Top 5 Point Leaders Talk About Getting Ready for the Indy Grand Prix
(Screen grab from NTT Indy Car Press Conference May 11, 2023 Indy Grand Prix)
From an NTT IndyCar Press release- here are some of the details for Saturday's Indy Grand Prix:
For Immediate ReleaseGMR Grand Prix Fast FactsRace weekend: Friday, May 12 - Saturday, May 13Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES 85 laps / 207.3 miles |
Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.
INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activationFirestone tire allotment (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Six sets primary, four sets alternate. One additional set is available to rookie drivers for use in the Friday practice session.Twitter: @IMS @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #ThisIsMay, #INDYCARInstagram: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @indycar, @indynxt, #ThisIsMay, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @IndianapolisMotorSpeedway, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #ThisIsMay, #INDYCARTikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXTEvent website: www.ims.comNTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com | INDY NXT by Firestone website:www.indynxt.com2022 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIESColton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda)
INDY NXT by FirestoneDanial Frost (No. 68 HMD Motorsports), Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports)2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES):
Will Power (No. 12 Verizon TeamPenske Chevrolet), 1 minute, 9.7664 seconds, 125.854 mph2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winners: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports)1:16.3362, 115.023 mph (race one), Lundqvist 1:16.4266, 114.887 (race two)Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)INDY NXT by FirestoneEd Jones, 1:14.6743, 117.583 mph, May 13, 2016
Check out this great press conference with the top 5 drivers who share their thoughts about the next race:
More from NTT:
NBC Sports race telecast: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, May 13, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC's coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.
Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product. NBC’s GMR GrandPrix race telecast will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone GrandPrix will be streamed live on Peacock, with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE.INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman, and Michael Young are the turn announcers.
RyanMyrehn and Rob Blackman are the pit reporters. The GMR Grand Prix race (3 p.m. ET), INDYNXT by Firestone Grand Prix (12:55 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES andINDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.At-track schedule (all times local):FRIDAY, MAY 12 (All times are local)9:30-10:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (75 minutes), Peacock11-11:50 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE
3/51-2 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (45 minutes), Peacock2:20-2:40 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE4 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockoutqualifications), PeacockSATURDAY, MAY 1311:15-11:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock1:05 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”1:10 p.m.
INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock3:30 p.m. NBC on air3:39 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”3:45 p.m. GMR Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), NBC (Live)NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: Scott McLaughlin became the fourth winner in as many NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season as he outdueled Romain Grosjean to win the Children’s of Alabama IndyGrand Prix on April 30 at Barber Motorsports Park.
2022 Indianapolis 500 presented byGainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson leads Pato O’Ward by three points heading into the critical Month of May, which has more than 100 points on offer over the next four three with races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the Indianapolis 500presented by Gainbridge.The GMR Grand Prix will be the 14th INDYCAR SERIES event conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course.
Active race winners who are expected to compete are Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Scott Dixon, JosefNewgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.ACTIVE RACE WINNERWINSSEASONSWill Power52015, 2017, 2018 (GMR GrandPrix); 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-2); 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)Simon Pagenaud32014, 2016, 2019 (GMR GrandPrix)Scott Dixon12020 (GMR Grand Prix)Josef Newgarden12020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)Rinus VeeKay12021 (GMR Grand Prix)Colton Herta12022 (GMR Grand Prix)Alexander Rossi12022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Four NTT P1 Award winners have won the GMR Grand Prix from the pole: Will Power in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and Simon Pagenaud in 2016. Power also won the second HarvestGP race from the pole in 2020.ACTIVE POLE WINNERPOLESSEASONSWill Power62015, 2017, 2018, 2020(GMR Grand Prix andHarvest Grand Prix-2)2022 (GMR Grand Prix)Felix Rosenqvist22019, 2022 (GallagherGrand Prix)Pato O’Ward12021 (Gallagher GrandPrix)Romain Grosjean12021 (GMR Grand Prix)Rinus VeeKay12020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
Here is some more from Marcus Armstong, who talked about looking forward to the race, and thought the rain would be fun:
Simon Pagenaud12016Sebastian Saavedra12014Six drivers have competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis MotorSpeedway road course – Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, WillPower, Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato. All but Sato are entered this year. Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden or Kyle Kirkwood can solidify their chance at thePeopleReady Force For Good Challenge’s $1 million prize by winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg) and Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach) have won on street circuits while Newgarden has a win on an oval (TexasMotor Speedway). A win on a road course would make one of them one step closer to earning a $500,000 bonus and a matching $500,000 donation for a chosen charity.
Scott McLaughlin is also eligible for the bonus but already has a road course win at BarberMotorsports Park.Team Penske has eight wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (2015,2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-Race 2, 2020-Race 3, 2021-Race 2). Andretti Autosportswept the races in 2022 while Ed Carpenter Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and ArrowMcLaren are the only other teams to win at the track.
Ed Carpenter Racing won in 2021-Race 1 with Rinus VeeKay. Chip Ganassi Racing won with Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1, and Arrow McLaren won the inaugural race in 2014 with Simon Pagenaud when it was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.F
our NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Marcus Armstrong, Agustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb - are entered. All will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time.Twenty-three of the drivers entered in the event have competed in INDYCAR SERIESraces on the IMS road course. Fifteen entered drivers have led laps in the GMR GrandPrix: Will Power 210, Scott Dixon 69, Simon Pagenaud 68, Colton Herta 50, Romain
Grosjean 44, Graham Rahal 36, Rinus VeeKay 33, Josef Newgarden 25, FelixRosenqvist 19, Pato O’Ward 5, Alexander Rossi 2, Marcus Ericsson 11, ScottMcLaughlin 5, Jack Harvey 1 and Alex Palou 1.Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 310th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history....Dixon will also attempt to make his 350thstart with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Best wishes to all of the racers and the teams for a great race, from Patriots Sports Now- and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.