Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Andretti Autosport

  • Herta to make 50th IndyCar career start at Texas

    Herta to make 50th IndyCar career start at Texas

    Competing in his fourth full-time season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Colton Herta is within striking distance of a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 26 Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Dallara-Honda will reach career start No. 50 in the IndyCar circuit.

    A native of Valencia, Santa Clarita, California, and the son of former IndyCar and Champ Car competitor Bryan Herta, Colton made his IndyCar debut at Sonoma Raceway in September 2018, which marked the season finale event. By then, he was competing in his second season in Indy Lights for Andretti Steinbrenner Racing and had accumulated six victories and a runner-up result in the championship standings. Driving the No. 88 Harding Racing Dallara-Chevrolet, Herta started 19th and finished 20th, the final car on the lead lap, in his series debut.

    The following season, Herta piloted the No. 88 Dallara-Honda for Harding Steinbrenner Racing on a full-time IndyCar basis. Following an eighth-place result in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, Herta notched his first IndyCar career win in the IndyCar Classic at the Circuit of the Americas in late March. In doing so, he became the youngest winner in IndyCar history at age 18 and 359 days old. Following his maiden IndyCar victory in Austin, Texas, Herta only achieved four additional top-10 results through the next 13 events in the schedule. He managed to conclude the 2019 season on a high note by finishing fourth in the Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway followed by his second IndyCar career victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey County, California, September. Despite settling in seventh place in the final standings, he fell five points short of capturing the Rookie-of-the-Year title over Felix Rosenqvist.

    Remaining as the driver of the No. 88 Dallara-Honda for Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport for the 2020 season, Herta commenced the season with a seventh-place result in the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway in June followed by three consecutive top-five results. Following an up-and-down shortened season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Herta achieved his third IndyCar career victory in the second of a Honda Indy 200 doubleheader feature at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He then achieved a runner-up result in the second of an IndyCar Harvest GP doubleheader feature at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in October before concluding the season in a strong third-place result in the final standings.

    For the 2021 season, Herta took over the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda and entered the season as a title favorite. Despite finishing 22nd following an early crash in the season-opening Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park, he rebounded by notching a dominant victory at the Streets of St. Petersburg, where he led all but three of 100 laps. The majority of the 2021 IndyCar season, however, was a difficult season for Herta, who notched two additional podium results through the following 12 events in the schedule. Following an eighth-place result at Portland in September and with two scheduled races remaining, he was in sixth place in the standings and 129 points behind the eventual champion Alex Palou. Herta, though, managed to conclude the 2021 season on a positive note by going back-to-back in victories: the first at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after leading all but four of 95 scheduled laps and the second at California’s Long Beach Street Circuit, where he held off Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon and the season champion Alex Palou to grab his sixth career win. The victories moved Herta to fifth place in the standings just as the season concluded.

    Through 49 previous IndyCar starts, Herta has achieved six victories, seven poles, nine podiums and an average-finishing result of 10.5. He is coming off a fourth-place result at the Streets of St. Petersburg in February to commence the 2022 IndyCar season.

    Herta is set to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR Series career start at Texas Motor Speedway for the XPEL 375, which will occur on Sunday, March 20, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • DeFrancesco joins Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport for 2022 IndyCar season

    DeFrancesco joins Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport for 2022 IndyCar season

    Following months of speculation, Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport announced that Devlin DeFrancesco will be joining the organization to pilot the No. 29 Dallara-Honda for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season, which will mark his inaugural presence in the series.

    The 21-year-old racer who competes with dual nationality (Canada and Italy) is coming off his first full-time season in Indy Lights with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport, where he earned two podium results, nine top-five results and a sixth-place result in the final standings. He made his inaugural presence in IndyCar during a two-day test session at Sebring Raceway in October, where he gained valuable insights during his run.

    “I am incredibly grateful to Michael [Andretti] and George [Steinbrenner IV] for the belief they have shown in me over the past two seasons moving up the Road to Indy ladder,” DeFrancesco said. “To now take that final step into INDYCAR with two of the world’s biggest names in sports – Andretti and Steinbrenner – is an incredible opportunity that I can’t wait to take full advantage of. I have three very experienced teammates to learn from and that is what makes this opportunity even more exciting. To get to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport and to contest the Indianapolis 500 is a dream come true and I’m so looking forward to getting started.”

    Beginning his racing career with go-karts at age six, DeFrancesco joined forces with HHC Motorsports and competed in the 2015 Ginetta Junior Championship series. He then ascended his way through the racing ladder from the Toyota Racing Series through the F3 European Championship region, where he won the 2017 Spanish F3 Championship.

    Following the 2018 season, where he competed between the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, DeFrancesco competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship series with Trident in 2019. The following season, he graduated to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship series with AndrettiSteinbrenner Autosport, where he earned two victories, six podiums, three poles and a runner-up result in the championship standings. He also captured the Rookie-of-the-Year title before moving up to Indy Lights and now the IndyCar Series.

    “We’re thrilled to keep Devlin in the Andretti Autosport family as he makes his final jump up the Road to Indy ladder into INDYCAR,” Michael Andretti, CEO and Chairman of Andretti Autosport, said. “Devlin has been a great addition to our Indy Lights program and has showed a lot of growth and strength at the recent test days. I think he will continue to grow with INDYCAR, and I’m really glad that we could again partner with George and the Steinbrenner Racing team for the No. 29.”

    “Two years ago, we started a journey with Devlin with the intent to one day take him all the way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and I’m thrilled that day has come,” George Steinbrenner IV, CEO of Steinbrenner Racing, added. “From Indy Pro 2000 to Indy Lights and now to INDYCAR, he really impressed with his two initial days in an Indy car and we’re excited to see him in action in 2022.”

    The addition of DeFrancesco completes Andretti Autosport’s full-time roster for the 2022 IndyCar season, where he will be a teammate to Romain Grosjean, Colton Herta and Alexander Rossi. DeFrancesco will also be replacing veteran James Hinchcliffe, who piloted Andretti’s No. 29 Honda to a podium result in the inaugural IndyCar event at Nashville Street Circuit and a 20th-place result in the final standings. The Canadian veteran has yet to announce plans for the upcoming season.

    DeFrancesco is scheduled to make his NTT IndyCar Series debut for the 2022 season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 27.

  • Grosjean joins Andretti Autosport for 2022 IndyCar season

    Grosjean joins Andretti Autosport for 2022 IndyCar season

    Andretti Autosport announced that Romain Grosjean will be joining the organization to pilot the No. 28 Dallara-Honda sponsored by DHL on a full-time basis for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Grosjean, a 35-year-old Swiss-born French competitor, is currently campaigning on a part-time IndyCar basis for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing. The 2021 season also marks his first season competing in the series.

    Before transitioning to IndyCar, Grosjean spent nine full-time seasons in Formula One, where he achieved 10 podium results in 179 career starts and competed between two organizations (Lotus and Haas). Grosjean is also a former champion across multiple motorsports’ regions, including the GP2 Series in 2011, the Auto GP in 2010, the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2007 and the French Formula Renault in 2005. He has also achieved two GP2 Asia Series titles (2008 and 2011).

    The 2022 season will mark Grosjean’s first full-time effort in the IndyCar Series, which will include the 106th annual running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 29. In addition, DHL, a partner of Andretti Autosport since 2011, will be remaining with the organization to support Grosjean’s effort as a key primary sponsor in the series. The upcoming IndyCar season is scheduled to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg in Florida on February 27.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Romain to the Andretti Autosport family,” Michael Andretti, CEO and chairman of Andretti Autosport, said. “He already had an impressive resume before coming to INDYCAR and watching what he’s been able to do in his rookie season here has been exciting, to say the least. His vast motorsport experience will be beneficial to the team alongside our already strong 2022 driver lineup. We also couldn’t be more excited to continue our strong partnership with DHL. The DHL sponsorship is one of the longest and most successful in the paddock, and we look forward to continued success on and off the track.”

    “We couldn’t be happier to continue our successful partnership with Andretti Autosport, which has provided us with one of our most powerful avenues for connecting people to our global brand,” Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas, added. “The legendary Andretti organization is run by a winning team whose members we have long considered part of our DHL family, and now we are excited to also welcome their newest driver, Romain Grosjean, to our family. We are thrilled to have such a highly regarded international competitor taking the wheel to represent DHL, and we look forward to a fruitful partnership with Romain and the entire Andretti team, both on and off the track.”

    In his first season in IndyCar competition, Grosjean has achieved three podium results, including two runner-up results at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (May and August) and a third-place result at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the series’ recent event. He also achieved his maiden pole position at the Indy Road Course in May. Having competed in 12 of 15 scheduled events thus far, Grosjean is scheduled to compete in this weekend’s IndyCar season finale in Long Beach, California.

    “I’m delighted to be joining Andretti Autosport and driving the No. 28 DHL Honda for next season,” Grosjean said. “It’s a big honor to be joining such a great team as Andretti; anyone in the motorsport world knows the name Andretti. I’m super happy and proud to be racing with the team. I’m also very proud to be representing with DHL. I’ve known the DHL color on racing cars for a very long time. I couldn’t be more proud to represent such a great company in INDYCAR. I’m hoping that we are going to be very successful together, which is our aim on every side. I would like also to thank Dale Coyne Racing for giving me the opportunity to join INDYCAR. I’ve enjoyed the racing so much and it’s given me the change today to be racing with one of the most competitive and best teams in the world.”

    Grosjean’s entrance to Andretti Autosport means that he will be replacing Ryan Hunter-Reay, a veteran and former champion of the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series. Grosjean will also be a teammate to Colton Herta and Alexander Rossi, both of whom will remain at Andretti for 2022.

  • How FIA’s Formula E is fast becoming a new international commodity

    How FIA’s Formula E is fast becoming a new international commodity

    How can someone address why ABB Formula E racing has become one of racing’s hottest commodities on an international level? Granted, the star power of someone like Lewis Hamilton or Bubba Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Sebastian Vettel is noticeably absent. Instead, drivers such as former NASCAR standout Nelson Piquet Jr. have hoisted the championship trophy while drivers such as Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Massa are regulars on the grid. OEMs aren’t an issue in the paddock; Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW all have entries on the grid along with Jaguar, Nissan, and Audi.

    There are some familiar names associated with the sport. Former IndyCar organization Dragon Racing become one of the founding Formula E teams in 2014 and was renamed GEOX Dragon, while fellow IndyCar group Andretti Autosport has also branched into the series with BMW i Andretti Motorsport. Other organizations include Indian conglomerate holding company Mahindra and Chinese manufacturer NIO.

    Some of the appeal of the all-electric racing division goes into the international aspect. Races are held all over the world, with events in places such as New York City, Marrakesh, Saudi Arabia, and Berlin. But what makes the events draw such big numbers for a relatively young form of racing is its fan appeal. The events are curated around fan participation, with fans participating in such initiatives as Fanboost, where fans vote for which drivers to receive a brief boost of power during the race. This is akin to the “Attack Mode,” where drivers access a predetermined strip of the racetrack; accessing this during the race will also bring them a brief boost of power. That’s like playing a racing video game like MarioKart or GTA Online and achieving a boost on a portion of the race track, although the power is actually doled out from race control.

    But it’s in this electric aspect that the whole field seems to be equal in competition, making the race more about the driver than the car. That’s not to say what’s going on with the car isn’t awesome (although it’s sad to see that the teams won’t switch entire cars on pit stops like they used to). But the Formula E division has become a playground for drivers of all disciplines, and it’s been entertaining to see which drivers would succeed. All of this is considering the monotony of some of the other racing divisions with FIA in their title (looking at Hamilton’s F1 dominance, here).

    Rather, the cars are evenly matched up in making it as close of a race as possible. For that matter, most events are held on street courses which keep the competition tight; winning the race by several second or several laps is unlikely. Formula E’s product has become the sort of thing other FIA divisions wish they could be, to put it bluntly: Fan-friendly and highly competitive.

    Formula E exploits one of the greatest things about motorsports: Science. The science that goes into a competitive race team in any discipline is something to behold, yet in Formula E it’s actually part of the team’s mission. This is what goes into the car. And this. And this. This too.

    For that matter, Formula E also disproves some of the notions that some hold regarding what makes motorsports appealing. The cars aren’t loud but sound like slot cars on a track. They’re slower than a stock car, an IndyCar race car, or even an F1 car. The events aren’t endurance events, clocking at 45 minutes plus a lap. Then there’s the matter of prestige, as Formula E’s first season was 2014. There hasn’t been enough time for an event to build up a history like you’d find at Indy, Daytona, or Monaco.

    Still, the series has been growing and establishing itself as a gift for the fans. The base is growing in both fans and supporters, and that makes a huge difference in the success of Formula E. If the product has a say in anything, however, then it looks like the FIA has found the formula it needs to make Formula E a heavy hitter in the racing world.

  • NASCAR, IndyCar Communities Team Up For #CooperStrong

    NASCAR, IndyCar Communities Team Up For #CooperStrong

    What started as a text message from JD Motorsports team owner Johnny Davis to team employee Alex Tauras has now become a hero card drive extending across the motorsports world, centered around an eight-year-old fan with a terminal illness.

    Cooper, a young race fan from Oklahoma, is currently battling Stage 3 Anaplastic Ependymoma, which is a tumor that forms when cells in the central nervous system (including the brain and spinal cord) begin to multiply rapidly. An ependymoma is anaplastic if the cells grow very quickly and are significantly unusual in shape.

    Cooper had let it be known that he’d like some hero cards of some race car drivers, and Tauras, who runs the JD Motorsports social media pages, spread the word through the team’s social media accounts including the team’s official Reddit account, where he then posted to the r/NASCAR community. From there, the drive took off as several fans began sending in not only hero cards, both signed and unsigned, but diecasts and T-shirts as well.

    “I figured that if Cooper liked racing and just wanted hero cards, I’m sure other people would join in and send us some of their duplicates,” said Tauras. “Little did I know, that would quickly blow up. From the time I created the post, even till now, I’m getting messages from NASCAR fans all over the United States asking what they can send him. To be honest, I really had no real intention on doing something like this, but it’s funny how God puts you in places and situations.”

    “As of right now, I think we’re somewhere in the high 30s for diecasts of all sizes, maybe a few hundred hero cards, and one guy is sending us about 1,200 trading cards along with a variety of stuff.”

    One r/NASCAR community member, user /u/GarageguyEve, cross-posted the drive over to the Reddit INDYCAR community, r/INDYCAR, where several fans from that community have also teamed together to send young Cooper some more racing swag. Among those from the community Andretti Autosport, who saw the post on the INDYCAR Reddit, has been in contact with JD Motorsports to help send more to Cooper.

    Texas Motor Speedway and some members from Hendrick Motorsports are also reaching out and sending packages to Cooper, but the icing on the cake may happen on November 7, as Cooper has been invited to be a guest of JD Motorsports for the November race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

    JD Motorsports issued a thank you to the fans through their Reddit account, stating that the drive was “not only a testament to what the NASCAR/Motorsports community is capable of, but it’s a testament to the kindness, compassion, and resolve that our community has.”

    According to Tauras, room is running out with the number of items they are receiving for the drive, so the team plans to send the items out this week so it can arrive early enough and fall into place accordingly as Cooper is currently recovering at home.

     

  • Rossi’s Sophomore Season Shows Leaps in Maturity, Experience

    Rossi’s Sophomore Season Shows Leaps in Maturity, Experience

    As a rookie, Alexander Rossi’s 2016 season wouldn’t classify as “memorable.” Granted, there was the surprise win in the Indianapolis 500 in May (a fuel-mileage win, but a win nonetheless), but otherwise, his rookie season with Andretti-Honda Autosport in the Verizon IndyCar Series typified an average rookie campaign: Consistent, but middle of the road. He finished all but one race (a crash DNF at Pocono), got as high as fifth in the points, and only finished off the lead lap in five of the 16 races. However, Indianapolis was his only podium finish and he placed 11th in the final points.

    In 2017, though, Rossi was the perfect example of how a sophomore should perform, scoring a win from the pole in the penultimate race at Watkins Glen and three podium finishes to finish seventh in the final season tally. Although he faced three DNFs during the season, he made up for it with several aggressive runs including a fifth in the first Belle Isle race, a third at Pocono, and a second-place run at Toronto. His average finish in 2017 improved from 11.8 to 9.5 at season’s end.

    Alexander Rossi in Victory Circle after winning the INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen — Photo by Chris Owens/IndyCar

    It may seem like an average improvement, nothing too noteworthy at first, but at the same time Rossi is one of the most analytical drivers out there and it is a safe bet he’ll continue to improve with age. For example, while Rossi’s strong points are the road courses, he still needs work on his oval runs. But his oval results in 2017 were improved, with three finishes in the top-10 including his third at Pocono. Still, he improved at almost every event and considering he’s this early into his career, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t continue to improve especially considering the top-notch equipment he pilots.

    With the championship pedigree that Andretti-Honda Autosport possesses Rossi in the best position he could be in his young career. He’s a proven, multiple-time winner with a championship organization that happens to be the flagship Honda organization in the sport. He’s constantly learning and utilizing that knowledge into results. He has the potential to become the new face of AHA, and in time could be the perfect foil to Josef Newgarden over at Team Penske. Of course, that may seem lofty but at the same time, Rossi’s star is rising much in the way Ryan Blaney’s is in NASCAR; slowly, surely, and noticeably.

    Rossi’s 2017 season is the perfect indicator of how a race driver is supposed to perform at the beginning of their career. Their rookie year is all about learning and earning the respect of their peers, and Rossi has proven to be a clean competitor. As previously mentioned, he’s able to analyze his performance and use that knowledge to improve himself as a driver. Soon, he’ll be at the next plane of his career: Championship contender.

  • The Final Word – A day of three iconic races, and the return of an iconic 3 to Victory Lane

    The Final Word – A day of three iconic races, and the return of an iconic 3 to Victory Lane

    One day, three iconic events for racing fans. All you needed was a fine alarm clock or, better still, a fine recording device.

    It all began early Sunday morning along the coast of Monte Carlo and the Monaco Grand Prix. I am not a big fan of driving fast and little passing, but Monaco is a different breed. Fabulous architecture and big expensive craft that fill the marina are the background for a street race that has the competitors driving just a bit above the recommended speed limit for you and me. Simply put, they go fast on a road not built to go fast, be it alone or among 20 other speed demons.

    You get the idea that concentration might be a real attribute. Gazing at a beautiful building or Leo DiCaprio trying to save the planet on one of those monstrous sized yachts might not be helpful in winning. Sebastian Vettel won it for Ferrari this weekend, and was happy about it. Teammate Kimi Räikkönen was second and he did not appear happy at all. When you start on the pole, you expect to win, but his day went to the pits in the pits. As for Lewis Hamilton, he started 12th and finished seventh. Did I not mention that passing was at a premium?

    From the land of champagne the day took us next to the land of milk and the Indianapolis 500. Indy was built for speed, though I am not sure they had these kind of speeds in mind back in 1909 when they opened the facility. Fernando Alonzo has a win at Monaco, along with 31 other Formula One victories and a pair of championships. On Sunday, he was an Indianapolis rookie. While Alonzo and Andretti teammate, last year’s winner Alexander Rossi, swapped the lead between them, pole winner Scott Dixon made it just past the quarter mark when he went to pieces. Jay Howard bounced off the wall right into Dixon’s path, and the ride he went on would make most of us truly appreciate the soft safe confines of our sofa. Then, he stepped out of the wreckage and walked away. Amazing.

    It was riveting action from the Midwest. It was a great day for Andretti’s boys, at least for a time. A pit problem cost Rossi and sent him back in the pack to stay. A blown engine removed Ryan Hunter-Reay from the equation. Near the end, it was Alonzo’s turn to clear away the mosquitoes. That left only Takuma Sato from the Andretti stable in contention, but that was all they needed. Sato beat out three-time champ Hélio Castroneves to give Andretti Autosport its second straight, third in four years, and fifth overall Indianapolis 500 victory. Sato becomes the first Japanese driver to win the classic in a race that was must-see television from start to finish.

    Then it was time to move on to NASCAR’s endurance test, Charlotte’s World 600. Not that everyone was busy all night, as an Earnhardt changed the course of this one. The Intimidator’s grandson, Jeffrey, blew up, tossing a large metal part onto the track. That collected Chase Elliott, who caught fire and slowed down to nothing. That was enough to cause Brad Keselowski to skid in at high speed to pile drive Elliott, and with that, we had three less cars to worry about. We did not have to worry about the weather, we were told. A storm was going to pass to the north of the track. They must have moved the track, because it poured during that second stage and put a red flag to proceedings for 100 minutes. It rained hard. It rained long. For a moment, I thought the action had returned to Europe for the Venetian gondola races. Honestly, if you had been thinking about mowing the lawn, you were in luck. You had the time to do so.

    Happily, the clouds parted and the track dried. Not so happily, Trevor Bayne broke an axle leaving the pits, that cost him five laps. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne had a rear end failure, tagging the wall to end his day. As for Kyle Larson, he tagged the wall which moved things in his right front. It later gave up the ghost, went into the pearly outside fence, and his car was bound for automotive heaven. All this, and still 150 miles to go.

    As they counted down the final laps, it was fuel strategy versus performance. Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon looked to win it on stretching their petrol. Martin Truex Jr., who had been the best car on the night, along with Kyle Busch, were hoping their better entries would equate into victory. With 20 miles left, we still did not know how this would play out.

    With three miles to go, Johnson ran dry. Dillon had the lead. Busch got by Truex but on this day time ran out before the fuel did. Dillon took his grandfather’s team to Victory Lane. For Richard Childress, it marked the first win for his grandson. It also marked the first for the No. 3 since his friend, Dale Earnhardt, won for him at Talladega back on October 15, 2000.

    A great day for auto racing. A great way to end it.

  • Marco Andretti ‘In A Good Place’

    Marco Andretti ‘In A Good Place’

    Marco Andretti, driver of the No. 27 Snapple Honda for Andretti Autosport, is not only racing on his home track in Pocono this weekend, but he is also feeling ‘in a good place’ in his eleventh year in IndyCar.

    “I feel like I’m just coming into my own as a driver,” Andretti said. “I think it took a little too long, but I feel I’m in a good place.”

    “I feel like we can compete anywhere we roll off,” Andretti continued. “That’s a good feeling.”

    While Andretti feels he can compete anywhere, he is definitely looking forward to competing at the track where his family has so much history. In fact, his grandfather Mario has won at Pocono, his father Michael has finished third, and all three generations, including Marco, have sat on the Pocono Raceway pole.

    “If this track was anywhere in the world, I would love to race here,” Andretti said. “I honestly think it’s made for these race cars.”

    “It’s such a challenge, it’s so fun, and it presents good racing. And selfishly I can stay in my own bed.”

    Andretti has had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Pocono, having had two starts, one from the pole, but only has a ninth place best finish to show for it. He can, however, make some history at the track if he completes 200 laps at Pocono and then the final 85 laps of the season at Sonoma.

    If that occurs, Andretti would have completed 2,232 laps, joining competitor Tony Kanaan in the history books with his 3,305 laps completed.

    Andretti may be in a good place but he will also be facing some challenges at a race track that is definitely unique, as well as tricky to boot. And this weekend, the race will pose an even bigger challenge with the introduction of the new aero kit that occurred for the 2015 season.

    “I think it’s unknown because of how unique this place is,” Andretti said of the new aero package at Pocono.  “We’re pretty similar to Indianapolis, I guess you could say, with just the configuration of the car, except for the rear wing, I believe.”

    “Every track we’ve gone to this year has seemed to present a unique challenge.  It’s different all the time.  You can’t just roll off with previous setups and be successful.”

    “We’ve been really working at it, just trying to stay with it.”

    While comfortable at present, Andretti also has had some manufacturer changes to face when it comes to racing at his home track. In 2013, he ran with Chevy as his manufacturer and then last season ran with Honda as he is now.

    “Quite honestly, I think Honda definitely had the better fuel mileage in 2013. But that was with the single turbo,” Andretti said. “As soon as they went to the double, I think Chevy definitely caught up in that respect.”

    “But 2013 was too good to be true for a while,” Andretti continued. “We got a little mixed up with strategy. I don’t remember exactly the scenario. We led a ton of laps (88). The car was so good.”

    “Then last year was my fault,” Andretti said. “I had a pit-lane violation. Even with one short yellow, we were able to keep it in the top-10 or come back to the top-10.”

    “We had a decent car.”

    Andretti is also feeling in a good place as far as his No. 27 team, including racing under the watchful eye of his father.

    “Quite honestly, it’s been really good,” Andretti said. “I wouldn’t change anything on the 27 stand.   Dad is extremely good at calling races.   Dad and I, we’ve been getting along great.”

    “I think we’ve been stronger. We let a few go, but I’m really happy with the 27 team in general across the board.”

    “I don’t really know anything otherwise.  We’ve just been making this deal work.”

    Although Andretti acknowledged being in a good place behind the wheel of his IndyCar ride, he also thought that he might just consider a Formula One opportunity if offered.

    “It depends on a lot of the logistics, for sure,” Andretti said. “I mean, Formula One is still the cream of the crop for me.”

    “Having said that, it would be tough to leave because I am just coming into my own as a driver. Formula One would be like starting all over. The expectations wouldn’t be high maybe with that team. If you can go beat your teammate over there, that’s what people look at.”

    “Yeah, I would definitely take a strong look at it. But my heart right now lies over here. Those cars are definitely fun, but this is what I’ve grown up doing.”

    And just as he said for now, Andretti is in a good place and focused on getting the best finish that he can at Pocono, especially since he technically is not yet out of contention for the championship.  Andretti currently sits in the seventh spot in the standings.

    “It takes me staying out of trouble,” Andretti said. “You know, this is definitely one race that counts, especially this year.”

    “If I have any hope for the title, it’s a must win for me. Even with a win, I need some misfortunes of a few other drivers.”

    “Maybe some of the guys at the front, they’re going to be conservative, I just have to worry about me and try to maximize what we can do.  The rest will hopefully take care of itself.”

    “But we have to win this one for sure.”

     

  • IndyCar: Chevrolet Teams Change Engines For Long Beach, Incur Penalty

    IndyCar: Chevrolet Teams Change Engines For Long Beach, Incur Penalty

    [media-credit name=”INDYCAR/LAT USA” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Following the tear down and inspection of an engine, the majority of the Chevrolet team changed their motors on April 12th.

    “We are still learning the limitations of the new engine controls calibration,” Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing’s IZOD IndyCar Series program manager, says. “Through our testing in Sonoma, as indicated by an engine issue, we uncovered a problem that we believe could affect all engines. So, as a result, we feel it is prudent to change all engines prior to the start of the on-track activities this weekend.”

    As a result, the following drivers are effected by the decision:  Penske Racing’s three-some (Helio Castroneves, Will Power and Ryan Briscoe), Andretti Autosports’ three-some (Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti), KV Racing Technology’s threesome (Rubens Barrichello, Tony Kanaan and E.J. Viso), Ed Carpenter, and Panther’s Racing JR Hildebrand.

    As per the IndyCar rulebook, each driver will be given a 10-grid position penalty prior to the start of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The event is set to take on April 15th on the 1.986-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit.

    “We intently discussed the situation with our partners and our teams prior to determining that this was the best course of action to preserve the integrity of the racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series,” Berube continues.

    The engine inspected was that of Hinchcliffe’s No. 27 GoDaddy.com car of Andretti Autosport after it had an issue during a test on April 9th at Infineon Raceway.

    “I was already penalized the 10 spots before the decision to change out all Chevy engines,” Hinchcliffe says. “It’s a bummer, but now at least I’m not alone. There will now be some good racing happening mid-pack. The engine mileage rule is a tremendous engineering challenge and ultimately helps improve technology for the automotive industry.”

    Teams are allowed to change engines if they have reached a minimum of 1,850 miles. However, if they choose to change them before, they are subject to penalty on rules 15.3.1 and 15.6.1.1.

    Hinchcliffe says he’s proud to wear the bowtie (Chevrolet’s logo).

    “It would be easy to complain about how harsh (the penalty) is, but I think the attitude of everyone on the Go Daddy crew is that when the going gets tough, it’s time to nut up, buckle down and push hard for the best result possible,” he adds.

    Team owner and driver Carpenter says it’s going to make things interesting heading into this weekend.

    “It’s obviously not ideal, but we’re all playing by the same rules,” he says. “It’s the safest choice and, even though we’re starting at a disadvantage from the get-go, it’s better than potentially having an issue later on. It’s a learning process for all of us, and it’s not a decision they made lightly.”

    Despite the issues, Chevrolet has had success this year as they have recorded two wins and two poles in the first two races with Castroneves and Power scoring one each. Castroneves leads the points, two points over Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who is running a Honda powerplant.

    Along with the issues for Chevrolet, the No. 7 Lotus Dragon Racing car driven by Sebastien Bourdais will also suffer the same penalty due to engine change.

  • IZOD IndyCar Series Tests New Chassis at Indianapolis

    IZOD IndyCar Series Tests New Chassis at Indianapolis

    On April 4, nine IZOD IndyCar Series drivers took to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to test the new chassis and perfect it for the Indianapolis 500 in May.

    Topping the charts was Andretti Autosport driver Marco Andretti with a time of 41.1664 seconds.

    “On our own, it’s pretty similar (to the old car),” Andretti says. “But I think in traffic right now, their creating a lot turbulence and you lose a lot of grip so we’re trying to make that better.”

    Kanaan would end up second on the charts, 0.04 seconds behind Andretti. Kanaan had tested the previous version of the new car last year at Indianapolis and Auto Club Speedway, however says this test was much better.

    “It was more balanced than it was last year,” Kanaan says. “We worked on it, we talked about it. Some people criticized (the car) at the end of last year, but it’s a new car and we have to figure it out. Dallara did a great job, along with (IndyCar vice president of technology) Will Phillips and the people at IndyCar. It’s going in the right direction.”

    Kanaan added that he went out of the pits flat right away, saying the aero kits are much better.

    Teams can change the aero kits, but must utilize the new rear-wheel guards. These are both safety and they promote more downforce while creating less drag.

    Beyond that, they could experiment with the rear-wing mainplane angle, underwing stakes and sidewall extentions and the wickers on the front- and rear-wing mainplanes.

    “The configuration we have now is the one we intend to come back with in May,” Phillips says. “We need to look at what comes out of today and see if anything further needs to be changed. We’ll get some feedback from teams and drivers (regarding) what the car is like in traffic and what it’s like on their own.”

    Kanaan and Andretti joined fellow Chevrolet powered drivers Ed Carpenter, JR Hildebrand and Helio Castroneves. Driving cars powered by Honda were Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato, Mike Conway and Justin Wilson. The group recorded a total of 495 laps on the day.

    Helio Castroneves says the test was important for his team to continue to learn the car.

    “Like anything else you have to develop it, and right now that’s what we’re doing,” the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion says. “Every time we are at this place it’s extremely important because you find out what to do and what not to do.”

    The final package that has been put together by Dallara for teams to work with was tested in both scale model and full size testing in the wind tunnel in an effort with IndyCar and Dallara. They put the package together based on the testing done by Kanaan and Dario Franchitti.

    Now it’s about perfecting that package to be the team to come out on top in May.

    “Springs, ride heights … just trying to get the aero to the right attitude of these corners,” Wilson says. “It’s just a steep learning curve the first time out on the track. Once you’re behind the wheel, it feels similar to the old car through the corners.”