Your source for all things Indy™
INDYCAR announced a rescinded infraction from the Iowa Corn 300 on July 18 at Iowa Speedway:
• Driver James Jakes of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports had his $500 fine rescinded for violating Rule 1.2.7.1.2 of the Verizon IndyCar Series rulebook (Personal Safety Equipment, visor up during pit stop fueling) after further review of the incident determined the violation did not occur.
SOURCE: INDYCAR • PHOTO: Brian Groce
INDYCAR announced the following post-event infractions and manufacturer championship points updates from the Iowa Corn 300, which was held July 18 at Iowa Speedway:
• Verizon IndyCar Series driver James Jakes of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports was fined $500 for violating Rule 1.6.5.1.1 of the Verizon IndyCar Series rule book (visor not down during pit stop).
• A crew member from A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing were each fined $500 for violating Rule 1.2.7.2 (e) (deadman not wearing headsock).
• The No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry was fined $500 for violating Rule 7.9.6 (unattended equipment – tire).
• Chevrolet received a deduction of 20 manufacturer points for an engine that did not attain its life cycle during the Iowa Corn 300 race weekend. According to Rule 10.6.4.3, 20 manufacturer points are deducted for an engine that fails to reach its 2,500-mile life cycle. The Chevrolet engine on the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams entry did not reach its life cycle minimum before being changed out.
Following the adjustment, Chevrolet has 1,279 manufacturer points for the season and Honda has 1,011.
Members may contest the imposition of penalties pursuant to the procedures and timelines detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the Verizon IndyCar Series rulebook.
SOURCE: INDYCAR
American drivers swept the top four positions – and six of the top seven – as Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay captured his first victory of the Verizon IndyCar Series season Saturday night in the Iowa Corn 300. Hunter-Reay prevailed by .5046 of a second over Josef Newgarden to become the ninth different winner in 13 Verizon IndyCar Series races this season.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Sage Karam finished a career-high third. Graham Rahal placed fourth for his third consecutive top-five finish, and Carlos Munoz, who won at Detroit in May, was fifth.
The last time Americans swept the podium in a Verizon IndyCar Series event was the 2006 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, when Michael Andretti followed winner Sam Hornish Jr. and Marco Andretti across the finish line in one of the most historic finishes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It was the sixth consecutive victory for Andretti Autosport at Iowa Speedway and the third victory at the track for Hunter-Reay, who was also battling Newgarden for the win one year ago, when he beat the CFH Racing driver to the finish line by .5814 of a second.
“The No. 28 DHL Honda was on rails at the end,” said Hunter-Reay, who had only one top-five finish this season entering the race. “This one we really had to work for. After a tough season, this one is really nice.”
Following a Lap 278 restart, Hunter-Reay held off multiple challenges by Newgarden in the No. 67 Wichita State University/CFH Racing Chevrolet.
“To finish second was bittersweet,” said Newgarden, who qualified seventh. “We had a winning car, but it’s a credit to the team to finish second.”
Juan Pablo Montoya’s championship points lead appeared to take a hit when the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet made right-side contact with the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier on Lap 10 of the 300-lap race. It was his first DNF of the season and the first in 18 races since the 2014 race at Iowa Speedway.
“We had a good car. It was a little loose the first couple of laps, so I was just really taking it easy, biding my time,” said Montoya, who qualified third. “Something broke.”
A mechanical issue in the final third of the race plagued the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet of Scott Dixon, who entered the race 54 points behind, and an 11th-place finish by pole sitter Helio Castroneves, allowed Montoya to enter the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 2 relatively unscathed.
Rahal moved to second in the standings — 42 points behind — while Dixon, who finished 18th, is 48 points back and Castroneves is 54 points out of the lead.
Results Saturday of the Iowa Corn 300 Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 0.894 mile Iowa Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, aero kit-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (9) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 300, Running
2. (7) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 300, Running
3. (10) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 300, Running
4. (17) Graham Rahal, Honda, 300, Running
5. (12) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 300, Running
6. (11) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 300, Running
7. (8) Marco Andretti, Honda, 300, Running
8. (19) Ryan Briscoe, Honda, 300, Running
9. (24) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 300, Running
10. (6) Will Power, Chevrolet, 300, Running
11. (1) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 300, Running
12. (20) Tristan Vautier, Honda, 299, Running
13. (21) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 299, Running
14. (5) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 299, Running
15. (14) James Jakes, Honda, 299, Running
16. (23) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 299, Running
17. (18) Justin Wilson, Honda, 297, Running
18. (4) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 263, Running
19. (15) Takuma Sato, Honda, 260, Contact
20. (13) Stefano Coletti, Chevrolet, 191, Contact
21. (2) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 189, Mechanical
22. (16) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 170, Contact
23. (22) Pippa Mann, Honda, 136, Handling
24. (3) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 9, Contact
Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 129.943
Time of Race: 02:03:50.3315
Margin of victory: 0.5046 of a second
Cautions: 6 for 73 laps
Lead changes: 14 among 10 drivers
Lap Leaders:
Castroneves 1
Kanaan 2 – 68
Castroneves 69 – 77
Kanaan 78 – 80
Power 81 – 82
Jakes 83 – 85
Bourdais 86 -91
Kimball 92 – 98
Castroneves 99 – 105
Newgarden 106 – 125
Castroneves 126 – 158
Newgarden 159 – 249
Hawksworth 250 – 256
Rahal 257 – 263
Hunter-Reay 264 – 300
Verizon IndyCar Series Point Standings: Montoya 445, Rahal 403, Dixon 397, Castroneves 391, Power 390, Bourdais 366, Andretti 358, Newgarden 352, Kanaan 324, Pagenaud 294.
SOURCE: INDYCAR
INDYCAR announced the following post-event infractions and manufacturer championship points updates from the MAVTV 500, which was held June 27 at Auto Club Speedway:
• Verizon IndyCar Series driver Will Power was fined $25,000 and placed on probation for the remainder of the 2015 season for violating Rule 9.3.1 (Improper Conduct) and Rule 9.3.1.8 (Improper Conduct; using improper, profane, or disparaging language or gestures in reference to any Official).
• The No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry was fined $10,000 ($5,000 suspended) for violating Rule 7.10.1.2 (Pit Safety Violation; leaving pit with equipment attached to the car – fuel hose). Additionally, a crew member for the team was placed on probation for three races for violating Rule 7.10.1.2 (Pit Safety Violation; leaving pit with equipment attached to car – fuel hose).
• Verizon IndyCar Series driver Tristan Vautier was fined $10,000 and placed on probation for the remainder of the 2015 season for violating Rule 7.10.1.8 (Pit Safety Violation; contact with personnel).
• The No. 2 Team Penske entry was fined $1,500 for violating Rule 7.10.1.5 (Pit Safety Violation; contact with equipment – air hose).
• The No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry was fined $500 for violating Rule 7.9.6 (Pit Procedures, unattended equipment – wheel nut).
• The No. 26 Andretti Autosport entry was fined $500 for violating Rule 7.9.6 (Pit Procedures, unattended equipment – wheel nut).
• The No. 67 CFH Racing entry was fined a total of $1,000 for twice violating Rule 7.9.6 (Pit Procedures, unattended equipment – wheel nut and tire).
• Chevrolet received a bonus of 60 manufacturer points and Honda a bonus of 30 points for having engines attain their life cycle during the Auto Club Speedway race weekend. According to Rule 10.6.4.2, 10 points are awarded to a manufacturer for an engine that successfully reaches its 2,500-mile life cycle. Chevrolet engines that met the minimum were the No. 1 Team Penske, No. 11 KVSH Racing and Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 83 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams entries. Honda engines that met the life cycle requirement were the No. 5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport entries.
• Chevrolet and Honda each received a deduction of 60 manufacturer points for engines that did not attain their life cycle during the Auto Club Speedway race weekend. According to Rule 10.6.4.3, 20 manufacturer points are deducted for an engine that fails to reach its 2,500-mile life cycle. Chevrolet engines that did not achieve the minimum before being changed out were the Nos. 2 and 3 Team Penske and No. 4 KV Racing Technology entries. Honda engines not reaching the life cycle minimum before being changed out were the No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises and No. 28 Andretti Autosport entries.
Following the adjustments, Chevrolet has 1,108 manufacturer championship points for the season and Honda has 921.
Members may contest the imposition of penalties pursuant to the procedures and timelines detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the Verizon IndyCar Series rulebook.
SOURCE: INDYCAR
6 – Positions gained by Stefano Coletti in the final 25 laps of the race (18th to 12th). … Podium finishes in his last seven starts at Auto Club Speedway by Tony Kanaan, who was the race runner-up.
7.77 – Average running position of winner Graham Rahal for the 250 laps.
14 – Drivers who led at least one lap, the most to lead a race at Auto Club Speedway since November 2001, when a track-record 19 drivers led.
18 – Positions improved by Rahal (19th to first), most of any of the 23 starters.
21 – Indy car wins for cars owned by Bobby Rahal, who won 24 times as a driver.
74 – Top-three career finishes by Kanaan, tying Rick Mears for 13th on the all-time Indy car list.
76 – Laps in which rookie Sage Karam improved his position, most of any driver.
80 – Lead changes in the race, an Indy car record. The previous was 73 at Auto Club Speedway in November 2001.
124 – Starts between Indy car victories for Graham Rahal, the longest streak between wins by an Indy car driver. The previous record was 97 starts between wins held by Johnny Rutherford.
244 – Consecutive starts by Kanaan, extending his all-time record.
2,537 – Total on-track passes for position. Kanaan had 204, most of any driver.
3,173 – Total on-track passes. Of the 6,248 total on-track passes this season, 51 percent occurred in the MAVTV 500.
0.37 – overnight rating as reported by Nielsen – up from a 0.18 rating in 2014.
SOURCE: INDYCAR
An Indy car record 80 lead changes among 14 drivers culminated in a dramatic victory for American Graham Rahal in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway. The victory was the second of Rahal’s career and ended a 124-race winless drought dating to 2008 in St. Petersburg – the longest gap between race wins for a driver in Indy car history.
The 80 lead changes during the 250-lap event surpassed the previous Indy car record of 73 set at Auto Club Speedway in November 2001.
Rahal, driving the No. 15 Mi-Jack Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, won under caution as the cars driven by Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Hunter-Reay made contact battling for position coming to the white flag. The final restart was set up after a red flag was displayed on Lap 245 of 250 on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval after contact between the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet driven by Will Power and the No. 14 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Honda of Takuma Sato on the frontstretch.
All drivers were checked at the infield medical center and cleared.
“Our weakness has been these ovals and I told the guys this morning that the next three races will define our year,” said Rahal, who qualified 19th. “It’s been so long coming. It’s awesome. I think the combination of downforce and tires made for multiple lanes of racing that was nerve-racking but exciting. (With) the width of this place, the guys were able to stay in their lanes.”
Tony Kanaan finished second in the No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and Marco Andretti placed third in the No. 27 Snapple Andretti Autosport Honda.
Juan Pablo Montoya finished fourth to extend his championship points lead to 46 over Power, and rookie Sage Karam earned his highest finish of fifth in his nine-race Verizon IndyCar Series career at the track where he wrapped up the 2013 Indy Lights championship.
The first yellow came out on Lap 136 when the cars driven by Helio Castroneves and Briscoe made light contact on the backstretch. Five other caution periods followed, including two for debris.
“The Verizon Chevy team did a great job today, despite how tough of a day it was,” said Power, who led a field-high 62 laps but finished 19th. “When you have a pack race like what we had today, you have to take a lot of risks to gain track position. As exciting as it is, it’s intense at the same time.”
Rahal was 19 years, 93 days old when he won at St. Petersburg and is still the youngest Indy car winner.
“It feels good, and is a big day for us. It shows that our rebound this season is legit,” said Rahal, who moved into fourth place in the season standings. “The team is why all of this has come together. Hopefully I can move on from here and not make it seven years until I win again.”
1. (19) Graham Rahal, Honda, 250, Running
2. (6) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 250, Running
3. (3) Marco Andretti, Honda, 250, Running
4. (5) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 250, Running
5. (10) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 250, Running
6. (7) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 250, Running
7. (23) James Jakes, Honda, 250, Running
8. (13) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 250, Running
9. (1) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 250, Running
10. (17) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 250, Running
11. (11) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 250, Running
12. (21) Stefano Coletti, Chevrolet, 250, Running
13. (22) Pippa Mann, Honda, 250, Running
14. (15) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 250, Running
15. (14) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 249, Contact
16. (16) Ryan Briscoe, Honda, 249, Contact
17. (20) Tristan Vautier, Honda, 246, Running
18. (9) Takuma Sato, Honda, 241, Contact
19. (8) Will Power, Chevrolet, 241, Contact
20. (18) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 237, Running
21. (12) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 161, Contact
22. (4) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 157, Contact
23. (2) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 136, Contact
Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 168.846
Time of Race: 02:57:40.6179
Margin of victory: Under caution
Cautions: 6 for 46 laps
Lead changes: 80 among 14 drivers
Verizon IndyCar Series point standings: Montoya 407, Power 361, Dixon 358, Rahal 334, Castroneves 330, Andretti 308, Bourdais 290, Kanaan 285, Newgarden 277, Pagenaud 256.
SOURCE: INDYCAR
Simon Pagenaud earned his second career Indy car pole and first on an oval in leading a Team Penske sweep of the front row for the MAVTV 500 with a two-lap average speed of 218.952 mph at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway.
Pagenaud, driving the No. 22 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet, topped teammate Helio Castroneves’ 2014 pole-winning average speed of 218.540 mph and will start on the front row for the third consecutive Verizon IndyCar Series race. Castroneves qualified second with a two-lap average speed of 218.734 mph in the No. 3 Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet.
It is the fifth consecutive race that Team Penske entries have occupied the front row.
“Thanks to my crew for the preparations and it’s exciting to get a superspeedway pole,” said Pagenaud, who is in his first season with Team Penske. “Qualifying is one thing. It’s a reward for performance. We have a 500-mile race and hopefully I can reward the team for its hard work. It’s a brand new team that is gelling really well.
“This (pole) is nice, but frankly you can win from the back in a 500-mile race like (Juan Pablo) Montoya did (in the Indianapolis 500). Being able to run in different lanes and being smart in traffic is going to be key.”
Marco Andretti, whose two-lap average speed of 217.797 mph in the No. 27 Snapple Andretti Autosport Honda was third best of the 22 qualifiers, posted his highest qualifying result since securing the pole for the July 2013 race at Pocono Raceway.
“We maximized everything in qualifying, and I’m really happy with the race car for the long race. That’s the important thing,” said Andretti, who won the pole for the 2012 race at Auto Club Speedway.
CFH Racing co-owner/driver Ed Carpenter, who has finished first, second and third in the past three races at Auto Club Speedway, qualified on the outside of Row 2 (217.666 mph) in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet.
Pagenaud won his first Verizon P1 Award on June 28, 2014, at Houston. He has qualified in the top five in 10 of the 11 Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. Pagenaud also qualified on the front row for the 99th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Montoya, the Verizon IndyCar Series championship points leader who is seeking to complete a career Triple Crown of 500-mile race victories at Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway, qualified fifth at 217.250 mph in the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Chevrolet.
Montoya will share Row 3 with defending race winner Tony Kanaan, who posted a two-lap average of 217.184 mph. Scott Dixon, runner-up to teammate Kanaan in the MAVTV 500 last August, matched his teammate’s qualification speed average 217.184 mph and will start seventh.
Results of qualifying Friday for the MAVTV 500 Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, aero kit-engine, and speed:
1. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 218.952
2. (3) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 218.734
3. (27) Marco Andretti, Honda, 217.797
4. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 217.666
5. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 217.250
6. (10) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 217.184
7. (9) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 217.184
8. (1) Will Power, Chevrolet, 217.176
9. (14) Takuma Sato, Honda, 217.109
10. (8) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 217.060
11. (26) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 216.878
12. (67) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 216.490
13. (83) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 216.242
14. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 215.983
15. (11) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 215.719
16. (5) Ryan Briscoe, Honda, 215.526
17. (41) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 215.346
18. (98) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 213.720
19. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 213.639
20. (19) Tristan Vautier, Honda, 213.317
21. (4) Stefano Coletti, Chevrolet, 212.644
22. (18) Pippa Mann, Honda, 210.528
23. (7) James Jakes, Honda, no speed
SOURCE: INDYCAR
Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power and recently-crowned Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya headline the Best Driver category for the 23rd ESPY Awards.
Celebrities from sports and entertainment will convene July 15 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) awards were first presented in 1993.
“Look at the list of former winners of the ‘Best Driver’ category and you can see that it is quite an honor just to be nominated,” said Montoya, who also won the Indy 500 in 2000 and has victories in Formula One and NASCAR. “What’s amazing is that I have raced against almost everyone on that list of former ESPY winners. I love the Verizon IndyCar Series and I think we have the best racing in the world. It’s important for us to have ESPN acknowledge our accomplishments.”
Montoya, who has won two races this season, is the Verizon IndyCar Series championship points leader heading into the MAVTV 500. Team Penske teammate Power is 27 points behind in second place.
Power earned his first series championship in 2014 with three victories and 15 top-10 finishes overall in the 18 races. This season, driving the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, he has won the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis and added four other top-five finishes in the 10 races.
At Toronto on June 13, Power secured his fifth pole of the season and 41st of his career to overtake Rick Mears for fifth on the all-time Indy car list. The MAVTV 500 will mark Power’s 150th Indy car start.
Other nominees in the Best Driver category are Kevin Harvick (NASCAR), Erica Enders-Stevens (NHRA) and Lewis Hamilton (Formula One). Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport won the Best Driver award the past two years, following his 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series championship season and his scintillating Indianapolis 500 victory in 2014.
“Racing is all I ever wanted to do. To be acknowledged by one of the leaders in the sports world is something that means a lot to me,” Power said. “Ryan Hunter-Reay brought the award back to INDYCAR for the last two years and I hope I can keep it here.”
The awards show, hosted by actor/comedian Joel McHale, airs at 8 p.m. (ET) on ABC. “SportsCenter at The ESPYS” from 6-7 p.m. (ET) and “The ESPYS Countdown Show” from 7-8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN kick off the evening.
SOURCE: INDYCAR• PHOTOS: Brian Groce
Three-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon is mixing it up this season with his various liveries, and this weekend at Auto Club Speedway Unilever will sponsor Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 9 car with its Degree® brand, promoting their 6-week Degree® Get Moving Challenge.
The #GetMoving program challenges consumers for six weeks from July to August with fitness activities ranging from cardio kickboxing to full-sprint workouts, resulting in prizes including VISA gift cards, Men’s and Women’s Health subscriptions, workout attire, and a destination trip for a one-on-one workout session with celebrity trainer and transformation pro Chris Powell.
The 6-week Degree® Get Moving Challenge kicks off July 1 at www.degreegetmovingchallenge.com. Inspired by Degree’s movement platform, the collaboration brings together the expertise of Women’s Health and Men’s Health, along with Powell’s approach to proven results to ensure a successful experience for all participants.
INDYCAR announced today it has implemented the use of closure panels to the rear wheel guards of both Honda and Chevrolet superspeedway aero kits beginning this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The panels were developed by Honda and Chevrolet, respectively, and will also be utilized at Pocono Raceway and Auto Club Speedway during the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
“This has been a collaborative effort with both manufacturers and they have been working on these since the Indianapolis 500 qualifications,” said Will Phillips, INDYCAR Vice President of Technology. “These closure panels serve as a blocker so air cannot flow through the rear wheel guards. This will ultimately raise the point at which cars would experience lift when traveling backwards.”
INDYCAR also confirmed that the rear wing angle for all entries this weekend must be set between (-6) and (-10.5) degrees, which will still result in an increase in overall downforce compared to the 2014 event at TMS.
SOURCE: INDYCAR