I don't know about that Rahal penalty. I wonder if that wasn't a Ganassi car if there would've been an infraction.

A lot of Indy paint scheme reveals today and yesterday for today's open IMS test.

Daly's car is boss.

Open Test is free to watch:

BIG News:

I would be more interested for sure. 3 engines in equal chassis would be awesome.

Could be a fourth as well. From what Trackside Online, (best paid IndyCar news service out there btw), has been saying, BMW deal is done and Porsche could be a fourth. It's worth noting both are likely for 2021 when the new engine formula is supposed to come.

Sweet.

Is that Teo Fabi?

Yep; '88.

Whoah...

Pretty cool 18 min video from Hoonigan that talks in-depth about the car's technical details as well as an in-depth look at the tools available to the driver in the car.

Some may think Ferrucci is a bit of a *****, but this is still a nice video.

The Windscreen is set for 2020, but the AFP will be in place on the cars for the remainder of the 2019 season:

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Although improved cockpit safety measures are still described as "fluid" by an IndyCar insider, it is Motorsport.com's understanding that the series intends to confirm this month the introduction of a windscreen for the start of the 2020 season.

It is expected to be similar but not identical to the device tested last year by Scott Dixon at Phoenix's ISM Raceway (above) and by Josef Newgarden at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Four-time Indy 500 winner and three-time Indy car champion Mears said that, with some provisos, he believes the screen will be a good step forward in improving cockpit protection.

"Everything has a consequence, sometimes unintended," he told Motorsport.com, "but IndyCar has done its research and consultation and a lot of testing, and you've got to assume they've concluded that the positives outweigh the negatives. And I'm sure that's just the same as Formula 1 they did a lot of research for their halos and that's what worked best for them.

"I think the windscreen is good. Barring any of the problems that we've talked about in the past, like vision distortion, keeping it clean, reflections in strong sunlight it is the better option for IndyCar.

Source

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Bourdais paint scheme for the Indy GP on Saturday:

Ed Jones paint scheme for Indy 500:

Pato O'Ward joins Red Bull Junior Development Program

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NTT IndyCar Series rookie and reigning Indy Lights champion Patricio O'Ward has joined the Red Bull Junior Team line-up.

The Mexican maintained today that he will continue to race on his part-time schedule in the 2019 IndyCar season with Carlin, but that he was delighted with the "great opportunity" given to him by Red Bull, which will allow him a chance to work his way towards competing in Formula 1.

"This is a great opportunity for me," said O'Ward in today's announcement. "Naturally, every racing driver has their eye on F1 and would give anything to be world champion so to join the Red Bull Junior Team that has provided that F1 possibility to so many drivers is fantastic for me.

"I'm thrilled to be contesting the IndyCar series with Carlin, apart from the Indianapolis 500 we are prioritising the road course so Indy is the only oval I am doing.

"I'm very proud to have been approached to be a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and thank Dr [Helmut] Marko and the team at Red Bull for seeing my potential. My focus for the remainder of the season is absolutely delivering results in the NTT IndyCar Series with Carlin. We have a great package and a lot of potential together. It's great to race in an environment where we completely support each other as a team."

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GESS Biogas steps up for remainder of 2019 season for Harding Steinbrenner Racing

Rossi done already

INSANE race by Pagenaud!

Impressive win by Pagenaud!

That was awesome. I love watching drivers who are fast in the wet.

Quote:

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STAMFORD, Conn. May 13, 2019 Saturday afternoon's INDYCAR Grand Prix from Indianapolis Motor Speedway the first-ever NTT IndyCar Series race to air on the NBC broadcast network averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.072 million viewers, making it the most-watched INDYCAR Grand Prix in five years, and up 37% vs. last year's race on ABC, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.

Team Penske's Simon Pagenaud won the exciting, rain-soaked race at IMS by passing Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing on the next-to-last lap to register his first victory since the 2017 season finale at Sonoma.

The TAD of 1.072 million viewers for the sixth INDYCAR Grand Prix was the best since the inaugural race in 2014 (1.244 million viewers) and up 37% vs. last year (781,000). Viewership for the race peaked with a TV-only audience of 1.414 million viewers during the final laps of Pagneaud's exciting victory (5:45-5:52 p.m. ET). Indianapolis led all markets with a 6.65 local rating.

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If NBC can average above 1 million viewers for their non-Indy 500 portion of the schedule, it will greatly help the teams sell sponsorship opportunities.

Practice Day 1 (Top 5 and notables)
1 - Will Power (#12) - 229.745 MPH
2 - Simon Pagenaud (#22) - 229.703 MPH
3 - Ed Carpenter (#20) - 228.653 MPH
4 - Helio Castroneves (#3) - 228.441 MPH
5 - Colton Herta (#88) - 228.284 MPH
6 - Sebastien Bourdais (#18) - 228.242 MPH
8 - Alexander Rossi (#27) - 228.133 MPH
12 - Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28) - 227.642 MPH
13 - Scott Dixon (#9) - 227.428 MPH
14 - Takuma Sato (#30) - 227.249 MPH
17 - Josef Newgarden (#2) - 227.001 MPH
20 - Graham Rahal (#15) - 226.498 MPH
24 - Tony Kanaan (#14) - 225.473 MPH
32 - Fernando Alonso (#66) - 224.162 MPH

Alonso took a pretty hard hit before noon

Practice Day 2 - Top 5 and Notables
1 - Josef Newgarden (#2) - 228.856 MPH
2 - Scott Dixon (#9) - 228.835 MPH
3 - Spencer Pigot (#21) - 228.658 MPH
4 - Santino Ferrucci (#19) - 228.561 MPH
5 - Helio Castroneves (#3) - 228.441 MPH
6 - Sebastien Bourdais (#18) - 228.271 MPH
14 - Graham Rahal (#15) - 227.008 MPH
15 - Simon Pagenaud (#22) - 226.831 MPH
17 - Takuma Sato (#30) - 226.765 MPH
21 - Will Power (#12) - 226.609 MPH
27 - Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28) - 225.696 MPH
29 - Fernando Alonso (#66) - 225.433 MPH
34 - Alexander Rossi (#27) - 224.648 MPH

Shank eager to stay with Arrow SPM, go full-time for 2020

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The team which started as Michael Shank Racing, made its IndyCar debut in partnership with Andretti Autosport in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, but since then the part-time squad now Meyer Shank Racing after SiriusXM's CEO Jim Meyer became a partner has enjoyed a technical partnership with Arrow SPM. Jack Harvey competed in six races for this combo in 2018, and is set for 10 in 2019, of which four remain after the Indianapolis 500 Road America, Mid-Ohio, Portland and Laguna Seca.

Last weekend in the IndyCar Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Harvey qualified and finished third, and afterward, praised the partnership with Arrow SPM and drivers James Hinchcliffe and Marcus Ericsson. Shank expressed similar sentiments and said he was keen to continue the relationship with Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson.

Shank told Motorsport.com: "We're working on that. We did a two-year deal originally which is up at the end of this year and we've had meetings about it this week. I think it would be great; it's been a really strong relationship and it's gone as well as it possibly could go, in my opinion.

"Partnering Sam and Ric definitely helped us get over the hump that a lot of new teams face, and the group of people that work together the engineers, the drivers and so on truly work well together."

Source

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McLaren seeks to overcome setbacks at the Indianapolis 500

Quote:

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McLaren took the damaged car back to its garage in Gasoline Alley to assess the damage. It was determined the primary car should be moved aside in favor of the backup car that was used at a recent test at Texas Motor Speedway.

McLaren IndyCar president Bob Fernley said both are McLaren-built cars, but the one that will hit the track on Thursday was built by McLaren at the Carlin Racing garages in Indianapolis.

The chassis that got damaged will be rebuilt and prepared as a spare car by Friday time, in time for this weekend's qualifications at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

...

Unlike 2017 when McLaren formed an alliance with Andretti Autosport that gave the program a fully prepared Honda with crew and engineering support from Andretti's IndyCar operation, this year is much different.

McLaren is attempting to create its own NTT IndyCar Series program. It is a Chevrolet operation because Honda officials in Japan prohibited Honda Performance Development (HPD) from doing business with McLaren after its Formula One team disparaged Honda's F1 effort in 2017.

...

Zak Brown, McLaren's CEO, told NBC Sports.com in April that a full-time NTT IndyCar Series effort in 2020 depended on how well the team performed at the Indianapolis 500. If the team is able to overcome the obstacles it has been dealt in the first two days of practice, that might prove the mettle of this operation.

"I think what it will show, and I'm absolutely sure we will overcome the obstacles, is how good a little team we've built in a short period of time," Brown said Wednesday. "The guys have worked incredibly hard to get it where it is today. And now they're going to have to work very hard now to get us back on track again.

Source

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Sure hope they can turn it around enough to jump on board full-time.

Big hit for O'Ward

Practice 3 - Top 5 and Notables
1 - Ed Jones (#63) - 227.843 MPH
2 - Takuma Sato (#30) - 226.699 MPH
3 - Zach Veach (#26) - 226.070 MPH
4 - Sebastien Bourdais (#18) - 225.996 MPH
5 - Colton Herta (#88) - 225.458 MPH
9 - Scott Dixon (#9) - 225.300 MPH
10 - Simon Pagenaud (#22) - 225.256 MPH
11 - Helio Castroneves (#3) - 225.142 MPH
14 - Will Power (#12) - 224.858 MPH
22 - Alexander Rossi (#27) - 224.220 MPH
24 - Graham Rahal (#15) - 224.133 MPH
30 - Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28) - 223.074 MPH
36 - Fernando Alonso (#66) - DNP

Rossi sucking it up at these practices

Kaiser had a huge incident

Day 1 qualifying was nuts. Big threat of rain later may rain out the fast nine shootout, but Alonso, O'Ward, Kaiser, Chilton, Hinchcliffe, and Karam will battle for the final three starting spots. They may have to wait out rain, but the last row shootout will take place when weather permits, even if it has to happen tomorrow or Tuesday.

All six will get one attempt. Spencer Pigot on pole currently.

You'd think McLaren would've been prepared for this. But apparently not.
Hope Hinch makes the field. This is the one race on the circuit that you can win from the back.

How in the heck did Kaiser pull that off?