Sportsnet.ca http://sportsnet.ca/author/todd-lewis/feed/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:56:49 EDT en-US hourly 1 Eric Risberg/AP pagenaud1280 IndyCar Series has plenty of reasons for optimism in 2017 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:45:49 EDT Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:50:16 EDT Todd Lewis While there will always be questions and new challenges that face the IndyCar series, after a good 2016 campaign there is also plenty of reason for optimism heading into 2017.

]]>
With the 2016 IndyCar season now officially over, let’s reflect back a little and also look ahead to 2017. There will always be questions about the future and second-guessing of decisions about the race schedule, engine rules, competition, etc. that are made by series bosses.

Unlike others of the recent past, however, there is a generally positive feeling about the series heading into the off-season. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we are seeing positive glimmers regarding the future.

The job that Mark Miles and his lieutenants embarked on a couple of years ago to fix the IndyCar franchise is no different than fixing any sports team, it takes a lot of time and hard work, there are mistakes made, but you correct them quickly when they occur and keep trying to get a little better every day. You have to manage expectations and hold a lot of hands when people get impatient.

This year when the debacle around what was supposed to be a new event in Boston blew up, it was fixed by working a new deal with a fan-favourite track at Watkins Glen and then getting a multi-year renewal done even before the first race took place. That’s about as good a repair job as you’ll ever see.

Only a couple of years ago there was a real concern about how many cars will be on the grid, that’s not the case anymore. Sure Target is leaving the Ganassi team as a sponsor, but there are others coming in and renewing with multi-year commitments with teams and the IndyCar series.

Plenty of hype surrounded the introduction of new body aerokits for the cars. It turned out to be an expensive mistake. During the last two seasons when the new parts were costing money and frustrating just about everyone, IndyCar worked with the stakeholders to find solutions.

Next year will begin the process of phasing out this costly endeavor that didn’t really add anything to the series or competition. And plans are coming together for a new common body kit that may also make it tempting for additional engine manufacturers to enter series competition.

On the driver front there is also plenty of reason for optimism.

Simon Pagenaud claimed his first series championship over the weekend. Pagenaud is a thoughtful, positive person with an excellent sense of humor and a cute dog named Norman who has his own Twitter and Instagram accounts. He’ll be an excellent representative to help publicize the series, especially if he brings Norman on tour with him.

Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe is as genuine and kind a person you’ll ever meet along with the perfect personality to carry the IndyCar banner on Dancing with the Stars. Some will wonder about the logic, but this kind of exposure is valuable and necessary.

Josef Newgarden is a young, talented American driver whose contract is up and he’s in high demand by just about every IndyCar team. His decision on which suitor he chooses will impact the other free agents’ options. This kind of discussion in the off-season helps build anticipation for the New Year.

Of course there are also questions heading into next season.

With so much hype and buildup around the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 will there be a big drop off for the 101st? How will the new event at Gateway Motorsport Park perform? How do we get younger, talented drivers into the field to take over for some of the veterans that will be gone in the next year or two? Growing the series’ television audience is also a must.

There will always be questions and new challenges that face the IndyCar series, but after a good 2016 campaign, I’m very excited to get 2017 underway.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Eric Risberg/AP pagenaud_simon1280 How many titles can Pagenaud and Penske win together? Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:41:32 EDT Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:41:32 EDT Todd Lewis Heading into Sunday’s Indycar series finale at Sonoma Raceway the championship was all but decided. The last race of the 2016 season was the fitting end to a fantastic season for Simon Pagenaud and his Penske teammates.

]]>
Heading into Sunday’s Indycar series finale at Sonoma Raceway the championship was all but decided. The last race of the 2016 season was the fitting end to a fantastic season for Simon Pagenaud and his Penske teammates. Pagenaud led nearly every lap after starting on pole to claim his fifth victory of the season and his first series championship. The Frenchman led a sweep of the top three positions in the overall standings for Roger Penske’s outfit.

Only teammate Will Power had a chance to overtake Pagenaud but when he suffered mechanical issues that put him many laps down any chance of a title fight was over. However there was other business to finish. There was still the goal to have three Penske drivers take the top three spots in the standings and that wouldn’t be settled until the very end.

Despite his troubles, Power managed to gain just enough points to remain second overall. Helio Castroneves, who used a very different strategy than his other two teammates, also collected enough points to finish third.

What could be more fitting than for the IndyCar series mainstay Penske Racing to claim the top three spots during their 50th anniversary season.

Their attention to every detail is what makes them such a powerhouse.

When Pagenaud knew he’d clinched the title his first thought was to do whatever he could to help Power and Castroneves secure their positions. Penske drivers are allowed to race each other, but more so than any other IndyCar outfit they are about the team, that always comes first.

It wasn’t the dramatic finish to the season we saw a year ago when Scott Dixon snatched the title from Juan Pablo Montoya in the final race of the season. This year Pagenaud finished second in the first two races and then ripped off three consecutive victories serving notice he was the man to beat in 2016.

When Power got hot late in the season and it looked like he might just overtake his teammate, Pagenaud and company didn’t panic. They refocused their efforts and came away with a solid result at Watkins Glen two weeks ago putting them in the drivers seat. And with yesterday’s victory at Sonoma put an exclamation mark on a spectacular season.

There were high expectations when Pagenaud joined Team Penske at the start of 2015. Knowing what both brought to the program it seemed certain they’d be a force right out of the gate. But like any sports team or other group in life, chemistry takes time and can’t be rushed. It took time, but it was worth the wait and now the question is immediately being asked, how many titles can Pagenaud and Penske win together?

Canadian James Hinchcliffe had a difficult weekend at the season finale. A crash in practice and then a disappointing qualifying effort illustrated the struggles for the Schmidt Peterson team. During the race the Mayor of Hinchtown did manage to move forward, in fact he gained five spots right off the start. The Oakville native said afterwards, “The car was better in the race than it had been all weekend.” Hinchcliffe would finish 12th. Not terrible, but not great.

Hinchcliffe’s season of competition isn’t over, however. He’s back in L.A. to continue with the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. After a great opening week he’s got to be considered one of the front-runners.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Charlie Neibergall/AP Will-Power-Simon-Pagenaud Pagenaud close to IndyCar title, but Power still has shot in Sonoma Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:53:55 EDT Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:53:55 EDT Todd Lewis Penske driver Simon Pagenaud holds a 43-point lead over his teammate Will Power as the 2016 IndyCar season wraps up this weekend at the beautiful Sonoma Raceway in Northern California.

]]>
Penske driver Simon Pagenaud holds a 43-point lead over his teammate Will Power as the 2016 IndyCar season wraps up this weekend at the beautiful Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. While it’s a long shot that Power can overcome the significant deficit and claim his second title, it’s not impossible.

For the final race of the season, IndyCar awards double championship points, which should keep the fight alive right until the finish. That was a key factor last year, when Juan Pablo Montoya seemed poised to claim the title until Ganassi driver Scott Dixon overcame a 34 point deficit to tie him in points and win the championship on a tie breaker.

Power’s performance on the 12-turn, 2.385-mile road course is another reason to believe he can certainly make a run for the title. Sonoma Raceway is known for high speeds with low downforce and features great changes in elevation, which makes it fun and challenging for the drivers. Power has won the pole five of the last six years and is a three time winner in Sonoma, claiming victory in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

Pagenaud on the other hand has been on pole six times this year and has nine top five finishes, including four victories. The Frenchman ran a smart race two weeks ago at Watkins Glen, collecting a seventh place finish after Power crashed out. Pagenaud has been a model of consistency all season and did what he had to do to get to the cusp of his first title.

According to my math, should Pagenaud finish fifth or better at Sonoma, there is no way Power can overtake him.

What is known is one of the two Team Penske drivers will capture the title, a nice prize to celebrate their 50th anniversary in motorsports.

Double points on the line this weekend also means there is opportunity for others to improve their final position in the overall standings. With all the speculation about driver roster changes, that could be an important factor in the decision making ahead of next season.

Contacts expire after this year for Josef Newgarden and Tony Kanaan. Will Newgarden stay with Ed Carpenter or will one of the big outfits like Penske or Ganassi come calling? Does 2005 Sonoma winner Kanaan keep his spot at Ganassi or move on? They sit fifth and sixth respectively in the standings heading into the final round and if one or both can move up, it most certainly benefits them in negotiations.

Others to watch this weekend include 2015 race winner and champion Scott Dixon who’s coming off a dominating victory at Watkins Glen. Helio Castroneves was a winner here in 2008 and is tied in points with Dixon for third in the standings.

Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe has headed north from L.A., where he’s participating in the current season of Dancing with the Stars, to return to his Schmidt Peterson car. Hinchcliffe has been knocking on the door of victory late in the season running strong at Pocono and Texas. He didn’t get the result but showed plenty of speed at Watkins Glen and should be one to watch again this weekend.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-article
Mel Evans/AP dixon_scott Dixon resumes dominance in return to Watkins Glen Mon, 05 Sep 2016 11:47:14 EDT Mon, 05 Sep 2016 11:47:14 EDT Todd Lewis Scott Dixon continued his dominance at Watkins Glen by picking up his fourth win in a crash-filled race at the famed road course over the weekend.

]]>
It was an eventful return to the famed road course at Watkins Glen for the IndyCar series this past weekend. There was a dominating victory by a four-time champion, plenty of action — and finger-pointing — on the track and Simon Pagenaud is even closer to capturing his first series title.

Ganassi driver Scott Dixon has had great success at the Glen for a reason: he and his team are very good at what they do. They demonstrated their talents again this weekend and picked up their fourth victory at the Upstate New York track.

Unloading with a very fast car, Dixon was near the top of the time sheets all weekend. And when it was necessary to stretch the final load of fuel to make the race distance, there is no one better than Dixon. He is a race engineer’s dream because he can go fast and save fuel.

Dixon’s victory is the 40th of his career and moves him into fourth on the all-time list. The only drivers with more wins in IndyCar history are Michael Andretti (42), Mario Andretti (52) and A.J. Foyt (67). How high can he climb? Passing Mario for second overall before his IndyCar career is over is not out of the question. He is indeed one of the best to ever race in the series.

There were a number of incidents on track that resulted in crashes and days ruined. Graham Rahal and Will Power both had hard hits and in both cases Charlie Kimball was the other driver involved. Both Rahal and Power were critical of how Kimball raced them on the track. Stewards reviewed the incidents and no penalties were assessed, and I think it was the right call.

Kimball was racing hard for position and he is in no way obligated to give way to others. He’s not racing for a championship the way Power is, but he’s just as entitled to part of the track. When you race at high speeds things happen quickly and sometimes bad things happen. Most of the time no one driver is more to blame than the other, and that was the case with Kimball and both Rahal and Power

For Power the crash all but ends his hopes of overtaking Simon Pagenaud and claiming his second series title. He is now 43 points behind Pagenaud heading into the final race in two weeks. Though the series finale awards double points and Power is still mathematically alive, that’s a huge deficit to overcome.

Power also suffered concussion-like symptoms after his crash on Sunday and has not yet been cleared to drive in the finale. If he is diagnosed with a concussion he must follow the IndyCar concussion protocol before returning to the track.

The IndyCar return to Watkins Glen was also a frustrating one for Canadian James Hinchcliffe, who was penalized for blocking during qualifying. Hinchcliffe was upset at the call but charged from his 13th starting spot to running second in the late stages. However, a communication failure caused him to run out of fuel late in the race and dropped him to 18th at the finish.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-article
Tom E. Puskar/AP power_pagenaud Pagenaud, Power take IndyCar championship battle to revamped Watkins Glen Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:03:46 EDT Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:12:57 EDT Todd Lewis For the first time since 2010, IndyCar teams will compete on the 11-turn, 3.37-mile road course at Watkins Glen International Speedway in upstate New York.

]]>
For the first time since 2010, IndyCar teams will compete on the 11-turn, 3.37-mile road course at Watkins Glen International Speedway in upstate New York. It’s the second-to-last race of the year and the track will feel very different for drivers that raced here previously.

A repaved track surface that teams were able to test on a couple weeks ago had one consistent message delivered by drivers afterwards: It’s fast. New pavement offers tremendous grip and that means more speed. The DW-12 is also a different car than the one previously raced here. The current model is quicker and offers much more downforce.

Every weekend, drivers and teams hope to unload with a setup on the car that will be close to ideal and simply fine-tune during the practice sessions. With all that is new, that will be an even greater challenge this weekend.

Much of the focus is on the championship battle that is essentially down to overall leader Simon Pagenaud who is 28 points ahead of Penske teammate Will Power. Pagenaud has never raced this course before while Power was the pole sitter and winner back in 2010.

Some fun stats to consider heading into the weekend: In six of the past nine seasons, the driver who has lead in the standings with two races remaining has failed to win the title. However, only two drivers since 2010 have overcome a larger deficit to win the title. They being Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2012 and Scott Dixon a year ago.

Much of the championship field behind the two leaders should also be a battle right to the final lap of the season. Tony Kanaan sits third and Carlos Munoz is eighth with just 34 points between them. In descending order, the drivers in between those two are Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, Dixon and Graham Rahal.

Up until yesterday, James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., was also in that mix. Late Wednesday, IndyCar officials announced that Hinchcliffe’s #5 car did not pass post-race inspection. The domed skid plates along the bottom of the car were deemed to be worn down to the point of creating a performance advantage. Along with a team fine, Hinchcliffe was docked 25 points in the championship standings and now sits ninth overall.

It’s been an eventful week for the ‘Mayor of Hinchtown.’ Following the heartbreak of having a win snatched away from him at Texas on the weekend came the news that Hinchcliffe would be joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars for the upcoming season.

Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi was the other IndyCar driver under consideration for the role on the reality show but Hinchcliffe is definitely the right choice. He’s smart, funny, humble and a great ambassador for the series.

If he’s able to enjoy a long run in the competition it will help promote the series to a wider audience but also elevate him to the next level in personal popularity. Race fans know him and his abilities. The most popular athletes in our society, though, aren’t just widely recognized in their own sport, the general public also knows them. A public figure with that kind of notoriety could give IndyCar a very nice boost.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Tony Gutierrez/AP rahal_hinchcliffe1280 Heartbreak for Hinchcliffe in thrilling Texas conclusion Mon, 29 Aug 2016 09:56:36 EDT Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:42:04 EDT Todd Lewis We had to wait seven weeks for the IndyCar race that began in June at Texas Motor Speedway to conclude, but it was a heart-pounding, breathtaking conclusion we witnessed on the high-speed oval Saturday night.

]]>
We had to wait seven weeks for the IndyCar race that began in June at Texas Motor Speedway to conclude, but it was a heart-pounding, breathtaking conclusion we witnessed on the high-speed oval Saturday night.

Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe recorded his best result of the season in one of the most anguishing results of his career when he crossed the finish line 0.008 of a second behind the winner Graham Rahal.

The concluding laps of the race were some of the most exciting we’ve seen all year. The frantic dash set up by a number of late cautions and some drivers choosing to gamble and make pit stops for fresh tires. The run to the checkers pitted Hinchcliffe who chose to stay out and hold onto his track position versus Rahal, Tony Kanaan and Simon Pagenaud running four wide at times and gunning for the victory.

Hinchcliffe on the older tires did all he could to fend off the multiple competitors that were attacking him. In the end Rahal came away the victor, his first win of 2016 and his first since winning at Mid-Ohio last summer in one of the closest finishes in IndyCar history.

The day after the race Hinchcliffe was still feeling “gutted,” but proud of what his team accomplished. And he should be. The Schmidt Peterson team has now finished top ten in five consecutive races with a podium result in Toronto to go along with last night’s run in Texas. This is the kind of consistency and success both the driver and the team were expecting to see when they came together last year. They’re getting stronger and the next victory isn’t far away.

When the final few laps got particularly wild the overall championship points leader Simon Pagenaud did the right thing and let the others have at it. He is thinking championship and with his Penske teammate and closest competitor Will Power in the title chase behind him in the running he made the right call to ease up and ensure points are banked.

I wondered if Pagenaud was maybe being a little too conservative in his approach to races in the preview piece for this event. But he played this one perfectly. Pagenaud tried to steal the win in the final few laps, but when it didn’t happen he stayed close enough to the front to capitalize on a mistake by one of the others, but didn’t put himself in peril.

Pagenaud crossed the line fourth, Power was eighth and the lead is now 28 points for Pagenaud with two races remaining. Is it still possible for Power to complete his comeback and win after missing the opening round at St. Pete? Yes, but his task is even more difficult now.

Both Power and Pagenaud are excellent road-course racers and up to the challenge of Watkins Glen and Sonoma, the two remaining tracks. Both also have the same top-notch equipment. To overtake his teammate Power may have to be extra aggressive to gain every point possible in the standings. That kind of aggressive driving means high risk, but also potentially high reward, and can provide us with the kind of excitement we saw Saturday night from Texas.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Mark Blinch/CP pagenaud_simon1280 Pagenaud trying to hold on as remaining 177 Texas laps are completed Thu, 25 Aug 2016 15:56:27 EDT Thu, 25 Aug 2016 15:56:27 EDT Todd Lewis This weekend, if the weather cooperates, the IndyCar series hopes to complete the remaining 177 laps from 11 weeks ago in Texas and declare a winner, but the complexion of the season championship chase has changed substantially since June.

]]>
Eleven weeks ago IndyCar began their scheduled race at Texas Speedway. Heavy rains and a water-logged track forced the event to be rescheduled for Saturday night. This weekend, if the weather cooperates, the series hopes to complete the remaining 177 laps and declare a winner but the complexion of the season championship chase has changed substantially since June.

When the Texas race began Penske’s Simon Pagenaud had a giant 80-point lead ahead of Scott Dixon, who was second in the overall championship standings. Pagenaud’s Penske teammate Will Power was trying to end a run of bad luck and climb back into the title fight. Power was forced to miss the season opener due to illness and was sitting seventh overall, 117 points back of Pagenaud.

As teams are set to reconvene in Texas, Power has won three of the five races and was runner-up in the other two since the June race suspension and climbed to within 20 points of Pagenaud – clearly his luck has changed. Dixon, meanwhile, has struggled and slipped to fourth overall, more than 100 points back of the lead.

Interestingly, we’ve seen this movie before with Team Penske. Nne of their drivers gets out front in the championship and seems to go into safe mode in hopes of securing the title. It’s happened with Helio Castroneves and the same could be said of Juan Pablo Montoya. Both have lost out on titles that seemed within their grasp.

Pagenaud is saying all the right things to suggest the “be safe” strategy isn’t his approach, but Power is the one who seems to be taking the fight to Pagenaud. The going-for-it approach worked for him in 2014 when he captured his first title. If he continues his charge and takes the championship it will be one of the greatest comeback stories in IndyCar racing.

When the green flag waves to resume action Pagenaud will be running 15th, Power in fourth.

Two drivers that will not be part of the event in Texas are Conor Daly and Josef Newgarden, who were involved in a huge crash that destroyed both cars and left Newgarden with a broke clavicle and bone in his hand. By the rule the cars are not allowed to be repaired and return to action, which is too bad for Newgarden who sits third in the overall standings.

Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe will lead the field to the restart on Saturday night. Hinchcliffe and other Honda powered entries have shown to be very competitive on high-speed ovals.

At the most recent race in Pocono, which ironically was also delayed by rain, it was Ryan Hunter-Reay who had the best car during the race but misfortune prevented him from capturing victory. An electrical glitch shut the car down and dropped him back in the field preventing him from finishing on the top step of the podium. RHR was still able to charge back and claim a third-place result and will restart in second at Texas. We saw a lot of aggressive driving in June at Texas Speedway; expect the same determined approach when action resumes Saturday night.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Mel Evans/AP power_will Power’s win at Pocono adds intrigue to IndyCar title race Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:11:31 EDT Mon, 22 Aug 2016 21:53:58 EDT Todd Lewis Will Power’s victory at Pocono combined with Simon Pagenaud’s early exit tightened up the championship battle with three events remaining.

]]>
Rain showers forced IndyCar to postpone Sunday’s scheduled 500-mile event at Pocono until Monday afternoon, but it was well worth the wait.

Several exceptional driving performances provided plenty of excitement throughout the 200-lap event and Will Power’s victory combined with Simon Pagenaud’s early exit tightened up the championship battle with three events remaining.

Power’s fourth win of the season was a team effort. He struggled in the early going with the handling on his car while stuck in traffic after starting eighth. Not backing down, his team made adjustments during pit stops and improved the performance of his car. Once he was able to get out front he had little trouble holding off the competition until the checkered flag flew.

While Power’s Chevrolet was the winner, it was no surprise to see Honda-powered entries doing well on the high speed track, but it was notable to see the No. 7 of Mikhail Aleshin score the pole position and lead for much of the early going. Aleshin would fade a little in the late going but fought back valiantly to score a runner-up finish.

Aleshin’s teammate, Canadian James Hinchcliffe, also appeared headed for a solid result until some loose bodywork over the engine and a lengthy pit stop to try and correct it dropped him down in the field. Hinchcliffe would finish in 10th position.

The driver with the fastest and best car on the day and who twice charged from the back of the pack to the front of the field was Ryan Hunter-Reay. The Andretti Autosport driver had what can only be called an eventful weekend. It began during practice on Saturday with a hard crash into the wall in turn one that mangled his car beyond repair and caused him physical discomfort for the balance of the weekend.

The team pulled out the back up car, which happened to be the car he won with a year ago and worked tirelessly to prepare for the race during the final practice session. Starting from the back of the field as he did in 2015, Hunter-Reay made bold moves to the outside and gained positions in the early going. There was more drama to overcome late in the race. While leading the race and seemingly in control his car inexplicably shut off due to an electrical malfunction. Hunter-Reay rebooted the electronics and got it running again but not before losing a lap to the rest of the field.

Following a late race caution Hunter-Reay got back on the lead lap and once again headed for the front, making daring passes to the inside and outside of competitors. If the race was a little longer there’s no doubt he’d have repeated as the winner at Pocono. Still, he finished in third after all he and the team endured this weekend in what could be the drive of the year.

The combination of Pagenaud crashing out and finishing 18th along with Power’s win changes the complexion of the championship race considerably. Power is now only 20 points behind his Penske teammate with three races remaining and the final event of the year at Sonoma worth double championship points.

As many of us hoped, it will come right down to the final lap again this year before the title is decided.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-article
Pete Dickson, Tom Murray IndyCar returns to scene of Justin Wilson’s fatal injury Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:37:32 EDT Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:37:32 EDT Todd Lewis IndyCar drivers return to Pocono Raceway on Sunday, the site where Justin Wilson suffered the injuries that took his life one year ago.

]]>
Summer vacation is over for IndyCar drivers. After three weeks without competition, teams reconvene at Pocono Raceway for 500 miles of action at the track known as the “Tricky Triangle.” And while it’s the final oval race of the year and the championship fight looks to be between overall leader Simon Pagenaud, who is 58 points ahead of his Penske teammate Will Power, these are not the top stories.

Up until the race begins Sunday afternoon the story that everyone will focus on is the emotional return to the track where Justin Wilson suffered the injuries that took his life one year ago.

During last year’s event Wilson was struck in the head by debris from another car involved in a crash and never regained consciousness. A year later we still miss the tall Brit with the warm, genuine smile, who rarely raised his voice but had the competitive fire needed to be successful. He was grateful for all that enriched his life and I still think of him talking about the challenges of finding a good curry in America.

Also this weekend at Pocono, tribute will be paid to racer Bryan Clauson, who died from injuries suffered in a crash earlier this month. Clauson raced this past May for Dale Coyne at the Indianapolis 500 and Coyne driver Conor Daly will campaign his car with No. 88 in a tribute to Clauson.

When the racing action does take centre stage, Team Penske will be in the spotlight because of the championship battle between Pagenaud and Power, and also driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

As he did a year ago, Montoya won the season opener at St. Pete in March but his 2016 campaign has been filled with struggles since then. Montoya has cracked the top five finishers only three times since St. Pete, and also finished last at the Indianapolis 500 after winning the year before. He’s obviously looking for a change in fortune and with a win and a podium finish the last two years at Pocono, this could be where it happens.

Helio Castroneves sits third in the championship chase but is more than 100 points back of Pagenaud. He and others behind him are mathematically alive but have no real shot at the title; they need to be achieving the best possible results to improve their lot in the standings and perhaps their work options for next year.

With only a month remaining in the season, the discussion of contracts and speculation regarding which drivers will be changing teams begins to get a bit louder.

Josef Newgarden is only signed with Ed Carpenter racing until the end of this season and he is one of those most sought after for 2017. Only weeks after a horrific crash in Texas, Newgarden dominated to win at the Iowa oval. The talented 25-year-old also finished third this year at the Indy 500. He’ll have a decision to make soon.

Canadian James Hinchcliffe, who is under contract with Schmidt Peterson next year, is also worth keeping an eye on this weekend. Hinchcliffe has shown well on ovals this year in his Honda-powered car scoring the pole at the Indy 500. Hinchcliffe is also technically still the leader at the suspended Texas oval race that will be concluded Aug. 27.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Tom E. Puskar/AP pagenaud_simon1280 Pagenaud reasserts his hold on title fight at Mid-Ohio Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:26:22 EDT Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:26:22 EDT Todd Lewis What a weekend for IndyCar drivers at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar course just outside Lexington, Ohio. There were some surprises, a difference of opinion after an on-track incident and a championship standings leader who reasserted his hold on the title fight.

]]>
What a weekend for IndyCar drivers at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar course just outside Lexington, Ohio. There were some surprises, a difference of opinion after an on-track incident and a championship standings leader who reasserted his hold on the title fight.

At quick glance the weekend appears to have been routine for Penske driver Simon Pagenaud. He claimed the pole position for the sixth occasion this year and did it with a new track record for the second time. The Frenchman then appeared to be hampered by an untimely caution flag but no matter, it all worked out in the end and recorded his fourth win of the season and increased his championship lead to 58 points.

A key moment was a late restart when Pagenaud aggressively charged his way around teammate Will Power, who was running second at the time. The two teammates battled through several corners, bumped several times when they were side by side with Pagenaud coming out ahead in the fight and eventually assuming the race lead.

Some tried to manufacture controversy and say the two touching was a big deal, but to me that’s good hard racing that we don’t see enough of. Will Power said the same afterwards.

The backstory is just that, Pagenaud was hampered by a strained back all weekend with pain so severe he needed assistance to get out of the car. The IndyCar medical staff helped him manage the pain and the race victory certainly helped also.

Five-time Mid-Ohio winner Scott Dixon had contact with another title challenger, Helio Castroneves, early on and it ruined both their days. Dixon believes Castroneves pinched him off and Castroneves wasn’t quite sure when asked. I’ll call it a racing incident and both deserve some blame for the result.

With passing extremely difficult at Mid-Ohio the pit out of sequence strategy game was played by several drivers and many had good results.

Conor Daly, who’s shown great flashes this season, led 22 laps and finished sixth after starting dead last. Graham Rahal took a strategy call to victory last year and came up with a fourth-place finish on Sunday. And Carlos Munoz moved up from 15th at the start to finish third.

Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe followed up his third-place result in Toronto two weeks ago with a fifth-place finish yesterday. After losing ground early due to an ill handling car Hinchcliffe was penalized for a pit speed violation and sent to the back. The team improved the performance throughout the day and by the end the Canadian was passing cars and moving forward, a solid result after a difficult day.

Schmidt Peterson teammate Mikhail Aleshin also displayed his talents and led the race twice for a total of 33 laps, more than any other driver. Early strategy moved the Russian to the front of the field and once there he seemed to have no difficulty maintaining his position.

It would all go wrong during a pit stop, however. Aleshin’s team completed service and cleared him to exit his pit box but Josef Newgarden was entering his stall just ahead of him. The two had contact and significant damage. That along with two penalties for the incident ruined what could have been a very good day for the team.

All this action packed into a two hour race is why drivers and fans alike enjoy Mid-Ohio.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Michael Conroy/AP dixon_scott1280 Dixon hoping past Mid-Ohio success continues to carry over Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:17:03 EDT Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:17:03 EDT Todd Lewis IndyCar teams are back in action this weekend at another of the famed permanent road courses on the schedule.

]]>
IndyCar teams are back in action this weekend at another of the famed permanent road courses on the schedule. The Mid-Ohio track is pretty much in the middle of nowhere but it’s worth finding. The picturesque track provides a great atmosphere, the racing is often exciting and it’s frequently played an important role in the championship battle.

It doesn’t have the concrete walls of destruction to worry about like street courses but to run up front at Mid-Ohio you need to be precise. It’s a challenging course for drivers and those that can move quickly through the tight and tricky areas are likely to do well.

One of those drivers that Mid-Ohio has proven to be a welcome stop for is Ganassi’s Scott Dixon. Five victories in 11 races will certainly make a driver eager to return. Dixon has also finished a remarkable top-five in nine of his eleven starts at the 13-turn, 2.258-mile course near Lexington, Ohio.

Another great drive will be necessary if Dixon has any hope of climbing back from fourth in the championship point standings to overtake any of the three Penske drivers that are ahead of him. Overall leader Simon Pagenaud, followed by Will Power and Helio Castroneves have also enjoyed various levels of success at Mid-Ohio.

Pagenaud has three podium finishes, Castroneves is a two-time winner and the hottest driver in the last month has been Will Power with wins in three of the last four races and top-five finishes in four of seven starts.

Pagenaud’s lead over second place has shrunk to 47 points and during his hot streak Will Power has done remarkably well to make it a battle, but with only four races remaining after this weekend it appears Pagenaud is going to have to suffer some bad luck for it to be a real title fight.

Qualifying at every event is important but especially so on this challenging track. There is one good passing zone heading into turn four at the end of the backstretch and another that can work is turn two. If you don’t start near the front you can end up having a long afternoon.

Unless you use a little strategy and have it play out the way hometown hero Graham Rahal did last year, when he was able to stretch his fuel score an emotional win to keep him alive in the championship fight.

After his podium-finish at Toronto a couple of weeks ago Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe will look to build on that momentum this weekend. Hinchcliffe finished on the podium the last time he raced here a couple of seasons ago.

There’s also been lots of speculation regarding the race schedule for next season and beyond. And when the series passed through Toronto there was the usual suggestion of adding another Canadian stop, most talked about recently has been in Calgary.

While there have been some discussions and there appears to be desire from several parties about adding Calgary to the mix, nothing appears to imminent.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Chris Young/CP hinchcliffe_james Hinchcliffe’s big gamble pays off at Honda Indy Toronto Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:59:15 EDT Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:59:15 EDT Todd Lewis A big gamble helped turn the tide for James Hinchcliffe at the Honda Indy Toronto, delivering some unexpected drama to an event that has seen plenty of it.

]]>
Over the 30-year history of the Honda Indy Toronto we’ve seen the unexpected many times, and it happened again this past weekend.

Pole sitter Scott Dixon was in front of the field and on cruise control with no serious challenge, but then it all changed. Will Power took over the lead and collected his third win in four races, while hometown hero James Hinchcliffe finished on the podium for his best-ever Toronto result.

The race turned upside down when Josef Newgarden crashed hard out of turn five, causing a full course caution. Power had just been called to pit lane and made his final pit stop before the caution came out. Dixon was set to pit the next time by but it proved to be one lap too late. As pit stops cycled through Dixon was buried in the field and Power’s huge break set him up to claim the victory.

Meanwhile, Hinchcliffe was suffering through a miserable stint in the middle of the race when the Schmidt Peterson team decided to take a big gamble, deciding to make their final stop early and hope to stretch their fuel to the end. It was a risk, but Hinchcliffe was losing ground so it was worth a try.

After being notoriously unlucky in Toronto Hinchcliffe finally caught a break when clouds moved in and cooled the temperature, allowing him to improve his handling after struggling with the balance of his car all day. A late caution when Juan Pablo Montoya hit the wall was another huge break too, as it allowed Hinchcliffe to push a little harder and hold on for a third-place finish, just behind Helio Castroneves.

And with that the party in Hinchtown began.

Collecting his best-ever starting spot (sixth) during qualifying was nice, but to pull off a podium finish with a unique strategy and a little good fortune made for a triumphant return to Toronto for the Oakville, Ont., native, who wasn’t able to compete last year due to injuries from his Indianapolis crash. It was an enormously popular result with the hometown crowd that mobbed Hinchcliffe all weekend, and typical of the drama that’s occurred over the history of the Toronto event.

The reconfigured course was a challenge for the drivers. Alternations were made during the weekend to try and help but a little more work is necessary. If corner 11 could be just a little wider that would help; some massaging of pit lane to help the crew members who are vulnerable due to the drivers’ limited visibility would also be a welcome change.

With five events remaining, Simon Pagenaud’s overall lead is now 47 points over Penske teammate Power, a significant margin but not insurmountable. Power told me after the race that he feels if you’re within 20 points at the final race in Sonoma you will be able to control your own destiny. The last event pays double championship points so the title likely won’t be decided until the final checkered flag of the year.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-article
Jeff Roberson/AP James-Hinchcliffe Rest of the field takes backseat to Hinchcliffe at Honda Indy Toronto Thu, 14 Jul 2016 13:01:55 EDT Thu, 14 Jul 2016 17:20:00 EDT Todd Lewis Josef Newgarden and Will Power have the best chance to climb the standings at the Honda Indy. But this weekend they along with the rest of the field, will all take a backseat to Oakville, Ontario’s James Hinchcliffe.

]]>
This weekend will make the 30th anniversary of IndyCar racing on the streets of Toronto at Exhibition Place.

I haven’t attended every race in Toronto because of other commitments, but I’ve watched them all and also had the privilege of working a bunch of them too. It’s my home race, my first racing love if you will, and I still get just as worked up with excitement as I did when I came through the gates for the first time. Maybe even more now that I live far away and travel back to Toronto each year.

There are a million memories that flood my mind when I think of IndyCar racing in Toronto. Watching Bobby Rahal holding the trophy up high after winning the first race in 1986. Al Unser Jr. winning in rain so heavy they stopped the race early in 1990. Heavy showers again in 2014 that water logged the course on Saturday forcing both ends of the double-header weekend to be run on the Sunday. Interviewing Michael Andretti in 2001 after his seventh win or Justin Wilson after his first series victory in 2005. Gushing with pride as Paul Tracy waved the giant Canadian flag on the podium in 1993 and winning again in Toronto during his championship season of 2003.

The 11-turn track has undergone some modifications over the years when Exhibition Stadium came down and the Convention Center went up. This year sees its most dramatic adjustment with the new hotel onsite. Pit lane has been relocated on the opposite side of the track and several corners have been altered that will present a significant adjustment for drivers.

With only six races remaining in the championship, it’s time for anyone serious about cutting into Simon Pagenaud’s huge points lead to make a dent on that margin or the Frenchman will be taking home his first championship trophy.

Josef Newgarden and Will Power, who run second and third overall respectively, have the best chance to catch Pagenaud. But this weekend they along with the rest of the field, will all take a backseat to Oakville, Ontario’s James Hinchcliffe.

This weekend will mark his triumphant return to compete in his hometown race this year after barely being able to make an appearance a last season following his Indianapolis crash.

From the moment he appears on any race weekend James Hinchcliffe is one of the most popular drivers on the IndyCar circuit. In Toronto he is almost run ragged by sponsor and media obligations but still finds time to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans, smiling and enjoying every moment.

As is often the case when looking at the history of an event, along with triumph there is tragedy. It was a gut-wrenching day in 1996 when late in the race rookie driver Jeff Krosnoff’s car became airborne in a horrific crash that took his life along with that of track worker Gary Avrin.

Hinch’s return this year counters that with an uplifting and emotional story as his Canadian fans get to see him in action, in person for the first time in two years. Maybe that positive karma along with his good feeling from charging forward 13 spots in last weeks race at Iowa will help him finish higher than eighth, his best finishing result in Toronto.

Even if it doesn’t, it’s good to be home.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Charlie Neibergall/AP 12204198 Newgarden puts on a clinic in Iowa to move closer to Pagenaud Mon, 11 Jul 2016 17:44:58 EDT Mon, 11 Jul 2016 17:46:08 EDT Todd Lewis Josef Newgarden was unstoppable from start to finish at Iowa Speedway. He is now in second place in the overall points standings, but he faces some stiff competition.

]]>
He didn’t want to take credit for doing anything unique but Josef Newgarden’s dominating IndyCar race victory at Iowa Speedway on Sunday was indeed something special.

Still smarting from a horrific crash three weeks ago at Texas Speedway, the Tennessee native ended the Andretti Autosport run of success at the oval to claim his first win of the season, vaulting himself into second in the overall points standings.

Leading 282 of the 300-lap distance, it looked as if Newgarden could pull away at will from the rest of the field or drive with one hand on the wheel if he chose to. It would have been an especially remarkable accomplishment since he’s still healing from a broken clavicle and broken hand suffered in that Texas crash.

Newgarden’s domination began right from the start of the race when the 25-year-old took the lead from pole sitter Simon Pagenaud on the opening lap. The ECR driver then showed how strong his car was, weaving his way high and low through the never-ending traffic at Iowa Speedway. After 84 green flag laps to begin the race, Newgarden had lapped the entire race field except for second-place runner Pagenaud, who was with him on the lead lap.

With plenty of racing left however, others did step up their game to try and provide some competition, most notably Scott Dixon. The four-time champion moved methodically forward from his 10th starting spot to second and on the final restart late in the race, he looked for an opportunity to jump into the lead. Once again, however, Newgarden pulled away and when the checkers waved there were only five cars on the lead lap with him leading the way.

Will Power, who’d won the previous two races, passed Dixon in the late stages to finish second and Power continues to do all he can to get back into the championship hunt. He now sits third overall, just two points behind Newgarden.

While still 75 points behind Penske teammate Pagenaud, Power is serving notice that he’s keen to make a serious run at the incredible comeback and fight for his second series championship. There are enough races remaining and enough points on the table to make it happen, he does need at least one race where Power takes a big bite out of that lead to make it interesting.

It’s rare that a driver has a day that goes this well but when it happens you hope the momentum carries forward into the next event. Perhaps it will for Josef Newgarden who heads to Toronto as the defending race champion. A race he also won in convincing fashion a year ago.

While Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe had a dreadful start to this weekend in Iowa, he rebounded nicely during the race. After an issue with the car during qualifying, Hinch and the SPM team climbed all the way from 22nd at the start to finish 9th. A significant accomplishment and now hopes that it’ll provide that momentum boost for the Canadian heading into the 30th anniversary of his home race.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Tom Strattman/AP 11710807 IndyCar: All eyes on Andretti Autosport at Iowa Speedway Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:59:21 EDT Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:59:21 EDT Todd Lewis As IndyCar teams prepare for this weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway, there’s likely a common thought going through most of the teams: Do whatever Andretti does.

]]>
As IndyCar teams prepare for this weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway, there’s likely a common thought going through most of the teams.

Do whatever the Andretti cars do.

In nine previous races at the 7/8-mile oval, Andretti team cars have dominated the top step of the podium. The team has won four straight, Ryan Hunter-Reay has won three of the last four and finished on the podium in each race since 2012. James Hinchcliffe won in 2013; Marco Andretti in 2011 and Tony Kanaan in 2010 have the other team victories.

This certainly bodes will for the Andretti Autosport group but there are others that we should keep an eye on in Iowa.

Josef Newgarden has finished as runner up the last two years and is definitely worth watching. He wasn’t even sure he’d be cleared to race at Road America two weeks ago after suffering a broken collar bone and hand at Texas the week before. Newgarden got the okay to race on Friday of race weekend. After a difficult qualifying session he started 20th in the race and gutted out a difficult 50 laps on the challenging course to finish eighth.

It’s been a challenging season for the driver from Tennessee. Newgarden broke through with his first series victory a year ago at Barber Motorsport Park. He followed that up with another win at Toronto. This year, Newgarden has shown well on ovals with a sixth-place finish and if not running just shy of fuel had a real chance to win the Indianapolis 500. He still managed a 3rd place result. He was also running fifth when he was collected in the crash at Texas.

Still not fully healed, Newgarden will have a grueling 300 laps ahead of him on Sunday.

Overall championship leader Simon Pagenaud will be looking to rebound at Iowa. He had engine problems late at the last event, which dropped him back to 13th at the finish. While losing a little bit of ground in the title fight, he is still 74 points ahead of teammate Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves and third place driver and Penske teammate Will Power are going to have a shot at snatching the title away from Pagenaud, they must continue to cut into his overall margin. Pagenaud’s best finish at Iowa is fifth and so has Power. Castroneves has been in contention in years past but his best result is second.

As mentioned, Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe was a winner here in 2013 when racing for Andretti Autosport. This will be his first visit to Iowa with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Like Newgarden, he was fast and in contention in both Indianapolis and Texas and would like nothing better than to bounce back after a 14th-place result at Road America.

There is nothing better than a strong run, or better still, a victory heading into your hometown race. The Toronto Indy is next up after Iowa.

There are a few new wrinkles to this year’s race at Iowa. First of all, it’s Sunday afternoon, it’s been a night race previously. A number of drivers also noted the bumps in the track. Some have been smoothed out but new ones pop up every year along with asphalt patches that could make things tricky with different grip levels on the tight oval. It’ll mean drivers need to be even more alert on every lap.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Paul Sancya/AP power_will1280 Power vaults himself back into championship picture at Road America Mon, 27 Jun 2016 15:42:38 EDT Mon, 27 Jun 2016 15:42:38 EDT Todd Lewis In a successful IndyCar return to Road America, Will Power was able to catapult himself right back into the championship picture.

]]>
However you judge it the IndyCar Series’ return to Road America this past weekend was a tremendous success. A huge, enthusiastic crowd on hand for the entire weekend, exciting racing throughout the field and with Will Power’s second consecutive victory he’s a legitimate contender for the championship battle that will go right down to the season finale in September.

Qualifying on pole and leading all but four laps gave Power maximum championship points during the race and vaulted him from seventh up to third in the title chase. Power is only seven points behind Penske teammate Helio Castroneves but is still a significant 81 points adrift of his other teammate, overall leader Simon Pagenaud.

Significant, but not insurmountable.

With the IndyCar point structure a charge to the top is very possible. Pagenaud had engine gremlins strike and fell from the lead group to a 13th-place finish. Another contender, Scott Dixon, had mechanical issues as well and that helped Power’s cause. Double championship points are also available in the final round of the season. It all adds up to Power having a realistic shot at coming back to snag a championship after missing the first race of the year due to an inner ear problem.

While there wasn’t a real challenge for the lead until the only caution period of the race bunched the field up and Tony Kanaan closed in to give Power all he could handle before settling for second, there was plenty of hard charging throughout the field.

Conor Daly was the cause of the caution going off course in Corner 1, but up until that point had pushed his way forward from his ninth starting spot. If not for a suspension failure he would have had another great finish. Daly is rewarding the confidence of team owner Dale Coyne with significant improvement as the year moves along.

Josef Newgarden, who crashed hard in Texas two weeks ago, toughed out the pain from a broken clavicle and hand to climb from 20th at the start to an eighth-place finish and keep his championship hopes alive. Newgarden sits fifth in the title chase.

Ryan Hunter-Reay was ill all weekend but pushed forward from eighth to fourth, Graham Rahal was again the top running Honda-powered car and finished third. With the long straightaways at Road America you could see that Chevrolet teams still have a bit of an advantage in top-end speed.

Though he loves the track, Canada’s James Hinchcliffe was happy to have this weekend come to an end. The Schmidt Peterson driver struggled for speed during Friday practice; had electrical issues and was penalized during Saturday qualifying and started at the back of the pack Sunday. Hinchcliffe managed to claw his way forward to come home 14th.

Yes, fans and drivers were griping about not having a race at Road America for years, pretty much since the last race in 2007 ended. It took all parties involved some time to have the business aspect line up: A suitable date and sponsorship, but IndyCar racing is back at the beautiful road course and is already confirmed to return next June.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Nascar Nationwide Auto Racing IndyCar makes return to challenging Road America course Fri, 24 Jun 2016 10:57:38 EDT Fri, 24 Jun 2016 11:09:27 EDT Todd Lewis The wait for the IndyCar series to return to one of the toughest courses in North America is over, as teams return to action at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

]]>
For nearly a decade we have waited for the IndyCar series to come back to race at one of the nicest and most challenging road course tracks in North America. This weekend the waiting ends as IndyCar teams will return to action at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The 14-turn track that is just over four miles (6.4 km) in length features a little bit of everything. Long straightaways with several good passing zones, technical corners and long sweeping stretches that let drivers and the cars stretch their legs and test the limits of performance.

With only minimal testing at Road America prior to this week’s race no one team should have a distinct advantage over another. More than half the field has never competed in an IndyCar on the famed course and that hopefully sets up a wide-open and competitive 50-lap race.

Setting up the car for the challenging course requires a compromise. Do you trim the car out to be slippery along the high-speed straightaways or do you add down force for better performance through the corners. Making the right choice can mean the difference between a good day and a great day.

Overall championship points leader Simon Pagenaud was the lone Penske driver who participated in a recent test session at the track and it will be his car setup that teammates Juan Pablo Montoya, Helio Castroneves and Will Power begin track activity with on Friday. All will be hoping for the kind of performance that Pagenaud has achieved during the first half of the season as he piled up three victories and three runner-up finishes along with four pole position starting spots.

The approach to the balance of the schedule remains the same for the Frenchman who has an 80-point lead over second place driver Scott Dixon. “We’ll continue to race smart, but attacking is the best way to defend, in my opinion.”

Of the nine drivers who’ve previously competed in an IndyCar at Road America the only driver in the field who’s scored a victory is Sebastien Bourdais of KVSH Racing. Bourdais along with Dixon and Mikhail Aleshin spent last weekend participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race where Bourdais was also part of the winning squad.

Josef Newgarden has been listed on the entry sheet as the driver of the No. 21 car for Ed Carpenter Racing. Newgarden suffered a broken clavicle and a small fracture to his right hand at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks ago after he was collected in Conor Daly’s incident and the two crashed hard into the outside wall. If Newgarden is not cleared to drive, JR Hildebrand will occupy the seat.

Oakville, Ont., native James Hinchcliffe, like the rest of the field, is keenly excited to be back racing at Road America. A favourite track of his since his first visit in 2004, it is also the track where Hinchcliffe made his return to the cockpit last September as the final step in his recovery from his Indianapolis crash last year.

Advance tickets sales for the weekend are reported to be brisk and a successful event could be a nice boost for the series after the Texas rain delay and having the planned race in Boston scuttled by the promoter, forcing the series to put together a last minute plan to replace it with an event at Watkins Glen.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Tony Gutierrez/AP hinchcliffe_james IndyCar drivers make most of rained-out Firestone Mon, 13 Jun 2016 17:17:26 EDT Mon, 13 Jun 2016 17:20:17 EDT Todd Lewis Despite an incomplete for the event at the Texas Motor Speedway, there were some interesting stories that emerged at the rained-out Firestone 600 over the weekend.

]]>
What a weekend it was at the Texas Motor Speedway for IndyCar teams. A race that was supposed to run Saturday night got pushed back to Sunday because of persistent rain. The 600-kilometre event did begin in the afternoon but when the heavens opened up again, the series had no choice but to pack up and squish the finish into the schedule on August 27.

Despite an incomplete for the event, there were some interesting stories that emerged. Carlos Munoz scored his first-ever series pole when he clocked the fastest qualifying lap, surprised at the speed he achieved. We’ll find out in the weeks ahead if this is another confidence boost for the talented Colombian driver, who finished second at the Indianapolis 500.

During the 71 laps that were completed, there was plenty of action as cars ran two and three wide on the fast 1.5-mile oval. There was also one frightening crash when Conor Daly’s car got loose and, as he tried to correct the skid, collected Josef Newgarden and carried them both into wall.

It was a huge impact, ripping apart Newgarden’s car. He was transported to hospital with a broken clavicle and fracture in his right wrist. Without the impact-absorbing SAFER barriers, things could have been much worse.

When the race was stopped because of the weather conditions it was Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe who was out in front by virtue of pitting for tires and fuel later than many others. Although, Ryan Hunter-Reay believes he should be scored the leader.

The best story of the weekend, however, is what occurred as the weather delay dragged on into the evening on Saturday. While the crowd waited so patiently hoping that the track could be dried enough for racing, the drivers did a good deed and scored some major PR points. Led by Newgarden and Hinchcliffe, they took it upon themselves to head into the large grand stands at the speedway armed with Hero Cards and swag to sign autographs, take selfies and give away the goodies to the fans who were waiting out the delay.

The IndyCar drivers were all over social media interacting with fans to give the best updates they could on conditions and answer questions. It was a fantastic sight of controlled chaos that fans were eating up, and a pleasure to witness the genuine fun and enjoyment that resulted.

Running the balance of this race in August between the 500-miler at Pocono Raceway and the event on Labour Day weekend at Watkins Glen Raceway will make for a busy stretch for the IndyCar teams.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Paul Sancya/AP pagenaud1280 Second half of IndyCar season kicks off with ‘big’ race in Texas Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:56:24 EDT Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:56:24 EDT Todd Lewis The second half of the IndyCar season kicks off with an exciting night time race at Texas Motor Speedway. Where everything, from the video replay screen, to the post-race fireworks, is bigger.

]]>
The grind of the 2016 schedule continues for IndyCar Series teams this weekend. After a gruelling month of May then the double-header last week in Detroit, teams reconvene this weekend to compete on the high banks at Texas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile, D-shaped oval produces lots of side-by-side racing and plenty of passing which equals excitement for the fans.

Many teams held a test session at Texas a month ago and nearly unanimous opinion says we’ll have lots of action over the 600 km race distance.

Plenty of attention will be focused on Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi to see how he fares at this challenging track. Rossi stated during a conference call he’s been looking forward to returning to Texas since the test day and with an Indy 500 win in his pocket that should add to his confidence.

With the enormous points boost from the Indy 500 win Rossi is now fifth in the overall standings. The American’s next best finish this year is tenth place. Rossi also spoke about wanting to compete for the championship; he and the team will have to prove they are capable of better and more consistent finishes quickly to show they are up to the task.

As we enter the second half of the season there are a few drivers to keep an eye on to see if they can begin to mount a challenge to overall championship leader Simon Pagenaud. The Penske driver posted a disappointing 13th-place finish in Race 1 last week but followed it up with his third second-place result to go with three victories in the first eight races. Pagenaud leads the overall standings by 80 points over Ganassi driver Scott Dixon.

Dixon is a two-time winner at the Texas track with one of those victories coming last season. It was one of his three wins on the season that helped him to his fourth series championship. Ganassi teammate Tony Kanaan is also a former winner.

Pagenaud’s teammate Helio Castroneves is the only four-time winner at Texas, his most recent victory coming in 2013. Castroneves was in position to score his first race win in two years at Detroit before an untimely caution period dropped him out of contention.

Will Power, who collected his first race win in over a year on Sunday in Detroit, has sat on pole for the last three Texas races. Despite missing the first race this season, Power is up to seventh in the standings. He has never stopped being one of the fastest cars at any track but a series of misfortunes has cost him victories. Did last week’s victory burst the bubble of bad luck that’s followed him around?

After an impressive month of May, James Hinchcliffe started off June in miserable fashion at Detroit winding up in the wall in both races. His dislike for the Motor City track is evident and he’ll be happy to move on to Texas and try to get back to more consistent results that had pushed him up as high as fifth in the overall standings.

Yes the racing will be exciting but there’s even more to enjoy. As with everything in Texas, they do it big. From the giant video replay screen known as “Big Hoss” that is over 20,000 square feet of HD magic, to the post-race fireworks and winning driver firing six shooters in the air. Just another night in Texas.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry
Paul Sancya/AP pagenaud_simon1280 Pagenaud’s points lead goes unchallenged after Detroit double dip Mon, 06 Jun 2016 12:52:51 EDT Mon, 06 Jun 2016 12:52:51 EDT Todd Lewis Though Simon Pagenaud finished well down the field in 13th position in Race 1 of the Detroit Grand Prix, he bounced back in Race 2and holds a significant 80-point lead over second place driver Scott Dixon.

]]>
It was a bumpy weekend in more ways than one for several of the IndyCar teams on Belle Isle in Detroit. With twice the usual number of points available there was opportunity to put a bite into overall championship front-runner Simon Pagenaud’s lead. Though the Frenchman finished well down the field in 13th position in Race 1, he bounced back in Race 2 and holds a significant 80-point lead over second place driver Scott Dixon.

Dixon was one of those who had troubles over the weekend. The Ganassi team driver retired early with electrical issues in the first race but did manage to nurse home a car with a broken suspension piece from wheel to wheel contact with two different Penske drivers to snag a top-five finish.

Pagenaud had his troubles in Race 1 but qualifying on pole for both races and collecting his third runner up finish to go with three victories through eight races this season certainly softened the blow.

James Hinchcliffe experienced plenty of misery over the two days. A part failure sent him into the wall Saturday, and Sunday afternoon, heading into Corner 1 on the first lap, he was shoved aside and ran out of racing room again contacting the wall and finishing his day early. He summed it up to me quite simply stating, “This place hates me.”

What we did see in Race 1 with showers threatening was a variety of pit strategies. While some did dial back the fuel mixture to save enough to get to the end, others like Conor Daly went the opposite way, going all out to lay down quick laps knowing another pit stop was coming. It was refreshing to see a team going for it rather than easing back to make it to the end of the race.

The weekend double dip also featured two first-time winners this season, Sebastien Bourdais won Saturday’s race and Will Power took Sunday’s event. For both it was an important victory. Bourdais and KVSH are down to a single car this year and the win gives them a boost. For Power to come back and get a victory after missing the first race in St. Pete due to illness and after a few missteps this year, he now appears to be back on track.

The list of issues caused by the bumpy track is almost endless and its condition gets worse with each winter that passes. It takes an enormous toll on the drivers physically and it’s also asking a lot of IndyCar crews to prepare cars for two races on this demanding course that takes place the week after the Indianapolis 500.

The schedule doesn’t slow down for another week as teams are already home preparing to switch back to oval racing for the high speeds of Texas Motor Speedway this coming Saturday.

While the bumpy course needs to be addressed the race weekend is a model for others to follow. If you asked someone to come to a race held on an island with limited parking, that’s inconvenient to get to and they’ve had rain during the weekend the last two years, most would quickly decline, but I’ll come back to the Detroit Grand Prix every time. Extremely well organized with a corps of volunteers that are more cheerful and helpful than you can imagine. Take note Toronto and other cities.

]]>
Auto Racing NTT IndyCar sn-blog-entry