INDYCAR News for the Month of March 2022
Harvey cleared to drive at Long Beach – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing confirmed on Thursday that Jack Harvey, driver of the team’s No. 45 entry, has been cleared to drive at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach following his incident at Texas Motor Speedway. – RLL – (3/31/2022)
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ECR unveils new Building Tomorrow livery and fundraiser for No. 21 – “Ed Carpenter Racing announced today a partnership with Building Tomorrow, an international not-for-profit organization supporting literacy and numeracy in Uganda, for the GMR Grand Prix. Through the generosity of a longtime Building Tomorrow supporter, defending race winner Rinus VeeKay will compete in the No. 21 Building Tomorrow Chevrolet on May 14, 2022 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Together, Building Tomorrow and ECR have launched “Ride with Rinus,” where any contributor who donates $75 can have their name added to VeeKay’s car.” Full release at the link. View the livery on our No. 21 livery page here. – ECR – (3/30/2022)
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RLL unveils new iPacket livery for No. 15 – “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that iPacket, a leading provider of digital vehicle presentation and delivery solutions for the automotive industry, has joined the team as the primary sponsor of Graham Rahal’s No. 15 entry for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 in Madison, Ill. on August 20. iPacket will also be a full-season associate sponsor of the entry and Official Vehicle Marketplace of the team in 2022.” Full release at the link. View the livery on our No. 15 livery page here. – RLL – (3/30/2022)
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RACER Q&A 3/30/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/30/2022)
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Trackside podcast 3/29/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/29/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (3/30/2022)
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IMS announces Carb Day concert lineup – “Rock’s ultimate supergroup Kings of Chaos and legendary Grammy Award winner Rick Springfield will co-headline the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Friday, May 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, performing some of the biggest hits for generations. Legendary funk and R&B band Morris Day and the Time will open the concert, followed by Springfield and Kings of Chaos. The show starts at 3:30 p.m. on the Miller Lite Stage inside Turn 3 of the IMS oval, a new location this year. Tickets are on sale now at IMS.com, by calling 800-822-INDY (4639) or 317-492-6700, or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (3/24/2022)
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RACER Q&A 3/23/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/23/2022)
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Trackside podcast 3/22/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/22/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (3/23/2022)
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Newgarden steals XPEL 375 victory from McLaughlin – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden passed teammate Scott McLaughlin just before the finish line to win the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway by just 0.0669 of a second. The full Top 5 was Newgarden, McLaughlin, Ericsson, Power, and Dixon. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/20/2022)
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OpenWheel.com’s Texas preview – OpenWheel.com’s preview of the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – OpenWheel.com – (3/20/2022)
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Ferrucci to drive RLL No. 45 after Harvey isn’t cleared to drive – Santino Ferrucci will fill in to drive the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 45 in the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway as Jack Harvey has not been medically cleared to drive following his incident in practice on Saturday. Full team statement at the link. – RLL – (3/20/2022)
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Newgarden quickest in Final Practice at Texas – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden was quickest in Final Practice for the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap at 223.108mph. The full Top 5 was Newgarden, Dixon, Rosenqvist, Lundgaard, and Herta. Harvey had a major crash in the session and will need to use his backup car in Sunday’s race. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/19/2022)
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Rosenqvist earns pole at Texas – Arrow McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist earned the pole for the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway with a two-lap qualifying average of 221.110mph. The full Top 5 was Rosenqvist, McLaughlin, Sato, Power, and Dixon. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (3/19/2022)
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Pagenaud tops Practice 1 at Texas – Meyer Shank Racing’s Simon Pagenaud’s lap at 223.087mph topped the charts in Practice 1 for the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway. The full Top 5 was Pagenaud, Rosenqvist, Herta, Ilott, and McLaughlin. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/19/2022)
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ECR No. 33 to feature Alzamend at Texas – “Ed Carpenter Racing (“ECR”) announced today that the team is joining the fight to “Making Alzheimer’s Just a Memory,” with ECR owner and oval driver Ed Carpenter showcasing Alzamend Neuro, Inc. (“Alzamend”) on his No. 33 car in this weekend’s XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway. ECR received a commitment from Milton “Todd” Ault, III, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Alzamend, a company focused on developing novel products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorder with a primary target of Alzheimer’s disease (“Alzheimer’s”), in order to sponsor the No. 33 Alzamend Neuro Chevrolet at this race.” Full release at the link. – ECR – (3/18/2022)
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XPEL 375 entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2022 XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/17/2022)
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RACER Q&A 3/16/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/16/2022)
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NBC adds Peacock-only post-race show for Texas – From @IndyCaronNBC: “We’ll be bringing you extended post-race coverage of Sunday’s NTT @INDYCAR SERIES race at @TXMotorSpeedway on @peacockTV. Tune in to the race at 12:30P ET on @NBC and Peacock.” – NBC Sports – (3/15/2022)
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Tebow named Grand Marshal at Barber – Former University of Florida and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has been announced as the Grand Marshal for the 2022 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. – Barber Motorsports Park – (3/15/2022)
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Trackside podcast 3/14/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/14/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (3/15/2022)
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Herta to test F1 car with McLaren in ’22 – “McLaren Racing confirmed today that current IndyCar driver Colton Herta from the USA will test for the McLaren F1 Team as part of its 2021 MCL35M car testing programme in 2022. Herta became the youngest-ever winner in IndyCar history in 2019 when he took victory at the Circuit of the Americas. Since then, the 21-year-old American has secured six wins and seven pole positions in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.” Full release at the link. – McLaren – (3/14/2022)
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Hildebrand announced as Foyt No. 11 oval driver – “J.R. Hildebrand has been signed to drive the No. 11 ROKiT Chevrolet on the oval tracks in the NTT INDYCAR Series this season. The 34-year-old Boulder, Colorado resident will share the car with Tatiana Calderón, of Bogota, Colombia, who is driving the No. 11 ROKiT Chevy on the road and street circuits.” Full release at the link. – AJ Foyt Racing – (3/11/2022)
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Magnussen lands ’22 Haas F1 ride – “Haas F1 Team has signed Kevin Magnussen to drive alongside Mick Schumacher in the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship in a multi-year contract agreement with the Danish racer. Magnussen will drive the team’s VF-22 for the first time in the official pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit, 10-12 March – joining Schumacher and test and reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi at the test.” Full release at the link. – Haas F1 Team – (3/9/2022)
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IMS unveils revamped plans for ’22 Legends Day – “Country music superstar Dierks Bentley will headline the Firestone Legends Day Concert on Saturday, May 28, one day before the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Special guests Ashley McBryde and Dillon Carmichael will open the show, which begins at 7 p.m. (ET), with individual performances. Previously held on the Firestone Stage inside Turn 4 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the concert will be held at the TCU Amphitheater in White River State Park, further expanding the celebration of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” into downtown Indianapolis.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (3/9/2022)
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RACER Q&A 3/9/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/9/2022)
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PNC Bank and Chip Ganassi Racing announce Women In Motorsports campaign – “PNC Bank and Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today the launch of Women In Motorsports Powered by PNC Bank with Chip Ganassi Racing, a new campaign to drive awareness and support for gender equality and economic inclusion for women in the workforce. The initiative includes a thought leadership video content series showcasing female industry leaders and an internship designed to accelerate career pathways in motorsports for women…Additionally, CGR will facilitate the inaugural Women In Motorsports internship program engaging a select group of female college students in on-site learning and career-development experiences during the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The internship is open to eligible women attending a university, college or other higher education institution in the U.S. and includes a paid stipend and academic credit where applicable.” Full release at the link. – Chip Ganassi Racing – (3/8/2022)
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Trackside podcast 3/8/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/7/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (3/8/2022)
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Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend announces massive names for weekend concerts – “Hy-Vee, Inc. and INDYCAR announce that four award-winning music acts will perform live during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, July 22-24, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. 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. Three-time Grammy award-winning country music superstar Tim McGraw will perform prior to the start of the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Saturday, July 23. Following Saturday’s race, Billboard record-holding country music duo Florida Georgia Line will take to the stage at Iowa Speedway. On Sunday, July 24, three-time grammy award winner and multi-platinum artist Gwen Stefani will perform prior to the start of the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. A performance by nine-time Grammy-nominated country music artist Blake Shelton will provide a memorable ending to the turbocharged weekend following Sunday’s race.” Full release at the link. – Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend – (3/7/2022)
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Castroneves’ likeness unveiled on Borg-Warner Trophy for 105th Indy 500 victory – “2021 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Helio Castroneves unveiled his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy for the fourth time Thursday, March 3 at the Indiana Statehouse. Castroneves, a native of Brazil, became the fourth four-time “500” winner when he captured the 105th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” last May 30. He etched his name alongside this race’s greatest names in A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears by joining their exclusive club of four-time winners.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (3/3/2022)
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ECR announces Carpenter will drive all ovals events in No. 33 – Ed Carpenter Racing has announced that owner Ed Carpenter will drive in all 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval races in the team’s new No. 33 entry. – ECR – (3/3/2022)
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INDYCAR delays hybrid engine formula to ’24 – “Due to ongoing global supply chain challenges with some hybrid system components, INDYCAR announced it has adjusted the debut of the 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with hybrid technology to the 2024 season. In consultation with engine partners Chevrolet and Honda, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will continue to use the current 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 powerplant for the 2023 season.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/3/2022)
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RACER Q&A 3/2/2022 – RACER’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/2/2022)
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Trackside podcast 3/1/2022 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/1/2022 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (3/1/2022)
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St. Pete NBC broadcast is most-watched season opener in 11 years – “The inaugural race of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES delivered the series’ most-watched season-opener in 11 years as Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin took the checkered flag at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (GPSP) in Florida this past Sunday on NBC and Peacock. The GPSP averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.429 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it not only the most-watched INDYCAR season opener in 11 years (St. Pete, 2011, 1.840 million, ABC), but also the most-watched non-Indy 500 INDYCAR race in 11 years. Sunday’s GPSP was up 53% compared to the 2021 INDYCAR season opener at Barber (932,000 viewers; April 18) and up 15% vs. last year’s St. Pete race (1.246 million; April 25), both on NBC.” Full release at the link. – NBC Sports – (3/1/2022)
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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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