By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Led by the rawest oval-track rookie since Teo Fabi, a three-car front row worthy of the United Nations will pace the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge next Sunday. Israeli-born Robert Shwartzman and PREMA Racing _ a 25-year-old driver competing in his first oval event with a first-year NTT IndyCar Series team _ shocked the open-wheel world by claiming the NTT P1 Award in dramatic fashion Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Shwartzman, a native of Tel Aviv, Israel, is the first rookie to earn P1 for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” since…
Author: John Sturbin
John Sturbin
John Sturbin is a Fort Worth-based journalist specializing in motorsports. During a near 30-year career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he won the Bloys Britt Award for top motorsports story of the year (1991) as judged by The Associated Press; received the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award (1995) and several in-house Star-Telegram honors. He also was inaugural recipient of the Texas Motor Speedway Excellence in Journalism Award (2009). Email John Sturbin at jsturbin@hotmail.com.
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio INDYCAR superstar Alex Palou completed a four-lap/10-mile qualifying run around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon…and took the rest of the day off. Just another day in the Dallara cockpit for Palou, the three-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion who will chase his second career Indianapolis 500 pole during Day 2 of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Sunday afternoon. Palou, winner of four of the season’s first five races, drove to P1 on the opening day of time trials for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25. Palou posted a…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The inherent risk/reward of warp speed in an open-wheel race car was on full display during Fast Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Paced by Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin at 233.954 mph, drivers prepping for today’s opening rounds of qualifications for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbrigde battled torrid track conditions and gusty winds during a frantic Fast Friday presented by Turtle Wax. McLaughlin, the reigning Indy 500 pole-sitter, recorded the fastest lap of the day and week in the bright yellow No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet _ latest iteration of the…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio With history beckoning, two-time/reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden drove to the top of the speed chart during Day 3 of practice for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Newgarden _ ranked among the top-three during all three days of practice this week _ posted a hot lap of 226.632 mph Thursday around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s famed 2.5-mile oval. Driver of the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet, Newgarden will attempt to become the first driver to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” three consecutive years on Sunday, May 25.…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio A second day of inclement Midwest weather wasn’t enough to prevent Alex Palou from rising to the top of the speed chart Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The runaway NTT IndyCar Series point-leader, Palou’s hot lap of 227.546 mph paced the rain-interrupted second day of practice for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Palou cranked out the fastest lap of the week in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda one day after trailing Team Penske’s Will Power and Josef Newgarden around the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval. SEE: Practice Results Call it…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Team Penske’s Will Power and Josef Newgarden flipped the horsepower script on Chip Ganassi Racing ace Alex Palou during Tuesday’s rain-delayed, Opening Day of practice for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The 2018 Indy 500 champion, Power topped the speed chart during the weather-shortened session at 227.026 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet _ a hot lap recorded in the last 30 minutes of practice. Power was trailed by two-time/reigning Indy 500 winner Newgarden at 226.971 mph in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Having clearly separated himself from his INDYCAR peers, Alex Palou now is worthy of comparison to domestic open-wheel racing’s short list of icons. Think A.J. Foyt Jr., Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Helio Castroneves, Al and Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford – all “Legends of the Brickyard.” Palou continued his march into the record book with a methodical victory in Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course – the Spaniard’s fourth win in five NTT IndyCar Series races this season. Palou posted an event-record third consecutive victory and became the first…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio As advertised, Alex Palou’s assault on the Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is off-and-running wide, flat open. The three-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion, Palou continued his early-season street and road-course brilliance Friday by qualifying on-pole for today’s Sonsio Grand Prix. Palou and his Chip Ganassi Racing crew parlayed timely tire strategy and Honda horsepower into his second consecutive NTT P1 Award. Palou, winner of three of the season’s first four races, saved a set of new Firestone Firehawk alternate (soft) tires for his last run around the 2.44-mile/14-turn IMS Road-Course during…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Arrow McLaren INDYCAR ace Pato O’Ward will scratch his Formula One itch before his most fervent fans later this season. McLaren Formula 1 Team has confirmed that O’Ward will participate in Free Practice 1 at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix for the second consecutive year. O’Ward will wheel the MCL39 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for his home race on Friday, Oct. 24. In addition to logging valuable seat time in the MCL39, O’Ward will provide support across the race weekend via feedback on car setup to F1 teammates Lando Norris of Great Britian and…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The Month of May officially is underway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Alex Palou’s bid for a two-race sweep has emerged as a real-time story line. Palou continued his methodical march through the early portion of the NTT IndyCar Series schedule Sunday via a dominant victory in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park. The three-time/reigning series champion, Palou posted his third victory in four races by wheeling the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 16.0035-second victory over Christian Lundgaard of Denmark in…