Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg: New Pairings Set Stage In NTT INDYCAR SERIES Opener

Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg: New Pairings Set Stage In NTT INDYCAR SERIES Opener

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES roared to life on March 02, 2025, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, kicking off a 17-race season filled with anticipation. The Motorsports Journal team spotlighted several intriguing driver-team combinations poised to disrupt the established order, bringing fresh dynamics to a grid dominated by titans like Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Andretti Global. As the streets of St. Petersburg came alive with the sound of engines, these pairings hinted at a season of surprises.

Key Driver-Team Pairings to Watch in 2025

Alexander Rossi now carries his veteran savvy to Ed Carpenter Racing, marking his latest chapter under Chevrolet power after stints with Andretti Global and Arrow McLaren. Known for his 2016 Indianapolis 500 triumph, Rossi’s ability to adapt to new machinery and team cultures positions him as a driver to watch. His experience could prove pivotal, especially when the series rolls into Indy in May.

Christian Lundgaard stepping into Rossi’s former seat at Arrow McLaren, arrives with a point to prove. The Danish driver flashed potential during his Rookie of the Year campaign with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing but struggled to convert starts into podiums. With Arrow McLaren’s resources and Chevrolet backing, Lundgaard might finally unlock the consistency needed to challenge the frontrunners.

Rinus VeeKay trades Ed Carpenter Racing for Dale Coyne Racing, stepping into a lead role at a team hungry for results. The Dutchman’s occasional brilliance—highlighted by a win at Indianapolis in 2021—has yet to translate into sustained success. If Dale Coyne Racing can harness VeeKay’s raw speed, 2025 could mark his breakout year.

Callum Ilott returns to INDYCAR with PREMA Racing, a powerhouse stepping into the series for the first time. With 38 starts and five top-10 finishes from his earlier tenure, Ilott brings a knack for guiding new teams, honed during his time with Juncos Hollinger Racing. PREMA’s pedigree in junior formulas suggests they could hit the ground running, and Ilott’s steady hand might steer them toward early success.

David Malukas joins AJ Foyt Racing alongside Santino Ferrucci, eager to rewrite a career narrative interrupted by misfortune. A rising star in INDY NXT, Malukas saw his Arrow McLaren opportunity slip away last year after a wrist injury from a bicycle accident sidelined him. Now healthy and paired with a team looking to climb the standings, he aims to showcase the talent that once marked him as a future star.

These drivers, each with a blend of untapped potential and fierce determination, entered St. Petersburg ready to challenge the status quo. Could they upset the dominance of Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti? The season opener offered the first clues.

Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden - Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Image Credit: Chris Owens via Penske Entertainment (2025)

Race Recap: Drama Unfolds in St. Petersburg

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg wasted no time delivering chaos. On the opening lap, a Turn 3 pileup set the tone: Arrow McLaren’s rookie Nolan Siegel collided with Team Penske’s Will Power, whose car then collected Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s debutant Louis Foster. The incident underscored the tight margins of street-circuit racing and left teams scrambling to adjust strategies.

While the top nine cars - led by the likes of Team Penske's pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin, Meyer Shank Racing's teammates Felix Rosenqvist, and Marcus Armstrong - opted to stay out during the ensuing caution, a group including Herta, Newgarden, Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, Rinus VeeKay, and Marcus Ericsson dove into the pits. Swapping their mandatory soft-compound Firestone tires for the harder primary compound, these drivers banked on early stops to gain track position later. The split strategies hinted at a tactical chess match unfolding across the 100-lap race.

For the spotlighted pairings, the opener provided a mixed bag. Rossi’s experience with Ed Carpenter Racing kept him in contention among the leaders, while Lundgaard navigated the chaos at Arrow McLaren with a steady debut. VeeKay’s early pit call at Dale Coyne Racing showed promise, though he’d need to claw back positions. Ilott and PREMA Racing avoided the Turn 3 mess, quietly building momentum, while Malukas at AJ Foyt Racing fought to stay in the midfield pack, shaking off rust from his time away.

As the checkered flag loomed, the race tested these new alliances under pressure. All the while, established teams asserted their early dominance - Penske’s Newgarden and Ganassi’s Dixon looked poised for strong finishes - the fresh pairings offered glimpses of what might come. The St. Petersburg streets, unforgiving as ever, served notice: 2025 could be a season where new names will have trouble rising to the fore.

Despite early shake-ups and strategic plays, the established stars prevailed. Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou, after 138 days since his 2024 season Championship victory, kicked off the season with another dominant win - setting the stage for an unprecedented fourth season championship in the title march of three-time and two-time defending series champion Alex Palou.

His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon followed in P2 with a last lap pass due to Josef Newgarden's car was falling short of fuel, while Team Penske’s teammates Josef Newgarden and pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin finished P3 and P4, respectively.

Andretti Global drivers Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top six, solidifying their team’s competitive standing early in the season.

Key Driver-Team Pairings Opening Race Finishes

P8 - Christian Lundgaard - No. 7 Arrow Mclaren Chevrolet
P9 - Rinus VeeKay - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
P10 - Alexander Rossi - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
P13 - David Malukas - No. 4 AJ Foyt Chevrolet
P19 - Callum Ilott - No. 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet

While these established young challengers with new teams showed promise, the season opener proved that the established frontrunners remain the teams to beat. With 16 races still to go, will this new wave of talent find their breakthrough moment? Stay tuned.

... notes from The EDJE

Post Script:
The numbers are in for FOX’s first INDYCAR Series broadcast, and the audience who watched Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden battle for victory was measured at 1.417 million viewers, a steep increase from last year’s race. Using the previous St. Petersburg race as a guide, the live 2024 broadcast with previous network partner on NBC generated an audience of 974,700 combined viewers using the TAD (Total Audience Delivery) metric that includes live streaming. FOX does not use TAD.

In the move to FOX, INDYCAR received an audience increase of 442,300 viewers, and according to the broadcaster, this ranks as the most-watched INDYCAR race on network television (outside the Indy 500) in 14 years. Minus streaming info, FOX Sports also reported Friday’s airing of opening practice on its FOX Sports 1 cable channel had 95,000 viewers. The strong viewership signals a promising start for INDYCAR’s new broadcast era, amplifying the spotlight on both its established stars and rising talents.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on Sunday, March 23 at Thermal, California (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).



TAGS: NTT, INDYCAR SERIES, Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg, FOX Sports, Christian Lundgaard, Rinus VeeKay, Alexander Rossi, David Malukas, Callum Ilott, The EDJE

Decisions, Decisions - Does The Long Beach Grand Prix Become Cancelled, Or Not?

Top view of  5-Time IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon. Image Credit: NTT IndyCar Series (2020)

Decisions, Decisions - Does The Long Beach Grand Prix Become Cancelled, Or Not?

LET'S ... be clear, since almost every Democrat Political Party controlled city is busy trying to cancel every event and social gathering in sight, without looking into the realities of actual infection in the Wuhan Virus/Corona Virus/COVID-19 ...

... we are looking at the beginning of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season becoming in jeopardy ... more specifically, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach cancellation is rumored to being discussed throughout the halls of the City of Long Beach.

No matter the way these discussions go - this begins the argument on WHY not hold NTT IndyCar races on into the month of October? - no matter the reason - IndyCar could use a longer season.

The first major city to throw themselves on the sword, as it were, was Austin, Texas with their music and cultural festival South By Southwest SXSW. The Mayor is now regretting this decision because the citizens of the city have stocked up and are eating in out of a gripping fear over the action taken by the Mayor - the rest of the city is suffering due to a lack of commerce.

The streets are a ghost town and the Mayor is going on air and TV to urge the citizens to go out and enjoy life ... even though there is no SXSW.

Nice.

Cities holding events could take a more measured approach, recognizing that Corona Virus is less lethal than most all previous big scares where no cancelling actions were taken - H1N1 comes to mind (1,000 Americans died before the first emergency alarm was sounded and no travel restrictions were ever issued).

This was sent out via email (edited) from The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens:

The Huntington’s gardens and galleries remain open to visitors, but we are monitoring the situation closely. For the safety of everyone at The Huntington, we ask that you please:

•    Stay at home when sick and seek medical attention when needed.

•    Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

•    Cough into a tissue and immediately dispose of it.

•    Avoid close contact with people who are sick

•    Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

•    Avoid shaking hands and instead use an alternative greeting protocol.

Thank you.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 15 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network).
(ht: NICS)

Keep Calm | Wash Hands | Bump Elbows Or Shoes

... notes from The EDJE


UPDATE:

EVENTS CANCELLATION NOTICE: Long Beach cancels all large scale events through April 2020 to prevent the spread of #COVID19LongBeach. Cancellation will affect @GPLongBeach, @BeachStreets and others.

Get the full list of cancelled events here: https://t.co/0La0w51rIC pic.twitter.com/kKHNDXI90G

— City of Long Beach (@LongBeachCity) March 12, 2020

Full Story Here >>>


TAGS: Wuhan Virus, Corona Virus, COVID-19, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, The EDJE

Audacious Brand Campaign Showcases What It Takes To Compete In The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Pato O'Ward (Mexico), Colton Herta (USA), Josef Newgarden (USA). Alexander Rossi (USA). Simon Pagenaud (France), & Scott Dixon (New Zealand) are shown from left to right as just a few of the great competitors that will fill the field in the most dynamic professional racing series on the planet Earth. Image Credit: NICS (2020)

Audacious Brand Campaign Showcases What It Takes To Compete In The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

INDYCAR unveiled its brand campaign - "A Different Breed" - for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season that showcases the extraordinary mindset of its athletes and features narration by Academy Award-winning actor Matt Damon.

"A Different Breed" was created in partnership with Chicago-based agency Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) to convey the distinctive mental, emotional and physical strength required to excel as an INDYCAR driver. These athletes - whether 39-year-old, five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon or 19-year-old rising star Colton Herta - have the ambition and drive to harness a carbon-fiber rocket at speeds that can reach 240 miles per hour while always aware that the smallest miscue can change everything.

The newly aeroscreened (safety feature added beginning this season) orange and black liveried Arrow McLaren SP Dallara as driven by Pato O'Ward during the first open testing day scheduled at Circuit of the Americas. Image Credit: Getty Images via NICS (2020)

"Fearless and aggressive by nature, our athletes push the limits of speed and possibility every single lap of every single race," INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. "This campaign reflects both the skills and intangibles that set them apart, giving fans an up-close and personal look at what it takes to be an INDYCAR driver."

Video content for "A Different Breed" focuses on the athletes' unique skill set and mentality as described by Damon, the 2019 Indianapolis 500 honorary starter. He witnessed the breath-taking capabilities and fearlessness of INDYCAR athletes while standing atop the flagstand for nearly 40 of the 200 laps of one of the world's most iconic races.

The video features several NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers, including Dixon, Herta, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, 2019 Indy 500 winner and former series champ Simon Pagenaud, 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi and 20-year-old emerging talent Patricio O'Ward. Click here to view A Different Breed.

Promotional image for 45 East event scheduled in Portland Oregon - June 22, 2019

In addition to narration by Damon, DJ/producer MAKJ lends an original song - "Green Light" - to the campaign. MAKJ, a fan of the sport and former professional racer, has collaborated with some of today's most talented artists, including Steve Aoki, Tinashe, O.T. Genesis and Lil Jon. He also has played some of the most prestigious music festivals including Coachella, Voodoo, Electric Zoo and Ultra.

"INDYCAR racing is the ultimate expression of audacious athleticism," said David Selby, Co-Chairman of SCC. "The drivers are among the most courageous and committed athletes in the world - a different breed for sure... our goal was to celebrate them and introduce them to new fans."

The campaign's video content is complemented by dramatic still images energized with a shock of color to contrast the black-and-white heroic images. The campaign style and multiple-driver approach provides the flexibility to seamlessly tailor the creative to the needs of various stakeholders and partners in the sport.

Logan Cascia | Director/DP | Unscripted Sizzle Reel from Cascia Films on Vimeo.

INDYCAR tasked SCC with identifying a young, rising director to capture the true voice of the campaign and selected Logan Cascia. As the founder, director and DP of Los Angeles-based Cascia Films, he has produced work that includes Emmy and Peabody award-winning television features, commercials and film festival premieres.

UPDATED - "A Different Breed"

Check out the amazing athletes of "A Different Breed" when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 15 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network).
(ht: NICS)

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: 2020, NTT, INDYCAR, SERIES, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, NBC, NBCSN, Pato O'Ward, Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden. Alexander Rossi. Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon, Logan Cascia, MAKJ, The EDJE

VICS 2018 At St. Pete - Funny Thing Happened On The Way To A Champion's Coronation

The nose graphic that appears on the wasp-like livery on the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan - No. 18 Team Sealmaster Honda Dallara of the first winner of the first race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series today at Saint Petersburg - Sebastien Bourdais. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2018)

VICS 2018 At St. Pete - Funny Thing Happened On The Way To A Champion's Coronation

The tenth edition of the best carry-over (non IMS) race from the original schedule of the Indianapolis Racing League (IRL), the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, featured twenty-four very capable cars and drivers filling the field packed with seven past Indy Car champions representing thirteen season championships riding along side seven rookies where three of them made it into the 3rd Round Firestone Fast Six in Knock-Out qualifications is a really, really big deal. Last year's winner of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (replay) was 4-Time IndyCar season champion, Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais.

The Verizon IndyCar Series, in order to make racing more competitive and in control of the driver in this top level of American motorsport, tightened up the body skin specification on the Dallara DW12 chassis by introducing the two year project now known as the Universal Aero Kit (UAK).Welcome the age of the UAK on the DW12 Dallara.

2017 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden describes the 2018 Universal Aero Kit on stage during the 2018 INDYCAR unveil at the North America International Auto Show in Detroit. Image Credit: Joe Skibinski

The past Verizon IndyCar Series season champions include Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), AJ Foyt Racing driver Tony Kanaan (2004), Chip Gannasi Racing driver Scott Dixon (2003, 2008, 2013, 2015), Team Penske drivers Will Power (2014), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2017), and the aforementioned Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan driver Sebastien Bourdais (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) - 7 series champions covering 13 season titles.

The rookies entering into the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season's first race are Firestone Grand Prix P1 Verizon Pole Award winner, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Canadian driver, 29 year old Robert Wickens, Firestone Fast Six P3 Qualifier AJ Foyt Racing Brazilian driver, 19 year old Matheus Leist, Firestone Fast Six P4 Qualifier Ed Carpenter Racing British driver, 24 year old Jordan King, Andertti Autospot American driver, 23 year old Zach Veach, Michael Shank Racing/Schmidt Peterson Motorsports British driver, 24 year old Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing Canadian driver, 19 year old Zachary Claman DeMelo, and Juncos Racing Austrian driver, 26 year old René Binder.

The traditional first race of the season, for nine years now (since 2009, the race has served as the season opener, with the exception of 2010, when it was the second race of the season), held around the airport, streets and harbor of Saint Petersburg, Florida proved to all what everyone had suspected. A different kettle of fish from most of the Dallara DW12 era racing - less downforce, great body strength, very fast in a straight line. The UAK is very pleasing to drive - from the opinion of most all of the drivers.

Most observers assumed that experience held within championship winning teams, the teams with the greatest financial backing, history, testing, and experienced drivers would hit this opening opportunity with suffocating domination.

To nearly everyone's surprise this was not the case when the rookies, took the Verizon P1 Pole Award (Wickens became the third rookie in 25 years to win the pole for his IndyCar debut), and two additional positions in the Round 3 Firestone Fast Six in road/street format Knock-Out qualifications. Left out to watch from the sidelines were such impressive champion drivers as Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Simon Pagenaud, and last year's champion Josef Newgarden.

Robert Wickens affixes the Verizon P1 Award emblem on his car after winning the pole position for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Image Credit: Chris Jones

The cars slip and slide ... the in-car camera shots show that the steering wheel gets as much a workout as peddles in a spinning class. More driving is required from all of the drivers in this series making the product on the track more entertaining than it has been in recent history. And, to be honest, the racing has been very good since the introduction of the first Dallara DW12 platform.

EXAMPLE - Opening Laps:

On the first lap of the race, Will Power attempted a Turn 1 pass and through Turn 2 became lose and spun without contact, Tony Kanaan gets lose in Turn 5 and as he straightens out, taps Zach Veach with wing parts flying. Lap 2 has RHR coming out of the pits ahead of traffic after a quick controller change because the one installed did not allow for accelleration and Charlie Kimball becomes unsettled after bouncing on the curb entering Turn 13 and comes to a stop off of the track at Turn 14 - Full Course Yellow.

Restart on Lap 6 has three rookies leading in P1, P2, and P3 - King, Wickens, & Leist - Beginning Lap 7 Spencer Pigot spins going into Turn 1 bringing out a Full Course Yellow.

Restart Lap 11 has Jordan King leading the field to the third start of racing at St. Pete, followed by Wickens, Rossi, Leist, and Hinchcliffe ... not a champion in the bunch - and only one fully established driver of over three seasons in the series.

Wickens passes in Turn 1 as King goes wide ... Rossi loses a place back to P4. The first Champion is settled in at P7 with Scott Dixon  ... now at Lap 13.

So the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season begins on the temporary street circuit at St. Petersburg.

To give one additional insight on just how busy, or as Eddie Cheever on the broadcast put it ... CHAOS filled, the events of the Firestone Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg race were, just take a look at the video shot list released as a usable media asset by the Verizon IndyCar Series after the race.

Shot List:
Aerial of St. Petersburg
Fans
Grand marshal Helio Castroneves gives the start command
Green flag
No. 12 Will Power spins
Power replay
No. 14 Tony Kanaan spins
Restart
No. 15 Graham Rahal and No. 21 Spencer Pigot incident
Replay of Rahal and Pigot incident
No. 23 Charlie Kimball goes off track
No. 6 Robert Wickens leading
No. 4 Matheus Leist incident
Team owner A.J. Foyt reaction
No. 18 Sebastien Bourdais leading
No. 9 Scott Dixon and Sato incident
Replay of Dixon and Sato incident
Wickens passes Bourdais for the lead
No. 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay on-board view of No. 60 Jack Harvey going off track
Harvey parked in the last turn
Wickens leading with No. 27 Alexander Rossi in pursuit
Wickens passes Rahal
Rossi gets wide in Turn 4
Slow-motion replay of Rossi wide
No. 32 Rene Binder incident
No. 59 Max Chilton incident
Final restart, Rossi and Wickens incident, Bourdais takes the lead
Replay of Rossi and Wickens incident
Checkered flag, Bourdais wins, crew reaction, Bourdais does donuts

Sebastien gives race winning TV interview before he exits the car in the Victory Circle. Image: INDYCAR (2018)

Bourdais pulls into pit lane and gets congratulated
Bourdais sound

Almost covers it except the race was really even more eventful than the shot list would indicate.

Image 1) Alexander Rossi cooks it in Turn 4 and hurts his attack - Robert Wickens in the foreground. Image 2) Rossi rejoins the hunt and passes Charlie Kimball in Turn 5. Images: INDYCAR (2018)

With the laps winding down, and Canadian driver Robert Wickens in the lead, being chased down by third year American driver and 2016 Indy500 winner Alexander Rossi, it looked as though the race was comfortably in hand, especially when Rossi, who was reducing the distance between Wickens and himself, slid and overshot the apex point at Turn 4, losing and attacking advantage (depicted above). 

"It was going to be pretty hard to reel him back in there," Alexander Rossi said - except the chaos wasn't over.

That is, until Rookie Rene Binder with 10 laps to go brought out a FULL COURSE Yellow (FCY) after his car went into the tires to set up one uneventful restart.

Max Chilton stalled moments later to set up a second FCY with two laps to go. Bourdais, sitting comfortably in third and happy to start the year on the podium, wasn't that happy; he thought someone would make a risky maneuver and wreck the field.

"Normally they don't allow push-to-pass on restarts," added Alexander Rossi at the post race media conference. "You'd normally have to do a timed lap before you did it, but because of the late call to go green that lap, they allowed it, and I actually got the call when I was in the middle of Turn 13 and 14. So I had a big jump on Rob (Wickens), and he got to the push-to-pass pretty late. The run was perfect for me going into Turn 1, and I knew there wasn't going to be many other opportunities. Obviously (Wickens) had a good car all day, and they did a great job. I made the pop. He defended the position, which he has the right to do, but in doing so, in moving the reaction, he put me into the marbles pretty late into the corner." Image: INDYCAR (2018)

Sure enough, Rossi contested the lead, hit Wickens going into Turn 1, and ended both of their victory hopes. Rossi recovered to finish third, while Rookie Wickens got stuck and finished 18th in the 24-car field.

Lost in all of this was the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver and past winner of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (2008) Graham Rahal, who had one of the worst performances in Knock-Out Qualifications for a road/street race. Graham Rahal ended up starting the race dead last in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda, had a strong race with good strategy with clean pit stops and ended up on the podium in P2!

"The United Rentals guys did a great job out there," said Graham Rahal in a post race interview. "Certainly, yesterday wasn't what we expect of ourselves, isn't what we hoped for. Last night, what can you do. Put your heads down, you work hard. Even this morning the car wasn't phenomenal in practice. With Tom (German, engineer) and the boys, they made great changes. Our guys had good pit stops and frankly good strategy. We had the pace when we needed it, we could save a lot of fuel when we needed it, we could make passes if we needed to. It just kind of all played out for us. We will take second (place) any day. It's the best start to a season I have had since I won here in 2008. Thank you to all the fans, the turnout was great this weekend. I hope you guys enjoyed the new car. We are going to put on some great shows this year as you can see."

For a coronation to happen, one needed aggressive racing, sliding cars, just a bit of side-to-side bumping along the way - the crown is then served to a four-time series season champion and, to add insult to injury, repeat Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner, Sebastien Bourdais.

The Verizon IndyCar Series is beginning its Southwest United States spring swing with back-to-back races at ISM Raceway with the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Phoenix Grand Prix (Friday April 6 - Qualifications 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PT / Saturday April 7 - Race 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM PT) and then the rites-of-spring 44th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Thursday April 12 - Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame honoring Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castroneves - 11:00 AM PT / Sunday April 15 - Race 1:00 PM PT).

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: Alexander Rossi, Sebastien Bourdais, Graham Rahal, #INDYCAR, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, @StPeteFL, @IndyCar, #FirestoneGP, #VICS, Verizon IndyCar Series, The EDJE

IndyCar Champion Pagenaud Talks About New Season & Team Dynamics

IndyCar Champion Pagenaud Talks About New Season & Team Dynamics

We are talking with the current 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and member at Team Penske super-team for 2017, Simon Pagenaud.

The 32-year-old Frenchman drives the No. 1 PPG Industries Chevrolet/Dallara for Team Penske, along side team-mates, Helio Castroneves, Will Power, and new addition ... Josef Newgarden.

He earned the 2012 IndyCar Sunoco Rookie of the Year and the 2010 American LeMans Series Championship in Gil de Ferran's last year of competition.

Known to drive anything, Simon even competed in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 2013 driving a modified Honda Odyssey minivan, modified with an IndyCar engine, to finish second in class.

Now in his seventh full season in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Simon has fourteen wins, including the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis in 2014, and is the defending champion of the Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach.

In 2014, then Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Simon Pagenaud at The Grove in Los Angeles pictured here with the championship trophy, The Astor Cup in advance of the MAVTv 500 IndyCar finale at Auto Club Speedway. Current Penske Racing team-mate Will Power ended the season by taking this trophy home for his first VICS Championship. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks

Welcome Penske Racing's latest champion driver, Simon Pagenaud ...

1)
First, tell us a little about PPG Industries and some of the background behind your sponsorship for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

2)
After, what seemed like an eternity, the Verizon IndyCar Series got back into action with the first race of the 2017 season with the trditional opening race at St. Petersburg. You had qualified P14 after showing top 10 or better pace during the practices. Tell us about your thinking racing against the NEW Honda package and what you learned in the practices before the race started in St. Pete.

Simon Pagenaud doesn't need RAIN - just a collection of Dallaras in Turn 3 to move from P14 to P9 #GPStPete #FirestoneGP #IndyCar

— Edmund Jenks (@TheEDJE) March 12, 2017

3)
In the pre-race interview, you mentioned that it might rain before the race ended, and this might help you to advance through the field. What actually happened was that it rained carbon fiber in the re-configured Turn 3 and race tactics seemed to play out from there. What were your reflections on the Turn 3 incident, and what other key elements helped, to lead to your eventual finish on the podium at P2, behind fellow Frenchman & 4-time champion, Dale Coyne's Sebastien Bourdais, and ahead of 4-time champion Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon? ... That's quite a podium bookend!

4a)
Last year, once you captured the lead in the points winning three races in a row, your only competition for this lead came from team-mates except for Josef Newgarden, who, at the time, raced for Ed Carpenter Racing. How is it being on a team where the top points finishers for the season are also your cheif competition?

4b)
How is it being the leader on a team accepting a new driver to the team, Josef Newgarden, when that was the position you were in just a couple of years earlier? How does this shape relationships?

5)
Just this month, Graham Rahal posted a video showing the final laps of the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway with the extreme and professional close in racing where you were in the mix and just missed the podium in fourth place. From your perspective, what was this like for you and ... do you believe you would have won if your championship position wasn't in the balance?

6)
Last year, the Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach was one for the record books - NO YELLOW Flags and very tight timing on the pitstops - especially with the pit-in and pit-out rules. Other than winning, what is the memory of the race that sticks out in your first win in the rite-of-spring concrete canyons of Long Beach ... also, which corner/section is your favorite?

7a)
This year at The Beach looks like something that may be a little harder to "game out" - in that, we have a better performing Honda package overall, and a resurgance of a three-time winner of the course with Sebastien Bourdais, who finished 6th in the points last year and seems to be rolling in with all the confidence in the world ("just like old times"). What are you thinking going into this second race of the season?

7b) How do you like having the season start with two temporary street courses that generally require a greater degree of precesion than many of the other venues the Verizon IndyCar Series is known for.

Here's wishing you a great 43rd Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach, Thanks Simon ...

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Simon Pagenaud, Verizon IndyCar Series, PPG Industries, Penske Racing, 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion, Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach, #TGPLB42, #TGPLB43, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, The EDJE

Reflections From The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, After 195 Days Of ?

Reflections From The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, After 195 Days Of ?
(Championship Racing Radio Post Race Review With Josh Farmer & Edmund Jenks )


It's been 195 days since the Verizon IndyCar Dallaras have taken to a racing surface in anger as the drivers, teams, and cars took to the temporary street course track at Saint Petersburg for the first race of this 2016 season - The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March 13, 2016

So many story lines - Will Power, Oriol Servia, Rookies (Conor Daly, Spencer Pigot, Alexander Rossi, & Max Chilton), Simon Pagenaud - how'd they do?, Marco Andretti and Andretti Autosport's Carlos Munoz effect on the race and final order at finish (RHR Podium) ... WOW, great race for the first one of the year after a long dry spell since the Verizon IndyCar Dallaras have taken to a racing surface in anger.

This race, including rookies, may have the best crop of drivers to start a competitive racing season in the history of IndyCar. Easily one of the most competent based upon accomplishment and resume.

The rookie field alone has a series champion - Pigot, one with Indy 500 plus four other 2015 season races under his racing royalty belt - Daly, and two that are coming in with Formula 1 experience - Rossi & Chilton.

Race start of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Image Credit: VICS

The race started cleanly with two exceptions. Takuma Sato got a flat tire and James Hinchcliffe went off the course ... also with a flat tire. It was revealed in the post race interviews that Josef Newgarden had plenty to do with the Mayor's problems as well as his own which had him, Newgarden, finish 47 laps off of the race total.

The biggest movers at the start were Josef Newgarden (with the punt of Hinchcliffe) and Marco Andretti.

Simon Pagenaud took the lead from pole position followed by teammates Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya.

By Lap 10, Helio's front tires began to lose grip giving an opening for JPM to pass at the beginning of the lap at the end of the front straight.

About Helio's early first pit-stop:
Edmund Jenks retweeted
Timothy Burke @bubbaprog
typical Florida driver pic.twitter.com/SjM6ImKi8E

<<< VIDEO >>>

Lap 22 - RHR chops across Luca Flillippe and causes carbon fiber damage on Luca's Dallara.

Lap 33 - JPM gains to 1.5 seconds behind after first pitstops.

Lap 46 - Marco Andretti tries to follow RHR at the end of the front straight in a pass of Luca --- spins with contact to rear ... stalls and creates a FCY.

Lap 48 the field pits when the pits become open --- Pagenaud slides to a stop in the pit box but remains within limits ... beats JPM back out on track.

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‪#‎IndyCar‬ is now trending in 5 countries. Read more at trendnode.com/%23IndyCar pic.twitter.com/WOLoeuB2Tn

#‎IndyCar‬ is now trending in 5 countries. Image Credit: TrendNode

Aaron Bearden @AaronBearden93
. @ConorDaly22 is sitting pretty after this yellow. He had just pitted laps earlier and inherits the lead. #IndyCar #FirestoneGP

Trend Topics USA @TrendTopicsUSA
San Jose
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Restart Lap 57 - Big stoppage at Turn 4 when Rahal got booted by Carlos Munoz stacking up 9 cars - Front Wings between Rahal and Servia touch with many rear end collisions behind

Nathan Evans on Twitter
“Calamity corner. #indycar https://t.co/SG3k8gjdl8”

<<< VIDEO >>>

Edmund Jenks retweeted
Eric Smith @Eric_RaceReview
Officially 9 cars listed in that Turn 4 crash on Lap 56: 98, 15, 16, 83, 41, 5, 15, 11, 12 ‪#‎IndyCar‬ #‎FirestoneGP‬

Cars/Drivers as follows; 98 - Alexander Rossi, 15 - Graham Rahal, 16 - Spencer Pigot, 83 - Charlie Kimball, 41 - Jack Hawksworth, 5 - James Hinchcliffe, 15 - Luca Filippi, 11 - Josef Newgarden, & 12 - Oriol Servia.

Daly loses lead on restart Lap 63 to JPM - Lap 65 end of straight, Helio passes Dixon at end of straight.

Munoz gets penalty for avoidable contact in large accident.

RHR passes Helio for Podium on Lap 107

If JPM wins, it will be the first back-to-back wins at St. Pete since Helio did it in 2006-2007

Juan Pablo Montoya starts the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season the same way he started the 2015 VICS season ... with a win on the streets of St. Petersburg. Image Credit: VICS

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Race Results (Highlights Video Here)

Click HERE to view and download the official results from the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Results Sunday of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 1.8-mile St. Petersburg street circuit, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1.  (3) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 110, Running
2.  (1) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 110, Running
3.  (5) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 110, Running
4.  (2) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 110, Running
5.  (17) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 110, Running
6.  (10) Takuma Sato, Honda, 110, Running
7.  (4) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 110, Running
8.  (12) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 110, Running
9.  (19) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 110, Running
10.  (13) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 109, Contact
11.  (9) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 109, Running
12.  (18) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 109, Running
13.  (20) Conor Daly, Honda, 109, Running
14.  (21) Spencer Pigot, Honda, 109, Running
15.  (14) Marco Andretti, Honda, 109, Running
16.  (6) Graham Rahal, Honda, 109, Running
17.  (16) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 109, Running
18.  (22) Oriol Servia, Chevrolet, 109, Running
19.  (8) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 109, Running
20.  (15) Luca Filippi, Honda, 108, Running
21.  (7) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 87, Contact
22.  (11) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 47, Electrical                             

Race Statistics
Winner's average speed:   89.006 mph
Time of Race: 02:13:28.4650
Margin of victory: 2.3306 seconds
Cautions:  2 for 16 laps
Lead changes: 4 among 4 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Pagenaud 1 - 48
Daly 49 - 63
Montoya 64 - 81
Hunter-Reay 82-84
Montoya 85 - 110

Verizon IndyCar Series Point Standings: Montoya 51, Pagenaud 43, Hunter-Reay 36, Castroneves 32, Aleshin 30, Sato 28, Dixon 26, Munoz 24, Kanaan 22, Kimball 20.
[ht: Verizon IndyCar Series]

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Pete, The EDJE, Josh Farmer, Championship Racing Radio, Verizon IndyCar Series, VICS, #indycar, Motorsports Journal