Takuma Sato Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The NTT IndyCar Series heads back to Iowa Speedway after being off the calendar last year. It’s back in a bigger way, all thanks to Hy-Vee’s full commitment in bringing not just fans to watch incredible action, but stout entertainment. Between musical acts, there will be two races at the 7/8-mile oval that’ll once again prove to be a crucial point in the championship trail. This weekend will mark the first set of oval races since the 106th Indianapolis 500, a race Marcus Ericsson won andRead More

By INDYCAR DETROIT – Josef Newgarden saved the best for last, winning the NTT P1 Award for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on his final flying lap of qualifying Saturday at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park. Newgarden’s top lap in the Firestone Fast Six was 1 minute, 15.2153 seconds in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. It was his first pole of the season and his first NTT P1 Award since the season-ending Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in September 2021. A different driver hasRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor INDIANAPOLIS – Chip Ganassi Racing flexed its muscles again during Friday’s final practice for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 as Tony Kanaan topped the board, but a pair of incidents during the 90-minute session would overshadow the continued success from the Ganassi stable. Kanaan’s Honda set the fast time of 227.114 mph around the 2.5-mile track, just ahead of teammate Marcus Ericsson at 227.004 mph. “It’s not important at all,” Kanaan said of being fastest on Friday. “We had a good car all month.Read More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Alex Palou finished a close second in the 2021 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and qualified second Sunday for this year’s race, but he jumped to the top spot in practice Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, continuing a magical Month of May for Chip Ganassi Racing. Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou led with a top lap of 229.441 mph in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He was the pacesetter of four Ganassi team cars in the top five. SEE: Practice Results Six-time seriesRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Never in the storied history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a pole winner driven faster than Scott Dixon did during Sunday’s final day of qualifying to set the field for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. Rocketing around the 2.5-mile track at an average of 234.046 mph, Dixon was the final car to head out and make his qualifying run, crossing the finish line to eclipse Scott Brayton’s pole record from 1996 to score his fifth pole position for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,”Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor No attack, no chance. Takuma Sato put his motto to the test on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as he battled his way inside the top-12 to advance on to the second day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying. After claiming a spot inside the top-12 during his first qualifying run at an average of 232.196 mph, Sato, who has been among the fastest drivers all week, had his run invalidated by the sanctioning body when it was determined he interfered with Marco Andretti’s qualifying attempt, setting theRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – It was a very good time either to be powered by a Chevrolet engine or drive for Chip Ganassi Racing on the first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chevrolets propelled the three fastest qualifiers, led by Rinus VeeKay’s four-lap average speed of 233.655 mph in the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team with BitNile Chevrolet, while all five of Ganassi’s Honda-powered drivers ended up in the top 12 and will advance toRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Takuma Sato continued his domination of the speed chart this week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, completing a sweep of all three practices by setting the pace once again in tricky conditions on Fast Friday for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. But on the eve of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying, the oldest and youngest drivers in the field also are contenders Saturday to lead the group of 12 drivers advancing to the second and third rounds of qualifying Sunday, with a possible shot at theRead More

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – There’s a pattern forming after two full days of practice for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge: Takuma Sato and Scott Dixon are really fast. Sato and Dixon were 1-2 on the speed chart Thursday for the second consecutive practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two-time Indy 500 winner Sato led at 227.519 mph in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda, with six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2008 “500” winner Dixon second at 227.335 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. “We’reRead More

By INDYCAR Takuma Sato ripped off a lap of 228.939 mph in the final five minutes Tuesday to lead the opening day of practice for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Sato used the benefit of an aerodynamic tow on the 2.5-mile oval to lead the speed charts by more than 1 mph in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda. Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon was second at 227.768 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, leading four Chip GanassiRead More