News for the Month of January 2017

Petro-Canada Lubricants renews partnership with Hinch/SPM – “Petro-Canada Lubricants is pleased to announce a renewed partnership with Verizon IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe as well as an increased relationship with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. After a successful 2016 partnership, this renewal will cover the entire 2017 IndyCar racing season and will see enhanced Petro-Canada Lubricants branding featured on James’ race car as well as additional Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team assets.” Full release at the link. – SPM – (1/31/2017)

7-Eleven to serve as associate sponsor for TK/CGRT for five races – “Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) and 7-Eleven, Inc. announced today that 7-Eleven, Inc. will partner with CGR and the driver of the No. 10 Honda, Tony Kanaan, as an associate sponsor at select races in the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season (St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Indianapolis, and Texas). The partnership between 7-Eleven, Inc., CGR, and Kanaan comes 14 years after the leading convenience retail chain first backed the Brazilian in the Verizon IndyCar Series.” Full release at the link. – CGRT – (1/31/2017)

PIR officially announces renovation plans – Phoenix International Raceway officially announced their $178 million renovation plans on Monday. “Among the many highlights of the modernization project is a completely redesigned infield featuring a first-of-its-kind Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Garage Fan Zone, placing fans face-to-face with the superstars of the sport. Phoenix Raceway’s start/finish line will be repositioned in Turn 2 just before the track’s well-known dog leg. Other new highlights include a new pedestrian tunnel connecting the infield to the new seating areas featuring in-seat Wi-Fi connectivity.” NBC Sports’ Tony DiZinno reports the 2018 INDYCAR weekend at PIR will be April 13-14, 2018. – Phoenix International Raceway – (1/30/2017)

INDYCAR’s Rolex 24 race update – The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing No. 66 Ford GT team that Sebastien Bourdais drove for won the GT Le Mans class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and that was the only podium by the Verizon IndyCar Series drivers. INDYCAR’s full update for the Rolex 24 at Daytona race the Verizon IndyCar Series drivers participating is available at the link. Full race results here. – INDYCAR – (1/29/2017)

INDYCAR’s Rolex 24 qualifying update – INDYCAR’s update on Rolex 24 at Daytona qualifying for the Verizon IndyCar Series drivers participating is available at the link. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (1/27/2017)

Daly added to Rolex 24 driver lineup – Conor Daly has joined the driver lineup for Starworks Motorsports’ No. 88 PC class entry in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Recent Indy Lights winner Sean Rayhall is also a driver on the team. See Conor’s tweet about the “change in plans” here. – NBC Sports – (1/26/2017)

Visit Indy wants IMS to add downtown Indianapolis attraction – The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that Visit Indy officials see a need for Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have an attraction in Downtown Indianapolis. “IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are intrinsically linked with our brand, with Indy’s brand,” Visit Indy CEO Leonard Hoops. “We get a lot of feedback from a lot of convention visitors and business travelers that they would like some type of IMS attraction or experience downtown. [Visitors] want something that is more convenient to get to than the track. They want a 52-week-a-year experience downtown.” Mark Miles has quotes in response to the idea in the article that expressed IMS will look into the idea but they already have many upgrades planned. – IBJ – (1/26/2017)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/25/17 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/25/2017)

Trackside podcast 1/24/17 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/24/17 is a great listen as always. Guests on the show are Colton Herta and Calvin Fish. – 1070 The Fan – (1/25/2017)

Cadillac and Chevrolet renew support at St. Pete – “For the fourth consecutive year, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg announces the renewal of its partnership with Cadillac and Chevrolet for the upcoming race on March 10-12, 2017. These classic American brands are designated as the official luxury car and the official truck, respectively.” Full release at the link. – GP of St. Pete – (1/24/2017)

Zedd and Marshmello to headline Indy 500 Snake Pit lineup – “The Indy 500 Snake Pit Presented by Coors Light is proud to announce the official lineup for 2017! EDM superstars ZEDD and MARSHMELLO will headline, along with support by RL GRIME, ACTION BRONSON, ADVENTURE CLUB and THE TRAP HOUSE, in addition to wrestling legend RIC FLAIR as the special emcee. The Snake Pit will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, on Sunday, May 28, during the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/24/2017)

AJ Foyt Racing hires Will Phillips – “Will Phillips joins AJ Foyt’s ABC Supply Racing team as the team’s technical director, replacing Don Halliday, who retired at the end of 2016. Phillips will also be the race engineer of the No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet piloted by Carlos Munoz. Daniele Cucchiaroni returns as the race engineer of the team’s other entry, the No. 4 ABC Supply Chevrolet with driver Conor Daly.” Full release at the link. – AJ Foyt Racing – (1/23/2017)

Report: Chaves in play for Indy 500 entry with new team – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Larry Curry has been working on putting a Verizon IndyCar Series team together in Indianapolis. Pruett says Gabby Chaves is working with an unnamed team on an Indy 500 deal and Pruett believes it to be the Curry effort. Full report at the link. – RACER – (1/23/2017)

INDYCAR update from team day at ROC – Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Juan Pablo Montoya, Gabby Chaves, Helio Castroneves, and Tony Kanaan all had a busy weekend at the Race of Champions in Miami. Full weekend update from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/23/2017)

Montoya wins individual title at ROC – Juan Pablo Montoya won the “Champion of Champions” individual title at the Race of Champions in Miami. Montoya defeated Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen in a best of three heat race final in a KTM X-BOW. “It’s unbelievable, today I’m actually regretting that I haven’t done this before,” said Montoya. “Normally at the end of the season, I used to go home, but now if you told me I had to fly 15 hours to go (to compete in the Race Of Champions), I would do it.” Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/22/2017)

Bommarito Automotive Group to sponsor race at Gateway – “The Bommarito Automotive Group, the leading retailer of new and used vehicles in the St. Louis region, is partnering with Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois to sponsor the inaugural Verizon IndyCar Series event at the track on August 26. The title of the INDYCAR event at the 1.25-mile oval will be the Bommarito Automotive Group 500.” Full release at the link. – Gateway Motorsports Park – (1/20/2017)

REV Group to again sponsor Penske No. 3 at two races – REV Group’s website says they will be the primary sponsor of the Team Penske No. 3 car to be driven by Helio Castroneves at Verizon IndyCar Series races at Phoenix International Raceway and Road America. – REV Group – (1/19/2017)

Da Costa aiming for IndyCar chance with Carlin – Motorsport.com’s David Malsher reports Antonio Felix Da Costa’s manager, Tiago Monteiro, says they’re talking to Trevor Carlin about Da Costa’s possibilities with Carlin should the team enter the Verizon IndyCar Series part-time in 2017 or full-time in 2018. “But I would love to see Antonio do even a part-time season in IndyCar, because racing in America has a lot of advantages,” says Monteiro. “It’s a great experience, and you learn a lot from that. With a good team, I’m sure he would like it. He’s a big fan of the U.S. and I’ve told him about a lot of great experiences I had while I was racing there.” Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (1/19/2017)

IMS to host Red Bull Air Race season finale – Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the Red Bull Air Race finale in 2017. The series will race at IMS the weekend of October 14th and 15th. Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/19/2017)

Report: Maldonado in talks with KV Racing for road/street courses – Motorsport.com’s David Malsher reports former Venezuelan F1 driver Pastor Maldonado is in talks with KV Racing to race for the team on road and street courses in the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2017. Maldonado reportedly has no interest in racing on ovals. Full report at the link. – Motorsport.com – (1/18/2017)

NAPA to sponsor Rossi for seven races in ’17 – “NAPA AUTO PARTS and Alexander Rossi drove into racing history by capturing the twin-checkers at the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, and the pair will again join with Andretti Autosport in 2017. The seven-race, co-primary sponsorship will see the reigning Indy 500 champion take the wheel of Andretti’s No. 98 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda starting at the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rossi will then carry NAPA Know How for races in Long Beach, Indianapolis, Road America, Watkins Glen and Sonoma.” Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (1/18/2017)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/18/17 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/18/2017)

Trackside podcast 1/17/17 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/17/17 is a great listen as always. The pair are joined by Josef Newgarden, Spencer Pigot, and Kevin Olson. – 1070 The Fan – (1/18/2017)

INDYCAR announces contract extension with Bridgestone/Firestone – “INDYCAR announced a multiyear contract extension today with Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (BATO), continuing its longtime partnership with Firestone as the official tire supplier of the Verizon IndyCar Series. The announcement extends the tire brand’s involvement in open-wheel racing that dates to Ray Harroun’s Firestone-equipped Marmon Wasp winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.” “Firestone is part of the fabric of INDYCAR and its commitment to evolving performance, innovation and safety in the Verizon IndyCar Series has been remarkable,” said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations. “The Firestone brand has been part of our sport for more than 100 years and continues to be an integral partner in the growth of INDYCAR on and off the racetrack.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/17/2017)

ECR names Pigot as road/street course driver for No. 20 – “Ed Carpenter Racing announced (Tuesday) that Spencer Pigot will retain his duties as the road and street course driver for the No. 20 Chevrolet for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season. After joining ECR partway through 2016 in the same role, Pigot will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 at non-oval events for the entirety of the 2017 season. The only owner/driver in the series, Ed Carpenter, will continue to pilot the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet at all oval races.” Full release at the link. – ECR – (1/17/2017)

AJ Foyt Racing makes Chevy switch official – AJ Foyt Racing has made their switch from Honda to Chevrolet official. The team tweeted the long-reported news this morning and included a picture of AJ and Larry Foyt with drivers Carlos Munoz and Conor Daly in front of one of their cars outfitted with a Chevy aero kit. – AJ Foyt Racing – (1/17/2017)

ECR teases Tuesday announcement for No. 20 drivers – Ed Carpenter Racing will announce their driver plans for their No. 20 Verizon IndyCar Series entry at 10AM on Tuesday, January 16th. – ECR – (1/16/2017)

Report: Aleshin funding issues jeopardizing SPM seat – RACER reports that funding issues have put Mikhail Aleshin’s future at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in doubt. SPM had previously announced Aleshin as returning for 2017 but he is no longer listed as a confirmed driver on INDYCAR’s website and RACER reports it’s an issue with his SMP Racing backing once again. Full report at the link. – RACER – (1/16/2017)

Franchitti calls ’18 aero kit renderings “fabulous” – NBC Sports’ Luke Smith has a nice story with Dario Franchitti’s thoughts on the direction INDYCAR is heading with the universal aero kit for 2018. “The drawing of the rending is just that right now, but the direction they’re going in is fabulous,” Franchitti told NBC Sports at Autosport International. Franchitti further elaborated on halo head protection: ““But if it’s going to be done, it’s got to be done right. And there are so many unintended consequences when you do that. You don’t want to rush into it, but you want to introduce it as quickly as possible.” Full story at the link. – NBC Sports – (1/16/2017)

Record speed not top priority for ’18 aero kit – David Malsher of Motorsport.com reports that INDYCAR is prioritizing safety and quality of racing over higher speeds as they design the universal aero kit for 2018. “Speed is very important, yes, but at the end of the day, the racing product is what’s most important,” says INDYCAR president of competition and operations Jay Frye. “That one day – the 500 –the race is the most important thing. We want to have a great race.” Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (1/13/2017)

Abreu states Indy 500 goal – Versatile driver Rico Abreu has stated one of his biggest goals is to race in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. “My goals from Day 1 — that I’ve always said to everybody — my goals are to run the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, and I just want to win races on top of all that,” Abreu told Lee Spencer of Motorsport.com. Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (1/13/2017)

INDYCAR unveils 2018 universal aero kit concepts – “As INDYCAR works toward a universal aerodynamic bodywork kit for all Verizon IndyCar Series cars in 2018, the development process is well under way. Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations, unveiled a series of initial concept drawings for how the car might look during a media roundtable at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).” See the drawings in the full release at the link. – The Open Wheel – (1/12/2017)

INDYCAR announces extension with Dallara – “The first step in revealing INDYCAR’s next equipment generation comes in the form of signing Dallara, the sport’s longtime chassis manufacturer, to a new contract, officials announced (Thursday) at the North American International Auto Show. The multiyear agreement calls for Dallara, an Italian company with a U.S. base in Speedway, Indiana, to continue providing driver safety cells to the Verizon IndyCar Series through the 2020 season. The 2017 season marks Dallara’s 20th anniversary in U.S.-based open-wheel racing…INDYCAR will soon unveil plans for new bodywork giving the Dallara IR-12 chassis a fresh appearance for the 2018 season.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/12/2017)

Rossi receives ‘Baby Borg’ – Alexander Rossi received his ‘Baby Borg’ trophy for winning the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Wednesday in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show. Full release and pictures at the link. – IMS – (1/12/2017)

INDYCAR releases ’17 TV schedule/times – “In collaboration with ABC and NBCSN, INDYCAR’s television calendar will see each race return to the same network where it aired in 2016. The logic behind the schedule is based on continuing to seek opportunities to avoid broadcast conflicts with other major sporting events while giving INDYCAR fans the best possible viewing times.” “Today’s announcement is another key step forward in INDYCAR’s plan of developing continuity and consistency in both our event calendar and our television schedule,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “We’re extremely grateful to our partners at ABC and NBCSN for their collaboration, which has been instrumental in the increase of television ratings and viewership INDYCAR has experienced the past three years and has the series well positioned to continue that growth in 2017.” See the schedule here. – INDYCAR – (1/11/2017)

Team INDYCAR to compete at Chili Bowl – “INDYCAR is reaching back to its racing roots by sponsoring 10 drivers at this week’s Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Team INDYCAR consists of 10 drivers competing in the 31st annual indoor midget race that attracts hundreds of racers ranging from weekly short-track regulars and legends to INDYCAR and NASCAR drivers. The week-long competition takes place on the quarter-mile clay oval constructed inside River Spirit Expo Center at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. The event began Monday and concludes with the climactic championship feature Saturday night.” The 10 drivers are Chad Boat, Jerry Coons Jr., Tyler Courtney, Dave Darland, David Gravel, Davey Hamilton Jr., Kyle O’Gara, Davey Ray, Donny Schatz, and Tyler Seavey. Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/11/2017)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/11/17 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/11/2017)

Trackside podcast 1/10/17 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/10/17 is a great listen as always. The pair are live from the Detroit Auto Show and guests include Kevin Blanch, Katie Hargitt, and Marty Snider. – 1070 The Fan – (1/11/2017)

Report: SPM to test Dörrbecker – Escudería Telmex reports Mexican driver Luis Michael Dörrbecker will test with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports at the Verizon IndyCar Series test at Sebring International Raceway on February 28th and March 1st. See the release at the link. – Escudería Telmex – (1/10/2017)

Indy Lights grid taking shape – Rob Howden has a great update on the Indy Lights grid for 2017. He has a team-by-team breakdown of confirmed entries as well as rumors. The must-read piece is available at the link. – Rob Howden – (1/9/2017)

IndyCar reveals updated test calendar – NBC Sports’ Tony DiZinno has posted a nice breakdown of dates, locations, and participants after INDYCAR revealed Verizon IndyCar Series test schedules for the coming months. Check it out at the link. – NBC Sports – (1/9/2017)

TK unveils logo/giveaway intentions to celebrate 20th year in IndyCar – From Tony Kanaan’s Twitter account: “This year I’ll be celebrating my 20th season in IndyCar! Stay tuned for swag giveaways and pics/cool facts of these 20 seasons”. See the logo at the link. – Tony Kanaan – (1/9/2017)

Urban to headline Legends Day concert at IMS – “Four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban will headline the annual Firestone Legends Day Concert on Saturday, May 27, the day before the 101st Indy 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Tickets go on-sale Monday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. with a pre-sale for current 2017 IMS ticketholders taking place at an earlier date.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/9/2017)

Franchitti named Rolex 24 Grand Marshal – “Legendary open-wheel racer Dario Franchitti, who won three Indianapolis 500s as well as the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona International Speedway.” Full release at the link. – Daytona International Speedway – (1/9/2017)

Ganassi completes educational test at Sebring – All four Chip Ganassi Racing Team’s Verizon IndyCar Series cars completed a test day at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday. This was the team’s first chance to try out their new Honda equipment. “The car that we are racing today is totally new for us,” said Mike Hull, the team’s managing director. “Yes, it’s the same DW-12, but the weight distribution (between the Chevrolet and Honda engines and aero kits) is different, so the way the mechanical aspect of the car acts, you have almost to take the notebook you have and throw it away mechanically with the suspension part of the car. The aero is certainly new for us, so we have to match the aero to that.” Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/6/2017)

Carlin announces Rickards as new Lights driver – “Carlin is pleased to announce that American racing driver Garth Rickards will join the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires team for the 2017 season. Rickards has already tested extensively with the team over the past couple of months and will make the move to the competitive Series following a programme last season racing in USF2000 – also part of the highly respected Mazda Road to Indy ladder.” Full release at the link. – Carlin – (1/6/2017)

Texas Motor Speedway announces repave – “Texas Motor Speedway will begin a major capital improvement project Monday consisting of a complete repave, construction of an extensive drainage system and a re-profiling of the 1.5-mile oval configuration at the world-renowned motorsports facility that annually plays host to NASCAR and INDYCAR events. The renovation will add a new layer of asphalt over the existing pavement, an expansive French drainage system on the frontstretch and backstretch, and reduce the banking in Turns 1 and 2 by four degrees. Barring extensive weather delays, the project is expected to be completed by early to mid-March in anticipation of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR doubleheader scheduled for April 7-9.” Full release at the link. – Texas Motor Speedway – (1/6/2017)

Carlin withdraws from GP2 to shift single-seater focus – Carlin has withdrawn from the GP2 series to shift their focus on other series. Carlin added an Indy Lights program last year and is strongly interested in adding a Verizon IndyCar Series program in the near future. A source within Carlin told Autosport: “We’ve come to a point where we have fulfilled our contract with GP2 Series, a championship in which we have enjoyed great success including numerous podiums, race wins, and been championship contenders…The time has now come to move on to focus on other areas of our race programmes.” Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (1/6/2017)

Daly a finalist to team w/Hinch at ROC – Conor Daly was named as one of ten finalists for a “wild card” spot to partner James Hinchcliffe in the upcoming Race of Champions event in Miami. “It’s a cool deal they have to bring in a wildcard, per se,” said Daly. “I know it was a big hit (in London) at Race of Champions and ROC is big race everyone looks at. Drivers from all the major disciplines of the sport are coming here to compete against each other. It would be a cool opportunity to maybe participate against them.” – INDYCAR – (1/6/2017)

Ganassi cars to test at Sebring Thursday – All four Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Verizon IndyCar Series car/driver combinations will be testing at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday, January 5th. Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Charlie Kimball, and Max Chilton will all complete their first laps of Ganassi’s return to Honda power. Here is a shot of Charlie Kimball’s car with a Honda engine and aero kit. More at the link. – RACER – (1/5/2017)

Hinch and Pigot confirmed for Mazda’s Rolex 24 lineup – James Hinchcliffe and Spencer Pigot will each drive for Mazda in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. – Mazda Racing – (1/4/2017)

Enerson added to Rolex 24 lineup – Recent Indy Lights and Verizon IndyCar Series driver RC Enerson was named as a driver for PR1 Motorsports in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. – PR1 Motorsports – (1/4/2017)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/4/17 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/4/2017)

INDYCAR connections on entry list for Roar Before The Rolex 24 – There are plenty of recent INDYCAR drivers on the entry list for The 2017 Roar Before The Rolex 24 this weekend. Spencer Pigot, Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Tristan Vautier, and Katherine Legge are all scheduled to participate. Check out the full entry list at the link. – IMSA – (1/3/2017)

Rahal gets VIP treatment at NHL Winter Classic – Graham Rahal was a VIP guest of Bridgestone/Firestone at the 2017 NHL Winter Classic in St. Louis on Monday to help promote the INDYCAR weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park. Rahal posted a picture with fellow Bridgestone guest Olympian Aly Raisman. “I’ve been lucky to go to a lot of cool sporting events in my time,” Rahal said. “Obviously you’ve got the Indy 500 – to me, that’s the greatest – the Super Bowl, national championship football games, World Series. This is one of those events that’s extremely cool and ultimately will become an iconic event. It’s a great experience for me to be here.” – INDYCAR – (1/3/2017)

INDYCAR launches “NEXT” campaign – Following “RIVALS”, “SPEED”, and “LEGENDS”, INDYCAR has announced “NEXT” as its latest marketing campaign. “We’re confident and focused on INDYCAR’s future,” said C.J. O’Donnell, chief marketing officer of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “The theme ‘NEXT’ will effectively deliver our message of continued growth and expresses the momentum our sport has experienced the last three seasons.” Watch the initial video here. – INDYCAR – (1/2/2017)

Blackstock to compete in Castrol Toyota Racing Series – Belardi Auto Racing Indy Lights driver Shelby Blackstock will drive in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series, a single-seater racing series in New Zealand. The five-round series takes place in January and February 2017. – Castrol Toyota Racing Series – (12/30/2016)

Belardi adds Urrutia to ’17 Lights lineup – Belardi Auto Racing announced Santiago Urrutia as the driver of their No. 5 entry in Indy Lights for 2017. “We have a really strong crew and I believe that we are going to have one of the greatest teams in the paddock,” said Urrutia. “I am very happy to sign with Belardi, as I was fighting with the team’s drivers all year in 2016. I have only one goal, and that is to win the championship, and I am going to try to win every race for the team.” – Indy Lights – (12/30/2016)

Miller’s Mailbag 12/28/16 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (12/28/2016)

Hinch and Helio added to ROC lineups – James Hinchcliffe and Helio Castroneves have been added to the driver lineup for the Race of Champions in Miami in January. Full release at the link. – ROC – (12/27/2016)

CGRT to field many IndyCar drivers in Rolex 24 – Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe, and Tony Kanaan will all be driving as part of the four-car lineup for Chip Ganassi Racing Team’s Rolex 24 Hours of DAYTONA effort. Full lineup at the link. – Ford Performance – (12/23/2016)

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