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  • Dreyer & Reinbold Racing unveils driver lineup for 2022 Indy 500

    Dreyer & Reinbold Racing unveils driver lineup for 2022 Indy 500

    Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will be fielding two NTT IndyCar Series entries in the 106th annual running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scheduled for May 29, 2022, with Sage Karam set to return to the organization and being a teammate to newcomer Santino Ferrucci.

    Karam will be retaining driving responsibilities of the No. 24 Dallara-Chevrolet while Ferrucci will be piloting the No. 23 Dallara-Chevrolet for the team.

    Karam, a 26-year-old native from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the 2013 Indy Lights champion, is coming off a seventh-place result in the 2021 Indianapolis 500, which marked his career-best result in his eighth start in the 500, seventh with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

    Karam, whose racing career started with karting and includes the U.S. F200 National Championship, the Star Mazda Championship, Indy Lights and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, made his IndyCar debut in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold, where he finished in ninth place. After campaigning on a part-time basis with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2015, where he earned his first podium after finishing in third place at Iowa Speedway in July, he spent the next four seasons making one IndyCar start in the Indy 500 and in Dreyer & Reinbold’s No. 24 Chevrolet. During the 2019 season, he made two starts for Carlin. He then campaigned in four IndyCar events with Dreyer & Reinbold in 2020, all occurring at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    Through 2021, Karam has made 24 career starts in the IndyCar circuit.

    In addition to the Indy 500, Karam spent the 2021 season competing for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in Nitro Rallycross and for Jordan Anderson Racing in four NASCAR Xfinity Series events and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. In Nitro Rallycross, he achieved five victories and a runner-up result in the final standings, In NASCAR, he notched a season-best 16th-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in September in the Xfinity circuit and a 32nd-place result at Martinsville Speedway in October in his lone Truck start.

    “Doing more ovals in NASCAR this year has helped mentally prepare more to stay focused for the longer races,” Karam said. “The potential to improve in that area is there. We just need to nail down a few things. We are coming off of a high from last year, and the goal is to be even better in the 2022 Indy 500.”

    Ferrucci, a 23-year-old native from Woodbury, Connecticut, is coming off a part-time IndyCar campaign with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, where he competed in five events and achieved a season-best result of sixth place twice (Indy 500 in May and Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Race No. 1 at The Raceway on Belle Isle in June). The sixth-place result at Indy marked his third consecutive top-10 result in three career starts in the 500.

    Ferrucci, whose racing career also started with karting and includes the Formula 3 European Championship, GP3 Series and Formula 2 Championship, made his inaugural presence in IndyCar during the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June for Dale Coyne Racing, where he finished 22nd and 20th. He then campaigned on a full-time IndyCar basis for Dale Coyne Racing in 2019, where he finished a season-best fourth place three times on the track, achieved the Indy 500 Rookie-of-the-Year title after finishing seventh in May and concluded the season in 13th place in the final standings. In 2020, Ferrucci finished in fourth place in the 2020 Indy 500 and settled in 13th place in the final standings for a second consecutive season.

    Through 2021, Ferrucci has made 40 career starts in the IndyCar circuit.

    In addition to IndyCar, Ferrucci campaigned on a part-time basis in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season for Sam Hunt Racing, where he achieved four top-15 results, including a season-best 13th-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, in seven starts.

    “I am super thrilled to join DRR,” Ferrucci said. “Nothing is better than being a part of a team that has such a high work ethic. The team’s attention to detail is comparable to top teams in the series. In my last two ‘500’ races, we’ve been in the hunt to win, and I think I have grown a lot as a driver to understand that patience is needed to win. DRR has a great car and proved it last year with a seventh-place finish.”

    Since making their inaugural presence in the IndyCar Series as a two-car team in 2000, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing have fielded a total of 43 cars through 23 consecutive Indy 500s. Robbie Bhul recorded the team’s first and only IndyCar victory to date at Walt Disney World Speedway in January 2000. The team’s last full-time season to date was in 2012 when Oriol Servia drove the No. 22 car to four top-five results, including a fourth-place result in the Indy 500 and a 13th-place result in the final standings. Since the early stages of the 2013 season, the team scaled down to field a single car entry only in the Indy 500 on an annual basis.

    From 2018 to 2020, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing fielded two cars in the Indy 500 for Karam and J.R. Hildebrand before returning as a single-car team for Karam in this year’s Indy 500.

    “Our team is eager to get back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Dennis Reinbold, team owner of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, said. “We believe the talent of these drivers will be important in helping the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’ We, at DRR, have been improving our Indy 500 program with the singular goal of winning the race. Sage and Santino have exceptional talent and are key components for us to achieve the goal.”

    Ferrucci and Karam are set to compete for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 29, 2022, which will mark the sixth event of the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

  • Takuma Sato joins Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Takuma Sato joins Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing announced that Takuma Sato will be joining the organization as a full-time driver of the team’s No. 51 Dallara-Honda for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Sato, a 44-year-old native from Tokyo, Japan, is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 with six victories, 14 podiums, 10 poles and 902 laps led in 198 career starts (12 seasons) in the IndyCar circuit. He is coming off four full-time seasons with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, where he achieved his second Indy 500 victory in 2020 along with four victories, one pole, eight podiums and a career-best seventh-place result in the final standings in 2020. His first Indy 500 victory occurred in 2017 when he competed for Andretti Autosport and became the first Japanese competitor to win the 500.

    “I am extremely excited that we were able to work out a deal with Dale, Rick and everyone at Dale Coyne Racing,” Sato said. “With Honda an integral part of Dale Coyne Racing, it seemed like a great fit. The team has proven year after year that they are very competitive on all types of circuits. Particularly the speed that team has shown in recent years at the Indy 500 were very impressive. I am really looking forward to working with my new environment and can’t wait to get started.”

    Sato replaces Romain Grosjean and Pietro Fittipaldi, both of whom shared the No. 51 Honda throughout the 16-race schedule in 2021. Grosjean is set to compete as a full-time IndyCar competitor for Andretti Autosport while Fittipaldi will remain as a test and reserve competitor for Uralkali Haas F1 Team for the upcoming season.

    Prior to making his inaugural presence in IndyCar competition in 2010 with KV Racing Technology, Sato, whose racing career started with karting, campaigned in seven seasons in Formula One (2002-2008). Making 90 career starts, he notched his first and only podium in F1 competition in the 2004 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he finished in third place while driving for Lucky Strike BAR Honda team. He went on to conclude the 2004 F1 season in a career-best eighth place in the final driver’s standings.

    Following his debut season in IndyCar in 2010, Sato spent another season with KV Racing before joining Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2012, where he earned two podium results. He then swapped to A.J. Foyt Enterprises in 2013, where he earned his first career victory in IndyCar competition at the Streets of Long Beach, California, in April. He would continue to compete with A.J. Foyt Enterprises through 2016 before campaigning in his first and only full-time season with Andretti Autosport in 2017. Sato’s transition to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2018 marked a reunion for the driver and the team, which spanned through this season until it was announced in early October that the Japanese competitor will not be remaining with the team for the 2022 season.

    “Takuma has shown that he is one of the best drivers to ever race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Dale Coyne, team co-owner, said. “Winning the famed Indianapolis 500 twice, we look forward to competing with our package of a good car with a great driver in the ‘500’ next year. All of us on our team welcome the very talented Mr. Sato into our fold for 2022.”

    “I am excited to have Takuma join the Dale Coyne Racing with RWR family for 2022,” Rick Ware, team co-owner, added. “Takuma’s experience within motorsports is extensive, not just in the United States, but around the world. With Takuma’s experience, and vast knowledge of the cars, we are really looking forward to stepping up the program and having a successful season, and maybe even add another Indianapolis 500 win to his list of achievements.”

    With a new team to call home for the upcoming IndyCar season, Sato is also primed to achieve a milestone start in what will be his 13th season in IndyCar competition. By competing in the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20, he will make his 200th career start in the IndyCar circuit.

    Sato is set to make his debut with Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing at the Streets of St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and to commence the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season on February 27.

  • Dalton Kellett remains at A.J. Foyt Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Dalton Kellett remains at A.J. Foyt Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    A.J. Foyt Racing announced that Dalton Kellett will be remaining with the organization and as driver of the No. 4 Dallara-Chevrolet sponsored by K-Line Insulators USA for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Kellett, a 28-year-old native from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, is coming off his first full-time IndyCar season with A.J. Foyt Enterprises, where he finished in the top 20 six times and achieved a career-best result of 12th place at the World Wide Technology Raceway in August before settling in 23rd place in the final standings.

    “I’m very excited to be back with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2022 season!” Kellett said. “We are looking forward to the year and continuing to build on the momentum from 2021. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the number 4 Chevrolet. A.J., Larry, our team partners, and K-Line have made this a possibility, so I am very thankful for them. Looking back at 2021, we had moments of promise and some encouraging results, we need to enter the 2022 season on that trajectory. The schedule looks very exciting this year, some familiar tracks returning [looking at you Iowa] and I can’t wait to be racing in front of the hometown crowd in Toronto!”

    The 2022 IndyCar season will mark Kellett’s third in the series after making his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course circuit in July 2020, where he competed in seven additional events throughout the season.

    “It’s great to have Dalton continuing with the team in 2022,” Larry Foyt, team president of A.J. Foyt Racing, said. “He made some solid progress in his first full season in the NTT INDYCAR Series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish next season. He is a true team player and a great ambassador for AJ Foyt Racing.”

    Prior to IndyCar competition, Kellett, who started his racing career through snowmobile and go-karts, competed in the 2011 Ontario Formula Ford Championship season and spent the next two seasons competing in the U.S. F2000 National Championship with Pabst Racing Services. He then competed in the Pro Mazda Championship during the following three seasons (Team Pelfrey in 2013-14 and Andretti Autosport in 2015) before moving up to the Indy Lights series in 2016 with Andretti Autosport. From 2016 to 2018, Kellett recorded five podium results with Andretti and a best-career points result of seventh place in 2018 before joining Juncos Racing for the 2019 Indy Lights season along with making select WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starts. In Indy Lights, he finished in the top 10 in all 18 scheduled races and achieved his sixth career podium result at the Exhibition Place in Toronto, his home country, before finishing in seventh place in the final standings.

    Kellett will be a teammate to Kyle Kirkwood, the reigning Indy Lights champion and the first competitor to achieve a championship throughout the Road to Indy program. Kirkwood will be piloting the No. 14 Dallara-Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing.

    With his plans for the upcoming season set, Kellett’s third season in IndyCar competition with A.J. Foyt Racing will commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2022.

  • Kirkwood joins A.J. Foyt Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Kirkwood joins A.J. Foyt Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    The reigning Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood has a new team to call home after it was announced that he will be joining AJ Foyt Racing and pilot the No. 14 Dallara-Chevrolet for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Kirkwood, a 23-year-old native from Jupiter, Florida, who began his racing career through karting before working his way through the open wheel ladder, is coming off his first Indy Lights championship, where he won 10 races while competing for Andretti Autosport.

    The partnership with AJ Foyt Racing will mark Kirkwood’s inaugural presence in IndyCar competition for the upcoming season.

    “I actually met [team president] Larry [Foyt] for the first time in 2018 at Road America when I was driving in USF2000 with Cape Motorsports,” Kirkwood said. “He was the first person in the INDYCAR paddock to show me around the car and explain the dynamics of what it takes to be an Indy car team and driver. From that moment, I felt very comfortable with the atmosphere of the team and now it has come to fruition that I will be driving the No. 14. It’s hard to explain in words the excitement I have to drive for such an experienced and legendary team. I know I will be filling some very big shoes, but I think it’s the perfect timing and group to be able to do so. Considering I have 19 years of experience driving, and it’s all led to this moment to becoming a full time Indy car driver — It’s truly a dream come true,” the Floridian continued. “It’s incredible seeing the completely unexpected path I took in previous years blossom into something I’ve always hoped for as a kid in karting.”

    In winning this year’s Indy Lights title, Kirkwood became the first competitor to achieve a championship in every Road to Indy program (US F2000 National Championship in 2018, Indy Pro 2000 Championship in 2019 and Indy Lights Championship in 2021). The Road to Indy program was established in 2010 to provide a scholarship-funded path for aspiring competitors to compete in the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. 

    Having won all three titles in the program and with the scholarship prize, he is guaranteed a starting spot for three IndyCar events, including the 2022 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    Kirkwood, who is also a champion of the Formula 4 United States Championship league in 2017 and who won a Team USA Scholarship in 2016 while competing in F4, experienced his first taste in an IndyCar during a test session with Andretti Autosport at Sebring International Raceway in October. Since then, he participated in three IndyCar test sessions with his latest test occurring at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test near the end of October.

    “What I’ve learned in my three INDYCAR tests is that the Indy Lights car and the Indy car are not massively different,” Kirkwood added. “As we’ve seen with many drivers, it’s quite an easy transition. The best thing that you can take away from the RTI [Road to Indy] is the track experience. With minimal time during weekends, it’s crucial to maximize practice. Having the track experience eliminates a period of time spent learning, so you can solely focus on the car and driving. The biggest difference I’ve noticed in my tests is the tire. The Firestone tire creates a lot more grip. There are other differences, like steering weight, downforce and braking capabilities, but all of those are just a nice step forward from the Indy Lights car.”

    Initially left without a full-time ride with Andretti for the upcoming IndyCar season, Kirkwood began reaching out to other teams for an opportunity to compete in the series before landing himself a full-time seat with AJ Foyt Racing.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the team,” Larry Foyt, Team President of AJ Foyt Enterprises, Inc., added. “Obviously, he has been very successful on his climb through the Road to Indy Championships and his record speaks for itself. This deal came together rather quickly, but I’ve already been impressed with how Kyle thinks about racing and the maturity he seems to have for such a young driver. The NTT INDYCAR Series is as competitive as ever, and the challenges are great, but we feel Kyle will be a great asset as we take on those challenges and work to grow as a team.”

    Kirkwood replaces veteran Sébastien Bourdais, a four-time consecutive Champ Car champion who drove AJ Foyt’s No. 14 Chevrolet during the final three races of the 2020 IndyCar season before taking over the ride on a full-time basis in 2021. Bourdais is set to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing and its Daytona Prototype international (Dpi) program for the upcoming IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

    Kirkwood’s confirmation to compete for AJ Foyt Racing completes one of three planned entries for the team for the upcoming IndyCar season. The remainder of the team’s driver lineup is to be determined.

    Kirkwood is set to make his NTT IndyCar Series debut in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 27, 2022.

  • 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.

  • Herta scores IndyCar victory, Palou wins championship at Long Beach

    Herta scores IndyCar victory, Palou wins championship at Long Beach

    For the final time in 2021, the NTT IndyCar Series took to the streets of Long Beach where the series looked to crown a champion and a race winner. Colton Herta, starting deep in the field in 14th after being the fastest in both practice sessions took over the lead on Lap 34 after Helio Castroneves made his scheduled stop and held off Newgarden to win at home for the first time in his career.

    “I’ve been coming here since I was a baby when my dad was racing in the 2000s,” Herta said about the victory. “It (Long Beach) was the only race I could come to because I couldn’t fly, and it was so close. This one means so much, being my hometown race. I can’t believe I won it on my second try – this was a big one. It’s been mostly a perfect weekend, aside from qualifying, but it was fun to come from further back. I can’t thank Gainbridge, Dan, Cassidy and the entire Andretti Autosport 26 team enough for such a strong weekend. We started the season with a win and got to end the season with a win. I wish we had a few more in between, but this win was big.”

    Meanwhile, as Herta grabbed the checkered flag, Alex Palou needed to finish 12th or better entering the final race of the season to capture the championship. Josef Newgarden, who won the pole, needed to win the race and gain the maximum points. Newgarden was close to doing so after leading through the first 18 laps, but with how the cautions fell and varying strategies, Newgarden had to fight his way back up to the top.

    Following Lap 18, Newgarden was unable to lead another lap hurting his championship chances. As Herta clinched the most laps led late in the race, the championship was guaranteed for Palou as the Spaniard finished fourth in the overall result to win his first-ever NTT IndyCar Series Championship.

    Yeah, man, what a season,” Palou said in regards to winning the championship. “What a season. I cannot really believe it. I’m super happy. We worked so, so hard. Getting into the season finale, this place, didn’t know the track, but the guys gave me a really good car. They gave me good strategies. Today we went from P10 to P4, right? Just amazing, super happy. I think all the season we were super consistent. Feels amazing to be a champion. I want to do it again now.”

    Photo Courtesy of Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

    When the green flag flew for the 85-Lap race, the race lead was all Newgarden who led early on. Unfortunately, troubles found another championship contender as Pato O’Ward was clipped from behind by the No. 18 of Ed Jones to bring out the first yellow. Ultimately, O’Ward’s chances would be over on Lap 17 due to a broken half shaft. O’Ward was relegated to a 27th place finish after being unable to finish the race.

    Prior to the yellow, Newgarden and Palou were already on pit road for service but 12 cars had stayed out with Newgarden restarting in the 13th position. Unfortunately for Newgarden, another yellow fell on Lap 25 for the No. 8 of Marcus Ericsson who plowed into the Turn 9 tire barrier.

    After the two early yellows, the green flag came back out on Lap 30 with Newgarden third and Palou seventh. Colton Herta passed Newgarden for third two laps later and eventually took the lead on Lap 34.

    For the majority of the race, Herta had a tremendous race pace and kept a sizeable gap over Newgarden. At one point, the California native Herta had an eight-second gap ahead of Newgarden. But, the last yellow bunched the field one more time on Lap 61 due to an incident with Oliver Askew and Conor Daly in Turn 9.

    With the help of the caution, Newgarden had one more chance to overpower Herta while Palou was lurking behind in fourth. Herta’s lead, however, was one second through the final 20 laps. Newgarden did close in with eight laps to go and was only half a second behind, but the win eventually went to Herta for the third time this season.

    Palou finished fourth to become the first Spanish champion and gave Chip Ganassi his 14th different title joining Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zenardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.

    “It’s (winning the championship) as big as it gets,” Ganassi said. “Just to see this young man come along, it’s been a few dry years in the 10 car. I go back to think of Dario and Dan Wheldon in the 10, all the successes they had. Unfortunately for one reason or another, we haven’t found that right combination for a few years. You have to work just as hard. Sometimes you’re probably working harder than the guys on the 10 car and the 8 and the 48. They have to work harder sometimes than the champion.

    “Like last year with Dixon, I’m really, really happy for the team. Championships are won by a lot of hard work, by a lot of people making a lot of sacrifices that aren’t obvious to the naked eye or get lost and they never get the press or the coverage of the late nights over the winter in Indianapolis, cold and dark and blowing snow. Guys are in there toiling away on their computers or on their cars, making them just a little better, getting ready for the start of the season or getting ready for the Indianapolis 500. That’s where the championships are won.

    “There’s a whole slew of people back in Indianapolis that I’m sure right now have a big smile on their face. They’re in our race shop, family members that aren’t able to be here with their spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends. It’s a pleasure to represent those people. So that’s what makes this championship special.”

    There were four cautions for 13 laps and seven lead changes among seven different leaders.

    Official Results following the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

    1. Colton Herta, led 43 laps
    2. Josef Newgarden, led 18 laps
    3. Scott Dixon, led one lap
    4. Alex Palou, 2021 NTT IndyCar Champion
    5. Simon Pagenaud
    6. Alexander Rossi
    7. Jack Harvey
    8. Sebastien Bourdais
    9. Takuma Sato
    10. Will Power
    11. Scott McLaughlin, 2021 IndyCar Rookie of the Year
    12. Ed Jones
    13. Felix Rosenqvist
    14. James Hinchcliffe
    15. Max Chilton
    16. Graham Rahal, led four laps
    17. Jimmie Johnson
    18. Dalton Kellett
    19. Helio Castroneves, led 15 laps
    20. Conor Daly, 1 lap down
    21. Oliver Askew, 2 laps down, led three laps
    22. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2 laps down
    23. Romain Grosjean, OUT, Contact
    24. Rinus VeeKay, OUT, Mechanical
    25. Callum Ilott, OUT, Mechanical
    26. Pato O’Ward, OUT, Contact
    27. Marcus Ericsson, OUT, Contact

    Up Next: The NTT IndyCar Series will head into the offseason before opening up the 2022 season Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Streets of St. Petersburg live on NBC.

  • Airborne Ericsson cruises to victory lane in Nashville Grand Prix

    Airborne Ericsson cruises to victory lane in Nashville Grand Prix

    Despite going airborne on Lap 4 and receiving an avoidable contact penalty, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Ericsson fought and clawed his way back to score his second victory of the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season at the first-ever Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.

    “I thought my race was over there,” Ericsson said about going airborne. “Then we had to repair the car. I got a stop-and-go. We were dead last. It was all about trying to recover. I think the car got some damage, as well, from that flight. There was definitely some damage on the car.

    “I thought I would try and recover as many positions as possible and have a solid, what, top 15, was sort of my game plan after that incident. Then, yeah, the team did a great job with the strategy. Pit stops were great. There were so many incidents. For sure there was a little luck there, as well, no doubt about that.

    “But we delivered when we had to. In the end, I think when Colton was behind me and I had to do a really big fuel number to get us to the finish line and still keep him behind, that was one of the toughest challenges of my career. I’m very proud that I could keep him behind and keep the pace up. That won me the race.”

    The first-ever Music City Grand Prix for the NTT IndyCar Series in downtown Nashville received a lot of hype. It also was filled with numerous incidents that produced nine cautions for 33 laps out of the 80-lap event.

    During the first 20 laps of the race, there were four cautions with the first on Lap 1 when the No. 4 of Dalton Kellett came to a stop on the frontstretch. However, a big moment for the eventual race winner came on Lap 4, as Ericsson slammed into the No. 14 of Sebastien Bourdais and went soaring over him. Unfortunately for Bourdais, the damage to the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing machine was too much to recover from and he was out of the race early. Ericsson was able to stay in the race with a front wing change but received a penalty for avoidable contact.

    A big pileup occurred on Lap 19 when the No. 22 of Simon Pagenaud crashed into the Turn 11 wall, stacking up cars behind him. At least 10 cars were involved in the wreck including the vehicles of Rinus VeeKay, Jimmie Johnson, Will Power and Takuma Sato, to name a few. During the red flag, the No. 48 of Johnson was disqualified from the race due to unapproved adjustments to his Honda machine. The red flag lasted 12 minutes.

    With one-third of the race slowed under yellows, more cautions would be seen throughout the race. A caution was flown at halfway on Lap 40 for a crash between the No. 3 of Scott McLaughlin and Kellett in Turn 9 after contact was made from McLaughlin’s teammate Will Power. The incident left IndyCar officials no other choice than to penalize Power for avoidable contact.

    After early and numerous cautions, there was a small gap of green-flag racing. Ericsson led the way over pole-sitter Colton Herta. With 10 laps to go, second-place Herta was chasing Ericsson down little by little and cut the lead down to 2.0448 seconds. But the Andretti Autosport car was struggling to catch Ericsson as Ericsson had more push to pass than Herta. Unfortunately, Herta’s attempt to chase down Ericsson came to a halt with five laps to go with Herta crashing into the Turn 9 wall.

    In the NTT IndyCar Series, there are no green-white-checkered finishes or overtime attempts. So, in an attempt to end the race at the advertised distance, the red flag was flown following Herta’s incident. Following a brief track cleanup, the field was fired back up and went back to green with two laps to go.

    With darkness and sunset approaching, Ericsson had one more task to complete. He had to hold off his teammate Scott Dixon who was lined up in second. If Dixon had been able to pass Ericsson, he had a chance to tie Mario Andretti’s all-time win record. As the green flag flew, Ericsson’s car was much stronger than Dixon’s and he was able to keep Dixon at bay. The Swedish driver went on to hold off Dixon for the win by 1.5 seconds.

    The finishing result for Dixon gave him his third podium of the season and he took over the second position in points. Dixon now trails his teammate Alex Palou by 42 points.

    “Man, I don’t really know what to say about the day,” Dixon said. “It was a crazy race. There were a lot of yellows, a lot of reds. I think we did almost 45, 50 laps on the last set of tires. We didn’t take tires on the last stop. They were blacks. That was real interesting.

    “Yeah, kudos to the team. You got to take those wins, man. He was in the right place at the right time. I think he had probably one of the most eventful days of everybody out there, flying up in the sky, then getting a drive-through penalty and all that stuff, coming out with a win. It was just so good I think today for me just the parade lap, seeing so many people here. That’s what really fired me up, I think, what really made the event.”

    James Hinchcliffe, who is fighting for a ride next year, came home with a strong third-place finish and obtained his first podium of the season. The podium finish was also Hinchcliffe’s first since the 2019 Iowa race where the Canadian finished third.

    “For us in the 29 car, it’s been a rough season,” Hinchcliffe said. “We’ve had our own troubles, but we’ve also had a lot of bad luck. It looked like it was going that way again today when we got stuck in the traffic jam in turn 11. Brian Barnhart made a great call, got us in the pits there to kind of cycle through when it all shook out.

    “We had a great car. The Capstone car was great. The Andretti Steinbrenner guys in the pits were awesome in that second stop, got us ahead of Ryan because he was ahead of us on track at that point. It was eventful. We were at the back, front, kind of ran a little bit of everywhere today, in the middle. Like Scott said, we probably had a few too many yellows for what we would have wanted to put on a good show for everyone here.”

    There were nine cautions for 33 laps and four lead changes among three different leaders. Ericsson led twice for 37 laps.

    1. Marcus Ericsson, led 37 laps
    2. Scott Dixon
    3. James Hinchcliffe
    4. Ryan Hunter-Reay
    5. Graham Rahal
    6. Ed Jones
    7. Alex Palou
    8. Felix Rosenqvist
    9. Helio Castroneves
    10. Josef Newgarden
    11. Santino Ferrucci
    12. Conor Daly
    13. Pato O’Ward
    14. Will Power
    15. Jack Harvey
    16. Romain Grosjean, led four laps
    17. Alexander Rossi
    18. Max Chilton
    19. Colton Herta, led 39 laps, OUT, Contact
    20. Cody Ware, OUT, Disqualified for not running at competitive pace
    21. Simon Pagenaud, OUT, Contact
    22. Scott McLaughlin, 13 laps down
    23. Dalton Kellett, OUT, Contact
    24. Rinus VeeKay, OUT, Contact
    25. Takuma Sato, OUT, Contact
    26. Jimmie Johnson, OUT, Contact
    27. Sebastien Bourdais, OUT, Contact

    Up Next: The NTT IndyCar Series will head back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but this time, competing on the road course, on Saturday, August 14, live on NBCSN at 12:30 p.m. ET.

  • Chevrolet NTT IndyCar Series: Josef Newgarden accident quote

    Chevrolet NTT IndyCar Series: Josef Newgarden accident quote

    CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIESINDY GP OF ALABAMA – APRIL 17-18BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARKLEEDS. ALABAMAAPRIL 18, 2021
    JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE – SIDELINED IN MULTI-CAR CRASH ON LAP 1

    “I got loose coming over the hill. It was a good start. We were lining in pretty nicely, but I just got loose in the wake. I thought I had the car and then touched the grass and I think once I touched the grass it pitched me sideways. I feel really bad for anyone that got involved in that. Obviously, my mess created a bigger mess. Any of the cars that got involved, I’m real sorry because it was obviously us that tipped it off. It’s a shame. I feel like we had a really good car. We just needed to file-in there at the start. We partially did that but yeah. Wudda, shudda, cudda I guess for Hitachi and Chevrolet. But we’ll come back. We’ve just got to bounce back at the next one.”

    ARE YOU OKAY AND WHAT HAPPENED

    “Yes, I’m okay. I wanted to just get rolling. I felt like we had so much potential. We had a really good car underneath us and  the team worked really hard and was ready to show that. I made a mistake. I got loose in traffic coming up the hill. I haven’t been loose like that at the start of a race here (Barber Motorsports Park). So just feel bad for causing a big wreck and anyone who was involved because of me. It’s tough to have a mistake like that. But thanks to our partners Hitachi, Chevrolet and everyone else, Just disappointed we couldn’t make something of it today.”

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

  • Ferrucci to transition to NASCAR with Sam Hunt Racing after IndyCar campaign

    Ferrucci to transition to NASCAR with Sam Hunt Racing after IndyCar campaign

    After two seasons in the NTT IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing, Santino Ferrucci will be making his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut at Homestead-Miami on February 27. Ferrucci will be piloting the No. 26 Toyota Supra on a part-time basis during the 2021 season in a schedule primarily focused on speedways and short tracks.

    Prior to his two seasons in the IndyCar Series Ferrucci raced overseas working up the Formula ladder, his final season coming in 2018 in what was a controversial campaign in Formula 2. Ferrucci was banned from four events after deliberate contact with his teammate Arjun Maini; further controversy arose when he was caught driving between the Formula 1 and 2 paddocks while texting on a cell phone. Ferrucci was fined €6,000 ($7,334.99 USD).

    Repeated controversy has given Ferrucci something of a negative reputation in the racing world, however his performance behind the wheel has yielded some strong, consistent results. In 2019 Ferrucci’s seventh-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 earned him the Rookie of the Race award, and a year later in the 500 Ferrucci would tie his career-best finish of fourth. In both of his IndyCar seasons his best points finish was 13th.

    Ferrucci has no previous stock car experience aside from a Super Late Model test at Caraway Speedway in North Carolina, although in 2021 he will be making his second Chili Bowl Midget Nationals start against some of NASCAR’s top stars. Ferrucci and Hunt both hope that their alliance with Toyota Racing Development could give him the backing he needs to post strong results.

    Team owner Sam Hunt has made it clear that this will be a learning curve for Ferrucci, but otherwise he’s confident in Ferrucci’s ability behind the wheel.

    “Santino’s passion and drive was apparent the first time we sat down together,” Hunt said. “I had heard about him, seen some stories from open wheel, but waited to form my opinion until we spent some time together one on one. He’s a great kid. He’s passionate, and he’s ready to learn the race craft of NASCAR.

    “He’s situationally aware and works hard for every sponsor and investor he has. I have no doubts that he will be a strong competitor for us once he learns how these heavy cars drive, and how these races run. We are all excited to get to work with him.”

    Sam Hunt Racing was formed as DRIVE Technology in 2013, fielding NASCAR K&N Pro Series entries for Hunt in a pair of part-time campaigns. The organization’s first season in the XFINITY Series was in 2020, with Colin Garrett, Brandon Gdovic, and Mason Diaz making starts for the team.

  • Sato’s two 500 wins places him in legend status at Indy

    Sato’s two 500 wins places him in legend status at Indy

    It’s easy to establish Takuma Sato as a good, but not great NTT IndyCar Series driver. He came into the series in 2010 and floundered a little with KV Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at first. Sure, he earned the respect and admiration of us all in his valiant 2012 Indy 500 effort, attempting to pass eventual winner Dario Franchitti in the first turn of the last lap only to go full send into the wall. But he didn’t find Victory Lane until 2013’s Long Beach event driving for A.J. Foyt Racing.

    He didn’t win again until his brief stay at Andretti Autosport in 2017, when he claimed his first Indy 500, and the next season saw him back at RLL, where he’s finally flourished by winning four more times since. He’s steadily gotten better – not great, but better – and there’s a very real chance he could find himself in title contender territory before too long.

    In a sense, he’s like NASCAR’s Sterling Marlin in that he excels at certain places but has won elsewhere on occasion. However, Indy is to Sato what Daytona was to Marlin – a racetrack where he can truly shine.

    For starters, there’s the two victories in the 500, as well as the 2012 attempt. However, there’s also is spirited 2019 effort, where the results will show that he finished third behind Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi. But what the cards won’t show initially is that a second pace-lap issue forced him to go a lap down, and at one point he was running in dead last. However not only was Sato able to get himself back on the lead lap, he even contended for the lead as late as lap 176 of the 200-lap event.

    These show that he’s acclimated well to the speedway no matter who he is driving for. However, there’s also the fact that not only is he the first non-Caucasian driver to win the 500 and multiple times to boot (one of only 20 drivers to do so), he’s the first driver from the continent of Asia to do so. His victories have been a great way to bring other ethnicities into the sport, and they help shine a positive light on the sport of IndyCar.

    There’s also the matter of how quickly Sato has taken to open wheel racing. On one hand, there’s 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon, who has been winning races and championships since before Sato burst onto the scene in 2010. Graham Rahal earned his first series win in 2008 at St. Petersburg. In contrast, Sato was a champion cyclist before beginning his Formula One career in 2002, with a lukewarm career there before racing full-time in IndyCar in 2010.

    None of these statistics place him in the same category as say, Dixon or Will Power, or for that matter even Rahal, Unser, Foyt, or even Mario Andretti territory. He’s far from that at this point in his career considering he only holds six IndyCar wins and a best points finish of eighth in 2017. But unlike Andretti, Dixon, or Power, Sato is a two-time Indy 500 champion. That puts him in an elite category of open wheel stars over the last 100+ years. Put that together with how much he’s matured over the last 10 years and the far-reaching effects of his wins in the 500, and it’s easy to see that there’s more that goes into a legend than just statistics.

    For all we know Sato may just continue to be a perennial challenger, occasionally making his way to Victory Lane here and there. He’s fearless behind the wheel, there’s no doubt about that. That hasn’t translated into great results, but a win is a win. Those stay in the record books for years to come. The effects of those wins? Those last longer and reach further. There’s no a shadow of a doubt that for the time being, Sato is definitely an Indy 500 legend.