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Tag: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Graham Rahal Placed on Probation Following Incident with Marco Andretti

[media-credit name=”Sal Sigala Jr.” align=”alignright” width=”301″][/media-credit]Following a lap 22 incident during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, IndyCar officials have placed IZOD IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal on probation for the next six events for blocking and initiating avoidable contact.

The probation will end following the June 23^rd event at Iowa Speedway. If Rahal does not meet necessary improvements, IndyCar may impose further penalties.

On lap 22, Rahal made contact with Marco Andretti, launching Andretti’s car into the air before Andretti made contact with the tire barrier. Andretti was uninjured in the incident.

“Due to the inability of the No. 38 car to continue the race, a review of the on-track actions of Graham Rahal became a post-race issue,” Beaux Barfield,

IndyCar president of competition and IZOD IndyCar Series Race Director, says. “All stewards have reviewed the incident and have decided that the on-track actions of Graham warranted probation because of driving that endangers on-track safety and adversely affects competition.”

Rahal broke two rules in the rule book – Rule 9.3.2 and Rule 9.3.3

Rule 9.3.2 states “a driver must not alter his/her racing line based on the actions of pursuing drivers to inhibit or prevent passing. Blocking will result in a minimum of a black flag “drive through” penalty.”

Rule 9.3.3 states “a competitor must not initiate or attempt to initiate avoidable contact that results in the interruption of another competitor’s lap time or track position.”

Following the incident, Andretti called Rahal out on the block.

“There’s a difference between blocking and chopping and that’s chopping,” he said following the wreck. “I was lucky I didn’t get upside down; I could’ve been killed.”

Rahal’s response was, “I was just trying to stay underneath (Scott) Dixon and obviously I surprised Marco. He wasn’t going to make the corner no matter what. If he stayed beside me, he was going to overshoot it. It’s just frustrating. The car felt really strong.”

The probation penalty may be protested pursuant to the rulebook.

April 18, 2012
Will Power Overcomes Penalty to win Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

[media-credit name=”IndyCar.com” align=”alignright” width=”333″][/media-credit]Following a Chevrolet mandated engine change, Will Power was going to have to start 12^th in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach despite qualifying second on Saturday. Power didn’t let them hold him back as he led the last 15 laps on his way to his second straight win of the season.

“You tell him what he needs to do and he does,” team strategist Tim Cedric says. “This team never quits and this race wasn’t over till it was over.”

Power was able to save fuel from when he pitted with 31 to go to make it to the end of the race.

“After last week, you can never say never, but I thought it’d be very tough to win the race,” Power says. “The end there, I had to save so much fuel to get there but so happy for the Verizon and Chevy guys. We got a penalty and overcome it. I’ve been trying to win here for four years now.”

When Simon Pagenaud headed down pit road with 16 to go, Power would take over the top spot and lead the whole way home for his 17^th career win.

“I actually used some fuel to get around some, but Tim was telling me that I had to save some fuel,” Power continues. “So I was trying to save as much fuel as I could while staying in front.”

The win marked the third consecutive win this season for Team Penske as they won St. Petersburg with Helio Castroneves, followed by Barber and now Long Beach by Power. It marks Penske’s fifth win at Long Beach and their first since 2001.

Pagenaud would come second for a career best finish after leading the most laps – 26.

“It was great,” he says. “The car was fanstastic. The guys did such a good job. It’s a one-car team operation and we’re fighting against Penske and (Chip) Ganassi so hats off to the team.”

James Hinchcliffe would round out the podium for his first IZOD IndyCar Series podium finish.

“I feel really bad for Ryan (Hunter-Reay) because he drove a really good race,” Hinchcliffe. “I was following him through a lot of those passes he made, so I hate to have it at the expense to him. great job by the team with all the strategies today.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay crossed the line third, but was given a 30-second penalty for avoidable contact after he spun Takumo Sato on the final lap. Hunter-Reay was credited with a sixth place finish, behind Tony Kanaan and JR Hildebrand.

“I was told he was saving fuel and it looked like he was,” Hunter-Reay explains the incident with Sato. “He braked so early and I went to the inside there, I thought he’d give me a little room and he shut the door. I guess it was my fault. I’ll have to see where the penalty puts us. The team did a great job today. I love racing here. Anytime we don’t win here, we feel disappointed. Lots of side-by-side racing today, fun racing.”

Pole qualifier Ryan Briscoe, who started 11^th due to the engine change penalty, finished seventh while Sato was credited with a eighth finish after the spin.

“On the last stint we had to work on the fuel mileage and on the very last lap Ryan Hunter-Reay basically took me out,” Sato says. “There was not enough depth on his overtaking maneuver. He had a chance for the last few corners so it’s very disappointing to finish the race this way.”

While the first two races of the season had run fairly clean, the race at Long Beach saw its fair share of incidents. On lap one, front row starters Dario Franchitti and Josef Newgarden made contact, causing Newgarden to get into the wall. Newgarden was credited with a 26^th place finish.

“I saw one replay and I had a feeling that was going happen,” Newgarden says. “I got alongside him, gave him the inside and make slight contact, getting into the wall. It’s one of those tough breaks. Maybe I could’ve acted differently, I’ll review it and learn from it.”

Franchitti came home 15^th after complaining the car was lacking horsepower the majority of the race.

On lap 25, the scariest wreck of the day happened when Marco Andretti catapulted over the right rear of Graham Rahal.

“I’m good,” Andretti, who was credited with finishing 25^th, says. “I’m sore. I feel for the guys. They put so much into the RC car and I just feel bad. We were about to work on making some ground. There’s a difference between blocking and chopping and that’s chopping. I was lucky I didn’t get upside down; I could’ve been killed.”

Rahal wasn’t penalized by the officials for the incident, but was also out of the race, finishing 24^th.

“It’s a cluster back there,” Rahal says. “We were just trying to stay clean and by that time, he’d already hit me. I was just trying to stay underneath (Scott) Dixon and obviously I surprised Marco. He wasn’t going to make the corner no matter what. If he stayed beside me, he was going to overshoot it. It’s just frustrating. The car felt really strong.”

On the same lap, Alex Tagliani suffered a flat tire and finished 21st.

“As soon as it goes green, you can pass,” Tagliani says. “With being back in the pack like that, I passed (EJ) Viso and he pushed me into the wall. It’s hard to get disconnected.”

EJ Viso served a penalty for avoidable contact and finished 12^th.

“The main problem occurred when Alex Tagliani made a very dangerous move passing two or three cars heading into the hairpin turn which is a very awkward place to overtake,” Viso says of his day. “I saw what he was doing and moved out of the way, but he was sideways coming out of the hairpin and when I attempted to pass he blocked me and I hit his tire and he spun. Because of the contact I was given a drive through penalty, which I feel was very unfair.”

On the last lap, an incident happened in the final corner involving Castroneves, Oriol Servia and James Jakes.

Power now leads the point standings, 24 points over teammate Castroneves heading into Brazil.

April 16, 2012
Lap by Lap: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach won by Will Power

[media-credit name=”Jeff Gross/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”275″][/media-credit]Will Power came from 12^th to 1^st and conserved enough fuel in the final 30 laps to score his second consecutive win of the season.

Green Flag

Caution Lap 1 as Josef Newgarden and Dario Franchitti make contact

Restart Lap 4 as Dario Franchitti gets a good jump, but Justin Wilson makes the pass on Franchitti.

Lap 5 Helio Castroneves passes Simona De Silvestro.

Lap 6 Wilson leads Franchitti, Pagenaud, Sato, Dixon, Kimball, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, Conway and Briscoe.

Lap 8 Marco Andretti pits

Lap 12 Tony Kanaan pits

Lap 14 Wilson leads Pagenaud, Sato, Franchitti, Dixon, Kimball, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, Conway and Briscoe. Dixon passes Franchitti for fourth.

Lap 20 Sebastian Bourdais into the tires as there is a full course caution as Justin Wilson pits from the lead. Takumo Sato takes the lead. Pagenaud hits a tire that is inside somebody else’s pit stall so he will have a penalty.

Lap 21 Sato leads Franchitti and Hunter-Reay.

Restart Lap 23 as Franchitti has a terrible start; Sato gets a good jump on the start and holds the lead over Hunter-Reay. Alex Tagliani has a flat tire, going off the run-off area. Marco Andretti gets into the barrier hard, bringing out the caution as Graham Rahal gets some damage. The replay shows Andretti catapulting over the right rear of Rahal. Katherine Legge also gets in the tires. JR Hildebrand pits under the caution.

Lap 25 Mike Conway stalls on the backstretch as Sato leads Hunter-Reay, Briscoe, Franchitti, Hinchcliffe, Castroneves, Wilson, Pagenaud, Kanaan and Kimball. Bourdais returns to the race track after his early trouble.

Lap 27 Dixon has stalled. Sato pitted, handing the lead over to Hunter-Reay.

Lap 28 Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe pit, handing the lead to Briscoe.

Restart Lap 31 Briscoe gets a good start; Briscoe and Franchitti make contact as Briscoe pulls ahead. Franchitti has front wing damage.

Lap 32 Briscoe leads Castroneves, Franchitti, Pagenaud, Kanaan, Wilson, Kimball, Sato, Jakes and Power.

Lap 34 Sato passes Kimball

Lap 35 Briscoe, Franchitti, Castroneves pit to hand the lead over to Pagenaud

Lap 36 Pagenaud leads Kanaan, Wilson, Sato, Jakes, Power, Kimball, Barrichello, Hildebrand, and Hunter-Reay

Lap 38 Viso serves a penalty for avoidable contact after instant with Tagliani.

Lap 40 Pagenaud leads Kanaan, Wilson, Sato, Jakes, Power, Kimball, Barrichello, Hilderbrand, Hunter-Reay

Lap 41 Power passes Jakes fifth

Lap 42 Kanaan pits from second while Pagenaud leads.

38 to go Pagenaud leads Sato, Wilson, Power, Jakes, Kimball, Barrichello, Hildebrand, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe; Mike Conway has a problem as the car stalls; Simona De Silvestro pits

37 to go Pagenaud pits to hand the lead over to Sato; James Jakes pits

36 to go Power passes Wilson for second as Sato leads

35 to go Sato leads Power, Wilson, Kimball and Barrichello

33 to go Castroneves has damage on the front wing, needing a new one under the pit stop.

32 to go Charlie Kimball pits as Sato continues to lead Power

31 to go Power pits

30 to go Sato leads Hildebrand, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe, Pagenaud, Kanaan, Power, Wilson, Jakes and Barrichello

29 to go Sato and Hildebrand pit, handing the lead over to Hunter-Reay. Hunter-Reay leads over Hinchcliffe, Pagenaud, Kanaan, Sato, Power, Wilson, Jakes, Barrichello and Hildebrand.

28 to go Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe pit, handing the lead over to Pagenaud.

27 to go Briscoe pits as Pagenaud leads Kanaan, Sato, Power, Wilson, Jakes, Barrichello, Hildebrand, Kimball and Castroneves.

26 to go Power passes Sato for third.

25 to go Viso pits as Jakes passes Wilson

22 to go Pagenaud leads Power, Sato, Jakes, Wilson, Barrichello, Hildebrand, Kimball, Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe

16 to go Pagenaud goes down pit road as Power takes the lead.

15 to go Power leads Sato, Barrichello, Pagenaud, Hildebrand, Jakes, Kimball, Hunter-Reay, Wilson and Hinchcliffe

10 to go Power leads Sato, Pagenaud, Barrichello, Hildebrand, Hunter-Reay, Kimball, Wilson, Hinchcliffe and Kanaan. Simona de Silvestro on pit road with more problems.

7 to go Barrichello pits for fuel only out of the fourth position. So now it is Power leading Sato, Pagenaud, Hildebrand, Hunter-Reay, Kimball, Wilson, Hinchcliffe, Kanaan and Barrichello.

6 to go Pagenaud passes Sato for second

5 to go Charlie Kimball comes down the pits as he has issues.

4 to go Wilson dives to pit road

3 to go Power leads Pagenaud, Sato, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe, Hildebrand, Kanaan, Barrichello, Castroneves and Briscoe. / Kanaan passes Hildebrand for sixth

Last Lap – Sato spins after contact from Hunter-Reay.

Will Power wins over Pagenaud, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe, Kanaan, Hildebrand as a wreck happens in the last lap involving Castroneves, Oriol Servia and James Jakes. Hunter-Reay given a 30 second penalty, therefore resulting in him being moved back to sixth.

April 16, 2012
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 12^th.

“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 15^th 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 9^th 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.

April 13, 2012