By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 _ a production car capable of posting Indianapolis 500-comparible lap speeds _ will pace the 109th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25. Designed for speed and performance, the Corvette ZR1 reportedly is capable of 233 mph _ highest top-speed of any car ever made in America by an auto manufacturer. In a remarkable comparison, 2024 Indy 500 pole-winner Scott McLaughlin recorded the fastest lap around the famed 2.5-mile oval during last week’s two-day Indy 500 Open Test at 232.686…
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 Scott McLaughlin and Alex Palou took turns atop the speed chart Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Day 2 of the Indianapolis 500 Open Test featuring two segments with distinct engine performance parameters. Team Penske’s McLaughlin, the reigning Indy 500 pole-winner, was fastest during the morning session run with the same elevated turbo boost levels that will be in effect for the “Fast Friday” practice on May 16 and PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 17-18. McLaughlin’s top lap of 232.686 mph in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet was the…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon launched his bid for a second Indianapolis 500 victory Wednesday during Day 1 of the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by GainbridgeOpen Test. SEE: Test Results | No-Tow Results The 2008 Indy 500 champion, Dixon topped the speed chart around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval at 225.182 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon recorded his fastest speed during the last hour of hot-lapping. “It’s testing _ just trying to get through the test list, lots of changes,” said Dixon, a 44-year-old native of New Zealand and…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Alex Palou, beware! Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood has emerged as a bona fide NTT IndyCar Series championship contender, courtesy of a near-perfect weekend on the famed Streets of Long Beach. Kirkwood mastered a fascinating afternoon of tire strategy and flat-out speed to win the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, ending Palou’s two-race win streak to start the 2025 INDYCAR season. Kirkwood earned his second Long Beach win from pole position in the last three years, driving the No. 27 PreFab Honda to a 2.6859-second victory over runnerup Palou in the No.…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Andretti Global teammates Kyle Kirkwood and Colton Herta temporarily upstaged three-time/reigning INDYCAR champion Alex Palou on Saturday, locking-out the front row during qualifying for the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Kirkwood scored his first NTT P1 Award of the season and third of his career by touring the 1.968-mile/11-turn temporary street circuit in 1-minute, 6.1921-seconds/107.034 mph in the No. 27 PreFab Honda on his final Firestone Fast Six flyer. Kirkwood registered his first career pole at Long Beach in 2023, when he also won the crown jewel street race of the…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Will Power returned to street-fighting form during Friday afternoon’s opening practice for the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, taking P1 under sunny Southern California skies. See results: click here. A two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, Power led the session at 1-minute, 7.3227-seconds/105.236 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. The native Australian’s quickest lap was recorded on his final tour of the 1.968-mile/11-turn layout shod with Firestone’s grippier, faster alternate Firehawk tires. “Pretty good,” said Power, a two-time winner of domestic open-wheel racing’s version of Formula One’s Monaco Grand…
John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Christened by INDYCAR royalty Mario Andretti on April 1, 1984, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is celebrating an historic milestone this weekend. Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series event will mark the 50th auto race conducted on the street circuit that has morphed into domestic open-wheel racing’s equivalent of Formula One’s crown jewel, the Monaco Grand Prix. Indeed, entrepreneur Chris Pook’s vision for an event that debuted on the Formula 5000 schedule in 1975 and quickly transitioned into an FIA-approved Formula One race triggered a business, travel and financial renaissance at a heretofore hard-scrabble, Navy…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Shigeaki “Shige” Hattori, one of eight Japanese-born drivers to compete in the Indianapolis 500, died Saturday, April 5, 2025 in a car accident in Huntersville, N.C. Mr. Hattori was 61. According to nascar.com, the Huntersville Police Department confirmed Hattori’s death on Monday, April 7. Officers responded to a two-vehicle collision on NC Highway 73 at approximately 9:15 a.m. (EDT) Saturday. According to the release, the department’s preliminary investigation indicated Hattori’s 2025 Toyota Crown was traveling westbound when it crossed the centerline into the oncoming lane and collided with another vehicle. Hattori was pronounced dead…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has appointed a bona fide INDYCAR “insider” as team president. Industry executive Jay Frye will report directly to a team ownership group fronted by 1986 Indianapolis 500 champion Bobby Rahal, and oversee operations in the NTT IndyCar Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Frye’s experience spans over 30 years and includes series and team leadership roles on the competition, marketing and sales and ownership sides. Team leadership also announced it has parted with Steve Eriksen, who served as chief operating officer since January 2023. “First, I would like to thank Steve…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Team-owner Chip Ganassi believes his latest ace – three-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou – is only beginning to scratch the surface of his race craft. Who’s to argue, following Palou’s calculated performance during Sunday’s The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix deep in the California desert. Palou again made the impossible happen, completing a late-race dash from a nine-second deficit to pass pole-sitter Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren. Palou earned his 13th career INDYCAR victory in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, beating O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to the…