Drivers hit Daytona for Rolex 24 test session
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Teams that will enter cars in the Rolex 24 in January are testing those machines at Daytona International Speedway this week. The two-day open test session gives teams track time to run their cars at speed and resolve any issues that may occur while running a high-tech race car at almost 200 miles per hour. One of the new drivers at the 2023 Rolex 24 is two-time Indy racing league champion Josef Newgarden. Tuesday was his first trip around the Daytona infield track. ©2022 Cox Media Group
wftv.comPower wins IndyCar championship; Palou wins season finale
MONTEREY, Calif. — (AP) — Will Power was pushed to the brink Sunday by Team Penske but withstood the internal challenge from his teammate to close out a season of consistency and win his second IndyCar championship. Power finished third at Laguna Seca Raceway to beat teammate Josef Newgarden for the championship by 16 points in the final standings. Power needed only to finish third to win the championship. One of Newgarden's big moves in the corkscrew was on Power, but Newgarden made it clean and pulled into second behind Palou. Palou's dominance put the focus on Newgarden, who started the day 21 points behind teammate Power in the championship standings.
wftv.comPower breaks Andretti qualifying record in pursuit of title
Will Power broke Mario Andretti's record for poles on the day he most needed a big run. The greatest qualifier in IndyCar history is now one step closer to a second championship. Power grabbed his 68th career pole with Andretti watching from pit lane Saturday at Laguna Seca Raceway.
news.yahoo.comPenske's Will Power in tight title fight with no team orders
But there are plenty of Power fans — and probably Power himself — who believe the Australian could have had some breathing room in this title fight had Team Penske done him any favors. Power definitely did not have a car as good as McLaughlin's, but challenger Dixon was closing fast behind him in both the race and title fight. If Team Penske had called for “team orders” and asked McLaughlin to cede the lead to Power, he'd have 10 additional points over Dixon and Newgarden. The call Dixon considered a “no-brainer” never came and now Power must finish no lower than third to clinch the title. Team Penske has weaved through the team orders issue since Sunday at Portland, while Dixon admits that Chip Ganassi Racing races with the greater organization in mind.
wftv.comMcLaughlin wins in Portland as Will Power widens title lead
PORTLAND, Ore. — (AP) — Scott McLaughlin led a Team Penske rout at Portland International Raceway by scoring his third victory of the season in a 1-2 finish that moved Will Power one race closer to the IndyCar championship. McLaughlin led 104 of the 110 laps Sunday to pick up his third victory of the season. He trails only Penske teammate Josef Newgarden (five) in most series wins, but an inconsistent season has the New Zealander clinging to any title chances. McLaughlin goes to next Sunday's season finale at Laguna Seca in California ranked fifth in the standings, 41 points behind Power but still mathematically in the hunt. “We did exactly what we needed to do this weekend which was win and get maximum points,” McLaughlin said.
wftv.comMalukas dazzles racing through field and against Penskes
On fresh tires for the final run of the night, Malukas waited until two laps to go to experiment with the upper groove at Gateway. Although he ran out of time to catch Newgarden, Malukas was closing in quickly when Newgarden took his series-best fifth win of the season. Once the drama faded from social media, Malukas went back to big runs for tiny Dale Coyne Racing. Newgarden heaped praise on Malukas after the race and said Malukas, a Lithuanian-American from the Chicago area, could probably get a little more aggressive. “It’s definitely intimidating when there’s two Penskes in front of you.”___More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comWill Power ties Mario Andretti's IndyCar pole record at 67
MADISON, Ill. — (AP) — IndyCar points leader Will Power won the pole for the Saturday night race at World Wide Technology Raceway and tied Mario Andretti for series pole record. In all, 11 drivers remain mathematically eligible to win the championship with three races remaining. Power's fourth pole of the season was the one he's been chasing since 2020, when he finally realized that Andretti's mark was within reach. But now that Power has tied the record, he's turning his attention solely toward the championship fight. Newgarden is the defending race winner and 22 points behind Power in the standings in fourth.
wftv.comDixon eyes record-tying 7th championship after Nashville win
More important, Dixon jumped to second in the points standings and trails series leader Will Power by six points with three races remaining. O'Ward came to Nashville fifth in the standings but dropped to seventh and likely out of the championship picture with a 24th-place finish. But like teammate Dixon, Ericsson had a poor qualifying effort and struggled to come through the field from 18th. He'll enter the Xfinity Series race on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 8, driving for Big Machine Racing. Andretti is coming off the championship in the second season of Tony Stewart's Superstar Racing Experience all-star series.
wftv.comRested Newgarden seeking IndyCar lead at home in Nashville
Newgarden is passionate about IndyCar in Nashville and last year packed his schedule with pre-race appearances to promote the event debut. The guayule natural rubber is located within the sidewall. Bridgestone race tire engineers decided to use the guayule rubber in the entire sidewall because that area is made up of the most natural rubber. This allows Firestone to maintain the same quality and performance as the existing race tire. Bridgestone plans to incorporate guayule natural rubber into more of its race tires starting in 2023.
wftv.comNewgarden overcomes injury to qualify 5th at Indianapolis
IndyCar Indianapolis Auto Racing Josef Newgarden climbs into his car during a practice session for a IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Friday, July 29, 2022, in Indianapolis. On Tuesday, Newgarden informed Team Penske president Tim Cindric he was ready to race. Clearly, Newgarden and Team Penske proceeded with caution. Still, series protocols required Newgarden to be medically cleared Thursday for practice and again between Friday morning's practice and afternoon qualifying session. But with Team Penske also in contention for the team title, Cindric couldn't take any chances.
wftv.comRosenqvist fights for job with pole-winning run at Indy
IndyCar Toronto Auto Racing Felix Rosenqvist, of Sweden, races to a third place finish during an IndyCar auto race in Toronto, Sunday, July 17, 2022. The Swede earned his second pole of the season with a run of 1 minute, 10.2265 seconds in Friday qualifying. It's the second pole of the season for Rosenqvist, who is making the case for keeping his ride in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren SP. Brown has four current IndyCar drivers signed — Rosenqvist, Pato O'Ward, Alexander Rossi and reigning champion Alex Palou — for three seats. O'Ward, who won Sunday at Iowa Speedway, qualified third and rushed to hug teammate Rosenqvist after Rosenqvist edged him for the pole.
wftv.comNewgarden cleared to practice at Indy after Iowa collapse
IndyCar Indy Newgarden Auto Racing FILE - Josef Newgarden, third from left, climbs out of his car after hitting a wall during the IndyCar Series auto race, Sunday, July 24, 2022, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Newgarden collapsed and hit his head at Iowa Speedway following a hard crash. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) (Charlie Neibergall)INDIANAPOLIS — (AP) — Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden was cleared Thursday to practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following his collapse after crashing at Iowa. Newgarden will be re-evaluated Friday after practice to determine if he can compete Saturday on the road course at Indianapolis. Team Penske had Santino Ferrucci on standby in case IndyCar said Newgarden can not race Saturday on the road course.
wftv.comJosef Newgarden taken to hospital; Pato O'Ward wins at Iowa
NEWTON, Iowa — (AP) — Josef Newgarden collapsed in the motorhome lot following his late crash Sunday at Iowa Speedway and was taken to a Des Moines hospital by helicopter for evaluation. Team Penske is the best. Step behind me, please.”It was another podium sweep for Chevrolet, who did it on Saturday with Newgarden, O'Ward and Power. He appeared slimmed down ahead of Sunday's race, only the second IndyCar race the owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan has attended since that May physical. IndyCar races Saturday on the road course; NASCAR races Sunday.
wftv.comO'Ward wins in Iowa after Newgarden crashes while leading
IndyCar Iowa Auto Racing Pato O'Ward, of Mexico, watches qualifying for an IndyCar Series auto race, Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) (Charlie Neibergall)NEWTON, Iowa — (AP) — Pato O'Ward pounced on Josef Newgarden's misfortune Sunday to win the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader, and Jimmie Johnson had the first top-five finish of his IndyCar career. It was another podium sweep for Chevrolet, who did it on Saturday with Newgarden, O'Ward and Power. He appeared slimmed down ahead of Sunday's race, only the second IndyCar race the owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan has attended since that May physical. IndyCar races Saturday on the road course; NASCAR races Sunday.
wftv.comNewgarden continues Penske dominance at Iowa with 4th win
IndyCar Iowa Auto Racing Will Power, of Australia, drives during an IndyCar Series auto race, Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) (Charlie Neibergall)NEWTON, Iowa — (AP) — Josef Newgarden extended the Team Penske dominance at Iowa Speedway, winning the first race of a weekend doubleheader Saturday for his fourth victory at the shortest track on the IndyCar schedule. Newgarden raced to his series-best fourth victory of the season and moved from fourth to second in the tight IndyCar championship fight. Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson finished eighth and had his lead in the standings sliced to 15 points over Newgarden. Alas, he faded to 11th in the closing sequence as only five drivers finished on the lead lap.
wftv.comPato O'Ward snags Mid-Ohio pole as title contenders struggle
LEXINGTON, Ohio — (AP) — The IndyCar championship race faces a major shakeup at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where the top title contenders struggled and Pato O'Ward won the pole to match a series mark set in 1961. The modern-day record for different drivers winning the pole to start a season is 10 in 1952. “This is huge man, it's a track position race,” O'Ward said of the difficulty to pass on Mid-Ohio's 13- turn, 2.258-mile course. It created a huge opportunity for O'Ward and Scott Dixon to make up serious ground in the championship race. He also competed in the Star Mazda race here in 2005 and tested a sports car at Mid-Ohio in 2007.
wftv.comNewgarden wins at Road America, earns $1 million prize
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — (AP) — Josef Newgarden earned a $1 million bonus on Sunday for winning at Road America, where his third win of the season completed a trifecta of victories on IndyCar's different circuits. It was the first year of the challenge and claimed before the halfway point of the IndyCar season; Newgarden is the only driver with multiple wins through eight of 17 races. Chevrolet won the race with Newgarden, but Honda took the next four spots. DeFrancesco received a stop-and-go penalty for making avoidable contact, and Power dropped to second in the standings, 27 points behind Ericsson. Josef Newgarden won at Mid-Ohio last year.
wftv.comIndyCar's depth creating plenty of unpredictable outcomes
Ericsson is second in the standings – three points behind leader Will Power – heading into Sunday's race at Road America. Scott McLaughlin won the opener at St. Petersburg, Pato O'Ward won at Barber and Colton Herta won on the Indianapolis road course. But he won his first pole since 2019 in qualifying and is trying Sunday at Road America to end his drought. This will be de Silvestro’s first IndyCar start of the season and 70th of her career. It will mark the first time Road America has been repaved since between the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
wftv.comIndyCar looks to close out Belle Isle's run with a bang
IndyCar Detroit Auto Racing Josef Newgarden drives during qualifying for the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix auto race on Belle Isle in Detroit, Saturday, June 4, 2022. The Spider-Man climb became his signature and Castroneves has scaled the fencing at the Detroit Grand Prix three different times. As the Detroit Grand Prix prepares to exit Belle Isle following Sunday's race, Castroneves wants to replicate that inaugural 2000 fence climb one final time. That three-year run ended in 1991 and the event shifted the next year to the 2.35-mile temporary course called Belle Isle Raceway. Chevrolet is the title sponsor for the Detroit Grand Prix and the race is run in the shadow of its offices inside GM's Detroit Renaissance Center Global HQ.
wftv.comPower's late qualifying run puts him on pole for Indy GP
IndyCar Indianapolis Auto Racing Scott McLaughlin, of New Zealand, drives into the second turn during practice for the IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) (Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS — (AP) — Will Power used the final lap of qualifying Friday to move past five drivers and take the pole for the IndyCar Grand Prix. "But I’m not surprised that it’s Will on the pole.”Two-time race winner Josef Newgarden, Power's teammate, starts third after limiting himself to one hard lap in the third and final qualifying group. FRUSTRATING DAYNobody was more upset about their qualifying position than defending race winner Rinus VeeKay or six-time series champ Scott Dixon. Before Saturday's race, the 22-year-old emerging star will turn laps in IndyCar's two-seat car piloted by 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti.
wftv.comVeeKay wins pole at Barber as Rossi rebounds from crash
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Darron Cummings)LEEDS, Ala. — (AP) — Rinus VeeKay led an upset in IndyCar qualifying to position himself to race for the win at Barber Motorsports Park. The first round on Saturday bounced both Will Power, a two-time winner at Barber, and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. It's a track that Penske drivers have dominated — Josef Newgarden leads all active drivers with three wins at Barber and goes into Sunday on a two-race winning streak. ROSSI REBOUNDThe Andretti cars were clearly fast through practices but suffered a serious setback when Rossi destroyed his car in a Saturday morning crash. Crew members from all four of Andretti's teams were thrashing away, and after qualifying fifth Rossi acknowledged the organization saved his weekend.
wftv.comVeeKay wins pole at Barber as Rossi rebounds from crash
Rinus VeeKay led an upset in IndyCar qualifying to position himself to race for the win at Barber Motorsports Park. The Dutchman was the surprise pole-winner for Sunday's race following a qualifying session that saw most of IndyCar's top names fail to advance through the rounds. The first round on Saturday bounced both Will Power, a two-time winner at Barber, and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.
news.yahoo.comPit concerns dissipate as IndyCar drivers crank up speed
IndyCar Testing Auto Racing Alexander Rossi, left, and Delvin Defrancesco look at pit lane before testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Indianapolis. Instead, drivers raced toward the top of the speed chart on a busy second and final day of testing on the historic 2.5-mile oval. Thirty-one of the 32 drivers entered in the Indianapolis 500 next month participated with speeds topping out above 229 mph. Everyone wanted to see whether track officials solved the warmup lane problem that caused three race winners to spin and led to two crashes Wednesday. NASCAR officials red-flagged the race so track workers could remove the curbing before the 200-mile race was completed.
wftv.comPit concerns dissipate as IndyCar drivers crank up speed
Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest lap of his career Thursday as IndyCar drivers got back to work Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Boles said track workers spent five hours dragging tires through the apron in hopes of providing more grip.
news.yahoo.comMotorsports celebrates strong weekend across several series
Car racing? Jimmie Johnson finished sixth in an IndyCar race! The NASCAR race in Atlanta was insane! Hendrick Motorsports won its third NASCAR race of the year with its third different driver in Atlanta. NASCARSpeedway Motorsports also owns Atlanta Motor Speedway, host this weekend of NASCAR and clearly where the company focused most of its attention.
wftv.comNewgarden passes McLaughlin in final turn to steal Texas win
Indy Car Texas Auto Racing Racers vie for position at the beginning of the NTT IndyCar Series XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Larry Papke) (Larry Papke)FORT WORTH, Texas — (AP) — Josef Newgarden used the nonexistent high line to pass Scott McLaughlin in the final turn at Texas Motor Speedway and steal the IndyCar race his teammate had dominated. The Sunday win gave Team Penske back-to-back victories to open the season and 600 overall wins across all its platforms. It's jeopardized the future of IndyCar at Texas, which has hosted the series since 1997 and its existing contract expired Sunday. It was the highest IndyCar finish for Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR champion and the all-time winningest driver at Texas with seven wins.
wftv.comNewgarden passes McLaughlin in final turn to steal Texas win
Roger Penske met Josef Newgarden in victory lane with six crisp hundred dollar bills to gift the race winner. Newgarden used the nonexistent high line to pass Scott McLaughlin in the final turn Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway and steal the IndyCar race his teammate had dominated. It was the 600th overall victory for Roger Penske across all of his platforms.
news.yahoo.comNewgarden wins Long Beach pole in tight IndyCar title race
LONG BEACH, Calif. — (AP) — The IndyCar championship race tightened ahead of the Grand Prix of Long Beach after a messy qualifying session put contenders Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward in the middle of the pack. Josef Newgarden, a distant third in the standings but still mathematically in the mix for the title, seized the opportunity and won the pole for Sunday’s season-ending race. His cushy lead and incredible consistency this season have O’Ward and Newgarden both admitting they need near-miracles to deny Palou the crown. O’Ward was furious and believed some ahead of him should have been penalized, which would have advanced him into the final qualifying round. “But I doubt I'll get an explanation.”Palou sat atop his pit box with his Chip Ganassi Racing team and watched the final qualifying shootout.
wftv.comIndyCar title race flips to O'Ward in wild race at Gateway
The IndyCar championship flipped leaders Saturday night when Alex Palou was collected in an early three-car accident that moved Pato O’Ward to the point following O’Ward’s runner-up finish to winner Josef Newgarden at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Herta wins pole in dominant outing through Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — (AP) — Colton Herta stamped himself as the driver to beat in the inaugural IndyCar Music City Grand Prix, winning the pole Saturday after he was fastest in both practice sessions. The 21-year-old Herta was more than a half-second faster than six-time series champion Scott Dixon in second. “This is huge for me.”Herta was fastest in Friday's first session and posted the top lap again Saturday hours before qualifying. Chris Parker, President of the Music City Grand Prix, said this week at the Country Music Hall of Fame the series was prepared for any potential setbacks. Grand Prix promoters planned refunds for all days lost and inconvenienced fans were relocated to open seats.
wftv.comHome, speed, home: Newgarden set to tame Nashville streets
IndyCar-Nashville Practice IndyCar driver and Tennessee native Josef Newgarden prepares to play in his charity ping pong tournament, Thursday Aug. 5, 2021 at Pins Mechanical Company in Nashville, Tenn. Newgarden won the tournament and hopes to take home a bigger trophy when IndyCar races Sunday through downtown Nashville. Newgarden and Joey Logano high-fived and Austin Cindric slapped hands and got a pat on the back. “Secretly, I hold this event because I know I’m better than everyone at pingpong,” Newgarden said. Much like a pingpong ball, Newgarden bounced from one spot to the next this month, hustling to promote IndyCar’s inaugural street race in Nashville. Newgarden was raised about 25 miles north of Nashville in Hendersonville and now lives with his wife closer to the city.
wftv.comIndyCar inks new NBC Sports deal, 2 races to run on Peacock
Still, the migration toward streaming will hit full speed next season as NBC Sports plans to exclusively stream two IndyCar races on Peacock. The rest of the IndyCar schedule, which is expected to be 17 races but has not yet been released, will air on USA Network. Miles said IndyCar had “a major disruptive streaming platform” offer to buy the entire IndyCar rights for exclusive worldwide streaming. But the finer details include a major online presence as all races on NBC and USA will be simultaneously streamed on Peacock. Racing fans are racing fans, and if we can convert NASCAR fans into IndyCar fans, or IndyCar fans to NASCAR fans, so be it.
wftv.comNewgarden snaps streak on 50th anniversary of 1st Penske win
LEXINGTON, Ohio — (AP) — Josef Newgarden snapped his streak of late race misfortunes Sunday to win for the first time this season, earning the first IndyCar victory of the year for Team Penske on the same weekend the storied organization celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first win. Now he's led 172 of 205 laps — or 83.9% — over three races and finally put Team Penske in victory lane in the 10th race of the season. The last time the Penske organization went this late in the year without a victory was its 1999 winless season. Team Penske on Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of its first IndyCar win, with Mark Donohue at Pocono. Roger Penske greeted Newgarden in victory lane.
wftv.comNewgarden snaps streak on 50th anniversary of 1st Penske win
Josef Newgarden snapped his streak of late race misfortunes to win for the first time this season, earning the first IndyCar victory of the year for Team Penske on the same weekend the storied organization celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first win.
IndyCar embraces Americana charm at Mid-Ohio for holiday
IndyCar Mid Ohio Preview Auto Racing Josef Newgarden poses besides his Team Penske Chevrolet after winning the pole for the IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Saturday, July 3, 2021 in Lexington, Ohio. It isn't true that Mid-Ohio hasn't had a single upgrade since it opened in 1962, but the facility seems frozen in time. And that's the contrast of Mid-Ohio, which appears to be idyllic Americana everywhere but on the track. The pole came on the 50th anniversary of Team Penske's first IndyCar win, with Mark Donohue at Pocono. Herta, winner at Mid-Ohio last year in the second race of a doubleheader, marveled at the minuscule margin.
wftv.comPalou makes late surge to win IndyCar race at Road America
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — (AP) — Alex Palou sailed past Josef Newgarden with two laps remaining Sunday to win at Road America and reclaim the IndyCar points lead as Team Penske lost its third consecutive race because of a late caution. Newgarden got a good jump on the restart but Palou dipped left and sped around him for the lead. Palou, meanwhile, became the first Chip Ganassi Racing driver other than Scott Dixon to win multiple races in a season since Dario Franchitti in 2011. His second win of the season put Palou back on top with a comfortable margin. Palou won by 1.9106 seconds over Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport.
wftv.comNewgarden earns pole for IndyCar race at Road America
IndyCar Road America Ware Auto Racing FILE - Cody Ware gets ready for a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race practice session at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., in this Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, file photo. Ware will make his IndyCar debut at Road America this weekend driving a car for Dale Coyne Racing that has an association with Ware's father. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) (John Raoux)ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — (AP) — Josef Newgarden has earned the pole position for Sunday’s IndyCar race at Road America as he attempts to help Team Penske earn its first win of the season. Newgarden had a fastest lap of 1 minute, 46.0186 seconds on a road course that extends just over 4 miles and features 14 turns. Magnussen is a replacement for Felix Rosenqvist, who won at Road America last year but was injured in a crash last week at Detroit.
wftv.comPato O'Ward charges to win, dedicates it to injured teammate
IndyCar Detroit Auto Racing Pato O'Ward celebrates by jumping into James Scott Memorial Fountain after winning the second race of the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix auto racing doubleheader on Belle Isle in Detroit Sunday, June 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya)DETROIT — (AP) — Pato O'Ward closed an emotional weekend for Arrow McLaren SP by becoming IndyCar's first repeat winner of the season with a victory dedicated to his injured teammate. O'Ward called his teammate Sunday morning and promised to win the second race for him. O'Ward had been promised by Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, a Formula One test for his first IndyCar victory. Sunday's IndyCar race was far less eventful than Saturday's, when Rosenqvist's crash led to a nearly 90-minute red flag and a later stoppage ultimately decided the race.
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