IndyCar series Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Controversy sparked just before crossing the start/finish line to start the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, collecting both Spencer Pigot and Graham Rahal. With the lack of track time, there was eagerness from the 22-car field to get the race going. Pole sitter Will Power led the field to the green flag, but the bunching began at the back as some drivers pushing forward. Scott Dixon and Pietro Fittipaldi were among the early movers, but some weren’t able to respond right awayRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Max Chilton saw his race come to an abrupt end after falling victim to an early crash in the Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place. A restart on the Lap 33 proved to be the turning point of Sunday’s Verizon IndyCar Series event as Graham Rahal ran into the back of Chilton entering Turn 1, which led to a seven-car crash and forced the latter to retire from the 85-lap contest. The drama started as soon as race leader Josef Newgarden went up in theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Both Spencer Pigot and Takuma Sato came to the Honda Indy Toronto looking to extend their top-10 streaks after scoring podiums at Iowa Speedway, but neither completed the 85-lap battle after being victims of the Turn 11 wall during Sunday’s race at Exhibition Place in Canada. Takmua Sato, who was running in fifth, went wide in Turn 11 and hit the wall on Lap 66. His No. 30 Mi-Jack/Panasonic Honda sustained a broken right rear suspension and fell off the pace, forcing him to takeRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The first race of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle Park in Detroit was unkind to both Graham Rahal and Verizon IndyCar Series debutant Santino Ferrucci, ending their Saturday afternoons on the hook after separate crashes with less than 25 laps to go. Rahal was running a two-stop strategy as the only driver to have started the race on the black primary Firestone tires. Eventually, he pitted for the softer reds on Lap 26, but struggled adapting on those alternate rubber. As theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Prior to Belle Isle the sophomore slump had plagued Chip Ganassi Racing driver Ed Jones. In the first six races of the Verizon IndyCar Series season, the former Dale Coyne Racing shoe failed to finish three races, including last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 – where he was transported to the hospital after a Turn 1 crash. Jones soldiered onto Detroit to turn his season around. In the end the United Arab Emirates native did just that – providing a quiet, consistent run. Last year’s Verizon IndyCarRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The fascinating and cruel nature of Bump Day reignited the debate of whether it’s a good idea having cars failing to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 compete. It’s simple, if they’re not fast enough or didn’t make the gun, they’re out. Two drivers’ aspirations of drinking the glass of milk and their heads engraved on the Borg-Warner Trophy were dashed Saturday as the charitable lass Pippa Mann and arguably, the face of IndyCar, James Hinchcliffe didn’t make the 33-car grid. Mann was bumped and didn’tRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Saturday’s Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Phoenix Grand Prix at ISM Raceway saw just two cautions for 24 laps and two other incidents that didn’t warrant a yellow flag from on top of the flag stand. However, the incident proved detrimental to the outcome of four drivers, after each made contact with the SAFER Barriers after going up across the 1.022-mile oval. The first retirement of the race came at the hands of Verizon INDYCAR Series debutant Pietro Fittipaldi on Lap 40. After an impressiveRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Dale Coyne Racing will enter Saturday’s Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona with two cars in the top-10. Leading the field to the green flag will be Firestone St. Petersburg Grand Prix winner Sebastien Bourdais, claiming his first oval pole since The Milwaukee Mile in 2006. While the talk in the paddock is about the senior driver, Bourdais’ part-time teammate also made some noise after qualifying 10th. Pietro Fittipaldi, who’s making his Verizon INDYCAR Series debut, set aRead 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 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