Preview – 2017 KOHLER Grand Prix
By Dylan Reynolds, The Open Wheel
The INDYCAR season continues this weekend at Road America for the Verizon IndyCar Series KOHLER Grand Prix and the Mazda Indy Lights Grand Prix of Road America Presented by Allied Building Products. The Open Wheel will be on-site covering the action all weekend so stay tuned to this site and our Twitter page @openwh33l for all of the latest news.
Photo by Parker Hall/The Open Wheel
Weekend Schedule – Entry List – Spotter Guide – Circuit Map – Tickets
Indy Lights Preview: Mazda Indy Lights Grand Prix of Road America Presented by Allied Building Products (Entry List), Race 1 – Saturday, June 24, 2017 1:00PM (ET) & Race 2 – Sunday, June 25, 2017 9:45AM (ET) – The Indy Lights races this weekend are the series’ first since the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway so the drivers and teams will be eager for their return. Here are the results of last year’s races at Road America: Race 1 & Race 2. Zach Veach and Santiago Urrutia each grabbed wins in 2016. Urrutia started second in each race and has to be considered a favorite regardless of how his season has gone so far. Zachary Claman De Melo had two Top 5’s last year so he could be one to watch this weekend. Aaron Telitz is from Wisconsin and dominated the race weekend in Pro Mazda last year. The Belardi Auto Racing duo of Urrutia and Telitz are due for a big weekend. My picks to win: Santi Urrutia & Aaron Telitz
Verizon IndyCar Series Preview: KOHLER Grand Prix, Sunday, June 25 12:30PM (ET) NBCSN – Will Power is the only driver racing this weekend with a win at Road America after last year’s first Verizon IndyCar Series race at the circuit since 2007 (won by Sebastien Bourdais). Previous driver experience shows only 7 drivers with multiple starts at Road America in Tony Kanaan (6), Helio Castroneves (5), Scott Dixon (3), Ryan Hunter-Reay (3), Will Power (3), Simon Pagenaud (2), and Graham Rahal (2). Rahal has Top 5’s in each of his two starts at Road America. Looking at the box score from last year’s return at Road America shows a Top 5 of Power, Kanaan, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, and Castroneves. Power won the race from the pole position. Josef Newgarden was the biggest gainer of the race up 12 spots from a P20 starting position to finish P8. My pick to win: Will Power – Power is the defending pole and race winner at Road America, won the last time out in Texas, and is famous for his hot streaks putting great results/wins together.
My fantasy.indycar.com picks: Will Power, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Spencer Pigot – You know my thoughts on Power. Dixon started in P2 last year but a mechanical issue ended his day early. He’ll be fast once again as he has all year. Hunter-Reay had a Top 5 last year and is absolutely due for a break after terrible luck all season long. Pigot has a solid 3 Top 10’s so far this season and finished P9 at Road America last year so I think he’s a great value choice for $15 this weekend.