Category: NTT Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020) – Takuma Sato climbed to a higher level of immortality Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and becoming just the 20th driver to capture “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at least twice.

Sato, from Japan, won the race under caution in the No. 30 Panasonic/PeopleReady Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing when Spencer Pigot crashed in Turn 4 on Lap 195. Sato also won the race in 2017, with Andretti Autosport.

RESULTS: 104th Indianapolis 500

“This was the entire Rahal Letterman Lanigan team,” Sato said on Victory Podium. “HPD and Honda gave us a lot of power, a lot fuel mileage. And my boys … they sacrifice a lot. I can’t thank all of the people (enough).”

Scott Dixon finished second in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda despite leading a race-high 111 laps. It was the third career Indy 500 runner-up finish for Dixon, a five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner.

Graham Rahal helped RLLR to take two of the top three spots by finishing third in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda. Santino Ferrucci led a Honda sweep of the top four finishing positions by placing fourth in the No. 18 SealMaster Honda.

Two-time and reigning series champion Josef Newgarden rounded out the top five and was the top Chevrolet-powered finisher in the No. 1 Shell V-Power Nitro Team Penske Chevrolet.

Pato O’Ward was the top-placed rookie, finishing sixth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Sato and Dixon were locked in a stirring duel when Pigot crashed hard in Turn 4 at the end of Lap 195 as the leaders had started Lap 196, spinning and making contact with the SAFER Barrier on the outside and then slamming into the protective tire barrier at the head of the pit wall with the side of his No. 45 Hy-Vee/Embrace Pittsburgh Honda. Pigot was awake and alert and transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation.

The gap between Sato and Dixon rarely exceeded one second and was as close as three-tenths of a second after Sato inherited the lead on Lap 185 when Zach Veach pitted in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, on a different fuel sequence than the top cars.

Sato appeared to be home free on Lap 191, building a lead of .9515 of a second. But he was approaching the almost-lapped cars of A.J. Foyt Racing teammates Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball, which let Dixon close the gap.

On Lap 195, Sato cleared 2013 Indy 500 winner Kanaan while Dixon and Rahal remained behind the Brazilian. That expanded Sato’s gap to 1.173 seconds, but Dixon and Rahal lapped Kanaan just before Turn 1 on Lap 196, moments before Pigot’s race-ending crash.

“Huge congrats to Sato,” Dixon said. “He drove his pants off today.”

Nearly all of the lead cars made their final pit stops between Laps 167 and 170, narrowly close to the maximum laps possible with one tank of fuel under green flag conditions. Sato made his final stop on Lap 168, with Dixon pitting for the final time on Lap 169.

Sato then was able to hold off Dixon in a vigorous race for the virtual lead on the track, as the drivers ahead of them didn’t have enough fuel to finish the race without stopping.

“The fuel strategy was a bit tight,” Sato said. “I saw Scott was coming right through out of Turn 4, and he was screaming coming at me. And I just held him off.”

Still, Dixon thought Sato maybe made his final stop too soon and would be forced to pit late in the race for a splash of fuel, especially because Dixon was able to save fuel by driving in Sato’s slipstream. But that scenario never unfolded due to Pigot’s late accident.

“This is a hard one to swallow,” Dixon said. “On fuel mileage, I really can’t see how they were going to make it. We pitted a lap later, and the numbers they had to get, it was going to be very difficult.”

It was small consolation for Dixon, but he jumped from ninth to third on the all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leaders list with 563 career laps led, behind only Al Unser (644) and Ralph DePalma (612).

Sato continued an impressive run of recent success in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” with three top-three finishes in the last four years. Besides his wins today and in 2017, he finished third last year.

Two of the three front-row starters ended up in the top three at the finish, as Sato started third and Dixon second. Pole sitter Marco Andretti finished 13th in the No. 98 U.S. Concrete/Curb Honda.

The 105th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 30, 2021. The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is a doubleheader Aug. 29-30, the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
POST RACE RECAP
AUGUST 23, 2020

Josef Newgarden leads 17 Team Chevy drivers in the 104th running of Indianapolis 500

(INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 23, 2020) – Josef Newgarden finished in fifth place to pace Team Chevy at the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. The two-time and defending NTT IndyCar Series champion started 13th and ran in the top-10 for most of the afternoon.

Pato O’Ward started 15th and quickly moved toward the front before finishing sixth.

Helio Castroneves finished 11th in his quest to become just the fourth driver to win The Greatest Spectacle in Racing four times.

Rookie Rinus VeeKay, who was Chevrolet’s top qualifier, ended up 20th, one lap off the pace after a pitlane penalty took him out of the top-five running where he had been running.

Tony Kanaan finished 19th as the 2013 winner winds down his successful career,

Seventeen drivers powered by Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 engine qualified for the 200-lap race on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

Although the race had to be postponed from the traditional month of May and there were no fans on premise as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the race had the same drama, same high level of competition and same surprises one has come to expect from the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.Takuma Sato clained his second Indy 500 victory followed by Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal filled out the podium.

GM president Mark Reuss led the field to the green flag in a 2020 Corvette Stingray. It marked the 17th time a Corvette has served as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, starting in 1978, and the 31st time a Chevrolet has led the field, dating to 1948. No other brand or vehicle has served as the “500” pace car more than Chevrolet and the Corvette.

Newgarden is second in the point standings, O’Ward sits third and 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud is fifth in the standings as the Series prepares for next week’s doubleheader weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill.

DRIVER QUOTES

NO. 1 JOSEF NEWGARDEN, SHELL V-POWER TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 5TH: “It’s disappointing for sure. Our Shell V-Power Nitro Chevrolet was fast. It was really, really good. We were just taking our time. My boys in thepits were on it today. They made us up spots on every single pit stop. We put ourselves in position there at the end of the race, which is all you can ask for. We actually came in with Sato on that last stop and maybe we should have went one lap longer. But in the end, we were a little behind the eight ball on the final stint. We were working to unhandcuff ourselves. I’m proud of everyone though – they fought hard. I can’t thank Shell and Team Chevy enough for all the support they give us. We just didn’t have what we needed. We were in position, but couldn’t capitalize to take advantage of it. Congrats to Takuma on the win. Just wish we were up there battling him for it.”

NO. 5 PATO O’WARD, ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 6TH:
“The No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP team did everything we could to get to the front today. My crew did an amazing job in the pit stops. We were fighting up there with Dixon, Rossi and Takuma – great job to him. Towards the end we just didn’t have enough to get those in front of us. I think we juiced out the car and got everything out of it. We were right behind Josef in 5th for Chevrolet, so I think it was a good job for my first ever Indy 500. Obviously here the only thing that matters is winning. I’m excited to come back next year and try and get that win as this place is pretty special. For now, just collecting and move onto Gateway.”

NO. 3 HELIO CASTRONEVES, PENNZOIL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 11TH: “I miss this thing so much. I know I didn’t finish in the top 10. One spot behind but let me tell you, what a great group of guys. They did a phenomenal job today. The No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet was not the strongest car out there, but we fought from 28th all the way up to 11th and we did everything we could. Obviously, we tried to take our chances with some of the yellows and it didn’t work out. It was very difficult to pass however and we hung on and a top 11 was the best we could do. Again, I miss everyone. This was awesome, but now on to the next page and on to Road Atlanta.

NO. 12 WILL POWER, VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14TH: “Obviously we made our way all the way up to eighth with really good restarts. And then I feel like I got too good of a restart, so I was almost touching Colton [Herta] in turn 4 and had to pull out to the outside. There is no draft there and about three guys blew by me and then I got pushed wide in turn one. And yeah and the bad stop didn’t help us there – my bad. But I wanted to thank Verizon and Chevrolet for everything. Chevrolet gave us a great engine. My guys worked really hard all month and I just really have to thank them for everything. We’re going to refocus for Gateway and work on that.”

NO. 67 JR HILDEBRAND, SALESFORCE DRYER REINBOLD RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 16TH:
“The car was a huge handful at the beginning of the race. I almost spun out on the first lap. It was a bummer because I found some passing lanes in the middle of the fuel stint. But I couldn’t get to those lanes when I wanted to. Unfortunately, the car was twitchy early in the race. And we went for a different fuel strategy and the boys got the car working better throughout the day. I felt I got the feel of the car better as the race went on today. We knew the track temps were going up and we needed to make adjustments with every pit stop. I was working the trim switches and various items to help the car roll into the corners better. We were good to go to the end on fuel and we might have picked up some additional spots if others had to pit. But with yellow to the checkered, that didn’t happen. I hope Spencer (Pigot) is okay. That was a huge hit at the end. I just missed a few of the crashes today. I was dodging a number of incidents. We made the right calls today with our strategy. But we just missed a few things that would have improved our finish. Overall, the DRR guys worked really hard this month and we gained more information when we return. At least we made up half the field going from 32nd to 16th today.”

NO. 59 MAX CHILTON,GALLAGHER CARLIN CHEVROLET, FINISHED 17TH:
“It was a long race, but it always is around here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I tried my best out there and the whole team did a great job today. We really worked on making the No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet better throughout the race. Every pit stop we were changing something whether it was the front or rear wings and I was working with the weight jacker and the bars pretty much every lap. We had great pit stops all race and we tried to change up the strategy a little bit and at the end of the day we were a big climber. I think we were the fourth-highest climber of the day coming from 30th up to 17th, which isn’t bad at all and we brought the car home in one piece, which on a 500-mile race is extremely important when you want to be in it to win it at the end. We’ve struggled for speed all month, but today was a massive improvement and I’m excited to come back and try again for an even better result next year.”

NO. 4 CHARLIE KIMBALL,TRESIBA AJ FOYT RACING CHEVRLET, FINISHED 18TH:
“I was able to pass guys in the early part of the race, and I had a very good restart which gave us more spots. So we were moving up. The first five or ten laps of the stints were fast, but then the tires fell off and I couldn’t pass people. Ultimately, I made a mistake on pit lane with our third stop. I don’t know if the tires were worn or the brakes locked, but I slid by our pit box. Then I had to get in reverse and we lost two laps. I got our one lap back and almost the other lap too. And the #10 car stayed out and it prevented us from getting a rave around on the next yellow flag. At the end of the race, the WIX Filters Chevy was better, but I didn’t want to ruin other guys races and I moved out of their way. We ran out of time trying to get the lap back, because the car could run with guys on the lead lap. The DRR crew did a great job in the pits as always and we just had the one mistake today when I missed the pit. I feel badly for that one. We did learn a lot this month as a ‘one-off’ team at Indy.”

NO. 14 TONY KANAAN, ABC SUPPLY AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 19TH:
I don’t know what to say… We had a solid car, made a lot of positions on track and also in the pits. We went from 23rd all the way to 8th, I believe, but at the end I had to match a fuel number to make it to the checkered without a splash and in order to do that I had to let a lot of cars go. I truly believe that we had a Top-10 car. We ran up there most of the race and it’s just disappointing that we had to settle for 19th.”

NO. 21 RINUS VEEKAY, SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 20TH:

NO. 66 FERNANDO ALONSO,RUOFF ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 21ST:
“It was a very eventful race for us, we didn’t have one lap of kindness let’s say. We were struggling from the very beginning with the balance of the car with a lot oversteer. We kept changing that balance in the pit stops, reducing the front flap, doing tire adjustments and then we started to be happy with the car. We were up to P15 around Lap 110, which is where we wanted to be. We spent half the race going from P26 to P15 and then we had a clutch problem on the car that we didn’t know how to solve. We finished the race without the clutch, so from that point on every pit stop we had to push the car, engage the gear and go. That cost us a lap and unfortunately, we kept that lap down until the end and we could not achieve anything more.

“I’m happy to finish the race, cross the line and have one 500 miles in the pocket, that’s the positive thing. The negative is that we were out of contention very quickly with the clutch problem. Anyway, I think the Arrow McLaren SP team was fantastic during the race, the strategy and pit stops meant we were always gaining positions. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done over the last couple of weeks. We tried to race but luck was not with us today, but I’m proud of the effort from everyone in the team.”

NO. 22 SIMON PAGENAUD, MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 22ND:
“It was a real shame to start as far back as I did. I really do think that Chevy brought an incredible race engine. It had so much power. It was so good. So I think if we started further up, we would not have lost as much time in traffic. I feel like we had one of the best cars. I didn’t see [Takuma] Sato, but congratulations to him. He’s an incredible driver around this place. It’s fantastic. I think he’s the most successful Japanese driver ever so congratulations to him and the Rahal team. We were just on the outside of Ryan Hunter-Reay and he just hit us in the front wing like we weren’t there. So we had to pit for a new front wing, and it went downhill from there. At the end of the race, we were running I think is the fastest laps of the race. The car was really, really good and it would have been good for the last shootout, but it wasn’t our year. We’ll come back next year and we’ll be strong. We have a good baseline to attack for next year and we’ll come back to try and get No. 2.”

NO. 81 BEN HANLEY,DRAGON SPEED USA CHEVROLET, FINISHED 23RD:
“It’s a fantastic feeling to finish the Indy 500! All the odds seemed against us two weeks ago, but a huge effort by everyone from the DragonSpeed crew to INDYCAR, Chevrolet, and Firestone made it possible. We tried a switch in strategy late in the race that didn’t quite didn’t work out, but we are really happy with 23rdand what we’ve achieved as a team at Indy this year. As we hoped, we gained a lot of knowledge today and can’t wait to come back next year to apply it!”

NO. 20 ED CARPENTER, U.S. SPACE FORCE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET. FINISHED 26TH:

NO. 24 SAGE KARAM, WIX FILTERS DRYER REINBOLD RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 24TH:
“I was able to pass guys in the early part of the race, and I had a very good restart which gave us more spots. So we were moving up. The first five or ten laps of the stints were fast, but then the tires fell off and I couldn’t pass people. Ultimately, I made a mistake on pit lane with our third stop. I don’t know if the tires were worn or the brakes locked, but I slid by our pit box. Then I had to get in reverse and we lost two laps. I got our one lap back and almost the other lap too. And the #10 car stayed out and it prevented us from getting a rave around on the next yellow flag. At the end of the race, the WIX Filters Chevy was better, but I didn’t want to ruin other guys races and I moved out of their way. We ran out of time trying to get the lap back, because the car could run with guys on the lead lap. The DRR crew did a great job in the pits as always and we just had the one mistake today when I missed the pit. I feel badly for that one. We did learn a lot this month as a ‘one-off’ team at Indy.”

NO. 47 CONOR DALY, U.S. AIR FORCE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEEVROLET, FINISHED 29TH:

NO. 7 OLIVER ASKEW, ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 30TH:,
“First of all I need to thank the AMR Safety Team, Dallara, and INDYCAR for keeping us as safe as possible in these cars going these speeds. I’m sorry for the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP team, they’ve worked so hard all week, all month, all year building up to this event. So, to have a result like this is really sad for all of us but we will move on to Gateway next weekend. I was really happy with the pace we had and the aggressive strategies we were running. We were trying to make something happen with passing being at a premium at this race. Thanks again to the team for all their hard work.”

NO.41 DALTON KELLETT, K-LINE USA AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET: FINISHED 31ST:
“It’s obviously a different 500 experience without the fans and having the national anthem and flyover without the energy of our great race fans and it was bit sad to see that. But the start felt pretty good. I thought I was going to get the jump on Tony and Will but they showed my rookie status and got the jump on me, so now I know where to go next time. The car felt really good the first stint, we were just chipping away at it, working with the tools and dealing with a bit of understeer with the tailwind in Turn 2. The car felt really good in 3 and 4, making moves in traffic and was able to pass guys. On the second stint, the wind shifted a bit so I was getting a run out of 2 into 3 but got stuck behind Hanley who was running a bit off the pace. I kept trying to draft and get by him going into 3. I went pretty late and I didn’t know if his spotter didn’t let him know I was pretty low or he didn’t think I was going for it. I kind of popped and he came down almost immediately so I didn’t have time to back out of it and he skimmed my front wing and took all the air off it. After that I was just trying to save it and couldn’t quite get it turned enough to miss the wall. Pretty disappointed that was how it ended. We were having a really good month up to that point.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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 at www.chevrolet.com.

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020 – For the first time in its storied history, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) will host three generations of racing royalty on track together just before the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23. Legendary racer Mario Andretti will take his son Michael on a thrill ride in Honda’s Fastest Seat in Sports, before Mario’s grandson and Michael’s son, pole winner Marco Andretti, leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field to the green flag in the 104th Running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Though an Andretti has been competing at IMS since 1965, Sunday will mark the first time that all three generations of the accomplished racing family will run together on the iconic 2.5-mile oval. Mario Andretti, who ranks second on the all-time INDYCAR win list with 52 career victories, won the 1969 Indianapolis 500. Michael Andretti posted 42 wins in his distinguished career and led more laps (431) than any driver that has raced in the Indy 500 without producing a victory. Marco became the first Andretti in 33 years to win the Indianapolis 500 pole position when he proved to be the fastest driver in qualifying last weekend, earning the NTT P1 Award in his Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Marco & Curb-Agajanian Honda-powered entry.

Mario will be behind the wheel with Michael riding just behind his father when they turn high-speed laps in a custom-made, two-seater Indy car for Honda’s Fastest Seat in Sports on Sunday. They will ride in front of the 33-car field before Marco Andretti and his fellow drivers race into Turn 1 at the start of the Indianapolis 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday (live, NBC and Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network).

“I’m one of the few that can say I’ve been teammates with both my father and my son – and now to have the opportunity for all three of us to be on track together, on Race Day at IMS, is really special,” Michael Andretti said. “Dad and I are really excited to do this together, but we’re still fighting about who’s going to drive.”

Said IMS President J. Douglas Boles: “The Andretti family has such an incredible history and tradition at the Indianapolis 500. What a great way to celebrate the Andretti legacy with three generations of the family on track together for the first time at IMS, led by the Fastest Seat in Sports.”

Honda’s Fastest Seat in Sports continues to help wave the green flag at NTT INDYCAR SERIES races and is a fan favorite. Mario Andretti has provided memorable rides for Fastest Seat in Sports participants in recent years, including such special guests as Lady Gaga, Channing Tatum, Nick Cannon, Mark Wahlberg and Julian Edelman.

Visit IMS.com for more information on the 104th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23. Live coverage of the race will start at 1 p.m. (ET) on NBC and the Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network.

Fan and family favorites carrying special signage in 104th Running of 500

Pataskala, Ohio (20 August 2020) – The 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is a special event for Meyer Shank Racing on many levels. The event marks the fourth entry into the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for the Ohio-based team as Meyer Shank Racing pursues its first full season INDYCAR Series campaign in 2020.

In addition to the commercial programs in place that see the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) entry proudly carry signage of partners AutoNation and SiriusXM, the team is also utilizing its Indianapolis 500 livery of the No. 60 Honda to pay tribute to two important people.

The team has integrated three decals that honor and support the active fight that Shrabral Pruett, a friend of the team, is currently waging against cancer and celebrate the life of Pat Kennedy, a key supporter of Jack Harvey.

Shrabral Pruett

It was a normal work day for Mike Shank when a fan stopped by earlier this summer for a visit to the MSR headquarters in Pataskala, Ohio. Expressing his appreciation for Mike Shank’s appearances on the Marshall Pruett Podcast, this fan asked if it might be possible to do something special for Pruett’s wife, Shrabral, who has inspired many with her fight against breast cancer.

This fan, who has asked to remain anonymous, offered to donate towards Shrabral’s GoFundMe page in exchange for a special tribute decal to be put on the No. 60 MSR Indy Car for the team’s home race at Mid-Ohio. But when the Mid-Ohio event was postponed at the last minute, team co-owner Mike Shank upped the ante and decided to display the special decal during the Indianapolis 500.

The nose of the MSR Indy Car display two decals, one honoring Shrabral Pruett and the second, a family crest of the fan that made the donation. The tribute was a logical one, as Pruett’s fight against cancer not only inspired many, but it also connected with several on the team who also appreciated Pruett’s service to the country in her time serving as a US Marine.

The connection also echos the significant efforts being made by MSR primary sponsor AutoNation to build the “DRV PNK” initiative that sees the MSR entry race in pink to support cancer research and treatment.

“We’re honored to have been able to support Shrabral on our IndyCar for the 500 this year,” said Shank. “Marshall (Pruett) and I have worked closely over the years and it’s something small that we did. When this fan came into the shop and expressed his gratitude, this was the least we could do for him and for the Pruetts. We are surrounded by some really good people, from our team partners to as you can see in this case, even our fans, who set the bar really high in terms of doing things for others so this is something really cool to be a part of. ”

Pat Kennedy

A family name that has a long association both with racing and especially the Indianapolis 500, the Kennedy’s have a special home at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Not only that, but the Kennedy family have been a major factor in Meyer Shank Racing IndyCar driver Jack Harvey’s daily life since moving to the states in 2014.

Pat Kennedy and his sister Ann Bolin took Harvey in as one of their own, treating him as their own son. The relationship reached a whole new level when the family made the introduction to Harvey and SiriusXM CEO, Jim Meyer. Little did anyone know the transformation that relationship would have for both Harvey and MSR.

Unfortunately in early April, the community suffered a terrible loss as the COVID-19 virus took the life of Pat Kennedy at just 63 years old. Devastated by the loss, Harvey and MSR decided to pay tribute to Kennedy on the team’s Indy Car for the Indianapolis 500.

An all-white Yard of Bricks with “PK” at the center will be displayed on the nose of the No. 60 Indy Car, allowing Kennedy to once again be on track and race with Harvey on Sunday.

“What Pat and Ann did for me when I first moved to the States is something I will never forget,” said Harvey. “They took me under their wing and treated me as one of their own. Without Pat, I wouldn’t be where I am in Indy Car. This Indianapolis 500 drive will 100% be dedicated to Pat Kennedy and for everything he and his family have ever done for me.”

INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020 – An annual Indianapolis 500 tradition will continue Saturday, Aug. 22 in a virtual manner.

All 33 drivers set to compete in the 104th Running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will participate in the Indy 500 presented by Gainbridge Virtual Drivers’ Meeting with BlueJeans by Verizon live from Pagoda Plaza. Fans around the world can view the event on IMS.com beginning at 10 a.m. (ET).

NTT P1 Award winner Marco Andretti of Andretti Herta Autosport with Marco & Curb-Agajanian will be one of the feature speakers as the pole sitter. Other speakers will include executives from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR. The public will not be allowed on site due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drivers will be seated in a socially distanced manner in their traditional rows of three, arranged as they will start Sunday’s race (1 p.m., NBC, Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network).

Andretti won the first “500” pole of his career by .113 of a second over Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon in four-lap, 10-mile runs Sunday during Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying. Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing earned the final starting position on the front row, starting third.

Andretti follows his grandfather, the legendary Mario Andretti, as an Indianapolis 500 pole winner. Mario Andretti earned the race’s top starting position in 1966, 1967 and 1987.

This year’s “500” features eight former race winners and five rookies. Leading the first-time competitors is Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay, who will start fourth. VeeKay, 19, earned the best starting spot for a teenage driver in the history of the race, which started in 1911.

CHEVROLET RACING NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
CHEVROLET HISTORY AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
AUGUST 19, 2020

Chevrolet winning at Indy began a century ago

The Chevrolet winning tradition started at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway a century ago. A driver named Chevrolet won the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race 100 years ago.

Gaston Chevrolet, with his driving mechanic Johnny Bresnahan, crossed the finish line first in the eighth running of the 200-lap race on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on May 30, 1920. Although Gaston didn’t pilot a car carrying the Chevrolet nameplate, the Chevrolet legacy at the world famous speedway began.

Gaston Chevrolet, born on Oct. 4, 1892, near Beaune, France, where his Swiss parents had emigrated to a few years earlier, was the younger brother of engineers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet, the namesake of Chevrolet automobiles.

In his second Indy 500 start, Gaston Chevrolet qualified sixth with a four-lap average speed of 91.55 mph in the No. 4 car owned by William Small. Ralph DePalma earned the pole with an average speed of 99.15 mph in the first year utilizing the four-lap qualifying format that remains in place today.

Chevrolet took the lead from DePalma on Lap 187 and led the rest of the way to win by 6 minutes, 16.60 seconds over Rene Thomas in the race free of caution. Chevrolet came into the pits twice for fuel, but he completed the race with the original set of Firestone tires. It was a first for the Indy 500, and the feat wasn’t recorded again until 1964 by A.J. Foyt.

Chevrolet, who entered 15 races sanctioned by the American Automobile Association (AAA) over four years, recorded his first AAA Champ Car Series victory on July 14, 1919, at Sheepshead Bay, New York. He added wins at Uniontown, New York, and Sheepshead Bay in September that year.

The Indy 500 was his lone victory of 1920, though he added three other top-10 finishes. On Nov. 25, 1920, Chevrolet died in a racing accident at the wooden board track in Beverly Hills, California. His total of 1,030 points was 100 more than Tommy Milton, and he was posthumously honored as the 1920 AAA National Champion. He is interred next to his brother Louis in the Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Chevrolet started 16th and finished 10th in his other Indianapolis 500 start in 1919. His winnings totaled $23,200.

As an Indy car racing engine supplier, the Chevrolet brand of General Motors earned the first of its 11 Indianapolis 500 victories in 1988 with Rick Mears behind the wheel of a Penske/Chevrolet. The Bowtie brand has 11 victories in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” including the past two years.

Chevrolet in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

Chevrolet has a storied history with Indianapolis Motor Speedway as an engine manufacturer, provider of the pace car, entrant and even drivers.

Chevrolet was co-founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet, the year of the inaugural 500-Mile Race. He competed in the ‘500’ four times, with a best finish of seventh in 1919. His brother, Arthur, competed in the 1911 and 1916 races and his other brother, Gaston, won in 1920 and finished 10th in 1919.

Louis Chevrolet was also the owner of the 1921-winning car driven by Tommy Milton.

The Louis Chevrolet Memorial is located just west of the entrance to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Inscribed on the pedestal that holds a bust of Louis Chevrolet is his motto “Never Give Up.”

Wins (11)
1988 Rick Mears
1989 Emerson Fittipaldi
1990 Arie Luyendyk
1991 Rick Mears
1992 Al Unser, Jr.
1993 Emerson Fittipaldi
2002 Helio Castroneves
2013 Tony Kanaan
2015 Juan Pablo Montoya
2018 Will Power
2019 Simon Pagenaud

Wins by other General Motors brands (5 – Oldsmobile)
1997 Arie Luyendyk
1998 Eddie Cheever
1999 Kenny Brack
2000 Juan Pablo Montoya
2001 Helio Castroneves

Indianapolis 500 winners with a Chevrolet entry this year
Helio Castroneves (2000, ’01, 09) – No. 3 Team Penske
Will Power (2018) – No. 12 Team Penske
Tony Kanaan (2013) – No. 14 Foyt Racing
Simon Pagenaud (2019) – No. 22 Team Penske

Winning team owners with Chevrolet entries this year
Roger Penske (18 – first in 1972, last in 2019)
A.J. Foyt (3 – driver-owner in 1967, ’77; owner in 1999)
Front-row starters since 2012 with Chevrolet entry
2019: First – Simon Pagenaud. Second – Ed Carpenter. Third – Spencer Pigot
2018: First – Ed Carpenter. Second – Simon Pagenaud. Third – Will Power
2017: Second – Ed Carpenter
2016: Second – Josef Newgarden
2015: First – Scott Dixon. Second – Will Power. Third – Simon Pagenaud
2014: First — Ed Carpenter. Third – Will Power
2013: First – Ed Carpenter. Second – Carlos Munoz. Third – Marco Andretti
2012: First – Ryan Briscoe. Second – James Hinchcliffe. Third – Ryan Hunter-Reay

2020 rookie carrying the Bowtie Banner with second row start
Rinus VeeKay, No, 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing, will roll off fourth on Sunday, August 23

ABOUT CHEVROLET – Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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 at www.chevrolet.com.

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 – The world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform the pre-race flyover for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Pre-race coverage for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” starts at 1 p.m. (ET) on NBC, with the green flag scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

“America’s Ambassadors in Blue” – officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron – will fly in their signature “Delta” formation over IMS in an impressive display of their skill and their precision.

“It’s a great privilege for IMS to welcome the United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the pre-race flyover for the 104th Indianapolis 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The race always has paid tribute to the dedicated service and sacrifice of men and women of America’s Armed Forces and is a celebration of patriotic pride, and the precision and skill of these elite Thunderbirds pilots will be appreciated by the worldwide television audience and also by the residents of Indianapolis and Central Indiana as they look to the skies.”

The Thunderbirds feature six F-16 Fighting Falcons, the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter aircraft. Assigned to Air Combat Command, the squadron is composed of 12 officers and more than 120 enlisted personnel serving in nearly 30 Air Force job specialties. The Thunderbirds typically perform hour-long aerial demonstrations at air shows across the United States from March to November but most of their performances are canceled this year due to the coronavirus. In lieu of air shows, the team collaborated with the United States Navy Blue Angels to conduct multi-city flyovers as a salute to frontline coronavirus responders in April and May.

“Supporting the Indy 500 is a great honor for the team and Air Force,” said. Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader. “This spectacular event provides an amazing opportunity to showcase the pride, precision and professionalism of the 693,000 total force Airmen to race fans viewing from around the world.”

Since the unit’s inception in 1953, more than 350 million people in all 50 states and more than 60 countries have witnessed the distinctive red, white and blue jets in thousands of official aerial demonstrations.

The flight demonstration team is made up of Lieutenant Colonel John Caldwell, Thunderbird No. 1, Thunderbird commander and lead pilot; Major Trevor Aldridge, Thunderbird No. 2, Left Wing pilot; Major Michael Brewer, Thunderbird No. 3, Right Wing pilot; Major Zane Taylor, Thunderbird No. 4, Slot Pilot; Major Michelle Curran, Thunderbird No. 5, Lead Solo; and Major Kyle Oliver, Thunderbird No. 6, Opposing Solo.

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 16, 2020) – For the first time in 33 years, an Andretti will lead the Indianapolis 500 to the green flag.

Marco Andretti, the grandson of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, topped eight other NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Fast Nine Shootout to claim his first NTT Pole Award of 2020 on Sunday.

RESULTS: Indianapolis 500 Qualifying

It was his family’s first Indy 500 pole since Mario Andretti won the pole in 1987 and the first pole for a car carrying the No. 98 since Parnelli Jones won the pole for the 1963 Indianapolis 500.

“I was emotional,” Marco Andretti said. “It’s funny because I was screaming after the run, so I don’t have a voice. Everybody is thinking I’m crying, but I just can’t talk right now. I was emotional. We put so much into it. This place means so much to us as a family. We’ve just been through so many ups and downs at this place. Obviously, my cousin, John is riding with me, my grandfather from home. We know family is pulling for us. We live and breathe this sport, this race in particular.”

Andretti recorded a four-lap run of 2 minutes, 35.7985 seconds (231.068 mph) in the No. 98 U.S. Concrete/Curb Honda to beat Scott Dixon’s provisional pole run by .017 mph – the third-closest margin in the race’s history by speed. The nine drivers in the Fast Nine Shootout each had one attempt in sunny but blustery conditions, with a steady north wind of 12 mph. As the fastest qualifier Saturday, Andretti was the last driver on track during the Shootout.

“Lap 1 was good,” Andretti said. “Lap 2 started giving me the hint that (Lap) 3 and 4 were going to be tough,” Andretti said. “I knew it was going to be interesting. I knew it was going to be close, too, because I was watching the speeds, knew what (Dixon) ran. The luxury of going last is you know the benchmark. Luckily we were just on the better end of that.”

Dixon set the time to beat of 2:35.8098 (231.051 mph) as the fifth car to go out in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda but settled for his fifth front-row starting position at Indianapolis.

“I was definitely watching (Marco Andretti),” Dixon said. “Sometimes you don’t want to know the results, right? We knew (Andretti) were going to be strong. Right from the get-go, I knew Hinch (James Hinchcliffe) was going to be a good sort of benchmark, and the same with (Alexander) Rossi, because it looked like he was more trimmed out than the rest of them, a little more aggressive. Unfortunately, it was not quite enough.

“There’s so many things, I think, through the run that you could definitely equate maybe to going that little bit faster. I’m sure they had similar issues on their side.”

Takuma Sato, the first car to run after sitting provisionally ninth Saturday, qualified third with a four-lap average of 230.725 mph in the No. 30 Panasonic/PeopleReady Honda, while rookie Rinus VeeKay – driving the lone Chevrolet in the Fast Nine –qualified fourth at 230.704 mph in the No. 21 SONAX entry, the best qualifying result for a teenager in Indianapolis 500 history.

The pole position is the sixth of Marco Andretti’s INDYCAR career and the 42nd INDYCAR pole by cars owned by his father Michael Andretti. Michael Andretti never won a pole for the Indy 500 as a driver, but his team did in 2005 with Tony Kanaan.

“I was joking with Dad,” Marco Andretti said. “I’m like, ‘This is probably like my third legitimate shot as far as just outright pace in 15 years.’ When I lost the ‘500’ in 2006, you saw me mad because I knew that it is possible that 15 years later I’m talking to you guys and I haven’t won one yet. That’s why I was so mad.

“It’s a tough place. Last year I had the worst race of my career. Here we are, we can win it. We’re going to take it one race at a time. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is so competitive. Drivers and the teams, everybody is so close. It’s easy to go from last to first if you just find that little bit.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay qualified fifth at 230.648 in the No. 28 DHL Honda, with Andretti Autosport teammate James Hinchcliffe sixth at 229.870 in the No. 29 Genesys Honda.

Rookie Alex Palou of Spain ended up a solid seventh at 229.676 in the No. 55 Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh Honda, with Graham Rahal eighth at 229.380 in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda. 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi rounded out the Fast Nine as the fourth Andretti Autosport car in the Shootout, with an average speed of 229.234 in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda.

The next day of track action will be Miller Lite Carb Day on Friday, Aug. 21, when all 33 drivers will practice for the last time before the race from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (NBCSN, INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold, Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network).

CHEVROLET RACING NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY FAST NINE SHOOTOUT RECAP
AUGUST 16, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS: Following an exciting Fast Nine Shootout, Rinus VeeKay has placed his No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet solidy in the fourth starting position on the inside of the second row.

VeeKay was fourth in the order of the nine drivers to take their turn at a pole run, and laid down four very consistent laps delivering a four-lap average of 230.704 mph, He held on to the outside of the front row until the last driver, and pole winner Marco Andretti posted the fastest time of the day 231.068 mph.

At 19 years old, VeeKay showed the maturity a1nd calm of a veteran to secure a second row start. As a result being the fastest rookie in the 33 car field, VeeKay received a $10,000 award from American Dairy.

“I didn’t know that!” exclaimed VeeKay. “That is a great surprise! That is my first-ever dollar I’ve made in racing. Real happy with that!

“It was a great qualifying effort. I It was a good run. The wind was a llttle tough on the last lap. I stayed flat for four laps and that was my aim. I think being the only Chevy (in Fast Nine), being fourth is amazing!”

Driving for Ed Carpenter, one of the most successful drivers and team owners at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, VeeKay had the benefit of the best leadership and guidance a rookie could get, and teammate Conor Daly has a lot of Indy 500 experience to share as the three ECR drivers prepare for next Sunday’s Indianpolis 500.

Next up on the schedule is Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, Aug. 21, final practice for the Indianapolis 500. Then “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 1:00 p.m. ET live on NBC.

NO. 21 RINUS VEEKAY, SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET: “I know we have a great race car. It is hard to say as a rookie, (winning) is my goal. But I have to be realistic. But it is the Indy 500 and anything can happen. But I try not to think about it so it doesn’t distract me. But I think we are getting close.

“Ed can teach me everything. He has so much experience here. Conor has so many starts here. It is so valuable for me. It’s so great for me to have such a team with great teammates and engineers around me that have so muh experience that they bring all of that experience over to me.”

IANAP
ABOUT CHEVROLET – Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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 at www.chevrolet.com.