The NTN Ulimate Bearing Experience 250 Will Signal The Start Of The 2023 NASCAR Pinty’s Series Season.
By: Indy Car
May 12, 2023
 

Race weekend: Friday, May 12 - Saturday, May 13

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES 85 laps / 207.3 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: 35 laps/55 minutes

 

Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation

 

Firestone tire allotment (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Six sets primary, four sets alternate. One additional set is available to rookie drivers for use in the Friday practice session.

 

Twitter: @IMS @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #ThisIsMay, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @indycar, @indynxt, #ThisIsMay, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @IndianapolisMotorSpeedway, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #ThisIsMay, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT
Event website: www.ims.com
NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com | INDY NXT by Firestone website:www.indynxt.com

 

2022 race winners

NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda)

INDY NXT by Firestone
Danial Frost (No. 68 HMD Motorsports), Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports)

2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 1 minute, 9.7664 seconds, 125.854 mph

2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winners: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports) 1:16.3362, 115.023 mph (race one), Lundqvist 1:16.4266, 114.887 (race two)

 

Qualifying records

NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Will Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)

INDY NXT by Firestone
Ed Jones, 1:14.6743, 117.583 mph, May 13, 2016

 

NBC Sports race telecast: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, May 13, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC's coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.

 

Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. NBC’s GMR Grand Prix race telecast will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix will be streamed live on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE.

 

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Rob Blackman are the pit reporters. The GMR Grand Prix race (3 p.m. ET), INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (12:55 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

 

At-track schedule (all times local)

FRIDAY, MAY 12 (All times are local)

9:30-10:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (75 minutes), Peacock
11-11:50 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE
1-2 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (45 minutes), Peacock
2:20-2:40 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE
4 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), Peacock

SATURDAY, MAY 13

11:15-11:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock
1:05 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
1:10 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
3:30 p.m. NBC on air
3:39 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
3:45 p.m. GMR Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), NBC (Live)

 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes

Scott McLaughlin became the fourth winner in as many NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season as he outdueled Romain Grosjean to win the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on April 30 at Barber Motorsports Park. 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson leads Pato O’Ward by three points heading into the critical Month of May, which has more than 100 points on offer over the next four three with races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

The GMR Grand Prix will be the 14th INDYCAR SERIES event conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. Active race winners who are expected to compete are Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.

 

ACTIVE RACE WINNER

WINS

SEASONS

Will Power

5

2015, 2017, 2018 (GMR Grand Prix); 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-2); 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)

Simon Pagenaud

3

2014, 2016, 2019 (GMR Grand Prix)

Scott Dixon

1

2020 (GMR Grand Prix)

Josef Newgarden

1

2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)

Rinus VeeKay

1

2021 (GMR Grand Prix)

Colton Herta

1

2022 (GMR Grand Prix)

Alexander Rossi

1

2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)

 

Four NTT P1 Award winners have won the GMR Grand Prix from the pole: Will Power in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and Simon Pagenaud in 2016. Power also won the second Harvest GP race from the pole in 2020.

 

ACTIVE POLE WINNER

POLES

SEASONS

Will Power

6

2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 (GMR Grand Prix and Harvest Grand Prix-2) 2022 (GMR Grand Prix)

Felix Rosenqvist

2

2019, 2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)

Pato O’Ward

1

2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)

Romain Grosjean

1

2021 (GMR Grand Prix)

Rinus VeeKay

1

2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)

Simon Pagenaud

1

2016

Sebastian Saavedra

1

2014

INDYCAR

  • Six drivers have competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – Scott DixonJosef NewgardenSimon PagenaudWill PowerGraham Rahal and Takuma Sato. All but Sato are entered this year.
  • Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden or Kyle Kirkwood can solidify their chance at the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge’s $1 million prize by winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg) and Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach) have won on street circuits while Newgarden has a win on an oval (Texas Motor Speedway). A win on a road course would make one of them one step closer to earning a $500,000 bonus and a matching $500,000 donation for a chosen charity. Scott McLaughlin is also eligible for the bonus but already has a road course win at Barber Motorsports Park.
  • Team Penske has eight wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-Race 2, 2020-Race 3, 2021-Race 2). Andretti Autosport swept the races in 2022 while Ed Carpenter Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren are the only other teams to win at the track. Ed Carpenter Racing won in 2021-Race 1 with Rinus VeeKay. Chip Ganassi Racing won with Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1, and Arrow McLaren won the inaugural race in 2014 with Simon Pagenaud when it was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
  • Four NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Marcus ArmstrongAgustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb - are entered. All will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time.
  • Twenty-three of the drivers entered in the event have competed in INDYCAR SERIES races on the IMS road course. Fifteen entered drivers have led laps in the GMR Grand Prix: Will Power 210, Scott Dixon 69, Simon Pagenaud 68, Colton Herta 50, Romain Grosjean 44, Graham Rahal 36, Rinus VeeKay 33, Josef Newgarden 25, Felix Rosenqvist 19, Pato O’Ward 5, Alexander Rossi 2, Marcus Ericsson 11, Scott McLaughlin 5, Jack Harvey 1 and Alex Palou 1.
  • Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 310th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history....Dixon will also attempt to make his 350th start with Chip Ganassi Racing. 

 

 

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:

  • INDY NXT by Firestone will conduct the first of two race events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2023 with a 35-lap race on Saturday, May 13. Denmark’s Christian Rasmussen took the series points lead with his win April 30 at Barber Motorsports Park.
  • The field for the INDY NXT Grand Prix will be the largest INDY NXT by Firestone field at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course since 25 cars started the Liberty Challenge in 2007. Danial Frost is the only driver in the current field who has won an INDY NXT by Firestone race at IMS. Four other drivers – Rasmus LindhChristian RasmussenReece Gold and Louis Foster – have visited victory lane in ladder series.
  • The 2023 season features a deep and talented field with INDY NXT race winners such as Frost, Hunter McElrea and Rasmussen joining a promising rookie class that includes Jamie Chadwick (three-time W Series champ), Foster (USF Pro 2000 champ), Jagger Jones (USF2000 Rookie of the Year) and rising stars Nolan Siegel and Gold (USF Pro 2000). Other contenders include returning drivers Jacob Abel, Kyffin Simpson and Ernie Francis Jr.
  • A new qualifying format will place a premium on banking a quick lap around the 2.439-mile road course. Teams will have a single 20-minute session with a limited guarantee of eight minutes of green flag running, depending on whichever comes first. If an entry does not set a time, their order will be based on entrant points.