McLaren plucks away Ganassi sponsor and Kanaan for Indy 500
The tit-for-tat war between Zak Brown and Chip Ganassi took another turn Tuesday when Arrow McLaren SP announced it had signed both a Ganassi sponsor and Tony Kanaan to drive the Indianapolis 500. Kanaan will be sponsored by NTT DATA for his 22nd Indy 500, and the technology and business solutions provider will also be the primary sponsor for Felix Rosenqvist for 10 races on the No. NTT Data had been a Ganassi sponsor since 2013 and was the primary sponsor for 2020 champion Alex Palou, who spent most of the IndyCar season locked in a battle to move from Ganassi to McLaren in 2023. But Palou's sponsor is headed to McLaren early; Palou can't drive an Indy car for McLaren before he makes his official move in 2024. Also, McLaren team president Taylor Keil has left the organization and is expected to be announced as a Ganassi executive as soon as his non-compete clause expires.
wftv.comAn Indy 500 ending to forget for 6-time series champ Dixon
IndyCar Indy 500 Auto Racing Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, walks to his car before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Another Ganassi teammate, Marcus Ericsson, won the Indy 500 after Dixon's error, and close friend and teammate Tony Kanaan crossed the finish line in third. It was just two years ago that race control was in a similar position — with Scott Dixon running second to Takuma Sato — when IndyCar let the race finish under yellow. If I was in the stands, I want to see a race finish under the green.”Scott Dixon refused to weigh in on the different race-ending approaches. “Nobody's happier than all the other drivers for a team win.”___More AP Indy 500 coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/indianapolis-500 and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comAn Indy 500 ending to forget for 6-time series champ Dixon
Scott Dixon answered a few questions and started to trudge down pit road when he realized he forgot someone: His wife. Dixon turned around, grabbed Emma's hand and took off on what had to be one of the most agonizing walks of his IndyCar career. Dixon had to be feeling them all.
news.yahoo.comJimmie Johnson feels 'at home' in Indy 500 preparations
IndyCar Indy 500 Auto Racing Jimmie Johnson stands on pit lane during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Indianapolis. Johnson awoke 15 minutes before his alarm went off, anxious to get started on preparations for his Indianapolis 500 debut. It's taken Johnson 46 years, but he will finally achieve his childhood dream May 29 as an Indy 500 rookie. It gave him two weeks off last May and he finally attended his first Indy 500. Lyn St. James was 45 when she became the first woman to win Indy 500 top rookie honors in 1992.
wftv.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.comPalou on pole for IndyCar at Texas after qualifying canceled
IndyCar Texas Preview Auto Racing FILE - In this July 17, 2020, file photo, driver Tony Kanaan, of Brazil, stands next to his car during qualifying for an IndyCar Series auto race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) (Charlie Neibergall)FORT WORTH, Texas — (AP) — Alex Palou will start on the pole for the IndyCar Series' first oval race of the season at Texas after qualifying was canceled Saturday because of overnight rain and morning mist. When the 75-minute practice session started, IndyCar said qualifying was canceled and the field for Saturday night's race would be set by owners' points. IndyCar is opening May with a planned 690 miles of racing in Texas on the third consecutive weekend of racing for the series. There is another 248-lap race (372 miles) scheduled late Sunday afternoon, when rain was forecast to be out of the area.
wftv.comIndyCar's next wave proving kids are more than all right
Two-time and defending champ Josef Newgarden, who won the second race of the Iowa doubleheader, has yet to turn 30. Pagenaud, who like Newgarden drives for Team Penske, won the first Iowa race on Friday night. The natural ebb and flow of sports dictates there must be a wave of youngsters waiting to replace them. Not surprisingly, Ferrucci was fired by his Trident Racing team. Take the doubleheader this weekend, where Herta and VeeKay were in contention Friday night before a caution flag waved.
Dixon, Ganassi out to continue IndyCar domination in Iowa
The IndyCar series will welcome fans for the first time of the year during the REV Group Grand Prix doubleheader Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, at Road America in Plymouth, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)NEWTON, Iowa Few people can appreciate the level of success that Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist have had during the IndyCar team's pandemic-challenged 30th anniversary season more than Tony Kanaan. Then consider the 45-year-old Kanaan sees the 39-year-old Dixon in the gym almost every day, each pushing each other to stay fit and young. Dixon went on to win his third straight race after triumphs at Texas and on the road course at Indianapolis. All of it will take place Friday, with the first lap determining where drivers start in the opening race and the second lap where they start the second.
Stewart and Evernham team to recreate IROC as SRX All-Stars
FILE - In this June 26, 2006, file photo, Tony Stewart poses with the trophy after winning the Crown Royal IROC auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Paul Kizzle, File)CHARLOTTE, N.C. Remember the old IROC Series, where the best drivers from various disciplines raced each other in equally prepared cars? It ran for 30 seasons before Tony Stewart won its final championship and the series quietly went away. We envision a hybrid of all different series we dont see it looking like a crazy dunebuggyish type car, Evernham told the AP. Evernham believes drivers will arrive and draw for both their car and crew chief which Evernham hopes comes from a pool of noted industry veterans.
Back on track: IndyCar delayed debut all-in-one Texas affair
FILE - In this June 8, 2019, file photo, Josef Newgarden does a burnout after winning the IndyCar auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. IndyCar opens its pandemic-delayed season with an all-in-one-day show Saturday on the fast high-banked 1 -mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway, more than eight months after the 2019 finale. Only Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted IndyCar races longer than TMS, which has had races each year since opening in 1997, including the season finales from 1999-2004. Hinchcliffe put together a three-race deal with Andretti Autosport that includes the Indianapolis 500 after he abruptly lost his ride with Arrow McLaren last year. Kanaan is closing out his IndyCar career with the TK Farewell Tour," racing at oval tracks and the Indianapolis 500.
IndyCar restart at Texas before another month to race again
FILE - In this June 10, 2017, file photo, Will Power, of Australia, pumps his fist as he crosses the finish line under yellow to win an IndyCar auto race at Texas Motor Speedway, in Fort Worth, Texas. IndyCar is getting ready for an all-in-one-day season opener on the fast track in Texas, more than 2 months after drivers were set to roll on the streets of St. Pete. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)FORT WORTH, Texas Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi and the rest of the IndyCar drivers were in sunny Florida around spring break ready to start the season. Instead of the streets of St. Pete, the pandemic-delayed season will get started at the fast 1 1/2-mile track in Texas with an all-in-one-day opener. Practice, qualifying and the 200-lap race will be held Saturday, the same day that IndyCar has chartered planes to carry teams back and forth between Indianapolis and Texas Motor Speedway.