"Less Is More" Describes The Intrigue In The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship Season

Australian born Will Power ascends the throne as king in the House Of Penske as he ascends a throne in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to become the all-time record-holder in the number of pre-race pole positions achieved - eclipsing Mario Andretti's 67 Pole positions (1997 Michigan International Raceway) at number 68 - in the highest level of professional open-wheel racing out of North America. Here Power is about to climb out of his Team Penske prepared Chevrolet-Powered, Firestone clad Dallara while he zips up his driving suit before meeting the media for photos and interviews. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2022) 

"Less Is More" Describes The Intrigue In The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship Season

Yes! House Of Penske driver Will Power won a second series season championship in his stellar professional open-wheel racing career.  

Many, including Will himself, attributes the application of a different attitude he decided to bring to the work process and the track each event weekend during the course of a 17 race season that just concluded at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. This overarching template in his professional approach could be labelled ... Less Is More.

The Lord of the House Of Penske, Roger Penske, congratulates the Verizon 5G team in it's accomplishment to help Will Power achieve capturing his 68th NTT P1 Pole Award setting a record that, if history is any indicator, may last another nearly 30 years. Mario Andretti set the mark of 67 P1 Pole Awards in 1993 at the age of 54, whereas Will Power set this modern day mark as he is in his 41st year circling the Sun ... where will his record-setting mark end? Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2022)

For example, take the results found at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey ... after he smoked the field in the three round Knockout Qualifications format and landed a record-setting 68th NTT P1 Pole Award - Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou wins the race followed by Penske Racing's Josef Newgarden who started P25 and is P2 ... Will Power finishes P3, he didn't have to win at all costs and captures his 2nd NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship with only one win in 17 races, but always finishing and finishing high - Less Is More.

It became a talking-point throughout this season that Will seemed to be sporting a less intense, less critical, less abrasive presence (to himself) as he would pursue his duties as one of three very expert drivers racing open-wheel cars for Team Penske. Power's House Of Penske teammates are second year driver and 2021 Indianapolis 500 as well as NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year New Zealand born Scott McLaughlin and American born two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, claiming titles in 2017 his first season with Team Penske and again in 2019 Josef Newgarden.

In the post-race interview, Will probably summed it up best when he answered this query:

Q. I wanted to ask when you decided to go to this playing the long game thing, were they fully behind you doing that, or were there days when Dave or Robby or Ron were like, s--- we could have won that race?

WILL POWER: "Look, you're never disappointed. Looking from a championship perspective, every time you get a podium, that's not the day you're looking back on it. You're looking back on the day you finished 19th like at Road America. They're the days that lose championships. Top threes don't. We got a lot of them this year. Anytime I got a top four, I was pretty happy.

But in the past I would have been really pissed off. When your teammates are winning, that was a big change. It's like, I don't care. I'm going to weather their storm while they're having a good run, and just -- that in itself was a mental change. It's like, I'm not getting pissed off with a top four, where before I would have been, just after the race, just seething." - Less Is More.

Will Power begins his run down the front straight after negotiating Turn 11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This is the last time these cars will be racing on this surface since the famed track that features a turn known as "The Corkscrew" will all be repaved and become a track with a different, grippier personality. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2022)

Throughout the season, especially just beyond the halfway point, the story wasn't how many multiple times a driver won the NTT P1 Pole Award position to start the race(s) in an event weekend, no, the story was far from this occurrence, since there wasn't a repeat pole winner through the first nine race events in a seventeen race season. No repeat P1 Pole Award in 9 race events - Less Is More.

Speaking of competitiveness, especially given the NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing platform formula applied for potentials of equal performance, Will Power noted in the following exchange:

Q. When you look at it today and just using Dixon as the example as someone who qualifies midfield and you're just further up the road, again, it's that same thing, the series is so equal, people look at it and go, he's midfield but it's thousands of seconds separating you guys in qualifying.

WILL POWER: It is. When we were at Portland, It was like seven tenths covered 20 cars. Seven tenths covering 20 cars. You're never going to see that in something like Formula 1. Never. It's the ultimate driver's series. It's the ultimate driver's series." - Less Is More.

In this post Portland driver's ranking by points, it is interesting to note that the driver that will not have a mathematical chance at winning the season championship is the reigning 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Champion Alex Palou. At the time he was going to compete in the last race of the season, he had contract commitments with two teams, his current contract with Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren SP. At the end of the season, Alex is hoping to be in a position where Less Is More. UPDATE - Alex Palou agrees to remain at Chip Ganassi Racing driving the No. 10 Honda-Dallara for the 2023 season with the added provision that he is free to participate in a Formula 1 driver's test outside of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES obligations - Less Became More. Image Credit: NCIS (2022)

Take this example of the competition between teams. 

Before the last race of the 2022 season in Monterey, California, a very proper and kind mutual admiration society broke out in a ZOOM Call between the top operations managers of the two teams that had drivers that were mathematically viable to win the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Championship. 

To be clear, Penske Racing's Tim Cindric and Chip Ganassi Racing's (CGR) Mike Hull had a lot of professional clout at stake in the then upcoming challenge to close out the season. Will Power led the points chase at the time with a tied 20 point margin over two drivers, his teammate Josef Newgarden and CGR 6 time NTT INDYCAR Champion Scott Dixon. The other two drivers in contention in order are CGR's and winner of INDYCAR's biggest event prize, the 106th Indianapolis 500, Marcus Ericsson at 39 points behind and another Team Penske teammate second season driver Scott McLaughlin at 41 points to overcome. 

Again, a lot of professional clout to manage.

<<< Pre-Finale ZOOM Call Press Conference >>>

The most interesting part of the conversation Tim and Mike shared with each other was found in the following exchange:

Q. Because of what's at stake here, the respect level, the rivalry, is it a situation where the two of you can be friendly but you can't really be friends until maybe your careers are over?

MIKE HULL: My career is closer than Tim's into being over, I'll say that (smiling).

TIM CINDRIC: If we don't win on Sunday, Mike, I might call you for a job (laughter).

MIKE HULL: Or vice versa. Maybe I'll think about a second career.

Tim and I had a go at each other a few years at Edmonton. That taught me something. It taught me that I was too intense. Since that time I've learned that the respect comes in the results.

Tim, I hope I don't have to call you up. I've got your number. I hope you don't see a call from me Sunday afternoon at 4:00 (smiling).

I'm just thankful and looking forward to this thing. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to be in a position to be able to say that.

I know you're the same. You grew up around motor racing. I did, too, in different decades. We're now in the same decade together and this is a lot of fun.

ENDS

With all that was on the line, both needed their drivers to win the race, an impossibility, but in the end these two giants in racing didn't have to call one another for a job - they just split the difference. 

Mike Hull took the race win with the reigning 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Champion Alex Palou, and while Tim Cindric didn't win the race, he placed two drivers on the podium with Josef Newgarden at P2 and Will Power at P3 thereby secures the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Championship, with 16 points to spare, and will take home the Astor Cup for the second time - Less Is More.

The Astor Cup, the grand prize for winning the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Championship, sits atop the famed turn known as The Corkscrew. Will Power holds this prize the day after he finished on the Podium at P3 to finish the 2022 season (a season for the ages) by just 16 points away from his nearest competitor after beginning the race weekend with a 20 point margin - Less Is More. Image Credit: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca via FB/META (2022)

Think about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES sanctioning body itself. 

This was a year that was able to see many high points. All broadcasts and live streaming were carried exclusively through NBC Universal broadcast properties. The growing popularity of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES was reflected in the most-watched season in six years on television, with viewership up 5 percent over 2021. The season averaged a Total Audience Delivery of 1.30 million viewers across NBC, USA Network, Peacock and NBC Sports digital platforms, the best in NBC Sports history.

Half of the season’s 16 races on television delivered more than 1 million viewers, the highest mark since 2008. A record 14 of 17 races were on NBC network television in 2022, and selected series races also were televised by Telemundo Deportes on Universo.

This was the most streamed INDYCAR season on record as well, with exponential growth compared to 2021. A series race, the Honda Indy Toronto, was streamed exclusively for the first time, and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge was the most streamed INDYCAR SERIES race ever. 

Having a single corporate broadcast/streaming partner with many recognizable portals allowed fans to find a presentation of an INDYCAR event featured on most any weekend during the season as opposed to having to look up which broadcast partner might be carrying content ... so access was assumptively simple as being at one's controller or fingertips - Less Is More.

Lastly, there was a grand event venue success though the focus on sponsorship and promotion by a primary sponsor to the race weekend. 

Perhaps the biggest success story of the 2022 schedule was the revitalization of INDYCAR racing at Iowa Speedway after a one-year COVID Protocol hiatus. The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend featured a doubleheader for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and a single event for Indy Lights on the fast oval. A successful promotion with enthusiastic title partner Hy-Vee, which included four concerts with country and pop music superstars at the track, resulted in big crowds despite stifling summer heat. 

A single stand-out sponsor based upon the marketing of high-turnover consumer goods, that took control of all of the trappings of an INDYCAR event weekend, beyond being just a title sponsor, delivered measurable results - Less Is More.

[ht: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Penske Entertainment, NCIS, The Comeback]

Another 2023 @IndyCar schedule nugget...

According to multiple sources, the series plans to hold its open two-day preseason test Feb. 2-3 at The Thermal Club in southern California.

Venue includes multiple track layouts around 2 miles & sits 40 minutes east of Palm Springs.

— Nathan Brown (@By_NathanBrown) September 19, 2022

Looking forward to next season, are we seeing additional opportunities to implement a lesser path so as to deliver more and more benefits to the drivers, teams, sponsors and the overall series sanctioning body? 

With the announcement that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES plans on holding a test at Southern California's premiere private racing facility in the Coachella Valley town of Thermal - The Thermal Club, utilized by MotoAmerica, BMW, Truspeed Autosport,  GMG Motorsports, various driver development operations, and of course ... just plain motorsports enthusiast who would rather drive a car than drive a ball (as in golf). 

A pre-season test by INDYCAR on "Private Pavements" located at a private racing facility as opposed to a recognized event track raced during a championship season - Less Is More.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: NTT INDYCAR SERIES, 2022, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Will Power, Roger Penske, Team Penske, House Of Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, Mike Hull, Tim Cindric, The Thermal Club, The EDJE

Will Power's trouble free win at the GoPro 'Firestorm' of Sonoma

Will Power returns Roger Penske's patience in him as he gets his first win of the year, his first win in 26 races, and becomes the tenth race winner of this 19 race 2013 IICS championship season. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

Will Power's trouble free win at the GoPro 'Firestorm' of Sonoma

The well publicized Rim Fire firestorms that are ablaze near Yosemite National Park spreading at about 10,000 acres a day were not the only things burning in Northern California over this last weekend.

In a very hotly contested 15th race in a 19 race season, Penske Racing's Will Power survives seven YELLOW Flag full-course cautions (a Sonoma Raceway IndyCar race record - five took place before lap 30 of 85 was completed), tightly packed restarts, and a pit stop incident with Ganassi's Scott Dixon to secure his first win in 26 races ... dating back to April of 2012 in Brazil.

With scant few chances to rein in the winning ways of season championship points leader, Penske's Helio Castroneves, Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon was hoping to cut into the 33 point advantage Helio had over his goal at a IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS) Championship. Scott had done everything right in qualifying at P2 next to his P1 team-mate Dario Franchitti and ahead of Helio's P5,  staying out of trouble through the caution-filled Sonoma hills affair by leading a lap (1 point) and leading the most laps (3 points), and by keeping Will Power, Helio's team-mate behind him on the track.

That is, UNTIL final pit-stops on Lap 64 of 85 when Will Power and Scott Dixon came in at the same time and the rush was on to get out first.

The problem came about because Will Power's pit box was right in front of Scott Dixon's box and this is exactly where the firestorm of the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma begins. This firestorm may never end and it involves the reaction to the pit-out actions of Scott Dixon, Will Power's right-rear crewman, the penalty ruling from Race Control, and post race statements made by Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, and Penske Racing's team owner, Roger Penske.

On pit-out, Scott Dixon applied the torque to the rear wheels and had his rear end fishtail out of his pitbox where his left-rear slid close enough to Will Power's right-rear crewman who was carrying the removed used right-rear tire back to the pit wall, taking it off of the track, when Dixon touched Power's carried tire sending it into the air and knocking down the crewman ... which touched off a chain reaction that involved a second downed Penske team crewman.

At the time of the incident, if the race had ended with Dixon in the lead, as he would have been if his car did not touch anything on the way out of the pits, and the rest of the field remained in the same positions, Dixon would have been only 8 points behind Helio in the IICS championship points race (a nice move from 33 to just 8).

Will Power negotiates the Esses after Turn 7 during practice at the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. Here, he leads Simon Pagenaud, Simona de Silvestro, James Jakes, Tristan Vautier and E. J. Viso. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

But driver Dixon did hit something and this can always have serious consequences. Thankfully, no one was injured enough to require medical care, but after a review from all available video, including a very helpful overhead shot, a stop and go penalty was assessed to Scott Dixon placing him deeply back in the field.

Team owner Roger Penske hugs and taps race winner, Will Power on the shoulder as Dario Franchitti complains about the penalty levied on team-mate Scott Dixon to Racer.com's Robin Miller in the background (top-center). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

In a post-race interview with Robin Miller (Racer.com), Scott Dixon's team-mate, Dario Franchitti accused the Team Penske crewman, and thereby Team Penske, of unprofessional tactics in pitlane. Dario said - edited, "You can't be doing these, sort of, professional falls and stuff. Since I've been in CART, IndyCar, whatever ... when you are fighting for a championship, and race wins, you always end up with the guys you are fighting with the in pitlane, and there has always been that respect, and today a [professional] line was crossed. It's dangerous out there, man. I think the penalty was on the wrong team."

Roger Penske expresses his displeasure at the post race press conference of Dario Franchitti's lack of professional communication by wondering as to just why he (Dario) did not express his comments about the unprofessional-ism of Team Penske to Robin Miller and others directly to his (Roger's) face?! Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

When questioned by Stephine Wallcraft (More Front Wing.com) with this accusation in a post race press conference, Roger Penske was not very happy with the Franchitti position.  “I think you should look at the tape.  Our man who changed the tire picked the tire up, was running behind the car.  It wasn’t that he stuck the tire out.  He didn’t leave the tire on the ground where it could have been in the way.  I think they’re way overplaying this thing as far as I’m concerned.  Someone got hit, went up in the air.  Obviously the 9 car was too close to our crew, had an accident there.  The outcome is obvious. These are things that are pretty clear in the rule book.  You go to 701.16 in the rule book, if a team member gets hit in the pits, there’s a drive-through.

“I’d love to have Dario here.  As far as I’m concerned, he’s off base.  Our guys were doing a job, changing the tires, picked the tires up, got hit by a car from behind. You start to get personalities into this, what we’re doing running for a championship, it’s ridiculous.”

As far as Race Control was concerned, the Rule Book is king ... and there does not seem to be anything to cover what the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team drivers are accusing Penske Racing crew members of doing. This process has never been about accommodating personalities with Beaux Barfield - the job is not a popularity contest.

"Ultimately, we have a duty to protect everybody in the pit lane," Barfield said. "If we have somebody who  uses less than great judgment when they leave their pit box and we have an incident, then we have to make a statement by penalizing. And we're going to make that call. There are a couple of different (video) angles, and clearly the 9 car crosses right into the 12 car's space and that's where the violation occurred. He was in the 12 car's box for a good half-car length."

Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon, second in the IICS season points championship, suits up just before taking to the track for the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

Scott Dixon, obviously, didn't agree. There were seven penalties issued in the race, including another for a pit safety violation by E.J. Viso (running over an air hose), in the contentious race.

"It's probably the most blatant thing I've seen in a long time," said Dixon, who started on the front row and was seeking his fourth victory in the past five races. "I had a straight line and he walked into us. Pretty annoyed with that; we had a strong car all day."
(ht: indycar.com)

It probably doesn't help to quell the firestorm to cite Will Power's, out of context, post race quote when he said, "This year is to make sure Helio wins the championship.  We're going to help him any way possible ... ."   

As for the fan, the race was not a nose to tail freight train - which spells entertainment - and this firestorm will not be contained to just the competitors on the grid. This firestorm will not be surrounded and dosed out with water in the near future, what with four races left in the season this firestorm will become white hot before it dies down ... if it ever will.

Obviously, here at the hills of Sonoma Raceway, professionalism ... or the lack thereof, is in the eye of the beholder.

The only true innocent here at the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma was probably Helio Castrroneves, himself, who comes away with an additional six point advantage in the chase for his first ever IICS crown (no current Penske Racing team driver has won an IZOD IndyCar Series championship - amazing), from 33 to 39, and is the only driver in the 2013 season to complete all of the laps of every race with 1,928 circuits.

... notes from the EDJE

For 2011, It's Still A Chip On Penske's Shoulder In The IRL

Target Chip Ganassi IndyCar Championship Series transporter fleet as it sits proudly in the paddock at the 2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

For 2011, It's Still A Chip On Penske's Shoulder In The IRL

Now that open wheel motorsports racing fans have been treated to what could happen when competing factions join and meld together for the last three years, what do they have to look forward to for the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Championship Series 2011 season? Well, more of the same.

Cream always rises to the top, gold dents when one bites into it, angry jihadist Muslims always find a way to put a damper on everyone's party, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West ... just as teams fielded by Chip Ganassi and Roger Penske will always dominate the racing action on oval, street and road courses in premiere American open wheel automobile racing.

Many had hopes that the union of ChampCar and IndyCar 2008 would deliver a chance at diversity where more teams and drivers would have a better shot at creating racing history, but alas ... this hope was as ill fated as Tony George holding down every major executive position in the IRL including running the track the series was named after.

Having the gravitas of this dueling giant pair of immovable forces, when one looks at the path they cut really isn't so bad once one looks at the quality of the results. Just look at the incredible 2010 run a former ChampCar budding star, Will Power, had with Roger Penske just to be reeled in by one of the best racing pairings in modern open wheel racing of Dario Franchitti driving for Chip Ganassi.

In 2011, if past behavior is the best predictor of future results ... we all be uttering "Three-Peat" at seasons end.

Team Penske drivers Ryan Briscoe (P5), Helio Castroneves (P4), and Will Power (P1) as they field questions in the post Firestone Fast Six qualifying press conference. While no Target Chip Ganassi drivers made the "Fast Six" in qualifications, in the race Scott Dixon (qualified in P8) registered a P4, right behind Will Power's P3 ... the only Penske driver to finish in the top six positions. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

This excerpted and edited from SPEED CHANNEL -

INDYCAR: Penske’s Thorn
Looking back on these past 42 years, several people have tried to draft Penske into the fast lane, but there has only been one constant thorn in The Captain’s side.
Robin Miller | Posted December 29, 2010 Indianapolis, IN

Roger Penske began fielding cars at the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 and during this time span The Captain has amassed 153 wins, 12 championships and made a record 15 trips to Victory Lane at Indianapolis.

He also built a template for success and re-shaped the business model for motorsports.

Looking back on these past 42 years, several people have tried to draft Penske into the fast lane. Bobby Hillin and Rick Galles damn near went bust trying to keep up with R.P. in CART and billionaire John Menard threw good money after bad trying to catch The Captain at 16th & Georgetown.
----
But, throughout CART’s heydays, The Split and unification; during the engine, car and tire wars; from taking a chance on equipment to being stuck with spec racing, there has only been one constant thorn in The Captain’s side.

That would our boy Chip Ganassi.

And while there’s no denying the Chipster can be a pain in the ass to a lot of people on any given day, he’s accomplished what nobody else has been able to pull off.

His IndyCar team has pulled alongside of Penske’s.

In a horse racing form, they would be coupled: 1 and 1A.

Since 1994, the year Target/Ganassi Racing scored its initial victory, it’s almost a dead heat.

Chip’s drivers have 79 wins, seven championships and three baby Borgs from winning Indianapolis.

Team Penske’s stats are 73 victories, four titles and five Indy 500s.

Ganassi and Target have been partners since 1990, while The Captain had Marlboro for the better part of 20 years.

Helio Castroneves returns for his 12th year with R.P. and Scott Dixon is back in the saddle for his ninth consecutive season at Ganassi’s.

Tim Lombardi, Tom Wertz, Clive Howell and Rick Rinaman are lifers at Penske just like Ricky Davis, Barry Wanser, Julian Robertson, Scott Harner and Mike Hull for Ganassi as both organizations breed loyalty.

If a driver is hired at either place, winning is the only option.

“I don’t know that Chip’s goal was to be like Roger but, let’s face it, Roger is the model for success in this business,” said Hull, the managing director who joined Ganassi in 1992.

“Chip is fueled by the passion of winning and the passion of having comparison. Both of them are from the same competitive mold.”
----
There is no denying that The Captain is one of the smartest people on this planet and his work ethic is second to none. He builds up companies, resuscitates others and knows how to keep customers and sponsors satisfied. Racing is how he unwinds.

Ganassi lives and breathes motorsports, from his IndyCar and Grand-Am headquarters in Indy to his NASCAR shop in Charlotte. Pittsburgh is his home but racing is his family.

“The biggest difference between them is that Roger runs his empire from Monday through Thursday and follows his passion from Friday to Sunday,” continued Hull. “Chip is focused on racing from Monday to Sunday.

“I always hear that Chip gives us the resources to succeed but the resource is the mindset and culture we’ve been fortunate enough to develop. Chip is all about building for tomorrow and the future. It’s all about staying power.”

Staying up front with Penske has proved to be almost impossible during the past four decades. But he can’t shake Ganassi.

Nothing better illustrates this like 2010. At Indy, Castroneves and Will Power qualified 1-2 but the Ganassi team never concerned themselves with qualifying, and Franchitti totally dominated the race. Power was the class of the IndyCar season but lost the title in the finale when Dario and Dixon delivered a psychological blow in qualifying before sealing the deal in the race.

It was the second straight season that a Ganassi driver (Franchitti) had overtaken a Penske driver in the last race to win the championship.

While many have grown tired of the same two teams winning everything, and nothing is going to change drastically until those new cars/engines arrive in 2012, Ganassi and Penske have evolved into one of the best rivalries in sports.

Make no mistake: The Captain still casts a long shadow but the ‘ol Chipster is standing right in it.
Reference Here>>

Look for just more of the same in 2011 - but does anyone think it will be different in 2012 with the new choices in chassis, aero body forms, engine, and tire combinations? My bet would be on hearing "Four-Peat" at the awards dinner by the end of the year.

... notes from The EDJE