IndyCars - The off-season: Series news and comment until the March 2014 kick-off

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Sebring - USF2000 holds their first qualifying session of the weekend…

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…in anticipation of their first race, scheduled for this afternoon.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 3, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Simon Sikes, Pabst Racing - time of 2:05.594s for a speed of 107.203mph

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P2 - Max Garcia [R], Pabst Racing - time of 2:05.619s for a speed of 107.181mph

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Row 2

P3 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 2:05.753s for a speed of 107.067mph

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P4 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development - time of 2:06.024s for a speed of 106.837mph

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Row 3

P5 - Evagoras Papasavvas, Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 2:06.196s for a speed of 106.691mph

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P6 - Sam Corry [R], VRD Racing - time of 2:06.916s for a speed of 106.086mph

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Row 4

P7 - Jacob Douglas, Exclusive Autosport
P8 - Jorge Garciarce, DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing
P10 - Danny Dyszelski, VRD Racing

Row 6

P11 - Gordan Scully, VRD Racing
P12 - Al Morey [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 7

P13 - Chase Gardner [R], Exclusive Autosport
P14 - Ethan Ho, DC Autosport

Row 8

P15 - Zack Ping [R], VRD Racing
P16 - Avery Towns [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 9

P17 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing
P18 - Nikita Johnson [R], VRD Racing

Row 10

P19 - Louka St. John [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - no time

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Notable:

• This is the second pole of the season for Simon Sikes but young karter and teammate Max Garcia was only 0.025 seconds off his time. This is going to be fun. Simon’s time is not quite as fast as his best practice time, so the track is getting loose in the midday heat.

• Max Garcia just turned 14 on the 17th of March which is why he is now in the series, as one must be 14 to participate. The only other 14-year-old in the series is Nikita Johnson, but he turns 15 in May.

• The TOP FIVE are all covered by only 0.6 seconds, but Sam Corry is a full 1.3 seconds off Simon’s time, so the TOP FIVE are significantly faster than the rest of the field.

• Young Eliott Cox was only able to run 2 laps due to a penalty from the practice session, earlier in the day, but he was lightning fast in the second one for a P4 start.

• Season Round 2 race WINNER Nkita Johnson struggled with a mechanical in the session, put in only two laps and paid dearly for it.

• Chase Gardner was TOP FIVE when he stuffed the car into the tires at Sunset Bend in Turn 17, bringing out a red flag. He lost his best lap as a result but was unharmed.

• Louka St. John Put a wheel off on his first lap and though he recovered he was unable to complete that or any subsequent laps and thus put in zero time.

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Louka St. John (left) Chase Gardner, and Nikita Johnson (right) - paying the price

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This race is scheduled to run this afternoon late - the last activity of the day.

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Next up, USF Pro 2000 holds their 2nd race of the weekend. The grid for this is in the post above.

[MarkyS]

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Saturday afternoon at Sebring - USF Pro 2000 holds Race 2 of the weekend…

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…and taking the big cake at the end for his 3rd series WIN in a row is Pabst Racing’s Myles Rowe from his P3 start. P2 went to Lirim Zendeli for TJ Speed Motorsports from his P4 start while P3 went to Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing from a P8 start.

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Michael d’Orlando led the field away from pole for Turn 3 Motorsports but Myles was immediately inside both P2 starter Francesco Pizzi for TJ Speed and d’Orlando in Turn 1 and had the lead very quickly, with Michael slotting into P2. Lirim was also able to pass Pizzi to take P3. Best start was Kiko Porto who jumped from P8 to P5. Jace Denmark, starting in P5 for Pabst, fell to P7, behind Salvador de Alba for Exclusive Autosport. Also starting well was Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Exclusive, going from last place in P19 to P15 on the opening lap, while Jordan Missig for Pabst lost spots, going from P9 to P11. Myles set Fastest Lap out front. In lap 2 d’Orlando looped his car in Turn 4 while trying to chase down Myles but rejoined in P19. Kiko passed Pizzi to take over P3 while Salvador set Fastest Lap.

In lap 3 Salvador was past first Pizzi and then Kiko to take the P3 spot. Reece Ushijima for Jay Howard Driver Development took over P7 from Joel Granfors for Exclusive. On lap 4 Pizzi set his own Fastest Lap. On lap 5 Kiko recovered P3 from Sal as Reece set the latest Fastest Lap. On lap 6 Jace Denmark took P5 from Pizzi and Reece followed him through to take P6. Jordan Missig went to P11 past Jonathan Browne for Turn 3 Motorsports while Yuven Sundaramoorthy went to P14 past Ricardo Escotto for Jay Howard. On lap 7 Joel Granfors entered a battle with Francesco Pizzi for P7. Francesco put a wheel off and dropped to P11 as a result. Out front, Myles was comfortably in control with a gap of almost 4 seconds.

On Lap 8 Myles reset Fastest Lap to secure the lead by over 4 seconds. Pizzi reclaimed P10 for Jordan Missig. Ricardo Escotto reclaimed P14 from Yuven and Christian Weir for TJ Speed followed him through, dropping Yuven to P16. Then, Lindsay Brewer for Exclusive looped off course while battling Nicolas Montiero for NeoTech Motorsports, high-siding her Tatuus and bringing out a full-course caution to get her back on track, while erasing Myles’ big lead. On the lap 11 restart Myles got away well as Reece Ushijima passed Jace Denmark to take P5, but Jordan Missig left the island in Turn 4, doing enough damage to put him out of the race, necessitating a wrecker to retrieve him and making another, longer caution.

The race was restarted on the final lap, lap 15, and Myles was almost passed by Lirim in Turn 1 but he kept the lead. Salvador and Jace battled in the early turns over their positions and both went off, dropping them to the rear of the field as Myles opened up tiny gap. He crossed the line 1 second ahead of Lirim who was only 0.038 seconds ahead of Kiko at the flag.

Another action-filled event for the series with a dramatic finish!

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Notable:

• This was Myles’ 3rd WIN in a row of the young season and with his P3 at St. Pete in Race 1 it puts him way ahead on points.

• This was Reece Ushijima’s best result, just off the podium in P4 and Jackson Lee’s best result in P5.

• Michael d’Orlando was able to recover from P19 to P11 at the end.

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Your happy podium - That’s Lirim Zendeli on the left in P2, Myles Rowe in P1 in the middle and Kiko Porto in P3 on the right:

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With these results here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Sebring:

1 - Myles Rowe, 116
2 - Kiko Porto, 74
3 - Francesco Pizzi, 74
4 - Lirim Zendeli, 64
5 - Jace Denmark, 64

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The next two outings for USF Pro 2000 will be at Indianapolis on the road course, May 11-13 in support of the IndyCar race. Next up, USF2000 holds their first race of the weekend. The grid for this is in the post above…
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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Sebring USF2000 holds Race 1 of the weekend…

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…and it likely was the most exciting race of the weekend as well, when speaking of the lead of the race. It was never a sure thing until he finally crossed the line, but taking the WIN was Lochie Hughes for Jay Howard Driver Development from his P3 start. P2 went to Simon Sikes for Pabst Racing from pole while P3 went to Evagoras Papasavvas for Jay Howard from a P5 start.

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Jay Howard with his boys Evagoras (left) and Lochie (right)

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As Simon led the field down to Turn 1 on the opening lap Lochie took the inside line, jumping past P2 Max Garcia for Pabst Racing at the end of the straight and getting inside Turn 1 for the lead, with Simon getting a wheel pushed off, but able to slot into P2. Max Garcia fell to P5 in the corner, getting passed by Elliot Cox for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development taking P3 and Evagoras Papasavvas taking P4. Sam Corry for VRD Racing dropped from P6 to P9, as Jacob Douglas for Exclusive grabbed P6 from him, Mac Clark for DEForce followed to take P7 and Chase Gardner for Exclusive also followed through to take P8 from his P13 start. Jorge Garciarce for DEForce dropped from P8 to P10. At the end of the field Zack Ping and VRD Teammate Nikita Johnson came together in Turn 7, putting them both off track and tangled up. First, a caution was called but then the stewards red-flagged the event to save as many race laps as possible. Eventually, Ping and Johnson were untangled and both were able to rejoin, though a lap down.

On the lap 4 restart Evagoras took P3 from Elliot and Jorge took P9 from Sam Corry. Danny Dyszelski for VRD Racing followed through and took P10 as Sam dropped to P11. On lap 5 Max Garcia reclaimed P4 from Elliot Cox and Sam Corry reclaimed P10 from Danny Dyszelski. Lochie Huges set Fastest Lap trying (unsuccessfully) to escape from Simon Sikes. On lap 6 Mac Clark took P6 from Jacob Douglas and Chase Gardner followed him to take P7. On lap 7 Jacob put a wheel off and fell from P8 to P11. Simon Sikes put down the Fastest Lap staying in close contact with Lochie. At the end of lap 8 Sikes was beside Hughes as the two cars turned onto the Uhlman Straight from Turn 16 and they ran side-by-side up the Straight and into Turn 17 to start lap 9. They then ran side-by side up the front straight until Simon popped inside and took the lead in Turn 1.

Mac Clark took P4 from Max Garcia and Elliot Cox followed through to take P5 as Cox dropped to P6. Sam Corry took P8 from Jorge Garciarce while Louka St. John for Jay Howard took P11 from Jacob Douglas. Incredibly, at the end of the lap Simon Sikes and Lochie Hughes repeated the side-by-side up the Uhlman Straight and through Turn 17, this time with Hughes reclaiming the P1 spot in Turn 17. Chase Gardner took P6 from Mac Clark in Turn 1. Hughes and Sikes again ran nose-to-tail through the circuit in lap 11 and through most of the final lap, lap 12. As the two cars entered Turn 16, ONCE AGAIN Hughes had Sikes running right beside him up the Uhlman Straight and into Turn 17, but Sikes was unable to stay on the outside of Hughes through the turn and had to slip, conceding the corner and the race to Hughes.

Lochie crossed the line 1.1 seconds ahead of Sikes who was 4.7 seconds ahead of Evagoras.

We have seen a lot of great racing through the whole field of each race this weekend, but it is rare to have such a great contest for the lead of the race this dramatic and thrilling. Hughes and Sikes gave us a thrill ride!
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Notable:

• This is Lochie’s 2nd WIN of the season, with his first WIN as well as a P3 at St. Pete. Simon now has 2 podiums and a P4 but needs that first WIN, though today he moved from 3rd to 2nd in the points to Hughes. Helping to Keep Sikes close are his Fastest Laps and poles, worth 1 point apiece.

• 16-year-old Evagoras Papasavvas had nine races in 2022 with a best finish of P12. So far this season he has posted a P2, a P4 and this P3. The kid is having a breakout year and moves into 3rd in the points for the moment.

• This P4 is 2022 USF Juniors Champion Mac Clark’s best finish so far, as he was P11 and P13 at St. Pete.

• Nikita Johnson came home in P16 due to his coming together with his teammate on the first lap. He was 2nd in the points leaving St. Pete with his WIN there, but this result will kick him down to 4th in the points for the moment. He needs a good Sunday finale for the weekend.

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Your happy podium - That’s Simon Sikes in P2 on the left, Lochie Hughes in P1 in the middle and Evagoras Papasavvas in P3 on the right:

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USF2000 will qualify for Race # 2 of the weekend on Sunday morning. Then, the series will close out the whole weekend event with the race, in the early afternoon.

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This was the last on-track activity of the day.
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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday morning at Sebring - USF2000 holds qualifying for Race 2 of the weekend…

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This session was the penultimate session for the weekend event and set the grid for the final race of the event.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 4, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Simon Sikes, Pabst Racing - time of 2:04.424s for a speed of 108.211mph

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P2 - Max Garcia [R], Pabst Racing - time of 2:05.005s for a speed of 107.708mph

Row 2

P3 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 2:05.029s for a speed of 107.687mph

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P4 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing - time of 2:05.169s for a speed of 107.567mph

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Row 3

P5 - Ethan Ho, DC Autosport - time of 2:05.346s for a speed of 107.415mph

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P6 - Nikita Johnson [R], VRD Racing - time of 2:05.370s for a speed of 107.394mph

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Row 4

P7 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
P8 - Evagoras Papasavvas, Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 5

P9 - Jacob Douglas, Exclusive Autosport
P10 - Sam Corry [R], VRD Racing

Row 6

P11 - Jorge Garciarce, DEForce Racing
P12 - Zack Ping [R], VRD Racing

Row 7

P13 - Chase Gardner [R], Exclusive Autosport
P14 - Louka St. John [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 8

P15 - Danny Dyszelski, VRD Racing
P16 - Gordan Scully, VRD Racing

Row 9

P17 - Al Morey [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P18 - Avery Towns [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 10

P19 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing

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Notable:

• This is Simon’s third pole in a row. He was the only driver to pop into the 2:04s on time and the 108s on speed - in a world of his own. He was more than a half-second faster than Max Garcia and the rest of the field - other-worldly.

• Young Garcia continues to impress in this his debut weekend. On outright speed only Simon was faster. Garcia’s Race 1 performance showed that while he has the speed he is still trying to race like he’s in a kart and needs to learn how to mix it up with other formula cars. With this effort Pabst Racing has locked out the front row in both races. Now, if Max can help to keep Lochie Hughes in third place…

• The rest of the TOP TEN are all among the truly good drivers in this series. Any one of them is capable of podiums. We would add 17-year-old Texan Chase Gardner to that list, but he stumbled a bit here, and he will spend a lot of the race trying to get to the front again, as he did in Race 1. We also feel Danny Dyszelski is a ton better than P15.

Chase Gardner (left) and Danny Dyszelski

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The race is scheduled to start in the early afternoon, about 1:40pm EATERN time.

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[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Sebring - USF2000 closes out the weekend event with Race 2…

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The last event of the weekend ended with a bit of a whimper as Simon Sikes for Pabst Racing finally collected his first WIN under a full-course caution, after leading the whole race from pole. Coming in P2 was rookie Mac Clark for DEForce Racing from his P4 start while P3 went to sophomore Jacob Douglas for Exclusive Autosport - his first podium - from a P9 start.

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As Simon led the field away at the start he feinted to the inside to protect from an assault by P3 starter Lochie Hughes for Jay Howard Driver Development, who had passed P2 starter Max Garcia for Pabst right away, and was attacking Sikes all the way to Turn 1, but had to put a wheel off on the right. That allowed Simon to get away a bit. Max Garcia then got into P6 starter Nikita Johnson for VRD Racing and the two spun off course but clawed back on at the rear of the field, with Nikita in 18th and Max in 19th. Mac Clark inherited P3, but was quickly passed by P5 starter Ethan Ho for DC Autosport and then P8 starter Evagoras PapaSavvas for Jay Howard and finally P7 starter Elliot Cox for Sarah Fisher Hartman to end up in P6. In the melee, Louka St. John for Jay Howard went from P14 to P10, Danny Dyszelski for VRD Racing from P15 to P11 and Al Morey for Jay Howard from P17 to P13.

On lap 2 Evagoras Papasavvas took P3 from Ethan Ho while Sam Corry for VRD took P7 from Jacob Douglas and Danny Dyszelski took P9 from Louka St. John. Max Garcia set Fastest Lap trying to recover all he had lost in lap 1. Nikita Johnson was also on the move to recovery. On lap 3 Elliot Cox was by Ethan Ho for P4 while Louka reclaimed P9 from Danny. Nikita was already passing Chase Gardner for Exclusive to take P13. Out front, Lochie Hughes set Fastest Lap trying to close the 1-second gap to leader Simon Sikes. On lap 4 Sam Corry was past Mac Clark, putting Clark into P7. Jorge Garciarce for DEForce passed Danny for the P10 spot and Nikita followed through for P11. Simon responded to Lochie’s Fastest Lap with one of his own, re-establishing the 1-second gap and then some. On lap 5 Danny went off in turns 3 to 5 but got back on. Meanwhile, Nikita passed Jorge to take over P10 and then took P9 from Louka St. John.

At the end of lap 5 Elliot Cox passed Evagoras in Turn 17 to take P3. As lap 6 started both cars were side-by-side going up the straight and into Turns 1 and 2. The two cars made contact, taking each other off the track, spinning to the left. Evagoras got back on first and recovered to P6 but Elliot rolled backwards onto the track in front of Sam Corry, who tried to avoid, but went airborne on Elliot’s front tire. While Elliot was able to rejoin in P11 Sam was out with a broken left rear and a full course caution was called to retrieve the innocent victim. The melee had elevated Mac Clark from P7 to P3 in front of P4 Ethan Ho and Jacob Douglas in P5. On the lap 10 restart Mac passed Lochie for P2 while Jacob passed Ethan and Lochie to take over P3. Ethan went off course but recovered in P15. Somewhere on course out of sight Louka St. John went off and needed retrieving, bringing out another caution. The race then ended two laps later, under yellow.

Another action-filled event with hard racing throughout the field. Too bad there was no last-lap shoot-out for the WIN.

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Notable:

• We’ve been saying that Simon has stayed in contact with Lochie by eking out 1 point here and 1 point there and Sikes is now in 1st place in the points by three points - his 3 pole positions, for instance. It always matters. It is looking ever more like this will be a Sikes / Hughes race to the title, unless one or the other has some rotten luck.

• Since the middle of the 2022 season Jacob Douglas has been a TOP FIVE performer but this is his first podium. Expect more of them.

• A great weekend for Pabst Racing, with 3 WINS, 5 podiums and 3 poles out of USF2000 and USF Pro 2000. The team leads the points in USF Pro 2000 but is running 2nd to Jay Howard in USF2000.

• Outstanding recoveries by rookie Nikita Johnson who went from P18 to P9 at the end, all with on on-track passes, and rookie Elliot Cox who went from P11 to P5 in the final lap of racing before the yellow came out a second time. 15-year-old Cox could be the sleeper of the season.

Elliot Cox - watch out!

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Your happy podium - That’s Mac Clark in P2 on the left, Simon Sikes in P1 in the middle and Jacob Douglas in P3 on the right:

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With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Sebring:

1 - Simon Sikes, 107
2 - Lochie Hughes, 104
3 - Evasgoras Papasavvas, 77
4 - Nikita Johnson, 71
5 - Mac Clark, 55

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The next two outings for USF2000 will be at Indianapolis on the road course, May 11-13 in support of the IndyCar race weekend.

That’s it from Sebring International Raceway. The storied track has been the most entertaining venue for the last full month of racing and testing, proving once again that the oldest permanent road course in North America is also one of the very best. Thank you, SEBRING!

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[MarkyS]

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Monday at Texas Motor Speedway - Linus Lundqvist gets his test in an IndyCar…

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As we reported in post # 1988 the 2022 Indy Lights Champion was invited to test an IndyCar for Rahal Letterman Lanigan at the 1.5 mile oval, on the day following the IndyCar race. It was his second-ever test in an IndyCar and his first ever on an oval, much less a SuperSpeedway. It was just as much a productive test day for the team, trying things out, as it was for Linus.

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Here is Linus in the morning, waiting for the track to dry after a morning rain:

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

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Here is Linus after a half a day of testing:

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

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…and here is Linus at the end of a very productive day:

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

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Said Linus, “I spoke to as many drivers and as many engineers I could before the test hoping to prepare myself a little bit, but nothing could prepare you for that, man. It was unbelievable. I’m not gonna lie…the first couple of laps, my stomach and head weren’t sure I if I should throw up or pass out…but I was fine. I had so many emotions on the first couple of laps.

“Proud of the day that we had, and it did run by very smoothly. Maybe the first 10 laps, I was like, ‘All right, this is fast.’ But then, by lap 11, you’re just like, ‘OK, how can we go a little bit faster and a little bit faster? How can we move my scrub?’ Very quickly, my brain turned on to performance mode. That was nice to see, because obviously I’ve never done an oval in IndyCar, I’ve never done a superspeedway before. So I wasn’t really sure how I was going to react. But I loved it.”

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Linus spent no less than 8 hours in the car - a testament to how helpful he was to the team in experimenting with set-ups and actually testing them at top speeds. RLL doesn’t have a spot available for the young Swede, so this was not an audition, but the fact that he did so well in one day will help Linus as he tries to attract the attention of any other team looking for a well-rounded driver.
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In addition to running many, many laps on his own, Linus also shared the track with IndyCar veteran Katherine Legge (see next post), who was at TMS on Monday to do her SuperSpeedway “refresher” for her ride for RLL in the 2023 Indy 500. That also gave him a taste of what it’s like to run beside, in front of and behind another IndyCar at 220 miles an hour.

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[MarkyS]

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Monday at Texas Motor Speedway - Katherine Legge gets back into an IndyCar…

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…for the first time since her last Indy 500 race in 2013. She was at TMS to do her “refresher”, mandated by the series for anyone who hasn’t driven in the 500 for a few years, as she will attempt to qualify in the 2023 Indy 500 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan in their fourth car, this May.

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Katherine Legge in the # 44 for RLL at Texas on Monday

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Katherine has been spending time in the simulator to prepare for the speeds she will need to re-acclimate to, but they still took her aback, once she actually started to turn laps

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Listen to some car-to-pit chatter with her engineer Mike Armbrester:

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

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Here she comments on her first few runs at 220 miles per hour:

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

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Said her race engineer Mike Armbrester, “We spent a day in the simulator last week just to try and get used to each other and to get her acclimated to how we do things, how our controls on the steering wheel work, that kind of stuff. The weight jacker control is a lot different than it used to be. It’s more sophisticated now than it was back then. It’s been 10 years since she drove a Honda (IndyCar) car, so some of the Honda engine controls and stuff are different.

“She got up to speed really quickly in the simulator, and then (Monday), it didn’t take her long at all. It’s like riding a bicycle. She got right back into it. We had five sets of tires to use, expecting maybe we use two to get her up to speed. And by the time we got through to the second set of new tires, she was ready to go.”

Mike Armbrester

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After the successful day Katherine is looking forward to the series-wide Open Test at Indianapolis April 20-21, where she will spend time at speed and re-acquainting herself with IndyCar pit stops.

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Katherine Legge

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[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Indianapolis - Indy NXT take to the Road Course at IMS for a tire test…

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On Thursday 20 drivers turned laps on the 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course to learn more about the Firestone tires that are new to the Lights cars this season, in order to prepare for the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix on Saturday, May 13 on the circuit.

The TOP ELEVEN cars bested the old track record unofficially. The weather was cool and that had to help, but clearly the tires are faster on the track than the old Coopers in use for the last several years.

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Here are those TOP ELEVEN cars at the test, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Hunter McElrea, Andretti Autosport - time of 01:14.0499s

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2 - Louis Foster [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 01:14.2921s

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3 - Christian Rasmussen, HMD Motorsports - time of 01:14.3765s

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4 - Nolan Siegel [R], HMD Motorsports - time of 01:14.4578s

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5 - Matteo Nannini [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:14.4722s

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6 - Josh Green [R], HMD Motorsports
7 - Kyffin Simpson, HMD Motorsports
8 - Danial Frost, HMD Motorsports
9 - Rasmus Lindh, HMD Motorsports
10 - Enaam Ahmed, [R], Cape Motorsports
11 - Jagger Jones [R], Cape Motorsports

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Notable:

• The still-official track record is 01:14.6743s set by Ed Jones during qualifying in 2016. Hunter’s time was a full 0.6 seconds quicker than that.

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Said Hunter after the test, “It was a super-positive day. I just wanted to understand the tire on a track we’ve raced at. We blew, unofficially, the track record away by a lot.

“Hat’s off to the Firestone guys. The (tire) degradation was way less than I was expecting, as well. Whenever you have more grip, it’s always more fun. I had a really good time. The whole Andretti team left here very positive.”

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Hunter McElrea

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This was Jamie Chadwick’s first chance to sample Indianapolis:

Andretti Autosport

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The Indy NXT gang will next be on track for Season Round 2, the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama, April 30th, in support of the IndyCar race weekend.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Indianapolis - Day 1 of the IndyCar test at the Speedway…

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On Thursday and on Friday all 33 cars that are slated to drive in the 2023 Indianapolis 500 will be testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and there’s a lot to test. The series has added a number of aerodynamic options - bits and pieces - that should substantially increase downforce options for drivers and teams, for the 2023 500. All those pieces will need to be tested to see what will be the best combination for gaining downforce with as little aero drag penalty as possible.

IndyCar is giving the 33 cars 9 sets of Firestone tires to use for the two days. Thursday was a beautiful day, temperature-wise, although it had gusty winds that played havoc, at times. Friday is predicted to have rain, instead - at least for the first half of the day. As a result of this, most teams elected to try to cram two days of testing into Thursday, and thus used up almost all of their allotment of tires

The testing was all day and was a clear success, with no one clouting a wall and only one strange pit-lane incident. The cars drove alone and in packs, in order to assess what they will behave like in all possible conditions. There was a morning session and an afternoon session, with a refresher session in between for those who have been away from racing here for a time. Everyone except for Callum Ilott was faster in the afternoon session.

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Here was the order of speed for the IndyCars IMS test, Day 1, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; times are with a tow from traffic; times are for 1 lap

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1 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske - time of 00:39.5281s for a speed of 227.686mph

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2 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing - time of 00:39.5664s for a speed of 227.466mph

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3 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 00:39.6846s for a speed of 226.788mph

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4 - Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport - time of 00:39.6954s for a speed of 226.727mph

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5 - Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 00:39.7764s for a speed of 226.265mph

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6 - Stefan Wilson, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing / Cusick Motorsports
7 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport
8 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
9 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren
10 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske

11 - Marco Andretti, Andretti Autosport
12 - David Malukas, Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports
13 - Will Power, Team Penske
14 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
15 - Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren
16 - Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing
17 - Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing
18 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
19 - Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
20 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren

21 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport
22 - Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren
23 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
24 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
25 - Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Enterprises
26 - Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
27 - Agustin Canapino [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
28 - Jack Harvey, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
29 - Sting Ray Robb [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
30 - Devlin DeFrancesco, Andretti Steinbrenner

31 - Callum Ilott, Juncos Hollinger Racing
32 - Katherine Legge, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
33 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises

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Notable:

• The TOP FIVE in “no-tow” speeds were, in order, Devlin DeFrancesco, Ed Carpenter, Christian Lundgaard, Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti. No tow speed were in the 221 mph range.

• In the morning session Callum Ilott went out for a few laps and brought the car in saying it was wicked-bad. Something fundamentally wrong, and dangerous. The team spent most of the day searching for the problem and sent Callum out again in the afternoon, but the problem remained. He put in less than te\n laps on the day and will need Friday for any running at all.

• The only contact that took place occurred on pit lane in the afternoon when Callum Ilott was released into the path of Rinus VeeKay; VeeKay clouted the outside wall, but both drivers were unharmed. Ilott was assessed a 5-minute penalty, which meant nothing, as he was again done for the day.

• The rest of the field put in over a thousand laps of testing.

• A long-standing rumor is that RC Enerson will be coming to Indianapolis in a a car put on track by Indy NXT team Abel Motorsports and will enter as the 34th car, making bumping a part of the 2023 race. RC was NOT in a car at Indianapolis today

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RC Enerson

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Josef Newgarden - TOPS in a tow

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If the weather cooperates, the testing will resume on Friday, from 10am EASTERN time to 4pm. All testing is being covered by Peacock Premium.

[MarkyS]

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Friday at Indianapolis - No testing, but a much-anticipated announcement…

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Due to inclement weather the 2nd day of IndyCar testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was called off, but the big news of the day was instead the fact that Indy NXT team Abel Motorsports is going to put RC Enerson in the # 50 Chevrolet for the 2023 Indianapolis 500, making him the 34th entry and guaranteeing that there will be bumping during qualifying on the week prior to the race.

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Abel Motorsports, with their primary shop just a few miles away from the Speedway, is currently running Colin Kaminsky and Jacob Abel in the Indy NXT series, with Jacob sitting 3rd in the points due to his P3 showing at the season opener in St. Pete. The series will be holding their 2nd race of the season this weekend in support of the IndyCars at Barber Motorsports Park.

But this entry into the 107th Indy 500 is the team’s first shot at fielding a big car and for that effort they wanted to partner with RC’s father Neil Enerson who has two chassis and RC who has 5 IndyCar race starts other than a 500 in his past, including a stunning P9 in one of his earliest efforts for Dale Coyne Racing.

What Abel brings is a much better team than Enerson has been able to gather around him in previous Indy 500 attempts. Abel has a race-ready and seasoned staff of IndyCar veteran engineers, mechanics and other crew.

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Teaser of the Abel Motorsports # 50 Chevrolet for RC Enerson

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Said team manager John Brunner, “It’s going to be a thrill watching RC pilot the # 50 Chevy around the Speedway, and we believe it sets a very positive tone of what’s to come for Abel Motorsports in the future. As has been speculated, we are evaluating a full-time entry for the 2024 INDYCAR season, and our group is committed to building the foundation needed for sustainable long-term success in motorsports. A huge thanks to INDYCAR and Chevrolet for their efforts in making this happen."

John Brunner

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Said 26-year-old RC, “I can’t thank Bill and John enough for this opportunity to be back at the ‘500.’ In the works for many months, the Abel Motorsports crew is top notch and loaded with experience well beyond my years. I’m honored to carry the banner for the organization during the Month of May, and while it’s going to be a few more weeks until we go on track, I expect we’ll be up to speed quickly at the Speedway. I’m just so looking forward to climbing behind the wheel of an NTT INDYCAR SERIES machine at IMS once again – so cool!”

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The team has been testing and massaging the primary chassis since January in anticipation of this attempt.

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[MarkyS]

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“100 Days to Indy” - Take a look!..

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Just in case you haven’t heard, the IndyCar series has a terrific documentary series going on called “100 Days to Indy” which will feature the series drivers and their teams as the season heads into Indianapolis for the 2023 Indy 500.

The series is NOT available on Youtube or we would feature it here, but is rather only available on the CW TV network every Thursday night, from 9:00pm to 10:00pm EASTERN/PACIFIC times. It is also RERUN at 8:00pm Sunday nights, following the Thursday showings, just in case you miss the Thursday premiere broadcasts.,

If you do not get the CW network, you can watch each episode - including past episodes - on the CW app on the Friday - and every day after - the Thursday premieres.

You can also see the episodes at the CW TV web site. Here is a link to Episode 1, which aired on Thursday, April 27th, and featured Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson, before and on the St. Pete weekend.

100 Days to Indy - Crowded at the Top | Stream Free

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On Thursday, the 4th of May Episode 2 aired, featuring Pato O’Ward, Romain Grosjean and Colton Herta. That one can be seen on the app right now or on the CW Network on Sunday night or here:

100 Days to Indy - Knocking at the Door | Stream Free

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What we can tell you is this is a superb and slick presentation that gets inside the drivers and their teams. WATCH IT!!

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[MarkyS]

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This weekend, IMSA does the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai…

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While we have been focused on the IndyCar race weekend at the Indianapolis Road Course the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship gang have been out at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for their own weekend of racing, including the Michelin Pilot Challenge series and Lamborghini Super Trofeo in support.

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There are IndyCar alums in all three series competing this weekend and we want to see how they will do. Let’s see who they are, first, starting with the WeatherTech gang:
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GTP class - 4-time IndyCar Champ Sebastien Bourdais will be in the # 01 Cadillac V-Series.R for Chip Ganassi Racing, with co-driver Renger van der Zande.

Sebastien Bourdais

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Road to Indy ace Connor De Phillippi will drive the # 25 BMW M Hybrid V-8 for BMW M Team RLL with co-driver Nick Yelloly.

Connor De Phillippi

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Pro Mazda alum Pipo Derani will be in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for Action Express with co-driver Alexander Sims.

Pipo Derani

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LMP2 class - Ben Hanley is an IndyCar alum driving for Crowdstrike Racing by APR in the # 04 ORECA 07 Gibson with co-driver George Kurtz.

Ben Hanley

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Ed Jones is a former Indy Lights Champ and IndyCar driver who will pilot the # 20 ORECA for High Class Racing with co-driver Dennis Andersen.

Ed Jones

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Juan Pablo Montoya is a 2-time IndyCar Champion and Indy 500 WINNER who will drive the # 51 ORECA for Rick Ware Racing with co-driver Eric Lux.

Juan Pablo Montoya

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GTD Pro class - Jack Hawksworth is a former Indy Pro 2000 Champion and IndyCar driver who drives for Vasser Sullivan in the # 14 Lexus RCF-GT3 with co-driver Ben Barnicoat.

Jack Hawksworth

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GTD class - Aaron Telitz is a former Indy Pro 2000 Champion and Road to Indy ace who drives for Vasser Sullivan in the # 12 Lexus RCF-GT3 with co-driver Frankie Montecalvo.

Aaron Telitz

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Katherine Legge is a former Champ Car driver who drives the # 66 Acura NSX GT3 for Gradient Racing with co-driver Sheena Monk. On Tuesday, Katherine will be in Indianapolis to begin testing for the 2023 Indy 500, which she will drive for Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

Katherine Legge

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Gabby Chaves is a former Indy Lights Champion and IndyCar driver. He and fellow Indy Lights driver Jarett Andretti are driving the new # 94 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Andretti Autosport.

Gabby Chaves (left) and Jarett Andretti

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• The Michelin Pilot Challenge series also has a few former IndyCar talents in both classes:

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GS class - former Road to Indy alum Austin McCusker drives the # 19 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for van der Steur Racing with co-driver Rory van der Steur.

Austin McCusker

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Former USF2000 Champion Eric Filgueiras drives the # 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS for RS1 with co-driver Stevan McAleer.

Eric Filgueiras

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Former Indy Lights race WINNER Rob Megennis drives the # 95 BMW M4 GT4 (G82) for Turner Motorsport with co-driver Cameron Lawrence.

Rob Megennis

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TCR class - Former IndyCar driver Robby Wickens is a paraplegic who drives the # 33 Hyundia Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport using hand controls. His co-driver is Harry Gottsacker.

Robby Wickens

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• Lamborghini Super Trofeo has three former IndyCar guys in the Pro class:

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Former Road to Indy ace and USF2000 Champion Nico Jamin will share the # 30 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 with former IndyCar driver Sebastian Saavedra, driving for ANSA Motorsports.

Nico Jamin (left) and Sebastian Saavedra

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Former Indy Lights driver and IMSA TCR class Champion Ryan Norman will drive the # 84 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport in a solo drive.

Ryan Norman

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All three series have been practicing and qualifying since Friday. On Saturday night the Michelin Pilot Challenge gang will hold their race. Let’s follow the action!

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Laguna Seca - The Michelin Pilot Challenge gang qualify …

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…for this evening’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120. We have the TOP THREE qualifiers in each of the two classes:

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GS class - taking the pole was Road to Indy alum Austin McCusker in the # 19 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for van der Steur Racing with a time of 1:30.847s for a speed of 88.685mph. Austine bested former USF2000 Champion Eric Filgueiras in the # 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS for RS1 by 0.063 seconds - not much. Starting third will be Kenny Murillo in the # 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4.

Austin shares the Aston with Rory van der Steur while Eric shares the Porsche with Stevan McAleer. Kenny’s co-driver is Christian Szymczak.

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The # 19 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for van der Steur Racing - on the pole

Austin McCusker

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TCR class - Taking pole was Mat Pombo in the # 37 Honda Civic FL5 TCR for LA Honda World Racing with a time of 1:31.782s for a speed of 87.781mph. Mat beat out Mason Filippi in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport by 0.072 seconds. Starting third will be Harry Gottsacker in the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport.

Mat’s co-driver in the Civic is Ryan Eversley while Mason shares the # 98 Hyundai with Mark Wilkins and Harry shares the # 33 Hyundai with IndyCar driver Robert Wickens.

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The # 37 Honda Civic FL5 TCR for LA Honda World Racing - on the pole

Mat Pombo

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The race is scheduled for broadcast on Peacock Premium start at 7:30pm EASTERN time on Saturday night.
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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Laguna Seca - Lamborghini Super Trofeo holds Race 1 of the weekend…

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…and taking the WIN in the Pro class was starter Danny Formal and closer Kyle Marcelli in the # 1 Lamborghini Huracan for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport from their class pole position. P2 went to Indy Lights alum Ryan Norman in the # 84 Lamborghini, also for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport from his class P2 start while P3 went to the # 30 Lamborghini for ANSA Motorsports, driven by starter Nico Jamin and closer Sebastian Saavedra - both IndyCar alums - from their class P4 start.

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Kyle Marcelli (middle) and Danny Formal (left) take the first WIN of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo season

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The race had its share of problems, with 7 cars involved in three separate incidents, but none of them were in the Pro class.

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Congrats to Danny and Kyle for the WIN and a BIG congrats to IndyCar alums Ryan Norman, Sebastian Saavedra and Nico Jamin on their podiums. Great start to the season!

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[MarkyS]

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Saturday at Laguna Seca - the WeatherTech gang qualify for Sunday’s race…

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We have the TOP THREE qualifiers for each of the four classes at Monterey, this weekend:

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GTP class - On the pole will be Matt Campbell in the # 7 Porsche 963 for Porsche Penske Motorsports with a time of 1:14.774s for a speed of 107.748mph. Matt bested fellow Porsche driver Mathieu Jaminet in the # 6 Porsche for Porsche Penske Motorsports by 0.090 seconds. Starting third will be Colin Braun in the # 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06.

Matt shares the # 7 Porsche with Felipe Nasr while Mathieu shares the # 6 Porsche with Nick Tandy. Colin’s co-driver in the Acura is Tom Blomqvist.

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The # 7 Porsche 963 for Porsche Penske Motorsports - on the pole

Matt Campbell

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LMP2 class - on the pole is George Kurtz in the # 04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR ORECA 07 Gibson with a time of 1:19.262s for a speed of 101.647mph. George beat out Ben Keating in the # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports by 0.061 seconds. Starting third will be Steven Thomas in the # 11 ORECA for TDS Racing.

George shares the Crowdstrike ORECA with IndyCar driver Ben Hanley while Ben share the PR1 ORECA with Paul-Loup Chatin. Steven’s co-driver in the TDS ORECA is Mikkel Jensen.

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The # 04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR ORECA 07 Gibson - on the pole

George Kurtz

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GTD Pro class - Pole was taken by Klaus Bachler in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports with a time of 1:24.529s for a speed of 95.313mph. Klaus beat the time of Alex Riberas in the # 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 by 0.125 seconds. Starting third will be Daniel Juncadella in the # 79 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for WeatherTech Racing.

Klaus shares the Porsche with Patrick Pilet while Alex shares the Aston with Ross Gunn. Daniel’s co-driver in the Mercedes is Jules Gounon.

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The # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports - on the pole

Klaus Bachler

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GTD class - On the pole will be Alec Udell in the # 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Kellymoss with Riley with a time of 1:24.539s for a speed of 95.302mph. Alec bested Roman De Angelis in the # 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 by 0.108 seconds. Starting third will be Seb Priaulx in the # 80 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Alec shares the # 92 Porsche with Julien Andlauer while Roman shares the Aston with Marco Sorensen. Seb’s co-driver in the # 80 Porsche is Gunnar Jeannette.

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The # 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Kellymoss with Riley - on the pole

Alec Udell

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The race is scheduled for LIVE broadcast on NBC on Sunday, starting at 3:00pm EASTERN time.

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[MarkyS]

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Saturday afternoon at Laguna Seca - The Michelin Pilot Challenge race…

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…was WON over and in the GS class by closer Christian Szymczak and starter Kenny Murillo in the # 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 for Murillo Racing from their P3 start. P2 went to the # 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS of starter and IndyCar driver Eric Filgueiras and closer Stevan McAleer for RS1 from their P2 start while P3 went to starter Bryce Ward and closer Daniel Morad in the # 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 from their P10 start. This was the first Michelin Pilot Challenge WIN for Murillo and Szymczak, who earned a pair of podium finishes in 2022.

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Kenny Murillo (left) and Christian Szymczak

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The big moves of the race all happened in 1 lap when Kenny Murrillo was able to pass Eric Filgueiras running up the Rahal Straight to take over P2. At the same moment, leader (and IndyCar driver) Austin McCusker in the # 19 van der Stuer Racing Aston Martin was blocked by several TCR class cars while going through the Corkscrew at Turn 8 and had to slow. That allowed Murrillo to catch and pass McCusker in Turn 11 and take over the lead of the race. McCusker and co-driver Randy van der Stuer would eventually fade to a P11 finish.

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The WINNERS of TCR class were starter Mason Filippi and closer Mark Wilkins in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport from their P2 start. P2 went to BHA teammates Harry Gottsacker who started and closer and IndyCar driver Robby Wickens in the # 33 Hyundai Elentra N TCR from a P3 start. P3 was collected by pole-sitter Mat Pombo and closer Ryan Eversley in the # 37 LA Honda World Honda Civic Type R TCR - a new iteration of the car.

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The P1 / P2 finish for BHA

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Mark Wilkins (left) and Mason Filippi

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The # 37 Honda lost the lead in the pits when the car’s air jack system gave problems, handing the lead to Harry Gottsacker in the # 33 Hyundai. Near the end of the first stint Mason Filippi took the lead from Gottsacker. Once in the # 33 car, Wickens pursued his 2022 co-driver Wilkins throughout the second half of the race, all while being chased by Ryan Eversley in the Honda. The three cars made a spectacular train to the end of the race.

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CONGRATS to the race WINNERS and a BIG CONGRATS to IndyCar guys Eric Filgueiras and Robby Wickens for their podiums!

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The next outing for the Michelin Pilot Challenge gang will be at the Detroit Grand Prix where the IndyCars will return to racing on the downtown city streets, June 2-3.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Laguna Seca - The 2nd Lamboghini Super Trofeo race of the weekend…

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…was a sweep of the weekend for Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli in the Pro class # 1 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport from class pole. P2 went once again to solo driver and Indy Lights race WINNER Ryan Norman in the Pro class # 84 Huracan for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport from his class P2 start while P3 went to Giano Taurino and Lucas Petersson in the # 88 Pro class Huracan for Tr3 Racing from their class P3 start.

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Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli SWEEP the weekend for WTR w / AA

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Kyle Marcelli (left) and Danny Formal - SWEEPERS

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A big CONGRATS to Kyle and Danny for the great start of the season and a HUGE CONGRATS to Ryan Norman on his 2nd P2 of the weekend!

Ryan Norman

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The next outings for Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America will be at Watkins Glen International in support of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen - The third of four Michelin Endurance Cup races within the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, June 22-25.

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[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Laguna Seca - The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race…

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…was WON overall and in the GTP class by the # 01 Cadillac V-Series.R for Chip Ganassi Racing driven by closer Renger van der Zande and IndyCar driver and starter Sebastien Bourdais from their P6 start - Their first WIN of the season. Taking P2 were starter Mathieu Jaminet and closer Nick Tandy in the # 6 Porsche 963 for Porsche Penske Motorsports from their P2 start while P3 went to the # 31 Whelen Cadillac for Action Express, driven from a P4 start by Alexander Sims and driven home by IndyCar alum Pipo Derani.

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Renger van der Zande (left) and Sebastien Bourdais finally grab that elusive WIN in 2023

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The screaming yellow # 01 to the WIN

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Van der Zande was running P2 when racing resumed with 41 minutes remaining following the final full-course caution of the sprint race. He powered to the outside of Alexander Sims in the Whelen Caddy through Turns 3 and 4 before edging ahead up the hill leading to the Rahal Straight. Soon Nick Tandy was also past Sims for the P2 spot and tried to cut into the # 01’s almost 6-second lead but was able only to halve it by the checkered flag.

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Taking the WIN in the LMP2 class were starter Steven Thomas and closer Mikkel Jensen in the # 11 TDS Racing ORECA07 Gibson from their P3 start - despite TWO pit-stop miscues during the race that cost them several positions. They finished 5.095 seconds ahead of starter Ben Keating and closer Paul-Loup Chatin in the # 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA, starting their race from P2. P3 went to the # 04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR ORECA driven by starter George Kurtz and IndyCar driver and closer Ben Hanley from pole.

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The # 11 TDS Racing ORECA for the improbable WIN

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Steven Thomas (left) and Mikkel Jensen

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While leading the race a miscommunication had Mikkel missing a pit stop during the final caution. When he finally pitted 2 laps later, he came out in P7. He then drove in pure frustration and anger back through the field and back into the lead of the race. He was able to pass first Hanley and then Loup-Chatin on the same lap with 25 laps to go, and then never looked back.

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In the GTD Pro class the WINNERS were closer Jules Gounon and starter Daniel Juncadella in the # 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 from their P3 start. P2 went to closer Ben Barnicoat and IndyCar driver and starter Jack Hawksworth in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan from their P4 start - their 14th consecutive podium finish in the mighty Lexus, keeping them in the points lead. P3 went to the # 9 PFAFF Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R co-driven by starter Klaus Bachler and closer Patrick Pilet from their pole start.

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The WeatherTech Mercedes inherits the WIN

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Jules Gounon (left) and Daniel Juncadella

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Gounon was running 3rd when Ross Gunn in the #23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and Antonio Garcia in the # 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C8.R GTD were issued penalties of stop plus two minutes and 50 seconds for taking improper wave-arounds during the race’s final full-course caution period. The penalties put Gounon in the lead with 37 laps to go and he ran there to the end.

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The WINNERS for the GTD class were closer Kay van Berlo and starter Alan Metni in the # 91 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3 R from their P9 start. P2 went to closer Bill Auberlen in the # 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 he co-drove with starter Chandler Hull from a P12 start while P3 went to the Kellymoss with Riley sister car, the pole-winning # 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R co-driven by starter Alec Udell and closer Julien Andlauer.

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The # 91 Porsche with Kay van Berlo and Alan Metni for the WIN

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Kay van Berlo (left) and Alan Metni

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Van Berlo emerged from the pits with 45 minutes to go behind leader Andy Lally in the # 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 he shared with John Potter. Van Berlo knew that Lally was on older tires and it was just a matter of time before he could overcome the Aston, which he soon did. Soon after that Auberlen also took Lally and tried to hunt down van Berlo but ran out of time. Lally faded to a P4 finish.

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Here are some nice race highlights:

#IMSA

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A HUGE CONGRATS to all the class WINNERS, including IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais, and we also give CONGRATS to IndyCar drivers Pipo Derani, Ben Hanley and Jack Hawksworth for their podiums!

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The next outing for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be at Watkins Glen International for the Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen - the 3rd of 4 Michelin Endurance Cup races on the season, June 22-25. In support will be the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

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[MarkyS]

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Wednesday at Indianapolis - First day of testing for the Indy 500…

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Tuesday was supposed to be the first day of testing for the 2023 Indy 500, with Tests T-1 and T-2 scheduled, but rain made that impossible and today Test T-3 came off as the first session of the week. We have the results of that test here, with an old hand at the top of the charts::

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Here was the order of speed for the IndyCars T-3 test session with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; time is for 1 lap

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1 - Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 00:39.2261s for a speed of 229.439mph

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2 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 00:39.2714s for a speed of 229.174mph

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3 - Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Enterprises - time of 00:39.3053s for a speed of 228.977mph

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4 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 00:39.3494s for a speed of 228.720mph

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5 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske - time of 00:39.3919s for a speed of 228.473mph

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6 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport
7 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
8 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
9 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
10 - Marco Andretti, Andretti Autosport

11 - Jack Harvey, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
12 - Will Power, Team Penske
13 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
14 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
15 - Stefan Wilson, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing / Cusick Motorsports
16 - David Malukas, Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports
17 - Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing
18 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
19 - Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren
20 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren

21 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises
22 - Agustin Canapino [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
23 - Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren
24 - Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
25 - Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport
26 - Sting Ray Robb [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
27 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren
28 - Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing
29 - Devlin DeFrancesco, Andretti Steinbrenner
30 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport

31 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport
32 - Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
33 - RC Enerson [R], Abel Motorsports
34 - Callum Ilott, Juncos Hollinger Racing

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Notable:

• While he was at Texas Motor Speedway as well, Sato was added to the team specifically for the Indy 500 and it’s working out well, so far. He is not the only guy here just for this race doing well, however. Look at Ryan Hunter-Reay in P8 and Marco Andretti in P10.

• Anyone surprised at how well Santino Ferrucci did just doesn’t know the history of the young Connecticut native at this track. He was hired for the season at AJ Foyt Enterprises because they knew he would be great at Indianapolis. Anything else he does for them is gravy. If the team keeps backing him up with a good car, Santino is a definite threat.

• Best team is easily Chip Ganassi Racing which has all four cars in the TOP SEVEN - astoundingly great roll-off, with Takuma and Scott the only guys to crack 229 miles per hour, as well.

• Best rookie was Benjamin Pedersen in P21 but open-wheel rookie Agustin Canapino was P22 - remarkable.

• RC Enerson was the only rookie not yet complete on his orientation and he completed that today. The other rookies and the “re-acquainters” all did theirs at the earlier tests at Indy in the last half of April during the Open Test.

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Takuma Sato - TOPS in the T-3 session

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Here are Test 3 interviews from NBC:

PRACTICE 3 INTERVIEWS // INDIANAPOLIS 500

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Here is Racer magazine’s Marshall Pruett interviewing Santino Ferrucci and Jack Harvey:

RACER Indy 500 Trackside Report: Wed., May 17 Santino Ferrucc and Jack Harvey with Marshall Pruett

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They will be out for more testing on Thursday.

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M

[MarkyS]

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We’re coming up on another Thursday and that means “100 Days to Indy”…

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…the IndyCar documentary airing on the CW network will be on the air again at 9:00pm LIVE EASTERN / PACIFIC time. If you miss that there is a re-broadcast on the Sunday following.

If you do not get the CW network, you can watch each episode - including past episodes - on the CW app on the Friday - and every day after - the Thursday premieres.

You can also see the episodes at the CW TV web site. Here is a link to Episode 3, which aired on Thursday, May 11th:

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100 Days to Indy - California Dreamin | Stream Free

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Episode 4 Thursday night!!

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M