All posts by Aaron Bearden

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT – In Saturday’s first Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, Ryan Hunter-Reay fell just shy of claiming his first victory in three seasons. On Sunday he wouldn’t be denied. Hunter-Reay overcame a 10th-place starting position with a three-stop strategy and pressured Andretti Autosport teammate Alexander Rossi into a late mistake to secure Sunday’s Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The victory was the Floridian’s 15th-career triumph, and his first since Pocono Raceway in August 2015. While Hunter-Reay ended up in victory lane at day’s end, early onRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — The traditional Belle Isle attrition started before the green flag on the final day of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, was piloting the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 pace car through the 2.35-mile Belle Isle Park circuit when he lost control of the machine, careening into the left-side wall and forcing heavy damage to the car. WOW THE PACE CAR WRECKED! A big hit too! #detroitgp #indycar A GM employeeRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT – Alexander Rossi will lead the Verizon IndyCar Series field to the green in Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix after laying down the fastest lap in a wet morning qualifying session. Rossi’s quick time of 1:33.3143 served as the top circuit in Group 2, elevating the Californian to his third-career IndyCar pole. Andretti Autosport swept the weekend’s two qualifying sessions, with Marco Andretti securing the pole for Saturday’s first IndyCar race. Following Rossi in Group 2 were Indianapolis 500 champion Will Power, Saturday winner ScottRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — Mario Farnbacher is a big fan of the Raceway at Belle Isle Park. Two wins in four years will do that for anyone. “I won here before in 2015, now I’ve done it again,” Farnbacher said. “I’ve always had great memories here. I love the track, and it’s just amazing to be back here. Hopefully this race track will still be in the calendar in the future.” Farnbacher and Katherine Legge outpaced Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian teammates Justin Marks and LawsonRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — Felipe Nasr stayed clear of a late charge from Ricky Taylor to earn his first-career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at Belle Isle Park. The win was Action Express Racing teammate Eric Curran’s eighth in IMSA competition. It also kept up an impressive Detroit trend. Since their first race at Belle Isle in 2007, every IMSA-sanctioned event at Belle Isle has been won by a General Motors affiliate. The latest win was among the least likely. ARead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — The weather forecast for Sunday’s Race 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix looks like it could be difficult to predict. Takuma Sato is hoping for rain. “Yeah, I hope (it rains),” Sato told Motorsports Tribune. “As long as we’re keeping things safe for everyone else, I think the condition changes are always interesting for the competitors and spectators. Hopefully we can enjoy a great afternoon tomorrow.” Sato delivered his best performance of 2018 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in Saturday’s first race atRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — Marco Andretti delivered his best finish of 2018 at Belle Isle Park, finishing fourth in Saturday’s Race 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. It was a good result. But Andretti felt it could have been much more. “I guess you’ve gotta be happy, right?,” Andretti told Motorsports Tribune after the race. “But the frustrating thing is that we went backwards, and our teammates beat us again. “It’s really getting frustrating.” Andretti stole the show early on in the first of twoRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — In the heart of Chevrolet country, it was Honda’s Scott Dixon that found championship form. Dixon took the lead from Marco Andretti through the first pit cycle and fended off a late charge from Ryan Hunter-Reay to claim Race 1 of the first Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The win was the first for the four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion in 2018, and came after his first laps led on the year. It also tied him with Michael Andretti for third on the all-time indy car winsRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor DETROIT — For the first time in nearly five years, Marco Andretti will lead the Verizon IndyCar Series field to the green flag this afternoon in Detroit. Andretti laid down a quick time of 1:14.8514 – the only circuit completed under the 1:15 mark – to lead Group 2 and claim the Verizon P1 Award for Saturday’s Dual 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle Park. The time came in Andretti’s final lap, knocking fast rookie Robert Wickens off the pole as theRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor Helio Castroneves entered Sunday’s 102nd Indianapolis 500 knowing it could potentially be his final Verizon IndyCar Series start After exiting early following a Lap 146 crash, the three-time winner prays it’s anything but it. “Please Roger (Penske), can I come back?” Castroneves told ABC’s broadcast shortly after his incident. Castroneves is one of Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s most decorated drivers, sitting one win behind the all-time mark for Indy 500 victories with three triumphs (2001, ’02, ’09) in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’ For the past nineRead More