One thing you can say for the double-header weekend at Iowa – the racing was sure better than last year. IndyCar and Firestone both made the proper adjustments to not have a repeat of last year’s twin duds. It’s interesting how you can run the same drivers on the same track, two days in a row – yet get different results.
Random Thoughts on Iowa
Posted in IndyCar on July 14, 2025 by OilpressureIowa Preview…and More
Posted in IndyCar on July 11, 2025 by Oilpressure
The annual double-header at Iowa Speedway is coming up this weekend. To us older fans, it seems like yesterday that Iowa Speedway opened its doors. It’s hard to believe that it was September of 2006, when the track held its first race – a Hooters Pro Cup Series race won by Woody Howard. The Indy racing League held its first race at Iowa the following June, when Dario Franchitti won for Andretti Green Racing.
Mid-Ohio Preview
Posted in IndyCar on July 4, 2025 by Oilpressure
It’s odd how something doesn’t work for one track, but is successful at another. From 2006 through 2010, the NTT IndyCar Series ran at Watkins Glen over the Independence Day weekend. Even though the racing was very good, the holiday weekend events were very poorly attended. When the plug was pulled on the event after the 2010 season, many cited the Fourth of July weekend as the reason for the sparse crowds. It served as a cautionary tale to not schedule events over or near the mid-summer holiday weekend.
Random Thoughts on Road America
Posted in IndyCar on June 22, 2025 by Oilpressure
A very topsy-turvy race ended up with a very predictable result. As he has done six times already this season, Alex Palou won the 2025 XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. It’s not highly unusual for this race to run caution-free, as it did in 2019 when Alexander Rossi ran away from the field after Turn Three of the opening lap. Things were a little bit different today. Altogether, there were five caution periods.
It’s Race Day at Road America
Posted in IndyCar on June 22, 2025 by Oilpressure
Good morning from a crowded and sultry Road America. Unfortunately, it will be slightly hotter than it was yesterday. The saving grace yesterday was the stiff wind that kept things reasonably comfortable. Hopefully, that breeze will continue today. If not, it could be very uncomfortable for fans, as well as drivers, crew members and even equipment. Today will be an interesting test for the hybrid component.
Five Years Later (Almost)
Posted in IndyCar on June 21, 2025 by Oilpressure
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost five years since I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I remember the phone call like it was yesterday. I was in one of my training stores loading bread dough onto carts for the next day’s bake when the doctor called. My first thought was that it just can’t be true, we were joking around with my gastroenterologist when he did the biopsy. How cavalier I was. That just shows you how unprepared I was for things to go wrong.
Road America–Qualifying Wrap-up
Posted in IndyCar on June 21, 2025 by Oilpressure
For the second year in a row, the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America will have a rookie leading the NTT IndyCar Series field to the green flag. In 2024, Linus Lundqvist won the pole here for Chip Ganassi Racing; but under screwy circumstances during rainy conditions. It was a pole, but to put it bluntly – it was a fluke.
Oilpressure 