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

FIRST Full Season In The Hybrid Technology Era Of The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Chip Ganassi Racing's then two-time champion Alex Palou leads the field out in his Green & White No. 10 Dallara Honda on the first lap of the second and final Heat of the made for TV The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge non-points paying race in Coachella Valley near Indio. He went on to win the race, money, and eventually his third series season championship. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - Motorsports Journal (2024)

FIRST Full Season In The Hybrid Technology Era Of The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

The 2025 season will feature 27 full time competitors from 11 different teams with the usual mash-up of drivers changing teams and past drivers with INDYCAR experience being able to rejoin the field.

One of the early notable races for points will be the addition of The THERMAL Club. the two previous years had the special private road track be a pre-season test bed followed with the next year having a non-points paying contest designed for TV "Heats" format race, including a large purse for the drivers to compete for. 

The race scheduled for the weekend starting Friday, March 21 through March 23, 2025, is the second race of the season after the tradition of Saint Petersburg, Florida. One has to assume that this too, will be a "Heats" format race - not the best look for an open wheel series on a dedicated road track.

Sometimes, what's best, it is good to preview official communications portals in order to get a gage on this upcoming season and the challenges that will confront the 27 driver field this season. As usual, the two lead dogs in terms of teams will again be Chip Ganassi Racing with Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson versus Team Penske with Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin.

NTT INDYCAR Preview - Inside Line: What’s Under the Radar at St. Pete?

Today’s question NTT INDYCAR Preview: What is something under the radar to keep an eye on this weekend in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (noon ET Sunday, FOX, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio Network)?

Curt Cavin: I keep asking myself, who is the next big thing in this series? In a season-opening race with loads of faces in new places, I keep coming back to Christian Lundgaard joining Arrow McLaren. I’m not ready to say the 23-year Dane can win Sunday’s race, but he has a street circuit victory in this series – in Toronto in 2023 – and has raced well in St. Petersburg (two top-11 finishes with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing). In this season opener, Lundgaard will drive for an organization that has excelled in St. Petersburg the past two years. Pato O’Ward finished second in 2023 and won last year’s race; Alexander Rossi finished fourth and sixth, respectively.

Eric Smith: I feel like I’ve been on the Scott Dixon storyline all offseason, and I’d be remiss if I stopped entering the 2025 season opener. Remarkably, Dixon has reached victory lane 58 times at 28 different tracks but is 0-for-20 on the streets of St. Petersburg. However, the six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has four podium finishes in his last eight starts on this track, and his seventh-place finish last season continued his streak of finishing eighth or better every year since 2016. Also, among the last seven victories for Dixon, four have come on city streets (Toronto 2022, Nashville 2023, Long Beach 2024, Detroit 2024). The Chip Ganassi Racing driver boasted a series-leading 3.0 average finish on street tracks last season. Add it up, and I think he’s primed to earn his fourth season-opening victory, joining 2003 and again in 2008 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to go along with 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway. He won three of his six championships in those seasons.

Paul Kelly: There are two “under the radar” stories I’m watching this weekend, mainly due to competition tweaks and how they will affect team’s strategies. One is the switch in Firestone’s weekend tire allotment at each event, as each team will get an additional set of Firestone Firehawk alternate-compound tires and one less set of Firestone Firehawk primary-compound tires, with five sets each. This may force teams to manage their tires more carefully over the weekend, especially at circuits where the primaries show an advantage. But the main “down low” story I’m watching is the ability for cars to restart on track – and now in the pits – without the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team due to the new hybrid units. There was only one street course race last season after the hybrid debuted in July at Mid-Ohio, at Toronto, so we really haven’t seen how fewer yellows at fraught, bumpy street circuits like St. Pete will change team’s fuel and tire strategies. But there is almost one certainty: The onboard starters will create more green flag action, something everyone wants.

ENDS

On a full season basis, here are the thoughts of two longtime paddock cruisers with their view upon what to expect - IndyStar's Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes, Founder - Motorsports Tribune. 

The Inside Line - Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes

In this episode of The Inside Line, Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes roll through each of the 11 full-time IndyCar teams on the grid in 2025 and ask their biggest questions facing them this season.

We at Motorsports Journal have a tremendous level of hope for a few mixes that have presented themselves with regards to teams and drivers combining to maybe shake things up.

Alexander Rossi - moving from Andretti Global to Arrow McLaren and now with his first year driving for long term owner/driver Ed Carpenter for Chevrolet. This mix can prove to be one of the biggest sleepers, especially at the INDY500.

Christian Lundgaard - stepping into the seat left vacant when Rossi decided to move on from Arrow McLaren. It was a shame that his promise didn't fully show itself when he was a Rookie Of The Year with RLL, but there were serious flashes of top-flight light.

Rinus Veekay - while losing a seat at Ed Carpenter Racing, Rinus lands as the primary driver at Dale Coyne Racing. More flashes of INDYCAR Rookie Of The Year verve left unrealized may get a magic vision for this Dutch talent.

Callum Ilott - a driver who left the series after 38 races yet managed 5 top 10s is returning with a first time NTT INDYCAR SERIES team with PREMA Racing. He has experience with teams efforts that are new to a series. His first exposure was driving a second car for then new Juncos Hollinger Racing. PREMA is new to INDYCAR, but not new as a racing organization. This F1 

David Malukas - this INDY NXT standout blew his grand chance last year to be with a top team when he landed a seat with Arrow McLaren, but broke his wrist in a bicycle accident and could not race until it healed. Arrow McLaren released him just after he was cleared and for 2025, he will be a teammate on AJ Foyt - Santino Ferrucci. Will he pop-up and deliver his hidden promise?

These drivers are all the hidden promises within a field of excellent standout drivers of accomplishment - will they break on through? The first race of a 17 event season begins this weekend with the new broadcast partner FOX Sports.

Christian Lundgaard's Arrow McLaren as it flashes by while testing at Sebring, Florida.
Image Credit: Chris Owens via NICS (2025)

As commented when someone on FB/META asked "Who is your pick to win St. Pete this weekend?" Motorsports Journal responded "Just throwin' a dart here - Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard."

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: 2025, NTT, INDYCAR SERIES, Championship, IndyStar, Joey Barnes, Nathan Brown, Will Buxton, Christian Lundgaard, Alexander Rossi, David Malukas, Callum Ilott, Rinus Veekay, The EDJE

FOX TV Reveals Shiny New Toy Of INDYCAR During Super Bowl LIX

 

Super Bowl LIX Fox Sports ad campaign is artistic, informative and just a little bit edgy and most everyone likes it. Image Composite: Edmund Jenks via NICS (2025)

FOX TV Reveals Shiny New Toy Of INDYCAR During Super Bowl LIX

In front of the largest crowd of viewers ever recorded by the venerable ratings organization, Nielsen - rated at 126 million viewers, FOX TV revealed, as if they were running the auctions in Arizona by removing a car cover with flair, their biggest commitment to motor culture in 2025 - the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

In an evening that could have been marked through its disappointments of lopsided score - niche market music performer missing the ability to seize the audience - lack of buzz-worthy $8 Million per 30 second commercials & etc., FOX TV promotions department previewed and made a star out of its recent season long broadcast rights agreement with Penske Entertainment and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES emerged as one of the biggest winners of this weekend's FOX Sports Super Bowl broadcast, thanks to a series of high-impact, well written, and tightly produced three-spot ad campaign. The campaign, which introduced the open-wheel racing series to a much broader sports & culture focused audience, was widely praised by fans and industry insiders alike.

What was one of the most noticeable aspects of the campaign theme was that there was a heavy focus on capturing the unique personalities of the racers, highlighting their extraordinary skill, courage, and commitment, wrapped in the tagline, "The Fastest Racing on Earth," reinforcing IndyCar’s identity as a premier professional motorsports spectacle. The commercials were truly engaging even if one was not originally a motor culture maven.

The campaign's success coincides with a major shift in IndyCar’s broadcast landscape, as Roger Penske and Mark Miles secured a landmark all-network deal with FOX beginning this year here in 2025. This agreement is expected to significantly elevate the sport’s visibility and accessibility, positioning it for a new era of growth.

The campaign also stands out for its strategic execution across multiple platforms, including broadcast, web, and social media. It marks a significant step forward in IndyCar’s marketing efforts, reminiscent of past high-profile campaigns. Industry veterans who have been involved in IndyCar advertising and marketing since the early 1990s noted the effectiveness of the new approach, comparing it to earlier efforts that celebrated the emotional projection of the sport.

Now that this marker has been set, it would be immensely enjoyable to have this approach and assets applied to not only the drivers in the series, but to have it applied to the other two stars of this most dynamic set of trials over the course of a championship season - racing platform technology & racing venues and the styles of team effort it takes to compete at this level on temporary street circuits, dedicated road courses, small and high-speed endurance oval tracks.

If a little bit is good, more is better ... as we look forward with anticipation to seeing more content, revealed with flair, from this group of very talented communications artists at FOX Sports and their collaborators Special Group.

... notes from The EDJE

P.S.

One suspects that since FOX TV owned the rights to broadcasting the Super Bowl, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES ads, produced by the creative team at FOX Sports and Special Group, were aired for free.

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TAGS: FOX TV, FOX Sports, Special Group Agency, NTT, INDYCAR SERIES, Championship, Pato O'Ward, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Super Bowl LIX, The EDJE

Grand Prix of Baltimore Gives Final Set-Up For Championship Showdown

Traffic jam as the IZOD IndyCar teams prepare for the penultimate race of the season in the concrete canyons of the streets around the inner harbor of Baltimore, Maryland. Image Credit: EJ Viso via Instagram

Grand Prix of Baltimore Gives Final Set-Up For Championship Showdown

Will Power’s championship hopes continued to improve during qualifying as the Australian dominated all three rounds of qualifying, turning the fastest lap in each session before claiming pole in the Firestone Fast Six, securing a crucial championship point in the process.

“This track is very physical, there are lots of turns and not many straights, especially now that they have added the chicane, said the season’s IZOD IndyCar Series Championship points leader, now with 37 points. It was important to get the pole in the Verizon Chevy #12 car – on a course like this it is important to start up front and additionally we gained one more point toward the Championship. Starting from the pole it is a lot easier to control your own destiny.”

On the addition of the chacane; “I think it was definitely the right thing to do,” he said. “It fixed the problem over the train tracks. They’ll make a few more adjustments overnight, but all in all, it’s all good.”
Power was backed up by Tony Kanaan (TK), who had acted as a drivers’ representative in working with IndyCar to resolve the problem.

“Last year, it was unanimous among all us drivers that we could take the chicane out,” TK said. “The tracks sit on rubber, so they’re not the same from a year ago. We all thought we could avoid the chicane and have a better passing zone, and obviously we found out that we cannot.

“I think it was a great response from the drivers, IndyCar, and [track designer] Tony Cotman to be able to change it. I think it was a best solution that we could get.”

Overall, speeds were up on last year’s edition of the Grand Prix of Baltimore with every qualifier breaking Power’s year-old record in their new DW12′s. When the dust settled, Power sat atop the standings with a speed of 111.116 miles per hour around the 2.0-mile, 12-turn street course.

The 2.0-mile, 12-turn concrete canyon temporary street course of the Grand Prix of Baltimore – Twitter HASHTAG #GPoB. Image Credit: Grand Prix of Baltimore

The championship could very well be decided today if Will Power gains the points for most laps led (2) and wins with Hunter-Reay failing to score enough points to maintain station. Power needs only a 54-point clearance over Hunter-Reay to clinch his first series title before the final race at the 2.5 mile super-speedway oval at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Mathematically, there remains seven drivers with a chance at the championship and this assumes that Will Power does not score points from his pole position to start the race. The aforementioned Ryan Hunter-Reay/Andretti Autosport at 37 points – Helio Castroneves/Penske Racing at 42 points – Scott Dixon/Target Chip Ganassi Racing at 55 points – Simon Pagenaud/Schmidt/Hamilton Motorsports at 86 points – Tony Kanaan/KV Racing Technology at 96 points – & finally, James Hinchcliffe/Andretti Autosport at 97 points behind.

Plainly stated, If Will runs the table on points for this race (most laps and wins), Scott Dixon is eliminated – Helio Castroneves needs to finish at no worse than P2 – Ryan Hunter-Reay needs to finish at no worse than P4!

Scott Dixon sports his “Blue Livery” helmet, which he changed to at Mid-Ohio, at the Grand Prix of Baltimore. Image Credit: TCGR

Twitter conversation yesterday after qualifications:

Edmund Jenks @TheEDJE
Hey @IndyCar @BeauxBarfield @RBINDYCAR How about using an F1 rule for qualis? Red Flag = All Stop and Clock Stops! #Fairness #GPoB #IndyCar #!ndyCar2012

Beaux Barfield @BeauxBarfield
.@TheEDJE @IndyCar As stated earlier: There is a risk vs reward element in play in IndyCar qualifying that can be intriguing…

Remi Bernard @RemiBernard
@BeauxBarfield @TheEDJE @IndyCar Watching Qualifying right now. That chicane-to-wall angle is a disaster. You can’t race that way tomorrow.

Beaux Barfield @BeauxBarfield
.@RemiBernard @TheEDJE @IndyCar It has been fixed…

@BeauxBarfield @TheEDJE @IndyCar Phew. Good to hear, man. Thanks for being on the ball for the drivers. Much appreciated.

Sebastien Cotte @french_sebo
@BeauxBarfield @RemiBernard @TheEDJE @IndyCar good or the race would have finished with 2 or 3 drivers only!!

The joys of racin’ the streets of Baltimore’s inner harbor – Crabby Fries from @CrusinCafe #FoodOfGPoB #GPoB @ Grand Prix of Baltimore. Image Credit: Wil C @wheelsee via Twitter

Gina Navarra @fastlifeofgina
Preparing to tweet like crazy during this #GPofB! @GPofBaltimore #IndyCar

We are live with NBCSC on cable, and the TweetDeck twitter feeds fired up so we look to have a great race reporting experience … and YES, we, at The EDJE, are pulling for Will Power to finally close the deal after being a standout in ChampCar World Series and being a bridesmaid for the last two years (sorry Ryan Hunter-Reay and others).

Will Power starts the race on pole for the third race in a row, 5th pole of the season, and 29th pole for his career.

IZOD IndyCar Series officials announced penalties for the following cars for this weekend’s event at Baltimore. All cars will be penalized 10 grid places for unapproved engine changes:

No. 14 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing (Mike Conway) — fitting sixth engine

No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Takuma Sato) — fitting seventh engine

No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (Bruno Junqueira) — fitting sixth engine

No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy Lotus HVM Racing (Simona de Silvestro) — carry-over for fitting seventh engine at Sonoma

No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing (Charlie Kimball) — changing fifth engine before its minimum change-out mileage. Because it’s fitting its sixth engine, it will incur a 10-grid spot penalty at Auto Club Speedway on Sept. 15.

The top ten adjusted spots in the grid Side-By-Side are Power-Dixon, Bourdais-Franchitti, Hinchcliffe-Kanaan, Wilson-Carpenter (yes, Carpenter), lastly, Pagenaud-Hunter-Reay. NOTE: Helio Castroneves is the only top seven in the points not able to grid in the top 10 positions … lines up in P14.

Loved the McClaren anti-stall technology package just run on NBCSC … RHR did not have this $14,000 box at GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma and could have used it.

Andy M @morinap now
Classic grid run from RM today. Even if @jaredhamilton60 doesn’t like it. #IndyCar

Cars roll out off the pit lane … as the fight announcer is fond of saying … Let’s Get Ready To Rxxxxxxxble! (it is a copyrighted phrase so that is why the xx’s).

GloryHunter since’77 @Chris_Wilde
The Baltimore street course looks dangerous this season. Keep safe! #indycar

Push-To-Pass is no delay 90 seconds

GREEN, GREEN, GREEN – the beginning of a scheduled 75 Laps for 14th race … the Grand Prix of Baltimore

Everyone off without incident – RHR moves up two spots on the first lap – P8 - Simona de Silvestro in for a change of wing … damaged in the first lap

Jenna @jmcc09
.@simdesilvestro & @EJVISO both on pit lane at the same time. I’m not saying anything… #indycar #GPoB

Sports Updated @SportsUpdated
@anderson_xn serio, Baltimore é a prova que a #Indycar esta ladeira abaixo. 2012 foi um ano péssimo, e por culpa de quem organiza.

The action of the cars through the chicane is just mind-boggleing – SeaBass is all over the back of Dixon – pulls off a pass on the end of the big straight … drops Dixon to P3

Brian Groce @naptownbuzz
RT @IndyCar: Sprinkles coming down around the racetrack. #GPoB #indycar2012

Team Chevy @TeamChevy
The @IndyCar race at @GPofBaltimore has started! Tune into @NBCSports and cheer on your favorite @TeamChevy drivers! #indycar2012 #GPoB

Ron Frankl @ronfrankl
RT @IndyCar: Sprinkles coming down around the racetrack. #GPoB #indycar2012

Michael Williamson @michaelw2000
Bourdais around Dixon to P2! #IndyCar #GPoB

Sébastien Bourdais @BourdaisOnTrack
Seb passes Dixon for P2! // Seb passe Dixon pour 2e! #GPoB

Lap 5 of 75 – Top 10 – Power, Seabass, Dixon, Dario, Hinchtown, Kanaan, Pagenaud, Wilson, Briscoe, and RHR

Some cars come in to pit – possible 3 stop strategy – moisture begins to fall on Lap 7 – YELLOW Flag – full course caution

Tia @tial99
Ed Carpenter with issues in the straight after coming thorough the chicane. He’s touched the outside wall…or so it seems. #GPoB

Pit Strategy – Top cars do not take advantage of YELLOW – Restart should be exciting between SeaBass and Power

Allen Wedge @AllenWedge
heck of a run, now time to start a new streak RT: @ECRIndy: This is our first DNF of the year. Proud of the 13 we finished in a row. #GPoB

AJFoytRacing @AJFoytRacing
@Mikeconwayindy reports light rain on whole circuit @GPofBaltimore #IndyCar

Pitlane has Rain Tires up on the wall – big rain drops on pit lane

Troy Appel @tdappel
I wish we could see Power/Bourdais duels more often. Step it up, Jay. #GPoB #indycar

GREEN Flag Restart – Lap 12 of 75 – Top 10 – Power, Seabass, Dixon, Dario, Hinchtown, Kanaan, Pagenaud, Wilson, Briscoe, and RHR

Cal Leferink @caleferink
Looking quite wet in Baltimore…who goes to wet tires first? #GPoB #indycar2012

Christopher Estrada @estradawriting
Power hangs on, but Dixon and Bourdais are in hot pursuit. #IndyCar #GPoB

SpeedFreaks @SpeedFreaks
Awesome restart… goooo @BourdaisOnTrack!!! #IndyCar

YELLOW Flag – Castroneves helps to spin Conway, SeaBass spins on the wet track and doesn’t touch anything – cars are pitting for fuel but no one is taking on rain tires

Junqueira, Viso and one more come in and take on Wets

TAGS’ Bryan Herta Autosport team puts out Rain tires – waived off

Allan McNish @AllanMcNish
getting pretty frustrated with #indycar commentators, full course yellow & now raining = strategy critical, don’t talk over team radio plz!

GREEN Flag Restart – Front straight is wet but now the track section a couple of turns down the track are dry

Castroneves and Viso have a spin together – NO YELLOW

Sébastien Bourdais @BourdaisOnTrack
Seb is now P3 // Seb est maintenant 3e #GPoB

YELLOW Flag – Lap 19 of 75 – Full Course Caution – Marco Andretti into the tires – everyone in except for RHR – inherits the lead … most on WETS

Lap 20 of 75 – RHR, Hinchtown, Wilson, Rubens, TAKU, Rahal, Power, Dixon, Viso, and TAGS
Rain is coming down across the whole track – first six cars are on slicks – Power on back are on WETS

GREEN Flag – Lap 21 – First corner is clean – Dario spins … ON WETS … YELLOW Flag – Full Course – de Silvestro taps Dario

Jeremy Thake @jthake
Retweet if u want @Hinchtown & @ryanhunterraey domination and the rain to blow over! #indycar #gpofBaltimore @GoDaddy

Marcoteers Andretti© @Marcoteers
Rain and Chicane…. #GPoB doesn’t seem to be making friends with the drivers

RHR comes in and gives up the lead to everyone else – confusion ensues as teams try to game the tire strategy

GREEN Flag – Lap 24 of 75 – Amazing – TAKU passes for the lead with Rahal, Hinch, Power, Dixon, TAGS, Viso, – RHR coming on strong with slick strategy

Christopher M. @gochrisuniverse
RHR is marching. Inspired driving right now. #indycar

Lap 26 has a disparity on the track between cars – the most passing in a race this season – Points leader in the pits

Ron Flatter @ronflatter
Enough is enough. @12WillPower pits on green to go from wets to reds they’ve already used. Wow. @IndyCar @BaltimoreGP #GPoB

Tony DiZinno @tonydizinno
I’d imagine if it stays dry everyone will run all-reds to the finish. The rule for reds/blacks both waived due to the rain. #GPoB

Jeff Griffin @BSAMaryland
 RT @JamesJakes: JJ on the move! P7 on L 28! #jakesynation #indycar2012 #GPoB

Justin P. Thomas @Cappereen3 now
#GPoB I can’t believe my eyes! bit.ly/NFx0L2 pic.twitter.com/22YrQeMa

F1 Fanatic Live @f1fanaticlive
Hunter-Reay up to fourth place, passing Hildebrand. #IndyCar

Lap 30 of 75 – Top 10 – TAKU, Rahal, RHR, Hildebrand, Kimball, Jakes, Rubens, SeaBass, Wilson, and Pagenaud

Jakes into a run off – goes back to P11 – 3 wide passing Pagenaud gets by SeaBass
SeaBass in the pits, points to right rear to car … cut tire

YELLOW Flag Full Course Caution Lap 32 – James Jakes into the tires – Rahal dives into the pits and takes on fresh REDS – possible low fuel

SeaBass back into the pits – must have a bigger car problem than a cut tire – Left front suspension … boy he looked great … last race of the season

LaMarquis Martin @LaMarquisMartin
Sebastian Bourdais just can’t catch a break #IndyCar #GPoB

Luis Delgado @luisdelgado_83
#IndyCar #BaltimoreGP. Bourdais a boxes. Los mecánicos están revisando la suspensión trasera.

Dan Brown @19danbrown
Pah!!!! Gutted for James Jakes, he was having a good run and looked good for a decent finish! #IndyCar #GPoB

Mauricio Llano @mauro2029
Está ganando Takuma Sato… no es una carrera normal. #Indycar

Dannie Lyz Asphall @DannieAsphall
I never knew the crash between Bourdais and Newgarden was soo bad! Darn, that was scary! Thank God they’re ok! #Indycar

GREEN Flag Restart – Pagenaud climbs into the lead – passess RHR Hinchcliffe, TAKU … Followed by Kimball – the replay was awesome as Simon looked like superman!

YELLOW Flag – we seem to be making up for lost time in YELLOW due to the lack of them in previous races – Hinchcliffe has a cut tire … looks to be worse. Castroneves changes front wing

Lap 37 (halfway) – Top 10 – Pagenaud, RHR, Kimball, Kanaan, TAKU, Rahal, Hildebrand, Wilson, Rubens, and Briscoe … Power at P13

GREEN Flag Restart – Kimball passes RHR – YELLOW Flag Full Course Caution – Simona de Silvestro slams the wall at the chicane

Lap 40 of 75 – Top 10 – Pagenaud, Kimball, RHR, Kanaan, TAKU, Rahal, Hildebrand, Wilson, Rubens, and Briscoe … Power at P12 … Briscoe in for pit stop

Emma Bracegirdle @EmTheEmu
Awwww, poor Bob Jenkins. Best wishes to him, his wife and the rest of their family and friends #GPoB #IndyCar

Andrew Browne @brownie9999
crashfest #IndyCar

Tzechiu Lei @tzechiulei
LOL RT @tonydizinno: .@simonpagenaud just channeled his inner @TonyKanaan / @tomasscheckter on that restart. Holy amazeballs. #IndyCar #GPoB

Jason Moorehead @RacinION79
This #INDYCAR: race is bad, boring and I have a hard time believing these drivers are pros. I think they get in 1 green lap in at a time

GREEN Flag Restart Lap 42 – Really jumpy at the first corner – looks like Kanaan taps RHR – Rubens and Servia get the best of Hildebrand after he damages his wing with a tap

Amber Cleveland @ambercleveland
Yes:( and greens are super-short! RT @kateshoup: Is it me or are these yellows excruciatingly long? Great racing otherwise! #GPoB #IndyCar

Christopher Estrada @estradawriting
Hildebrand has a damaged front wing. Top-10 day may be done now. #IndyCar #GPoB

Lap 45 of 75 – 30 to go – Power puts a move on Justin Wilson – takes P8 – Power just want to survive this thing

Ron Flatter @ronflatter
@12WillPower has moved up to 9th. @IndyCar @BaltimoreGP #GPoB

TAKU pits as probably the first to be able to make it to the end w/o a pitstop

SpeedFreaks @SpeedFreaks
Excellent ‘Through the Field’ with @KevinLee23 @TownsendBell99 & @heymartysnider – now THAT was good TV reporting! #IndyCar @NBCSN

Christopher Estrada @estradawriting
Rahal doing his drive-thru penalty just now. #IndyCar #GPoB

This drops Rahal from P5 to P14 – just do not need to register a penalty … EVER!

John Oreovicz @IndyOreo Power currently P7, due to make second stop in next 5-10 laps.

Michael Friedman @mfriedman_63
@GrahamRahal was penalized for jumping last restart . #Indycar #GPoB

Hélio Lima @Helio_Lima18
Ui, vai jogar o capacete RT @ricardo_engsoft E Graham bravo com a direção de prova. Cumpriu o drive-through Lap 49/75. #IndyCar #BaltimoreGP

Vivica Westwood @VivicaWestwood
OMG! Stop! Where is Sato??? #IndyCar

Philip Lane @Re1axin_Mood
How the Indycar stands now will Will Power win the Championship? #indycar

Race with Insulin @racewithinsulin
26 laps to go at @GPofBaltimore. CK running 3rd. #IndyCar #GPoB -PLR

Pagenaud Pits … TAKU comes to the pits is having mechanical issues – RHR takes over the lead – Kanaan hits the wall off of chicane – No YELLOW yet

RHR in the pits – Power in P1, Pagenaud coming up behind RHR on warm tires – cars are settled down on Lap 53

Lap 55 – Top 10 – Power, Servia, TAGS, Briscoe, RHR, Pagenaud, Dixon, Dario, Helio, and Kimball – Briscoe is a little slower than RHR but stays in front

TAGS, Briscoe, and RHR form a train in P3, P4, and P5

Will Power pits and gets scuff REDS – out in P8 – TAGS, Briscoe, RHR, Pagenaud, Dixon, Dario, and Castroneves leads Power with 18 laps to go

Amy @AmyAmes99
Best color commentary all day! —> “@tial99: Helio right under Dario’s booty coming into T1. OUCH! #GPoB”

Dannie Lyz Asphall @DannieAsphall
#Top3 Briscoe, RHR, and Pagenaud. 18 laps to go! #Indycar #GPoB

Andy Marquis @amarquis32
Alex Tagliani pits from the lead. #GPoB #IndyCar

Lap 60 of 75 – Broscoe, RHR, Pagenaud, Dixon, Dario, Power (P6), Helio, Kimball, Rubens, and Conway

Power puts the pass on Franchitti for P5 – Dixon is one lap short on fuel – possible fuel issues with Briscoe and Castroneves as well

Andy Marquis @amarquis32
Will Power is a man on a mission right now. #GPoB #IndyCar

Dannie Lyz Asphall @DannieAsphall
TK is out of the car! #Indycar #GPoB

Jack Rice @rico500
Nice. My Fantasy Racing picks are currently running 1-2-3-4-6. #indycar

Amber Cleveland @ambercleveland
13 laps to go @Ryan_Briscoe leads, but will need 1 more stop. @scottdixon9 will need to stop too. #IndyCar #GPoB

Ten laps to go – Top 5 cars are Briscoe, RHR, Simon, Dixon, and Power

YELLOW Flag – Charlie Kimball delivers a full course caution – engine blows up and lays down some oil

Briscoe may not have any P2P left but allows Briscoe to stay in front – Dixon comes in for fuel – RHR needs to kill the restart in order to gain maximum points against Will Power who just needs to finish the race to keep the lead in points going into the last race at Fontana

Amy @OpenWheelMom
Holy shxxwaffles this is going to be one hell of a restart…C’mon @simonpagenaud #GPoB #IndyCar

Dannie Lyz Asphall @DannieAsphall
68/75! #Indycar #GPoB

Andy M @morinap
Shxx is about to get cray in the #IndyCar race.

The radio traffic talkin’ all of the possibilities is just crazy

Lucas Santochi @LucasSantochi
RT @curtcavin: Power has clinched two bonus points for most laps led. Big. #IndyCar

Drew Allen @drewallennews
Here we go… #IndyCar #GPoB

GREEN Flag Restart – Lap 69 – RHR launches and gets the lead and almost is too fast in the corner – Pagenaud pressures RHR – Restart controversy with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Ryan Briscoe explained HERE>>

YELLOW Flag Full Course Caution – Multi-car pile up due to Conway into the tires causes a block on the track

Lap 70 – On replay Pagenaud backs off into the first corner expecting RHR to maybe bounce off of the tires – RHR gets clear – Penske believes RHR jumps restart, leader did not react to the flag – Replay shows legal start

If ends right now – RHR closes to within 19 points of Will Power – what a race – RHR has done everything he has been able to do to keep this championship alive – let’s have at least one more restart – Lights out on safety car

GREEN Flag Restart – Lap 73 – Two laps to go – RHR gets through turn one – Will Power get shuffled backward to P7 – loosing more points

Christopher Estrada @estradawriting
WHITE FLAG! #IndyCar #GPoB

Erin Bonilla @eBON
Final lap! #gpob

Matt White @MattW1986 now
Nice one Rubi #indycar #GPoB

Akemi Mokoto @Otaku2012
FINAL LAP!!! #GPoB #IndyCar

Ash (アシュー) @racingAsh
My goodness Power falls back a few positions?!? #IndyCar #GPoB

Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the race – Michael Andretti interviewed at this moment says that we are going to win this championship

Ryan Hunter-Reay delivers on behalf of race team owner and event promoter, Michael Andretti. Image Credit: IZOD IndyCar Series

Briscoe out of fuel but gets P2 – doesn’t help teammate Will Power

Power on telecast discussing strategy about WETS – not happy

Kyle Johnson @RaginKJohn
Can’t wait for the cry babying out of Will Power… #indycar

Kev @ElusiveKev
Great race when it was green, but quite a few cautions, so very good race. Been a great day of racing. #Indycar #GPoB

Greg @z0sixxer
What a win by @RyanHunterReay! time to go for the title in 2 weeks in Fontana! #GPoB #indycar

Luis Delgado @luisdelgado_83
#IndyCar #BaltimoreGP No hay campeon!!!! Se define en el super ovalo de Fontana el sábado 14/09.

Gina Navarra @fastlifeofgina
Hang in there @12WillPower… hang in there. #IndyCar #GPofB

Kai @AndersFinn
Happy for Pagenaud, Rubens and Briscoe. #IndyCar

Stuart Richards @stupot94
Well done Hunter-Reay!!!! Title down to the wire. #indycar2012 #GPoB

Neil Hudson @neilhudson
It’s just between those two. Dixon and Castroneves are out of the hunt #IndyCar

RHR did not jump the last restart – Will Power stated that he would have “almost” jumped the restart if he were in that same position

All hats off to Ryan Hunter-Reay for an absolutely awesome, MUST DO drive – gives a prediction just as team boss Michael Andretti gave … we are going to win this thing in Fontana

 @IndyCar – There goes the winning car of @ryanhunterreay, off to @ACSupdates! #GPoB #indycar2012 http://t.co/AZC4vSma

One of the toughest races of the season – just spot on
ENDS

… notes from The EDJE

2011 Edmonton Indy Preview - A Bump And Run Affair, Race 11 of 18

Rexall Edmonton Indy Speedway - Edmonton City Centre Airport IndyCar race track configuration detail - pre-2011 in yellow / 2011 configuration in blue [ctrl-click image for "A virtual lap of the Edmonton Indy" video]. Image Credit: GrabBagSports.com (2011)

2011 Edmonton Indy Preview - A Bump And Run Affair, Race 11 of 18

From the frying pan and into the fire. After the exciting, yet full course caution plagued Honda Indy Toronto, the IndyCar Series (ICS) heads on over to the Canadian province of Alberta, and the 2.25 mile temporary road course set up on an airport runway/tarmac in Edmonton.

This year, the course layout changes from a course that tracks around clockwise with long, high speed turns and few real straightaways, to a course that tracks counter-clockwise and features 13 turns, a nasty hairpin turn that separates two long straights made from a landing/takeoff runway, and another slightly curved straight that dives into another situation similar to " Turn 3" at the end of the only high speed straight in Toronto.

If NASCAR tactics of tap, spin, and run worked for Dario Franchitti to increase his points lead over Will Power, look for at least three areas in Edmonton to promote the same type of carbon-fiber, wheel bumping close competition in order to gain advantage.

Turn 1 out of the pits and at the end of the long straight past the Start/Finish line (the longest of the new layout). The corner is an unusual left hand power turn (120%) that leads to a speed section with a slight right-hand kink at Turn 2 and a high-speed left/right jig at turns 3 & 4.

The second kinked straight ends at Turn 5 in another hard left-hand turn (curved 180%) that tracks through a curvy section that was used in the previous layout.

Lastly, starting at turns 10 & 11, a long 150 mph straight made from a landing/takeoff runway that ends in a nasty hairpin at turn 13 that starts the process over again with the longest straight (3/4th of a mile - nearly 200 mph) in the new course.

Quick change front wing in process on Will Power's Verizon sponsored Penske Dallara during the Honda Indy Toronto. It is this ability, to have a little front wing damage, isn't necessarily a death nail to a driver's race anymore. Image Credit: www.allandelaplante.webs.com (2011)

Will Power fans would love to see Dario spun around as he had spun Power in Toronto on Turn 3 ... but through a conspiracy of team work/orders. The way nose wings can be popped off and on (as Penske's Will Power - photo above, Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay and Danica Patrick experienced in Toronto), and the additional strength designed into the Dallara suspension parts for side (non-torque) impact, it is not inconceivable something like this could be orchestrated. Penske isn't the only multiple car team that may want to get in the middle of this concept.

If Target Chip Ganassi Racing is allowed to get away with the type of "advantage" driving Dario was able to pull off, then let the flood gates open.

From the frying pan and into the fire? ... with the redesign of the layout of the Edmonton City Centre Airport IndyCar race track, let's just call this part of the schedule (Race 10 Toronto/Race 11 Edmonton) Canadian Bacon - tempers will fry!

... notes from The EDJE

Event Information:

Edmonton Indy, Edmonton, AB, Rexall Edmonton Indy Speedway, Qualifications - 6:00 PM ET Sat. July 23, Race - 2:00 PM ET Sun. July 24 on VERSUS


[Article first published as 2011 Edmonton Indy Preview - A Bump And Run Affair, Race 11 of 18 on Technorati]

2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Play By Play | Tweet By Tweet

Infineon Raceway "Tweet Up" just after Knockout Qualifications at the "Wine Country Winner's Circle" in Sonoma. Discussions included Reds? or Blacks? ... from the looks of things in pit lane, 15 of 16 Dallaras have Reds to start the race. Only EJ Viso is on Blacks. Image Credit: FollowAndretti via TweetPhoto

2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Play By Play | Tweet By Tweet

Qualifications for this last Road/Street circuit of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season had one surprise and the Knockout qualifying structure netted its desired results.

With the top 16 positions having lap times within one-second of each other, the best road drivers in the best equipment ended up at the top ... with ChampCar World Series transition driver standout Will Power setting an IZOD IndyCar Series record of capturing eight poles in one season. Defending Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma champion Dario Franchitti, Power's nearest title rival and last year's ICS season champion, was nearly half a second behind in third.

Will Power as he is presented with the Mario Andretti Road Championship Trophy by Mario Andretti with Jack Arute of Versus officiating. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

The rest of the Firestone Fast Six in the Knockout qualifying session which is usually dominated by Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi was broken up by a new team with a longtime CCWS transition driver/owner Alex Tagliani of FAZZT Racing qualifying at P4 ... .6786 seconds off of Will Powers' pace which was the fastest lap set by any driver all weekend.

Will Power as he is presented with the Mario Andretti Road Championship Trophy winnings ($50,000) by Mario Andretti with Jack Arute of Versus officiating. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

How the field qualified (** denotes a driver or team that transitioned from the ChampCar World Series)

Pos Driver Team Time Session
1. Will Power** Penske 1m16.5282s Fast six
2. Helio Castroneves Penske 1m16.5652s Fast six
3. Dario Franchitti Ganassi 1m16.9437s Fast six
4. Alex Tagliani** Fazzt 1m17.2068s Fast six
5. Ryan Briscoe Penske 1m17.2108s Fast six
6. Scott Dixon Ganassi 1m17.3469s Fast six
----
7. Justin Wilson** Dreyer & Reinbold 1m16.9447s Round 2
8. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti 1m17.1317s Round 2
9. Tony Kanaan Andretti 1m17.3181s Round 2
10. Raphael Matos** De Ferran Dragon 1m17.3710s Round 2
11. Simona de Silvestro** HVM** 1m17.7429s Round 2
12. Dan Wheldon Panther 1m17.8280s Round 2
----
13. Bertrand Baguette Conquest** 1m17.5238s Group 1
14. Hideki Mutoh Newman/Haas** 1m17.5186s Group 2
15. EJ Viso** KV** 1m17.6825s Group 1
16. Graham Rahal** Newman/Haas** 1m17.5284s Group 2
17. Takuma Sato KV** 1m17.7112s Group 1
18. Marco Andretti Andretti 1m17.6216s Group 2
19. JR Hildebrand Dreyer & Reinbold 1m17.7659s Group 1
20. Mario Moraes** KV** 1m17.7532s Group 2
21. Vitor Meira Foyt 1m17.9149s Group 1
22. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne** 1m18.0422s Group 2
23. Danica Patrick Andretti 1m18.3995s Group 1
24. Milka Duno Dale Coyne** 1m22.2980s Group 2
25. Francesco Dracone Conquest** 1m21.2262s Group 1
(ht: autosport.com)

The track at Sonoma ... Infineon Raceway in the morning. Image Credit: FollowAndretti via TweetPhoto

The following are Twitter entries (140 characters or less) excerpted and possibly edited submitted by people who are following the 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. A play by play via "Tweet" by "Tweet"!

IndyCarNation Mario Andretti leads the field in the IndyCar two-seater with Stan, the Honda Sweepstakes winner.

TheEDJE Reds? or Blacks? ... from the looks of things in pit lane, 15 of 16 Dallaras have Reds to start the race #indycar

kvracing Moraes in car ready for the race http://flic.kr/p/8uwaf6

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! The 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma starts!

toomuchracing Green - immediate yellow, Wheldon is upside down

Fieldof33 What a ridiculously shitty start.

kvracing On start of race, Wheldon gets turned upside down before start finish line, he is out of car and walks to safety

99forever Thank God for roll bars

TheEDJE Danica Patrick dives into the pits to top off

pressdog Possibly the fugliest start to a race I have ever seen (link to story posting).

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! The 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - RESTART LAP 4!

TheEDJE Milka Duno shown the BLACK Flag LAP 5

kvracing On the restart Viso remain 12th, Sato moves to 15th and Moraes 18th. Viso pitting next lap for alternate (red) tires

TheEDJE EJ Viso in the pits to change from scuff Blacks to Reds ... wing adjustment - LAP 6

InfineonRaceway @DanWheldon is OK after accident to start race #indycar

SarahFisher67 Watching Sonoma. Hearing Power say qualifying was the toughest lap of his career reminds me how challenging/intense driving these cars are!

InfineonRaceway Working lap 10: Power, Helio, Franchitti, Tagliani, Briscoe. #indycar

IndyCarNation Hildebrand pits.

indy44 Single file hold your line.

TheEDJE EJ Viso ticks off quickest lap of the race after pitting off sequence

TheEDJE Marco Andretti pits off sequence - LAP 14

Andretti Autosport garage after Knockout qualifications. Image Credit: FollowAndretti via TweetPhoto

Newman_Haas Tough to pass here so people are trying to save fuel big time and hoping to go farther than others on their stints.

deferrandragon Jay: "how's the car?" Rafa: "good." Short and sweet

Several "Off Track" excursions shuffle the order - #77 of Alex Tagliani has flat tire possibly from contact with Ryan Hunter Raey

IndyCarNation Milka Duno #18 was black flagged (by request of the team) due to radio issues

indy44 LAP 20 - P1 12 P2 10 P3 3 P4 6 P5 9 P6 22 P7 37 P8 11 P9 2 P10 78

99forever IMS Radio says the reds are starting to go off for everyone.

paultracy3 Ohhh tag Ohhh tag

99forever LAP 22 - Wilson gets by Briscoe and puts a non Penske/Ganassi car in the top 5.

MikeM_PR @justinwilson22 nice pass for position on Briscoe for P5 now

kvracing Sato just pitted for fuel and black tires

TheEDJE Dixon and Wilson both place Helio Castroneves behind them - LAP 24

IndyCarNation Matos #2 has an on and off after contact with Simona de Silvestro #78, both continued

tomasscheckter @paultracy3 lol

99forever Justin apparently not at all concerned with the tires going off!

curtcavin Power is 10 seconds clear of Dario. #indycar

indy44 EJ and Simona make contact

InfineonRaceway Simona spins, Power in pits on lap 28 #indycar

99forever That spin as Will came in was almost interesting

curtcavin Will's lead was 17 seconds at the pit stop for both drivers (he and Dario)

InfineonRaceway Both Franchitti, Dixon in pits on lap 29 #indycar

FollowAndretti On lap 29... Marco P2, Ryan P9, Tony P11, Danica P18

deferrandragon Impressive to go that fast and save that kind of fuel

SPEED LAST LAP: ALMS Road America http://bit.ly/922f4g

YELLOW Flag - Duno off course on LAP 33 - Full Course CAUTION

IndyCarNation Full course caution for a spin and stall by Milka Duno #18 in turn 7

BeccyGordon Imagine that... #parkmilka spun!!!

deferrandragon That yellow helps us a bit.

IndyCarNation Pits are open with only Viso and Andretti making stops among the leaders

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! The 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - RESTART LAP 35!

IndyCarNation GREEN! Power, Briscoe, Franchitti, Dixon, Castroneves are top 5 after Viso and Andretti pit

AllenWedge RT: @deferrandragon: What that yellow did was allow the others to see what the back of power's car looks like again His lead was significant

pressdog @indy44 don't worry. It will be back.

YELLOW Flag - Hildebrand off course on LAP 38 - Full Course CAUTION

MikeM_PR Race is halfway @justinwilson22 P6 in fuel saving mode. Full course caution for Hildebrand

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! The 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - RESTART LAP 40!

pressdog Will Briscoe make himself wide to protect Power?

kvracing Back to green flag. Sato is 11th, Moraes is 16th. Viso had to pit again, he has problems with rear

deferrandragon Rafa 10th right where he started

toomuchracing Order LAP 43: Power, Briscoe, Franchitti, Dixon, Helio, Wilson, RHR, Rahal, Kanaan, Sato

indy44 Penske couldn't have planned it any better to have a teammate in 2nd behind Championship contender. Power leads Briscoe by 3,5 seconds

tomasscheckter Will power is probably txting and emailing people now wants to make the most of his weekend minutes. He is in a different world.

IndyCarNation Marco Andretti #26 made contact with J.R. Hildebrand #24 and Mario Moraes #32 in the last few laps.

99forever If we keep it up, we'll have six cars left. LOL RT @formula1blog For crying out loud! #parkMarco

IndyCarNation Lap 45: Power leads Briscoe by 3.2256 with Franchitti, Dixon, Castroneves, Wilson bunched together behind

FollowAndretti Lap 47 or 75... Ryan 7, Tony 9, Danica P1 Marco 18

IndyCarNation Not much separating P2-P7. Could get interesting

BeccyGordon Why did they let her back out??? #parkmilka spun AGAIN... Take a seat my friend. God I wish they'd let @OriolServia drive get car!

kvracing Moraes just pitted for fuel and tires. Rejoins 20th but field still to pit

Power leads the field by 5.1 seconds with 24 laps left

IndyCarNation Briscoe #6 pits from second place | Castroneves in as well

SpeedFreaks So let's be honest. Today's IndyCar race is about as boring as last night's NASCAR race. But why does it appear to be a bit more active?

RaceDrive So the new "stay out of gear until fuel is done" has gone "very" quiet - or did we miss something ? #Indycar

Newman_Haas GR in next time by - Reds out

indy44 Marco and Meira make contact in pit lane.

TheEDJE LAP 55 - All leaders have pitted except for Power and Dixon - RISKY

Newman_Haas Graham is P9 and Hideki is P19

TheEDJE Power in ... Dixon stays out for one more lap

IndyCarNation Power in the pits! http://ow.ly/i/3mpr

BeccyGordon She spins twice then they send her out in front of RHR on pitlane. WTH????? #parkmilka

TheEDJE Scott Dixon in - Scuff Reds laid out - Power back in the lead

IndyCarNation After pit stop exchange: Power #12 leads Franchitti by 5.9482 seconds with Dixon landing in third

Fieldof33 @99forever Unless Power is driving directly on the rims, I don't think the compound is going to make much difference for Power. :-)

indy44 Power +3.6153 - 15 Laps to go

IndyCarNation 15 left: Power, Franchitti, Dixon, Briscoe, Castroneves, Wilson, Kanaan, Hunter-Reay, Rahal, Matos, Sato, Baguette, Patrick, Lloyd, Andretti

toomuchracing Dixon is chasing Dario closely - and he makes the pass! What's he doing? Dario's their only chance in the title fight

TheEDJE Dixon passes teammate Franchitti causing the #2 in IndyCar Season points to loose position

Newman_Haas To Graham: Helio and Briscoe are on blacks up ahead and are backing people up.

YELLOW Flag - Conquest's Bagette damaged as Viso and Sato are involved on LAP 66 - Full Course CAUTION

paultracy3 Ohh viso ohh viso , why do u do him that way

VersusIndyCar Join the IndyCar Sonoma Race Chat with @kevingraham1280 and @royhobbson right now! http://ow.ly/2t85G #indycar

IndyCarNation This late yellow flag could make for an interesting end to the race.

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! The 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma Restarts on LAP 69 - 6 LAPS remain

TheEDJE Dixon challenges Power on the restart - pull away from the field

SpeedFreaks Wow, Dixon is giving it all he has for Will Power... this might happen.

TheEDJE Mutoh spins sets up a local YELLOW ... may go Full Course - safety truck on track

tomasscheckter Go dixon go dixon go dixon.

99forever Not the end-of-race battle I was expecting but dang! That's some serious racing we're seeing right there..

AllenWedge wow, commercial with 5 laps to go, thats an epic fail of ESPN type proportions there Versus

TheEDJE Sato takes out Danica Patrick

TheEDJE WHITE Flag - Power out in front of Dixon by six carlengths - Sato holds up Dixon

indy44 Versus camera crew head to Danica's area immediately

MikeM_PR Checkered flag @justinwilson22 takes it home in P6

TheEDJE Penske's Will Power wins fifth race of the 2010 season - Leads 73 of 75 laps

Will Power as he pulls into the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

Team Penske team members greet the 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma race winner, Will Power in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

FollowAndretti Checkered flag @InfineonRaceway... Tony 7th, Ryan 8th, Marco 12th, Danica 16th. #IZODIndyCar

indy44 Fact RT @paultracy3: The kv team has hit everything but the helicopter today

IndyCarNation Will Power #12 wins the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, Dixon, Franchitti, Briscoe, Castroneves are top 5

IndyCarNation 6-15: Wilson, Kanaan, Hunter-Reay, Rahal, Lloyd, Moraes, Andretti, de Silvestro, Tagliani, Meira

IndyCarNation 16-22: Patrick, Mutoh, Sato, Viso, Dracone, Matos, Duno

Will Power being interviewed while the IZOD IndyCar Chick and the Firestone Firehawk mascot look on at the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

Will Power being interviewed in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

Will Power's winning Penske Racing Verizon Dallara and helmet in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

A proud Roger Penske (right) greets his driver Will Power (left) after winning the 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

Mario Andretti shares a congratulatory moment with Will Power in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

Will Power being congratulated by his crew chief, Tim Cindric, in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

Penske Racing Team as it celebrates Will Power's win at Infineon Raceway. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

toomuchracing Congrats to Will Power for a dominant win!

Fieldof33 Awwww, Hell Naw!!!! The IZOD Trophy Chick [Cameron Haven Playboy photo expose] just stood right in front of @speedfreakbash. Kick 'er ass, Bash!!!! :-)

IZOD Trophy Chick with the Firestone Firehawk in the Infineon Raceway Wine Country Winner's Circle. Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)

JSummerton Had a great day! Been fun! Great @IndyCarnation race. Congrats to Will Power. Hopefully will be in there fighting for the wins next year;)

IndyCarNation Power's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma win is his third win from the pole this season.

IndyCarNation This is Will Power’s fifth victory of the 2010 season. He previously won at Sao Paulo, St. Petersburg, Watkins Glen and Toronto.

IndyCarNation Power is the sixth different winner of an IZOD IndyCar Series race @InfineonRaceway, have been no repeat series winners at @InfineonRaceway

indy44 Good finish, nice fight at the end between Power and Dixon. Will Power is definitely the King of the Road. Now bring on the ovals!

SFRacing Bring on the ovals @IndyCarNation! We'll see all of you @ChicagolndSpdwy next weekend!

... notes from The EDJE