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Another massive 120 pages of great IndyCar reading and action from New Zealand's Toyota Racing Series

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Power takes 3rd Indy GP win.

Power makes history with third INDYCAR Grand Prix win, 200th Indy car win for Team Penske

Will Power etched his name further into the INDYCAR Grand Prix record books while extending the legacy of team owner Roger Penske in Indy car history.

Power won the Verizon IndyCar Series race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the second straight year and third time overall - each victory coming from the pole position. Power's triumph by 2.2443 seconds over Scott Dixon also marked Indy car win No. 200 for Team Penske, nearly double that of any other team.

"It's amazing," said Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. "It just shows what sort of team that Penske is, and it's a real honor to drive for Roger. We're given the equipment week in and week out to win, so I can't thank him enough for the opportunity he's given me."

Power led 56 of 85 laps on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile permanent road course to collect his 33rd career victory (ninth all time). Thirty of those triumphs have come since joining Team Penske in 2009, tying the 37-year-old Australian with Helio Castroneves for the most with the team.

Power chased down race leader Robert Wickens, who started second in the No. 6 Lucas Oil Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, and made a daring outside pass heading into Turn 1 on Lap 51 to take first place. Seven laps later, Power's crew barely got him out of the pits in front when nearly the entire field made final stops for fuel and tires under the second and last full-course caution of the race.

From there, Power kept Wickens and then Dixon in his mirrors to the finish - all the while stretching his tank of Sunoco E85 ethanol to the checkered flag.

"I had to save a lot of fuel at the end and go fast because I knew how good Dixon is at saving fuel and going fast. The Chevy had great fuel mileage," said Power, the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion. "Man, I've never driven so hard for an entire race. I was 100 percent the whole time. Yeah, I'm exhausted. Every lap was like a qualifying lap."

Team Penske made its Indy car debut on June 15, 1968, at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, with driver Mark Donohue. Three years later, Donohue delivered the team's first win at Pocono Raceway. In 1972, Donohue drove to the first of what is now a record 16 Indianapolis 500 wins for Team Penske. Adding the four INDYCAR Grand Prix victories, 10 percent of Team Penske's Indy car wins (20 of 200) have come at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Penske, the 81-year-old mastermind of the team, downplayed the achievement of the 200th win. He gave credit to Power and his crew while also looking ahead to the prize he craves most - another Indianapolis 500 win.

"What a great day for the team," Penske said. "The greatest drivers have performed for us. IMS is the most special place to secure our 200th win. I could not think of a better setting. The most important win now is No. 201."

Dixon, bidding to pick up a 42nd career victory that would tie him for third all-time with Michael Andretti, was satisfied to finish runner-up for the 39th time in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda - particularly after a disappointing qualifying effort on Friday locked him into the 18th starting position.

"It was a great result today for the PNC Bank car and the whole team," the four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion said. "Everyone on the Ganassi team never quits, never gives up and we were able to make up a lot of spots and finish second. 

"I think that was the worst I've ever qualified without crashing or having a technical issue. Good day in the points for the No. 9 team. I love having this race open up the month for us here at Indy."

Wickens continued to impress in his rookie season, collecting a second podium and third top-four finish in five races. The 29-year-old Canadian admitted that trying to race hard while conserving fuel in the final stint was a learning experience.

"It was the first time in my career I've had to save fuel like that, but in the end, happy with the podium," Wickens said. "Would have liked to be a bit further up, but hard to complain."

Sebastien Bourdais finished fourth in the No. 18 Team SealMaster Honda, using his push-to-pass overtake boost on the final lap to zip past Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda) for the position. Helio Castroneves, making his Verizon IndyCar Series return following a full-time switch this season to Team Penske's sports-car program, placed sixth in the No. 3 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

The race tied an INDYCAR Grand Prix record with seven different leaders and featured 214 on-track passes with the 2018 car's universal aero kit - an increase of 96 passes from a year ago. 

There were two full-course caution periods for eight laps. The first came on the opening lap when Castroneves and teammate Simon Pagenaud touched, and Jordan King ran into the back of Pagenaud. The second caution waved on Lap 56 when Josef Newgarden spun trying to pass Bourdais.

Newgarden finished the race in 11th place, but continues leading the standings. The reigning series champion is two points ahead of Rossi, 26 up on Bourdais and 31 ahead of Dixon.

Following two days off to convert the cars and Indianapolis Motor Speedway to superspeedway oval configuration, practice for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil begins on Tuesday. Qualifying to set the 33-car field takes place May 19-20. 

Mazda Road to Indy results

Colton Herta (Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing) outdueled Santi Urrutia (Belardi Auto Racing) to the win the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires race on the IMS road course for the second straight day. After six races, Herta trails Andretti Autosport teammate Pato O'Ward by one point in the standings.

Parker Thompson (Exclusive Autosport) drove to his second win of the season in the second Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires race of the weekend. Thompson opened a 22-point advantage in the standings over Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Racing) after six races.

In the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda Kyle Kirkwood (Cape Motorsports) held off Alex Baron (Swan-RJB Motorsports) in the second race of the weekend, in a reversal of the first race finishing order. Kirkwood leads Baron by 13 points in the championship after four races.  

Don't forget Issue 1 of Race Control the all new IndyCar fan magazine launches this week. Look out for it on ZINIO.com simply search Race Control from this Thursday. A link will be posted here as well. Its a must read for the month of May.

25 Years on.

The 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series race at Phoenix Raceway will commemorate the 25th anniversary of legendary driver Mario Andretti’s final Indy car victory, nearly 25 years to the day it happened.

Andretti, whose 52 career wins rank second only to A.J. Foyt’s 67 in Indy car annals, drove to the checkered flag at Phoenix Raceway on April 4, 1993. A full schedule of events surrounding the Phoenix Grand Prix on April 6-7, 2018, will honor Andretti’s achievement and the track’s deep Indy Car history. The weekend culminates with the April 7 race under the lights featuring the current stars of the Verizon INDYCAR Series and the cars with the highly anticipated new universal aero kit.

“There’s no more important name in motorsports than Mario Andretti,” said Bryan Sperber,president of Phoenix Raceway, the 1.022-mile oval that has hosted 63 previous Indy Car races dating to 1964. “He is also a cultural icon and his name resonates around the world with fans and non-fans alike. To be in a position to host the anniversary celebration of his final open-wheel victory at Phoenix Raceway is truly special. I can’t wait to welcome back the drivers and race cars that created history here 25 years ago.”  

Driving the No. 6 Kmart/Texaco Havoline Lola/Ford (shown above), Andretti led 39 of 200 laps in the 1993 Valvoline 200 at Phoenix. He won by a lap over Raul Boesel in a race that featured eight eventual Indianapolis 500 winners – Andretti, Eddie Cheever, Emerson Fittipaldi, Buddy Lazier, Arie Luyendyk, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser Jr. – as well as the likes of Jimmy Vasser, Lyn St. James, Robby Gordon and Teo Fabi. Nigel Mansell, the reigning Formula One champion who had become Andretti’s teammate that season at Newman/Haas Racing, was injured in a practice crash and did not race.

The win made Andretti the oldest Indy car winner on a traditional race course, at 53 years, 1 month, 7 days. The oldest winner on any type circuit was Louis Unser in the 1953 Pikes Peak Hill Climb when it was part of the AAA-sanctioned national championship. Unser was 57 years, 5 months, 22 days old at the time.

Andretti’s hall of fame career in Indy cars spanned 31 years (1964-94). He holds the record for most races (407), laps led (7,595), podium finishes (144) and pole positions (67). He is the first driver to win an Indy Car race in four consecutive decades and collected four season championships. The legendary driver excelled in all forms of motorsports, winning the Formula One world championship in 1978, collecting sports car wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring, the USAC Dirt Champ car circuit, as well as winning Nascar’s pinnacle event, the Daytona 500, in 1967. Phoenix Raceway will celebrate Andretti’s remarkable accomplishments on race weekend through special merchandise, trading cards, a tribute panel and special commemorative items for fans. Among the plans is a reunion of drivers who participated in the 1993 Indy car race. Fans attending will be able interact with legends of the sport such as Bobby Rahal, Lyn St. James and Arie Luyendyk in a panel discussion and autograph session. In addition, cars from the 1993 Indy Car field will be on display at the track for fans to enjoy.

The Phoenix Grand Prix is the second race on the 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series schedule. For ticket information, visit PhoenixRaceway.com .

Media Supplied.

The 2017 Indy Grand Prix

Will Powers weekend.

Saturday May 13^th and two weeks before the running of the 101^st Indy 500. The Grand Prix marks the fifth round of the 2017 Indy Car Championship and the thousands of fans were treated to a beautiful spring day. Starting with a cool crisp morning leading to a wonderful afternoon of sun and racing. After what the locals tell me has been weeks of rain the day was blessed with a superb day dry and no wind at all – just magic. Looking slightly ahead and Pole day for the 500 next week has a chance of the weather closing in again but hey a week is a long time isn’t it?

The vibe around the speedway was kind of hints of the upcoming 500 even though this race means so much in the championship the thought in people’s minds had to be in two days time we go in 500 modes. Many of the one off entries for the 500 sitting quietly in the garage area and looking gleaming in brightly coloured paint schemes.

I even found this collection of Andretti pieces ready for the arrival of one Mr Alonso.

Grand Prix day kicked off very early with all three-support classes in the Road to Indy Series having races. Pro Mazda kicked things off at 8am followed by US F2000 then the Indy Lights battled it out for 35 laps. Two drivers completed weekend victory sweeps in the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires development ladder races today. 

Oliver Askew of Cape Motorsports won for the second straight day on the IMS road course and for the fifth time in six Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship races this season. Victor Franzoni (Juncos Racing, making their 500 debut) captured his second race of the weekend in the Pro Mazda Championship. Askew and Franzoni lead their respective championships.

In Indy Lights also presented by Cooper Tires, the top level of the Mazda Road to Indy, Kyle Kaiser of Juncos Racing drove to victory a day after Nico Jamin of Andretti Autosport won the first race of the weekend. With today's win, Kaiser took over the championship lead by 13 points over Jamin.  All in all a very busy two days for these teams. The Indy Lights return for the annual Freedom 100 race on the famed oval on Carb Day Friday.

Watching cars go the other way around after years of covering the 500 takes a little bit of getting used to but it’s a good sight and the track is so super smooth and looked stunning. It certainly feels a lot different to any 500 day that’s for sure, why you might ask? Yes the crowd is a part of it, yes the direction is part of it too but most of all its that sound of hearing cars at 223mph+ on the throttle all the time and it’s a sound that you can only ever associate with this place.

To the Grand Prix and for kiwi fans of Scott Dixon it was heart-beating moments as he stalled on the first of the two formation laps. He got going within seconds and took his P4 qualifying position. It was to be all about Will Power who dominated the IndyCar Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course to collect win No. 30 in his 13-year Indy car career. The milestone victory pushed the 36-year-old Power ahead of current teammate Helio Castroneves and retired Team Penske legend Rick Mears for sole possession of 11th place on the all-time list. For the first time in the history of the event the field made it past turn one so a new record was set there as well.

Power, making his 175th career start, led 61 of the 85 laps in the caution-free race and cruised across the finish line 5.283 seconds ahead of Scott Dixon in the No. 9 NTT Data Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. Power has now won at least one race in 11 straight seasons and becomes the fifth different driver to win in as many Verizon IndyCar Series races this season.

"It feels really good to finally have a good day," Power said. "Everyone on this team has been working really hard. We should have had a couple of wins by now.

"I think that is (win) No. 30; that is a good number. I want to make it 31 by the end of this month."

Power owned the Grand Prix weekend. He was fastest in every practice session, earned the pole position Friday with a track-record lap in Verizon P1 Award qualifying and set a race record speed average of 120.813 mph. Amassing the maximum possible points, Power advanced two positions into fifth in the standings in his quest for a second series championship.

"After (morning) warm-up, I was thinking, 'Wow, I've actually been quickest in every session. Yeah, it would be amazing to win the race.'

"It's funny, momentum, once your whole team and crew believes that you have a shot at winning races - which we have had all year - but when you execute it, it definitely gives them confidence. It's just good (to) get a win and very, very good for everyone."

Dixon made his 275th career start and extended his consecutive starts streak to 212 races, breaking a tie for the second-longest all-time run with Jimmy Vasser. Only Dixon's current teammate Tony Kanaan - who started his 270th straight race today - has run more Indy car races consecutively.

"I think today we got the most out of it," said Dixon, the four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion. "The car was pretty strong, we had good pace, but we just couldn't hold on to the rears. I think the Honda was just too much for the (Firestone alternate) red tires for the most part.

"Good points for everybody on the NTT Data car, great day for Honda. Obviously not a win, but very close." Again in my eyes Dixon and his team are the number one men at Ganasii that’s for sure.

Ryan Hunter-Reay moved from eighth on the starting grid to finish a season-best third in the No. 28 DHL Honda. It marked the 100th top-10 finish of the Andretti Autosport driver's career and gave the 36-year-old American a feeling of momentum heading into Indianapolis 500 competition that starts with practice on Monday.

"It's certainly a nice feeling," said Hunter-Reay, the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series and 2014 Indianapolis 500 champion. "This group isn't happy if we're not on the top step (of the podium), but we've had a lot of bad luck this year, a lot of misfortune. It's been a frustrating start to the year, but we kept our heads down and today we came home with a solid result.

"This is nice to roll into the next two weeks, preparing for the biggest race in the world."

Pagenaud now has 191 points to Dixon's 181. Team Penske drivers Josef Newgarden (152), Castroneves (149) and Power (145) hold the third through fifth spots, respectively.

Teams will spend tomorrow Sunday setting cars into oval spec and the track will also be returned to oval spec ready for Monday’s first practice for the 500, the season is now alive.

While I have the chance a big shout out to two men turning heads in this series. The Julian brothers from New Plymouth New Zealand. Blair who is crew chef for Scott Dixon and has been with Scott all this time since he arrived in the US and risen to the role of Crew Chef and his brother Anton now returning to the series after been the Crew Chef at Andretti Autosport then Sarah Fisher Racing, Anton makes a one off appearance as Crew Chef this time for someone you might of heard of Mr Alonso. Well done boys, know your mum and dad are very proud.

IndyCar the next generation and the 101st 500.

INDYCAR unveils exciting images of 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series car design.

Announced in  Indianapolis on Wednesday 29th March the exciting latest pics of the design of the car to be used in Verizon IndyCar Series competition in 2018 is coming more into focus.

INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the premier North American open-wheel racing series, released new images today of the universal aerodynamic bodywork kit that will be used by all competitors in 2018. Following along with this year's INDYCAR theme of "NEXT," the computer-generated images are the next evolution of the car's development process and provide more detail than concept sketches released in January.

"While this remains a work in progress, we are encouraged with where the development of the 2018 car stands," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations. "The look of the car is bold, the performance data from simulations is meeting targeted goals and safety enhancements built into the design will be substantial."

Frye said INDYCAR is on target to begin testing the car by mid-summer. Verizon IndyCar Series teams will still choose between Chevrolet and Honda engines for competition next season, but all cars will be outfitted with the universal kit that covers the Dallara IR-12 chassis that has been used since the 2012 season. As with the current aero kits provided by Chevrolet and Honda through the end of this season, the universal car will come in two configurations: one for superspeedway ovals and the other for street courses, road courses and short ovals. 

The supplier of the universal kit has yet to be announced, but its look is sleek and reminiscent of past Indy car favorites. Tino Belli, INDYCAR director of aerodynamic development, said the kit has been successfully reverse-designed to start with its desired appearance and build in functionality from there.

"We've been working on the aerodynamics to suit the look, rather than the other way around," Belli said.

A key component of the new car is for it to generate most of its downforce from underneath instead of on top. This will improve racing and passing opportunities by decreasing the turbulent air that the Indy car leaves in its wake.

"We're working on creating more of the downforce from the underwing," Belli said. "The hole in the floor (of the undertray on this year's car) will be sealed for the road courses and short ovals, but will still be open for the superspeedways."

Belli added that simulations show the new car meets INDYCAR's aerodynamic targets and additional safety enhancements include side impact structures in the sidepods and repositioned radiators to assist in reducing the severity of side impacts by crushing on impact.

Other noticeable features in the new car images include a lower engine cover that provides "a more traditional Indy car look," according to Belli. Turbocharger inlets are moving to the inside of the radiator inlet ducts.

The rear wing and front wing main plane are smaller in the new car look and the centerline wicker from the nose of the car to the cockpit is tapered. The rear wing in the road course/short oval configuration is lower and wider. The fins on the leading edge of the sidepods of the current car will be removed or minimized on the 2018 car.

Though there is still work to be done, Belli feels that INDYCAR has achieved "97 percent" of its goals when it set out to create the new car's look and efficiency.

Things certainly seem to be progressing and in a great way as well. Its sure to be a very exciting 12 months as we await the new design.

Expected Entires for the 101st Indy 500.

                                                           Pre race at Indy May 2016.

The field for May's 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 just got a little bigger. 

On Tuesday this week, Dale Coyne Racing announced that is bringing back Pippa Mann for the fifth straight year.

Mann's addition brings the unofficial car count for the 500 to 28 and there will be more to follow.

Remember, some teams are expected to add more cars -- and other teams could join the fray -- but here's where things stand as of Tuesday, March 28.

Team Penske will have a massive FIVE entrants: Juan Montoya, Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud.

Chip Ganassi Racing will have its series four entrants: Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.

Andretti Autosport will have four entrants: Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato and Alexander Rossi. I wonder if that may become five with drivers such as Townsend Bell  to join in as he has the past few years.

Ed Carpenter Racing will have two entrants: Ed Carpenter and J.R. Hildebrand.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports will have three entrants: James Hinchcliffe, Mikhail Aleshin and Jay Howard (sponsored by Tony Stewart Foundation).

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will have two entrants: Graham Rahal and Oriol Servia.

Dale Coyne Racing will have three entrants: Sebastian Bourdais, Ed Jones and Pippa Mann.

A.J. Foyt Racing with have two entrants:Carlos Munoz and Conor Daly. Could this increase to the three they have run in  the past few years by adding Alex Tagliani in recent times?

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will have one entrant: Sage Karam.

Juncos Racing will have one entrant (confirmed, but could still be two in the ex KV cars) with a driver to be named .

Stefan Wilson will also compete in the Indy500, but he has yet to declare a team.

Its shaping up and the 101st will be equal to any other 500 -- why because simply this its the Indy 500!

IndyCar Media Release ex Indy Car Media Services  and Indy 500 Entry as currently know and Photo ex the 100th indy 500 and the David Turner Collection

Will Power sets the pace at Barber Test.

Testing in Style.

                                       

What a test session it was held on Tuesday 21st March.

A full day of testing at Barber Motorsports Park pointed to the conclusion that the intense competition that the Verizon IndyCar Series has witnessed in recent seasons is going to be even closer and more unpredictable for the remainder of the 2017 season.

Twenty-two cars turned a total of 1,147 laps on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn scenic permanent road course today, in advance of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama - the third of 17 races on this year's schedule, set for the weekend of April 21-23.

And while two-time Barber race winner and three-time pole sitter Will Power wound up fastest after six hours of on-track action, it was by no means decisive. The top 14 drivers on the combined speed chart were separated by less than a half-second.

Power set the best lap of the day moments before the checkered flag waved, at 1 minute, 7.7518 seconds (122.211 mph) in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. The Aussie nudged out second-year Verizon IndyCar Series driver Max Chilton (No. 8 Gallagher Honda) for top honors by less than a hundredth of a second.

"It just shows how tight it is between Honda and Chevy now," Power said. "It's tough, man. We just went through a bunch of stuff (during the test day) to see what it does and I think we got some good answers here. I think we've got a good car for here, I feel good about my setup."

Chilton, driving for the Chip Ganassi Racing team that switched to Honda from Chevrolet in the offseason, put down a lap of 1:07.7591 (122.198 mph) to finish second on the leaderboard.

"Good day apart from Power spoiling the fun at the end of the day, but it's all good fun," Chilton said. "It was a good test day. ... We got a lot done. 

"We actually were struggling a lot with the car all day, that's why we took a long, long lunch break to sort of change the car," Chilton added. "Then we definitely made steps forward, did a few fine-tunes. It's amazing, you make a few changes and you jump yourself up the board."

Two of Power's teammates at Team Penske, Josef Newgarden and Juan Pablo Montoya, finished third and fourth on the speed chart. Newgarden is in his first full season with the renowned team, replacing Montoya, who will drive for Team Penske at the two Indianapolis Motor Speedway races in May.

Newgarden, whose fast lap was 1:07.8402 (122.052 mph) in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevy, said it took him time to adapt to the new tire supplied by Firestone for the Barber circuit.

"Very different feeling form the car today than I've ever had at Barber and that requires a lot of work," said the 2015 Barber race winner. "But we had a good day and the Verizon No. 2 car was fast. I think it has a lot of speed in it, it's just a matter of how we get that out of the car and how to make it consistent so that I can put the lap together for qualifying."

Montoya was fourth quick in the No. 22 Team Penske Chevrolet (1:07.8406, 122.051 mph) despite it being his first time in an Indy car since the 2016 season finale six months ago. For the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, it was like riding a bike.

"I feel like I drove the car yesterday," Montoya said. "It's kind of fun. I've been out of the car since September, but I feel fine. I have a new crew, new guys, new engineer. It's working really well."

Andretti Autosport drivers Marco Andretti, Takuma Sato and Ryan Hunter-Reay finished fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, on the day. Sato was fastest in the three-hour first session, but was among the 19 drivers who improved their times in the second practice as teams honed in on setups. Push-to-pass was also activated on all cars for the final hour of the second practice, giving a 60-horsepower boost whenever it was used.

Sebastien Bourdais, winner of the March 12 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, was 13th fastest overall today. Defending Barber winner and series champion Simon Pagenaud ran 10th.

The next race on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The famous street-course on April 9th. The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama follows two weeks later at Barber Motorsports Park.

	Barber Open Test Barber Motorsports Park                                            Combined Results of Practice                                                            2.3 mile(s)                                  Verizon IndyCar Series March 21, 2017

Rank  Car Driver Name C/A/E/T Session Time Speed Total Laps

1       12 Power, Will D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:07.7518 122.211 54

2        8 Chilton, Max D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:07.7591 122.198 57

3        2 Newgarden, Josef D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:07.8402 122.052 47

4       22 Montoya, Juan Pablo D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:07.8406 122.051 47

5       27 Andretti, Marco D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:07.9664 121.825 54

6      26 Sato, Takuma D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:07.9835 121.794 52

7       9 Dixon, Scott D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.0255 121.719 46

8      28 Hunter-Reay, Ryan D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.0935 121.598 52

9      15 Rahal, Graham D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.1172 121.555 64

10     1 Pagenaud, Simon D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:08.1876 121.430 62

11     10 Kanaan, Tony D/H/H/F Practice 1 01:08.2163 121.379 47

12     3 Castroneves, Helio D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:08.2235 121.366 50

13    18 Bourdais, Sebastien D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.2308 121.353 42

14    19 Jones, Ed (R) D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.2488 121.321 53

15    98 Rossi, Alexander D/H/H/F Practice 1 01:08.3353 121.167 65

16    7 Aleshin, Mikhail D/H/H/F Practice 1 01:08.4181 121.021 52

17   20 Pigot, Spencer D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:08.4217 121.014 52

18   5 Hinchcliffe, James D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.4951 120.885 65

19   4 Daly, Conor D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:08.6138 120.675 56

20   21 Hildebrand, JR D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:08.6952 120.532 61

21   14 Munoz, Carlos D/C/C/F Practice 2 01:08.7088 120.509 42

22    83 Kimball, Charlie D/H/H/F Practice 2 01:08.8144 120.324 27

(R) Rookie

Total Laps for Combined Sessions: 1147

(C)hassis: D=Dallara | (A)erokit: C=Chevy, H=Honda | (E)ngine: C=Chevy, H=Honda | (T)ire: F=Firestone 

Press info from Indy Car Media Services, photo from the David Turner collection Indy 2017. Max Clinton at Indy May 2016 qualifying day.

Rule Updates for the 2017 IndyCar Season

Rule Updates for this season.

IndyCar have recently announced several rules changes for the upcoming season, changing qualifying procedures at some tracks and allowing extra sets of tires at road/street courses.

Among the race-weekend schedule modifications are:

• Phoenix and Gateway qualifications: Qualifying at these two oval tracks – Phoenix Raceway (April 29) and Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis (Aug. 26) – will be held on the same day as those Saturday night races. The first day of those event weekends will focus on a pair of practice sessions.

Firestone alternate tires: At road and street courses, each car will receive an additional set of Firestone’s red-sidewall alternate tires, bringing the total to four sets of the softer-compound tires available for the weekend. That allows teams to better gauge performance of alternate and primary-compound tires before qualifications. Each entry must return one set of tires – either primary or alternate – following the first practice session of a weekend, and another set – the opposite compound from the first returned set – following the second practice session.

• Overtake assist time allotment: Push-to-pass overtake assist in road and street races will be based on a maximum time allotment for each car instead of the number of uses. The events at St. Petersburg, Belle Isle and Sonoma will have a total overtake time allotment of 150 seconds, with the other road/street races set for 200 seconds.

• The road course event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: It will consist of two days, May 12-13. All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder will compete on May 11.

• Qualifying at Detroit: For the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix doubleheader in June, qualifying sessions for each race will see the field divided into two groups based on practice times, with 12 minutes of track time allotted for each qualifying group (with five minutes of guaranteed green-flag time). Previously, qualifying for the first race followed the advancement round format used at other road/street events. Qualifying groups for Belle Isle will be based on best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding Race 1 qualifications.

 Standardized road/street practice times: Practice sessions on the first day of most road/street course event weekends will have start times of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. local. Each session will last 45 minutes.

Dont forget the 2017 Season  season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 12, and includes the running of the 101st Indianapolis 500 on May 28 and concludes with the Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sept. 17


Source information is from IndyCar and Photo is from the David Turner Collection from the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016 on race day morning.