Iowa Thoughts

This weekends Iowa event.

Some thoughts to ponder on as  we head towards this weekends event at Iowa.

• There have been six different winners in the 10 previous Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2018: Sebastien Bourdais (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (ISM Raceway, Barber Motorsports Park and Road America), Alexander Rossi (Streets of Long Beach), Will Power (INDYCAR Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500), Scott Dixon (Raceway at Belle Isle-1 and Texas Motor Speedway) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (Raceway at Belle Isle-2). Dixon's win at Texas on June 9 gave him sole possession of third on the all-time Indy car victory list with 43 wins.

• The Iowa Corn 300 will be the fourth oval race on the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. The previous three races were won by Josef Newgarden (ISM Raceway), Will Power (Indianapolis 500) and Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway). The remaining two oval races will take place at Pocono Raceway (Aug. 19) and Gateway Motorsports Park (Aug. 25).

• The Iowa Corn 300 will be the 12th Verizon IndyCar Series event at Iowa Speedway. Ryan Hunter-Reay is the only active driver to win at Iowa Speedway more than once. Hunter-Reay has three wins (2012, 2014 and 2015). Past winners Josef Newgarden (2016), James Hinchcliffe (2013), Marco Andretti (2011) and Tony Kanaan (2010) are also entered in the event.

• Andretti Autosport has won seven of the 11 previous races at Iowa Speedway, including six of the last eight races (Dario Franchitti 2007, Tony Kanaan 2010, Marco Andretti 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012, 2014 and 2015 and James Hinchcliffe 2013). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins (Dan Wheldon 2008 and Franchitti 2009). Ed Carpenter Racing, which won the event in 2016 with Josef Newgarden, and Team Penske, which won last year's race with Helio Castroneves, have each won at Iowa once.

• Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dario Franchitti are the only drivers to win at Iowa Speedway and win the Verizon IndyCar Series championship in the same season. Hunter-Reay accomplished the feat in 2012 and Franchitti in 2007 and 2009.

• No driver has won the Verizon IndyCar Series race at Iowa Speedway from the pole.

• Four drivers have competed in every Verizon IndyCar Series race at Iowa: Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan. All but Castroneves are entered this year. Fifteen drivers entered have led laps at the track (Kanaan 523, Josef Newgarden 394, James Hinchcliffe 245, Dixon 126, Andretti 94, Will Power 57, Ryan Hunter-Reay 54, Graham Rahal 19, Ed Carpenter 18, Charlie Kimball 17, Simon Pagenaud 13, Takuma Sato 7, Sebastien Bourdais 6, Alexander Rossi 4 and Max Chilton 4).

• Ryan Hunter-Reay finished on the podium in five of the last six Iowa Speedway races (2012-2015 and 2017)... Josef Newgarden has finished on the podium in three of the last four races at Iowa (2014-2016)...Tony Kanaan has finished on the podium in five of his last eight races at Iowa... Marco Andretti has finished on the podium in four of his 11 starts at Iowa Speedway...Scott Dixon has started on pole three times (two earned) and has nine top-10 finishes at Iowa in 11 starts, but he has never finished better than third.

• Five drivers - Spencer Pigot and rookies Zachary Claman De Melo, Matheus Leist, Zach Veach and Robert Wickens - will be competing at Iowa Speedway for the first time in the Verizon IndyCar Series. All but Wickens raced at Iowa in Indy Lights. Leist won at Iowa in 2017.

Race Control - Issue 2

Race Control Issue 2 out soon.

Here is a sneak peak of our cover for Issue 2 of Race Control - The Indy Car Fan magazine. Its due out now in just a few days time and its a massive bumper 2018 Indy 500 Edition and so much more as well. 

We will let you in on it over the next few days.

You will once again be able to get it via ZINIO and it is still not too late to grab a copy of Issue 1.

Here is the direct link for you all.

https://www.zinio.com/race-control-m34249

Race Control magazine is GLOBAL

News of Global Reach for Race Control.

Race Control magazine your IndyCar fan fix is now truely global with ZINIO.

The worlds largest on line magazine store today confirmed that Race Control magazine can now be found in these following countries.

USA

Australia

New Zealand

Canada

UK

Spain

France

Russia

Germany

South Africa

Japan

Argentina

You will find it under the Sports and also Car and Motorcycle  listings or simply enter into the search fields at the top of the screen 'Race Control' and the search will take you directly to the magazine page. Need to find ZINIO thats simple too just search zinio from your browser and you will find it. Magazines purchased via zinio can be read on any device (os or android) or tablet and PC. Its so simple and you can read it anywhere and save to read hundreds of times again.

Issue 1 is currently on sale and Issue 2 will hit the store in just over two weeks from now in a massive bumper Indy 500 Edition and so much more.

Kelly Clarkson at Indy

Music Superstar Kelly Clarkson To Perform National Anthem at 102nd Indianapolis 500.

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 10, 2018 - Multiple Grammy Award-winning superstar Kelly Clarkson will perform the national anthem before the start of the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Clarkson will sing on Race Day in the traditional spot before the 33 drivers are called to their cars in front of the largest single-day spectator sporting event crowd in the world. 

Clarkson, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, first rose to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of "American Idol." She has grown to become one of the most popular artists of any era, with more than 100 No. 1 singles on all Billboard charts and total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles.

She has won three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and one Country Music Association Award.

This will be the second time Clarkson has performed the anthem before the Indianapolis 500, as she also sang in 2011 with Seal while accompanied on piano by David Foster.

"We're thrilled to welcome Kelly back to IMS on Race Day to sing the national anthem for hundreds of thousands of fans in the stands and millions of viewers around the world," IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. "She is an incredible live performer with a wonderful and instantly recognizable voice. We look forward to her rendition of the national anthem during one of the most poignant moments of this iconic global sporting spectacle."

Clarkson has released eight studio albums, one greatest hits album and two children's books. Her most recent album and first for Atlantic Records, the soul-inspired "Meaning of Life," was released in October 2017 and features the Grammy-nominated single "Love So Soft." The album's second and latest single is the stunning ballad "I Don't Think About You."

Plus its now under a week to the launch of Race Control 

The all new IndyCar fan magazine. Its going to be a point of difference and a great read.

Check out the Facebook page and the launch details will be out next week. Its a must.

https://www.facebook.com/racecontrol/

Things changing for the Indy 500 and other pre season changes

Indianapolis 500 qualifying points modified among 2018 rules updates

INDYCAR teams have received the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Official Rule Book that includes rules updates and procedural modifications for the upcoming season. Among the changes are the amount of championship points earned for Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

Qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil are set for May 19-20, a week ahead of the 102nd running of the race on May 27. This year, driver and entrant points will be awarded to the top nine qualifiers for the race. The pole winner earns nine points and the second-fastest qualifier eight points, with awarded points decreasing by one point for each position down to one point earned by the ninth-fastest qualifier.

Race points for the Indianapolis 500 and the 2018 season finale, the Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sept. 16, will still pay double the normal points for driver and entrant.

Among other changes for 2018:

• The qualifying order for all oval track events except the Indianapolis 500 will be determined by entrant points entering the event. The qualifying order will run in reverse order of entrant points, with the highest in entrant points qualifying last. A car without entrant points will be placed at the front of the qualifying line. If more than one car has no entrant points entering an event, a blind draw among those cars will determine their qualifying order at the front of the line. The qualifying order for the Indianapolis 500 will still be determined by a blind draw.
• Times have been set for the series-wide open test at ISM Raceway (formerly Phoenix Raceway), scheduled for Feb. 9-10. The track will be open to all cars from 3-6 p.m. and 8-11 p.m. ET both days. INDYCAR has also added four hours of track time on Feb. 8 (3-7 p.m. ET) for rookie drivers to complete their oval test assessments.
• The series-wide open test at Portland International Raceway will be held Aug. 30, a day prior to the beginning of the Grand Prix of Portland race weekend. Indy car racing returns to the Pacific Northwest for the first time in 11 years in 2018.
• A schedule change for the month of May will see the INDYCAR garages closed on May 13 - the day after the INDYCAR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course - to allow teams time off for Mother's Day. The track will not be open to the public on this day. The garages will be open on May 14, but there will be no on-track activity. Practice for the 2018 Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday, May 15 on the IMS oval, with the first two hours open for rookie orientation and veteran refreshers, then to all cars. Practice continues May 16-18, ahead of qualifications weekend May 19-20.
• INDYCAR is granting teams that did not participate in fall manufacturer testing with the universal aero kit an additional half day of private testing. The testing is limited to one car per team and must take place in conjunction with the team's first on-track test of 2018. Each team is permitted five hours of track time and two sets of Firestone tires.
• Working with Firestone, INDYCAR has increased the tire allotment at five events. The race weekends at ISM Raceway, the Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Texas Motor Speedway, the streets of Toronto and Iowa Speedway will see teams receive an additional set of tires. In a related change, drivers outside the top 10 in the point standings will no longer have an extra set of tires available to them for the opening practice session of a race weekend.
• The minimum car weight for 2018 has been increased by 10 pounds - to 1,620 pounds for road and street courses and short ovals, 1,590 pounds for superspeedways (both do not include fuel, drink bottle and its contents, driver and driver equivalency weight) - to accommodate for new parts and additional on-car cameras related to the universal aero kit all competitors will run in 2018.

The 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule consists of 17 races, beginning with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 11 and concluding with the Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sept. 16. Teams will gather for a series-wide open test at ISM Raceway on Feb. 9-10, with the second day of testing offering free admission for fans to attend.  

Media supplied from IndyCar Media Services and photos from the David Turner collection.

The New Year and lots of IndyCar News.

Jordan King is in a ECR in 2018.

Ed Carpenter Racing officials have announced the completed lineup of the team’s No. 20 Chevrolet with the addition of British driver Jordan King. The native of Warwickshire, England will compete in the 11 road and street course events for Ed Carpenter Racing in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet. The only owner/driver in the Verizon INDYCAR Series, Ed Carpenter, will continue to pilot the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet at all oval races. King’s transition to Indy car racing is the next step in a young career which has seen him ascend the European motorsport ranks. 

Though the 23-year-old has not yet competed in a U.S.-based racing series, he joins the INDYCAR field with numerous accolades, including the FIA Institute’s 2015 Driver of the Year and the 2013 British Formula 3 championship. “I am beyond excited to get started in the Verizon INDYCAR Series,” stated King. “After winning at Silverstone in 2016 and being able to drive in F1 practice, 2017 was not what I was hoping for. Going into the new season, I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity with ECR to work towards our collective goals. I believe that together, both of us have the capability to do well.”

After beginning in karts in 2005, King progressed to single-seaters in 2010. After two years in Formula Renault, King claimed the 2013 British Formula 3 championship in his debut season with three wins and eight podium finishes. He has spent the last three seasons honing his craft in Formula 2, previously known as GP2. While serving as a development driver for Manor F1 in 2015 and 2016, he participated in several tests and drove in practice sessions at the 2016 United States Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Most recently, King competed for MP Motorsport in the 2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship, collecting Top 10 finishes in over half of the races.

“We are very excited to welcome Jordan to the ECR family and to have him in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet for the 2018 road and street course races,” proclaimed team owner Carpenter. “I first met Jordan at Sonoma Raceway in 2016 as he was exploring opportunities in INDYCAR. He is a very motivated, intelligent and hungry driver, which is exactly what we are looking for at ECR. Jordan has had a lot of success and experience in Europe and I can’t wait to see what he is capable of with ECR in the Verizon INDYCAR series.”

Since 2014, the No. 20 has been split between Carpenter on the ovals a second driver at the remaining events. Spencer Pigot became the first driver to retain the No. 20’s road and street course seat for a second season when he drove the car in both 2016 and 2017. The 24-year-old from Orlando, Fla. was promoted to the full-time driver of ECR’s No. 21 entry for the 2018 season, providing King with the opportunity to become the road and street course driver for the No. 20. Indianapolis native Carpenter, 36, will remain the oval driver of the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet in his 16th year of Indy car competition.

King, who will be a true Indy car rookie, is excited for the opportunity to partner with Carpenter, one of the most veteran drivers in the field. “Sharing the No. 20 seat with Ed gives me a great opportunity to learn from him and the team while racing at the road and street courses will let me put into practice what I have learned,” said King. King is represented by UK-based MB Partners. CEO Mark Blundell ( former F1 and ChampCar driver) commented, “The focus for Jordan was to give him a platform to build from in Indy Car and the opportunity with Ed and ECR is the perfect fit. Ed will be a great mentor. Having a full road and street course program alongside some oval testing will allow Jordan to show his racecraft and ability in some of the most competitive open wheel racing in the world today.”

Fans will get closer than ever to INDYCAR action with 2018 TV schedule in the US and the Global Markets.

INDYCAR and its broadcast partners announced the 2018 television schedule today featuring an expanded use of in-car cameras to bring fans the thrilling action of the Verizon IndyCar Series from a variety of new angles in the upcoming 17-race season. 

ABC and NBCSN will utilize never-before-seen views of the intense racing that the Verizon IndyCar Series offers with cameras strategically placed on the universal bodywork kit that is new for all cars in 2018. In addition to the traditional in-car position above and behind the driver's head, cameras will be mounted to the nose, sidepod and rear attenuator. There also will be expanded use of the popular visor cam mounted on the driver's helmet and pioneered by INDYCAR. 

"This is a unique opportunity to bring the sport even closer to the television audience," said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., which owns INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "INDYCAR has experienced 38 percent growth in audience over the past four years and providing a firsthand look at the exhilarating action is a way to win over even more fans." 

The 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada. ABC will again air five races, beginning March 11 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (12:30 p.m. ET), which opens the season for the eighth consecutive year. The network rejoins the series on May 12 for the fifth annual INDYCAR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (3:30 p.m. ET). 

ABC will celebrate its 54th year at the Indianapolis 500 with qualifying May 19-20 (4 p.m. ET) and the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 27 (11 a.m. ET). 

"The Indianapolis 500 is one of the world's iconic sporting events and it's always an honor for ESPN and ABC to bring the pageantry and excitement to our viewers as we have for the past 53 years," said Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president, programming and scheduling. "And with the other big events of the month of May at Indy as well as the season opener at St. Petersburg and the doubleheader in Detroit on our calendar, IndyCar Series fans will have the opportunity to enjoy a robust schedule of racing events from a diverse selection of venues." 

The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, the only doubleheader weekend on the 2018 schedule, will conclude ABC's coverage for the season (June 2-3, each broadcast starting at 3:30 p.m. ET). 

Twelve 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series races will be telecast by NBCSN, which in 2017 saw a 3 percent increase in viewership over the previous year. The network kicks off its season under the lights at ISM Raceway (formerly Phoenix Raceway) on April 7 (9 p.m. ET), followed by the historic Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (April 15, 4 p.m. ET) and Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (April 22, 3 p.m. ET). 

Two NBCSN races will have earlier time slots than last year. The Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway on July 8 will air at 2 p.m. ET, while the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park will air at 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 25. 

NBCSN will also air Miller Lite Carb Day activities on May 25 (11 a.m. ET), which includes final practice for the Indianapolis 500 and the marquee race of the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires schedule, the Freedom 100. NBCSN will track the hunt for the Verizon IndyCar Series championship throughout its coverage of the final nine races of the season, including the previously announced new race at Portland International Raceway on Sept. 2 (2:30 p.m. ET) and culminating in the championship finale at Sonoma Raceway on Sept. 16 (6:30 p.m. ET). 

"As the cable home of the Verizon IndyCar Series, NBCSN is proud to once again showcase the exciting racing that INDYCAR delivers at each event," said Jon Miller, president, programming, NBC Sports Group. "Our schedule features iconic circuits like Long Beach and Road America and the final nine races of the season, including INDYCAR's return to Portland, as we crown another INDYCAR champion on NBCSN in 2018." 

         For U.S. readers this is the broadcast breakdown of the 2018 Season

INDYCAR names Novak as Verizon IndyCar Series race director

INDYCAR has named veteran race official Kyle Novak as race director for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations, made the announcement today.

As race director, Novak will lead operations in Race Control at all Verizon IndyCar Series events. Race Control utilizes a variety of video, audio and data communications to oversee all aspects of competition and assure a safe, timely and competitive event. Novak will also work in conjunction with INDYCAR's race stewards to initiate reviews of on-track incidents, though it will remain with the panel of stewards to decide whether a penalty should be levied against a driver or team.

"Throughout our extensive search for a race director, one name was mentioned repeatedly - and that was Kyle Novak," Frye said. "We have been aware of Kyle's work for the past couple of years. He's clearly impressed those he's worked with and, after meeting with him, we knew he would be a great fit for our Race Control team. Kyle has a great future and we couldn't be more excited to have him as part of INDYCAR."

Novak has spent the past three years as a race director or steward for various sports car series sanctioned by IMSA, but the 36-year-old attorney by trade has a lengthy motorsports resume. It began in drag racing, where for years he has joined his father and brother in amateur bracket racing competition near their home in Dexter, Michigan, outside Ann Arbor. They own two cars.

"Always been a gearhead," Novak said. "Always working on cars; muscle cars, mostly. That's how I got my feet wet, and then one thing led to another. And here I am."

Novak's introduction to Indy car racing came as the operations manager and director of operations for the group promoting Champ Car races in Cleveland, Denver and Houston from 2004-08. His jobs in the years that followed were as a program manager for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series with the Sports Car Club of America; a team manager for the Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup Series now sanctioned by INDYCAR; and then IMSA, where he has been race director for the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge and Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge, while also serving as a race steward for IMSA's top series, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Novak said the chance to work with Frye and other staff members he already knows simplified the decision to join INDYCAR.

"Jay and I hit it off immediately - it's the fresh outlook he brings that is a huge part of it (for me)," Novak said. "Ironically enough, three people who work in INDYCAR Race Control are some of the first people I met in the industry, and that goes all the way back to 2004. Those are among the key people I'll be working with on a day-to-day basis. There's a great deal of familiarity with them.

"Motorsports is such a small industry that many of the people who have helped me over the years have stayed with me as industry colleagues. But INDYCAR has always been at the forefront of professional motorsports in North America, and I had the opportunity on several occasions to witness that first hand, since many IMSA races are run in conjunction with INDYCAR events. I can't thank the people at IMSA enough for the opportunities I was given and for their assistance in making this a smooth transition to INDYCAR. "I can't wait to get started."

The 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season consists of 17 races, beginning with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 11, concluding with the Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sept. 16 and anchored by the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 27. The season will feature the highly anticipated introduction of the sleek new universal aero kit on every competing car.

Only one week into the New year and lots of announcements already and plenty more to come as well in whats shaping up to be a massive 2018 racing season.

Photos and Media Quotes provided by IndyCar Media

Look who is coming back in 2018 to the Indy 500.

Danica Plans To Race in 102nd Indianapolis 500 Next May.

                                                  Danica Patrick on the Yard of Bricks at Indy in 2005

Announced  on Friday November 17th in Indianapolis - Fan favourite Danica Patrick plans to race in the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil in May 2018, the last start in her barrier-breaking career as a race driver.

Patrick, from Roscoe, Illinois, has made seven career starts in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" from 2005-11, setting a number of milestones for female drivers.

Her best finish - third in 2009 - and start - fourth as a rookie in 2005 - both are records for female drivers in the "500." She also has led 29 laps during her "500" career, including 19 in her electrifying debut in 2005. Both also are race records for a female driver.

"This will be my last season as a full-time driver," Patrick said of 2017. "I'm not totally done. I'm going to do the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 next year, and I'm really excited about that. I think it's going to be a great way to cap it off."

Patrick, 35, intends to complete a "Danica Double" comprised of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway and then the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the last two starts in her career.

She has raced full time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing since 2013, including five consecutive starts in the Big Machine Brickyard 400.

Patrick did not reveal during the press conference at Homestead-Miami Speedway the team with which she will make her final Indianapolis 500 start.

"We're glad Danica plans to return to the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil next May," IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. "Her final career start will make what's already shaping up to be a terrific Month of May even more interesting for our fans.

"It's also fitting that Danica is wrapping up her career at the place and in the race where she became a household name and captured the world's attention in 2005 - the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. We're looking forward to seeing her back in an Indy car next May alongside all of the tremendous drivers of the Verizon IndyCar Series."

Tickets for all Month of May events in 2018 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the fifth annual INDYCAR Grand Prix and the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, are on sale now at IMS.com and the IMS Ticket Office.

The vibe for the 2018 IndyCar Series is already in full flight and now with this news surrounding the magic month of May its only getting better thats for sure.

Media and Photo with thanks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dixon's new Team Mate for 2018.

Ed Jones will have a new home for the 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series. 

Chip Ganassi Racing announced last week that the 22-year-old from Dubai will join the team as the driver of the No. 10 NTT Data Honda.

"We’ve been following Ed’s career for quite some time now and are pleased we are able to add him to strengthen our Indy car lineup,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “He has a year of Indy Car racing under his belt now and is the type of young talent that we were looking for. We can’t wait to get him on the race track.”

Jones, the 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year, scored a best finish of third at the Indianapolis 500 this season for Dale Coyne Racing after taking the Indy Lights championship in 2016 on the strength of two wins and nine podium finishes. He raced in Europe until 2015 when he moved to the U.S. to compete in Indy Lights with Carlin, winning his first three starts in the series.

“This is truly an honor to have the opportunity to drive for Chip, his organization and to represent NTT Data,” Jones said. “Chip runs one of the biggest and best motor racing teams in the world, and equally as important, is a proven winner across each series he competes in from Le Mans to Indianapolis and beyond. I want to get up to speed quickly and learn as much as I can.”

Jones will be paired with Scott Dixon, a four-time INDYCAR champion and 41-time Indy Car race winner, in Ganassi’s lineup. He said he’s looking forward to learning from his teammate.

“Scott is a legend in the sport, and to get the chance to team with him is an amazing opportunity,” Jones added. “I think I’m joining the team at a perfect time when the playing field is being reset with common aero kits, and everyone is adjusting to a new formula. I'm really looking forward to getting in the car and getting underway with our 2018 campaign.”

Dixon on Oval Testing

Last week at Fort Worth Texas.Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe enjoyed their first superspeedway oval trial with INDYCAR’s universal aero kit in a Honda manufacturer test at Texas Motor Speedway.

Dixon (above) drove the Chip Ganassi Racing car while Hinchcliffe – officially re-signed last week to a multiyear extension – was in the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry, with Honda officials closely monitoring the session on the manufacturer test day in preparation for the 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series season. Other Honda-supplied teams also had a representative on hand to watch the testing on the 1.5-mile oval.

“Today, we’re learning everything,” said Hinchcliffe, who finished second to Graham Rahal in the 2016 race at Texas Motor Speedway by 0.008 of a second, the closest finish in track history. “The kit obviously is brand new and a lot of different elements and components to it. This is our first chance as teams to take a first crack at it on a speedway. I think Scott and I were pretty impressed with it right out of the box. It does all the things that a race car should do and not a whole lot of the things that a race car shouldn’t do, which unfortunately has been something we’ve dealt with the past couple years with the (previous) aero kit. So excited to finally get some miles on it and just keep learning.”

In addition to testing for Honda, Dixon and Hinchcliffe also assisted sanctioning body INDYCAR in determining proper downforce levels to run in the 2018 race at Texas Motor Speedway. “That’s part of what we’re trying to do here today for INDYCAR,” said Hinchcliffe. “The one characteristic that I don’t think there’s much you can do about – and it can be a very good thing – is the car does seem to close up on the car it’s following much faster than the old car. There were times here, there were times at Pocono, times at Indy where you felt you just needed that last little bit of speed and you were having to pop out very late to make moves. I don’t think that is going to be an issue with this car. It seems to punch a big enough hole (in the air) and catch up to the car in front pretty well. So if we can balance that out with the mid-corner grip and mid-corner speeds, hopefully we can avoid getting into any kind of group situation that is not desired.  It’s a bit early to tell what it’s going to be like, but I think we’ll get it sorted.”

Dixon, the four-time Verizon INDYCAR Series champion who will be entering his 18th Indy car season in 2018, pointed out the differences in the new kit’s car performance compared to the aero kit used the past three seasons developed by Honda and Chevrolet. “It’s just a just a lot less grip,” said Dixon. “You’ve got to brake earlier. The car doesn’t roll the speed as fast through the corner. The power down is not as good, but you’re going down the straights faster, too. It’s a fair amount less drag. I think that some of the tracks we’re seeing an increase of about 10 mph top speed on road courses, and even today the speeds are creeping up pretty quickly compared to the last car. For me, I think it’s a welcomed adjustment. Being a universal kit is one thing that I definitely look forward to and then, secondly, the car being generally more difficult to drive is one thing that is, for me, a good thing as well.”

Manufacturer testing continues through the end of the calendar year, with team testing commencing in January. The first series-wide official test is scheduled for Feb. 9-10 at Phoenix Raceway. The 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series season opens with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, from March 9-11

Media Information via IndyCar Media Services.

The Championship at Sonoma

The chase for the 2017 Indy Car Championship.

It all comes down to the final race – again. Saturday in Sonoma saw Verizon Indy Car Series points leader Josef Newgarden withstand constant pressure from his nearest championship competitors, setting a track record to win the Verizon P1 Award in GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma qualifying.

Newgarden earned his first pole of the season and second of his six-year career with a scintillating last lap of 1 minute, 15.5205 seconds (113.691 mph) on Sonoma Raceway's 2.385-mile, 12-turn permanent road course. The championship bonus point Newgarden collected for winning the pole stretched his advantage to four points over Scott Dixon heading into Sunday's season finale that offers double race points.

It set up the dramatic run for the pole. Newgarden - the only Team Penske driver to use a new set of the Firestone alternate tires in the first round - was quickest in the Firestone Fast Six with another lap record completed on a used set of red-sidewall alternates despite his teammates each having a new set of the softer alternates at their disposal.

"We were behind the eight ball there, for sure, after the first round," Newgarden said. "We made the best decision we could as a group. There was no way we couldn't run the reds (in first-round qualifying) because we just had no idea what people were going to run.

For Dixon he scrapped though the first round of qualifying at a track where the Chevy aero kit seems to have the upper hand over the Honda set up. He did make it to the final section in qualifying the fast six, which was a positive sign apart from the gang of Penske drivers up front "The car was kind of decent to drive, but just couldn't carry the speed through the corners," said Dixon, seeking his fifth Verizon Indy Car Series championship. A win Sunday would accomplish the feat.

"Good to make it through to where we did," Dixon added. "It was definitely hard work, a big credit to the team. Sixth position, you can definitely make lots happen from there. I think in '15 we started ninth when we won that race (and the championship). Definitely you'd want to be a little further up, but that's the way it goes."

The starting order for the race and the grid for the last race of the championship season looked like this and with that the die was set for the one race shoot out for the championship title.

1. (2) Josef Newgarden,                                     Chevrolet,                  01:15.5205 (113.691) 
2. (12) Will Power,                                            Chevrolet,                  01:15.5556 (113.638)
3. (1) Simon Pagenaud,                                    Chevrolet,                   01:15.6356 (113.518)
4. (3) Helio Castroneves,                                  Chevrolet,                  01:15.8032 (113.267)
5. (26) Takuma Sato,                                         Honda,                       01:16.2208 (112.646)
6. (9) Scott Dixon,                                             Honda,                       01:16.3978 (112.385)
7. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay,                                 Honda,                       01:16.1815 (112.705)
8. (98) Alexander Rossi,                                     Honda,                      01:16.1934 (112.687)
9. (15) Graham Rahal,                                        Honda,                      01:16.1968 (112.682)
10. (18) Sebastien Bourdais,                               Honda,                      01:16.5811 (112.116)
11. (27) Marco Andretti,                                     Honda,                      01:16.8221 (111.765)
12. (10) Tony Kanaan,                                        Honda,                       01:16.9718 (111.547)
13. (4) Conor Daly,                                             Chevrolet,                   01:17.1016 (111.360) 
14. (8) Max Chilton,                                            Honda,                       01:16.7581 (111.858)
15. (83) Charlie Kimball,                                     Honda,                       01:17.1417 (111.302)
16. (5) James Hinchcliffe,                                    Honda,                       01:16.9539 (111.573)
17. (20) Spencer Pigot,                                        Chevrolet,                  01:17.2662 (111.122)
18. (19) Ed Jones,                                                 Honda,                      01:17.0231 (111.473)
19. (7) Jack Harvey,                                             Honda,                       01:17.2722 (111.114)
20. (21) JR Hildebrand,                                     Chevrolet,                   01:17.1602 (111.275)
21. (13) Zachary Claman DeMelo,                    Honda,                        01:17.2814 (111.100)
22. (14) Carlos Munoz,                                     Chevrolet,                   01:17.2507 (111.145)

Sunday dawned a great sunny warm morning clearing skies after early morning fog and an atmosphere you could cut a knife though as everyone along the paddock area could sense there was to be a lot on the line today. The morning warm up pretty much went in a flash with nothing major to report. Newgarden looking calm and busy taking selfies in the pit lane before jumping in the car, Dixon had a slightly concerned look but proved to be very fast in the session.

A few hours later and it was race time, the anthems played, the driver intros happened and the day time fireworks went with a bang and the then it was game time 85 laps and pretty much winner take all.

For Team Penske, it was to become the perfect day. Simon Pagenaud won the race to conclude the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Teammate Josef Newgarden finished second to wrap up the championship.

Pagenaud, the 2016 champion driving the No. 1 DXC Technology Team Penske Chevrolet, beat Newgarden to the finish line by 1.0986 seconds to win the 85-lap race at Sonoma Raceway. It was the Frenchman's 11th career victory and second straight on the 2.385-mile, 12-turn permanent road course. A year ago, Pagenaud won from the pole position at Sonoma to sew up his first championship. It did manage to get a little tense when after the last batch of pit stops came and the NO 1 car took the lead as Newgarden looked to have a shot of passing him but was reminded via team radio to be smart and smart he was.

He clinched his first title and the $1 million champion's prize by finishing second in the race. The 26-year-old Tennessean held off Pagenaud by 13 points in the final standings to become the first American driver to win the championship since Ryan Hunter-Reay five years ago. If ever Indy Car needed to sell the series within its own country yet again the have the most ideal way to do it and market this new champ.

"I don't even know what to say," said Newgarden, the driver of the No. 2 hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet who made his 100th career start today. "It was all year and it took a lot to make it happen. Thank you to my teammates. They were giving me a lot of help to make sure we got this done. It's a huge team effort at Team Penske.

"To finally get it done is a dream come true."

The championship is the 15th for Team Penske, the most decorated team in Indy car history. Newgarden joins the likes of Tom Sneva, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser Jr., Gil de Ferran, Sam Hornish Jr., Will Power and Pagenaud as Team Penske drivers to win an Indy car title.

"I've had so many great drivers, and as I said, I don't have a favorite," team owner Roger Penske said. "I can't compare (Newgarden) to anyone exactly. He's an American, which is special in this sport because many of the other drivers have come from overseas and different parts of the world. To see Josef kind of take this route and be at the top right now is pretty exciting."

The race ran caution-free for the first time in Sonoma Raceway history, which now spans 14 Indy car events. Newgarden and Pagenaud each led 41 laps. Pagenaud opted for a four-stop strategy to Newgarden's three pit stops, but the Frenchman made up the extra time in pit lane by turning faster laps on an open track.

Pagenaud completed all 2,331 laps this season, becoming just the second driver to finish every lap in a season. Tony Kanaan was the first, when he completed all 3,305 laps when he won the 2004 championship.

"We did what we had to do," Pagenaud said. "We tried. We won the race; it wasn't enough. It's a whole championship. You've got to be strong in every race and I guess Josef was a little stronger this year, so we'll come back. Thirteen points. Next year we'll come back and give him a hell of a competition again."

Power, the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion, gave Team Penske a race podium sweep by placing third in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske. Scott Dixon finished fourth in the No. 9 NTT Data Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing to clinch third in the standings, 23 points behind Newgarden. It is the 11th time in his 17-year career that Dixon, a four-time champion, has finished in the top three in points. The kiwi may not have won the title but by heck his stats are so impressive, 11 times in the top 3 at a season end just for starters wow. Big points lost at both Indy and Texas were without a doubt the areas where it perhaps got away from the very likeable kiwi. Speaking after the race  Dixon said "It just seems like the No. 3 car covered us. Every time we short-pitted they followed us and he was just a massive roadblock. Once we got into clean air, we were able to make up ground, but every time we got into traffic we got real loose. Huge credit to everyone on the NTT Data crew obviously not the way we wanted to finish. A big congrats to Penske and Josef (Newgarden) on a job well done."

Speaking of number 3 Helio Castroneves wrapped up fourth in the standings by finishing fifth in the race driving the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Completing his 20th year racing Indy cars, the 42-year-old Brazilian is still in search of his first series championship.

By finishing third in the race, Power - the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion - earned fifth place in the standings.

In what really became a rather uneventful race it had plenty in it as the power of four Penske cars took on the lone Ganassi entry.

In the recent days since the event so much has happened, Castroneves tested the Penske sports car the very next day across the other side of the country in Florida and there is still some talk of him remaining in Indy Car full time and that announcement will come in the next few weeks. TK confirmed the move to A.J. Foyt racing for 2018 so someone (Daly or Munoz) wont be staying there, Sato was officially confirmed at Rahal Letterman Racing for next season, it’s a shame he wont be at Andretti Autosport in 2018 to build on a great year in 2017 and then the Ganassi news of Wednesday 20^th of only two full time cars in 2018 for Dixon stays while the others have either moved on or gone and hmm Brendon Hartley making it an all kiwi line up next season – well watch that space but the rumours are very strong that’s for sure. Ganassi saying on Wednesday its time to get back to running two strong entries and running them well. I think there is more to come in this story yet that’s for sure.

So recapping the race this is how it finished up.

1. (3) Simon Pagenaud,                                     Chevrolet,                   85, Running 
2. (1) Josef Newgarden,                                     Chevrolet,                   85, Running
3. (2) Will Power,                                               Chevrolet,                   85, Running
4. (6) Scott Dixon,                                             Honda,                         85, Running
5. (4) Helio Castroneves,                                   Chevrolet,                    85, Running
6. (9) Graham Rahal,                                          Honda,                         85, Running
7. (11) Marco Andretti,                                      Honda,                          85, Running
8. (7) Ryan Hunter-Reay,                                   Honda,                          85, Running
9. (10) Sebastien Bourdais,                                Honda,                          85, Running
10. (13) Conor Daly,                                          Chevrolet,                    85, Running
11. (15) Charlie Kimball,                                   Honda,                         85, Running
12. (14) Max Chilton,                                        Honda,                         85, Running
13. (17) Spencer Pigot,                                     Chevrolet,                   84, Running
14. (20) JR Hildebrand,                                     Chevrolet,                   84, Running
15. (22) Carlos Munoz,                                     Chevrolet,                   84, Running 
16. (12) Tony Kanaan,                                       Honda,                        84, Running                 
17. (21) Zachary Claman DeMelo,                  Honda,                         84, Running
18. (19) Jack Harvey,                                        Honda,                        84, Running
19. (18) Ed Jones,                                              Honda,                        69, Off Course
20. (5) Takuma Sato,                                          Honda,                        62, Off Course 
21. (8) Alexander Rossi,                                    Honda,                        60, Running
22. (16) James Hinchcliffe,                               Honda,                         52, Electrical 

Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 104.968 mph
Time of Race: 1:55:52.6840
Margin of victory: 1.0986 seconds
Cautions: 0
Lead changes: 6 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Newgarden 1-17 
Daly 18-20 
Pagenaud 21-29 
Newgarden 30-39 
Pagenaud 40-47 
Newgarden 48-61 
Pagenaud 62-85 

Verizon IndyCar Series point standings: Newgarden 642, Pagenaud 629, Dixon 621, Castroneves 598, Power 562, Rahal 522, Rossi 494, Sato 441, Hunter-Reay 421, Kanaan 403.

Coming soon I will review the 2017 season and look back at some of the stand outs of the great season it was and now we count down to 2018. Ganassi already back into it this weekend with an official test planned with the 2018 aero kit.

Media quotes via Indy Car Media Services.

Photos David Turner