Fontana MAVTV 500 Pre-race

The season finale is lined up and ready.
Helio Castroneves on pole
(gaining him a valuable extra point for the championship),
Juan Montoya 2nd,
and Josef Newgarden will start on the outside of the front row. (a qualifying podium is what Alex calls it.)
 

 

 

Championship leader Will Power struggled in qualifying, after having been fastest in practice and is starting second last. 

 

 

Helio Castroneves has to finish 3rd or better if Power finishes last if he wants this championship. 
If Simon Pagenaud were to win it, he has to win the race, and Will Power and Helio Castroneves have to finish last-18th. 

 

We're hoping that guys like Josef Newgarden, Ed Carpenter, and Takuma Sato can finish off the season on a high note.

Final Practice was shortened by an accident involving Mikael Aleshin.  Aleshin is not able to race tonight, wish him well.

 

Helio Castroneves has 41 poles, now 5th all time.

 

Watch the race at 9:00 PM Eastern Time on NBCSN


Final Practice:

Unfortunately, Mikhail Aleshin crashed in the final practice session on Friday evening and is in the hospital with fractured ribs, a broken clavicle, a concussion and chest injuries.  Charlie Kimball was also involved in the crash but was uninjured and will still race on Saturday night.


 

We will be keeping Mikhail in our prayers for a good recovery and hope to see him back at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2015.

 

 

 

 

Josef Update #7 Detroit & Beyond

Why Detroit and Beyond you might ask....

well because as a Josef fan Detroit Race 1 and Race 2 were not something to remember.

('nough said)

 

BUT

 

Jump ahead a few days and head south to Texas and put Josef in his super shiny 'spacey' Strike car (because Alex says it looks like a spaceship)

and Josef had his BEST EVER Indycar qualifying effort!!!

 

He will start the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway from P2 alongside Will Power on the front row!!!

 

 

Catch the race on NBCSN Saturday June 7th at 8:00 EST!

 

 

GP of Alabama Qualifying

 

Will Power earned the 33rd Pole of his Indycar career while having the fastest time in qualifying for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.  Only 3/10ths of a second separated him and the other Firestone Fast Six drivers.

 

 

 For the 2nd time in two races, James Hinchcliffe will start 2nd and Josef Newgarden will start 4th as Sarah Fisher Hartman's Racing's single car team hung with the big boys of Penske, Ganassi and Andretti on the 2.3 mile course.

 

 

 

Top Six

 

1. Will Power (Penske)
2. James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport)

3. Ryan Hunter Reay

4. Josef Newgarden (Sarah Fisher Hartman)

5. Scott Dixon (Ganassi)

6. Helio Castroneves (Penske)

 

Visit the Indycar page for full Qualifying Results

 

Other Stuff:

*  Sebastien Bourdais was penalized and lost his two quickest laps for impeding Ryan Hunter Reay in the Round of 12. He will start 12th.

*  Will Power is now tie with Dario Franchitti on the Indycar pole winners list with 33 and will start on pole for the 3rd time in 5 races at Alabama.

*  All 3 of Penske's cars and all 4 of Andretti's will start in the Top 9

*  James Hinchcliffe will start 2nd for the 6th time in his Indycar career (he has never won the pole)




Mazda Road to Indy Series Races

 

*  Zach Veach started on pole and won the Indy Lights 1# race

 

*  RC Enerson won both USF2000 races

 

*  Spencer Pigot won both of the Pro Mazda races


 

 

Don't miss the race on April 27th at 2:30 on NBC Sports Network

GP of Long Beach Qualifying

Four of the Firestone Fast Six drivers had never won an Indycar pole, but it was Ryan Hunter-Reay who won his 6th career Indycar pole (his first at Long Beach). 

 

Top Six:

 1  Ryan Hunter-Reay

2  James Hinchcliffe

3 Sebastien Bourdais (A three time winner at Long Beach)

4 Josef Newgarden (Alex was a bit excited when he was P1 with under 2 minutes to go) 

 

5  Jack Hawksworth (rookie)

6  Simon Pagenaud

 

(Click here for the full results)

 

Other Stuff:

 

* Takuma Sato lost his two fastest laps in Round 1 because of a qualifying interference

* Five different teams are represented in the Top Six

* Today was the first time in the history of the Firestone Fast Six (Since 2005) that no Penske or   Ganassi car was in the Fast Six

* Five of the top Six are Hondas

 

INDY LIGHTS

Zach Veach won the pole for the Indy Lights race fresh off the success of his win at the GP of St. Pete