Any victory is a good victory.
A little strategy and a little good fortune for James Hinchcliffe and his Schmidt Peterson team gave them their first IndyCar series win together over the weekend in Round No. 2 at NOLA Motorsport Park. The persistent rain played havoc with drivers, teams and the schedule all weekend but none of that matters, they’ll take the win.
Due to unseasonably wet and wicked weather, IndyCar participants had to adjust on the fly. Some sessions were postponed or didn’t happen all together. The race started under wet conditions but as the track dried, drivers made the switch to slick tires. Ironically, as the track continued to dry out, more and more incidents occurred and the field was repeatedly slowed by caution periods.
Hinchcliffe was among those that pitted early to make the tire switch and, as it turned out, never came to pit road for service again. This kind of day illustrates why teams pay engineers and strategists to be part of the group. Making the call to stay out proved to be the winning strategy.
Instead of the scheduled 75 laps, only 47 would be completed due to weather and on-track incidents. The final crash of the race involving Simon Pagenaud, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Sebastien Bourdais necessitated a lengthy clean up and resulted in the race ending under caution, handing the victory to Hinchcliffe.
The final crash was a nasty one. Fortunately, all involved were uninjured. Afterwards, both Pagenaud and Hunter-Reay said the other was at fault; I’d call it a racing incident. Bourdais was collateral damage, but had the best assessment of the situation and other episodes in the race. Bourdais was critical of driver performance, suggesting drivers need to up their game and that they looked like monkeys at times.
It wasn’t a pretty first outing in Louisiana, but it’s a win. To capture one this early in the season for a new driver/team combination is a nice boost for Hincliffe and Schmidt-Peterson. This will definitely be a motivator for the team that has struggled early to find speed in the new Honda aero kit.
With the weather causing turmoil, it’s tough to give a complete review of the first-time Grand Prix of Louisiana. Inaugural outings always have a few hiccups, but it appears those at NOLA are serious about this race and worked hard all weekend to make it work for participants and spectators.
Where it fits on the schedule needs to be addressed, however. The race took place the same weekend as a popular music festival in the French Quarter of New Orleans and that shouldn’t continue.
While the amount of rain was unusual, perhaps more could have been done to improve driving conditions. A little extra time to clear standing water may have helped cut down the number of caution laps, and to Bourdais’ point, some drivers need to assess their personal performance in the damp conditions.