Pato O’Ward Tag

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Felix Rosenqvist led a historic day of qualifying Saturday for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, turning the third-fastest four-lap qualifying run in history to lead the 12 drivers who will compete for the NTT P1 Award on Sunday. Rosenqvist’s second run of the day, at 4:42 p.m. ET, featured a four-lap average speed of 233.947 mph in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Only Arie Luyendyk’s all-time record run of 236.986 in 1996 and Scott Dixon’s pole run of 234.048 last year were faster.Read More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Takuma Sato lived up to his “no attack, no chance” motto on “Fast Friday” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, turning the fastest Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice lap since 1996 on the eve of the start of qualifying. Two-time “500” winner Sato led the six-hour session with a lap of 38.3382 seconds, 234.753 mph in the No. 11 Deloitte Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing, the ninth-fastest practice lap in Indy 500 history. The eight fastest practice laps at Indy were turned in 1996, led byRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – If practice Thursday is any indication, Marcus Ericsson could start the defense of his 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge victory from the front of the field. Ericsson turned the top lap, 39.1974 seconds, 229.607 mph, during the six-hour session under sunny skies at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing. It was the fastest lap so far in two days of on-track activity this week, topping the 229.439 set Wednesday by Ericsson’s teammate and two-time Indy 500Read More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing flexed a potent combination of speed and strategy to win the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the Spaniard’s first victory of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. 2021 series champion Palou, who started third, drove his No. 10 The American Legion Honda to a 16.8006-second victory over runner-up Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi finished third in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, his firstRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Christian Lundgaard capped a resurgent Friday for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, winning his first career NTT P1 Award in qualifying for the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Lundgaard turned a best lap of 1 minute, 9.3321 seconds in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda to become the first Danish driver to win an INDYCAR SERIES pole. He edged Felix Rosenqvist by 27 ten-thousandths of a second, as Rosenqvist will start second after a best lap of 1:09.3348 in the No. 6 Arrow McLarenRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park was shaping up to finally be Romain Grosjean’s day, but it was not to be as Scott McLaughlin took over the lead with 19 laps to go and never looked back, banking his first victory of the season. McLaughlin and Grosjean were on differing strategies (three-stop vs two-stop), but on lap 64, their paths merged in a repeat of their battle at St.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Romain Grosjean is getting really good at this whole qualifying thing. For the second time in 2023, the Andretti Autosport driver will lead the field to green in an NTT IndyCar Series race after scoring the pole for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. The Frenchman started the weekend off on the wrong foot when mechanical issues forced an engine change between first practice on Friday and the start of on-track activity on Saturday, but he didn’t letRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Hello, Palou. The 2021 NTT IndyCar Series champion led the way in the second practice session of the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park ahead of Sunday’s running of the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. Palou jumped to the top of the board in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda with a lap of one minute, 6.278 seconds and that’s where he would remain for the remainder of the session. “We’re looking strong,” Palou said. “I don’t know if the practice results are trueRead More

By INDYCAR BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Scott McLaughlin worked through a bit of road rage and found the fast lane during a late-afternoon traffic jam Friday at Barber Motorsports Park, leading the opening practice for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. McLaughlin turned the best lap late in the session, 1 minute, 6.6610 seconds, in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet. Like most of the 27 drivers in the field, he struggled to find a gap and clean air to let it rip on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road courseRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Following last week’s open test session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the drivers shift their focus to Barber Motorsports Park, the final site before “The Month of May” kicks into high gear. Although the race has a new name with Children’s of Alabama replacing Honda as the event title sponsor, the same action and intensity folks love about the road course remains the same. A popular venue amongst drivers and fans, Barber is a venue where some competitors never forget if things fall short. Among thoseRead More