simon pagenaud Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Friday practice for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama has concluded for the Verizon IndyCar Series and there’s a lot of interesting storylines following the hour and 45 minutes of practice that the competitors were granted. First of all, the reduction of downforce with the new Universal Aero Kits is felt almost immediately with many drivers losing control of their cars heading to Turn 5. Sebastien Bourdais, Zach Veach, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Gabby Chaves among others had issues with theRead More

By Josh Farmer, Contributing Writer LONG BEACH, California — Graham Rahal recovered from early contact with Simon Pagenaud to claim fifth in Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Starting fifth, Rahal tagged the back of Pagenaud’s No. 22 DXC Technology Chevrolet sending him into the wall before the field got to Turn 1. The incident didn’t damage the No. 15 TOTAL Honda as Rahal continued after being assessed a drive-thru penalty for avoidable contact. The penalty dropped Rahal to 22nd as the team then opted to try a three-stop strategy.Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Third-place starter Simon Pagenaud never got a chance of getting past Turn 1 after retiring from the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in California Sunday. Entering the first corner, fifth-place starter Graham Rahal was sent high across the track by Scott Dixon, and passed him. As soon as he got by the multi-time champion, Rahal tapped into the back of Pagenaud’s No. 22 DXC Technology Chevrolet, sending the 2016 Long Beach race winner around with his left rear hitting the concrete wall. Rahal wentRead More

By INDYCAR LONG BEACH, California (Saturday, April 14, 2018) – Alexander Rossi wasn’t to be denied in his quest to claim the Verizon P1 Award in qualifying for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Andretti Autosport driver was fastest in all three rounds of knockout qualifications on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course. He punctuated the effort by earning the pole position in the Firestone Fast Six with a lap of 1 minute, 6.5528 seconds (106.454 mph) in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda. It was theRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer LONG BEACH, California —The opening day of practice for the 44th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach kicked off with two practice sessions with Andretti Autosport on the fast end of the grid. The duo of 2010 Long Beach winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi were second and third in the morning session but in the afternoon Rossi led the field from Hunter-Reay. 2015 Long Beach winner Scott Dixon led the first session with a 1 minute, 8.4112 second lap around the 1.968 mile street circuit.Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Friday was the practice and qualifying day ahead of Saturday’s Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Phoenix Grand Prix at ISM Raceway, the first oval in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season and it was a definite day of unpredictability. Preseason testing had Rahal Letterman Lanigan at the top of the time sheets, but after the first session Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato were 17th and 18th, respectively. Chevrolet had the top two positions with Simon Pagenaud first and Tony Kanaan second ahead of five Honda carsRead More

By INDYCAR AVONDALE, Arizona – Sebastien Bourdais continued his sizzling start to the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season, setting the fastest speed in Verizon P1 Award qualifying today to earn the pole position for the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Phoenix Grand Prix. Following a victory in the season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 11, Bourdais averaged 188.539 mph for his two qualifying laps around ISM Raceway’s 1.022-mile oval in the No. 18 Team SealMaster Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan. Bourdais earned the 34th pole positionRead 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 Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Canada’s new hero came calling on his final timed lap as Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Robert Wickens secured pole position in his No. 6 Lucas Oil Honda for the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. One of his biggest assists in preparation? YouTube. “I was working hard over the winter, Monday to Friday, watching IndyCar races online on YouTube, anywhere I could find them, just trying to learn,” said Wickens. “Like I think I watched like eight years of St. PeteRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden enters his second season with Team Penske with a lot less uncertainty. Gone is the uncertainty of working with a large team; he’s had a year to get used to Team Penske. Gone are the questions of whether he would adapt; he won in his third race. But with a new car, there are new variables but similar approaches ahead of Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “With the new car we don’t reallyRead More