- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: IndyCar
September 14, 2024
September 14, 2024
Lebanon, Tennessee – Eyes will be focused on the front and rear of the field at the season-ending Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday after the results of NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.
Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global earned his second career pole – his first on an oval – with a two-lap average speed of 201.520 mph in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda. But an equal headline during the qualifying session on the 1.33-mile concrete oval was the performance of championship leader Alex Palou, who qualified 15th in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and will start 24th in the 27-car field due to a nine-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ last race, Sept. 1 at the Milwaukee Mile.
“I’m stoked right now,” Kirkwood said. “It’s huge for our season to end off with a pole. I was a little upset we didn’t get a win or a pole (this season), and this is our final chance to do it, and we got it done.”
Reigning series champion Palou leads fellow two-time series champion Will Power by 33 points entering the 206-lap season finale Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo, INDYCAR Radio Network). Palou must finish ninth or better to secure his third title in the last four seasons. He led the opening practice today at 199.862.
“It wasn’t ideal,” Palou said. “It was a lot more comfortable this morning during practice, so we don’t really know what happened to the 10 car. The first lap wasn’t too bad, then the second lap was really, really bad. Not what we wanted, not what we needed.
“It’s not making it easier, for sure. It’s time to see what we can do. Hopefully we can make up some spots. The car was really good this morning.”
Power will start fourth after his qualifying run of 200.628 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. He must finish third or better to have any chance of capturing his first title since 2022.
“This is as good as I could do right there,” Power said. “You can never ask for more than that. Would have been nice to get a pole, but that’s life.
“We’ll do what we can in the race tomorrow. You know how these things roll. If it’s our day, it will be our day. If not, we’ll try again next year.”
Two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Josef Newgarden will join Kirkwood on the front row Sunday after qualifying second at 201.352 in the No. 2 Hitachi Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet. Nashville-area native Newgarden has won 10 of the last 17 oval races in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Felix Rosenqvist qualified third at 200.676 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing. All-time INDYCAR SERIES pole leader Power will join him in Row 2 after failing to earn a pole in a season for the first time since 2008.
Santino Ferrucci continued his breakthrough season for AJ Foyt Racing by qualifying fifth at 200.497 in the No. 14 Sexton Properties Chevrolet. David Malukas put two Meyer Shank Racing cars in the top six with his qualifying run of 200.479 mph in the No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda. Ferrucci and Malukas will be teammates in 2025 for Foyt’s team.
Nearly all 27 drivers in practice and qualifying coped with lack of track knowledge, as this is the first INDYCAR SERIES race at the facility since 2008. Power, Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal are the only drivers in the field this weekend who previously raced at the concrete oval.
Drivers also adapted to a tricky bump in Turn 4 that unsettled some cars. Kirkwood said his Andretti Global engineering team, led by Jeremy Milless, found a smooth setup for that challenge that helped Kirkwood earn his first pole since July 2023 on the streets of Toronto, a race he won.
“That’s something we worked on heavily in practice one, just to get compliance over that,” Kirkwood said of the bump. “I don’t know if it’s going to pay off in the race, but it paid off right now for us in qualifying.”
Qualifying Saturday for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, and speed:
1. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 201.520 mph
2. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 201.352
3. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 200.676
4. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 200.628
5. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 200.497
6. (66) David Malukas, Honda, 200.479
7. (78) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 200.393
8. (5) Pato O'Ward, Chevrolet, 200.294
9. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 200.230
10. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 200.173
11. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 200.104
12. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 199.713
13. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 199.634
14. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 199.592
15. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 199.532
16. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 199.471
17. (20) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 199.146
18. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 198.897
19. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 198.885
20. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 198.060
21. (4) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 197.318
22. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 196.218
23. (18) Jack Harvey, Honda, 195.507
24. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 195.469
25. (51) Katherine Legge, Honda, 193.081
26. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, no speed
27. (6) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, no speed
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: Paillé Course//Racing
September 10, 2024
September 10, 2024
Birmingham, Alabama – It was an eventful weekend for Jean-Frédéric Laberge, Kyle Marcelli, and the GT Racing team at Barber Motorsports Park during the penultimate round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge. The Canadian outfit took to the track in Alabama for their second event of the season.
Friday saw both Laberge and Marcelli set competitive times during the practice sessions. They secured 6th place in the Pro-Am class during the morning session and posted the fastest overall lap time in Practice 2. Despite persistent rain, the duo, with their extensive experience in wet conditions, navigated the challenges confidently.
For Laberge, who was racing at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time, it was an important opportunity to familiarize himself with the track. The Québec native maximized his time on the track by running in both the GT America and Fanatec GT World Challenge practice sessions.
However, qualifying proved more difficult for the team. They were unable to replicate their practice success, with Laberge placing the No. 92 Dagobert / Éclair Porsche 992 GT3 R in 9th position in the Pro-Am class for Race 1. Marcelli qualified 7th in class for Race 2.
“The car setup gave us trouble, and the lack of testing became apparent,” said Laberge. “The car was highly sensitive, with oversteer in high-speed corners. I spun in a fourth-gear corner during qualifying, which damaged the tires, forcing us to change two tires and start Race 1 from the back.”
Race 1 turned out to be a disaster for the team, as a mechanical failure cut Laberge's stint short. Despite their best efforts, the GT Racing crew battled several mechanical gremlins throughout the weekend, with the clutch ultimately failing. The crew worked tirelessly through the night to repair the car.
On Sunday, Marcelli took the green flag for the 90-minute race, with Laberge stepping in for the final stint. The pair ultimately finished 8th in the Pro-Am class and 12th overall.
“The results didn’t meet our expectations,” Laberge admitted. “We faced challenges with tire pressures, especially since the new tire warmers were unfamiliar to us, leading to unwanted variations. Race 1 was cut short on lap 4 due to a clutch failure, and although the team worked hard to fix the car by 1:00 AM, a persistent mapping issue remained. We leave this weekend with valuable experience but are disappointed with our on-track performance.”
“Our goal this weekend was to get J.F. more seat time and continue learning the car,” added Marcelli. “This is a new car for both of us, and we’re still benchmarking ourselves against the other Porsches. Qualifying was tough—we struggled to put together a clean lap—but we made significant progress by Race 2, moving from 13th to 10th overall. J.F. did a great stint, setting his fastest lap toward the end of the race. We’re improving, and that’s what these races are all about as we prepare for a full season.”
Laberge and Marcelli will return to action in the No. 92 Dagobert / Éclair Porsche 992 GT3 R for the final round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge at the famed Indy 8 Hour, held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from October 3rd to 6th.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: Aston Martin Formula One Team
September 10, 2024
September 10, 2024
Adrian Newey has committed his long-term future to the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. The acclaimed British designer will begin working at the team's Silverstone HQ from 1 March 2025 taking up a new role as Managing Technical Partner.
The appointment of Adrian Newey is yet another statement of Aston Martin Aramco's Formula One ambitions. Adrian has an unmatched record of success: he has led F1 teams to 25 Formula One world titles, establishing his position as the greatest technical mind in the sport's history.
Ready for something new in Formula One, Adrian sees Aston Martin Aramco as the ideal project to apply his guidance and creativity. A private tour of the team's brand-new AMR Technology Campus in June – a tangible demonstration of the team's limitless ambition – proved a decisive factor in the decision-making process.
There is plenty to exercise Adrian's mind in this new role: a reset in the technical rules for 2026, the integration of Honda works power units, advanced fuels by Aramco, and the newest wind tunnel in the sport.
Something New
A new chapter begins with Adrian Newey. Watch the announcement at the AMR Technology Campus.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, said:
"This is huge news. Adrian is the best in the world at what he does – he is at the top of his game – and I am incredibly proud that he is joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. It's the biggest story since the Aston Martin name returned to the sport and another demonstration of our ambition to build a Formula One team capable of fighting for world championships.
"As soon as Adrian became available, we knew we had to make it happen. Our initial conversations confirmed that there was a shared desire to collaborate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Adrian is a racer and one of the most competitive people I have ever met. When he saw what we have built at Silverstone – our incredible AMR Technology Campus, the talented group of people we have assembled and the latest wind tunnel in the sport – he quickly understood what we are trying to achieve. We mean business – and so does he.
"Adrian shares our hunger and ambition, he believes in this project, and he will help us write the next chapter in Aston Martin Aramco's Formula One story."
Adrian Newey said:
"I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that Lawrence brings to everything he is involved with.
"Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport. His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state of the art but have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.
"Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal."
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: ST Racing
September 10, 2024
September 10, 2024
Samantha Tan Racing will go into this year’s Indianapolis 8 Hours, the season finale for the 2024 GT World Challenge America season, on top in the PRO-AM championship standings after a combative weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. One that saw the Canadian team secure hard-earned podium finishes with both cars.
Putting the speed of its BMW M4 GT3s to good use in Alabama, ST Racing was among the quickest PRO entries (#28) across the entire event. BMW M Motorsport legend Bill Auberlen and teammate Varun Choksey produced one of their strongest showings of the 2024 season to finish overall runner-up in the second race of the weekend.
The team’s PRO-AM BMW meanwhile (#38), driven by Samantha Tan and BMW works driver Neil Verhagen, fought back from a fraught opening race to secure a PRO/AM podium on Sunday. ST Racing’s now holds a 36-point lead in the PRO/AM Drivers’ standings heading into Indianapolis.
Samantha Tan, team co-owner / driver (#38): “We managed to secure a podium at Barber, despite a challenging start. It was our first time at the track with no prior testing, so we had to maximize every on-track session and carefully analyze the data afterward. Practice and qualifying went smoothly — Neil and I qualified P2 and P4 in class. However, in Race 1, I broke formation at the green flag (we were supposed to wait until the start/finish line to pass). I went for a pass on the inside of Turn 1 but was given little room. I was more than halfway on the grass when I made contact with the #29 BMW, which resulted in two drive-through penalties. Despite the setback, we pushed hard and salvaged P7 by the end. Race 2 went better; we battled throughout the race and finished 3rd at the checkered flag. Now, all focus is on Indy with a 36-point gap to close, and I'll be training harder than ever until then. Huge thanks to my team for all their hard work this weekend!”
Race 1
From 5th on the grid (4th in-class), the #28 BMW, with Bill at the wheel, was quickly up to 4th overall shortly after the green flag dropped. Such was Bill’s pace, the BMW M Motorsport brand ambassador spent most of the next 25 minutes crawling all over the back of 3rd-placed Random Vandals Racing. He was also routinely the fastest car overall in sectors one and two, and even set the fastest race lap early on.
Job done, Bill handed the BMW over to Varun at half-distance. Shortly afterwards, the young up-and-comer pulled a stunning move, around the outside of turn 14, to vault the #28 BMW up into 3rd overall.
Thereafter, Varun held the hard-charging Racers Edge Motorsports Acura at bay for close to 30 minutes, and only relinquished the final rostrum spot to his more experienced rival on the penultimate lap. Holding his nerve to the bitter end, Varun gave – and, indeed, received – no quarter, and 4th overall is a mighty feather in the Georgia native’s cap as he continues his transitional first season to GT3 competition.
A tough afternoon for the sister #38 BMW meanwhile, started with mild contact between ST Racing and Turner Motorsport’s respective BMW M4 GT3s on the opening lap. After serving her drive-through penalties, and despite the frustration, Samantha was in inspired form for the remainder of her stint, closing down an 18-second gap to, and ultimately passing, her closest rival and moving up to 12th overall. Teammate Neil proved similarly metronomic during his stint, pulling audacious switchback passes out of turn five to vault the #38 ST Racing BMW up to 7th in PRO-AM in the closing stages.
Race 2
Sunday’s race two, fortunately, began far smoother with both front row starter Neil (#38) and Varun (#28) retaining their starting positions into turn one. Neil in particular, taking a conservative approach to preserve his tires, withstood enormous pressure to hold on to 2nd all the way to the mandatory mid-race pit stops. The 2016 F1600 Champion even took the top spot briefly when overall leader Turner Motorsport headed to pit road early.
Typically rapid work by ST Racing’s mechanics saw Samantha emerge from pit road ahead of the Turner Motorsport BMW, though the latter, two laps into its stint and thus with warmer tires, was able to sneak back past. Looking “menacing” aboard the planted BMW, Samantha kept the leader in her sights, with both M4s nose-to-tail for the next 20 minutes.
Varun ran a mature opening stint to bring the #28 BMW onto pit lane, at half-distance, 5th in the PRO class. Bill got the hammer down quickly during his stint, and had quietly scythed his way through the pack – setting the fastest overall time in sector two as he did so – to 7th overall when a full-course yellow was called, 25 minutes from home.
At the restart, Bill, elbows out, was quickly up to 3rd, while Samantha, shuffled back to 7th at the restart by the faster PRO cars around her, withstood massive pressure over the closing 20 minutes to hold on to 3rd in-class. Bouncing back from a difficult race on Saturday, ST Racing’s namesake collected the team’s 10th PRO-AM podium – of a possible 12 – of the 2024 season.
Incredibly, when the overall leader was forced to pit for a last-minute splash and dash, Bill was dutifully promoted to 2nd overall – from 12th on the grid – with just six minutes of race two remaining. The #28 BMW’s first podium finish since May had been well-earned.
Neil Verhagen, driver: “Considering that I had never turned a single lap at Barber before this weekend and only had two free practice sessions—one of which was in wet conditions—I think we did an excellent job as a team to qualify P2. We just barely missed out on pole. The lack of testing became more evident during the races as we struggled a bit against our rivals. However, it was still a very positive weekend overall. We maintain the championship lead heading into the final round at Indianapolis, a track where we have more experience, and we’ll be aiming to bring home the championship for Samantha Tan Racing.”
Samantha Tan Racing brings its 2024 motorsport program to a close at the Indianapolis 8 Hours on 4-6 October. Prior to that, the Canadian team makes its return to endurance racing action at this weekend’s 24H BARCELONA at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: IndyCar
September 7, 2024
September 7, 2024
Indianapolis, Indiana – In partnership with Firestone, INDYCAR has announced the addition of Firestone Firehawk alternate-compound tires for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge on Sept. 14-15 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Used in addition to Firestone Firehawk primary compounds, the softer alternate red-sidewall tires will provide another set of options, strategies and choices for drivers and teams as INDYCAR continues to enhance wheel-to-wheel racing action and turbocharge the championship weekend.
In addition, rules for use of the weekend’s tire allotment also have been updated.
Each NTT INDYCAR SERIES entry will receive:
Six sets of primary-compound tires
Four sets of alternate-compound tires
NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams may use their weekend allotment unrestricted in practice and NTT P1 Award qualifying. In the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race, teams must use, in any order:
One set of primary-compound tires
Two sets of alternate-compound tires
As on road and street circuits, cars must complete two laps on each set of required tires. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a minimum one-lap penalty.
Also new to the event, there are no requirements whether the tires used in the race must be “new” or “used.” Additionally, there are no restrictions governing the use of new or used primary or alternate tires in NTT P1 Award qualifying.
This is the second time alternate-compound tires have been used on an oval following the successful debut of the option Aug. 27, 2023, at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“Firestone has done a phenomenal job with this expanded format,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “It will be interesting to watch how the different strategies play out. We look forward to an amazing race and championship for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at Nashville Superspeedway.”
In addition to the combined 10 sets of primary and alternate tires, each entry will receive a third and different set only to be used in the high-line group practice aimed at adding additional grip to a second racing groove – a session that has produced favorable results in 2023 and 2024.
“The time between the announcement of a new Nashville venue and the race itself was just seven months,” said Cara Krstolic, director, Race Tire Engineering and Production, chief engineer, Firestone. “Our Firestone team rose to the challenge of an extremely short design cycle and its shortest-ever production timeframe to produce tires for a now heavier hybrid-powered car on a track the NTT INDYCAR SERIES hasn’t competed on since 2008.
“Following two tests on the Nashville oval, we worked with INDYCAR to create differentiation in tires that would provide fans and competitors with an exciting race. To achieve that goal, Firestone is providing an alternate tire for the Music City Grand Prix. Lessons learned from introducing alternates on an oval last season at St. Louis also contributed to our preparation.
“The goal for the alternate tire is to have significant wear and degradation to the point that team pit stop strategies could change as tires may wear before the end of a fuel stint. They are also designed for the different grip levels of the two types of tires to aid in creating more passing opportunities.”
Practice at Nashville Superspeedway begins at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 14, with NTT P1 Award qualifying scheduled for 2:15 p.m., high-line practice at 5:15 p.m. and the final practice of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season at 6 p.m. All sessions are available via Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Coverage of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Sept. 15 begins at 3 p.m. on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.