Latest news with #SonsioGrandPrix
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Power Rankings: Marcus Armstrong, Christian Rasmussen Jump In
INDYCAR The recent stretch in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES showcased the full range of the sport's diversity with four races on four distinct track types. Each tested driver skills and team strategies, which led to some shake-ups in the Power Rankings since early May. The Sonsio Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway natural road course on May 10 kicked off the stretch on a track favoring technical road course specialists. The 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25 on the 2.5-mile IMS superspeedway oval is the crown jewel of the series, demanding high-speed precision and pit strategy. Next was the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, a tight, unforgiving street course with little margin for error June 1. Finally, last Sunday's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology Raceway emphasized short-track handling with strategic adjustments on the 1.25-mile oval. Through it all, Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O'Ward emerged as the consistent top three performers, anchoring Power Rankings amid the shake-ups beneath them. Their ability to perform across disciplines has been astiff test Palou, Kirkwood and O'Ward have passed, as they stayed in the top three spots in the Power Rankings this week ahead of the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR on Sunday, June 22 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network). But there are two new faces in the rankings based on their strong performances at WWTR: ↑10. Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet; Last Rank: NR) Rasmussen came from the back to the front twice at WWTR after starting 25th, earning a career-best third-place finish. He has two top-six finishes in the last three races. ↑9. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda; Last Rank: NR) Armstrong catapulted to 10th in points following his third top-10 finish in the last four races by crossing the finish line ninth at WWTR. He was the top Honda-powered qualifier at WWTR by starting sixth. ↔8. David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet; Last Rank: 8) Malukas hasn't delivered headline results in the last two races, but a closer look reveals a driver performing at an elite level, just without the final box score to match. Malukas qualified second in Detroit and was positioned for a second straight top-five finish before an avoidable contact penalty left him 14th at the checkered flag. He qualified fourth at WWTR and led a race-high 67 laps. He was in serious contention for the win before brushing the Turn 4 SAFER Barrier on Lap 195, leaving him 12th. Still, the speed is undeniable, and a runner-up finish in the Indy 500, the biggest stage in the series, cemented Malukas' ability to perform up front. ↓7. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 4) Power's season has been a roller coaster, flashing brilliance offset by costly setbacks. He was involved in a first-lap crash in the St. Petersburg season opener, finishing 26th. Power started 33rd in the '500' and managed to claw up to 16th, but still not the kind of result that matches Power's championship-winning pedigree. At WWTR, Power earned NTT P1 Award honors but crashed early in Turn 4, finishing last. Outside of those three trouble spots, Power has five top-six finishes, a clear indication that when things go right, he's still among the best in the series. ↑6. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 10) Dixon was on the verge of dropping out of the Power Rankings but finished fourth at WWTR for his third top-five finish of the season. The six-time series champion delivered another solid result, even when the raw speed isn't always there. He's fifth in points and remains a master in execution of various fuel-saving strategies. ↔5. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 5) Lundgaard slipped at WWTR by finishing 14th, but his overall body of work keeps him firmly in the Power Rankings and championship conversation. The Dane is fourth in points and had six top-eight finishes in the seven races before WWTR, including three straight podiums at The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and a runner-up at Barber Motorsports Park. The bigger picture proves he's not just a sneaky talent but a legitimate threat for victory at each race. ↑4. Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Bommarito Automotive Group; Last Rank: 7) Ferrucci is riding a wave of momentum that's making him one of the hottest NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers. He's pieced together three consecutive top-five finishes that no one on the grid can match heading to Road America. A week after Ferrucci earned his best-career finish by crossing the finish line second in Detroit, he charged from 19th to finish fifth at WWTR. ↔3. Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3) O'Ward is on a heater, and it's not just flashes of brilliance anymore. He's sustained high-level execution across all types of tracks. O'Ward finished runner-up to Kirkwood on Sunday night at WWTR, his second runner-up finish in the last four races and third of the season. He also finished second to Palou at The Thermal Club and the Sonsio Grand Prix. Since the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by AmFirst in early May at Barber Motorsports Park, O'Ward has a fourth-place average finish, with a worst result of seventh on the streets of Detroit. He has three top-three finishes in the last four races and is second in points, 73 behind Palou. ↔2. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens Honda; Last Rank: 2) Kirkwood proved he's not just a one-dimensional street course specialist by claiming his first oval win Sunday night at WWTR. His previous four victories each took place on street circuits. However, Kirkwood has achieved three of those five wins this season, including two straight. He has four top-five finishes this season and six top-10 results. The Andretti Global driver is third in points, trailing Palou by 75. Palou and Kirkwood have combined to win all eight races this season. ↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1) Palou began 2025 with five wins and a runner-up finish in six races. However, he slipped the last two races, finishing 25th on the streets of Detroit and eighth at WWTR. Still, Palou has outperformed everyone this season, and barring a third straight finish outside the top five, his top spot isn't seriously threatened. recommended
Fox Sports
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
History Shows Josef Newgarden Can Rebound in Second Half
INDYCAR Josef Newgarden had plenty to say entering the 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, following a week of national media obligations. At this point last season, the Team Penske driver entered Detroit seventh in points, riding a wave of momentum from his second consecutive Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge victory. Both '500' wins came due to a thrilling, last-lap pass. This year, Newgarden was quiet in Detroit, sticking to himself and not the usual outgoing, charismatic two-time series champion. He entered last weekend 11th in points. Newgarden charged from 32nd in this year's '500' to inside the top 10 by halfway, but a mechanical failure ended his day on Lap 135, leaving him 22nd and ending his quest to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s. That's the story of his frustrating season. The trouble isn't caused by a lack of speed. Newgarden has been plagued by bad luck, leaving him 12th in points after Detroit, 185 behind leader Alex Palou, and five behind 10th-place Marcus Armstrong. Newgarden had a shot at a top-10 finish in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, but his seatbelts came off, forcing an unscheduled pit stop. He finished 27th. An electrical malfunction before the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course dropped Newgarden from sixth in the starting lineup to take the green flag last. He rallied to finish 12th, leaving the question of what might have been. Even in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, Newgarden had a shot at a runner-up finish, but a fuel mishap occurred, not allowing his No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet to get full of Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel. As a result, Newgarden had to coast the final few laps to get to the checkered. That allowed Palou to pull away, and his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon to pass Newgarden for second. That third-place finish is Newgarden's lone top five all season. Maybe a week off to reset and recharge is exactly what Newgarden needs to swing the pendulum of his season. Following Detroit last year, Newgarden went on a run of five podium finishes over the final 11 races, including a victory at World Wide Technology Raceway, the site of the next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race June 15. Newgarden also had three podium finishes in the final five races. Can he go on another run? Newgarden has the tools and experience to flip the script on a rocky start. The upcoming stretch is tailor-made for a resurgence, especially on ovals, where he has few equals. 'He's the best oval racer in the series,' Ed Carpenter Racing driver Alexander Rossi said. 'He's the most aggressive.' Five of the final nine races are contested on ovals, beginning with a return trip next Sunday night to the 1.25-mile track near St. Louis for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline, airing at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Newgarden has at least one oval victory in each of the last nine years. He's won four of his last five tries at World Wide Technology Raceway. The outlier was 2023 when he finished 25th in a race in which he led 98 laps. At the Iowa Speedway oval, Newgarden has tallied six victories in 16 starts. The series visits the short track for a July 12-13 doubleheader. Newgarden won both NTT P1 Awards at the Milwaukee Mile last season and finished third in the 2024 season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. The series visits both for the final two races of the season, Aug. 24 and Aug. 31, respectively. Newgarden isn't just strong on the remaining circle tracks. Following next Sunday night's race, the series next goes to the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America on June 22. Newgarden finished runner-up on the Wisconsin road course last year to teammate Will Power and won in 2022. The July 6 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio follows. Newgarden won in 2021. The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto takes place on July 20. Newgarden is a two-time winner on the Toronto streets. Translation: Newgarden has arguably as much potential to win in bunches as anyone in the 27-car field. 'We can win any weekend,' Newgarden said. recommended
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
IndyCar Series on FOX; Donovan Long goes behind the scenes
The Brief The IndyCar Series is now on FOX, and the Sonsio Grand Prix is on Saturday. FOX6's Donovan Long got a behind-the-scenes look at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A former Packers player is now part of the pit crew for one driver. INDIANAPOLIS - The IndyCar Series is now on FOX, and FOX6's Donovan Long was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a behind-the-scenes preview of the races. The Sonsio Grand Prix is at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX6. Wisconsin connection Local perspective A pit crew member for driver Christian Rasmussen is a former Packers offensive lineman. Benjamin Braden played parts of a few seasons for Green Bay. He now wears a different jersey and admits he misses the contact, but now uses his experience to move like lightning to get his driver up to speed. Advertisement RELATED: Check out the new and improved FOX Sports app As for how Braden went from Green Bay to the speedway, he said he has known Ed Carpenter, owner of Ed Carpenter racing, for years. When he pivoted from the NFL, he connected his love of motor sports and sportsmanship. Racing fans What they're saying Driver Scott Dixon has tons of fans, including 10-year-old Hayden Jaskela of Indianapolis. Jaskela waited in line with hundreds of people to meet Dixon, get his autograph and take pictures on Friday. The 10-year-old has been into IndyCar as long as he can remember and loves going to races with a dream of hitting the speedway just like his favorite driver. Advertisement FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Racing fan Dylan James is from New Zealand, but traveled from London to Indianapolis to see driver Scott Dixon, who is also from New Zealand. He said the trip is meant to honor his dad, who passed away last year and never got to experience the Sonsio Grand Prix. James traveled alone and will return to the speedway for the Indy 500 in two weeks, another race his dad was never able to attend. The Source Information in this report is from FOX6 News interviews.
Fox Sports
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Power Rankings: Detroit Victory Helps Kirkwood Climb
INDYCAR Kyle Kirkwood climbed in Power Rankings following his second victory of the season at the Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. The win, coupled with his earlier triumph at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, underscores Kirkwood's rising prominence in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Kirkwood is the only driver besides points leader Alex Palou to win a race this season. Palou – who won five of the first six races of the season – finally fell to Earth in Detroit by placing 25th after an accident. But one crash doesn't drop the driver with six top-two finishes in seven races. Here are the rest of Power Rankings entering the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on Sunday evening, June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). ↓10. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 8) Dixon remains a fixture in the Power Rankings, holding steady at 10th. Despite a challenging stretch with three finishes of 11th or worse in the last four races, Dixon's presence in the top 10 of the standings – he's seventh – has kept him in the rankings. He kicked off the season with a strong runner-up finish in St. Petersburg and finished fifth in the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10. ↓9. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Chevrolet; Last Rank: 7) McLaughlin spun Nolan Siegel early in Detroit, sparking an avoidable contact penalty that dropped him from the lead on the primary strategy to outside the top 10. Despite the setback, he recovered to finish 12th. This is two straight finishes outside the top 10, following a 30th-place finish in the '500' on May 25. Before the downturn, McLaughlin was on a strong run, finishing sixth or better in four of the first five races. ↑8. David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet; Last Rank: 10) Malukas finished 14th in Detroit, but that result doesn't reflect the full story. He was in the mix for a second consecutive top-five finish before a Lap 73 incident with Alex Palou, which led to an avoidable contact penalty that derailed his race. Malukas qualified second in Detroit, building off an impressive second-place finish in the Indy 500 just a week earlier. ↑7. Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing; Last Rank: NR) Ferrucci earned his best-career finish by crossing the finish line second in Detroit. That comes a week after finishing fifth in the '500.' ↑6. Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda; Last Rank: 9) Herta earned his first NTT P1 Award of the season in Detroit and third front-row start this season. Unfortunately, he didn't convert the pole to a win, but he still finished third. That's enough to boost him up the Power Rankings, earning his fourth top-seven finish in the last six races. The outliers are an underwhelming Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the Sonsio Grand Prix, Herta qualified 13th but finished 25th after a challenging race. In the '500,' he started 27th and managed to finish 14th. ↓5. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3) Lundgaard earned his best-career '500' finish with a seventh-place last Sunday and crossed the finish line eighth in Detroit. He has six top-10 finishes in seven races this season. ↔4. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 4) Power rebounded in Detroit to finish fourth, scoring his fifth top-six finish in the last six races. The outlier was the Indianapolis 500, where he started 33rd and finished 16th. Power has crossed the finish line ahead of his Team Penske teammates in five of the last six races, too. ↓3. Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 2) O'Ward drops to third but limited the damage at Detroit by climbing from 18th to finish seventh. That's his best street course result this season after finishing 11th in St. Petersburg and 13th at Long Beach. Up next is an oval at World Wide Technology Raceway. O'Ward has three runner-up finishes there and five top-seven finishes in seven starts this season. ↑2. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda; Last Rank: 5) Kirkwood won from the third starting spot in Detroit after leading 48 of 100 laps. He has three top-five finishes this season, including two victories. He is third in points with five top-10 results, too. ↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1) Palou finished 25th in Detroit, but five wins in seven races leave him on top under further notice. He still leads the standings by 90 points over O'Ward, a gap of nearly two races. recommended
Fox Sports
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Power Rankings: David Malukas Jumps into Top 10 after Strong '500'
INDYCAR Alex Palou reached victory lane in Sunday's 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and continued his iron grip on the top spot in Power Rankings. The three-time series champion, who won all three races during the Month of May when factoring in the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by AmFirst on May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park and the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, remains the only mainstay in the Power Rankings. Here's who rose in the Power Rankings entering Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear airing at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network. ↑10. David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet; Last Rank: NR) Originally finishing third in the race, Malukas was elevated to second place following post-race penalties assessed to Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood for technical violations on their Andretti Global cars. Malukas' performance at the Indianapolis 500, coupled with his consistent speed during the oval practice sessions and qualifying seventh, propels him into the Power Rankings. ↓9. Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda; Last Rank: 8) Herta's performance during the Month of May was notably underwhelming, especially considering his previous success on the IMS road course. In the Sonsio Grand Prix, Herta qualified 13th but finished 25th after a challenging race. In the '500', he started 27th and managed to finish 14th. ↓8. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 7) Despite strong practice sessions leading up to the '500,' a brake issue before the field even took the green to start the race compromised Dixon's race, leading to a 20th-place finish and ending his streak of climbing through the field in previous races. Dixon gained 14 spots at Barber Motorsports Park to finish 12th and 11 more in the Sonsio Grand Prix, coming home fifth. ↓7. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3) Starting from the 10th position, McLaughlin lost control of his car during the final pace lap while trying to warm his Firestone Firehawk tires, resulting in a collision that ended his race before it officially began. This incident disrupted a promising season for McLaughlin, who had previously achieved four top-six finishes in the five races leading up to the Indianapolis 500. ↓6. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 2) Power had a dismal '500', finishing 16th after starting 33rd. Entering the '500,' Power had finishes of sixth, fifth, fifth and third, respectively. While McLaughlin is two points ahead of Power in the standings, Power has crossed the finish line ahead of his Team Penske teammate in four of the last five races. ↔5. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens Honda; Last Rank: 5) Kirkwood remains fifth after finishing 32nd in the '500.' While there's a case to drop him further, Kirkwood is the only driver not named Alex Palou to win this season when the Andretti Global driver was victorious in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. That's a race he dominated from the pole. Also, Kirkwood has four top-eight finishes in six races this season. ↑4. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda; Last Rank: 10) Rosenqvist started fifth and finished fourth in the '500,' the same spot he enters Detroit in the points standings. FRO has three top-five finishes in the last five races and five top-10 results in six races this season with Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian. ↑3. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 6) Lundgaard earned his best-career '500' finish with a seventh-place result Sunday. He has five top-10 finishes in six races this season, including three consecutive podiums at The Thermal Club, Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park. ↑2. Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 4) O'Ward finished third in the '500' for his fourth top-six finish in the last five races this season. Next up, however, is a street course in Detroit. O'Ward finished 11th (St. Petersburg) and 13th (Detroit) on street tracks this season. ↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1) Palou has five wins in six races this season, with an average finish of 1.2. His worst result this season is second on the streets of Long Beach. Now that he's a '500' winner and points leader by 112, he's almost untouchable. recommended
