IndyCar Category

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Controversial? Yes. Risky? Yes. Intentional? No. Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi reminded all of us what Verizon IndyCar Series drivers are made of on Sunday at the end of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. A late race caution came out when Max Chilton stalled his car after reversing it, prompting the field to bunch up behind the pace car. The field were given word that the green flag was coming out with two laps to go and Rossi got a good start. Wickens defendedRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A.J. Foyt Racing entered the St. Petersburg street circuit Sunday with high expectations after a series of great test runs during the off-season. Once the green flag came out, their expectations took a backseat and became a race of recovery for both Brazilian drivers Tony Kanaan and Matheus Leist, who finished 11th and 24th, respectively, in the INDYCAR Series season opener. The first problems from the Foyt camp unfolded on Lap 1 after Andretti Autosport driver Zach Veach punted 10th place starter Kanaan in TurnRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Robert Wickens intended to impress on his Verizon IndyCar Series debut and impress the rookie did, scoring pole position and nearly winning Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The 28-year-old Canadian beat Team Penske’s Will Power to the pole and led the first five laps until another rookie, Jordan King, took over after an early restart. Wickens repaid King’s favor on the next restart and led until the No. 6 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda made its way to pit lane on Lap 25. The 2011Read More

By Josh Farmer, Contributing Writer For the second year in a row, Ryan Hunter-Reay recovered from a mechanical problem on the parade lap to finish fifth in today’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Hunter-Reay qualified eighth on Saturday, but started today’s race from the pit lane as his No. 28 DHL Honda’s electrical control unit malfunctioned on the lap leading up to the green flag. The Andretti Autosport driver was saved by a yellow flag on lap three as Charlie Kimball stalled on course. That allowed him to catch up and alterRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Reversal of Fortune Last season Sebastien Bourdais could only watch as Josef Newgarden drove off with a championship he appeared poised to contend for before misfortune befell him at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. In St. Petersburg he kicked off another championship chase in victory lane after the misfortune of others. Bourdais completed an emotional comeback with a victory in Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – the season-opening race for the Verizon IndyCar Series. “This is emotional because I was able from aRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer He almost became a late race hero in a daring overtaking maneuver on a restart, but Alexander Rossi instead became a hot topic of controversy during Sunday’s season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Rossi, who started 12th after a penalty in the second round of qualifying threw out his two fastest laps, moved up to eighth place after the first lap of 110 around the 1.8 mile street circuit. Rossi would move past Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud and Scott DixonRead More

By Josh Farmer, Contributing Writer Strategy and good luck vaulted Graham Rahal to a second place finish in today’s Verizon IndyCar Series season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. It marked the Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan Racing driver’s first podium at St. Pete since his first win at the 1.8-mile street circuit in 2008. As calamity ensued between race leaders Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi on a restart with two laps remaining, Rahal followed race winner Sebastien Bourdais through the chaos as the race ended under the yellow flag. Rahal noted that he wasRead More

By INDYCAR ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Sunday, March 11, 2018) – If the first race is an indication, the Verizon IndyCar Series is in for a wild, unpredictable and most exciting 2018 season. Sebastien Bourdais repeated as winner of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg today, but only after rookie Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi collided while battling for the lead on the next-to-last of 110 edge-of-your-seat laps. It was the first of 17 Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG: Official results For Bourdais, theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Defending Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Sébastien Bourdais restarted in third with two laps remaining. One corner later, Alexander Rossi tangled with race leader and INDYCAR series debutant driver Robert Wickens, propelling Bourdais’ No. 18 SealMaster Honda on top of the leaderboard and captured a feelgood second straight win at the Florida street circuit, leading 30 of 110 laps. The victory was Bourdais’ 37th career INDYCAR victory and perhaps his most triumphant after surviving a horrific Turn 2 qualifying crash during Pole DayRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Saturday has come and gone for the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires on the streets of St. Petersburg and many storylines and other things have taken place that made for a full day at the track. IndyCar Robert Wickens getting pole position for Sunday’s race was massive for the Canadian. Stealing the top spot from Will Power on the final lap of the session made it all the sweeter. Wickens came from DTM, butRead More