News for the Week of June 5, 2017 – June 11, 2017
Power wins wild race at Texas – Team Penske’s Will Power won a wild Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at the repaved Texas Motor Speedway after a late crash involving Sato and Dixon. The rest of the Top 5 was Kanaan, Pagenaud, Rahal, and Chaves. A mid-race spin by Hinchcliffe after contact with Kanaan and Aleshin led to an 8 car crash that left just 11 cars running on the lead lap after the subsequent red flag. Relive the race with our live blog here. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/10/2017)
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“Current but not active” drivers to be used for ’18 aero kit testing – Autoweek’s Bruce Martin has posted an excellent piece on INDYCAR’s plans for the testing of the 2018 aero kit starting next month. “We will have one driver for Chevrolet and one for Honda, even though both cars will be equipped with the universal aero kit,” INDYCAR president of competition Jay Frye told Autoweek. “By current but not active that means they could have competed in a race or two this season but not full time. We will have a list and see if they are available with their other racing commitments.” Full report at the link. – Autoweek – (6/10/2017)
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INDYCAR bid for third engine manufacturer stalls – Autoweek’s Bruce Martin reports INDYCAR’s closest option for a deal for a third engine manufacture in the Verizon IndyCar Series has failed. “We got really close with one recently and couldn’t get that done so the conversation with others continue,” INDYCAR CEO Mark Miles told Autoweek. “The one we were close to is not happening for right now…There is nothing imminent. There are ongoing conversations with other interested manufacturers as there have been.” Martin reports this manufacturer was Lamborghini. Full report at the link. – Autoweek – (6/10/2017)
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Several drivers not happy with Texas repave – Autoweek’s Bruce Martin has a nice piece with comments from a number of drivers that aren’t happy with the repave at Texas Motor Speedway after a day of practice and qualifying. Check it out at the link. – Autoweek – (6/10/2017)
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Rahal visor cam from Texas – INDYCAR’s excellent visor cam series continues with Graham Rahal during final practice for the the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Check it out at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/10/2017)
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Carpenter quickest in final practice at Texas – Ed Carpenter Racing’s Ed Carpenter turned the fastest lap of final practice for the the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap at 224.682mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Dixon, Rossi, Hildebrand, and Pagenaud. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/9/2017)
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Kimball wins the pole at Texas – Chip Ganassi Racing Team’s Charlie Kimball won his first career Verizon IndyCar Series pole in qualifying for the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with a 2-lap average of 222.556mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Dixon, Rossi, Kanaan, and Vautier. Munoz was unable to make a qualifying attempt due to his car being late to tech inspection. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (6/9/2017)
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Texas qualification order – The qualifying order for the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/9/2017)
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Dixon fastest in Texas Practice 1 – Chip Ganassi Racing Team’s Scott Dixon was fastest in Practice 1 for the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap at 223.422mph. The rest of the Top 5 was Kimball, Rossi, Rahal, and Andretti. Carpenter was the fastest Chevrolet in P7. Chaves was P21 of 22 cars in Harding Racing’s first session outside of Indianapolis. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/9/2017)
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Texas track activities delayed due to rain – “Morning rains have saturated Texas Motor Speedway and delayed on-track activities for the Rainguard Water Sealers 600, the ninth race of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series Schedule. Practice was slated to begin at 11 a.m. ET today but has been put on hold until track conditions permit. Qualifying and a final practice are also on the schedule today. The 248-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval — the 29th Verizon IndyCar Series race at the track since 1997 — is scheduled for Saturday (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network).” – INDYCAR – (6/9/2017)
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RLL “getting close” on plans for 2nd car for ’18 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is working hard to add a second full-time car for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. “We’re getting close to a fully-funded second car for next year,” RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal told RACER. “Given some of the increased support our team has recently had like with 5/3rd Bank, which is a three-year deal, there’s a lot of momentum to put a second car together on a full-time basis.” Full report at the link. – RACER – (6/8/2017)
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The Open Wheel’s Texas preview – The Open Wheel’s Dylan Reynolds’ preview of the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. Includes all relevant weekend information, historical stats, predictions, fantasy advice, and more. – The Open Wheel – (6/8/2017)
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Texas spotter guide is posted – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/7/2017)
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Texas entry list is posted – The official INDYCAR entry list for the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/7/2017)
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DCR officially names Vautier driver of No. 18 at Texas – “Tristan Vautier has been selected to drive the #18 Dale Coyne Racing entry at this weekend’s RAINGUARD Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) alongside Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Ed Jones who will be making his first appearance on the high-speed oval.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (6/7/2017)
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Miller’s Mailbag 6/7/17 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (6/7/2017)
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Trackside podcast 6/6/17 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 6/6/17 is a great listen as always. RC Enerson is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (6/7/2017)
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Report: Vautier to sub for Bourdais in DCR No. 18 at Texas – RACER’s Robin Miller reports Tristan Vautier will drive the Dale Coyne Racing No. 18 this weekend in the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway as a substitute for the injured Sebastien Bourdais. Esteban Gutierrez, who drove the car at Belle Isle, was not cleared to drive at Texas by INDYCAR as he has no previous oval experience and no testing was allowed this week. Full report at the link. – RACER – (6/6/2017)
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Harding Racing to race this weekend at Texas – As was reported last month, Harding Racing and driver Gabby Chaves will race this weekend in the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. The Indianapolis Star’s Jim Ayello reports the team is pushing hard to be full-time in 2018. Full story at the link. – USA Today – (6/6/2017)
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INDYCAR announces Dallara will manufacture ’18 universal aero kit – “INDYCAR announced today that longtime partner Dallara Automobili will manufacture the universal bodywork kit that will fit the current Dallara IR-12 chassis for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. The universal kit to be used by all teams next season was a collaboration between INDYCAR and Dallara with the style design support of Chris Beatty, a concept design and 3D animation consultant based in the United Kingdom. The goal was to make the car resemble past Indy car favorites with a sleek, bold look while incorporating the latest technological and safety advancements.” Much more at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/6/2017)
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MRTI Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test confirmed – “One of the highlights of the off-season for the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires is the annual Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test which provides teams the opportunity to audition new talent and jumpstart their campaigns, and new drivers the chance to sample the waters. This year’s test will see competitors return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course for a weekend outing at the iconic Brickyard on October 21/22. For the first time, the revitalization of the entire Mazda Road to Indy ladder system will be on display as the new Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires Tatuus PM-18 chassis will make its debut. The PM-18 joins the Dallara IL-15, which launched in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires in 2015, and the Tatuus USF-17 that was introduced to rave reviews this year in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.” Full release at the link. – Indy Lights – (6/6/2017)
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Pippa writes about her “May” – Pippa Mann wrote a great piece on her website about all of the months of work that go into her “May” for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Check it out at the link. – Pippa Mann – (6/6/2017)
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Monday Musings: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix – The Open Wheel’s Dylan Reynolds’ “Monday Musings” piece following the 2017 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/5/2017)
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Report: Gutierrez will not race for DCR at Texas – Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star reports Esteban Gutierrez will not drive for Dale Coyne Racing at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The team is now searching for another replacement for the injured Sebastien Bourdais. – Jim Ayello – (6/5/2017)
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First 20k fans at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday get Rahal bobblehead – “The first 20,000 fans in attendance at the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 will receive a limited edition Graham Rahal bobblehead presented by Fox Sports Southwest. These can be picked up when going into the gates. One bobblehead per person, per ticket.” Purchase tickets at the link. – Texas Motor Speedway – (6/5/2017)
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INDYCAR’s future at Belle Isle likely to continue – Gregg Krupa of The Detroit News reports there’s reason for optimism that INDYCAR will continue to run at Belle Isle beyond the current contract end date of 2018. “The sense is that with some new controls and, perhaps, logistics in place, the racing will go on, despite some people around town who would like it to go away,” writes Krupa. Full report at the link. – The Detroit News – (6/5/2017)
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Belle Isle Race 2 photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s photo gallery from qualifying and the race for Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/4/2017)
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Rahal completes Belle Isle weekend sweep with dominant Race 2 win – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal won Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix to complete the weekend sweep at Belle Isle. The rest of the Top 5 was Newgarden, Power, Sato, and Pagenaud. Rahal had to hold off the field after a late red flag forced a 2-lap shootout to end the race. Dixon remains the championship leader. Full race results here. – INDYCAR – (6/4/2017)
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Belle Isle Race 1 photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s photo gallery from qualifying and the race for Race 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/3/2017)
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Rahal wins from pole in Belle Isle Race 1 – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal won Race 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix from pole in dominant fashion. Rahal led 55 of the 70 laps. The rest of the Top 5 was Dixon, Hinchcliffe, Newgarden, and Rossi. Dixon is the new championship leader. Full race results here. – INDYCAR – (6/3/2017)
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Shank plans on running Indy 500 again – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Michael Shank, owner of Michael Shank Racing, wants to field a team in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race again. “One thing for sure is I want to do it again,” Shank told RACER. “I learned more in three weeks at Indy than I did in the last five or 10 years of racing. When we come back, which could very well be next year, it won’t be a different approach, but it will integrate everything we learned and integrate that into how we go about practicing, racing, and all the things that experience there can benefit. And it will be better.” Full report at the link. – RACER – (6/2/2017)
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TK to sub for Bourdais at Le Mans – “INDYCAR champion and Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Tony Kanaan will join drivers Joey Hand and Dirk Müller in Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 68 Ford GT at the Le Mans 24 Hours next month as the team looks to defend its 2016 GTE Pro Class victory. The Brazilian fills the seat left vacant by Sébastien Bourdais, who was injured during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. This will be Kanaan’s first Le Mans 24.” Full release at the link. – CGRT – (5/31/2017)
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