verizon indycar series Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer INDIANAPOLIS — Robert Wickens has been the rookie to beat in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. The Canadian put his car on pole at the season-opener in St. Petersburg and qualified second for Saturday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix only behind Will Power. The No. 6 Lucas Oil Honda for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports qualified on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with a lap of 1 minute, 9.9052 seconds for an average speed of 125.604 mph. Teammate James Hinchcliffe qualified fourth. “I’m a bit gutted with P2,” saidRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Alfonso Celis Jr. is set for his Verizon IndyCar Series debut. Juncos Racing announced Thursday that Celis, 21, will pilot their No. 32 Chevrolet in the June 24 Kohler Grand Prix at Road America. As a result, the Mexican driver will forego the rest of his scheduled Indy Lights season. “Although this comes as a surprise for our Indy Lights team, this is another step forward with our IndyCar program,” Junos Racing owner Ricardo Juncos said. “Alfonso (Celis Jr.) has proved he is ready to make this moveRead More

By Josh Farmer, Contributing Writer Dale Coyne Racing driver Pietro Fittipaldi suffered “suspected fractures to both legs” in a substantial crash during qualifying for this weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship event at Circuit Spa-Francorchamps. The 21-year-old Brazillian lost control of his No. 10 DragonSpeed BR1 Gibson LMP1 while entering Spa’s famed “Eau Rouge” section and crashed heavily into the tire barriers. The incident forced a 35-minute delay to on-track activities as Fittipaldi was extricated from his car and taken to the track’s medical center before being airlifted to a local hospital.Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Sebastien Bourdais nearly pulled off the ultimate gamble during Monday’s continuation of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. The four-time Champ Car champion played second-fiddle to Josef Newgarden for much of the race, but attempted a daring late push before watching the rain intensify and washing away those hopes for the win and ending up fifth. The clouds began to open up on the 2.3-mile natural terrain road course during the closing moments of the fourth race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCarRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Torrential rain provided damped spirits for both Charlie Kimball and Will Power, as separate incidents dashed their afternoons during Sunday’s portion of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham. Rain was expected to plow the 2.3-mile road course without much leeway that it’ll light up, forcing the Verizon IndyCar Series to move its starting time to 3:08 p.m. EST. The brave 23 drivers accepted the daunting challenge and once the race went green after the opening lap, the actionRead More

By INDYCAR BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Monday, April 23, 2018) – Josef Newgarden raced on cruise control in today’s completion of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by America’s First. Even a return of rain late in the race didn’t prevent the Team Penske driver from collecting his third Verizon IndyCar Series win at Barber Motorsports Park in the past four years. Newgarden drove the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet to a 9.9607-second victory at the hilly 2.3-mile, 17-turn permanent road course, despite increasingly treacherous track conditions as rainRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The rain-postponed Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama was chaotic for all involved, but few endured as many ups and downs at Marco Andretti. Andretti’s topsy-turvy Alabama affair started with a strong seventh-place qualifying effort, but the challenge of the rain and Barber Motorsports Park course threw Andretti off-course shortly into Sunday’s initial 23-lap effort. With track position lost and heavy rains descending upon the circuit, Andretti’s Andretti Herta Autosport team hinged their bets on strategy. They brought Andretti’s No. 98 HondaRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Simon Pagenaud isn’t one to confront drivers on pit road. Before Monday’s Verizon IndyCar Series race he hadn’t ever done it. He made an exception for Gabby Chaves after the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. “I think that’s the first time I’ve gone to a driver to complain and to tell him how I feel,” Pagenaud said. He called me a word that I didn’t really enjoy including being French, I don’t know. I think he needs to think about thisRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor, IndyCar Contributor BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Josef Newgarden will have the best view in the house when Sunday’s running of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama gets the green flag after laying down the fastest lap in qualifying to take the pole. Rocketing around the 17-turn, 2.38-mile road course, Newgarden’s lap of 1 minute, 07:441 seconds (122.773 mph), was quick enough to put him at the top of the board in the Fast Six. His Team Penske teammate, Will Power, will start alongside on theRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Ryan Hunter-Reay has had some success before at Barber Motorsports Park. The 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion was victorious at Barber in 2013 and 2014 and is looking for another win at Barber after qualifying in fourth position. In 2018, the Floridian has taken a bit of a backseat to current points leader Alexander Rossi. Rossi currently leads the points standings with a pair of third place finishes and a victory. While Rossi has been the one grabbing all of the headlines, Hunter-ReayRead More