Monday Practice for the 500

Interesting Mix of times on Monday.

It is a very interesting read of the timesheet after there final session on track on Monday before the quick dash on Carb Day and then the 500 itself.
Its a very open field for the 102nd running of the great race.

Don't forget Issue 1 of Race Control out now to complete your month of May reading

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

You can also follow our updates on FaceBook as well.
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More on the 2018 IndyCar Look

The new look 2018 Indy Car style and the above reflects the Super Speedway set up.

This shot reflects the road course and shot oval configuration.

While this shot above shows it in the full Super Speedway mode.

Another shot above showing again the road course shot oval set up.

Then the Super Speedway set up.

A side full on the short oval road course look.

While again the super speedway look.

Finally the front end look in road course short oval spec.

Then finally the Super Speedway front end.

It all looks like a great redesign of the car and roll on 2018.


Photos supplied from IndyCar Media.

New look IndyCar in 2018

IndyCar have announced that longtime partner Dallara Automobili will manufacture the universal bodywork kit that will fit the current Dallara IR-12 chassis for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The universal kit to be used by all teams next season was a collaboration between INDYCAR and Dallara with the style design support of Chris Beatty, a concept design and 3D animation consultant based in the United Kingdom. The goal was to make the car resemble past Indy car favorites with a sleek, bold look while incorporating the latest technological and safety advancements.

The process of creating the next-generation Indy car began in April 2016 when INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the premier North American open-wheel racing series, set the criteria for potential manufacturers. The design process commenced in November with hand drawings outlining the general design of the car.

"This has been a collaborative effort from multiple parties, including input from our paddock and fans," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations.

"Dallara has been a great partner, and we couldn't be more enthused with the look, the safety enhancements and the performance objectives of the 2018 car."

Dallara has supplied safety cells for the Verizon IndyCar Series since 1997 and been the sole chassis supplier since 2008. It has also supplied since 2015 the chassis used in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the top level of the INDYCAR developmental ladder. Dallara will continue to support Verizon IndyCar Series teams through its U.S. headquarters and engineering center a few blocks south of Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.

"2017 marks the 20th anniversary of our presence in INDYCAR, and it is a great honor for us to continue our partnership with the Verizon IndyCar Series," said Andrea Pontremoli, Dallara CEO and general manager. "Our main goal for the new aero kit was to work on the style, trying to maintain the American essence of the car and the series keeping a good level of performance and safety."

INDYCAR has scheduled the first test of the universal kit's superspeedway oval configuration for July 25-26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The road-course configuration will be tested Aug. 1 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the day following the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, the 13th race on this year's Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Other tests are scheduled for Aug. 28 (at Iowa Speedway) and Sept. 26 (at Sebring International Raceway).

INDYCAR unveiled first renderings of the 2018 car design Jan. 12 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Additional, more detailed images followed in March and May.

Verizon IndyCar Series teams will still be able to choose between Chevrolet and Honda engines for competition in 2018. 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.

A key component of the new car is its ability to generate most of its downforce from underneath as opposed to the top side, which differs from the current bodywork kits. The change reduces the turbulence a leading car produces in its wake, improving the chances of a trailing car to make a pass. More passing typically generates more exciting racing.

INDYCAR's aerodynamic target safety enhancements include side impact structures in the car's 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 to provide a more traditional Indy car look. 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 street course/road course/short oval configuration is lower and wider. The fins on the leading edge of the sidepods of the current car will be minimized on the 2018 car.

Information supplied from IndyCar Media Services.

101st Indy 500 Final Results

This is now the official results of the 101st Indianapolis 500  and the Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, aero kit-engine, laps completed reason out (if any), and and prize money earned:

1. (4) Takuma Sato, Honda, 200, Running, $2,458,129
2. (19) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $770,629
3. (11) Ed Jones, Honda, 200, Running, $535,629 
4. (15) Max Chilton, Honda, 200, Running, $484,129
5. (7) Tony Kanaan, Honda, 200, Running, $438,129 
6. (18) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $255,805
7. (3) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 200, Running, $420,629 
8. (8) Marco Andretti, Honda, 200, Running, $384,629 
9. (25) Gabby Chaves, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $235,305 
10. (24) Carlos Munoz, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $364,129 
11. (2) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $395,129 
12. (14) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200, Running, $361,129 
13. (13) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 200, Running, $355,629 
14. (23) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $349,129 
15. (31) Sebastian Saavedra, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $210,305 
16. (6) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $345,129 
17. (28) Pippa Mann, Honda, 199, Running, $200,305
18. (29) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 194, Running, $200,305 
19. (22) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 186, Running, $334,129 
20. (33) James Davison, Honda, 183, v355,129 
21. (12) Oriol Servia, Honda, 183, Contact, $200,305 
22. (17) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 183, Contact, $349,129 
23. (9) Will Power, Chevrolet, 183, Contact, $388,129 
24. (5) Fernando Alonso, Honda, 179, Mechanical, $305,805 
25. (16) Charlie Kimball, Honda, 166, Mechanical, $339,129 
26. (32) Zach Veach, Chevrolet, 155, Mechanical, $200,805 
27. (10) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 136, Mechanical, $351,629 
28. (21) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 125, Mechanical, $202,805 
29. (30) Buddy Lazier, Chevrolet, 118, Contact, $200,305 
30. (26) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 65, Contact, $334,129 
31. (27) Jack Harvey, Honda, 65, Contact, $205,805 
32. (1) Scott Dixon, Honda, 52, Contact, $446,629 
33. (20) Jay Howard, Honda, 45, Contact, $200,305 

Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 155.395 mph
Time of Race: 3:13:03.3584 
Margin of victory: 0.2011 of a second
Cautions: 11 for 50 laps
Lead changes: 35 among 15 drivers


Lap Leaders:
Dixon 1-5 
Kanaan 6-27
Carpenter 28-29
Hildebrand 30
Montoya 31
Carpenter 32-34
Rossi 35-36
Alonso 37-42
Rossi 43-47
Alonso 48-60
Rossi 61-64
Sato 65-75
Rossi 76-78
Hunter-Reay 79-81
Power 82-83
Chilton 84-86
Hunter-Reay 87-89
Rossi 90-93
Hunter-Reay 94-95
Castroneves 96-103
Hunter-Reay 104
Rossi 105-109
Hunter-Reay 110-112
Rahal 113-114
Hunter-Reay 115-129
Alonso 130-134
Hunter-Reay 135
Alonso 136-138
Chilton 139-142
Kimball 143-147
Chilton 148-165
Davison 166-167 
Hildebrand 168
Chilton 169-193
Castroneves 194
Sato 195-200

Verizon IndyCar Series point standings: Castroneves 245, Pagenaud 234, Sato 234, Dixon 234,Rossi 190, Kanaan 188, Power 186, Newgarden 186, Jones 185, Hinchcliffe 170, Chilton 170.

Photo David Turner collection
Stats and info Indy Car Media

Sato takes the 101st Indy 500

Sato becomes first Japanese winner of Indy 500 in thrilling finish.

Sunday, May 28, 2017. Kiwi Team Manger for Sato played a major role in the race win for first time winner Sato. New Zealander Paul (Ziggy) Harcus well known in the IndyCar paddock claimed another 500 victory today and back to back wins as well in his role as team manager at Andretti Autosport and today May 28th 2017 in his season role this season in charge of race tactics for Sato.

Many wondered if an experienced Formula One driver competing for Andretti Autosport could win the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. It happened, just not by the one some expected.

Takuma Sato capped off another thrilling Indianapolis 500 that featured a record number of drivers leading the race. The driver of the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda edged three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves to the finish line by 0.2011 of a second to become the first Japanese winner of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Sato passed Castroneves for the lead on Lap 195 - the last of 35 lead changes in the 200-lap race on the historic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and the seventh straight year that the decisive pass for the Indy 500 lead occurred in the last six laps. Sato held off aggressive charges from Castroneves, the driver of the No. 3 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet, in the sixth-closest finish in Indy 500 history.

After spending seven years in Formula One, Sato came to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2010. His only previous Indy car victory was in 2013 with AJ Foyt Racing on the streets of Long Beach, California. Sato joined Andretti Autosport this season, and his first oval win today is the fifth for Andretti Autosport in the Indianapolis 500 - including three in the last four years.

"It's such a privilege to win here," said Sato, who crashed while battling eventual winner Dario Franchitti for the lead on the final lap of the 2012 Indy 500. "So whether it was the first attempt or eighth attempt or you had a drama in the past, it doesn't really matter. Winning today, it's just superb.

"But, yes, I do feel after 2012 I really needed to correct something I left over. Today, I was so happy that I made it and won in a good move."

Sato is the 71st driver to win an Indianapolis 500 in its 101 runnings. The best previous finish by a Japanese driver was fifth by Tora Takagi in 2003.

Castroneves overcame a black-flag penalty for jumping a restart and dodged mayhem in two race incidents to finish second at Indy for the third time - making him one of seven drivers with three Indianapolis 500 runner-up finishes. It is the 41st second-place finish of the Brazilian's 20-year Indy car career, which ranks second all time.

"The Shell Fuel Rewards Chevy team almost got it done today," said Castroneves, attempting for the eighth straight year to join A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as four-time Indy 500 winners. "It was so close. 

"I say, 'great job' to my guys," added Castroneves, who recovered from his worst Indy 500 start (19th) and the pit drive-through penalty to finish runner-up. "They worked their tails off, we saw it all today. We were in the back and we led some laps. We avoided disaster and we almost got (win) No. 4."

Dale Coyne Racing rookie Ed Jones finished a career-best third. Like Castroneves, Jones had to climb from the rear of the field after having the rear wing assembly on his No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda replaced during a pit stop.

"We kept pushing on, kept making up positions," the 23-year-old from Dubai said. "I had a great Dale Coyne Racing car underneath me the whole way that got me to make those passes. ... Congrats to Sato. I didn't really have the pace for him and Helio at the end, but we did the best we could."

Fernando Alonso was the most heralded rookie coming into the race. The two-time Formula One champion, who bypassed today's F1 Monaco Grand Prix to fulfill a dream to drive in the Indy 500, started fifth, ran up front most of the day and led 27 laps in the No. 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti Honda. Alonso's race came to a premature conclusion 24th place with a mechanical issue after 179 laps.

"Obviously disappointed not to finish the race because every race you compete, you want to be at the checkered flag," Alonso said. "Today, (it) was not possible. Anyway, (it) was a great experience, the last two weeks. I came here basically to prove myself, to challenge myself. I know that I can be as quick as anyone in an F1 car. I didn't know if I can be as quick as anyone in an Indy car.

"Thanks to IndyCar, an amazing experience," the 35-year-old Spaniard added. "Thanks to Indianapolis, thanks to the fans. I felt at home. I'm not American, but I felt really proud to race here."

Despite going a lap down early with handling issues, Chip Ganassi Racing's Max Chilton led the most laps (50) before finishing fourth. It was the best showing of the 26-year-old Brit's two-year Verizon IndyCar Series career.

"I don't think anyone has ever won this race without a little bit of luck," said Chilton, driver of the No. 8 Gallagher Honda. "When we did end up getting out front, the car was really quick and you can see why this place is so special and so electric in that moment. ... To come from a lap down to lead and have a chance to win here at Indy is a massive accomplishment for the whole team."  

A total of 15 drivers led the event, breaking the record of 14 set in 2013. The race was slowed by 11 cautions periods for a total of 50 laps. A red flag stopped action for 19 minutes to repair the SAFER Barrier and catch fencing in the short chute between Turns 1 and 2. It was the result of a Lap 53 collision between Jay Howard and pole sitter Scott Dixon that vaulted Dixon's car into the safety materials on the inside of the track. Neither driver was injured.

"I'm just a little beaten up," said Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Camping World Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. "It was definitely a bit of a rough ride.

"I was hoping that Jay was going to stay against the wall, but obviously, there was the impact. I had already picked that way to go and there was nowhere else to go to avoid him. It was definitely a wild ride. Big thanks to the Holmatro Safety Team, INDYCAR and Dallara and everyone for the safety standards we have on these cars."

Buddy Lazier was involved in a single-car incident on Lap 122. The 1996 Indy 500 winner spun and contacted the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier in the No. 44 Lazier Racing-StalkIt-Tivoli Lodge Chevrolet. Complaining of chest discomfort, Lazier was transported to IU Health Methodist Hospital, where he was treated and released.

The final caution flag waved on Lap 184 when the cars of James Davison and Oriol Servia touched in Turn 2, sparking a five-car incident that also collected James Hinchcliffe, Josef Newgarden and Will Power. None of the drivers was injured.

Sato becomes the sixth different winner in as many Verizon IndyCar Series races this season and jumps to third place in the standings. Castroneves leads with 245 points while reigning series champion Simon Pagenaud, Sato and Dixon each has 234. Alexander Rossi is fifth in points with 190 after finishing seventh today.

Photo of Paul Harcus at IMS 2016 David Turner Collection

Media quotes ex IndyCar Media

Alonso, Phoenix and Dixon

Alonso, Dixon Phoenix and More.

After spending the last week in Las Vegas at a Television Expo and Conference (my real job) what better thing to do than jump in the car and shoot over to Phoenix for two days it’s only a short little drive just a few hours so easy.

Worth it? Heck yes. This great one-mile dogleg oval in the desert is demanding interesting scary and cool all wrapped up into one that’s for sure. Even the pit lane for the IndyCars stretches along the main straightaway and into turn one so some teams are even pitting on a curve. Now that requires focus from the driver that’s for sure. More on that soon.

News surrounding the 101^st Indy 500 seems to be all focused around one thing ‘Alonso’ and anything about him. News from a very good source is that at the Honda simulator test he did last week before heading back to Europe for this weekends Russian F1 Grand Prix he was on it. Not in a little way either he was straight into his work and started really turning good times and positive feedback to everyone at Honda. Naturally of course come May 3rd and his private test at the speedway it might be a different ball game but the gut feeling is this guy could be on the verge of something very special indeed. I watched him last week at Alabama and his associated press conferences and I have never seen him so relaxed, so free to talk and meet the fans and that can only mean one thing to me, take note everyone this guy is here to turn heads and win a race that’s for sure.

Recently in the US Media he commented how amazed he is from the fan base in the US. He spoke of his F1 trips here where hardly anyone knew who he was, while this trip during a flight delay at a New York airport he had masses of people come up and wish him the best and complement him on the road ahead. Such a different thing for him. He is in for many different things in the coming weeks the U.S. media do things different to F1, the fans are different as well and above all the series is different but its one he is welcomed to and one he seems to be very happy with and so very relaxed about the job in hand. It all bodes well for a great showing at Indy that’s for sure. The pressure will really be on for the Andretti Autosport team as the prepare a total of six cars for the 500 that’s a massive undertaking at any time but now with the world watching on around this one driver the task will be no mean feet for the team to cope with along with looking after its regular drivers and the additional fifth car for Jack Harvey which was always planned for.

Now to Phoenix and Dixon the defending winner here and he is firmly after his first win for season 2017. On the podium every race this season but not the top step (yet) but this is a great start for him in the quest for another championship. Clearly the number one at Ganassi as well when you judge it on pure performance over his teammates in my view.

Friday saw a new twist in the Indy Car series a single two-hour practice session and then a two-hour break and then straight into qualifying.

Practice was mid afternoon and it was hot very hot and several dust storms halted the running at times as the wind built but Dixon was strong in this session and rounded out the afternoon in the sixth spot but it was last weekends race winner Newgarden that topped the afternoon timesheets.

Come qualifying and the evening cooled rapidly as the teams lined up for the single car dash. It was Helio Castroneves that simply stunned every one taking pole position "People don't realize that qualifying is extremely difficult. I took it to the limit - I had one eye closed and one eye open. Experience is a big part of this and today was really, really good. The conditions were really difficult today in practice - the gusting winds were horrendous. We worked mostly on the race setup (in practice). My engineer did a phenomenal job and obviously everybody at Team Penske - the REV Group car was really fast. Qualifying is one thing - the race is another - but I'm really confident going into tomorrow."

As for Dixon they slightly miss read how cool it was going to get and he lines up in the eight spot for the race "The ambient conditions changed a lot from practice to qualifying. We found a lot and learned that we were a bit too conservative in qualifying. We came up a little short and we know we can trim out a bit more for the race in the NTT Data No. 9. It was a little bit too easy which means we have room to go faster which is good for the race tomorrow."

Race day dawned another typical day for the area and was in the upper 20s temperature wise. 4pm saw the 100 lap race for the USAC Silver Crown Cars featuring regular visitor to the New Zealand Speedway scene Jerry Coons Jr, he was to finish the race 5^th “The big thing obviously is the change in the back straightaway. When we first started running it, we were kind of used to being really flat. You could run flat-footed through the dog leg and then back up out of it. In first practice with a full load of fuel you could flat-foot it through there, but in practice it was a little bit hairy trying to run through it flat-footed. Our car got a little bit light coming out of it, so that was probably the biggest change, just having to kind of breathe it though there.”

Bobby Santos took the win in a great last 12-lap battle amongst the top 4 cars. It was awesome to see Silver Crown cars return to the track and the history they have with this track and the return of growth to the USAC pavement series.

As the skies darked and the sun set it was time to get into the 250-lap IndyCar race and the fourth of the season for the series. Just as it had the night before as the sun went down the temperature went with it.

It was to become the story of the bright yellow car of Pagenaud that claimed this one and control the race from a pitstop that fell at just the right time. New Zealand’s Scott Dixon battled hard all race and become the “best in class” as he called it becoming the first Honda powered car home in 5^th but the big thing for Dixon fans is the points haul and the fact only Dixon and Pagenuad are to have top five finishes in every race this season. One can kinda sense where this might be heading even now.

So it was the reigning series champion Pagenaud who drove away from the field in the final half of the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix taking the race win by 9.1028 seconds over teammate Will Power and assuming the points lead after four races of the 2017 season. 

He collected his 10th win of his IndyCar career and led a Chevy sweep of the top four positions on the 1.022-mile oval that has hosted 63 Indy car races dating to 1964. It was also win No. 450 for Team Penske in all racing competitions and its 100th on Indy car ovals.

"I can't explain how excited I am," Pagenaud said. "Ovals are not my specialty - I grew up in Europe racing go-karts. I learned about ovals when I was 26 years old so I had to learn the skill and the technique that I didn't know. 

"Man, this is incredible. What a win!"

Pagenaud really took control midway through the 250-lap race, running longer while other frontrunners had to stop for fuel and tires. Pagenaud pitted on Lap 140 with a one-lap advantage on the field under a caution period caused when Takuma Sato's car made contact with the Turn 4 barrier. Pagenaud returned to the track in first place and led the final 114 laps. It certainly is a track that did not provide a lot of passing that’s for sure and there was a lot of talk about the drivers saying let us have more power and less down force here and force us to race harder and pass. Running the road course spec aero on this little oval proved that the grip was there but sadly the passing wasn’t.

Team Penske's four drivers led all 250 laps, the first time a team has paced every lap in a race since Team Penske did the same thing in the first race of Belle Isle doubleheader last year. Power led 59 laps in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet before finishing second. "It was good night considering where we've finished the last few races," said Power, whose best result this season prior to tonight was 13th. "I'm happy to finish second and get some points."

Pole sitter Helio Castroneves led 73 laps in the No. 3 REV Group Team Penske Chevy and finished fourth. Josef Newgarden, the winner of last week's Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, led two laps in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevy and ran up front most of the night until contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay forced an unscheduled pit stop and Newgarden finished ninth.

JR Hildebrand finished third in the No. 21 Fuzzy's Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet the best result for Hildebrand since his memorable runner-up finish in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 when he crashed while leading on the final lap. Hildebrand was pleased with the nights showing after he sat out last week's race at Barber Motorsports Park while a broken bone in his left hand mended from an April 9 crash in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. "The car was just awesome all day," Hildebrand said. "Excited to get the result for the team, for sure. The car was bitchin'. I think at the end of the race we had obviously one of the top three, but I think we might have had the best car on the track."

Pagenaud now holds an 18-point advantage in the championship over Scott Dixon, who moved up to second in the points table. Newgarden sits third in the standings, 26 points out of first place.

After the race Dixon said "Obviously, it was a tough night for the No. 9 NTT Data car, and all the Honda entries I think. Chevy had a leg up on us here and they showed that tonight. We tried to keep our nose clean but just didn't have anything for them tonight. Hopefully we can get some momentum back at the Grand Prix of Indy next month."

Sebastien Bourdais of Dale Coyne Racing, who led the points entering the night, was caught in a five-car incident on the opening lap when Mikhail Aleshin spun and collected the cars of Bourdais, Marco Andretti, Max Chilton and Graham Rahal in Turn 2. No drivers were injured. Bourdais finished 19th and dropped to fourth in the standings.

The Verizon IndyCar Series heads to an open test on Tuesday at Gateway Motorsports Park, where the series will race under the lights on Aug. 26^th so busy times ahead as the month of May kicks off.

The season is now and truly alive and kicking and now we will see who is strong and can cope and who gets lost along the way.

Phoenix great track that’s for sure just needed some passing added to the mix but as for the venue a gem in the sand that’s for sure.

Photos all David Turner Phoenix  2017

Indy Car Aero

Announced just last week in Detroit  came some really very interesting news on the future of Indy car as we see it.

The series is working towards a universal aerodynamic bodywork kit for all Verizon IndyCar Series cars in 2018, the development process is well under way.

Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations, unveiled a series of initial concept drawings for how the car might look during a media roundtable at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Without revealing specific details to how the cars and their accompanying aerodynamic bodywork will look when they hit the track for the 2018 season, Frye offered the first visual peek into the future at INDYCAR's NAIAS exhibit in the Motor City.

The drawings were completed months ago, but they give the first concept designs that will cover the Dallara IR-12 chassis. The images revealed will not be what the cars wind up looking like in 2018, but they provided the first public direction of the process.The series will share more details of the development process in coming weeks, including another public update following the 2017 preseason's open test Feb. 10-11 at Phoenix International Raceway. The goal is to have a car built for display at the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil in May, with on-track testing in the summer.

INDYCAR previously announced a development freeze for the upcoming season, which means teams will use the aero kits offered by Chevrolet and Honda for the 17 races. The season opens two months from today, March 12, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Then on the back of this news came even more good things for the series in the first step in revealing the series next equipment generation comes in the form of signing Dallara, the sport's longtime chassis manufacturer, to a contract extension, officials announced at the North American International Auto Show.

The multiyear agreement calls for Dallara, an Italian company with a U.S. base in Speedway, Indiana, to continue providing driver safety cells to the Verizon IndyCar Series through the 2020 season. The 2017 season marks Dallara's 20th anniversary in U.S.-based open-wheel racing.

"Dallara's continued participation in our sport provides INDYCAR and our competitors a tremendous amount of confidence," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president, competition and operations. "Dallara has been an instrumental partner in the Verizon IndyCar Series for 20 years and we are excited to extend our relationship with them."

There series will soon unveil plans for new bodywork giving the Dallara IR-12 chassis a fresh appearance for the 2018 season. Also, teams will be given more flexibility and control over parts for their cars.

"The signature of this contract is a natural extension of an intensive working relationship that has been continuing since 1997," said Giampaolo Dallara, founder and president of Dallara Automobili. "We are pleased to continue to contribute to the great success that this series deserves."

Founded in 1972 near Parma, Italy, Dallara has an enviable record of success around the world, designing and manufacturing cars for a range of different motorsports series and formulas. Dallara began its INDYCAR affiliation in 1997.

"We are all working together for a common goal and this is the reason why the possibility to work more closely with the teams excites us," said Andrea Pontremoli, CEO and general manager of Dallara Automobili. "We want to contribute concretely to their success and to that of the series."

So you want to know more about Indy Car and the series well INDYCAR is the governing body of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the premier open-wheel racing series in North America, and the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder, which includes: Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda. INDYCAR events are available to a worldwide audience through a variety of multimedia platforms, highlighted by long-term and broad-reaching partnerships with ABC and NBCSN for not only domestic US television and Media coverage but also global coverage of the series. INDYCAR is continually at the forefront of motorsports innovation with drivers, teams and tracks benefiting from safety and technological improvements such as the SAFER Barrier, SWEMS wheel and chassis component tethers, chassis enhancements, advanced aerodynamic bodywork kits, high-definition in-car cameras and E85 ethanol fuel.  

Quotes provided via IndyCar Media Services.

Don't forget to check out my books still on line at Amazon.com , Travel Tips to the Indy 500 and my thoughts on Indy and the race in The Mystique of Indy The Brickyard. Hope you enjoy them.

Texas News and Indy Car Series News

Two big bits of news for you all here. 

First up.Announced this week in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Texas Motor Speedway will begin a major capital improvement project today consisting of a complete repave, construction of an extensive drainage system and a re-profiling of the 1.5-mile oval configuration.

The renovation will add a new layer of asphalt over the existing pavement, an expansive French drainage system on the frontstretch and backstretch, and reduce the banking in turns one and two by four degrees. Barring extensive weather delays, the project is expected to be completed by early to mid-March in advance of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Nascar doubleheader scheduled for April 7-9.

The repaving and drainage system come as a result of issues the facility was incurring in attempting to dry the racing surface, in particular this past year when both Nascar race weekends and the Verizon INDYCAR Series race were affected by weather-related delays. While the aged track surface at Texas Motor Speedway is lauded by drivers, speedway officials made the decision to repave in the best interests of their fans that had to deal with the inconveniences of the delays.

“The fans are why we are doing this,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “The old pavement no longer dried as quickly because through the years of use and weather, the asphalt became porous, kind of like a sponge. Even if we only had a brief shower it was taking us far too long to get the track dried in order to get on to the racing. We owe it to the fans to present the best possible race track so they will be assured of seeing Nascar and INDYCAR races even if we face some brief inclement weather. This will accomplish that goal.”

Lane Construction Corp. will handle the repaving project. The company has paved several prominent speedways since 2003 including such marquee facilities as Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daytona Int’l Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The repave will feature an asphalt mix similar to the surfaces at SMI sister tracks, Kentucky Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The mix used in conjunction with the construction method will aid in the track’s properties of an “aged” track.

For the installation of the French drainage system, trenches will be cut in numerous locations on the frontstretch and backstretch to provide multiple points for water to drain away from the facility more quickly and efficiently than the current system. The drainable mat installation that will tie into a continuous toe drain will aid in the drainage of the track as well.

In addition to the repaving and drainage system, Texas Motor Speedway will undergo a re-profiling in turns one and two to give the venue a more unique layout from its currently symmetrical 24-degree banking in all four turns. While turns three and four will remain unchanged, the banking of turns one and two will be decreased to 20 degrees with the racing surface width expanding from 60 to 80 feet in that section of the track.

“Due to the issues we had in 2016 with moisture and track drying, we had to take steps to correct the problems to give the fans the experience they deserve,” said Speedway Motorsports Inc. Vice President of Operations and Development Steve Swift, who is coordinating the project. “With that task at hand, we looked at what would be the best way to create more exciting racing and to correct the water issues. We are excited to put these practices in place and create another great SMI race.”

The reduced banking, which will decrease lap speeds and potentially open up additional passing opportunities in turns one and two, will provide Texas Motor Speedway with a new, distinctive layout for a 1.5-mile oval. “For years, I’ve heard the absurd comments about 1.5-mile tracks being tagged as ‘cookie-cutter’ tracks,” President Eddie Gossage said. “While nothing could be further from the truth – all 1.5-mile tracks are different – this assures once and for all that Texas Motor Speedway is unique, unlike any other track in the sport. That’s the way we like it here in No Limits, Texas.”

This will be the second full repave since Texas Motor Speedway opened in 1997. That project occurred in the summer of 2001.

Then second up on the news front from IndyCar.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Fans of the series can expect the current Dallara DW012 Indy car chassis to be used at least through the 2020 Verizon INDYCAR Series season before a new car is developed, according to Jay Frye, INDYCAR’s president of competition and operations.

The 2016 aero kit rules have been frozen for this season, so Chevrolet and Honda are not allowed to make any developmental changes to the bolt-on pieces that began on-track competition in 2015.In 2018, a standard aero kit will be used by both manufacturers with the hopes of luring a third engine participant to the series.

“We have a plan and we put this plan together and talked about it with our paddock and both Chevrolet and Honda and they are very enthusiastic about that plan,” Frye said. “Simultaneously, we have also shared this plan with other OEM prospects because we thought it would be wise for them to have equity in the direction we are going. The worst thing we could have done would be to come up with a plan and then taken it to the other OEMs and they didn’t want to do that either. We feel good about where we are, where we are going and confident we will get another OEM.”

Then something I feel all fans will agree on

Legendary open-wheel racer Dario Franchitti, who won three Indianapolis 500s as well as the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona Int’l Speedway. Franchitti will deliver the command “Drivers, start your engines” for North America’s most prestigious sports car event.

“We’re honored to have Dario Franchitti serve as the Grand Marshal for the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Daytona Int’l Speedway President Chip Wile said. “Dario has had a decorated career in open-wheel racing and conquered sports car racing’s grueling twice-around-the-clock challenge in 2008. Fans and competitors are looking forward to his starting command as we kick off Speedweeks 2017.”

A native of Scotland, Franchitti captured four INDYCAR Series championships (2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011) as well as three Indianapolis 500s (2007, 2010 and 2012). Overall, Franchitti has 265 starts in INDYCAR racing with 31 wins and 33 poles.

In the 2008 Rolex 24, Franchitti and co-drivers Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Juan Montoya captured the overall victory by a margin of two laps driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Franchitti also has a class win in the 12 Hours of Sebring.Franchitti retired from competition in 2013 but is still active in the sport, serving as a team advisor for Chip GanassiRacing with Felix Sabates.

Hard to think January is flying on by already not long until all the world Motorsport scene kicks off once again, all the very best everyone enjoy the read.