jr hildebrand Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer In preparation for the final round of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series at Sonoma Raceway, practice for the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma came to a close with the final session on Saturday. 2016 IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud turned the fastest lap on the 2.385 mile road course in Saturday’s third practice session with a fastest lap of 1:16.0329 ahead of second place Scott Dixon’s lap of 1:16.1454. Championship contenders Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Helio Castroneves were third through fifth andRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer Zach Veach is coming home. After racing with Andretti Autosport in the Mazda Road to Indy in 2010-2014, the Ohio native will compete full time for the Indianapolis-based team in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. Veach will be piloting the No. 26 Honda replacing the departing Takuma Sato in a four car lineup. Sponsors are yet to be announced. “I’ve been thinking about this day since St. Petersburg in 2010 when I sat beside Michael Andretti announcing that I’d be competing inRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer Spencer Pigot has been confirmed by Ed Carpenter Racing as the driver of the team’s No. 21 Chevrolet for the entire 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, replacing JR Hildebrand. Pigot had competed in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet for the team on road and street courses while the eponymous team owner raced the No. 20 car on the ovals. Pigot earned this role after racing the 2016 Indianapolis 500 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Pigot’s car will be primarilyRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Spencer Pigot has found himself on the wrong foot with strategy calls this year on road and street course races in the Verizon IndyCar Series but the Ed Carpenter Racing driver finally got on the good side on strategy early in Sunday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. Pigot pitted under the first caution after James Hinchcliffe’s car was stalled on track and was one of four cars to do so with Takuma Sato,Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — After a day filled with pit challenges, off strategy calls and random misfortunes for other Verizon IndyCar Series championship contenders, Alexander Rossi managed to navigate through for his second career win and first on a permanent road course in Sunday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen. Josef Newgarden made a massive move at the start going to the lead, but Rossi was able to get around him at the end of the first turn. With the entire fieldRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — After a season of qualifying frustration on the road and street courses, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Charlie Kimball had his best road course qualifying of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season at Watkins Glen International by qualifying fifth ahead of Sunday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Glen. Kimball advanced out of the first group in round one, beating out Spencer Pigot, Ed Jones, Tony Kanaan, Max Chilton and JR Hildebrand. In round two, Kimball was able to get himselfRead More

The Verizon IndyCar Series just concluded their return to Gateway Motorsports Park and it provided its own unique element to the season. The gang reviews that, the upcoming race at Watkins Glen, expectations moving forward on the potential 2018 television deal and more. Gateway’s return to the series brought out one of the more intriguing races of 2017, what is your assessment of their return and might we see more tracks return to the schedule that follow their approach? Frank Santoroski, Contributing Writer and Host of Drafting the Circuits podcast:Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer MADISON, Illinois — He led when the race went green and an aggressive move later made all the difference as Josef Newgarden earned his third Verizon IndyCar Series victory in the last four races as he took the checkered flag in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park on Saturday night. The race started under yellow as Tony Kanaan spun on the pace lap in Turn 2 from his 17th starting position. When the green flag came out, Newgarden tookRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After being a lap down and needing both his front and rear wings changed, Will Power managed to turn an off-strategy run into another Verizon IndyCar Series win at Sunday’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. Tony Kanaan led the first lap as the field had many drivers gaining or losing several positions in the first ten laps. Helio Castroneves gained ten positions very quickly while Josef Newgarden gained eight positions in the first seven laps. However, Castroneves faded to 13th byRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer His results don’t show it, but Spencer Pigot’s on track performances for Ed Carpenter Racing so far this season on the road and street courses (and Juncos Racing at Indianapolis) show that he is deserving of a full time ride in the  Verizon IndyCar Series. Pigot has the pedigree to be competitive in IndyCar. A two-time champion in the Mazda Road to Indy (Pro Mazda Championship in 2014, Indy Lights in 2015), he has transitioned solidly in North America’s top open wheelRead More