News for the Week of June 4 – June 10, 2018

The Open Wheel’s Texas photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s photo gallery from the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/9/2018)

Dixon wins and takes championship lead at Texas – Chip Ganassi Racing Teams’ Scott Dixon dominated the second half of the DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway to earn the win and the championship lead. The rest of the Top 5 was Pagenaud, Rossi, Hinchcliffe, and Hunter-Reay. There were cautions in the race for Leist, Wickens & Carpenter, and Power & Claman De Melo. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/9/2018)

Dixon fastest in final practice at Texas – Chip Ganassi Racing Teams’ Scott Dixon was fastest in Final Practice for the DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap at 220.524mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Kanaan, Bourdais, Sato, and Rahal. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/8/2018)

Newgarden wins the pole at Texas – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the pole for the DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with a two-lap average of 220.613mph. The Top 5 in qualifying were Newgarden, Pagenaud, Power, Wickens, and Bourdais. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/8/2018)

RLL announces multi-year extension with Graham Rahal – “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced a multi-year contract extension with driver Graham Rahal today. Rahal has driven for the team full time since 2013 and has earned six wins, 27 podium finishes and 48 top-5 finishes in his Indy car career to date. In the past three Verizon IndyCar Series seasons, he has finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in season-ending standings and two of those seasons was the highest ranked Honda-powered driver and was second highest in the other.” Full release at the link. – RLL – (6/8/2018)

Wickens and Kanaan share top spot in Practice 1 at Texas – Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ Robert Wickens and AJ Foyt Racing’s Tony Kanaan shared the fastest lap of Practice 1 for the DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap at 220.014mph. The full Top 5 was Wickens, Kanaan, Bourdais, Rossi, and Chaves. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/8/2018)

INDYCAR changes downforce levels for Texas due to heat – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports INDYCAR has modified downforce levels for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 due to the anticipated heat this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Full story at the link. – RACER – (6/8/2018)

SPM building for future with Wickens – RACER’s Marshall Pruett has an excellent story on Schmidt Peterson Motorsports evolution of their Verizon IndyCar Series program and the processes in place to retain a budding star like Robert Wickens as teams such as Team Penske have allegedly inquired about his services. “It’s a multi-year deal and we don’t have any intention of letting him go,” SPM co-owner Sam Schmidt told RACER. “He’s everything we could possibly hope for and more. Sometimes you roll the dice and make a mistake. Fortunately, we didn’t.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (6/8/2018)

The Open Wheel’s Texas preview – The Open Wheel’s preview of the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/7/2018)

RLL No. 30 to feature ABeam Consulting primary sponsorship at Texas – “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that ABeam Consulting, who provides business transformation services to over 800 clients throughout Asia, the Americas and Europe, will be primary sponsor of Takuma Sato’s No. 30 Honda entry at the DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 9. ABeam has been an associate sponsor of Sato’s IndyCar Series entry since 2017.” Full release at the link. – RLL – (6/7/2018)

Texas spotter guide posted – The spotter guide for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/6/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 6/6/18 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (6/6/2018)

Trackside podcast 6/5/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 6/5/18 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (6/6/2018)

Texas entry list posted – The entry list for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. It features 22 entries. – INDYCAR – (6/5/2018)

TMS sells out new Busch Restart Bar for DXC Technology 600 – Texas Motor Speedway’s new Busch Restart Bar is sold out for this weekend’s Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600. From Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage: “SOLD OUT! The Busch Restart Bar @TXMotorSpeedway is sold out for Saturday night’s #DXCTechnology600 @IndyCar race! Great news!”. – Eddie Gossage – (6/5/2018)

The Open Wheel’s Belle Isle Race 2 photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s livery photo gallery from Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/3/2018)

RHR pressures Rossi into mistake for Race 2 win at Belle Isle – Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay drove an incredible race to win Race 2 at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park after the dominant Alexander Rossi locked up into the runoff late in the race from the lead. The rest of the Top 5 was Power, Jones, Dixon, and Rahal. The start of the race way delayed by 40 minutes due to the pace car crashing as the field left the pits for the parade laps. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/3/2018)

Rossi takes pole for Belle Isle Race 2 in the wet – Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi won the pole for Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix with a lap of 1:33.3143 in wet conditions. The full Top 6 starting order will be Rossi, Wickens, Power, Jones, Dixon, and Hinchcliffe. The session was the first to use the new upgraded Firestone rain tires for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/3/2018)

The Open Wheel’s Belle Isle Race 1 photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s livery photo gallery from Race 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/2/2018)

Dixon grabs Race 1 win at Belle Isle – Chip Ganassi Racing Teams’ Scott Dixon won Race 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix in dominant fashion for their first win of the season. The rest of the Top 5 was Hunter-Reay, Rossi, Andretti, and Sato. Rahal and Ferrucci had big incidents in the race but have been cleared to drive on Sunday. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/2/2018)

The Open Wheel’s Belle Isle livery page – The Open Wheel’s livery photo gallery of all the Verizon IndyCar Series cars for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/2/2018)

Marco grabs first road/street course pole for Belle Isle Race 1 – Andretti Herta Autosport’s Marco Andretti won the pole for Race 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix with a lap of 1:14.8514. The full Top 6 starting order will be Andretti, Dixon, Wickens, Rossi, Hunter-Reay, and Power. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/2/2018)

Scuderia Corsa “committing” to 2019 Indy 500 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Scuderia Corsa will again have a car entered in the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2019 after their experience in 2018 with Oriol Servia and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. “We’re committing to the Indy 500 next year, and we’re trying to put a [full-season] program together for next year,” team owner Giacomo Mattioli told RACER. Full story at the link. – RACER – (5/31/2018)

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