Spencer Pigot Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer The 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona has achieved star power status with world championship-caliber drivers and manufacturers in the Prototype ranks in the second year of the DPi/LMP2 rules package. (what is a DPi? https://www.imsa.com/qa-2017-daytona-prototype-international-dpi-concept) The entry list has four manufacturers in the DPi ranks with Nissan (two cars), Mazda (two cars), Acura (two cars) and Cadillac (four cars) going up against 10 LMP2 cars from Oreca (six cars), Riley/Multimatic (one car) and Ligier (three cars). Let’s look at the Prototype portion of the entry listRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After winning the 2017 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, Kyle Kaiser and Juncos Racing announced a four race partnership for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season that could include more races if more of a budget were found. This was possible thanks to a scholarship presented to the Indy Lights champion valued at $1 million and other Indy Lights champions have used that to make their IndyCar debuts. But what advice would past champions give to Kaiser about moving up toRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After a thrilling championship, Victor Franzoni won the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires driving for Juncos Racing. Franzoni will be moving up to Indy Lights in 2018 in a yet-to-be-announced drive for Juncos Racing. This move up the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires was possible thanks to a scholarship presented to the Pro Mazda series champion valued at just over $790,000. But what advice would past Pro Mazda champions give to Franzoni about moving up toRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After a rookie season in the Verizon IndyCar Series that rarely saw him put a wheel wrong, Ed Jones has been announced as the driver for the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. The 2016 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires champion finished third at the Indianapolis 500 behind winner Takuma Sato and Helio Castroneves despite having a damaged car. Jones had five top 10 finishes to his credit en route to 14th inRead More

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