take place in March. Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/26/2022)
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New Nurtec ODT livery unveiled for No. 51 – The Nurtec ODT primary livery for the Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing No. 51 entry to be driven by Takuma Sato has been unveiled. See the livery on our No. 51 livery page here. – @TeamNurtecODT – (1/25/2022)
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Sonsio named title sponsor of NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Road America – “Sonsio has signed on to be the title sponsor for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at Road America, and American Medical Response has agreed to return as the presenting sponsor. The race will be known as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Sonsio Grand Prix presented by AMR. The green flag will fly on the event at approximately 12 p.m. CST on June 12, 2022, and the event will be aired LIVE on NBC.” Full release at the link. – Road America – (1/24/2022)
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