If you count the opening day of practice at St. Petersburg back in March, the NTT IndyCar Series just wrapped up a season that spanned 160 days, from March 8 though this past Sunday September 15. We now have 166 days until practice begins again at St. Petersburg. It lacks just a few days of being totally symmetrical for the calendar when you look at season compared to offseason.
Archive for the IndyCar Category
No Shortage of Topics This Offseason
Posted in IndyCar on September 18, 2024 by OilpressureRandom Thoughts on Nashville
Posted in IndyCar on September 16, 2024 by Oilpressure
Greetings from Vanderbilt University Medical Center! After a day at the track and writing a post-race re-cap, I packed up my stuff and headed west to visit with Susan in the hospital and write my Random Thoughts. This may be more brief than usual, but please understand why. Susan is still doing very well, and will most likely go home Monday. Fingers crossed.
Strange Route to a Championship
Posted in IndyCar on September 15, 2024 by Oilpressure
Well, that was an odd race. Going in, Alex Palou had a thirty-three point lead on Will Power – but Palou was starting twenty positions behind Power. Most fans in attendance had visions of checking the scoring pylon to see where each contender stood in relation to the other. That drama lasted for twelve laps. When I saw Power duck into the pits after only twelve circuits, I knew the championship was most likely sealed.
Championship Day at NSS
Posted in IndyCar on September 15, 2024 by Oilpressure
Welcome to Championship Sunday at a sunny Nashville Superspeedway. The weather looks much more promising than yesterday’s looked – and yesterday was much better than most thought it would be. It is sunny and warm with a projected high temperature of 87°. There are a few puffy clouds as I type this at 11:00 am local time, but nothing looks threatening. However, there is a chance of rain for late afternoon. Hopefully it will be long after the race is done.
Qualifying Brings More Drama
Posted in IndyCar on September 14, 2024 by Oilpressure
There was already some added drama this morning, when it was announced that points leader Alex Palou would sustain a 9-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. Then the other title contender, Will Power, did what he had to do and qualified fourth – not outstanding, but not disastrous. Being the current points leader, Alex Palou was the last to make his qualifying run.
Welcome to Music City!
Posted in IndyCar on September 14, 2024 by Oilpressure
Good morning, from a surprisingly sunny and dry Nashville Superspeedway. I left the house around 7:30 this morning, and it was sprinkling as I pulled out of our driveway. I stopped by the hospital to visit Mrs.Oilpressure before heading to the track. It was cloudy, but the streets were wet as I headed east. As I got closer to the track, the skies kept improving.
Nashville Preview
Posted in IndyCar on September 13, 2024 by Oilpressure
First, I want to start with an update on my wife’s health. Fortunately, it’s a positive update. Susan had her surgery on Wednesday afternoon, but I was wrong on one thing – it was not laparoscopic. They cut her wide-open, but that was the only negative to the entire day. The surgery was completely successful. They did what they needed to do, and she is well on her way to recovery. Most importantly, there was no evidence of any new cancer – or old cancer, for that matter. As her surgeon suspected, the intestinal blockage was caused by scar tissue from her radiation treatments three and a half years ago, that had shifted. She will most likely not attend the race this weekend, but her recovery is going very well. She is alert and in good spirits. Thanks to everyone for all of the thoughts, prayers and kind words. Now onto this weekend’s season finale at Nashville Superspeedway…
Oilpressure 