Tag: @SPMIndycar

Posted by admin on in NTT IndyCar Series

James Hinchcliffe set fastest time at Sebring test day.

(via Motorsport.com) – Schmidt Peterson Motorsports-Honda’s James Hinchcliffe set fastest time at the end of an 8.5-hour test on Sebring’s 1.7-mile short circuit today.

The Canadian star, who has six wins to his name including last year’s race at Iowa, finished the day 0.09sec clear of Andretti Autosport’s series sophomore Zach Veach, and 0.11 ahead of 2017 Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato.

Meanwhile Hinchcliffe’s teammate, ex-Formula 1 Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson, was eighth fastest, and SPM’s general manager Taylor Kiel declared himself satisfied with the day’s work from both his drivers.

“James was quickest in the morning and the afternoon, so it was a good day,” he told Motorsport.com. “We did around 80 laps with James and focused on validating a lot of the work we’d done in the offseason, which was improving on a couple of areas where we struggled last year.

“There were times when we could be quick but weren’t consistent with it. So while we want to unload well and compete for poles, we also need something we can race with, too. There were times in 2018 – Detroit, Long Beach for example – when we qualified well but we didn’t have a good racecar, we couldn’t keep the tires under us.

“So we’ve taken big swings at a couple of things to make a more predictable package and one that stays consistent on raceday.”

For Ericsson, who completed approximately 120 laps, it was a second chance to drive Sebring in an IndyCar, and while Kiel was highly impressed with the Swede in his first test last December, he said today’s run “posed a totally different challenge” due to circuit conditions.

“Typical Sebring – a completely different track than we saw last month!” said Kiel. “It was starting from square one for Marcus in terms of car setup.

“But that’s not a bad thing, because it’s important to us that he is totally comfortable in the car whatever the conditions. We want him to know what particular changes to the car will do and therefore what to ask for when we get to St. Pete, or Long Beach or Barber.

“So we did again what we did at his first test – set up a straightforward test plan with a lot of big-ticket items that we wanted him to feel. So it was less about lap time and more about getting him to a situation where he’s comfortable and can add some input on race weekends.”

IndyCar Qualifying Results for GP of Portland
Posted by admin on in Verizon IndyCar Series

IndyCar Qualifying Results for GP of Portland

 

PORTLAND, Oregon – Results of qualifying Saturday for the Grand Prix of Portland Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 1.964-mile Portland International Raceway, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 57.3467 (123.292 mph)

2. (1) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 57.6877 (122.563)

3. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 57.7361 (122.461)

4. (18) Sebastien Bourdais, Honda, 57.8881 (122.139)

5. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 57.9699 (121.967)

6. (26) Zach Veach, Honda, 58.1057 (121.682)

7. (5) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 57.6429 (122.659)

8. (10) Ed Jones, Honda, 57.6499 (122.644)

9. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, 57.7277 (122.478)

10. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 57.7772 (122.374)

11. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 57.8554 (122.208)

12. (20) Jordan King, Chevrolet, 57.9010 (122.112)

13. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 57.9620 (121.983)

14. (6) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 57.6748 (122.591)

15. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 57.9865 (121.932)

16. (19) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 57.7321 (122.469)

17. (21) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 57.9939 (121.916)

18. (39) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 57.7735 (122.381)

19. (4) Matheus Leist, Chevrolet, 58.0036 (121.896)

20. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 57.7848 (122.357)

21. (88) Gabby Chaves, Chevrolet, 58.1635 (121.561)

22. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 58.0983 (121.697)

23. (32) Alfonso Celis Jr, Chevrolet, 58.2735 (121.331)

24. (14) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 58.2531 (121.374)

25. (23) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 58.3219 (121.231)

IndyCar Grand Prix Race Results
Posted by admin on in Verizon IndyCar Series

IndyCar Grand Prix Race Results

Canadians Robert Wickens and James Hinchcliffe both had top 10 finishes in today’s race. Wickens placed 3rd while James placed 7th.

For Immediate Release

Power makes history with third INDYCAR Grand Prix win, 200th Indy car win for Team Penske

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 12, 2018) – Will Power etched his name further into the INDYCAR Grand Prix record books while extending the legacy of team owner Roger Penske in Indy car history.

Power won the Verizon IndyCar Series race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the second straight year and third time overall – each victory coming from the pole position. Power’s triumph by 2.2443 seconds over Scott Dixon also marked Indy car win No. 200 for Team Penske, nearly double that of any other team.

“It’s amazing,” said Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. “It just shows what sort of team that Penske is, and it’s a real honor to drive for Roger. We’re given the equipment week in and week out to win, so I can’t thank him enough for the opportunity he’s given me.”

INDYCAR GRAND PRIX: Official results

Power led 56 of 85 laps on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile permanent road course to collect his 33rd career victory (ninth all time). Thirty of those triumphs have come since joining Team Penske in 2009, tying the 37-year-old Australian with Helio Castroneves for the most with the team.

Power chased down race leader Robert Wickens, who started second in the No. 6 Lucas Oil Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, and made a daring outside pass heading into Turn 1 on Lap 51 to take first place. Seven laps later, Power’s crew barely got him out of the pits in front when nearly the entire field made final stops for fuel and tires under the second and last full-course caution of the race.

From there, Power kept Wickens and then Dixon in his mirrors to the finish – all the while stretching his tank of Sunoco E85 ethanol to the checkered flag.

“I had to save a lot of fuel at the end and go fast because I knew how good Dixon is at saving fuel and going fast. The Chevy had great fuel mileage,” said Power, the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion. “Man, I’ve never driven so hard for an entire race. I was 100 percent the whole time. Yeah, I’m exhausted. Every lap was like a qualifying lap.”

Team Penske made its Indy car debut on June 15, 1968, at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, with driver Mark Donohue. Three years later, Donohue delivered the team’s first win at Pocono Raceway. In 1972, Donohue drove to the first of what is now a record 16 Indianapolis 500 wins for Team Penske. Adding the four INDYCAR Grand Prix victories, 10 percent of Team Penske’s Indy car wins (20 of 200) have come at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Penske, the 81-year-old mastermind of the team, downplayed the achievement of the 200th win. He gave credit to Power and his crew while also looking ahead to the prize he craves most – another Indianapolis 500 win.

“What a great day for the team,” Penske said. “The greatest drivers have performed for us. IMS is the most special place to secure our 200th win. I could not think of a better setting. The most important win now is No. 201.”

Dixon, bidding to pick up a 42nd career victory that would tie him for third all-time with Michael Andretti, was satisfied to finish runner-up for the 39th time in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda – particularly after a disappointing qualifying effort on Friday locked him into the 18th starting position.

“It was a great result today for the PNC Bank car and the whole team,” the four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion said. “Everyone on the Ganassi team never quits, never gives up and we were able to make up a lot of spots and finish second.

“I think that was the worst I’ve ever qualified without crashing or having a technical issue. Good day in the points for the No. 9 team. I love having this race open up the month for us here at Indy.”

Wickens continued to impress in his rookie season, collecting a second podium and third top-four finish in five races. The 29-year-old Canadian admitted that trying to race hard while conserving fuel in the final stint was a learning experience.

“It was the first time in my career I’ve had to save fuel like that, but in the end, happy with the podium,” Wickens said. “Would have liked to be a bit further up, but hard to complain.”

Sebastien Bourdais finished fourth in the No. 18 Team SealMaster Honda, using his push-to-pass overtake boost on the final lap to zip past Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda) for the position. Helio Castroneves, making his Verizon IndyCar Series return following a full-time switch this season to Team Penske’s sports-car program, placed sixth in the No. 3 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

The race tied an INDYCAR Grand Prix record with seven different leaders and featured 214 on-track passes with the 2018 car’s universal aero kit – an increase of 96 passes from a year ago.

There were two full-course caution periods for eight laps. The first came on the opening lap when Castroneves and teammate Simon Pagenaud touched, and Jordan King ran into the back of Pagenaud. The second caution waved on Lap 56 when Josef Newgarden spun trying to pass Bourdais.

Newgarden finished the race in 11th place, but continues leading the standings. The reigning series champion is two points ahead of Rossi, 26 up on Bourdais and 31 ahead of Dixon.

Following two days off to convert the cars and Indianapolis Motor Speedway to superspeedway oval configuration, practice for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil begins on Tuesday. Qualifying to set the 33-car field takes place May 19-20. Coverage of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” begins at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, May 27 on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.