Good afternoon from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! I can’t tell you how good it is to say (type) that. We were about an hour delayed leaving Nashville. I had plans of stopping at The Workingman’s Friend for a burger before going to the track, but we crossed the bridge into Indiana about an hour and a half before Qualifying was to begin. That meant that the burger was out, and we went straight to the track.
A Surprising Fast Six for Qualifying
Posted in IndyCar on August 11, 2023 by OilpressureGallagher Grand Prix Preview
Posted in IndyCar on August 11, 2023 by Oilpressure
As you read this, Susan and I are most likely headed north to Indianapolis, for the Brickyard Weekend (I think it’s still called that). Technically, we are heading up to attend the Gallagher Grand Prix on the IMS road course.
What Will MSR Reveal on Friday?
Posted in IndyCar on August 9, 2023 by Oilpressure
On Monday afternoon, I saw where Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) was planning an announcement for Friday morning at IMS. Being the positive and upbeat person that I am, I was hoping this would be to announce that Simon Pagenaud would be returning to the car this weekend. Then I saw the time of the scheduled announcement (11:00 am) and the time of the first IndyCar practice for the weekend (9:00 am), and I realized that was probably not it. Plus, I had put my theory out to a group text I’m in with people more on the inside than I am. They weren’t surer what the announcement was to be, but that didn’t stop them from quickly telling me how wrong I was.
Random Thoughts on Nashville
Posted in IndyCar on August 7, 2023 by Oilpressure
The third edition of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is now in the books. I think most would agree that the 2023 version was far better than the other two. For one thing, teams were able to pick a strategy instead of reacting to the most recent crash every ten laps or so.
A Heck of a Show in Nashville
Posted in IndyCar on August 6, 2023 by Oilpressure
In year’s past, many prominent members of the IndyCar media referred to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix as a sh**show. Some of the criticism was much-deserved. When the previous two races featured an average of 8.5 cautions per race, the event becomes an easy target. But from what I saw from the pits today, the 2023 version of this event wasn’t a sh**show – it was a heck of a show!
It’s Race Day in Nashville!
Posted in IndyCar on August 6, 2023 by Oilpressure
Good morning from a dry (for once) Nissan Stadium, which is the focal point for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. For the first time this weekend, I drove here in dry weather and actually had to wear sunglasses on my way in. It is partly cloudy with some dark clouds hanging around. I would love for it to stay dry, but based on this weekend – you never know.
Music City Grand Prix–Day Two Wrap-Up
Posted in IndyCar on August 5, 2023 by Oilpressure
There was a point in time today, that I was convinced that IndyCar Qualifying would be rained out and they would line up by points. I ate lunch at Honda Hospitality, just after the abbreviated practice session in the rain. As I walked over to the hospitality area, I was hunkered down under my umbrella. While I was eating, the heavens opened up. My watch said 12:30 and the radar looked ominous. Walking back to the stadium was just as dreary. Shortly after I got back to the media center, they announced that Qualifying would not start as scheduled and was on hold indefinitely. That’s when I thought that we were done for the day.
Oilpressure 