As I watched Alex Palou take the stage after Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, I kept thinking how far he had come from his debut at Texas in 2020 when he was taken out by fellow rookie Rinus VeeKay. In less than sixteen months, he went from making his IndyCar debut in a hot pink and black car with no sponsorship on the sidepods in a car owned by Dale Coyne in association with Team Goh, to NTT IndyCar Series champion.
Archive for September, 2021
Dale Coyne Should Finally Get Some Credit
Posted in IndyCar on September 29, 2021 by OilpressureRandom Thoughts on Long Beach
Posted in IndyCar on September 27, 2021 by Oilpressure
I have long suspected that the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was similar in nature to what the Music City Grand Prix was in it’s inaugural running – a must-attend event for racing fans and motorsports dignitaries from all over the world. But when it comes down to the racing itself, it’s just mediocre. If you want good racing without all of the glitz of Hollywood, go to Road America or Iowa. If you want to rub elbows with some of the greatest names in racing – Long Beach is the place to go.
Long Beach Preview
Posted in IndyCar on September 24, 2021 by Oilpressure
The 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season will come to a close on Sunday afternoon. It will happen at one of the most iconic sites that the series visits – The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We all know that this race normally runs in April. We also know that it did not run at all last year due to the pandemic. Just to be on the safe side, race organizers made the decision to run the race in September – just to get it way past COVID. Hindsight is 20/20, but California was still under a fairly heavy lockdown in mid-April.
Some Fans Just Have to Complain
Posted in IndyCar on September 22, 2021 by Oilpressure
The NTT IndyCar Series released the 2022 IndyCar schedule this past weekend at Laguna Seca. There were some changes, and some were rather significant. No matter what the series did, people would gripe about it. The Legions of the Miserable certainly did not disappoint this weekend.
Random Thoughts on Laguna Seca
Posted in IndyCar on September 20, 2021 by Oilpressure
There is something in the genetic makeup within the Herta family that makes them untouchable at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Half of Bryan Herta’s career IndyCar wins came at the famous track near Monterey, California. Now his son, Colton, is undefeated in an Indy car at the track in two attempts. Not only did Colton win both of the IndyCar races he has participated in at Laguna Seca – he has dominated them. He won the pole both times and led almost all of the laps in both races, except for stop shuffles.
Laguna Seca Preview
Posted in IndyCar on September 17, 2021 by Oilpressure
The second race in the so-called west-coast swing for the NTT IndyCar Series takes place this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. After this weekend, there will be only one remaining race to decide the IndyCar championship – next weekend at Long Beach.
Jumping in Bed With the Devil
Posted in IndyCar on September 15, 2021 by Oilpressure
Yesterday morning, Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal confirmed what we have been hearing for a couple of weeks. World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR – formerly known as Gateway) will host a NASCAR Cup Race in 2022, on June 5.
Oilpressure 