Tag: IndyCar

Categories
Uncategorized

IndyCar Delay The Introduction Of Hybrid Engine Until 2024

2022 - St Petersburg GP

The NTT IndyCar Series announced on Thursday that they have agreed to delay the introduction of their 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with hybrid technology to the 2024 season following consultation with Chevrolet and Honda.

Speaking following the announcement, President of IndyCar Jay Frye said:

We are pleased with the pace of the technical development of the 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 hybrid as we prepare it for competition. We are very encouraged by the progress our team and our partners have made, but an immediate decision needed to be made to ensure we are prepared for the 2023 season utilizing our current 2.2-liter engine package.

“Thanks to our great partners at Honda and Chevrolet for working through this challenging supply chain situation. We are going full speed ahead with the 2.4-liter hybrid engine and cannot wait to have it on track in 2024.”

Mark Stielow, Director of GM Motorsports Competition Engineering commented on today’s announcement saying:

We are proud of the hard work and level of commitment by our engine group, along with our teams and partners, in the development of the Chevrolet 2.4-liter engine for our INDYCAR program. “We were certainly excited to have it on track next season. Chevrolet remains fully committed to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and we look forward to debuting our future engine package in 2024

Testing of the new engine will begin on March 30 and 31 at Sebring International Raceway.

Speaking about the news, Honda Performance Development President and Technical Director David Salters said:

We are very excited to get the electrified era of INDYCAR SERIES racing underway. “We have finished development and dyno testing of our new internal combustion engine, and once the hybrid system component supply chain issues are sorted, we’ll begin track testing of the new hybrid power unit.”

Categories
IndyCar News

Social Media Can Help IndyCar Grow Through Younger Drivers

SJ Luedtke, INDYCAR vice president of marketing says that the younger drivers coming into the sport can help the audience grow within the series even further due to their social media interaction.

Speaking to Paddock Eye in St Petersburg on Friday, Luedtke said that the younger drivers who have come in such as David Malukas have a massive following on social media and that this can be used in terms of fan engagement and interaction.

When it comes to the older drivers some don’t interact on social media much, however, this is something that Luedtke believes the younger drivers make up for in terms of their interaction with fans.

Categories
IndyCar News

Honda Looking Strong Heading To St Pete

Honda-powered teams looking strong heading to St Pete

Honda Performance Development NTT IndyCar Series teams look strong heading into next weekend’s 2022 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg.

The series ran a two-day pre-season test at Sebring International Raceway last week with Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta setting the pace on the opening day of action.

On day two of the action, it was Meyer Shank Racing’s Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves who set the pace meaning that Honda go into the season opener next weekend looking very strong.

Honda finished on the podium here in 2020 with Scott Dixon who won the championship that day while last season, Colton Herta took victory in the No.26 Gainbridge Honda.

Honda will add cars this season with the additional full-time entry at Meyer Shank Racing who are sure to be championship contenders with Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel of their cars.

Over at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, the team has also added a third full-time car with Jack Harvey driving the No.45 Hy-Vee Honda alongside Graham Rahal in the No.15 United Rentals Honda while Christian Lundgaard makes his full-time debut in the No.30 Shield Cleansers Honda.

The Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg takes place from February 25-27 and for more information on the race click here.

Categories
Motorsport News

It Is Time For Formula One To Adopt An IndyCar-Style Safety Team

Formula One needs to adopt an IndyCar-style safety team as an answer to the controversial 2021 Formula One title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

When Williams Nicholas Latifi crashed in the closing stages of the race last December the recovery team was volunteers like all of the track marshals involved in the sport.

While the FIA has a safety car driver and doctor who attend all races and wait in the pit-lane in cars and are dispatched after an incident there is no dedicated trackside safety like the NTT IndyCar Series has with the AMR Safety team which consists of firefighters and medical personnel.

The most important thing about the AMR Safety team is the fact that the same crew travels to each event and that they know all the drivers which mean that there is peace of mind for the driver and the teams as the safety crew knows the driver when they get to the scene of a crash.

When it comes to Formula One, Dr. Ian Roberts knows the drivers as do both the medical and safety car drivers however, the marshals at the track don’t know the drivers.

The AMR Safety team can be on the scene of an accident within a matter of seconds following a crash which makes all the difference when it comes to getting help to the driver or drivers involved in the incident.

Formula One is a global sport and it is would be able to afford to pay for a dedicated full-time safety team to travel to each race of the season.

Categories
IndyCar News

A Beginners Guide To IndyCar Ahead Of The Firestone Grand Prix Presented By RP Funding

The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season gets underway next weekend with the Firestone Grand Prix presented by RP Funding on the streets of St Petersburg in Florida.

The NTT IndyCar Series is an American open-wheel racing category with race tracks consisting of ovals, road courses, and street circuits.

The series also has the biggest single-day sporting event in the world with the Indianapolis 500 which takes place on Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In 2022, the IndyCar Series consists of Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske, Dale Coyne Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Andretti Autosport, Juncos Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, AJ Foyt Racing, and Arrow McLaren SP.

Firestone is the official tire supplier to the NTT IndyCar Series supply the teams with three compounds of tires, the Primary (black side walled tire), the Alternate (red side walled tire), and the Wet (Gray side-walled tire which is the grooved tire that drivers use).

On some race tracks that IndyCar visits, drivers experience between four and five times the force of gravity on their bodies which amounts to what astronauts experience when a shuttle takes off.

The NTT IndyCar Series is unique in that there is just one chassis used in the sport which is built by Italian manufacturer Dallara who have a production facility in America.

The series uses a number of flags during racing, the green flag means the race is underway and the chequered flag signals the end of the race, the caution or yellow flag means that there has been an accident or debris on the track.

The NTT IndyCar Series has a dedicated safety team called the AMR Safety Team who travels to each race with the sport with dedicated safety trucks that go to each event.

The series helped to develop the SAFER barrier which is used to protect drivers as it is fitted around tracks.

The series also recently introduced the Aeroscreen cockpit safety device to help protect the driver from serious injury or death. The device was developed with the assistance of PPG and Red Bull Advanced Technology in the United Kingdom along with Dallara.

The NTT IndyCar Series is currently running two days of ‘Spring Training’ testing at Sebring Internationa Raceway and this what an IndyCar looks like at speed.

The Firestone Grand Prix presented by RP Funding takes place from February 25-27 and for more information or to book your tickets visit – http://gpstpete.com

For more information on the series visit the IndyCar website.

Categories
IndyCar News

Plenty Of Intriguing Stories To Follow In IndyCar This Season

The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season gets underway in just under a month with the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg.

There are a number of questions that will need to be answered over the course of the season such as, how will Jimmie Johnson get on as a full-time driver with Chip Ganassi Racing?

How will Tatiana Calderon get on during her first season as an IndyCar driver as she makes her debut with AJ Foyt Racing in St Pete?

Meyer Shank Racing transition from a single car entry to a two car programme with the arrival of Simon Pagenaud from Team Penske while Helio Castroneves makes his full-time return to the NTT IndyCar Series.

How will Arrow McLaren SP do this season? Pato O’Ward came so close to winning the championship in 2021, he will be hoping to carry this momentum forward in 2022.

Can Alexander Rossi and Andretti Autosport mount a sustained championship challenge? How will Romain Grosjean get on stepping up to a full-time programme with Andretti and can Colton Herta challenge for the championship?

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have expanded to a three car programe this season with Jack Harvey and Christian Lundgaard joining Graham Rahal at the team this year which is going to make for some very interesting viewing this season.

How will the rookie class get on in 2022? There are a number of very talented rookies in the field this season with Delvin DeFrancesco, Christian Lungaard, Callum Illot, Kyle Kirkwood and David Mulakus all making full-time moves to IndyCar.

Juan Pablo Montoya returns to Arrow McLaren SP for the Indianapolis 500 so he will be one to watch during the month of May.

Conor Daly joins Ed Carpenter Racing full-time this season so it will very interesting to see how he and Rinus VeeKay get on.

Marcus Ericsson and defending series champion, Alex Palou had breakthrough season’s in 2021 for Chip Ganassi Racing and with the addition of Jimmie Johnson full-time it will be interesting to see if the team can claim their third consecutive NTT IndyCar Series championship as Scott Dixon attempts to make history by claiming his seventh series title.

Tony Kanaan returns to the Indianapolis 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing, how will the Brazilian get on?

What about Team Penske? They have gone from a four to three car operation this year with Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power, how will they fair this season?

Carlin Racing has yet to announce what they have planned although, Paddock Eye understands that a partnership with Juncos Hollinger Racing could be a possibility but that is yet to be confirmed.

So many questions to be answered. We don’t have long to wait as the opening practice session of the 2022 season is just 23 days away. For more information or to book tickets visit – https://www.gpstpete.com/

Categories
IndyCar Motorsport News

Our Goal Remains The Same, To Win The Indy 500 And The Championship

Scott Dixon is about to embark on his 19th season with Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar

Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon says that Chip Ganassi Racing’s target for the 2022 season remains the same as every year and that is to win the Indianapolis 500 in May and then win the championship.

Speaking during Tuesday’s media content day in Indianapolis, the driver of the No.9 PNC Bank Honda said that he needs to get more comfortable with the Firestone tyres as this is where he felt the team were lacking during 2021.

Dixon also described the current induration of IndyCar as like driving a junior formula car and he feels that the car which has been used by the series is too heavy however, he believes that the introduction of the aeroscreen has been a great innovation in terms of safety and that is the most important thing.

The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season marks Dixon’s 19th consecutive season with Ganassi in the series and he has no plans to slow down anytime some as he is still gets immense enjoyment from competing in the series and working with the team at Chip Ganassi Racing.

Categories
Motorsport News Sport

NBC/IndyCar Announce Start Times

NBC and the NTT IndyCar Series announced the race start times for the 2022 season each gets underway in 48 days with the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by R.P Funding.

The first six races of the 2022 season will be live on NBC.

Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2022 INDYCAR schedule include:

The 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, on NBC, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns to NBC at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, April 10.The third consecutive year of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course the weekend of July 30-31, with the INDYCAR race on Saturday, July 30 on NBC.The much-anticipated second iteration of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, and first presentation of the race on network television, will air at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Aug. 7 on NBC.The season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be presented at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 11 on NBC.

Peacock will exclusively stream an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race for the first time in 2022 when the Honda Indy Toronto race will be held at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, July 17. Peacock will simulstream all races airing on NBC and all qualifying and practice sessions, as well as coverage surrounding the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Indy Lights races, race day warmups and full-event replays of 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races also will be available on Peacock.

Categories
Motorsport News Sport

IndyCar Launch Global Fan Survey

The NTT IndyCar Series announced on Monday that in association with Motorsport Network they have launched a global fan survey. The first of its kind for the Series which will run from today, Monday 10th January to Saturday 29th January 2022 and is open to anyone over the age of 16.

The findings of the report will be made public ahead of the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg which takes place from February 25-27.

SJ Luedtke, VP of Marketing with IndyCar said:

Our domestic and international reach has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by the fiercely competitive nature of our sport and the bold athletes and personalities who make up our world-class NTT INDYCAR SERIES field,” said SJ Luedtke, INDYCAR vice president of marketing. “Thus, it’s the perfect time to survey our global fan base and gather input on ways to further deliver an exceptional and entertaining product. We see our fans as our most important partners in the growth of our sport and look forward to hearing from them through this important effort carried out in partnership with the team at Motorsport Network.”

Fans can access the survey here Speaking about the survey, President of Motorsport Network, James Allen said:

We are looking forward to hearing from the global INDYCAR SERIES fans who will provide some great insight into the INDYCAR universe and how it can continue to expand and grow, and connect with its audience,” said James Allen, president of Motorsport Network. “With our industry-leading track record in this field, Motorsport Network is the ideal partner to spearhead this survey of NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans, given our global relevance as a leading digital platform, our extensive INDYCAR coverage across the network, not to mention the recent success we’ve had with the F1 global survey, which showed that 29% of F1 followers on our platforms also follow INDYCAR

Categories
Motorsport News Sport

IndyCar Announces Multi-Year Contract Extension With Dallara

The NTT IndyCar Series announced on Wednesday that it has signed a multi-year contract extension with chassis builder Dallara which will run alongside the existing extensions with Honda and Chevrolet that were announced in 2020.

Speaking about the new contract, IndyCar President Jay Frye said:

Dallara is a tremendous partner and instrumental in everything we do on the racetrack. “An important part of the success and growth of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES can be directly traced to Dallara’s collaboration with our entire paddock.

“This extension provides INDYCAR and its teams continuity and a stable platform as we look well into the future.”

Dallara, an Italian company, first supplied driver safety cells for the INDYCAR SERIES in 1997 and has been the sole chassis supplier since 2008. In 2012, the manufacturer expanded its U.S. operations by opening the Dallara INDYCAR factory in Speedway, Indiana, where the company produces and assembles chassis for a variety of racing series.

Andrea Pontremoli, Dallara Group CEO said:

Dallara is honored to have been part of this journey for 26 years and counting. “We understand the responsibility that comes in extending our partnership with INDYCAR over the course of the years to come and are excited to be part of this long-term plan.

“Being such an integrated partner to INDYCAR, we feel the inspirational leadership of Roger Penske, along with the management of Jay Frye, has allowed the series to have a continuous focus on safety while always providing an exciting atmosphere for all of our competitors and fans.

“This partnership will continue to fall in line with Dallara’s core values and what we want to see our technology and innovation developed for – adding emphasis to safety and sustainability for the future. It is a great time for INDYCAR, and Dallara is proud to continue as the chassis manufacturer.”