Many fans and drivers were upset when IndyCar withheld from throwing the yellow flag when Marcus Armstrong spun late in the race. Josef Newgarden had not pitted yet, or was in the Danger Zone – as Townsend Bell likes to put it. Had the yellow come out the instant that Armstrong spun, Newgarden would’ve pitted and rejoined the field probably around fifteenth-place. Since the caution was withheld until everyone had hit pit lane – Newgarden was able to blend in in second-place.
Archive for June, 2024
Having to Pick Their Poison
Posted in IndyCar on June 28, 2024 by OilpressureIt All Started With a Bike Ride
Posted in IndyCar on June 26, 2024 by Oilpressure
As I promised a week ago, I am going to catch up on all of the news I missed when we went on vacation the week after Road America. Last Wednesday, I gave my opinion (for whatever that’s worth) on the new TV deal with FOX, as well as my thoughts on the 2025 schedule.
Random Thoughts on Laguna Seca
Posted in IndyCar on June 24, 2024 by Oilpressure
Do you remember when the NTT IndyCar Series race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was a bit of a snoozer? It appears those days are gone. I wouldn’t say that yesterday’s race was a racing clinic, but it was a lot more entertaining than some of the races I’ve seen there over the years.
Laguna Seca Preview
Posted in IndyCar on June 21, 2024 by Oilpressure
The NTT IndyCar Series makes its way to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend. Since Laguna Seca made its way back on the IndyCar schedule in 2019 for the first time since 2004, it has served as the season finale. That was also the case throughout the 80s and early 90s, before Fontana replaced it as the season finale in 1997, when Laguna Seca became the penultimate race of the season. After that, Laguna started bouncing around the schedule, until it was moved to June for the 2002 season. After 2004, it was gone.
What a Week to Take Off!
Posted in IndyCar on June 19, 2024 by Oilpressure
After posting about the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America last Monday, I took off for a week so that we could enjoy our vacation in Northern Michigan. I really enjoyed the time away, but I’m not sure I could’ve picked a busier time in the IndyCar world to take off. So much has happened since last Monday (including yesterday’s unexpected termination of Theo Pourchaire from Arrow McLaren), that I will have to limit this to only two topics that are fairly old news now. Others will have to wait until next week for me to comment on.
Random Thoughts on Road America
Posted in IndyCar on June 10, 2024 by Oilpressure
The 2024 XPEL Grand Prix at Road America provided quite the weekend. It started Friday morning with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) announcing that David Malukas would be filling the seat fulltime, beginning at Laguna Seca in two weeks. That was considered big news until we learned that Agustin Canapino had been given “a leave of absence” from Juncos Hollinger racing (JHR), due to the fallout from the social media death threats to Theo Pourchaire. What was even more curious was that this was announced about thirty minutes before the first practice of the weekend.
Will Power Takes Control at Road America
Posted in IndyCar on June 9, 2024 by Oilpressure
Another race weekend at Road America is now in the books. It had beautiful weather at times, and dreary rain at others. But the crowds never seem to lose their spirits. There was a first-time Indy NXT winner, when Jamie Chadwick took her first checkered flag. There was a first-time IndyCar pole winner in Linus Lundqvist.
Oilpressure 