By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Relegated to a last-row/32nd starting spot due to a technical rule violation, INDYCAR star Josef Newgarden still believes he can win the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. “Oh, absolutely. Absolutely,” Newgarden said matter-of-factly during his Media Day appearance Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Almighty Team Penske has been operating in full-bore damage-control since last Sunday. “I’m here with my team. I’m ready to go racing. I love this race. My goodness, I’ve been enjoying being here this whole time. I look forward to it every year, as we all do. Ready to go…
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 The international driver lineup for the Indianapolis 500 is always an intriguing element of the world’s greatest auto race. Led by sensational, pole-winning rookie Robert Shwartzman of Israel, Sunday’s 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge features a 33-car field consisting of 19 drivers from 13 countries, eight former event winners and five NTT IndyCar Series champions. Thirty-four entries began the Month of May seeking a grid spot on the historic, 2.5-mile oval. Consider this post your suitable-for-printing personal fan’s guide to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Team Penske ace Josef Newgarden earned his…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio INDYCAR mogul Roger S. Penske fired three prominent members of Team Penske management Wednesday morning, the aftershock of a technical rules violation that developed during qualifying for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 last weekend. Penske, 88, announced that he had dismissed longtime Team President Tim Cindric, INDYCAR Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and INDYCAR General Manager Kyle Moyer after two of the team’s entries for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” were found in violation of INDYCAR rules last Sunday. “Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,”…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio INDYCAR superstar Alex Palou returned to his comfort zone atop the speed chart at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Monday, another methodical step in the mercurial Spaniard’s bid to win the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The three-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion, Palou’s hottest lap of 226.765 mph occupied P1 at the close of a two-hour session around the famed 2.5-mile oval. Mimicking situations the 33-car starting field can expect to experience on Sunday, May 25, drivers lapped in packs of traffic following a weekend of solo, four-lap/10-mile runs during PPG Presents Armed Forces…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Penske Perfection? At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, not so fast. The Team Penske cars driven by two-time/reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden and Will Power will start Sunday’s 109th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from the 11th and final row after INDYCAR officials confirmed each had committed a technical rules infraction. The Penske pair were involved in a weird circumstance just before the start of Sunday’s Top 12 Qualifying session on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Newgarden’s No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet and Power’s No. 12 Verizon Team Penske…
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…
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…