Category: NTT Indy

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, June 23, 2024) – Louis Foster is the runaway train of INDY NXT by Firestone, as he earned his fourth victory in the last five races and took the championship lead with a triumph in the second race of the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Foster earned the doubleheader sweep at the picturesque Northern California circuit by driving his No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car of Andretti Global to a 4.3962-second victory over the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car of rookie Caio Collet. Foster beat Collet to the checkered flag by 8.2445 seconds in Race 1 Saturday.

“Like I said yesterday, Andretti has given us an amazing car,” Foster said. “I’m just out there doing my thing. It’s been a great weekend. Sunny skies in California. You can’t ask for anything more. So, super, super happy with that.”

British driver Foster earned his fourth victory of the season and his sixth career victory in the INDYCAR development series. He leads Jacob Abel in the standings by 35 points, 345-310, as the two drivers were tied at 291 points entering this race.

This could be a turning point for the season with six races to go. Abel finished 11th in the No. 51 Abel Construction car fielded by Abel Motorsports, his worst result of the season. Abel was assessed with a drive-through penalty late in the 35-lap race for avoidable contact after an incident in the famous “Corkscrew” turn complex while battling for third with Reece Gold in No. 10 HMD Motorsports car.

Andretti Global also extended its winning streak to five races this season in INDY NXT. Foster won the second race of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course doubleheader on May 11, on the streets of Detroit on June 2 and both races this weekend, while Jamie Chadwick won June 9 at Road America.

Foster’s dominance was complete on this 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course, pulling off a “grand slam” sweep of every performance category. He led both practice sessions, won the pole for both races, led all 70 combined laps and turned the fastest lap of both races.

Rookie Bryce Aron earned his first career INDY NXT by Firestone podium result by finishing third in the No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield car fielded by Andretti Global. His previous best finish was eighth at Barber Motorsports Park and Road America.

First-year INDY NXT drivers took four of the top five finishing positions. Rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy finished a career best-tying fourth in the No. 22 S Team Motorsports/Abel Motorsports car, with rookie Salvador de Alba Jr. rounding out the top five with a career-best fifth in the No. 2 Grupo Indi car of Andretti Cape INDY NXT.

Foster controlled the race from the start. The only suspense came during a restart on Lap 17 after the only caution period, but Foster eased away from Collet at the green flag and never was threatened to the checkered flag.

A potentially critical flashpoint in the championship chase came on Lap 28 when Gold and Abel went side by side through the “Corkscrew” in a fierce tussle for third place. The two drivers made contact, forcing Gold’s car into the air and off track. The suspension of Gold’s car broke when he landed on the asphalt, ending his race.

During that joust, Aron squeezed past both cars to take third and kept that position for the rest of the race.

Race officials then assessed Abel with a drive-through penalty on Lap 29, which dropped him from fourth to 13th place. Abel rallied to pass two cars over the closing six laps.

The next race is the Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio on Sunday, July 7 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 Results

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, June 23, 2024) – Results Saturday of the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 event on the 2.238-mile WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1. (1) Louis Foster, 35, Running
2. (2) Caio Collet, 35, Running
3. (5) Bryce Aron, 35, Running
4. (6) Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 35, Running
5. (11) Salvador de Alba Jr., 35, Running
6. (14) Jamie Chadwick, 35, Running
7. (9) Christian Brooks, 35, Running
8. (15) Christian Bogle, 35, Running
9. (13) Josh Pierson, 35, Running
10. (8) Jack William Miller, 35, Running
11. (4) Jacob Abel, 35, Running
12. (19) Niels Koolen, 35, Running
13. (18) Ricardo Escotto, 35, Running
14. (16) Nolan Allaer, 35, Running
15. (20) Lindsay Brewer, 35, Running
16. (12) Callum Hedge, 34, Running
17. (10) Myles Rowe, 33, Running
18. (3) Reece Gold, 26, Contact
19. (7) James Roe, 25, Mechanical
20. (17) Jonathan Browne, 25, Running

Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 105.715 mph
Time of Race: 00:44:27.4314
Margin of victory: 4.3962 seconds
Cautions: 1
Lead changes: 0

Lap Leaders:
Foster, Louis 1 – 35

MONTEREY, Calif. (Saturday, June 22, 2024) – Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou maintained the pressure in his quest for a third title by winning the NTT P1 Award for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Palou earned his second pole of the season and fifth of his career with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.1465 seconds in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou is second in the championship standings, five points behind Will Power, who qualified 15th in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet.

“It was really tough, really tight all qualifying to get to the Fast 12 and then the Fast Six,” Palou said. “It was really tricky with track conditions. As soon as there was some wind, you couldn’t really finish the lap because there was no grip.

“Really happy. The car was on rails today, so the best starting position for tomorrow.”

Live coverage of the 95-lap race starts at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on the USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. A 30-minute warmup precedes the race at 3 p.m. ET, live on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

The pole continued an impressive history for Palou at this picturesque Northern California road course, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile layout that includes the famous “Corkscrew” complex of turns. Palou won this race in 2022 and finished second in 2021 and third in 2023.

Kyle Kirkwood will join Palou on the front row after a best lap of 1:07.2204 in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda of Andretti Global. The second starting spot was Kirkwood’s best performance in qualifying since winning the pole and the race in April 2023 at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Felix Rosenqvist continued his reinvigoration with Meyer Shank Racing, qualifying third at 1:07.2917 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda. Colton Herta, who led practice Saturday morning, qualified fourth at 1:07.2972 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. Herta won this race in 2019 and 2021.

Alexander Rossi qualified fifth at 1:07.3594 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Christian Lundgaard rounded out the Firestone Fast Six and Row 3 at 1:07.5112 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The other three drivers in the top five of the championship standings – third-place Scott Dixon, fourth-place Pato O’Ward and fifth-place Scott McLaughlin – will try to keep pace with Palou from the fourth and fifth rows of the starting grid.

McLaughlin qualified seventh in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet, O’Ward ninth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and Dixon 10th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Qualifying Results

MONTEREY, Calif. (Saturday, June 22, 2024) – NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.238-mile WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:07.1465 (119.988 mph)
2. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 01:07.2204 (119.856)
3. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 01:07.2917 (119.729)
4. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:07.2972 (119.720)
5. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 01:07.3594 (119.609)
6. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:07.5112 (119.340)
7. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:07.3994 (119.538)
8. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 01:07.4286 (119.486)
9. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:07.4900 (119.378)
10. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:07.5874 (119.206)
11. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 01:07.6143 (119.158)
12. (66) David Malukas, Honda, 01:07.8422 (118.758)
13. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 01:07.8976 (118.661)
14. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:07.7246 (118.964)
15. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:08.0178 (118.451)
16. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 01:07.8056 (118.822)
17. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 01:08.0344 (118.422)
18. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:07.9233 (118.616)
19. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:08.0922 (118.322)
20. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:07.9897 (118.500)
21. (20) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 01:08.3711 (117.839)
22. (4) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 01:08.1571 (118.209)
23. (6) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 01:08.6785 (117.312)
24. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 01:08.1824 (118.165)
25. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 01:09.1304 (116.545)
26. (18) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:08.4730 (117.664)
27. (51) Luca Ghiotto, Honda, 01:08.5078 (117.604)

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING REPORT
JUNE 22, 2024

ALEXANDER ROSSI PACES FOR CHEVROLET, STARTING FIFTH IN SUNDAY’S FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY AT LAGUNA SECA

• Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, led Team Chevy in Saturday’s qualifying and Firestone Fast Six at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and will start Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey fifth.
• Rossi transferred from the fast 12 to the Firestone Fast Six, representing Chevrolet and battling it out for pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
• Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward transferred to the fast 12 out of Group 2 in Saturday’s qualifying session.
• Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Romain Grosjean, Rossi, and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, transferred to the fast 12 out of Group 1 in Saturday’s qualifying session.
• Power led Team Chevy in the second practice that opened Saturday, with his fastest lap of 1:08.4261. Four drivers total representing the Bowtie brand finished second practice in the top-10, including Power, Scott McLaughlin (fourth), Pato O’Ward (fifth), and Alexander Rossi (eighth).
• Sunday sees a warm-up kicking off race day at 3 p.m. ET, with the 95-lap, 212.61-mile Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey taking the green flag at 6 p.m. ET live on USA Network from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Additional coverage is broadcast via Peacock, as well as INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 QUALIFYING RESULT:
Pos. Driver
5th Alexander Rossi (1:07.3595)
7th Scott McLaughlin (1:07.3994)
8th Romain Grosjean (1:07.4286)
9th Pato O’Ward (1:07.4900)

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 SECOND PRACTICE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
2nd Will Power (1:08.4261)
4th Scott McLaughlin (1:08.4602)
5th Pato O’Ward (1:08.4679
8th Alexander Rossi (1:08.6153)

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

”I had a spin in practice two which kind of killed us the first set of tires on the primes. So, we went out on scuffed primes. We actually looked pretty good. Red tires, we kind of missed it by two tenths. It’s tough. (Will) Power missed it by two tenths as well. It’s hard to say. It looked like it’s a bit in high speed for us but I was sliding the car around. I think it was really lap one, and you know we’ll race from there.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It wasn’t the best of Saturday’s I would say, but we can work from P9. I was happy with the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, so we’ll see what we can make better for the longer stints and see where it takes us.”

Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“I didn’t really get to run on reds at all until now. That’s a big challenge. The tire is very, very different. I think that in the first session, we had a little issue that kept us running most of the session and didn’t get to do our run on reds. Learning the tire on the first run, and then on the second run, I got to push a little bit harder, but it’s just a lot of new things for me. We’re doing our best. We’re getting better every session, but you can’t really expect us to come out having just met each other and never driven the car and be up there. I think the race pace is going to be good. I think the qualifying was going to be the most difficult session of the weekend for us, and I think the race pace is going to be just fine.”

“We’re getting better every session. We’re getting to know each other better. I’m getting to know the car better. It’s just a lot of new things and it’s tough. It’s tough. IndyCar is super competitive. I feel like as long as we can continue improving at this rate every session this weekend. I think we’re gonna hit the ground rolling really well in Mid-Ohio and on to the rest of the season. I’m happy with where we’re at happy with where the trajectory is going and I think that we’re going to be competitive in the race and we’ll be competitive for the rest of the season.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It’s been a smooth weekend so far, and it is good to qualify where I think we should be. When you are that close and you fall short, it is a little disappointing, but ultimately the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet has been awesome. The team has done an amazing job, and I think we’ll have a really strong package going into tomorrow.”

Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:

“It was a bit of a mixed bag today. On one hand you’ve got Alexander’s (Rossi0 best qualifying of the year. He did a good job to get up there, and he really pulled out a great lap to get into the Firestone Fast 6. We just didn’t have enough to fight for pole today. Pato (O’Ward) left a bit on the table in Q2. The potential was there to get that car in the Fast 6, but it was a bit of a scrappy session. Nolan (Siegel) is getting to grips with the car. We lost run time yesterday, and not getting a proper run on the softer tire today is a steep learning curve. We’re looking forward to race day.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“Obviously, we were starting on the back foot with not having much time in Practice 2. We were sitting pretty good on the blacks, but we didn’t really get the red tire to work for us today. Kind of opposite of the other day where we felt like maybe we didn’t have a great balance on blacks, but then we were pretty good on red. We’ve got to go back and figure out what happened there. I think we have a fast car, we just started on the back foot which was unfortunate. I have a good feeling in terms of the car balance, we just need to be a little bit better nailing it on the reds in qualifying. It seems like the deg is higher this year compared to last year. I feel like that kind of leans it towards a black race. But, we will see and how everything and everyone goes a little bit longer on tires in warm up. That’s when we really kind of determine on what direction it will go.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“It’s not been a straightforward weekend. Yesterday in practice, we had a little engine issue, and then this morning, we were just really far out of the window. Got back to a very drivable car, but it’s not just quick enough in the moment. I mean, as a team, we’re struggling a lot. I mean, the only way is forward. We’re always good in race trim, so we can move forward, but looking I’m looking forward to not passing so many cars in another weekend and where we have it just a little bit easier.”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“I had a slow car at the end of my lap one, and then I had to do a slow lap on lap two, and by lap three, the tires were not there anymore. I think we had a pole car. I’m very frustrated with drivers slowing down the qualifying. I think the rules are pretty clear you can do that, and we learned in Detroit, we learned today. It’s slightly annoying and honestly, I felt we should have been on pole today. I had a ten second gap attacking the first timed lap. I thought that was enough if everyone stays on the pace. Obviously, I don’t know if it was the guy in front of him, but I started my second push lap within one second behind him, so I aborted the lap. It was never going to be good enough, and then the third timed lap, I’d say those tires were made for lap one or lap two, so that’s how we set up the car. When you get traffic, you can’t control that. Yeah, I’m frustrated. I generally think we should be fighting for pole today, which is awesome, but tomorrow it’s for points.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“I think it’s just me today. I think our car was really good. I just was just struggling to put together. I’ll try and make it up tomorrow. I think we got close there on reds, but just didn’t quite have enough. I think our car has been good. It’s been good right from the get-go. We’ll try and have a good race day tomorrow with a Hitachi Chevy.”

MCLAUGHLIN HAS BEEN HAVING SOME BRAKING SOME LOCKING KIND OF CONCERNS. HAS THAT BEEN IMPACTING YOUR CAR AS WELL?

“We’ve been up and down. Yes. Throughout the weekend, we’ve had different braking issues, but you’re chasing both ends of the car depending on the temperature in the day. We had same thing today. It just keeps moving around. So, you’re chasing it session to session, but our car was car was pretty good. I don’t think I don’t think that was the issue.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“It’s tight. I had a little slide through one of the quick corners in turn six around the back there. Just cost me going up the hill. When you lose that momentum going up the hill, it really hurts you. The Good Ranchers Chevy has been good. I think we could have easily made the Fast Six, but it’s INDYCAR. There’s a tenth (of a second) between seven cars or whatever. Just can’t make a mistake, but ultimately, great starting spot for tomorrow and we’ll see how we go.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“I probably waited in the pits too long, honestly. Tried to back off. Just didn’t get enough temp and then was just off cycle. It’s always very tough. You can’t screw around. We had the pace, just didn’t put it together. We’ll have an extra set of reds, but it’s hard to say, I don’t know yet if the reds are going to be good yet. Hopefully.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. 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 at www.chevrolet.com.

MONTEREY, Calif. (Friday, June 21, 2024) – Louis Foster’s roll continued Friday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as he was the quickest overall in both practice sessions for the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader.

Foster led at 1 minute, 12.4174 in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car fielded by Andretti Global. Foster and the other 19 drivers in the INDYCAR development series field each posted their best laps during the second of two 25-minute sessions on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit that includes the famous “Corkscrew” turn complex.

“ Today was a good day for us across both practice sessions,” Foster said. “The No. 26 crew gave me a great car that kept us strong the whole time. This was especially helpful with the winds and slick track conditions. We start qualifying tomorrow in Group 2, and the aim is going to be to put it on pole for both races.”

British driver Foster has two victories and a runner-up finish in the last three races this season, pulling him to within 19 points of championship leader Jacob Abel before the final doubleheader event of the season.

Rookie Caio Collet was second at 1:12.5711 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry, followed by teammate Reece Gold at 1:12.9806 in the No. 10 HMD car.

“It feels pretty good,” Collet said. “I didn’t put a lap together in the end, which I think is what we’re missing. But the car felt good the whole session, with new tires, especially. Hopefully we’ll have a great weekend.”

Championship leader Abel was fourth at 1:12.9993 in the No. 51 Abel Construction car fielded by Abel Motorsports, with James Roe rounding out the top five at 1:13.2113 in the No. 29 Topcon machine fielded by Andretti Global.

Jamie Chadwick ended up 10th at 1:13.6239 in the No. 28 VEXT car of Andretti Global in her first on-track session since becoming the first female winner in nearly 14 years in the series June 9 at Road America.

A hectic Saturday looms. The grid for both races will be set in a single qualifying session starting at noon ET (INDYCAR Live, INDYCAR Radio Network). Live coverage of the first of two 35-lap races this weekend starts at 3:25 p.m. ET Saturday on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The second race is set for 3:55 p.m. ET Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, June 21, 2024) – Mary Bonnet, star of the Critic’s Choice Award-winning, Emmy-nominated hit Netflix reality show “Selling Sunset,” will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, June 23 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Bonnet serves as vice president for The Oppenheim Group in Los Angeles, specializing in representing buyers and sellers in LA’s luxury real estate market. She has accrued more than $140 million in sales throughout her acclaimed career. Beyond real estate, Bonnet is an author, with her debut memoir “Selling Sunshine” coming Sept. 24 via Harper Collins. She’s also a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and women’s health and sits on the board of AAGL Women’s Health, the largest medical association advancing health care for women through excellence in clinical practice, education, research, innovation and advocacy.

Her real estate, property management and business development acumen is showcased in “Selling Sunset,” which was recently renewed for an eighth season on Netflix. Her husband, Romain Bonnet, also features on the popular show and will attend the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this weekend in Northern California.

Bonnet will join a long list of celebrated INDYCAR Fastest Seat in Sports passengers as she leads the field to green in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. This high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride already has been taken by Jon Bon Jovi, actors Judge Reinhold and Dylan Sprouse, and country music star Riley Green during the 2024 INDYCAR season.

Live coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey starts at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, June 23 on the USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES represents the ultimate challenge in racing, with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a demanding set of ovals and road and street courses. The full schedule can be viewed here.

2023 NFL Draft pick from Ohio State to serve in honorary role on July 7

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 20, 2024) – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and American Honda Motor Co. are honored to announce Cleveland Browns offensive lineman and former Ohio State Buckeye Dawand Jones as the honorary grand marshal of The Honda Indy 200 Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid on Sunday, July 7.

As grand marshal, Jones will announce the most famous words in racing, “Drivers, start your engines!” as well as participate in other pre-race ceremonies for the 80-lap NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio. The race will broadcast globally with live coverage nationally starting at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

This fall, Jones will play in his second season as a right tackle for the Browns after appearing in 11 games with nine starts and being named to the Pro Football Writers Association’s 2023 All-Rookie Team. The 2023 fourth round draft pick has continued his football career in the Buckeye State after playing four seasons for Ohio State (2019-2022). The Indianapolis native played in 41 games with 27 starts for the Buckeyes, earning first-team All-America honors from CBSSports.com and second-team all-Big Ten Conference recognition from the league’s coaches in 2022.

“As a longtime IndyCar fan from Indianapolis, I am really excited to be a part of this awesome racing tradition in Ohio,” said Jones. “I am truly grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to give the command and hear the roar of the engines!”

Additionally, Kensuke Oe, president and director of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, will serve as the podium trophy presenter, and Larry Geise, executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, will be this year’s honorary starter, waving the green flag to start the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

“We are honored to announce Dawand Jones, Kensuke Oe and Larry Geise to these honorary positions,” said Craig Rust, president of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “Over the past several years we have had several Browns and Buckeye players join us at The Honda Indy 200, and we are proud to continue the tradition. We also want to thank Mr. Oe, Mr. Geise and all the associates at American Honda for making this weekend special.”

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid at Mid-Ohio on July 5-7 marks the 41st running of Ohio’s largest annual motorsport event. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES headlines the weekend and will debut a new hybrid power unit, providing additional energy and overtake options for North America’s premier open-wheel drivers. The new Hybrid Assist feature can be used with Push to Pass, which combined provides the cars with an extra 120-plus horsepower.

The all-open-wheel weekend will feature nine different races from five series across the three days. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will be joined by its full development ladder with INDY NXT by Firestone, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire all competing on the legendary 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course.

All event information including ticket options and pricing is posted online at midohio.com. Children 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Follow the event on social media with #Honda200.

About Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:

A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 380 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary race track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally-sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been owned and operated by Green Savoree Mid-Ohio, LLC since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.

For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on X (formerly Twitter) @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
JUNE 21-23, 2024

CHEVROLET RACES TO LEGENDARY LAGUNA SECA FOR THE FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY

DETROIT (June 19, 2024) – The eighth round of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship takes the Chevrolet drivers and teams to legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, Calif. for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

With three previous races at Laguna Seca in the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 era since 2012 (2019, 2022, and 2023), Chevrolet looks to race to victory lane while adding to two earned NTT P1 Pole Awards (Will Power in 2022, and Felix Rosenqvist in 2023), as well as their four podium finishes and 50 laps led.

With Team Chevy scoring four wins this season, including the Indianapolis 500, as well as three earned NTT P1 Pole Awards, 10 podium finishes and 316 laps led overall in the seven events so far, the Bowtie brand looks to add a win at Laguna Seca this weekend.

A technical paved road course constructed for both motorcycle and auto racing, the 2.238-mile track features considerable elevation change, as well as 11 turns including the famous “Corkscrew” at Turn 8 and 8A, plunging downhill and is one of the most recognizable turns in all of motorsports.

“After a very hectic schedule from the month of May through Milwaukee testing, our Chevrolet engineering group and teams have had just a short time to catch their collective breath before loading up to head to Monterey, California, and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet INDYCAR Program Manager. “Easily one of the most recognizable and iconic road courses worldwide, the track presents numerous challenges for our engineering group working with our teams. There are steep elevation changes, tight technical corners, and the famous Corkscrew, which is a combination of high-speed technical corners that spills out into the fastest part of the track, turns nine, 10, heading to the sharp right-hand turn 11, and on to the front straightaway. It is critically important that drivers have the handling and balance needed to put the Chevy power down and maximize their tools to put together a winning drive. We are well prepared and looking forward to taking the momentum from the Road America victory to the winner’s circle at Laguna Seca.”

The 95-lap, 212.61-mile Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey kicks off with the first practice on Friday, June 21 at 5 p.m. ET. Saturday sees the second practice at 1 p.m. ET with qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six following at 5:15 p.m. ET. Race day starts with warm-up at 3 p.m. ET, and the race takes the green flag at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network. All practice and qualifying sessions are broadcast with Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 218.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes):

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“[Laguna Seca is] a fun track to put laps together there. It’s a cool track because it’s historical, but not only does it have historic corners, it’s a lot of fun to drive in our race cars. It’s one of the tracks in IndyCar with truly blind corners and you have to really commit. The best places to pass are Turn 2, passing into the Corkscrew, and the last corner.

Some of the fun aspects of that track are just being out in Monterey which is really nice and very pretty. It’s just a fun race track, especially since they repaved it. It makes it more challenging because it’s quicker so a little bit more high commitment. A cool track all around. High pace. Quick. Very physical, very demanding. It’s probably one of our most physical courses all year.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“[Laguna Seca] is my favorite. There is a lot to love between the different style corners, the elevation changes and the location. I think I have had some of my best results there because it has always been an end of season event and that is where we are the most prepared. The style of the track I think is good for me as well. There is a lot of smooth but fast turns that flow very well together. One of the most exciting places to pass is the Corkscrew and actually is a very good spot to pass. It always looks pretty spectacular.

I love being on the west coast. The atmosphere is usually pretty great and the weather is beautiful. Laguna Seca is one of the best tracks to qualify at as well. It is fast and challenging but requires good consistency.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“In the past, we haven’t quite had the best of weekends at Laguna Seca. I think that definitely speaks to the motivation that we have going back this year. It was a pretty hectic race last year, so we’ll see what it’s got in store for us this year.”

Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“I’m very excited for my first race with Arrow McLaren at my home event at Laguna Seca. It’ll be a special weekend having all my family and friends there, but it’s also exciting also having it be my first weekend in papaya. Coming off of a win at Le Mans is a great way to start this relationship and I’m really looking forward to getting going.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It was nice to have a little break after a long stretch of racing, but I’m super excited to get back to the track. We had strong cars at Laguna Seca last year and I’m looking forward to coming back here just as competitive. It’s sort of a home race for me, so there’s plenty of motivation to put on a great show for everyone.”

Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:

“I love classic racetracks like Laguna Seca that reward bravery and punish mistakes. We need race cars that give our drivers the confidence to attack the high-speed turns and navigate tricky elevation changes. This is our last race before introducing INDYCAR’s new hybrid powertrain, so we’ll be looking to head into the hybrid era on a high note.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“I love racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca! I have great memories there, the latest being locking up the INDY NXT championship by winning by over 15 seconds last year. I am looking forward to experiencing the track it in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car!”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“It was great to have a weekend off, but I am very excited to get back to racing! We had a good car at Laguna Seca last year, we should have the same fast car again this year. Hopefully, we get into a different rhythm and better results for the second half of the season!”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“Excited to surf on a good road this weekend at a track where JHR had pace last year.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“We arrive to this weekend with big expectations because of the performance that we had last year. At this track. Laguna Seca is one of the best track of the year, a legendary track that every driver wants to drive.”

Chevrolet in Laguna Seca (V6 era):

Wins at Laguna Seca: 0

Earned Pole Awards at Laguna Seca: 2

2022: Will Power

2023: Felix Rosenqvist

Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Laguna Seca (V6 era): 4

Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Laguna Seca (V6 era): 50

2024 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:

206: NTT INDYCAR Series races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.

115: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012.

130: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 135 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather.

8: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.

7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.

13: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

6: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.

33: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 50 times since 2012 in the V6 era.

27: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.

9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.

46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.

*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. 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 at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FULL FIELD HYBRID POWER UNIT TEST
MILWAUKEE MILE
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
TEAM CHEVY TESTING RECAP
JUNE 11, 2024

TEAM CHEVY AT INDYCAR HYBRID POWER UNIT TEST RECAP
TEAM PENSKE SHOWED SPEED AND RELIABILITY

• Chevrolet had 10 drivers involved in a full-field test of the soon-to-be debuted INDYCAR Hybrid Power Unit at the famed Milwaukee Mile, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Two teams, Juncos Hollinger Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing, were excused with driver conflicts due to Le Mans
• The four Chevrolet-powered teams and their drivers participated in two sessions that were strictly for the teams to work on car set-up and perfecting the operation of the Hybrid Power Unit – much like any two practice sessions on a race weekend
• Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, set the pace with 188 laps completed, and a fastest lap time of 22.6001 seconds/161.521 mph
• Power’s teammates followed with Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Chevrolet second completing 176 laps with a quick time of 22.7073 seconds/160.759 mph. Scott McLaughlin was third completing 159 laps, turning a 22.742 seconds/160.639 mph in the No. 3 Chevrolet
• The tWO afternoon sessions were directed by INDYCAR to simulate race conditions including starts, restarts, pit stops, caution periods behind the pace car and green flag laps to see how the Hybrid Power Unit performed in the actual race application
• Newgarden was the fastest followed by Power and McLaughlin in the final tally
• In the final session, Newgarden ran 64 flawless laps to lead the simulated race to its conclusion
• A total of 3,563 combined laps were run today
• The INDYCAR Hybrid Power Unit is scheduled to debut at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 5-7, 2024
• Next on the schedule for Team Chevy in the NTT INDYCAR Series will be June 21-23, 2024 at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“For me it was a pretty seamless day. It seemed like an easygoing day for most people.

“The system, certainly from the last time I ran it, it operates pretty seamlessly. Just not having a lot of hiccups with it. We’ve definitely had a lot of miles on it now. It seems to work really well. Pretty robust.

“I think it’s impossible to say we’re not going to have any issues. It’s like any new part, if there’s a new part, there’s always going to be some risk of something still needing to be developed.

“Up to this point, I think we’ve seen the system is fairly robust. It’s ready to drive I think in a race condition. Yeah, I’m excited to see this new chapter for the rest of the year.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“You can feel it. It’s probably going to assist in a passing situation if you have a run on somebody I think it will work. I think it will be situational. I think there is an optimal way to use it in a qualifying sim. You will work out the best time to use it. You are probably only going to get one shot at it because you aren’t lifting that much to regen. (regenerate the unit). Since I tested it here in the fall, the system is reliable and we are able to get running in.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“I would like to see what we, as a series, can really extract out of it, because where we are now, the difference isn’t big enough. I think it is a work in progress. The more we can use what this hybrid system can bring to the series, I think the better it’s going to be. I think right now we are all working within certain limits we can work in. I think it will be different on road and street courses compared to ovals. You can definitely feel it.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

THE MODERATOR: Josef, your thoughts on being back at the Milwaukee Mile today.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s great to be back. This is a great track, one of the best that I’ve been to. Long time. I guess 2015 was the last time we were here. Really fun to be back. Enjoyed running today.

Different than other short ovals like Iowa. There’s no banking to help you. Had to get used to that, the comfort of not falling into something and trusting the car is going to hold. It can be unnerving. For some of the guys that have never run it, it took a while to get used to it. It’s awesome.

Love this place, love this town. Really pumped we’re coming back here.

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on putting the power unit through the paces. Feel pretty good about it so far?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: For me it was a pretty seamless day. It seemed like an easygoing day for most people.

The system, certainly from the last time I ran it, it operates pretty seamlessly. Just not having a lot of hiccups with it. We’ve definitely had a lot of miles on it now. It seems to work really well. Pretty robust.

I think it’s impossible to say we’re not going to have any issues. It’s like any new part, if there’s a new part, there’s always going to be some risk of something still needing to be developed.

Up to this point, I think we’ve seen the system is fairly robust. It’s ready to drive I think in a race condition. Yeah, I’m excited to see this new chapter for the rest of the year.

THE MODERATOR: More questions.

Q. Josef, obviously the last time you guys were here was manufacturer aero kits. Now the universal kit. How different is the less downforce in addition to the deg you anticipated from the tires?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s very different. Last time we were here in 2015, I think we were pretty much flat in qualifying, if not just the tiniest lift. Were we flat, Will, in 2015? This is a bonus question here. The aero kit in ’15. I think we trimmed, yeah. Not flat today (smiling).

We were pretty of flat, to answer your question. Not flat today, not even close. You’re not braking at all in a qual run. In race conditions you’re lifting, then a little bit of brake towards the end of the tire life. It’s a different ballgame. I’d say it’s closer to Iowa as far as the way the tires degrade and the way it’s going to race. I think that’s the closest you can look at.

Q. So between ride heights, push to passes, the hybrid assist, how many different tools are inside the car that you have to figure out how to use while going 200 miles an hour?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s more now. You have push to pass. You have the hybrid unit. You have all the map options. You have roll bars, weight jackers. I think that’s about it. Then your gear selects obviously. That’s not going anywhere.

There’s plenty of options in there. I don’t think we need to add any more. We have enough going on. You could add more. I don’t know that you would need to at this point. There’s definitely enough adjustability to drive the car.

Yeah, this will add to it. As we touched on earlier, it’s just another strategic thing that everyone will learn how to manage.

Q. On an oval, isn’t it limited to the handling of your car? You can’t go to 1300 horsepower if the car isn’t going to handle it through the turns. Does that determine when you use it?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I think it depends on how you set the car up. You’re going to set the car up for how you want to utilize it. If it can’t take it, you’re going to adjust accordingly. Vice versa, maybe you don’t want to adjust accordingly and use it that much. It’s going to factor into the way you run a race weekend, for sure.

Q. We got Laguna next week, week off, Mid-Ohio. How much time are you going to spend studying Mid-Ohio of when to use it, when not to use it?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I mean, we’ve been studying it. It’s not like it’s getting dropped in our lap right now. That’s what I would say. It’s not like we’re scrambling right now to think about Mid-Ohio. If we had to go to Mid-Ohio tomorrow, it would be okay.

We’ve been working on it. We sort of had our initial feelings about it, strategy or plan. We’re going to keep developing that as we get closer to Mid-Ohio, try to hit the ground running a little bit better than everybody.

I don’t think you’re going to find people that are, like, way out to bed with it. I think everyone will be pretty close. You might see some people with maybe a touch of a better advantage with it, maybe a different tactic that’s helping them.

You’re not going to see anybody, like, light-years ahead because they are using it better. It’s pretty simplified in a lot of respects. It’s kind of like the push to pass. It’s a system that you’re going to determine how you want to use it across the lap. Everybody’s going to come up with their own method. I don’t think you’re going to see people way off on a different planet with it.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, everyone.

ABOUT CHEVROLET

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heartbeat, 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