Category: NTT Indy

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GENESYS 300 AND XPEL 375 – DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN PRE-RACE MEDIA CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 29 2021

ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR CONTENDER SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 PPG TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, MET WITH MEDIA VIA ZOOM TO DISCUSS HIS OVAL TRACK DEBUT THIS WEEKEND AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Let’s go ahead and get started. Thanks for Zooming with us here this afternoon.
Obviously a very big weekend, two different perspectives heading into it. NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Scott McLaughlin will be making his essentially oval debut at Texas Motor Speedway, racing Genesys 300 and the XPEL 375, in the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet.
Back to Texas Motor Speedway. How much are you looking forward to the weekend Scott?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Excited. I’m very excited for my first oval experience. Had a lot of fun, a lot of enjoyment testing there not long ago. Obviously the Indy open test as well. I feel like we’ve got a raceable car. Heading there with the confidence of potentially doing well if I get it all right.
Of course, I’ve got a lot to learn with the draft and the dirty air, using the weight jacker, all my tools inside the car, something I have to get used to as well.
Like I said, thankfully we’ve had those test days. I feel comfortable going into it and can only learn from here.

THE MODERATOR -Scott, this season has only just begun. 40 points separating the top 18 right now in the standings. Given the parity, do you think this is going to be a tight season all season long?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: One good result, especially a weekend like this where it’s a doubleheader, if you have a car good enough for both days, get two top five finish, you’re going to put yourself somewhere thereabouts for the championship fight.
It’s an important weekend for a lot of people. Got the same amount of points value as the Indy 500 does. It’s going to be exciting racing itself.
I think it’s going to be interesting with this new aero package, get a feel for what it’s like in traffic, how close we can follow and make moves as well. A lot to unravel here.
Very exciting, like the Pietro said. It started with a bang. It’s really exciting to be a part of it. Loving it. Racing every week. It’s exactly what I came to America for. Really excited to continue that trend this weekend.

THE MODERATOR: Let’s go ahead and open it up for questions.

Q. Scott, you’ve spent so much time already in an INDYCAR at Texas Motor Speedway. What is it going to be like to finally go out there and race?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, it’s so exciting. It’s certainly going to be very different in the race to get a feel for everything and what I need to do, changing my tools, like I said, weight jackers in front, rear anti-roll bars, all that sort of stuff. That’s all stuff I’m going to have to learn. Even little things like coming into pit lane, it’s different jumping down to the apron there.
It’s exciting, nice to do a completely different discipline. I think I’m more excited for the ovals than I am for the road courses because it’s so different to what I’ve done before. It’s so fast. Just nothing that’s quite as exhilarating as going 220 miles an hour with people wheel-to-wheel.
That’s what’s so cool with INDYCAR racing, what’s so pure about it, what makes it so different to any really sport in the world, is we have a vast difference in tracks. We got a road, we got street courses, ovals, big fast oval, short ovals. It’s pretty cool and requires a whole different type of discipline which is what I’m really excited about for this weekend.

Q. You’re doing three different types of course, four races in a 14-day period. I guess that’s a cram course.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, it’s perfect for a rookie (laughter). Exactly what I want.
No, ideally I’d love to do something a little bit more — I’d love to have a bit more time on each one, but that’s not how it works. I feel like I just got myself sorted on the road course, we jumped on the street course, which had a different tire, got a feel for the tire there. I’m going to jump into an oval and basically throw out the past two weeks’ work and focus on something completely different. But that’s why we love it.

Q. Basically practice, qualifying and race will all be on race downforce settings. Does that simplify your lives or would you prefer to have the two different stages of settings so that prepared you a little more for when you start trimming out during Indy 500 qualifying?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: For me, we were just talking about that today. Parc ferme, obviously we will be qualifying pretty much on race condition stuff. I think we start the race on our qualifying tires.
It does take one less complication out of it for me to learn. For me, it’s probably nice to have the whole month of May basically to prep myself for trimming out qualifying, getting confidence in that department.
Yeah, look, for sure it would probably be nice to have an idea of what I want before I head to Indy in terms of qualifying trim. Like I said, we’ve got the full month to build up to it. It does make it a lot more simple for someone like myself, even I guess for Pietro who is coming in not a full-timer right now, just to get used to the car. I’m sure it might help a little bit, too.

Q. Scott, it’s been an interesting start to the season for you. You’ve been a top 10 car pretty much in both races. Things probably didn’t quite go your way strategy-wise. How do you reflect on how that’s gone? If that is the case, if you are a top 10 car, that’s got to be a pretty good start to your INDYCAR car career given how strong the field is at the moment.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: For sure. It’s been a good start to the year. I thought it was over after the first 30 seconds at Barber. Thought I was going to get collected in that shunt. It was nice to get around that.
The biggest challenge for me so far has been qualifying. Understanding especially last weekend at St. Pete, I was quite disappointed with my qualifying because I was in the top eight through the whole weekend before leading up to it, felt really strong within the race car.
Just getting the feel of the red tires in qualifying has been difficult, not only at the street course but also on the road course. That’s all taking time.
Probably right now qualifying is my Achilles’ heel at the moment, I need to work on, which I’ll try to do. Certainly in the race I feel like we’ve had a really fast car and felt really strong in the races. Made a couple moves here and there, battling hard.
The race craft thing has sort of come naturally for me in terms I was a little bit nervous in what it would be like, open-wheel, side-by-side. I’ve had some pretty hard battles with some pretty tough guys, Takuma Sato, raced with Bourdais, a couple other people, people that race hard but fair. I’ve enjoyed it.
Like you said, we’ve had a top 10 car. It’s been a pretty solid start. We just have to keep it going from now on.

Q. Approaching an oval debut is not as simple as focusing on one thing. Any one area that Penske has been advising you to work on for this weekend? Is there like a major focus for you to make sure you get one thing sorted for the weekend?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think it’s my understanding of the timing in the oval, understanding how hard do I drive into the corner, working out my exits so I get runs down into turn three or into turn one. When do I make a passing move, how do I save fuel on an oval. One thing that’s a little bit different as well.
Race strategy is a big thing. Especially in INDYCAR, the fuel saving is a huge thing. Trying to drive fast while saving more fuel certainly helps you in the long-term.
Yeah, a lot of things I have had to focus on. But certainly the race itself, like I said, the time, my passes have been one big focus for me. Thankfully I have thousands of hours of footage I can watch from previous years, including our testing, which will help.

Q. Scott, first time racing on an oval. There’s a lot of information probably coming at you all at once. What is your biggest concern going into a doubleheader this weekend, like on the high banks of Texas?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Biggest concern? Probably I guess coming out of here with not many points. I think it’s a big points weekend. I don’t have too many concerns about where I’m placed and how I feel in the race car. I feel very comfortable, ready for the challenge. So I’m not concerned about any of that.
Probably knowing that I need to get a solid couple of races under my belt, not only just for championship-wise, but at the same time it’s for my confidence leading into the next big oval, which is the biggest race of my life, the Indy 500.
I’m certainly aware of how important these next two races are this weekend, and will be doing my very best to have a pretty solid run in all facets, in-laps, out-laps, passing, saving fuel, all that sort of stuff. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of that.

Q. You have your simulator behind you there.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah.
Q. How has that been able to help you with ovals, or has it?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, it’s certainly been a little bit of a help, more so with my spotter. I’ve never worked with a spotter before. Being able to have him on my Discord, the app that we use, he basically calls races like we would have in real life. He’d view it on iRacing.
Doing the odd INDYCAR race and stuff, he can talk to you, inside, outside, clear, outside line is working, inside line is working, all the normal chat we would have. But just getting familiar with all that sort of stuff is a big thing for me, something that I’ve never really had before. I’ve never had a spotter. That’s all new to me. Probably that’s one thing the sim has helped with.

Q. Scott, how beneficial is it to you to Josef, Simon, Will in the team, giving their experience on ovals?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Invaluable (smiling). It’s the thing that I take very seriously, listen to a lot of their advice. I definitely ask for a lot. I’m in their ear all the time, watching all their footage, looking at all their data, just little things.
But they could easily be hiding away a lot of the stuff, not try and show me too much. But they’ve been fantastic in all facets. There’s stuff they’re probably hiding from me, but at the same time that’s what racing is all about with teammates. Everyone hides that last little 10th. That’s about me trying to find that myself. That’s what motorsport is all about.

Q. Obviously when you tested there recently, did you do practice, pit stops going into the box, all that kind of thing? It’s going to be very busy on Saturday. Kind of the same for you, Pietro. You’re going to have loads of cars going into pit lane if we have cautions. Any kind of way you train yourself to try to avoid an incident in pit lane?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, I think it’s more just being instinctive, having a feel of what’s ahead of you, understanding with your spotter and stuff. Communication is a big thing.
Yeah, we did do a lot of practice, a lot of race runs, so basically full stints. Obviously I’ll (indiscernible) with my weight jacker, tools for the whole stint, resetting them before I got in the box. If you have one side that’s too heavy you can easily lock a wheel going into pit lane and overshoot the pit box.
There’s a lot to think about towards the end of a stint in an INDYCAR on the ovals. Thankfully had a lot of practice with that.

Q. I know you tested here a few weeks ago in Indy. You have both been at Texas. Any extra set of nerves, like a different mindset going into this weekend, like an excitement of something you’ve never done before racing at Texas?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: For me it’s the excitement of having never done it before, experiencing what it’s like. That’s something that is going to be so cool, so refreshing for me. First career start on an oval. Why not do it in the fastest race car of all? It’s a cool thing.

PHOTO CREDIT CHEVROLET RACING – TEAM PENSKE’S SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 PPG TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, IHAS SHOWED STRONG RUNS IN FIRST TWO RACES

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GENESYS 300 AND XPEL 375 – DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE – MAY 1-2
APRIL 29 2021

RACES 3 AND 4 OF 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES:

DETROIT (April 28, 2021) – Diversity of racing has been a hallmark of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ schedule. This weekend, not only will drivers/teams compete on the third different type of venue in as many weeks, but they will face the challenges of back-to-back races.

Following events at the Barber Motorsports Park road course and the temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida, Chevrolet drivers will tackle the fast 1.455-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval in the first of two doubleheader weekends this season.

The 212-lap Genesys 300 is May 1 and the 248-lap XPEL 375 will be contested May 2. Single-car qualifying will be conducted three hours prior to the opening race, with the drivers’ first lap time determining the starting lineup for the Genesys 300 and their second lap setting the field by position for the XPEL 375.

Repaved and redesigned in 2017, the racetrack in Fort Worth features 20 degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2 and 24 degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4, which will showcase the power of the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 Chevrolet engine as it interacts with the car’s aerodynamic setup around the asymmetrical track.

“There are many variables to consider with the racetrack configuration, wind, heat, grip level and the short time window to dial in the cars for the first race,” Chevrolet INDYCAR program manager Rob Buckner said. “Chevrolet trackside engineers worked with teams during a March 31 test at the track and we’ll be ready for more exciting racing at Texas Motor Speedway and hopefully bring home two victories.”

Since returning to NTT INDYCAR SERIES engine manufacturer competition in 2012, Team Chevy drivers have won five of the nine races and earned five pole starts on the oval that has hosted an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race annually since it opened in 1997.

Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet who is tied for second in the Driver Standings, has scored two wins and three pole starts at the track. Teammate Josef Newgarden, No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, earned the pole in 2018 and ’20 and won the 2019 race on the way to his second Series championship.

“One race around this place can smoke you pretty good,” said Newgarden, who placed third in the 2020 race that was the season opener on June 7 as previously scheduled races were postponed or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “So, adding two … it will be a challenge, especially if it’s hot. It’s a daring track. You have to have commitment when you come here. You’ve got to feel very confident in yourself and in your car. I like that about this track.”

Joining the Team Chevy lineup this weekend will be Ed Carpenter in the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet. The team owner, who won the 2014 race at Texas Motor Speedway, competes in the oval races. Conor Daly, who drives the No. 20 entry in the road/street course events, will switch to the No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet for the Texas twinbill. He has a pair of top-10 finishes in four races at the oval.

Scott McLaughlin will make his Series’ debut on an oval in the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet.

NBCSN will telecast the Genesys 300 live at 7 p.m. ET May 1 and the XPEL 375 at 5 p.m. ET May 2. Both races will also be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. Practice and live qualifications will stream on Peacock Premium.

Team Chevy will be represented by:
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators/AJ Foyt Racing
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing

Arrow McLaren SP
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP

Carlin
Conor Daly, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin

Ed Carpenter Racing
Ed Carpenter, No. 20 U.S. Air Force
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek

Team Penske
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 XPEL Team Penske
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske
Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske
Chevrolet V6 Year-By-Year Results since 2012

2021 ­– 1 pole in 2 races
Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park)
2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 races
Wins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)
2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Driver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)
2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Indianapolis 500 win (Will Power)
2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)
2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)
2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);
Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 2012
2014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)
2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)
2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)
Total – 89 wins, 100 earned poles (104 poles total – earned and based on entrant points) in 151 races

PHOTO CREDIT CHEVROLET RACING – TEAM PENSKE’S WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G CHEVROLET, IS SECOND IN POINT STANDINGS AFTER STRONG FINISHES IN FIRST TWO RACES

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found www.chevrolet.com.

Race weekend: Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2

Track: Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval

Race distances: Genesys 300: 212 laps / 318 miles | XPEL 375: 248 laps/372 miles

Firestone tire allotment: Thirteen sets primary to be used during practice, qualifying and the doubleheader races.

Twitter: @TXMotorSpeedway @INDYCAR, #Genesys300, #XPEL375, #INDYCAR

Event website: www.TexasMotorSpeedway.com

INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com

2020 race winner: Scott Dixon, 1:38:37.7648, 175.201 mph (200 laps/300 miles)

2020 NTT P1 Award winner: Josef Newgarden, 48.0578 seconds, 215.740 mph (two laps)

Qualifying record (based on track distance of 1.44 miles)

One lap: Charlie Kimball, 23.2730, 222.747 mph, June 9, 2017

NBC Sports race telecasts: Qualifying, 4 p.m. ET Saturday, NBCSN (live); Genesys 300, 7 p.m. ET Saturday, NBCSN (live). XPEL 375, 5 p.m. ET Sunday, NBCSN (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.

Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton and Nick Yeoman. Jake Query is the turn announcer. The Genesys 300 and XPEL 375 races air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 205, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

At-track schedule (All times local/Central Time):

Saturday, May 1
11:30-11:40 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES pit speed limiter practice (two groups/five minutes each)
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium
3 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, two laps (Lap 1/Genesys 300; Lap 2/XPEL 375), Peacock Premium (Live)
6 p.m. – NBCSN on air
6:40 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
6:45 p.m. – Genesys 300 (212 laps / 318 miles), NBCSN (Live)

Sunday, May 2
3:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES install laps
4 p.m. – NBCSN on air
4:10 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
4:15 p.m. – XPEL 375 (248 laps / 372 miles), NBCSN (Live)

Race Notes:

• The Genesys 300 and XPEL 375 will be the first doubleheader held at Texas since 2011 and the 33rd and 34th races overall, dating to Arie Luyendyk winning the inaugural event in 1997.
• The Texas INDYCAR SERIES race will be held in May for the first time. The previous 32 races have been run in June since 1997.
• No driver has competed in every Texas race, but Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan have started 21 races. Both are entered in the Genesys 300 and XPEL 375.
• Helio Castroneves and Dixon have won four times at Texas Motor Speedway, tied for the most wins by an INDYCAR SERIES driver at the track. Castroneves won in 2004 Race 2, 2006, 2009 and 2013, while Dixon won in 2008, 2015, 2018 and 2020. Six past TMS winners are entered in this year’s race: Kanaan (2004 Race 1), Dixon, Will Power (2011 Race 2 and 2017), Ed Carpenter (2014), Graham Rahal (2016) and Josef Newgarden (2019).
• Power has won the pole for three of the past eight Texas Motor Speedway races (2013, 2014 and 2015). Other past pole winners entered this year are Dixon (2008), Newgarden (2018 and 2020) and Takuma Sato (2019). Kanaan won a draw to start first for the second of the 2011 doubleheader races but has never won the pole at Texas.
• Six drivers have won the Texas race from the pole: Sam Hornish Jr. (2001 Race 2), Gil de Ferran (2003 Race 2), Castroneves (2004 Race 2), Tomas Scheckter (2005), Dixon (2008) and Ryan Briscoe (2010).
• Drivers who have won at Texas have gone on to win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship nine times, including the last three seasons with Scott Dixon in 2018 and 2020 and Josef Newgarden in 2019. Dixon also won at Texas and the title in 2008 and 2015. Others are: Sam Hornish Jr. (2001 Race 2 and 2002 Race 2), Tony Kanaan (2004 Race 1) and Dario Franchitti (2011 Race 1).
• Twenty-one drivers entered this weekend have competed in past NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at Texas Motor Speedway. Twelve drivers have led laps at the track: Dixon 674, Power 432, Kanaan 372, James Hinchcliffe 196, Newgarden 162, Ryan Hunter-Reay 136, Carpenter 92, Simon Pagenaud 85, Sato 60, , Rahal 36, Alexander Rossi 10 and Marcus Ericsson 2.
• One rookie – Scott McLaughlin – is entered. He will make his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES start on an oval this weekend at Texas. Carpenter, Kanaan and Pietro Fittipaldi will make their 2021 season debut this weekend.
• There have been two winners in two races in 2020 – Alex Palou (Barber) and Colton Herta (St. Petersburg). Since 2012, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has averaged just under nine different race winners per season, including a record-tying 11 winners in 2014. There were seven different winners in the 14 races of 2020 with an equally tight competition projected for this season.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG
STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
POST RACE RECAP
APRIL 25, 2021

JOSEF NEWGARDEN AND SIMON PAGENAUD PUT CHEVY ON PODIUM ON THE STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG
CHEVROLET DRIVERS CAPTURE SEVEN OF TOP-12 FINISHERS

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (April 25, 2021) – Chevrolet drivers captured two steps on the podium in Race 2 of the NTT INDYCAR Series season, and scored seven of the top-12 finishers on the challenging street course in St; Petersburg, Florida.

Josef Newgarden was looking for a three peat on the Streets of St. Petersburg, but had to settle for runner-up. The two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion and two-time winner at St. Petersburg needed a strong race to start his run for another title. With a first-lap accident at Barber, a solid podium finish was just what he needed to get his season back in championship form.

Simon Pagenaud, driving the No. 22 Menards/Australia Gold Team Penske Chevrolet, had a very steady race that netted him a third place finish and another solid points day.

Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, recovered from a disappointing qualifying effort that put him 20th on the grid. The former Series’ champion and Indianapolis 500 winner marched his way to eighth in the finishing order.

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, continues to take lessons learned from his rookie year and apply them to his second full-time season. He battled all day in the top-half of the field and brought home a solid ninth place in the final finishing order/

It looked like a promising hometown race for four-time Series’ champion Sebastien Bourdais, but first lap contact as well as other issues relegated him to 10th in the final order.

Rookie-of-the-Year contender Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet, had another strong showing for his first INDYCAR street race. He ran competitively in the top-15 for virtually the entire 100-lap race and brought home an 11th place finish.

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, had a strong showing in only his second race with the team. His 12th place finish gives him a solid foundation to build on as the season progresses.

Colton Herta was the race winner.
Next on the schedule is the doubleheader on April 30-May 1 at Texas Motor Speedway.
TEAM CHEVY FINISHERS:

2. Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske
3. Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards/Australian Gold Team Penske
4. Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske
5. Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Ed Carpenter Racing
6. Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing
7. Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Dex Imaging Team Penske
8. Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP
9. Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing
10. Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP
11. Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA AJ Foyt Racing
12. Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin

DRIVER QUOTES:
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 2nd
IT GOT A BIT CLOSE AT THE END. TALK US THROUGH THE IDEA THAT YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT ON THE REDS AT THE END. WHAT WAS YOUR THINKING GOING INTO THAT FINAL STINT?
“Well, we lost a little too much ground in that second stint, really; to capitalize with the reds. And then we had the caution, which almost gifted us another chance. And I just didn’t want to over-extend myself today. I felt like I was close to an opportunity, but Colton (Herta, race winner) was really good. He was doing a great job on the restarts. It was tough to get tire temps. So, I pushed really hard right there in those two initial restarts. I didn’t have quite the runs I needed, so I didn’t want to risk anything. But a good day. I’m really happy with Chevy’s performance and thankful for all their work; and to have Hitachi on and get a podium is really nice here to start our year off. So, congrats to Colton. It was a great rebound for both of us. I feel bad about what happened last week, so I’m really happy that he got back on it today and had a very deserved victory. I wish we could have fought him a little bit more. I think we were just lacking a little bit.”

GREAT REBOUND FROM LAST WEEK. WAS THAT PART OF THE IDEA ABOUT NOT OVER-EXTENDING AND WHAT YOU WERE THINKING?
“Yeah, if I have an opportunity I’m going to go for the win. I was very close to having just enough of that opportunity. I think I was just a little shy of it. So, I didn’t want to force something that wasn’t there today. It’s not the day to do that. But I’m happy with the podium. We obviously want to win but we’re on the board now.

“I was close but I think he (Colton Herta) definitely had us covered. We had a good opportunity with those cautions bringing us back into the mix. I just didn’t want to over extend myself if the opportunity wasn’t perfect. And I didn’t feel like it wasn’t the perfect opportunity to make the pass. I looked for it, it just wasn’t there. Podium is pretty nice. Would have liked to have that third win, but we are back in the war and that’s what we needed after last week.”
SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS/AUSTRALIAN GOLD TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 3rd
YOU’VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL NEW GOLD LIVERY AND ELVIS-STYLE GLASSES, AND YOU END UP ON THE PODIUM. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE IDEA, RIGHT?
“Yes, Australian Gold. I’m glad we had some sunglasses and sunscreen this weekend. It was a hot race. But we’re very happy with the end.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN HAD TO USE THE REDS. YOU HAD A CHOICE AND PUT THEM ON. DO YOU THINK ULTIMATELY THAT WAS RIGHT IN THE END?
“Yeah, it was great strategy. We really had a shot on restarts, but it was too slippery on the inside to go for it. I noticed it when I tried to pass Jack (Harvey). But really when I lost the race was at the beginning of the first stint but overall, I think it was a great performance by the No. 22 Chevy Australian Gold team. That was a great performance. I think on street courses we could be very strong. I can’t wait for the oval, especially Indy and Texas.”

IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO THAT YOU WERE ON THE PODIUM, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 2021
“Yeah, we finished really well here. I think we finished sixth last year. And then we made some more improvement over the winter. The whole team is giving us a lot of support to give us the best cars out there. So, thanks to them and thanks to Chevy for giving us all the horsepower we need. I’m excited about the podium. Very good street course run. Awesome. Very happy all weekend. I couldn’t ask for a better car. Great strategy. Fantastic looking car. It made social media for sure. Australian Gold is a new partner for Menards. I hope We get to see that gold car more often.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 8TH AFTER STARTING 20TH:
“Yeah, really solid day for us to get up there to P8. It was inside the top 10 and that was our goal in starting the race. Obviously qualifying was pretty disappointing, but yeah, solid pit stops today. We tried to catch a few yellows and finish in the top five but it just didn’t work out. We passed a lot of cars on track and the car did really well, so we were very happy to get the Verizon 5G Chevy in the top 10. Really good day.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX/AUTOGEEK CHEVROLET – FINISHED 9TH
“So, a pretty tough day here in the office. But you know, a Top 10, P9. I had a hard lock-up on the red tires, which wasn’t ideal. But again, I learned so much. A good points day, but not an easy day at the office. Not much to complain about. It was very, very tough, obviously. But we survived, and I’m fully ready for Texas next weekend.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 14 ROKIT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 10TH: “Not the best of day here in St. Pete for round two for the INDYCAR Series. Our No. 14 ROKIT Chevrolet suffered some damage when I misjudged the gap between myself and Simon (Pagenaud) and the race was a long drive from there. We had some not-so-great sequences with a few hiccups in the pits and then I made some mistakes. So unfortunately started fifth and finished 10th and it was not what we were looking for today, but we got some points and we brought it home.”
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 DEX IMAGING TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 11TH: “Yeah, overall a good day for us in the DEX Imaging Chevy. It was a full-on race, very hot, very humid and one of the most physical races I have ever done. Solid race from our end and I was probably a little bit too safe at the start. I was just trying to keep my front wing on. It was pretty forceful out there and a lot of the veterans around me were just using a bit more of their experience on colder tires. We got around in the first stint and we pitted at the right time and we were actually on a very alternative strategy there, that could have almost put us in the lead. Unfortunately there was a couple of spinners towards the middle of that race. And our team reacted and we pitted and we did the right thing on that strategy, just unfortunately there was no yellow. We didn’t use the speed we had in the clear air to really get going, but for me right now its continuously finishing races. Finishing P 11 is a great run for us and we will continue to build on that and hopefully come the end of the year we will be bigger, better and stronger. Just want to thank DEX Imaging for their support and am excited for the next few races.”

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – FINISHED 12TH
“I just finished a long race here at St. Pete. I thought it was okay. It wasn’t really anything fantastic. We’re going to have to do some bigger things on the car to compete at the front. We could follow the field but couldn’t really get forward. It’s so tight in the field; if you don’t have that little extra it’s kind of hard to move forward. But it feels good to finish the race and get some points and move on to Texas where I think we have a good chance to get some good points at those two races.”

NEWGARDEN AND PAGENAUD ZOOM CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us today here for our Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete post-race press conference. We’ve been joined by our second- and third-place finishers, Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, and Simon Pagenaud, driver of the No. 22 Menard’s Australian Gold Team Penske Chevrolet, as well.
Gentlemen, thanks for joining us. Josef, we’ll start with you. A chance to get three back-to-back to back wins, finished second, obviously that’s disappointing, but tell us about your day. You had a good chance to get that third win.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, just a little short today on finding that Victory Lane one more time. Kind of sad now that I think about it. It would have been nice to put three in a row together. That would have been pretty sweet. But it was important for us to get on the board. I said we needed to do that last weekend. We didn’t accomplish that. But a good bounceback by the entire crew and the team, and to get some good points is really what we needed today, so we accomplished that.
Now we can get our season off the ground, get going to Texas and feeling good about things. But pretty happy about what we put together.
I think team Chevy did a really nice job doing their homework, and I think us as a group we put in a lot of effort this off-season and found some good pace. We were in the mix today without a doubt. We were in the fight, just came up a little bit short. But I think a lot of the work from all the people at Team Penske is paying off, and it’s good to get a podium finish for team Chevy and Hitachi.

THE MODERATOR: Simon, disappointing weekend for you last week at Barber, but great finish for you on the podium with your very fancy Australian Gold Team Penske Chevrolet. Talk about your day.
SIMON PAGENAUD: Yeah, first of all, great weekend, a gold livery that made a lot of headlines. So thanks to Team Penske, Australian Gold for coming along, and giving it a bit of joy like that with livery is exactly what racing is about. It was a lot of fun. We had some special glasses, as well, just to note.
But overall great performance all weekend. Thanks to the whole team for working on the street course package as hard as it did with team Chevy, and overall great performance. I think very pleased with third place. It’s a really good hope for the championship knowing how good we’re going to be on oval.

Q. After last week’s crash you sounded not only disappointed for yourself but also that you got some of the other title contenders involved in it like Colton. In some ways did you kind of feel good that both you and him were able to fight it out today, because you both kind of needed a rebound from last week?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, definitely. I was really pleased for Colton, for him to have a solid day. I think him and his crew were certainly deserving of the victory. They were very strong. Just a touch better than us I would say on the day today. They worked hard, and it was nice to get them get a bounceback event, too. They got caught up in the mess last week through no fault of their own. I felt pretty bad. It was just one of those things. It’s tough to have a bad weekend, and when you affect others it makes it double tough.
Yeah, pleased for both of us, I guess, but we can get our season started now and feel pretty good about things, and was happy to have a nice little battle with Colton. I think we had a good little race there at the end. It’ll be fun to do that hopefully a couple more times this season.

Q. This is the middle weekend of four races in a 14-day period. Now we go to Texas for a double-header. How do you guys feel about — I guess there’s no rest for the wicked?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: No, definitely not. It’s going to be flat out. We’ve got to be on it here. We knew we were going to rattle through four races pretty quickly and then when you really count May into that, you’re getting through a third of the season pretty fast.
We’ll know where we’re at pretty solidly in this championship hopefully by the time we get to June, but we need to stay focused and get through this next period pretty quickly with the best results possible.

Q. Simon, your thoughts?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Yeah, it’s obviously a hard day. It’s been two physical races. The cars are faster than ever. Definitely feels like it’s very important to be at a high fitness level, and personally very happy with it. I think it’s the best I’ve ever had.
Very excited about the whole season. I’m glad — we got in a very good groove with the 22 team, so I look forward to the next few races coming up, which we know are going to be strong for us.

Q. A lot of drivers are saying this is a very physical weekend; they seem very exhausted after the race today. I’m wondering how both of you are feeling and why today might have been difficult.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I would say it was probably the heat today. For me, like I felt pretty good in the car physically, but I was really — I was pretty hot. Like this morning I was really, really warm.
Probably not acclimated as well to the heat right now, but yeah, that was the biggest thing for me. I thought it was really humid today. Temperature-wise it wasn’t that hot. I think about 80 degrees. That’s not really that tough. But when you add 90 percent humidity, it definitely changes the effect, so you’ve got to make sure you’re hydrated really well and you’re not overheating because physical exhaustion is one thing but then heat exhaustion is a different one. Yeah, that’s what’s made it tough.
It’s funny, I got through warmup, and I’m like, man, this is going to be a really hard day. Then you get into the race and you’re like, you know what, it’s going to be fine, and you end up getting through it just fine, as always.
I don’t know about Simon, though. He looked pretty worn out, so I’m worried about him for a couple of events. I’m messing with him.

SIMON PAGENAUD: It’s actually quite interesting because I noticed Colton lying down and Josef was next to him pouring water on his face. I felt fantastic. I mean, obviously my fitness program, and I’m being serious, is much better than Josef’s, and I must say I have a lot of confidence right now because if you’re fresh then we can race again. Take that. Come on, come back.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Just look at the lap times at the end. That tells the story to me for fitness.
SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, yeah, look at the lap times at the end. Exactly.

Q. So both of you guys, it’s your peak physical condition that kept you in shape for today?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Absolutely. I feel fantastic.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, it’s amazing. You know, we all went through — all the drivers, we went through a performance analysis, and I couldn’t believe how well that I tested compared to the rest of the team. I mean, it’s just — my fitness level is so high right now, and the confidence is through the roof at the moment. While everyone is falling on the floor, I’m so ready for these exhausting races.

Q. Just double checking, Colton was or was not laying down on the ground having water poured —
SIMON PAGENAUD: You’ll have to ask him. You’ll have to ask him.

Q. Simon, can you give us a bit of an overview of Barber and what happened there and if today kind of feels like maybe a bounceback performance or things felt much better today or is your street course package so different to Barber that the two really aren’t relevant to each other?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Yeah, I think the street course package is very satisfying. I think we’ve made big improvements, especially since we were here last year. We had a good understanding what we needed from the car, and we found a really good package for my style. So very excited about street course racing.
On the road course, yeah, we need to keep digging, keep finding some performance. Not fully happy there, and I think this is probably our weakness compared to how good we’re going to be on oval, which I think is going to be our most strength — our biggest strength this year. So that’s where we’re at.

Q. For both of you, Colton has really kind of emerged quickly on the kind of INDYCAR scene and really he’s been kind of the stand-out guy at Andretti since he came in and he’s got more wins since Alexander Rossi since he came into INDYCAR. Do you see Colton as sort of the biggest contender from Andretti now?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I would say so. I don’t want to discount someone like Rossi, either. I think Alex is certainly capable of being in that mix every weekend, so I think it would be unwise to discount him, but I think Herta is without a doubt their — to me he seems like the top gun over there.
He’s so young; he started, whatever it was, I think three years ago, but he’s still so young right now, so he’s got a lot of runway, pretty level-headed, has a great crew around him. I know his engineer. He was my first engineer. He’s got a great team around him. Seems to work well with his dad. I was watching his dad this weekend and how proud he was of him when he was getting in the car, and they just seem like they have good chemistry.
Yeah, I think they’ll be in the mix without a doubt all year, but like I said, I wouldn’t discount some of the other boys over at Andretti. I think they have some other capable drivers, too, and not just Herta.

Q. Any thoughts on that, Simon?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Yeah, I think he’s fantastic. He’s a great driver. He’s really young, so he’s got a lot of room to improve still, which is impressive.
But I see a lot of young guys coming up and having just as much talent and potential in the future, being championship contenders, as well. The series is at its highest level right now. It’s just incredible to see the talents and the personalities, as well. Yeah, look forward to the future.

Q. Josef, you’ve been incredibly fast all weekend; on those restarts at the end, how much were you thinking championship versus win?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Definitely both. You know, it was kind of serendipitous that it was me and Colton there at the end. I definitely appreciated that personally that we were kind of bouncing back together here after last weekend’s difficulty. But I was pushing him. I mean, look, if he gave me an opportunity to win the race, I was going to take it, as we all should. It just wasn’t quite there.
I really had gotten a second chance at it. If those cautions didn’t come out, I think Colton was going to kind of walk us. He was just better today. He had a little bit on us for sure. But with that fresh opportunity with the two cautions, I pushed as hard as I could directly after them. I mean, I was really looking for a clear, clear opening, and I was close. It was very close to being open there, but it just wasn’t quite enough.
Yeah, I was looking for the win, but certainly tempering things trying to make sure we had a solid day.

Q. Simon, with this third place are you going to run that gold livery all the time now?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, it certainly has a lot of attention this weekend for great reasons. I think it was awesome to see something new like that, something that hasn’t been seen in a while. It’s great to see Australian Gold join us, same with Menard’s. I hope we get them back. I hope they stay and I hope we have more races with that car.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found www.chevrolet.com.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sunday, April 25, 2021) – Colton Herta put the disappointment of a tough season opener behind him to dominate the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, earning his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory of the season.

NTT P1 Award winner Herta led a race-record 97 of 100 laps from the pole in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda to win by 2.4933 seconds over two-time series champion Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. 2016 series champion Simon Pagenaud finished third in the No. 22 Menards/Australian Gold Team Penske Chevrolet on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit.

Herta’s average speed was 96.552 mph in a race slowed by just three full-course cautions for nine laps. All 24 drivers in the starting field coped with air temperatures in the low 80s and high humidity, sapping every bit of their world-class fitness over one hour, 51 minutes in the cockpit.

“What a great job by everybody,” Herta said. “Sorry, I can barely talk; I’m so winded. I’m so happy we did this, so happy to rebound from Barber and get the momentum going for the season that we need, which is a championship season.”

Front-row starter Jack Harvey ended up fourth in the No. 60 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda. Six-time and defending series champion Scott Dixon finished fifth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The strong finishes for Herta and Newgarden erased memories of a rugged season opener for both last Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park. Herta finished 22nd and Newgarden 23rd in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst after Newgarden spun on the first lap and collected multiple cars, including Herta’s machine.

Barber race winner Alex Palou finished 17th today in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda but kept the championship lead, 67-65, over Will Power. 2014 series champion Power rallied from a 20th starting spot to finish eighth in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.

Herta, who started the race on the Firestone “red” alternate tires, chose Firestone “black” primary tires on his final pit stop on Lap 67. Newgarden was forced to use the “reds” on his final stop on Lap 67 since he started on “blacks” and used another set of primary tires on his first stop.

It appeared tire strategy would be moot three laps after those final stops, as Herta was on cruise control and led Newgarden by 9.4390 seconds on Lap 70. But rookie Jimmie Johnson spun and clipped the inside wall in Turn 3 with his No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on Lap 73, triggering the second full-course caution and evaporating Herta’s big lead.

On the ensuing restart on Lap 76, Newgarden and his grippier alternate tires made a run at Herta but couldn’t get close enough to pass. But then the No. 18 SealMaster Honda of Ed Jones, the No. 29 Genesys Honda of James Hinchcliffe and the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet of Pato O’Ward made contact in Turn 4 on Lap 79, triggering the final full-course caution on Lap 80.

Two-time defending St. Petersburg race winner Newgarden got another chance to make a run at Herta on the restart on Lap 83, but Herta held him off. Newgarden stayed close to Herta in a gripping, all-American duel for the next 10 laps, but Herta kept his California cool and pulled away gradually for victory over Tennessee titan Newgarden.

“He’s so good around here,” Herta said of Newgarden. “I was nervous because he was on those new red tires. I thought they were going to be better. But they ended up being similar (to the primary tires), so I was able to hold him off.”

Said Newgarden: “We lost a little too much ground on that second stint to capitalize on the reds. Then we had the caution, which almost gifted us another chance. I just didn’t want to overextend myself today. I felt like I had close to an opportunity, but Colton was really good. He was doing a great job on the restarts.

“Congrats to Colton. It’s a great rebound for both of us. I felt bad about what happened last week, so really happy he got back on it today and had a very deserved victory. I wish we could have fought him a bit more. We were just lacking a little bit.”

It was the fourth career victory for Herta, 21, in his third season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. He matched the INDYCAR SERIES win total of his father, Bryan Herta, who competed from 1994-2006 and now calls race strategy for his son for Andretti Autosport.

“That was awesome,” Herta said. “I love that he’s on my radio.”

The first oval events of the season are next on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, with a doubleheader next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Genesys 300 is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET) Saturday, May 1, with the XPEL 375 set for 5 p.m. Sunday, May 2.

Result marks Harvey’s second best career INDYCAR finish

St. Petersburg, Fla. (25 April 2021) – Jack Harvey capitalized on his strong St. Petersburg pace with a remarkable drive to fourth place in Sunday’s 100 lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The result is the second top five finish for Meyer Shank Racing and the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda.

Closing out practice in the top three and qualifying on the front row for the second time in his career was the recipe for a strong podium finish for Harvey during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Taking the green flag on Firestone alternate tires, Harvey slotted into second position and didn’t look back for the first 30 laps of the 100 lap race. Harvey kept the pressure on the leading cars ahead despite scorching track temperatures and rapidly degrading tires.

After a lap 34 pit stop for a set of primary tires and a front wing adjustment, Harvey was once again on the hunt towards the podium contending cars. The second half of the race saw Harvey take aggressive action through on two restarts to hold fourth.

The team was hopeful that finishing the race on primary tires would give Harvey the chance to fight back into podium position. The final 10 laps of the race saw the top four evenly spaced out as Harvey began to pull away from fifth. The Brit ultimately crossed the finish line fourth in the order, marking for his second best INDYCAR finish – behind his third place result at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2019.

“I think that was a solid day,” said Harvey. “Obviously when you start on the front row, you want a podium. But overall the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda was working really well. It would have been awesome to be on the podium in AutoNation’s home race, but it’s been a really great start to the year, and that’s what we didn’t have last year. I’m really happy with everyone at Meyer Shank Racing. They have been working their butts off to have these results. We’ve been close to a pole, and to a podium today. But if we keep working at it, those things will come.”

“Jack did an awesome job today,” said Mike Shank. “We lost a bit of pace towards the end of our stint on reds but we knew that Jack was really strong on blacks which is why we decided to finish the race that way. These are the types of results that we need to be getting this year and to start off the season this way is great for morale heading into the rest of the season.

Meyer Shank Racing will continue a three week streak of INDYCAR races with the double-header race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway May 1-2.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG
STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
NEWGARDEN AND PAGENAUD PODIUM QUOTES
APRIL 25, 2021

JOSEF NEWGARDEN AND SIMON PAGENAUD put Chevrolet on the podium at St. Petersburg.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 2nd
IT GOT A BIT CLOSE AT THE END. TALK US THROUGH THE IDEA THAT YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT ON THE REDS AT THE END. WHAT WAS YOUR THINKING GOING INTO THAT FINAL STINT?
“Well, we lost a little too much ground in that second stint, really; to capitalize with the reds. And then we had the caution, which almost gifted us another chance. And I just didn’t want to over-extend myself today. I felt like I was close to an opportunity, but Colton (Herta, race winner) was really good. He was doing a great job on the restarts. It was tough to get tire temps. So, I pushed really hard right there in those two initial restarts. I didn’t have quite the runs I needed, so I didn’t want to risk anything. But a good day. I’m really happy with Chevy’s performance and thankful for all their work; and to have Hitachi on and get a podium is really nice here to start our year off. So, congrats to Colton. It was a great rebound for both of us. I feel bad about what happened last week, so I’m really happy that he got back on it today and had a very deserved victory. I wish we could have fought him a little bit more. I think we were just lacking a little bit.”

GREAT REBOUND FROM LAST WEEK. WAS THAT PART OF THE IDEA ABOUT NOT OVER-EXTENDING AND WHAT YOU WERE THINKING?
“Yeah, if I have an opportunity I’m going to go for the win. I was very close to having just enough of that opportunity. I think I was just a little shy of it. So, I didn’t want to force something that wasn’t there today. It’s not the day to do that. But I’m happy with the podium. We obviously want to win but we’re on the board now. “I was close but I think he (Colton Herta) definitely had us covered. We had a good opportunity with those cautions bringing us back into the mix. I just didn’t want to over extend myself if the opportunity wasn’t perfect. And I didn’t feel like it wasn’t the perfect opportunity to make the pass. I looked for it, it just wasn’t there. Podium is pretty nice. Would have liked to have that third win, but we are back in the war and that’s what we needed after last week.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS/AUSTRALIAN GOLD TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 3rd
YOU’VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL NEW GOLD LIVERY AND ELVIS-STYLE GLASSES, AND YOU END UP ON THE PODIUM. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE IDEA, RIGHT?
“Yes, Australian Gold. I’m glad we had some sunglasses and sunscreen this weekend. It was a hot race. But we’re very happy with the end.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN HAD TO USE THE REDS. YOU HAD A CHOICE AND PUT THEM ON. DO YOU THINK ULTIMATELY THAT WAS RIGHT IN THE END?
“Yeah, it was great strategy. We really had a shot on restarts, but it was too slippery on the inside to go for it. I noticed it when I tried to pass Jack (Harvey). But really when I lost the race was at the beginning of the first stint but overall, I think it was a great performance by the No. 22 Chevy Australian Gold team. That was a great performance. I think on street courses we could be very strong. I can’t wait for the oval, especially Indy and Texas.”

IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO THAT YOU WERE ON THE PODIUM, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 2021
“Yeah, we finished really well here. I think we finished sixth last year. And then we made some more improvement

“Very good street course run. Awesome. Very happy all weekend. I couldn’t ask for a better car. Great strategy. Fantastic looking car. It made social media for sure. Australian Gold is a new partner for Menards. I hope We get to see that gold car more often.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found www.chevrolet.com.

Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller to participate in ‘Fastest Seat in Sports’ as part of pre-race festivities

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 25, 2021) – After their teams faced off in the National Football League’s NFC Championship game earlier this year, two wide receivers will rejoin again on the pre-race grid of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg later today.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a St. Petersburg, Fla. native, will serve as the grand marshal and give the command for drivers to start their engines. Then, ahead of the 24-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES field rolling off the grid for the start of the race, wide receiver Scotty Miller of the Super Bowl VL champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take a ride in the two-seater known as the Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports and driven by racing legend Mario Andretti.

“It’s terrific to have these two great athletes with Tampa and St. Pete ties join us at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of GSSP, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “This area has been the epicenter of the sports world over the past year, and it’s outstanding that we’re able to recognize their accomplishments having them be a part of this 17th annual event in downtown St. Pete.”

Spectator gates opened at 7:45 a.m. ET this morning. The event is operating under specific health and safety protocols for COVID-19. Fans should visit gpstpete.com/covid19 before attending to review all these protocols. All attendees are required to wear masks or face coverings at all times unless when eating or drinking. Hand sanitizer and hand washing stations are also prevalent across the venue.

Tickets are no longer available for sale. Follow the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at gpstpete.com and on social media using #FirestoneGP for additional updates and news. Live coverage begins at 12 noon ET on NBC with the green flag set to drop on the 100-lap NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at 12:42 p.m. ET.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:
The 17th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season each March and rescheduled to the last weekend of April this year. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 2-4, 2021), Honda Indy Toronto (July 9-11, 2021), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 10-12, 2021).

For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.