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INDYCAR 2017

2017 INDYCAR Detroit Grand Prix Race 1 Qualification Groups

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Qualifying for the first race of the Detroit Grand Prix Dual in Detroit starts at 10:20 a.m. ET Saturday (live stream on RaceControl.IndyCar.com).

Qualifying for this weekend’s race will vary from the typical three knockout rounds seen on road and street courses. Instead, 30-minute qualifying sessions will be held for each race. The field will be split into two groups, with each group receiving 12 minutes of track time. The fastest driver overall will be the Verizon P1 Award pole winner for that race, with the fastest driver in the other group also earning a championship point and earning the race starting position on the outside of Row 1.

The 70-lap race airs live on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network at 3:30 p.m.

Group 1

15 Rahal, Graham
1 Pagenaud, Simon
26 Sato, Takuma
12 Power, Will
10 Kanaan, Tony
5 Hinchcliffe, James
2 Newgarden, Josef
27 Andretti, Marco
20 Pigot, Spencer
19 Jones, Ed
18 Gutierrez, Esteban

Group 2

3 Castroneves, Helio
98 Rossi, Alexander
7 Aleshin, Mikhail
21 Hildebrand, JR
28 Hunter-Reay, Ryan
16 Servia, Oriol
4 Daly, Conor
8 Chilton, Max
83 Kimball, Charlie
14 Munoz, Carlos
9 Dixon, Scott

SOURCE: INDYCAR

2017 INDYCAR Detroit Grand Prix Entry List & Schedule

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2017 Detroit Grand Prix Entry List

  1. No. 1 Simon Pagenaud
  2. No. 2 Josef Newgarden
  3. No. 3 Helio Castroneves
  4. No. 4 Conor Daly
  5. No. 5 James Hinchcliffe
  6. No. 7 Mikhail Aleshin
  7. No. 8 Max Chilton
  8. No. 9 Scott Dixon
  9. No. 10 Tony Kanaan
  10. No. 12 Will Power
  11. No. 14 Carlos Munoz
  12. No. 15 Graham Rahal
  13. No. 16 Oriol Servia
  14. No. 18 Esteban Gutierrez
  15. No. 19 Ed Jones (R)
  16. No. 20 Spencer Pigot
  17. No. 21 JR Hildebrand
  18. No. 26 Takuma Sato
  19. No. 27 Marco Andretti
  20. No. 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay
  21. No. 83 Charlie Kimball
  22. No. 98 Alexander Rossi

At-track schedule (all times local)

Friday, June 2

  • 10:20-11:05 a.m. – Verizon IndyCar Series practice 1
  • 3:30-4:15 p.m. – Verizon IndyCar Series practice 2
  • 4:20-4:35 p.m. – Verizon IndyCar Series pit stop practice

Saturday, June 3

  • 10:05-10:35 a.m. – Race 1 qualifying for Verizon P1 Award (two groups/12 minutes each), IndyCar.com (live)
  • 3:03 p.m. – Driver introductions
  • 3:43 p.m. – Command to start engines
  • 3:50 p.m. – Chevrolet Dual in Detroit 1 (70 laps/164.5 miles), ABC (live)

Sunday, June 4

  • 10:45-11:15 a.m. – Race 2 qualifying for Verizon P1 Award (two groups/12 minutes each), IndyCar.com (live)
  • 2:59 p.m. – Driver introductions
  • 3:43 p.m. – Command to start engines
  • 3:50 p.m. – Chevrolet Dual in Detroit 2 (70 laps/164.5 miles), ABC (live)

Ruoff Home Mortgage Extends Partnership with Andretti Autosport

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Newly-crowned Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato will continue to carry Ruoff Home Mortgage on his No. 26 machine into the upcoming double-header weekend in Detroit. The Indiana-based company, which joined the Andretti Autosport partnership portfolio just in time to drink the milk, takes on a Major Associate sponsorship placing Ruoff Home Mortgage once again with Sato.

Mark Music, President & CEO of Ruoff Home Mortgage stated, “What you can definitely feel is the excitement that has been built around Takuma’s win at the Indianapolis 500 and we wanted to continue that partnership with Sato and Andretti Autosport for this race. Our 450+ employees, in particular, are extremely excited with the incredible performance of Takuma Sato and are happy to continue our relationship into Detroit.”

“Ruoff joined us just five days before the 101st Indy 500 and we couldn’t have been more thrilled with being able to provide them the win,” said Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti. “It’s great to see the partnership expand into a sponsorship for Takuma in Detroit and we hope to continue conversations and grow into an even larger relationship.”

SOURCE: Andretti Autosport

Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal top Belle Isle Charts Friday

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Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal swapped top honors in Friday’s practice sessions for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear – the only doubleheader race weekend on the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.

Rahal paced the first practice in the No. 15 SoldierStrong / TurnsforTroops.com Honda with a lap of 1:15.3328 (112.302 mph), with Castroneves second.

After Rahal led the morning’s 45-minute practice and Castroneves ran second, the veteran drivers exchanged spots in the afternoon. Castroneves’ lap of 1 minute, 15.1511 seconds (112.573 mph) in the second practice put the driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet atop the combined speed chart for the day.

Helio Castroneves Friday DetroitGP News Conference

Detroit Grand Prix Practice 1 – Friday, June 2, 2017

Detroit Grand Prix Practice 2 – Friday, June 2, 2017

SOURCE: INDYCAR

Fifth Third Bank to Sponsor RLL’s Oriol Servia in Detroit Grand Prix Duals

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Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced that Fifth Third Bank has not only extended their partnership with the team as an associate sponsor for three more years, they have also expanded their role to include primary sponsorship of the No. 16 Indy car driven by Oriol Servia in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Duals, June 3 and 4. It is their first time to be a primary sponsor on an Indy car. Fifth Third Bank is in its second year as an associate sponsor for the team.

“We are very pleased that we have been able to grow our Fifth Third relationship and feature them as the primary sponsor in both races in Detroit on Oriol Servia’s entry,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, with David Letterman and Mike Lanigan. “My personal experience with Fifth Third Bank goes back to the days when I lived in Columbus, Ohio and I am very proud that it has grown to this level since our partnership began in 2016. It’s going to be exciting to see Fifth Third as the primary sponsor on an Indy car and we look forward to the opportunity to put the car in Winner’s Circle.”

“There is no better way for us to ignite the Fifth Third brand than by partnering with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team and Indy car racing, said Steven Alonso, Group Regional President of Fifth Third Bank. “We had a great experience with our partnership last year and we are thrilled to not only continue but to increase our sponsorship for the next three years. We are really looking forward to being the primary sponsor and see the Fifth Third Bank car in the field at the Detroit Grand Prix.”

The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheaders will both be televised live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET on June 3 and June 4.

SOURCE: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing ♦ PHOTO: Brian Groce

Prize Money Breakdown for All 2017 Indy 500 Drivers

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Results Sunday of the 101st Indianapolis 500 Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, aero kit-engine, laps completed reason out (if any), and prize money earned:

1. (4) Takuma Sato, Honda, 200, Running, $2,458,129

2. (19) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $770,629

3. (11) Ed Jones, Honda, 200, Running, $535,629

4. (15) Max Chilton, Honda, 200, Running, $484,129

5. (7) Tony Kanaan, Honda, 200, Running, $438,129

6. (18) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $255,805

7. (3) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 200, Running, $420,629

8. (8) Marco Andretti, Honda, 200, Running, $384,629

9. (25) Gabby Chaves, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $235,305

10. (24) Carlos Munoz, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $364,129

11. (2) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $395,129

12. (14) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200, Running, $361,129

13. (13) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 200, Running, $355,629

14. (23) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $349,129

15. (31) Sebastian Saavedra, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $210,305

16. (6) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 200, Running, $345,129

17. (28) Pippa Mann, Honda, 199, Running, $200,305

18. (29) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 194, Running, $200,305

19. (22) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 186, Running, $334,129

20. (33) James Davison, Honda, 183, $355,129

21. (12) Oriol Servia, Honda, 183, Contact, $200,305

22. (17) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 183, Contact, $349,129

23. (9) Will Power, Chevrolet, 183, Contact, $388,129

24. (5) Fernando Alonso, Honda, 179, Mechanical, $305,805

25. (16) Charlie Kimball, Honda, 166, Mechanical, $339,129

26. (32) Zach Veach, Chevrolet, 155, Mechanical, $200,805

27. (10) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 136, Mechanical, $351,629

28. (21) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 125, Mechanical, $202,805

29. (30) Buddy Lazier, Chevrolet, 118, Contact, $200,305

30. (26) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 65, Contact, $334,129

31. (27) Jack Harvey, Honda, 65, Contact, $205,805

32. (1) Scott Dixon, Honda, 52, Contact, $446,629

33. (20) Jay Howard, Honda, 45, Contact, $200,305

Takuma Sato Earns $2.45 Million for Winning 101st Indianapolis 500

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Takuma Sato earned $2,458,129 from an overall purse of $13,178,359 for his victory Sunday in the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Verizon IndyCar Series veteran Sato, from Tokyo, became the first Japanese winner of the Indianapolis 500, fending off three-time winner Helio Castroneves by .2011 of a second to the checkered flag in the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda. This was the sixth-closest finish in Indy 500 history.

Sato took the lead from Castroneves for good on Lap 195 of the 200-lap race. He led twice for 17 laps.

Castroneves, who dodged multiple on-track incidents and led nine laps even after receiving a drive-through penalty, earned $770,629 for finishing second in the No. 3 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet. He became one of seven drivers with three Indianapolis 500 runner-up finishes.

Toward the end of the race, Castroneves had to worry about third-place finisher, rookie driver Ed Jones, in his rear-view mirror. Jones never led in the race but ended up as the top rookie finisher in the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda, earning $535,629.

SOURCE: INDYCAR

Takuma Sato Wins 101st Indy 500, Becomes First Japanese Winner of Famed Race

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Many wondered if an experienced Formula One driver competing for Andretti Autosport could win the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. It happened, just not by the one some expected.

Takuma Sato capped off another thrilling Indianapolis 500 that featured a record number of drivers leading the race. The driver of the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda edged three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves to the finish line by 0.2011 of a second to become the first Japanese winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Sato passed Castroneves for the lead on Lap 195 – the last of 35 lead changes in the 200-lap race on the historic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and the seventh straight year that the decisive pass for the Indy 500 lead occurred in the last six laps. Sato held off aggressive charges from Castroneves, the driver of the No. 3 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet, in the sixth-closest finish in Indy 500 history.

After spending seven years in Formula One, Sato came to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2010. His only previous Indy car victory was in 2013 with AJ Foyt Racing on the streets of Long Beach, California. Sato joined Andretti Autosport this season, and his first oval win today is the fifth for Andretti Autosport in the Indianapolis 500 – including three in the last four years.

“It’s such a privilege to win here,” said Sato, who crashed while battling eventual winner Dario Franchitti for the lead on the final lap of the 2012 Indy 500. “So whether it was the first attempt or eighth attempt or you had a drama in the past, it doesn’t really matter. Winning today, it’s just superb.

“But, yes, I do feel after 2012 I really needed to correct something I left over. Today, I was so happy that I made it and won in a good move.”

Sato is the 71st driver to win an Indianapolis 500 in its 101 runnings. The best previous finish by a Japanese driver was fifth by Tora Takagi in 2003.

SOURCE: INDYCAR ♦ PHOTO: Brian Groce