Chip Ganassi Racing Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer MONTEREY, California – Four of the best NTT IndyCar Series drivers this season will have excellent starting positions for Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as they’ll start in the top-six. Defending series champion Scott Dixon leads the group as he’ll start alongside pole sitter Colton Herta. Considered the long shot out of the group, Dixon trails points leader Josef Newgarden by 85 points. After qualifying, Dixon felt his No. 9 PNC Bank Honda has gradually improved. Notably, finding a wayRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer MONTEREY, California – Felix Rosenqvist being justifiably upset was an understatement at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. After being the fastest man during Saturday’s final practice, the NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year points leader faced a controversial penalty in Group 2 of qualifying. Rosenqvist’s No. 10 NTT Data Honda was given a penalty which resulted his two fastest laps that would’ve advance him into the next round revoked due to causing a local yellow and impeding another competitor’s lap. As a result, he would haveRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer MONTEREY, California – Felix Rosenqvist will head into the final qualifying session Saturday afternoon with tremendous optimism after setting the fastest time of final practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year points leader set a time of 1:10.4065, beating the Team Penske trio of Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud as the last 45-minute session was chaotic. Although no stoppages occurred, several drivers struggled finding the perfect lap at the 2.238-mileRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer MONTEREY, California – The three NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year title contenders swept Friday morning’s practice charts at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with Colton Herta being both fastest and snake bitten by “The Corkscrew” to close out the 45-minute session. Herta’s time of 1:10.7335 was just 0.0719 seconds faster than rookie points leader Felix Rosenqvist. Santino Ferrucci rounds out the top-three as he was 0.1502 seconds behind. In the closing seconds of practice, Herta’s rear of his No. 88 Capstone Turbine Corporation Honda lockedRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PORTLAND, Ore. – A superb late-race restart by Will Power was all he needed to beat rookie Felix Rosenqvist and take Grand Prix of Portland victory, leading a race-high 52 of 105 laps. The new ruler of the Pacific Northwest certainly made the most out of a disappointing Saturday, where he qualified second after flat spotting the tires in the Firestone Fast Six ended his bid of winning the pole, into a satisfactory Sunday as his win was the 37th of his Indy car career. PowerRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PORTLAND, Ore. – An all-around solid weekend in the Pacific Northwest for Felix Rosenqvist was capped off with a career equal runner-up finish in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland. Rosenqvist’s second career podium finish can be summarized as mastering the Firestone red compounds, solid fuel conservation and excellent teamwork by the No. 10 NTT Data squad that propelled him from the fifth starting position to the second, trailing a strong Will Power for most of the race. It appeared that Power was on cruise control ofRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PORTLAND, Ore. – Despite already having a championship to his name, NTT IndyCar Series points leader Josef Newgarden is anything but comfortable heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland. One of the showstoppers from last year’s 105-lap contest due to his daring passes heading into the Shelton Chicane, the man with a 38-point advantage over his Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud knows the task at hand in these final two races. The gap between the two Penske teammates could favor the leader as his 38 points isRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer MADISON, Ill. — Back without skipping a beat is the current NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year points leader Felix Rosenqvist, who’s had a whirlwind couple of days since his horrific crash at Pocono Raceway, which saw him hit the Turn 2 fence. Despite all the buzz on his condition, he was in absolute good spirits Friday after qualifying 10th for tomorrow’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The Swede commented that he’s moved on from the opening lap crash,Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent BRISTOL, Tenn. – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch has gifted military veterans with opportunities of a lifetime. Since the Daytona 500 earlier this year, the 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion has partnered with the Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) to send both active and retired military veterans, 100 veterans total, to NASCAR races throughout the season. 2,500 veterans minimum have attended races so far. Busch praised the program and its’ success. “It’s been fabulous. It’s a gift that keeps on giving with vettix.org helping manageRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer A set of circumstances that probably has not happened before in Indy car racing history should not be what defines everybody’s memory of the Honda Indy 200. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is 2.258 miles of hilly, crazy pavement with few passing opportunities. Scott Dixon’s red alternate sidewall tires began to wear off as the race concluded, allowing several cars one lap down to queue up behind the five-time (and defending) series champion. They were all as fast, if not faster, than the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner.Read More