News for the Week of May 30, 2016 – June 5, 2016

Power grabs first win of ’16 in Race 2 at Belle Isle – Team Penske’s Will Power grabbed his first win of 2016 in Race 2 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. The rest of the Top 5 was Pagenaud, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, and Dixon. Hinchcliffe and Chilton each suffered terminal damage in the first turn of the race. Hawksworth (mechanical) and Montoya (contact) each suffered early ends do their day as well. Castroneves looked set to win until he was caught out on pit strategy during the Hawksworth caution. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/5/2016)

INDYCAR produces “Alexander Rossi: An Indy 500 Champion’s Journey” – INDYCAR has posted an excellent feature called “Alexander Rossi: An Indy 500 Champion’s Journey”, a video chronicling Alexander Rossi’s win in The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the subsequent whirlwind tour of media obligations. Definitely worth a watch. – INDYCAR – (6/5/2016)

Belle Isle Race 2 starting lineup with tire designation – At the link you’ll find the Race 2 starting lineup with tire designation for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. Simon Pagenaud starts on pole on the alternate red tires (weather permitting). Montoya and Kimball are the first two start on the primary black tires at P10 and P11. – INDYCAR – (6/5/2016)

Pagenaud wins Race 2 pole at Belle Isle – Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud won his second straight Verizon IndyCar Series pole for Race 2 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit with a new track record lap of 1:14.0379. The Top 6 starts will be Pagenaud, Hunter-Reay, Castroneves, Dixon, Aleshin, and Kanaan. Daly would have been P3 in Group A but lost his best time for causing a local yellow early in the session. Power lost his two fastest laps in Group B for qualifying interference and would’ve had the top time in that group and the pole position overall. Andretti and Rossi each lost their fastest lap in Group B as well. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/5/2016)

Race 2 qualifying bumped up to 10:30AM – Qualifying for Race 2 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit will now start at 10:30AM as opposed to 10:45AM to try and guarantee dry weather for each qualifying group. The Race 2 qualifying format is two separate groups that will each run for 12 minutes. 5 minutes of green flag time is guaranteed for each group. The fastest time from the two groups will win the pole and the cars in that group will take the odd positions in the order of their times from said group. – The Open Wheel – (6/5/2016)

The Open Wheel’s Belle Isle photo gallery – The Open wheel’s photo gallery from the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. Check it out at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/4/2016)

Bourdais grabs Race 1 win at Belle Isle – KVSH Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais grabbed a win for the second straight year at Belle Isle with a win in Race 1 of the Verizon IndyCar Series Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. The rest of the Top 5 was Daly, Montoya, Rahal, and Castroneves. Championship leader Simon Pagenaud led 35 laps but ran out of fuel on the last lap and limped to a P13 finish. Hawksworth’s car had mechanical problems and was unable to start or compete in the race. Chilton and Hinchcliffe each had separate contact with barriers to bring out cautions. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/4/2016)

Belle Isle Race 1 starting lineup with tire designation – At the link you’ll find the Race 1 starting lineup with tire designation for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. Simon Pagenaud starts on pole and Carlos Munoz is the only driver in the field who will start on primary black tires. – INDYCAR – (6/4/2016)

Newgarden fastest in final practice at Belle Isle – Josef Newgarden and Ed Carpenter Racing turned the fastest lap of the final Verizon IndyCar Series practice for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit with a lap of 1:14.6464. The rest of the Top 5 was Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Pagenaud, and Montoya. SPM had a rough practice as Hinchcliffe had a spin and Aleshin continued to struggle with spins and off course excursions. Dixon made light contact with a barrier. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/4/2016)

Pagenaud wins the pole for Race 1 at Belle Isle – Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud won the pole and Verizon P1 award for Race 1 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit with a lap of 1:14.9166. The rest of the Firestone Fast 6 order was Castroneves, Montoya, Hinchcliffe, Munoz, and Dixon. Castroneves holds the new track record with a lap of 1:14.6899 in Round 2. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/3/2016)

INDYCAR’s visor cam series continues with Daly at Belle Isle – INDYCAR’s excellent visor cam series continues with Conor Daly lapping the Streets of Belle Isle in practice for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. Check it out at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/3/2016)

United Rentals named official equipment rental company of INDYCAR – “INDYCAR announced today a multiyear agreement with United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental provider and a team partner with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, to become the official equipment rental company of INDYCAR and the Verizon IndyCar Series.” See the full release at the link. – The Open Wheel – (6/3/2016)

Power takes P1 in Practice 1 at Belle Isle – Team Penske’s Will Power’s lap of 1:15.0197 was the fastest lap of Verizon IndyCar Series Practice 1 for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. The rest of the Top 5 was Castroneves, Dixon, Pagenaud, and Dixon. Chevy had 6 of the Top 8 times. Aleshin brought out two red flags in the session and the second was for this contact with a tire barrier. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (6/3/2016)

INDYCAR rules out China event in ’16 – “We are not going to be racing in China despite the fact there was strong interest there,” IndyCar president Mark Miles told RACER. “Here we are on June 1 and all the arrangements aren’t in place, so we don’t feel comfortable adding an event to the calendar when we’re not confident it can go on without a hitch.” – RACER – (6/2/2016)

The Open Wheel’s Belle Isle preview – The Open Wheel’s Dylan Reynolds previews the Verizon IndyCar Series’ doubleheader weekend at Belle Island for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. Included in the preview is all of the pertinent race information, past race history, predictions, fantasy advice, and more. – The Open Wheel – (6/2/2016)

ECR names Pigot No. 20 road/street course driver starting at Belle Isle – “Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that 2015 Indy Lights champion Spencer Pigot will join the team, beginning this weekend for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. The No. 20, driven by team owner Ed Carpenter on the oval events, will be piloted by Pigot for the rest of the road and street course events on the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.” “I’m very excited to be joining Ed Carpenter Racing for the remainder of the season on road and street courses,” stated Pigot. “ECR has been very strong in 2016 and I hope we can continue to build on the success they’ve already had.” – Ed Carpenter Racing – (6/2/2016)

Andretti Autosport confirms NAPA still on board No. 98 for Belle Isle – “The Indianapolis 500 championship combination of Alexander Rossi and NAPA AUTO PARTS will remain intact for this weekend’s Verizon IndyCar Series race on Detroit’s Belle Isle. The double-header weekend will see the newly crowned champion again behind the wheel of the No. 98 NAPA AUTO PARTS / Curb Honda.” – Andretti Autosport – (6/2/2016)

Belle Isle spotter guide posted – The spotter guide for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit is posted and features a couple new liveries and the return of a few we haven’t seen in a while. Graham Rahal has a new United Rentals livery in the No. 15 and Carlos Munoz has a new Magnetti Marelli look in the No. 26. Check out the liveries for this weekend at the link. – INDYCAR – (6/1/2016)

Rossi writes for The Players’ Tribune – Indy 500 champ Alexander Rossi wrote a cool piece for The Players’ Tribune on what his Month of May was like and the emotions of winning The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. It’s worth a click. “I knew Victory Lane and the winner’s circle at the Indy 500 were big deals, but I didn’t know they’d be like this. I didn’t comprehend the number of people, and the magnitude of what we’d just accomplished as a team. It was all I could do not to cry on TV in front of millions of people. After that it was just … shock. I legitimately did not know how to put the wreath on, or when to drink the milk, or where to look, or who to talk to, or what hat to put on, or where to stand. Everyone was yelling at me to look at them, and it was all happening so fast.” – The Players’ Tribune – (6/1/2016)

Pruett breaks down Rossi’s 500 victory – RACER’s Marshall Pruett has put together a nice piece breaking down all that went into to Alexander Rossi’s amazing fuel saving run to with The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. A must read. – RACER – (6/1/2016)

Trackside podcast 5/31/16 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee from 5/31/16 is a great listen as always. The pair recaps The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. – 1070 The Fan – (6/1/2016)

Miller’s Mailbag 6/1/16 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (6/1/2016)

Belle Isle entry list posted; Chaves in DCR No. 19 – The INDYCAR entry list for the Verizon IndyCar Series Chevrolet Dual in Detroit is posted and available at the link. The highlight is Gabby Chaves remaining in the No. 19 car for Dale Coyne Racing. It looks as though NAPA will remain on the No. 98 for Alexander Rossi and that there will be new liveries for Graham Rahal in the No. 15 (United Rentals) and Carlos Munoz in the No. 26 (Magnetti Marelli). – INDYCAR – (5/31/2016)

ABC’s Indy 500 telecast draws 4.12 rating – ABC’s telecast of The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race drew a 4.12 TV rating compared to 4.27 in 2015. The race was broadcast live in Indianapolis this year due to the sellout. – ShowBuzzDaily – (5/31/2016)

Rossi earns over $2.5 million with 500 win – “Alexander Rossi earned $2,548,743 from an overall purse of $13,273,253 for his victory on Sunday in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” Full box score with winnings here. – INDYCAR – (5/31/2016)

Indy 500 banquet highlights available – The Indianapolis 500 Victory Banquet highlights are available on WTHR’s website. Check them out at the link. – WTHR – (5/31/2016)

Indy 500 banquet on 5/30 at 7:30PM – The Indianapolis 500 Victory Banquet will be broadcast by WTHR out of Indianapolis on Monday, May 30th at 7:30PM. It will be streamed online as well. No link yet but one should be available from the WTHR website on this story link closer to the start of the event. – WTHR – (5/30/2016)

Lady Gaga subs for Keith Urban in two-seater – “Lady Gaga rode in the two-seater with Mario Andretti at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. According to our partners at WFMS, Keith Urban was originally supposed to ride with Andretti, but had to cancel due to a back injury.” – WTHR – (5/30/2016)

Indy 500 Race Day Photo Gallery – The Open Wheel’s Parker Hall’s photo gallery race day at The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is a great click as always. – The Open Wheel – (5/30/2016)

Rossi wins classic 100th Indy 500 – Andretti Autosport with Bryan Herta Autosport’s rookie Alexander Rossi brilliantly executed a late fuel strategy plan to win The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The rest of the Top 5 was Munoz, Newgarden, Kanaan, and Kimball. It was a race full of drama as Montoya crashed early, Karam hit the wall in Turn 1 while in the Top 5, Hunter-Reay and Bell collided in the pits while each were in the Top 5, Castroneves suffered damage from a Top 5 position, and accidents in the last half of the race constantly affected strategy. Kanaan, Newgarden, and Munoz traded the lead late before each had to make a final pit stop. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (5/29/2016)

Indy 500 Race Morning Photo Gallery – The Open Wheel’s Parker Hall’s photo gallery from a pre-sunrise arrival to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the morning of The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is a must see. Check it out at the link. IMS is a beautiful place at “night”! – The Open Wheel – (5/29/2016)

300,000 attend 60th IPL 500 Festival Parade – An estimated 300,000 people attend the 60th IPL 500 Festival Parade on Saturday before The 100th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Every driver in the field was at the event. “I’m ready to relax and get in the race car,” said James Hinchcliffe. “That’s kind of our decompress for the week here. It’s been pretty busy, obviously, but for all the right reasons so no complaints. And it’s awesome to see such a crowd here today and I can’t wait to see what the crowd’s going to be like tomorrow.” – WTHR – (5/28/2016)

Trackside podcast 5/27/16 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 5/27/16 is a great listen as always. The show is live from the 9th Annual Carb Night Burger bash and the pair are joined by a large number of drivers. – 1070 The Fan – (5/28/2016)

Kohler to sponsor Road America race – “Kohler Co. will be the title sponsor for the Verizon IndyCar Series’ return to Road America, which will be known as the KOHLER Grand Prix. The green flag will fly on the event at approximately 12:15 pm CST on June 26.” More at the link. – INDYCAR – (5/28/2016)

Castroneves and Team Penske No. 3 crew win pit stop challenge again – Team Penske’s No. 3 crew for Helio Castroneves won the TAG Heuer Pit Stop Challenge for the eighth time on Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They defeated Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ No. 7 crew for Mikhail Aleshin in the final. – INDYCAR – (5/27/2016)

Stoneman wins Freedom 100 thriller over Jones – Andretti Autosport’s Dean Stoneman beat Carlin’s Ed Jones to the finish line by just 0.0024 of a second in the Indy Lights Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Top 5 was Stoneman, Jones, Kellett, Blackstock, and Hargrove. Full race results here. – NBC Sports – (5/27/2016)

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