Author: John Sturbin

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is for sending messages, and “40-somethings” Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves indicated Friday they plan to be players during the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Dixon led the two-hour Miller Lite Carb Day final practice around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, as the field’s Honda and Chevrolet-powered drivers fine-tuned Race Day packages for Sunday’s 200-lapper. Dixon, winner of the 2008 Indy 500, topped the speed chart at 227.206 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. This marked the ninth time in…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio One Indianapolis 500 champion will pay tribute to another on Sunday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Simon Pagenaud will turn an emotional lap in honor of the late Gil de Ferran. De Ferran’s wife, Angela, recruited longtime family friend Pagenaud to drive the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske Panoz G Force/Toyota that Gil wheeled to victory for Team Penske in the 2003 Indy 500. The parade lap _ a prelude to the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 _ will start from Turn 1 of the IMS Road-Course at 10.40 a.m. (EDT)…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden paced Monday’s two-hour practice for the race’s 108th edition next Sunday in a Team Penske car he says is “very raceable.” Meanwhile, Pato O’Ward is dealing with a race car he says is certainly fast _ just not fast enough. Newgarden, who qualified third during Sunday’s PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying session, turned a top lap Monday of 226.238 mph in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. Monday’s practice allowed all 33 teams to stabilize Race Day setups for the scheduled 200-lapper around the 2.5-mile…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio All Team Penske, all day long. That’s been the mantra since “Fast Friday” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Scott McLaughlin punctuated the organization’s oval-track excellence with a record-setting qualifying run for next Sunday’s 108th Indianapolis 500. McLaughlin won the NTT P1 Award during Firestone Fast Six qualifying, leading only the second sweep of the three-car front row by one team in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Team Penske first achieved that feat in 1988, when pole-sitter Rick Mears was joined by No. 2 qualifier Danny Sullivan and Al Unser in third.…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Team Penske’s Will Power will continue his pursuit of an elusive Indianapolis 500 pole when Day 2 qualifying for the 108th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” resumes Sunday afternoon. Power, winner of the 2018 Indy 500, teammate/reigning Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin finished 1-2-3 at the end of Saturday’s opening session of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Positions 13-30 in the traditional 33-car field have been locked-in via four-lap/10-mile qualifying runs, with the Penske threesome among 12 drivers who will compete for the…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Warp speed was the norm at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a “Fast Friday” practice session that saw the 230 mph barrier battered. Led by reigning Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, Team Penske’s three-car juggernaut topped the four-lap/10-mile chart as 33 of 34 entrants posted single hot laps in excess of the “magic” 230 mph mark around the 2.5-mile IMS oval. Penske teammates Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power ranked 1-2-3 during simulated qualifying runs as the focus shifted to PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying today and Sunday. The 108th edition of “The Greatest…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Arrow McLaren ace Pato O’Ward drove to the top of Thursday’s speed chart during Day 3 of practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the forecast for more rain loomed over the pivotal “Fast Friday” session. O’Ward led the overall chart at 228.861 mph in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, a lap turned with the help of an aerodynamic two from leading cars around the famed 2.5-mile oval. Meanwhile, Colton Herta led the “no-tow” speeds in fourth at 226.828 mph in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fielded by Andretti…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Surviving another rain-delayed morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway via a steady diet of Netflix, Scott McLaughlin began preparing for his fourth Indianapolis 500 by pacing Wednesday’s practice for the race’s 108th edition. McLaughlin led three Team Penske cars in the top four on the speed chart after a second consecutive rain-interrupted day of practice for INDYCAR’s premier event. A 30-year-old native of New Zealand, McLaughlin posted a hot lap of 229.493 mph around the 2.5-mile IMS oval in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet during a session that started five hours, five minutes late…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Eight former winners _ including reigning champion Josef Newgarden and four-time champ Helio Castroneves _ will continue preparations this week for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. INDYCAR’s official entry list for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 26, around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval also features five NTT IndyCar Series champions. Thirty-four entries will vie for the race’s traditional 33 starting spots. Tuesday’s Opening Day practice was curtailed by persistent rain after only 23 minutes of track time. Practice is scheduled to resume today through “Fast…

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio From pole position to Victory Circle to the top of the championship standings, Alex Palou had the NTT IndyCar Series field blanketed this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A two-time/reigning series champion, Palou began the quest for the only item missing from his brilliant INDYCAR resume _ victory in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 _ with a repeat win in the Sansio Grand Prix on the IMS Road-Course. Palou drove the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a calculating 6.6106-second victory over Will Power in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske…