INDYCAR News for the Weeks of March 11 – 24, 2019

Herta becomes youngest winner in IndyCar history with COTA victory – Harding Steinbrenner Racing rookie Colton Herta became the youngest winner in NTT IndyCar Series history with a victory at the inaugural INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas. Herta was 18 years, 11 months, 25 days old on race day. The final Top 5 order was Herta, Newgarden, Hunter-Reay, Rahal, and Bourdais. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/24/2019)

Askew completes perfect weekend at COTA with Lights Race 2 win – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew won from pole in Indy Lights Race 2 at Circuit of The Americas to complete a perfect weekend by leading the practice session and winning from pole in each of the two races. The full Top 5 was Askew, Megennis, Malukas, VeeKay, and Falchero. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (3/24/2019)

Power wins the pole at COTA – Team Penske’s Will Power won the pole for the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas with a Firestone Fast 6 lap of 1:46.0177. The full Firestone Fast 6 order was Power, Rossi, Hunter-Reay, Herta, Rosenqvist, and Dixon. Rosenqvist had the fastest overall time of 1:45.4542 in Round 2. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/23/2019)

Askew wins Lights Race 1 at COTA – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew won from pole in Indy Lights Race 1 at Circuit of The Americas. The full Top 5 was Askew, VeeKay, Megennis, Falchero, and Norman. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (3/23/2019)

Rossi fastest in Practice 3 at COTA – Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi’s lap of 1:46.9148 topped Practice 3 for the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas. The full Top 5 was Rossi, Rosenqvist, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, and Newgarden. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/23/2019)

Askew takes takes back to back poles at COTA – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew won the pole for Indy Lights Race 2 at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 1:54.6863. The full Top 5 was Askew, Megennis, VeeKay, Norman, and Malukas. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (3/23/2019)

Power and Penske lead again in Practice 2 at COTA – Team Penske’s Will Power was fastest in Practice 2 for the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 1:47.401. Team Penske topped both sessions on the day. The full Top 5 was Power, Rosenqvist, Rossi, Hunter-Reay, and Jones. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/22/2019)

Askew takes Lights Race 1 pole at COTA – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew won the pole for Indy Lights Race 1 at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 1:55.5454. The full Top 5 was Askew, Norman, Megennis, Sowery, and Malukas. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (3/22/2019)

Newgarden leads Practice 1 at COTA – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden led the way in Practice 1 for the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 1:48.6567. The full Top 5 was Newgarden, Herta, Rossi, Hunter-Reay, and Rahal. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (3/22/2019)

Askew tops Lights practice at COTA – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew topped the only Indy Lights practice of the weekend at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 1:56.384. The full Top 5 was Askew, Sowery, Malukas, VeeKay, and Megennis. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (3/22/2019)

COTA adds $100k bonus to pole and race winner – “The stakes have been raised in the NTT IndyCar Series for this weekend’s INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas. One of the 24 drivers entered will take home a $100,000 bonus from the track if he can win the NTT P1 Award pole position on Saturday and follow that up with a race win on Sunday.” Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/22/2019)

Jones medically cleared to drive at COTA – From INDYCAR: “NTT IndyCar Series driver Ed Jones has been cleared to drive in the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas following a re-examination by Dr. Geoffrey Billows, INDYCAR medical director. Jones sustained a small non-displaced fracture of the distal fourth metacarpal in his left ring finger when his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet made contact with the wall during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 10. Jones met with a hand surgeon in Miami in the days following the race and had the hand properly splinted.” – INDYCAR – (3/21/2019)

The Open Wheel’s COTA preview – The Open Wheel’s preview of the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires weekend at Circuit of The Americas is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/21/2019)

COTA Lights entry list – The official entry list for the Cooper Tires Indy Lights Grand Prix Presented by Allied Building Products at Circuit of The Americas is available at the link. – Indy Lights – (3/20/2019)

Wheldon and Jenkins elected to IMS HOF – “Two beloved figures in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history have been elected to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame: two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, and longtime motorsports radio and television personality and IMS Public Address announcer Bob Jenkins. The two were chosen from a ballot of 14 nominees by a distinguished panel of more than 140 auto racing journalists, participants and historians. Wheldon and Jenkins will be formally inducted into the elite group Thursday, May 23 at the 2019 IMS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Dinner, presented by Firestone, at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.” Full release at the link. – IMS Museum – (3/20/2019)

NBC announces Danica will be on Indy 500 broadcast team – “Danica Patrick, one of motorsports’ most popular figures, will join NBC Sports’ inaugural coverage of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge when drivers start their engines for the 103rd iteration of the race on Sunday, May 26. This year marks the first time that the Greatest Spectacle in Racing has been broadcast on NBC. The former IndyCar and NASCAR driver will serve as a studio analyst on race day, contributing to NBC Sports’ pre-race, in-race, and post-race coverage alongside host Mike Tirico. Patrick will also participate in NBC Sports’ coverage of Indy 500 Pole Day on Sunday, May 19.” Full release at the link. – NBC Sports – (3/20/2019)

COTA spotter guide – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/20/2019)

COTA entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/20/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 3/20/19 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/20/2019)

Trackside podcast 3/19/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/19/19 is a great listen as always. Stephen Starks is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (3/20/2019)

INDYCAR story on Klaus/St. Cyr transition at HPD – “It’s great stepping into a championship-winning organization, but Ted Klaus knows the expectations that come with it. Klaus assumes the role of president at Honda Performance Development on April 1. He’ll replace Art St. Cyr, who after leading the U.S. racing arm of Honda for seven years, is becoming head of auto operations at HPD and focusing on passenger vehicle development.” Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/19/2019)

McCoy named grand marshal at COTA – “University of Texas standout and Washington Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy, former Longhorns starting quarterback and 2008 Heisman Trophy runner-up, will serve as the grand marshal of the INDYCAR Classic, the inaugural NTT IndyCar Series race at Circuit of The Americas on March 24. As grand marshal, McCoy will give the command for drivers to start their engines and present the trophy to the race winner.” Full release at the link. – COTA – (3/18/2019)

O’Ward to drive No. 31 at COTA – On Monday morning Carlin announced that Patricio O’Ward will drive the No. 31 entry for the team at this weekend’s NTT IndyCar Series event at Circuit of The Americas. While it was known O’Ward would drive for the team this weekend, his car number was not. – Carlin – (3/18/2019)

IMS and Cummins announce renewed partnership – “Today, leaders from Cummins Inc., the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and elected officials gathered to announce a new multi-year partnership between the two 100-year old, Indiana-based companies. Cummins is celebrating its centennial this year and as part of this, Cummins will have an enhanced presence at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the year. Cummins will have a number of activities for the public to enjoy throughout the year, and its iconic Cummins “C” logo and videos will be visible in locations throughout the Speedway. During this year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26, Cummins will have all five of its historic Indy 500 race cars together to participate in a pre-race parade lap for the first time ever.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (3/14/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 3/13/19 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (3/13/2019)

Trackside podcast 3/11/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 3/11/19 is a great listen as always. Justin Bell is a guest on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (3/12/2019)

Jones suffers broken bone in hand during St. Pete incident – Motorsport.com’s Charles Bradley reports Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa driver Ed Jones sustained a broken bone in his hand during his incident at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (3/11/2019)

The Open Wheel’s Sunday St. Pete photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s Parker Hall’s photo gallery from Sunday NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights action at the 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/10/2019)

Newgarden starts off ’19 with a win at St. Pete – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the first race of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season with a win at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The full Top 5 was Newgarden, Dixon, Power, Rosenqvist, and Rossi. Full race results here. – INDYCAR – (3/10/2019)

VeeKay grabs first Lights win in Race 2 at St. Pete – Juncos Racing rookie Rinus VeeKay won Indy Lights Race 2 on the Streets of St. Petersburg from pole position and led every lap. The full Top 5 was VeeKay, Claman, Sowery, Malukas, and Falchero. Full race results here. – Indy Lights – (3/10/2019)

Sato fastest in morning warmup at St. Pete – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato topped the morning warmup for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:01.0942. The full Top 5 order was Sato, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, Rossi, and Leist. Full session results here. – INDYCAR – (3/10/2019)

INDYCAR adds streaming deal for select Central and South American countries – “As part of its strategy to increase engagement with fans in Latin America, INDYCAR will livestream all 2019 NTT IndyCar Series races on IndyCar.com in Mexico and select markets in Central America and South America, excluding Brazil. In Brazil, the NTT IndyCar Series will air on both free-to-air TV and subscription services in 2019.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/10/2019)

The Open Wheel’s Saturday St. Pete photo gallery – The Open Wheel’s Parker Hall’s photo gallery from Saturday NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights action at the 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/9/2019)

The Open Wheel’s Firestone GP of St. Pete livery page – The Open Wheel’s livery feature of all the NTT IndyCar Series cars at the 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/9/2019)

The Open Wheel’s Indy Lights St. Pete livery page – The Open Wheel’s livery feature of all the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires from the 2019 Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Cooper Tires is available at the link. – The Open Wheel – (3/9/2019)

Power wins 8th St. Pete pole – Team Penske’s Will Power won his eighth career Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg pole on Saturday with a lap of 1:00.459. The full Firestone Fast 6 order was Power, Newgarden, Rosenqvist, Dixon, Hunter-Reay, and Rossi. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (3/9/2019)

Claman wins from pole in Lights Race 1 at St. Pete – Belardi Auto Racing’s Zachary Claman won Indy Lights Race 1 on the Streets of St. Petersburg from pole position and led every lap. The full Top 5 was Claman, Sowery, Askew, Malukas, and VeeKay. Full race results here. – Indy Lights – (3/9/2019)

Coyne w/Byrd-Hollinger-Belardi to enter ’19 Indy 500 with Davison as driver – “James Davison will be making a return to Dale Coyne Racing for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 in May as the team partners with Jonathan Byrd’s Racing, Hollinger MotorSport, and Belardi Auto Racing to run the #33 car for the Australian driver.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (3/8/2019)

Schmidt named Grand Marshall for 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade – “The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500®, today announced that Sam Schmidt has been named Grand Marshal of the 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade.” Full release at the link. – 500 Festival – (3/8/2019)

Wickens’ story featured on Good Morning America – Good Morning America aired a segment on Robert Wickens’ incident and subsequent recovery. Check it out at the link. – GMA – (3/8/2019)

Carlin adds O’Ward for 13 races in ’19 including Indy 500 – “Reigning Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires champion Patricio O’Ward will compete in 13 NTT IndyCar Series races this season for Carlin. The 19-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, will be in the team’s second car for 12 races and in a third entry at the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge…O’Ward’s first race with Carlin will be at the INDYCAR Classic, March 22-24 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. He will team with Max Chilton at all 13 races, as well as with Charlie Kimball at the Indy 500. Kimball is scheduled to drive the second Carlin entry in the races where O’Ward will not compete.” Full release from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (3/7/2019)

Belardi adds Falchero to full-season Lights program – “GP3 veteran Julien Falchero joins Belardi Auto Racing for the entirety of the 2019 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. The French native will be piloting the the No. four machine for Belardi Auto Racing. After spending the past year competing for British team Arden Racing in the GP3 series, 22 year old Falchero makes the move to the U.S. with his eyes fixed on the 2019 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship.” Full release at the link. – Belardi Auto Racing – (3/6/2019)

INDYCAR News From Last Week