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Fox Sports
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
From Strategy To Cheese, Here's What You Should Know Before Road America
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Road America. America's National Park of Speed is what they like to call it. The 14-turn, 4.014-mile course presents plenty of challenges for INDYCAR drivers. It runs through a picturesque setting, including fields and a small forest situated about 90 minutes north of Milwaukee. The 27 INDYCAR drivers get practice Friday afternoon and another Saturday morning, before qualifying on Saturday afternoon. They have a brief warm-up on Sunday before the 55-lap race, which airs at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX. But there's so much to dive into before Road America. Has Nolan Siegel squashed his beef with Scott McLaughlin? Do drivers have a special strategy for this four-mile course? And since we're in Wisconsin, will cheese be on everything? Let's get you ready for the race. Here's everything you need to know. Who's the favorite? Last year, Team Penske drivers went first, second and third. Will Power won an emotional victory (snapping a 34-race winless streak), Josef Newgarden was second and Scott McLaughlin rounded out the podium. Does this mean this will be another Penske or Chevrolet race? Chevrolet desperately needs a win, as Alex Palou (five wins) and Kirkwood (three wins) have won all the events this year in Honda-powered cars. "It was [a Chevy track] last year," Kirkwood said. "Every track's been a Honda track this year. I hope that trend doesn't go away this weekend." Can Kirkwood win three in a row? Kirkwood has won the last two races. Those were at the Detroit Grand Prix and World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway). He's got three wins this season. "Momentum is a big thing in motorsports, and I think it's in all sports," Kirkwood said. "When you have that momentum, things come to you a little bit easier. That race [at Gateway] we didn't really take the bull by the horns. It kind of came to us with some penalties, and we just did everything right. "And then next thing you know, we cycle out into the lead. ... To me, that just feels like momentum." What about the Penske teams? The Penske drivers finished 24th, 26th and 27th last week at Gateway. Will Power suffered a flat tire and Josef Newgarden got involved in a scary wreck, where he flipped up upside-down. Then McLaughlin had a mechanical issue. "We just had some luck not go our way," McLaughlin said. "The head's still up. ... The best thing is, we had bad luck. But I'm not slow." Is McLaughlin mad at Nolan Siegel? Siegel was penalized for blocking McLaughlin at Gateway, as McLaughlin attempted to lap him. A week earlier, McLaughlin was penalized for avoidable contact with Siegel at Detroit. This all led to Siegel's profanity-filled outburst that went viral. "It gets heated all the time. I'm no angel," McLaughlin said. "I spoke to him after the race. We're all good. I just wanted to clear the air, make sure there was no beef between the two of us. "But I hadn't heard what he said on the radio before that. So I back him [from] what he said to me. He said it wasn't a retaliation of Detroit." Furthermore, McLaughlin said he did feel the penalty was warranted. "The way that he drove me down — regardless if it was me or if we had beef before that or whatever — it shouldn't have happened. "That's what I said to him as well, and he and I think he knows that. ... Luckily, we had room on the inside there. If there was grass, that could be bad. So you need to penalize people for that." How does Siegel feel? Siegel chose his words carefully. "No matter what, the penalty happened and the stewards made their decision, and I have a lot of respect for [them] and I've talked to both of them," Siegel said. "It was a mistake how I reacted." Siegel wasn't as careful with his words during the race last Sunday. He ultimately apologized for his expletive-laden tirade. "The fact is what we're doing is extremely high pressure, and there are moments that are extremely frustrating," Siegel said. "And I think ultimately, a big part of being a good race car driver is staying calm in those moments. ... It's not something that I can let happen again. "I will continue in the future to stay more calm and not press the radio button. It was a combination of a frustrating couple months. I need to not let that get to me." Did Siegel apologize to Pato O'Ward? It was the last restart of the Gateway race. Siegel was a lap down, and he restarted ahead of his Arrow McLaren teammate O'Ward. This potentially stalled O'Ward's ability to make a pass for the lead as Siegel was trying to get his lap back, fighting the leader Dixon. Siegel, O'Ward and Kyle Kirkwood — the eventual winner — were three-wide, with O'Ward getting the raw end of the deal. If O'Ward had been able to get the lead, the track position potentially would have led to an O'Ward win. Siegel said the team had told him to do his best to pass Dixon to unlap himself. So there wasn't much discussion on the issue during the week. He said he didn't even realize he was three-wide. "I was told to try to pass Dixon to get my lap back for me in the car," Siegel said. "I obviously got a bad jump on the restart, and at that point, the only thing I really could have done differently was lift a little early into Turn 1 and let Pato by. "In the moment for me, I was told the best thing for my race was to go try to chase Dixon down, and I took a lap to try to do that. "At that point, it was too late." What about the points leader? Alex Palou finished fourth here last year. At Road of America, he has two wins, two seconds and a third. The next two races at Road America and Mid-Ohio are probably opportunities for him to dominate. And that's before a double-header at Iowa, a potential place where Palou could struggle, giving other drivers a chance to make up ground. Palou had won five of the first six races and then crashed out of the Detroit Grand Prix. Last week at Gateway, he finished eighth. "Detroit, I had a lot of fun until I crashed," Palou said. "Gateway. I didn't have fun at all at any point. We were really good in practice, but then, for some reason in the race, I was not comfortable. Although the result was actually OK and the last stint was good. The rest of the race, I was struggling a lot. "It's great [to be here]. I love this place." Is there strategy at Road America? Kinda but less than on most weekends. With a track that is longer than four miles, there is more risk to run a lap or two longer or shorter than the other drivers. That could hurt a smaller team that wants to do something off-strategy while hoping it works out. But then again, for a driver who has pace, it is a clear-cut race. "This track in particular, I feel like you can race [everyone] straight up just because of how big it is, how long it is, and all the passing zones," said A.J. Foyt Racing driver Santino Ferrucci said. Anything else when it comes to this race? This is the first race at Road America with the hybrid, so teams will be learning that. And it will be hot. Temps will potentially be in the 90s for the race, and that could impact how much grip the tires have. Will the heat change things? "I don't know," Kirkwood said. "That's a great question. It sure will for overall grip, tire [wear]. Power-wise? I have no idea." Does everything sold at the track have cheese? We haven't been to every food truck and concession stand across the circuit, but this is the land of cheese and cheese heads. If any food (other than ice cream) sold doesn't have cheese on it, it should. If it doesn't, then it shouldn't even qualify as food here at Road America. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
Nolan Siegel Apologizes For Profanity-Laced Outburst After Penalty
Nolan Siegel apologized for a profanity-laced outburst on his in-car radio Sunday night that was critical of a penalty issued to him by race officials. During the race at World Wide Technology Raceway, Siegel was penalized with a drive-through penalty for blocking when being lapped by Scott McLaughlin, who had turned Siegel in the previous race at Detroit. Siegel was not happy with the penalty, telling his team over the radio: "[Expletive] that [expletive]. Tell Penske to go [expletive] themselves. I want you to talk to them about that penalty. That's [expletive] [expletive]." McLaughlin drives for Team Penske, and Penske Entertainment operates the racing series. "I had an outburst on the radio that should not have happened," Siegel said Wednesday on his Instagram story. "So I just want to apologize to everyone at Arrow McLaren, everyone on [my No.] 6 car, all of our partners, all of our fans that are here to support us. "That was not a proud moment for me. It is something that I regret. And it was a mistake. I have a lot of respect for Scott, for Team Penske and everyone at INDYCAR that are doing their jobs to the best of their ability and doing a really good job." McLaughlin posted on X that he and Siegel "had a good chat after the race." Siegel finished 19th in the race and sits 21st in the series standings. "It's a pressure cooker in INDYCAR," Siegel said. "It's an extremely stressful situation. It was frustrating. I let that get to me when I shouldn't have. I'm human. I make mistakes." Arrow McLaren put out a statement saying team executives had talked to Siegel. "At Arrow McLaren, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism, respect and sportsmanship -- on and off the track," the statement said. "The language expressed over our radio during this past race weekend does not reflect who we are as a team. "We do not condone that behavior. We've addressed it directly with Nolan, and he is taking responsibility for his actions. Accountability is a core value at Arrow McLaren, and we expect every team member to represent our partners, fans and organization with integrity." The team also asked for civility on social media. "We expect our fans and online community to act with respect and civility, and we will not tolerate hate, abuse or discrimination within our social media platforms," the team statement said. "It is vital that we collectively maintain a safe and welcoming community for all involved." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
As Kyle Kirkwood cuts into Alex Palou's INDYCAR lead, is there time to catch him?
Kyle Kirkwood cut 27 points from the margin between him and INDYCAR points leader Alex Palou when Kirkwood won Sunday night. That sounds big, but consider this: Kirkwood would just have to do that three more times to potentially catch Palou as he's still 75 points out. "Moving closer," Kirkwood said. "It's still a long ways to go." But Kirkwood's victory at World Wide Technology Raceway (commonly known as Gateway) under the lights Sunday night was about more than just math. It was about winning at a track other than a street course. Kirkwood's two previous wins this year came on street circuits at Long Beach and Detroit, with Detroit his fourth career win and them all on temporary circuits on city streets. "You get your fourth and people are like, 'Another street course for Kirkwood' — it's not as big of a deal now, when is he going to win something else?'" Kirkwood said. "It takes [the focus] away from the street courses, so this was huge for me. This was by far bigger than [Detroit] because of that." That's not to say Detroit wasn't satisfying for Kirkwood. He made moves for passes that he was proud of making and left with the feeling of earning the win. But to win on the 1.25-mile oval at Gateway was a statement win, one that other people will notice and one that signaled he needs to be taken seriously as a title contender. "[It] just like kind of puts a stamp down a little bit, more like, 'Hey, this kid might actually be able to contend for a championship and do things,'" Kirkwood said. Could he win a championship? Kirkwood knows how to race for a title. He won titles in USF2000 in 2018, USF Pro 2000 in 2019 and Indy NXT in 2021. If he's going to compete for the 2025 championship, he will need to perform on the three types of circuits remaining in the final nine races — ovals (Iowa doubleheader, Milwaukee and Nashville), permanent road courses (Road America, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca and Portland) and one street circuit (Toronto). "Everybody knows you've got to be diverse in this series," Kirkwood said. "You've got to win at multiple circuits. You've got to win at multiple venues. "Whether it's a short oval, long oval, street course, road course, whatever it might be, you've got to win at all of them. [This is a] step in the right direction for sure." Racing on ovals is an acquired skill and often requires a driver to pounce when the opportunity presents itself. "Last year, to be honest, I was too timid on the restarts and starts and kept getting passed," Kirkwood said about returning to Gateway. "I had to be pretty aggressive and take more risks than I would have liked to, but it worked out." Coming up for Kirkwood and the INDYCAR drivers is Road America (Sunday, 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX), where Palou has won in 2021 and 2023. Penske drivers Josef Newgarden (2022) and Will Power (2024) won the other most recent races. The last time an Andretti car won at Road America was with Alexander Rossi in 2019. Only Palou (five wins) and Kirkwood (three) have won races this year. Palou's wins have come at a variety of tracks with one on a street course (St. Petersburg), three on permanent road courses (Thermal, Barber, Indianapolis) and one on an oval with the Indy 500. "Everybody knows we're going to go to Road America next week and [Palou] is going to put on a show there and we'll have to do everything in our power to keep him from looking shiny once again on road courses," Kirkwood said. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
How to watch INDYCAR Bommarito: Schedule, date, time, TV channels, streaming
Print Close Published June 13, 2025 The INDYCAR Series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, a key late-season race on the oval circuit. Keep reading for key details, including race dates, start times, TV channels, and streaming options. When is INDYCAR Bommarito? What time does the race start? The next race of the 2025 INDYCAR season will start at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 15th, 2025. Where is the Bommarito Automotive Group 500? The race will take place at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois - a 1.25 oval favored by many for its unique shape. The race will be 260 laps, totaling 325 miles. How can I watch INDYCAR Illinois? What channel will it be on? The 2025 INDYCAR Illinois race will be broadcast live on FOX. How can I stream INDYCAR at World Wide Technology Raceway? The 2025 INDYCAR Illinois race will be available to be streamed live on the FOX Sports website and the FOX Sports App . For those without cable, there are live-streaming services that carry FOX, including YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV. If you have an antenna in a good reception area, you can also watch INDYCAR on your local FOX station. Check out the Federal Communications Commission TV reception maps to see which stations are available in your area. 2025 INDYCAR Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Schedule Saturday, June 14 Sunday, June 15 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - 8 p.m. ET (FOX) Print Close URL
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drag racer survives frightening airborne crash at World Wide Technology Raceway
MADISON, Ill. – A Corvette goes airborne. Nearly flips mid-air. Slams down and tumbles over a guardrail. And somehow, the driver walks away unscathed. It all happened at World Wide Technology Raceway last weekend – all captured in a shocking video that's quickly gone viral. Advertisement According to a WWT Raceway spokesperson, drag racer Jason Hoard survived the frightening crash during a high-speed test run on May 31 in preparation for the VP Racing Fuels Heads-Up Shootout Series. Extreme 660 Drag Racing, a media outlet that specializes in US drag racing coverage, captured the video and described it simply as 'the worst wreck we've ever filmed.' In the video, as Hoard's white Corvette near tops speed alongside another driver, it suddenly launches off the ground, takes flight and nearly flips mid-air before slamming down hard on its rear end. The impact sent the Corvette tumbling over a guardrail into a grassy area with smoke billowing from the car and debris flying across the racetrack. 'Everything was fine absolutely until the second that it wasn't,' recalled Hoard in a YouTube interview on The Wes Buck Show via Drag Illustrated on June 4. 'I was fine, then it literally felt like the car was going backwards.' Advertisement Hoard narrowly missed crashing on top of another drag-racing test-run vehicle to his left. 'I very could have easily landed on his car,' he added. Fortunately, Hoard said he only ended up with some bruising and minor symptoms of post-concussive syndrome, ultimately avoiding life-threatening injuries. Since the crash, WWT Raceway staff and the the National Hot Rod Association have launched a thorough investigation of the car and safety equipment before what remains of the car is returned to Hoard. The investigation aims to provide the NHRA with additional information for the continued development of racecar safety. A WWT Raceway spokesperson tells FOX 2 that temperature and air conditions were optimal for racing and that, based on initial findings, no other environmental circumstances or raceway conditions played a factor. Advertisement As for protocols when responding to such crashes, WWT Raceway released this statement: 'As an NHRA sanctioned racetrack, WWT Raceway and our participants follow the guidelines established by the NHRA rulebook and Operational Guidelines. Each WWT Raceway event features fully equipped safety response trucks operated by Emergency Staff who have been trained by NHRA, NASCAR, INDYCAR and SCCA and the trucks feature the latest in life saving emergency response equipment. 'In addition, each WWT Raceway drag racing event features an ALS (Advance Life Support) Ambulance Unit staffed by paramedics specially trained in responding to racing crashes. The WWT Raceway Safety teams were rolling to the crash site while Jason was still rolling and were at the scene of the crash less than 30 seconds after it occurred.' The spokesperson added that Hoard's car was 'extremely well-built' and all of its safety functions performed properly during the crash. Advertisement As the car went airborne, Hoard said he tucked into his seat. He remembered the impact of the left rear hitting the ground, but not much else from the collision. Crews estimated he was unconscious for about five minutes after the car rolled over. Hoard credits his team for their fast response to the crash and prior evaluations of the car. Hoard added om the experience, 'I have had the front-end come up before on other cars. I pride myself on my reaction times and ability to get out of things if they feel like they are getting too far. This one didn't show any signs of that.' 'I don't think there's anything I would have done differently, unfortunately.' Hoard's expected return date to drag racing remains to be determined. He is from St. Charles, Missouri and has been involved in auto racing for at least 10 years, according to professional profile pages. Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
