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  • Newgarden to make 200th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Newgarden to make 200th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    With a new season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition underway, Josef Newgarden is primed to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach, California, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, two-time IndyCar champion and driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara-Chevrolet will reach career start No. 200 in the IndyCar circuit. 

    A native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Newgarden’s racing career commenced through karts before ascending through the open-wheel ranks including Skip Barber, Formula Ford, GP3 Series and Indy Lights. He claimed the 2011 title and made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar Series at the start of the 2012 season, where Sarah Fisher Hartman signed him. Driving the No. 67 Honda for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, Newgarden started 19th and finished 11th in his IndyCar debut. He would achieve a front-row starting spot at the Streets of Long Beach and notch a total of five top-15 results and an average-finishing result of 18.2 through 14 starts before settling in 23rd place in the final standings with 200 points.  

    The following two seasons, Newgarden remained at Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and competed in the team’s No. 67 entry in all but one event, where he piloted the No. 21 entry during the 2013 Indianapolis 500. Throughout both seasons, he achieved his maiden podium result in the form of a runner-up finish during the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore at the Streets of Baltimore before notching another runner-up result at Iowa Speedway in 2014. After finishing in 14th place in the final driver’s standings with 348 points, he ended up one spot better, 13th, in 2015 with 406 points. 

    In 2015, Newgarden, who competed in a Chevrolet for CFH Racing following a merged partnership between Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter and finished no higher than seventh during the season’s first three events, captured his maiden IndyCar victory in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park in April after leading a race-high 46 laps. He finished in the top 10 twice during his next five series’ starts before notching his second career victory in the Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place in June. Managing two runner-up results and his maiden pole position at the Milwaukee Mile throughout the final six events on the schedule, Newgarden climbed his way up to seventh place in the final driver’s standings with 431 points. By then, he had racked up four podium results, including two victories, 345 laps led and an average-finishing result of 10.8. 

    The following season, owner Sarah Fisher withdrew from IndyCar and Newgarden’s team was rebranded to Ed Carpenter Racing, with the Tennessee native piloting the No. 21 Chevrolet. Newgarden would achieve a front-row starting spot for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 along with two podiums and six top-10 results through the first nine-scheduled events before notching his first victory of the season at Iowa Speedway in July.

    A month before the victory at Iowa, he was involved in a harrowing accident on Lap 42 when Conor Daly, whom Newgarden was battling with, got loose underneath Newgarden entering Turn 4 and shot back across the track as he sent Newgarden pinned against the wall before the latter rolled upside-down and made another head-on contact into the wall after being pushed by Daly’s car. Amid the wild wreck, Newgarden, who survived the wreck, suffered a broken hand and clavicle, but would not miss any events. Managing a runner-up result at Watkins Glen International and three top-10 results during the final five events on the schedule, Newgarden ended up in fourth place in the final standings with 502 points and an average-finishing result of 9.9. 

    The 2017 season was a breakthrough year for Newgarden, who departed Ed Carpenter Racing and replaced two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya to drive the No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. After commencing the season by finishing eighth at the Streets of St. Peterburg followed by a third-place run at the Streets of Long Beach, Newgarden captured his first victory as a Penske competitor at Barber Motorsports Park in April after leading the final 14 laps. He would then record two runner-up finishes and five top-10 results during his next eight starts before notching a dominant victory at the Streets of Toronto in July.

    After winning for a second consecutive week at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in late July, Newgarden assumed the points lead for the first time in his career. He would retain the points lead following a runner-up result at Pocono Raceway, a dramatic victory at World Wide Technology Raceway in August and an 18th-place finish at Watkins Glen between August and September.

    Then during the season-finale event at Sonoma Raceway, which marked his 100th career start in the IndyCar circuit, Newgarden, who led a race-high 41 laps and came into the event with a four-point lead in the standings, finished in second place behind teammate Simon Pagenaud and clinched his maiden IndyCar Series championship by 13 points over Pagenaud and 21 over four-time champion Scott Dixon. As a result, Newgarden became the first American-born competitor to win an IndyCar title since Ryan Hunter-Reay made the last accomplishment in 2012 and he delivered the 15th IndyCar title for car owner Roger Penske. In addition to winning his first IndyCar championship, Newgarden notched a career-high nine podiums, including his four victories, 390 laps led and a career-best average-finishing result of 6.1. 

    Entering the 2018 season as the reigning champion, Newgarden finished seventh in St. Petersburg before claiming his first victory of the season during the following scheduled event at Phoenix Raceway. Despite winning at Barber Motorsports Park two races later, the Tennessee native would lose the points lead in May and would spend the remainder of the season flirting within the top five in the standings. Ultimately, he would notch his third victory of the season at Road America in June and a total of 13 top-10 results and a career-high four poles throughout the 17-race schedule before settling in fifth place in the final standings with 560 points and an average-finishing result of 7.1. 

    Newgarden commenced the 2019 season by winning the season opener at St. Petersburg, where he led 60 laps before notching two podiums and four top-four results during the following five events. He would then win the first of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature at The Raceway on Belle Isle, Michigan, in June before proceeding to win at Texas the following weekend and at Iowa in July. To go along with a total of seven podiums and 14 top-10 results throughout the 17-race schedule, Newgarden, who led the championship standings in all but one event, secured his second IndyCar championship following an eighth-place finish in the season-finale Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and edging teammate Simon Pagenaud for the title by 25 points. With his championship, Newgarden led 490 laps and achieved an average-finishing result of 5.6. 

    Throughout the 2020 season which was shortened to 14 events amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Newgarden won four races: Iowa Speedway in July, World Wide Technology Raceway in August, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and the season-finale event at St. Petersburg in October. Despite finishing in the top 10 in all but two events, notching a career-high average-finishing result of 5.2, leading 455 laps and never dropping below the top five in the standings, Newgarden fell short of winning his third IndyCar title by 16 points over Scott Dixon, who notched his sixth title. 

    In 2021, which marked his 10th season as an IndyCar competitor, Newgarden commenced the season with a 23rd-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park after being involved in a multi-car wreck on the opening lap. He would rally by finishing in the runner-up spot three times and accumulate six top-10 results during his next eight starts before achieving his first elusive victory of the season at Mid-Ohio in July, where he led all but seven of 80 scheduled laps. Three races later, he would fend off a hard-charging Pato O’Ward to win at World Wide Technology Raceway in August and draw himself into championship contention. Despite finishing no lower than seventh during the final three events on the schedule, Newgarden, who recorded an average-finishing result of 7.3 and six podiums, including his two season victories, ended up in the runner-up spot in the final driver’s standings for a second consecutive season as he fell short of winning the title by 38 points to Alex Palou. 

    Newgarden commenced the 2022 season by rallying from finishing 16th at St. Petersburg to notch back-to-back victories at Texas and the Streets of Long Beach. After finishing no higher than 13th during his next three events, which dropped him from first to fifth in the standings, he rallied by finishing fourth at Belle Isle before scoring his third victory of the season at Road America.

    Despite winning the first Iowa Speedway doubleheader feature in July and at World Wide Technology Raceway in August, Newgarden, who dealt with inconsistent results and no additional podiums outside of his victories throughout the season, managed to climb his way up to the runner-up spot in the standings on the strength of five top-eight results during the final five events on the schedule. Despite finishing in the runner-up spot during the finale at Laguna Seca, he settled in the runner-up spot in the final standings for a third consecutive season and missed the title by 16 points over teammate Will Power amid a year where he won a career-high five races, six podiums, three poles, led 527 laps and ended up with an average-finishing result of 8.2.  

    This past season, Newgarden rallied from finishing 17th at St. Petersburg before prevailing in a late battle against Pato O’Ward to win at Texas in early April. Then four races later, the Tennessee native triumphed for the first time in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after overtaking reigning Indy 500 champion Marcus Ericsson on the final lap amid a one-lap shootout. The Indy 500 victory, which marked Newgarden’s 12th attempt to accomplish the feat, made Newgarden the 75th different competitor to win the event as he became the first American competitor to win the event since Alexander Rossi made the last accomplishment in 2016.

    In addition, Newgarden delivered the 19th Indy 500 victory for Roger Penske. Following the Indy 500 victory, he would win both Iowa doubleheader events in July and rack up seven top-10 results during the final 11 events on the schedule. After finishing 21st during the finale at Laguna Seca, however, Newgarden concluded the season in fifth place in the final standings with 479 points. Overall, he notched four victories, five podiums, a career-high 602 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.5 throughout the 2023 campaign. 

    This season, which marks his 13th season in IndyCar competition, Newgarden is coming off a season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg victory after he led a race-high 92 of 100 laps, which marks his 30th career win and third in St. Pete. Despite finishing in eighth place in the non-points $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club, the Tennessee veteran leads the IndyCar standings by 13 points over Pato O’Ward as he commences his pursuit for both a second Indy 500 victory and a third IndyCar title. 

    Through 199 previous IndyCar starts, Newgarden has achieved two championships, 30 victories, 53 podiums, 18 poles, 4,075 laps led and an average finishing result of 9.6. 

    Josef Newgarden is scheduled to make his 200th NTT INDYCAR Series career start in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, on Sunday, April 21. The event’s broadcast is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. 

  • 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Silly Season Update

    2024 NTT IndyCar Series Silly Season Update

    With less than three months remaining until the commencement of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, a majority of teams and competitors have new or familiar faces or homes set in place while select seats remain within a handle of organizations.

    The most recent name to be scratched off this year’s Silly Season topic is Sting Ray Robb, who will join A.J. Foyt Racing to pilot the No. 41 Dallara-Chevrolet. The news comes three months after the 26-year-old Robb from Boise, Idaho, completed his first campaign in the IndyCar circuit for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, where he ended up in 23rd place and accumulated 147 points.

    Robb, a former champion of the Pro Mazda/Indy Pro 2000 Championship region and a runner-up finisher in the 2022 Indy Lights standings, is the only competitor currently confirmed to be competing for A.J. Foyt Racing for the upcoming season as the rest of the team’s driver lineup remains to be determined.

    Another organization that is left undetermined regarding its driver lineup is Robb’s former team, Dale Coyne Racing. The team fielded two full-time entries for Robb and David Malukas, and a third entry for the Indianapolis 500 piloted by two-time Indy 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. With both Robb and Malukas venturing to new teams and Hunter-Reay not having any racing plans set for the near future, the team’s search to fill its vacant seats continues approaching the 2024 season.

    Despite having plans to field two cars for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May 2024, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing have also yet to determine its two competitors who will be assuming the reigns of both entries. This past season, the team fielded the Nos. 23 and 24 Chevrolets for Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal, respectively, with the latter replacing the injured Stefan Wilson. Having fielded at least one entry in the Indy 500 for 24 consecutive seasons, the team approaches the 2024 season aiming to extend the streak to 25 years with select names still on the market.

    In the midst of a handful of teams who have vacant seats yet to be filled, a majority of organizations (Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Team Penske) have driver lineups for the 2024 season set, with nearly all having new names joining their stable to compete alongside notable veterans, race winners and champions.

    After fielding four full-time entries and a fifth for the Indianapolis 500 this past season while recording a total of two season victories, Andretti Global, which has been rebranded from Andretti Autosport, will shrink to a three-car operation for the upcoming season and for its lineup consisting of Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 champion from Kumla, Sweden, joins Andretti following a four-year campaign at Chip Ganassi Racing, where he had also recorded four career victories, as he will be piloting the No. 28 Dallara-Honda, thus replacing Romain Grosjean, while Herta and Kirkwood, the latter who earned his first two career victories at the Streets of Long Beach and Nashville Street Circuit in 2023, retain driving responsibilities of the Nos. 26 and 27 Hondas, respectively.

    The 2024 season will mark the second consecutive season where Arrow McLaren will field three full-time entries. On this occasion, a new face joins the organization. David Malukas, from Chicago, Illinois, will replace Felix Rosenqvist to pilot the No. 6 Dallara-Chevrolet, as he will compete alongside returning names Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi, both of whom endured winless seasons in 2023 and strive to return the McLaren name to Victory Lane in 2024. In addition, McLaren will field a fourth entry in conjunction with 14-time NASCAR championship-winning team Hendrick Motorsports for the upcoming 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 as the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will attempt to qualify for the event while piloting the No. 17 Dallara-Chevrolet. For his bid, Larson, a native of Elk Grove, California, will also attempt to join the late John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch as competitors to perform “Double Duty” on Memorial Day weekend by competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, thus comprising a total of 1,100 miles of racing.

    Coming off championship No. 15 and winning half of the events in this past season’s IndyCar campaign, Chip Ganassi Racing returns with an expanded lineup that features two new names and a new promotion for one name alongside two championship-winning competitors in a bid to defend the title. Retaining their spots as full-time competitors of the Nos. 10 and 9 Hondas include the reigning two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, respectively, while Marcus Armstrong, the 2023 IndyCar Rookie of the Year from Christchurch, New Zealand, will campaign in his first full-time season with CGR in the No. 11 entry. New to the team are Linus Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy Lights champion from Tyresö, Sweden, who made select IndyCar starts for Meyer Shank Racing this past season and will pilot the No. 8 CGR Honda in 2024, and Kyffin Simpson, the 2023 European Le Mans Series champion in the LMP2 class division from Bridgetown, Barbados.

    Ed Carpenter Racing will feature a new name. Christian Rasmussen will campaign on a part-time basis alongside team owner Ed Carpenter after celebrating a championship in this past season’s Indy NXT season. The 23-year-old Rasmussen from Copenhagen, Denmark, will drive ECR’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet in all 11 road course and street events on the schedule, starting with the season opener at the Streets of St. Petersburg, while Carpenter, an Indianapolis veteran, will campaign in the remaining six oval events that includes the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Rasmussen will also attempt to compete in the Indy 500 in a third ECR entry that remains to be determined. With two competitors, the No. 20 entry will compete alongside the No. 21 entry that returns for returning full-time competitor Rinus VeeKay from Hoofddorp, Netherlands.

    Coming off a strong season to date, Juncos Hollinger Racing, which has entered into a technical alliance with Arrow McLaren, will feature a new face piloting the team’s No. 77 Dallara-Chevrolet as Romain Grosjean replaces Callum Ilott in the entry while Agustin Canapino returns for a second stint with the team. Grosjean, a former Formula One competitor who competes under the French flag, transitions to JHR following a two-year campaign at Andretti Global, where he has registered six podiums and five runner-up results to date. Meanwhile, Canapino, a 33-year-old native from Arrecifes, Argentina, retains driving responsibilities of the No. 78 Chevrolet after ending up in 21st place with 180 points during last season’s championship standings.

    Meyer Shank Racing will feature a new overhaul to its driver lineup for the 2024 campaign with the additions of new full-time competitors Tom Blomqvist and Felix Rosenqvist. Blomqvist, the 2022 IMSA SportsCar champion from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, who made select starts with MSR this past season, joins the team as a first-time IndyCar competitor on a full-time basis in the No. 66 Dallara-Honda while Rosenqvist, a one-time IndyCar race winner from Värnamo, Sweden, joins MSR to drive the No. 60 Honda, replacing veteran Simon Pagenaud, following a five-year campaign competing between Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren, where he has registered a total of six podiums to his IndyCar resume. Returning to the team for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 is Hélio Castroneves, a four-time champion of the Indianapolis 500 who delivered the team’s first IndyCar victory during the 2021 Indy 500 and returns to compete for his record-setting fifth Indy 500 crown in the No. 06 Dallara-Honda.

    Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which achieved a single victory in the Streets of Toronto, Canada, this past season, welcomes Pietro Fittipaldi to its driver lineup as he will be piloting the No. 30 Dallara-Honda on a full-time basis and compete alongside returning names Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard, the latter who achieved his first career victory at Toronto. The 2024 season is set to mark Fittipaldi’s first full-time campaign in the IndyCar circuit after he made a combined nine starts during the 2018 and 2021 seasons. He is a former champion of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and the World Series Formula V8 3.5 division.

    Lastly, Team Penske returns as a three-car stable with the same competitors for a third consecutive season, headlined by returning champions Josef Newgarden and Will Power along with Scott McLaughlin. Newgarden, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion and a two-time IndyCar champion from Hendersonville, Tennessee, retains driving responsibilities of the No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet, where he won four races in 2023, as he competes alongside Will Power, the 2018 Indy 500 champion and another two-time champion from Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, who returns to pilot the No. 12 Chevrolet and strives to return to Victory Lane after going winless in 2023. After recording a single victory and finishing in third place during this past season’s IndyCar campaign, McLaughlin, a three-time Supercars champion from Christchurch, New Zealand, returns to pilot Penske’s No. 3 Chevrolet for a third full-time season. With familiar names retaining their places at Team Penske, the organization strives for both an 18th IndyCar championship and a 20th Indianapolis 500 title for the 2024 season.

    Photo by Simon Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    With nearly the entire grid of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series field set, the season is scheduled to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 10, 2024. The opener’s air broadcast coverage will be provided on NBC while the time start remains to be determined.

  • Rinus VeeKay to make 50th IndyCar career start at Barber Motorsports Park

    Rinus VeeKay to make 50th IndyCar career start at Barber Motorsports Park

    Competing in his fourth full-time season in the NTT IndyCar Series, Rinus VeeKay is set to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park, the driver of the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara-Chevrolet will reach 50 career starts in the IndyCar circuit.

    A native of Hoofddorp, Netherlands, VeeKay, whose racing career started with karting, made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar circuit at the start of the 2020 season when he was signed by Ed Carpenter Racing to replace Spencer Pigot in the No. 21 Dallara-Chevrolet. By then, he had made previous starts in MRF Challenge Formula 2000, USF2000, Pro Mazda Championship, F3 Asian Winter Series and Indy Lights. His top accomplishments included championships during the 2018 Pro Mazda Championship season and the 2019 F3 Asian Winter Series.

    During his maiden IndyCar career start at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2020, VeeKay finished 22nd after being involved in an early incident. He rebounded during the following week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course by finishing fifth before finishing no higher than 13th during the following five events. He then finished no lower than 11th during the next four events before having a breakout run during the first of an IndyCar Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader feature at Indy by claiming his maiden pole and maiden podium with a third-place result. With back-to-back top-20 results to cap off his maiden IndyCar season, VeeKay ended up in 14th place in the final standings and with a career-best average-finishing result of 12.9.

    Remaining at Ed Carpenter Racing for a second full-time season, VeeKay commenced the 2021 campaign with a sixth-place result at Barber Motorsport Park in April followed by a ninth-place result at the Street of St. Petersburg in April. Three races later, he scored his maiden IndyCar career victory in the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in May after beating pole-sitter Romain Grosjean by more than five seconds. Following another three-race stretch, which included an eighth-place result in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May and a strong runner-up result in the first of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature at Belle Isle Street Circuit in June, VeeKay was absent and replaced by Oliver Askew for the following Grand Prix event at Road America after undergoing a surgery to repair a fractured left clavicle that he suffered from a bike incident earlier in the week. Returning at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July, VeeKay finished no higher than 16th during the remaining seven-scheduled events and capped off his sophomore season in 12th place in the final standings.

    In 2022, which marked VeeKay’s third stint in the IndyCar circuit with ECR, he commenced the season with another sixth-place result at the Streets of St. Petersburg followed by a 10th-place run at Texas. At Barber Motorsports Park in May, he led a race-high 57 of 90 laps before being overtaken late by Pato O’Ward and finishing third on the track. With just three additional top-10 results during the remaining 13 events on the schedule, VeeKay capped off his junior season in 12th place in the standings. By then, he had led a career-high 94 laps throughout the season and improved on his average-finishing result from 14.5 to 14.1.

    Through 49 previous starts in the IndyCar Series, VeeKay has achieved one victory, two poles, four podiums, 180 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.1. He is currently ranked in 22nd place in the driver’s standings with an average-finishing result of 19.3 through the first three-scheduled events. His current best on-track result to this season is an 11th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in early April.

    VeeKay is scheduled to make his 50th NTT IndyCar Series career start at Barber Motorsports Park for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, April 30, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Conor Daly to make 100th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Conor Daly to make 100th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Nearly two months after competing in this year’s 65th running of the Daytona 500, Conor Daly is set to achieve a milestone start in his sixth full-time season in the NTT IndyCar Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, the driver of the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara-Chevrolet will make his 100th career start in the IndyCar circuit.

    A second-generation racer from Noblesville, Indiana, Daly, whose racing career started with karts before proceeding to win the 2010 Indy Pro 2000 title, made his IndyCar debut in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he piloted the No. 41 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara-Honda to a 22nd-place result. Two years later, he competed in a total of five IndyCar events between Dale Coyne Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Daly’s deal with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports occurred as he replaced James Hinchcliffe for three events following Hinchcliffe’s harrowing accident during a practice session leading up to the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. During the five-race span, his best on-track result was a sixth-place finish at Belle Isle during a Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit.

    In 2016, Daly joined Dale Coyne Racing on a full-time IndyCar basis. Commencing the season with a 13th-place run at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, the Indiana native notched five top-10 results throughout the 16-race schedule. He also achieved his maiden podium at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park during a Chevrolet Dual in Detroit by finishing second behind Sebastien Bourdais. When the final checkered flag of the 2016 season flew, Daly settled in 18th place in the final driver’s standings with 313 points. Throughout the season, he led a career-high 56 laps and notched an average-finishing result of 14.4, which is his best as a full-time IndyCar competitor.

    The following season, Daly joined A.J. Foyt Enterprises as a full-time IndyCar competitor in the No. 4 Dallara-Chevrolet. He concluded the season in 18th place in the final standings for a second consecutive season on the strength of four top-10 results, a season-best fifth-place finish at Gateway Motorsports Park and 305 points.

    For the 2018 season, Daly, who lose his ride at A.J. Foyt Enterprises, made his first IndyCar start of the season during the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, where he drove the No. 17 Dallara-Honda for Dale Coyne Racing in conjunction with Thom Burns Racing to a 21st-place result. He would then compete in three of the final six scheduled events for Harding Racign, where he notched a season-best 15th at Pocono Raceway.

    The 2019 IndyCar season featured Daly competing for three different organizations, starting with Andretti Autosport for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500. Piloting the No. 25 Andretti Dallara-Honda, he notched his first top-10 career result at his home track by finishing 10th. Three races later, he replaced Max Chilton in the No. 59 Carlin Dallara-Chevrolet for Texas Motor Speedway as he finished 11th. He returned to Carlin for the following three oval events at Iowa Speedway, Pocono and Gateway, where he notched a season-best sixth-place finish at Gateway. Then for the penultimate event of the season at Portland International Raceway, Daly drove the No. 7 Dallara-Honda for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in place of Marcus Ericsson, who was called up by Alfa Romeo to serve on a reserve driver duty for the upcoming Formula One event at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Finishing 21st for the Arrow Schmidt Peterson organization, Daly capped off the 2019 season by competing for Andretti Autosport at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he ended up 22nd.

    For the following two seasons, Daly competed between Ed Carpenter Racing and Carlin. In 2020, he recorded six top-10 results throughout the 14-race schedule and a season-best sixth-place result during the season opener at Texas and a 29th-place run during the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 following a late wreck before finishing in a career-best 17th-place in the final standings with 237 points and an average-finishing result of 14.5. The following season, he led for the first time at his home track, Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, as he led a total of 37 laps before finishing in 13th place while competing for Ed Carpenter Racing. The 13th-place run at Indy would also mark his highest-finishing result in 2021 as he averaged a 16.6 running spot throughout the 16-race schedule before settling in 18th place in the final standings with 235 points. Nonetheless, he accumulated 40 laps led, which marks his second-highest laps led in a season.

    This past season, Daly inked a full-time deal to pilot the No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet for ECR. After finishing no higher than 12th during the first four scheduled events, he notched his first top-five result of the season in the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Two weeks later, he led seven laps during the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 before settling in sixth place in the final running order, which marks his best result during the Indy 500. Daly, however, would proceed to finish no higher than 12th for the remaining 11 events on the schedule before tying his best result in the standings of 17th place and with 267 points.

    Through 99 previous IndyCar starts, Daly has achieved one pole, one podium result, 136 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.5. He is currently ranked in 14th place in the championship standings after finishing no lower than 20th during the first two events on the schedule, with his best result being 14th during the 2023 season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

    Daly is scheduled to make his 100th career start in the NTT IndyCar Series at the Streets of Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Rinus VeeKay inks multi-year extension with Ed Carpenter Racing

    Rinus VeeKay inks multi-year extension with Ed Carpenter Racing

    Ed Carpenter Racing announced that Rinus VeeKay has signed a multi-year contract extension to return as the driver of ECR’s No. 21 Dallara-Chevrolet in the NTT IndyCar Series, beginning in 2023.

    The 21-year-old VeeKay from Hoofddorp, Netherlands, is currently campaigning in his third full-time season in the IndyCar circuit, all with ECR, where he is ranked in 11th place in the drivers’ standings on a strength of a single podium result after finishing third at Barber Motorsports Park from pole position in May and a total of six top-10 results.

    “I am very excited to continue with Ed Carpenter Racing for what will be my fourth year in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” VeeKay said. “Ed Carpenter gave me the opportunity to drive for the team when I came out of Indy Lights and has let me showcase my talents in an Indy car ever since. The continuity at ECR is great. There have barely been any changes in my time here, and it’s very nice to have the same group of people around me all the time. We have been stepping up our game every season, and with the support of Todd Ault and BitNile, we can really move forward as we head into 2023.”

    VeeKay, whose racing career started with karts, made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar circuit at the start of the 2020 season when he was signed by Ed Carpenter Racing to pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet. By then, he was the 2018 champion of the F3 Asian Winter Series, the reigning Pro Mazda champion and runner-up in the 2019 Indy Lights championship standings.

    In his first full-time campaign in the IndyCar Series, VeeKay achieved his maiden podium after finishing third in the first of an IndyCar Harvest GP doubleheader weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in October as he went on to capture the 2020 IndyCar Rookie-of-the-Year title. Five events into the 2021 season, he notched his first IndyCar career victory in the GMR Grand Prix on Indy’s road course in May. To go along with a runner-up result in first of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature on The Raceway at Belle Isle, Michigan, in June, he went on to finish 12th in the final standings, two spots better than 2020 (14th).

    Through 42 previous starts in the IndyCar Series, VeeKay has achieved a single victory, two poles, four podiums, 180 laps led and an average-finishing result of 13.3.

    “I am so happy to be able to extend our relationship with Rinus,” Ed Carpenter, ECR team owner, added. “He is an extremely versatile and talented driver. It has been and remains our hope to build our team to new heights with Rinus helping lead the charge. Our goals and expectations are to win races and to compete for championships. With Rinus’s growth and the support from BitNile and Todd Ault, we are primed for success.”

    With his plans for the future set, VeeKay is set to compete in the upcoming Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Street Circuit on Sunday, August 7, with the event’s coverage scheduled to commence at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Ed Carpenter to compete in all IndyCar oval events in 2022

    Ed Carpenter to compete in all IndyCar oval events in 2022

    The number 3 is the number of the day for racing veteran and team owner Ed Carpenter, who will be piloting the No. 33 Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara-Chevrolet in all oval events in this year’s NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Carpenter, a Butler University graduate who was born in Paris, Illinois, but grew up in Indianapolis, will be making his first IndyCar oval start of the season at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20. He will then return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to qualify for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 scheduled for May 29, which will mark his 19th consecutive appearance in motorsports’ greatest spectacle event, before participating in an Iowa Speedway doubleheader feature on July 23 and 24. He will then cap off his racing tenure at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Group on August 20.

    The team took to social media to reveal Carpenter’s racing plans on March 3 (3/3) at 3:33 p.m. (E.T.) with the date marking Carpenter’s birthday as he turned 40 years of age.

    The 2022 season will mark Carpenter’s 20th consecutive season in IndyCar competition. Since making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in September 2003 through his latest start at World Wide Technology Raceway in August 2021, Carpenter has notched three career victories, four poles, nine podiums and an average-finishing result of 14.3 in 191 career starts. His first IndyCar victory occurred at Kentucky Speedway in October 2011 followed by Auto Club Speedway in September 2012 and at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2014. Three of his four career poles occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 500, with his latest occurring in May 2018 as he went on to finish in second place. His best result in an IndyCar standings is 12th place in 2009.

    Following a full-time IndyCar season in 2013, Carpenter scaled back to compete only on the oval venues from 2014 through the present. This season will mark Carpenter’s first sporting a new number after spending the previous 10 seasons piloting the No. 20 entry.

    Carpenter’s team, Ed Carpenter Racing, currently fields two full-time entries. Conor Daly, who is coming off a 21st-place run at the Streets of St. Petersburg to commence the 2022 IndyCar season, is driving the No. 20 Chevrolet while Rinus VeeKay, who finished sixth at the Streets of St. Petersburg, pilots the No. 21 Chevrolet.

    Carpenter is set to make his first NTT IndyCar Series start of the season at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20 with the event scheduled for coverage at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Conor Daly earns full-time ride with Ed Carpenter Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Conor Daly earns full-time ride with Ed Carpenter Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    After splitting driving responsibilities between two organizations during the previous two seasons, Conor Daly will have Ed Carpenter Racing to call as his sole home for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season as it was announced that Daly will be piloting the No. 20 ECR Dallara-Chevrolet as a full-time competitor for the upcoming season with sponsorship support from BitNile Holdings, Inc.

    Daly, a 30-year-old native from Noblesville, Indiana, and a former Star Mazda champion, is coming off his fourth full-time campaign in the IndyCar Series, where he split driving duties between Ed Carpenter Racing and Carlin. His best on-track result during the 2021 season were back-to-back 11th-place results at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and at World Wide Technology Raceway in August. He also led a race-high 40 laps during the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he finished 13th.

    For the past two seasons, Daly contested on the road and street course events for ECR while competing on the ovals for Carlin except for the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he remained at ECR.

    Daly made his IndyCar debut during the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May 2013, where he drove the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Honda to a 22nd-place result. Through 2021, he has achieved one pole, one podium result and 16 top-10 results. His best result in the IndyCar Series is a runner-up result at The Raceway on Belle Isle during the first of a Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June 2016. He claimed his maiden pole at Iowa Speedway in July 2020 during a doubleheader weekend.

    “Being chosen to represent BitNile is without a doubt one of the most important opportunities of my career,” Daly said. “This is an incredible partnership that we look forward to being able to strengthen and grow as we go after race wins together. To be able to come back to Ed Carpenter Racing for the full season is incredible. I haven’t had the chance to be with one team for the entire year since 2017, so this is something I am very, very thankful for. I have a lot of faith in ECR, and each year we continue to get better together. I couldn’t be more excited to get on track in the BitNile Chevrolet.”

    BitNile Holdings, Inc., which will make its inaugural presence in the IndyCar Series, will serve as a primary sponsor on Daly’s No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multiyear partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing. The company will also serve as an associate sponsor for ECR’s No. 21 Chevrolet driven by Rinus VeeKay, who remains as the team’s second full-time competitor as he is coming off a season where he claimed his maiden IndyCar victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in May.

    “I’ve been a fan of INDYCAR racing for a long time, and we are proud to have the opportunity to team up with Ed Carpenter Racing,” Milton “Todd” Ault III, BitNile Founder and Executive Chairman, said. “It’s a natural fit for BitNile to join an Indiana business like Ed’s as we have a number of investments in the Midwest, including our mining facilities. BitNile operates with a ‘Risk On’ philosophy where risk is an integral element if you want to win. Conor Daly and ECR share that mindset, making us in perfect alignment.”

    “I am extremely proud to welcome BitNile to the ECR family,” Carpenter, who plans to compete in this year’s 106th running of the Indy 500, added. “It is exciting to be able to expand our team’s involvement in the culture of Bitcoin after running the Bitcoin car last May. We will also represent a few other exciting brands within BitNile Holdings as the year progresses, so there is more to come.”

    Daly is scheduled to make his first start as a full-time competitor for Ed Carpenter Racing at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the 2022 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which will occur on February 27 at noon ET on NBC.

  • VeeKay to remain at Ed Carpenter Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    VeeKay to remain at Ed Carpenter Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    With the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season set to conclude, Ed Carpenter Racing confirmed that Rinus VeeKay will be remaining with the organization and as a full-time driver of the No. 21 Dallara-Chevrolet for the 2022 IndyCar season.

    The 21-year-old native from Hoofddorp, Netherlands, is campaigning in his second full-time season in the IndyCar Series. He notched his first career win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in May 2021 after leading 33 of 85 laps and beating pole-sitter Romain Grosjean. Since his first IndyCar win, he achieved another podium result after finishing second in the first of a Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June and four additional top-10 results, including an eighth-place result in the 105th annual running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. Despite being absent for the Road America event in June due to sustaining injuries from a cycling accident, he is currently ranked in 11th place in the standings, trailing the top-10 mark by a single point.

    The 2022 IndyCar Series season will mark VeeKay’s third full-time stint in the series, with the season set to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg in Florida on February 27.

    “I am very excited to have another season with Ed Carpenter Racing,” VeeKay said. “We made so much progress this year. I had my first win in INDYCAR and made many great memories. Next year, we can be better than we’ve ever been. We want to be championship contenders, to go for even better results, more frequent wins and podium finishes. The atmosphere at ECR is perfect for that. It feels like a group of friends who are eager to work hard for strong results. I am excited to continue that in 2022 and not having anything change.”

    “I want to thank Ed Carpenter for giving me the opportunity to drive for another season,” VeeKay added. “Ed was the one that gave me the chance to be able to prove myself in INDYCAR, and I am very grateful to him. Thank you to Tony George, Stuart Reed and the entire team, every single person who makes this possible. I am the one driving, but there is a whole team behind me working day a night to give me a good, reliable car. I also really appreciate the support of ECR’s partners, including SONAX and Direct Supply, for allowing us to work hard, improve and take a big step forward this offseason.”

    Starting his racing career in karting in 2009, VeeKay is a former competitor of the MRF Challenge Formula 2000, the USF2000 and a former champion of the Pro Mazda Championship. He also achieved the 2019 F3 Asian Winter Series title and was the runner-up in the 2019 Indy Lights championship battle, where he won six races while competing with Juncos Racing.

    In 2020, VeeKay made his IndyCar debut when he replaced Spencer Pigot as driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, beginning at Texas Motor Speedway in June. Throughout the 14-race scheduled in 2020, VeeKay earned three top-five results, including his maiden podium result in the first of an Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course doubleheader feature in October after finishing third. After finishing 14th in the final standings, VeeKay was named the 2020 IndyCar Rookie of the Year.

    “I am very happy that Rinus will be back behind the wheel for ECR in 2022,” Ed Carpenter, team owner, said. “Rinus has continued to show that he has the talent and work ethic to be a champion and that’s the goal of our team. We look forward to more success next season.”

    The remainder of Ed Carpenter Racing’s driver lineup for the 2022 IndyCar Series season will be determined at a later date.

  • 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.