welcome race fans to krazyaboutracing.com we are now in our 23RD year of being the leader in motorsports coverage on the world wide web


(HOME) (LOCAL RACING)  (DRIVER BIO PAGE)  (TRACK BIO PAGE) (PREVIOUS NEWS)  (PREVIOUS RACING)   (SITE NEWS)  (MEET THE STAFF)   (HALL OF FAME)  (MONTHLY NEWSLETTER)  (THE OLD'N DAYS)  (SPECIAL EVENTS)  (MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS)  (ANNUAL AWARDS)  (CONTACT US)   (DRIVER & TEAM RELEASES) (LOCAL TRACK NEWS) (MULTIMEDIA)


 for more coverage on the series click on the series lOgo


  indycar series indy lights series  indypro 2000 series  usf20000 series

road to indy


indycar series

 

www.indycar.com

The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920 after two initial attempts in 1905 and 1916. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, INDYCAR, LLC., which began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series and the history and statistics of both series, as well as those from its predecessors, were unified. The series' premier event is the Indianapolis 500, which was first held in 1911.


Peerless Palou Marches into May with Cruise to Barber Victory

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, May 4, 2025) – The march through May is underway for Alex Palou after his dominant victory Sunday in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on Barber Motorsports Park.

Palou earned his third victory in four races this season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, driving his No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 16.0035-second victory over Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. It was the widest margin of victory in a series race since Scott Dixon won by 22.2256 seconds in August 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

SEE: Race Results

“It was a perfect day, a perfect weekend,” Palou said. “The car was amazing, super fast. I had a ton of fun.

“I was a bit lonely there, but I loved it. It was an amazing day.”

It was the 14th victory of Palou’s career, coming on the same circuit where he scored his first win, in 2021 with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Palou led 81 of 90 laps today from the pole and increased his lead in the series standings to 60 points over Lundgaard entering two races this month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 10 on the road course and the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25.

Three-time and two-time reigning series champion Palou has won the last two Sonsio Grands Prix, while he seeks his first career Indianapolis 500 victory.

2023 and 2024 Barber winner Scott McLaughlin completed the podium finishers, third in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet.

Rinus VeeKay placed fourth in the No. 18 askROI Honda, as he has led Dale Coyne Racing to its best start to a season since 2020. This was VeeKay’s best result since finishing fourth in July 2022 at Iowa Speedway for Ed Carpenter Racing.

Two-time series champion Will Power rounded out the top five finishers in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, his third consecutive top-six result this season.

Checkout time came early for Palou. He jumped to the lead at the green flag and never surrendered it except for cycling through his three pit stops.

McLaughlin stayed close on the first two trips around the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural-terrain road course, but Palou built a gap of 1.1 seconds after just three laps. And the margin continued to grow, aided by the third consecutive race without a caution period. The last stretch of three straight INDYCAR SERIES races without a yellow flag came in 1986, when consecutive events at Portland, the Meadowlands and Cleveland ran caution-free.

“When the guy is on top of his game, you just can do the best you can, in that regard,” McLaughlin said of Palou. “I feel like week in and week out, we can challenge him. But if he keeps executing like this, all we can do is execute, as well.

“Props to his team. But it’s a long season. It’s way too early to be even worrying about points. We’ve just got to keep being there, and if we’re there, we’ll be OK.”

Palou surrendered a 4.888-second lead to Lundgaard when he made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 65. But his Chip Ganassi Racing crew was flawless on that and his two earlier stops, and Palou jumped back to the lead for good on Lap 68 after Lundgaard and then Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet pitted from the lead.

From there, Palou was under no threat. He padded his lead to 7.139 seconds by the end of Lap 73 and cruised to the checkered. The ease of Palou’s victory was illustrated by the amount of Push-to-Pass time he had remaining compared to his fellow podium finishers: Palou had 63 unused seconds of overtake assist at the finish, while Lundgaard had 15 and McLaughlin 25.

Along the way to victory, Palou also passed a significant milestone to burnish his growing legend within the sport, leading his 1,000th career lap in the series. Palou reached that mark in his 85th career start, 14 races sooner than his iconic teammate, six-time series champion Dixon, reached 1,000 laps led.

Practice on the IMS road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix starts at 9:30 a.m. ET Friday, May 9, followed by another practice at 1:10 p.m. and NTT P1 Award qualifying at 4:35 p.m. on a full Friday of action. FS2 will cover the first two practices live, while qualifying will be broadcast on FS1. The FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage of all three sessions.

 

 


 

Palou Grabs Pole in Final Seconds of Barber Qualifying Thriller

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Saturday, May 3, 2025) – The NTT P1 Award changed hands four times in the last 40 seconds of an exciting qualifying session Saturday for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park, but it was that guy again – series points leader Alex Palou – who claimed the top spot.

Three-time and two-time reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou earned his first pole of the season and the seventh of his career with a top lap of 1 minute, 7.2918 seconds in the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda during the Firestone Fast Six. Palou has won two of the first three races of this season, finishing second in the other, and has built a 34-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global in the standings.

SEE: Qualifying Results

“What an amazing day for the 10 car,” Palou said. “This is such a special place for us here. We got our first race win in INDYCAR back in 2021.

“It was super close. I don’t think my first lap (in the Firestone Fast Six) was very good. I was just hoping to get a perfect lap on the second one on the alternates (Firestone Firehawk tires). So, yeah, cannot wait for tomorrow now.”

The 90-lap race is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network). Palou will seek his first win on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural-terrain road course since he earned his first series victory in his inaugural start with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. Palou drove for Dale Coyne Racing as a rookie in 2020.

Two-time reigning Barber winner Scott McLaughlin just missed earning his second straight pole for this race. He will start second after his best lap of 1:07.4387 in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet.

Colton Herta will start third after his best lap of 1:07.4576 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global. Two-time Barber winner Will Power will join Herta in the second row after qualifying fourth at 1:07.5616 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. It was the best qualifying performance of the season for two-time series champion Power, whose previous best was 13th at St. Petersburg and Long Beach.

Rinus VeeKay qualified fifth at 1:07.9103 in the No. 18 askROI Honda fielded by Dale Coyne Racing. This was the first time VeeKay has reached the Firestone Fast Six on a road or street circuit since he won the pole for this race in April 2022.

Nolan Siegel rounded out the third row with a career performance. Siegel will start a career-best sixth after his best lap of 1:08.0470 in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. It was the first time Siegel made the Firestone Fast Six in his young NTT INDYCAR SERIES career, which started midway through last season.

Two notable drivers failed to advance out of the first round of the three-segment qualifying format.

Kirkwood will start 18th in the No. 27 PreFab Honda of Andretti Global after winning the pole and the race last month at the most recent event, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon went off track into the gravel trap on his last flying lap in the opening segment and failed to advance in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He will start a season-low 26th in the 27-car field, his worst start since he also qualified 26th for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix in August 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.


 

Ericsson Jumps to Top in Opening Barber Practice

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Friday, May 2, 2025) – Now that’s more like it for Marcus Ericsson.

Ericsson led the opening practice Friday for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.7470 seconds in the No. 28 Bryant Honda fielded by Andretti Global. Ericsson’s quickest lap, turned during the 40-minute session open to all cars, came on the Firestone alternate compound tires, which provide more grip but faster wear.

SEE: Practice Results

The Swede sought improvement this season after a challenging first year with Andretti Global in 2024, when he finished a disappointing 15th in the championship. 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Ericsson is 12th in the standings this season after three races.

Series leader Alex Palou, who has won the last two season titles, continued his metronomic consistency by ending up second at 1:07.7602 in the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou won the first two races of the season and finished second in the last event, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13.

Like many of his competitors, Palou got busy in a hurry in the 80-minute session, which began with an all-cars session followed by two, 12-minute group runs. Rain is forecast Saturday in the Birmingham area, which could limit track time. Practice is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET, with NTT P1 Award qualifying at 2:35 p.m. (both sessions FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

“It was only 40 minutes plus a 12-minute session, and going straight to a race if tomorrow it rains will be tough,” Palou said. “But it’s the same for everybody, so we were able to find a couple of things to check, to test both (tire) compounds and see the difference there. It’s going to be interesting, for sure.”

Colton Herta ensured Andretti Global drivers took two of the top three spots as he ended up third at 1:07.7728 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. Two-time series champion Will Power was the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver, fourth at 1:07.7869 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

Alexander Rossi continued the solid start to the season with his new team, Ed Carpenter Racing, by rounding out the top five at 1:07.8098 in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet.

The 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural terrain road course at Barber is one of the most challenging and physically demanding circuits on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, and two series stars explored the limits of grip and the racing surface during this opening session.

Two-time reigning Barber winner Scott McLaughlin drove into the grass exiting Turn 17 and continued early in the session in his No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet. McLaughlin later saved his car from contact during a sensational power slide in Turn 14.

Felix Rosenqvist also went off track and into the gravel in his No. 60 SiriusXM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. He also made no contact and continued.

The 90-lap race is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network).

 


 

 Fast Facts Sonsio Grand Prix

 

 

Race weekend: Friday, May 9-Saturday, May 10

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 85 laps / 207.3 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: 35 laps / 85.365 miles or 55 minutes (each race)

Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum single duration of 20 seconds. Push to Pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. | INDY NXT by Firestone: A maximum of 50 activations total or 150 seconds of total push to pass time.

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 425 kilojoules (kj) per lap

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary (hard) and four sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires in the first practice session. Teams must use two sets of primary and two sets of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Four new sets to be used during the doubleheader weekend with one new set used for qualifying and another new set used during each race. A carryover set from the Barber event may be used during practice.

X: @IMS, @INDYCAR, #INDYGP, #INDYCAR

Instagram: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #INDYGP, #INDYCAR

Threads: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #INDYGP, #INDYCAR

Facebook: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR

TikTok: @indianapolismotorspeedwy, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR

YouTube: @IMS, @INDYCAR

Event website: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/

NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com | INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com

2024 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Race 1: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports)

Race 2: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)

2024 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES):

Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), 1 minute, 9.0004 seconds, 127.251 mph

2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner:

Race 1: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports) 1:14.9358, 117.172 mph

Race 2: Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Motorsports) 1:15.0528, 116.990 mph

Qualifying records:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Will Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Ed Jones, 1:14.6743, 117.583 mph, May 13, 2016

FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 9:30 a.m. ET, Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 1 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Warmup, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. | INDY NXT By Firestone: Practice 1, 11 a.m. ET, Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Race 1, 7 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Race 2, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter, while guest analysts Santino Ferrucci (Race 1) and Tim Cindric (Race 2) will join for the race telecasts.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Alex Wolff, Rob Blackman and Rich Nye are the pit reporters. The Sonsio Grand Prix race (4 p.m. ET Saturday), the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix doubleheader (6:55 p.m. ET Friday and 12:55 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Friday, May 9

9:30-10:50 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS2 (Live)

11:05-11:55 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS2 (Live)

1:10-2 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (35 minutes of green flag – limited guarantee), FS2 (Live)

2:30-3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, (two groups/12 minutes each), FS2 (Live)

4:35 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), FS1 (Live)

7:01 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 1 “Drivers, start your engines”

7:06 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 1 (35 laps/55 minutes), FS1 (Live)

Saturday, May 10

11:32-11:57 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup (25 minutes), FS1 (Live)

1:01 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 2 “Drivers, start your engines”

1:06 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 2 (35 laps/55 minutes), FS1 (Live)

4:30 p.m. FOX on air

4:45 p.m. Sonsio Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”

4:52 p.m. Sonsio Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), FOX (Live)

“WHAT TO LOOK FOR” AT IMS:

  1. Palou Eyes IMS Three-peat: Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing has won three of 2025’s first four races and leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points standings by 60 points. He’s also won the past two Sonsio Grands Prix. Palou could become the first driver since Josef Newgarden won three straight races at World Wide Technology Raceway from 2020-2022. Among tracks on the current NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, three in a row has only been accomplished four other times. Bobby Rahal won four in a row at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (1984-87), Al Unser Jr. won four in a row at Long Beach (1988-91) Michael Andretti won three straight at Portland (1990-1992) and Sebastien Bourdais won three in a row at Long Beach (2005-07).
  2. Penske’s Power Play: Roger Penske may be the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but IMS has long been a Team Penske playground, and that includes races on the road course. Led by Will Power’s five race wins, Roger Penske’s drivers have won eight times on this circuit, including two wins from Simon Pagenaud (2016, 2019) and another from Josef Newgarden (2020).

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:

  • The Sonsio Grand Prix will be the 17th INDYCAR SERIES event conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Active race winners expected to compete are Alex Palou, Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Will Power.
ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS
Will Power 5 2015, 2017, 2018 (Sonsio Grand Prix); 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-2); 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Scott Dixon 2 2020 (Sonsio Grand Prix); 2023 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Alex Palou 2 2023 (Sonsio Grand Prix), 2024
Colton Herta 1 2022 (Sonsio Grand Prix)
Josef Newgarden 1 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
Alexander Rossi 1 2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Rinus VeeKay 1 2021 (Sonsio Grand Prix)
  • Six NTT P1 Award winners have won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course from the pole: Alex Palou won the 2024 Sonsio Grand Prix from the pole. Will Power won the 2015, 2017 and 2018 Sonsio Grand Prix and the second Harvest GP race in 2020 from the pole. Simon Pagenaud also won the Sonsio Grand Prix from the pole in 2016.
ACTIVE POLE WINNER POLES SEASONS
Will Power 5 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 (Sonsio Grand Prix and Harvest Grand Prix-2)
Felix Rosenqvist 2 2019, 2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Alex Palou 1 2024
Graham Rahal 1 2023 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Christian Lundgaard 1 2023 (Sonsio Grand Prix)
Pato O’Ward 1 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Rinus VeeKay 1 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
  • Four drivers have competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Graham Rahal. All are entered this weekend.
  • Team Penske has eight wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-Race 2, 2020-Race 3, 2021-Race 2). Chip Ganassi has four wins - with Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1 and 2023-Race 2 and Alex Palou in 2023-Race 1 and 2024. Andretti Autosport and Ed Carpenter Racing are the only other teams to win at the track. Andretti Autosport won the Sonsio Grand Prix with Colton Herta in May 2022 and Gallagher Grand Prix with Alexander Rossi in August 2022, while Ed Carpenter Racing won in 2021-Race 1 with Rinus VeeKay.
  • Three NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Jacob Abel, Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman - are entered and will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car on the IMS road course for the first time alongside veteran driver Nolan Siegel. Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 344th consecutive start, extending his INDYCAR SERIES record.

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:

  • INDY NXT by Firestone will conduct a doubleheader weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend with a pair of 35-lap races. Dennis Hauger continued his dominating season scoring his second straight win on May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park and sits atop the point standings.
  • Juan Manuel Correa will make his INDY NXT debut in the first of several starts this season with HMD Motorsports. The American / Ecuadorian driver has raced in FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Rolex 24 at Daytona. Correa demonstrated remarkable resilience, particularly after recovering from a life-threatening crash in 2019. His recovery and return to racing were a testament to his grit and determination.
  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the home race for second-year driver Jack William Miller, the son of former INDYCAR SERIES competitor Dr. Jack Miller. The younger Miller, who hails from Indianapolis and attends IU Indianapolis, competes for ABEL Motorsport with Miller Vinatieri Motorsports – a team co-owned by Dr. Jack Miller and former Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.
  • Group qualifying will decide the starting grids on during the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying segments. With 12 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded the Race 1 pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). The grid for the second race will be determined by each drivers’ second fastest lap, with drivers who finished behind the polesitter, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group for each race.

 


 

Parkside Collectibles Announces 2025 INDYCAR Vol. 1 Trading Card Set

 

PALMETTO, Fla. – A busy month of May for the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire open-wheel development ladder continues this week, May 8-10, as the top two rungs, USF Pro 2000 and USF2000, convene at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course for the VP Racing Grand Prix of Indianapolis.


 

As with last weekend’s exciting USF Juniors tripleheader at Barber Motorsports Park, the event once again will be held in conjunction with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.


 

Qualifying for both series on Friday morning will assume critical importance. The sole session for USF Pro 2000 at 8:40 a.m. EDT will help form the starting grid for all three 25-lap races that will follow, while the earlier USF2000 qualifying period, set for 7:55 a.m., will determine the order for the pair of 15-lap races.


 

Turn 3 Seeks to Join the Club

Intriguingly, the last five USF Pro 2000 races held on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course dating back to 2023 have been won by five different drivers representing five different teams.


 

Ricardo Escotto (Jay Howard Driver Development), Joel Granfors (Exclusive Autosport), Nikita Johnson (VRD Racing), Liam Sceats (TJ Speed Motorsports) and Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing) are the drivers and teams who have populated the top step of the podium over the course of the past two years.


 

Entry List


 

Pabst Racing will certainly enter the weekend with high hopes as the Wisconsin-based operation currently leads in both the Team and Driver standings. Rookie Max Garcia, from Coconut Grove, Fla., has taken an early points advantage on the strength of two race wins and three second-place finishes from the opening five races. Garcia also enjoyed success at Indianapolis last year, winning one of the two USF2000 races en route to clinching the championship.


 

Garcia’s closest rival so far in the quest for a scholarship worth almost $600,000 to advance into INDY NXT for 2026 has been Alessandro de Tullio, from Miami, Fla. De Tullio has won three races to Garcia’s two, but he also failed to finish the second race at St. Petersburg, Fla., and thus trails by a 16-point margin as the protagonists head to Indianapolis.


 

De Tullio will head a strong five-car lineup for Turn 3 Motorsport. The organization based in Mundelein, Ill., has yet to win at the hallowed Speedway, although it guided Australian Lochie Hughes to the USF Pro 2000 championship one year ago – and team principal Peter Dempsey played a starring role in the oval track’s closest ever finish when he famously came from behind to edge out three other rivals in the 2013 Freedom 100 Indy Lights race.


 

In addition to regular teammates Tyke Durst, from Charlotte, N.C., and Cooper Becklin, from Portland, Ore., Turn 3 also will enter cars for Brazilian Nicolas Monteiro and Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas, who will make his USF Pro 2000 debut after competing previously in USF Juniors and USF2000.


 

Additional contenders will include the Pabst Racing pair of Jacob Douglas, from Christchurch, New Zealand, and Michael Costello, from Naples, Fla., VRD Racing’s Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., Israeli Ariel Elkin (TJ Speed Motorsports) and Canadian Mac Clark (Exclusive Autosport), all of whom have podium finishes to their names already this season.


 

After two hour-long test sessions and 30 minutes of official practice on Thursday, May 8, the lone qualifying session will precede the first of three races at 3:20 p.m. on Friday. Two more races will follow on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and then at 2:20 p.m., immediately prior to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES headline event.


 

McNeilly on the Cusp in USF2000

Liam McNeilly, from London, England, has dominated thus far in USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire, winning all five races and leading all but three of the 85 laps for Jay Howard Driver Development. If he wins the opening race at Indianapolis on Saturday, the recently turned 19-year-old Englishman will match the record set by 2020 champion Christian Rasmussen, who won the opening six races of the season. Rasmussen went on to win the title comfortably and now drives in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for Ed Carpenter Racing.


 

McNeilly’s excellent start to his campaign has taken him into a commanding 51-point lead over Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, who finished second in each of the first three races.


 

Entry List


 

Since then, the mantle of closest challenger has been grasped by Thomas Schrage, who bounced back from a difficult weekend in the opening event of the season at St. Petersburg, Fla., to claim a trio of podiums at NOLA Motorsports Park for VRD Racing. Schrage now lies third in the title-chase.


 

Other challengers likely will include Pabst Racing’s Caleb Gafrarar, from Charlotte, N.C., and G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif, plus Exclusive Autosport’s Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., who made an impressive USF2000 debut one year ago at Indianapolis by claiming two pole positions, two fastest race laps and a best finish of third.


 

All eyes, however, will be on Simon Sikes, who is set to make a surprise return to the USF2000 ranks with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development. Sikes, from Augusta, Ga., won at Indy in 2023 en route to winning the championship for Pabst Racing. He also finished fourth in his rookie season of USF Pro 2000 in 2024. Enter Sarah Fisher’s team, which has offered Sikes an opportunity to drive alongside South African rookie Wian Boshoff aboard a second SFHR Tatuus USF-22.


 

The USF2000 schedule is very similar to that for USF Pro 2000 with two test sessions and official practice on Thursday, followed by qualifying and the first of two races on Friday at 12:10 p.m. Race Two will see a green flag at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.


 

Full coverage of both series, including timing and live streaming, can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and the respective series’ websites, usfpro2000.com and usf2000.com.


 


 

INDYCAR Announces Race Tire Rule Update for Sonsio Grand Prix

.

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 3, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced an update to the race tire usage requirements for the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday, May 10.

For the race, teams will be required to use:

  • Two sets of alternate compound tires (one more than previously required)
  • Two sets of primary compound tires (one more than previously required)

There are no requirements in terms of new (sticker) sets of tires used in the race. The two completed laps needed to satisfy the tire requirement rule, where one (1) lap must begin once the Green Flag has been displayed to the Race Leader (Rule 15.3.3.2.3.) for each of the four sets (Rule 15.3.3.2.) remains in effect.

The update strives to ensure an all-out, driving on the limit, thrilling and entertaining product for fans and generate even more strategic challenges for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series. Additionally – working with Firestone – the current, standard event weekend road and street circuit tire allocation that began this season (five sets of primaries and five sets of alternates) was contemplated with this tire requirement format option in mind. The tire allocation for the IMS road course, the only two-day road and street circuit event on the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, remains unchanged at five sets of primaries and four sets of alternates.

“INDYCAR is continually looking into ways to improve an already extraordinary on-track product,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “Firestone is a terrific partner, and their higher degradation alternate tire has given strategists plenty to think about on road and street circuits this year. We expect this update will challenge teams and drivers even more.”

In an additional move to ensure more robust on-track activity during the Sonsio Grand Prix event, Practice 2 on the IMS road course will be adjusted from a limited green flag guarantee of 45 minutes to 35.

Following the event on the IMS road course, INDYCAR will review both updated procedures and evaluate its use for future races.

Coverage of the Sonsio Grand Prix, round five of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, begins at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, May 10 on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The first practice of the weekend is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET Friday, May 9 and can be seen on FS2.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on Sunday, May 4. Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network

 
 INDY NXT series

 

www.indycar.com/nxt.indyca

The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920 after two initial attempts in 1905 and 1916. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, INDYCAR, LLC., which began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series and the history and statistics of both series, as well as those from its predecessors, were unified. The series' premier event is the Indianapolis 500, which was first held in 1911.


Hauger Stays Perfect with Barber Victory from Pole

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, May 4, 2025) – Rookie Dennis Hauger remained flawless in this young INDY NXT by Firestone season, winning the Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park.

Andretti Global driver Hauger, from Norway, led all 35 laps from the pole in a repeat performance of his season-opening win from the No. 1 qualifying position March 2 at St. Petersburg, Florida. So far, Hauger has led all 79 laps of competition this season and every session except for one practice at St. Petersburg – he was second – in the INDYCAR development series.

SEE: Race Results

“That was a good weekend, for sure,” Hauger said. “It felt really good out there. I was trying to take care of the rear tires, especially in the beginning. After that, I was just trying to keep it consistent.

“The pace was really there. Andretti gave me a good car all weekend. I’m super happy for all of us.”

Hauger drove his No. 28 Rental Group car to a 11.0196-second victory over 17-year-old Evagoras Papasavvas, who made an impressive first career start in the No. 24 HMD Motorsports car. Lochie Hughes completed the podium filled with rookie drivers, placing third in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship machine.

Veteran Myles Rowe finished fourth – tying his career best in the series – in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy car, while veteran Josh Pierson finished a career-best fifth in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports machine.

Two caution periods were the only speed bumps for Formula 2 veteran Hauger on Sunday on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural terrain road course. He was never challenged and pulled away from the field on restarts on Lap 4 and Lap 13.

Veteran Caio Collet, who started second, kept Hauger honest in the early going. Collet stayed within about a second of the leader until he dropped down the order when his No. 76 HMD Motorsports car developed a throttle problem during the second caution period, triggered on Lap 11 when the No. 29 Grupo Indi car of Salvador de Alba and the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing machine of Bryce Aron collided in Turn 5.

Papasavvas then inherited second place. He never threatened Hauger but held off Hughes, Rowe and Pierson over the closing laps to cap a strong series debut. The gap between second-place Papasavvas and fifth-place Pierson at the finish was just 1.8332 seconds.

The series has shifted into high gear with this event, as a doubleheader will take place this weekend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Race 1 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Friday, May 9, with Race 2 at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, May 10. FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage of both 35-lap races.

 


 

Hauger Manages Mixed Conditions Best To Win Pole at Barber

 

 

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Saturday, May 3, 2025) – Dennis Hauger remained perfect this season in INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, earning the pole for the Grand Prix of Alabama in mixed conditions Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park.

Hauger, from Norway, grabbed the top starting spot for the race Sunday with a best lap of 1 minute, 12.7705 seconds in the No. 28 Rental Group car fielded by Andretti Global. He won the pole and the race in his debut in the INDYCAR development series March 2 at St. Petersburg, Florida.

SEE: Qualifying Results

Qualifying was a tale of two sessions in changing weather conditions. The 20-driver field was split into two groups for qualifying, and the first group of drivers all used Firestone Firehawk rain tires because of damp track conditions. The 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural terrain circuit dried enough for the second group to switch to the faster Firestone slick tires after their warmup lap, creating a big discrepancy in times between the two groups.

But series rules state the grid is set by alternating the quickest times in each group, so Caio Collet will join Hauger on the front row even though his top time of 1:24.8394 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car from the wetter first group was more than 12 seconds slower than Hauger’s best.

That trend continued throughout the lineup for the 20-car field, as the starters in the odd-numbered grid spots all came from the drier, faster second group while all even-numbered starters qualified in the wetter, slower first group.

Hauger already was on top when he improved upon his best time on his last lap. Every driver in the second group was given one final flying lap after rookie Max Taylor spun off track late in the session in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car, losing his two quickest laps for triggering a red flag during qualifying.

“It was looking like it was drying up, but you don’t really know before you go out there,” Hauger said. “After the first lap, I was like, ‘We’ve to pit for a sticker (slicks) run.’ After we did that, I think most people did in the end.

“It was a good run, a good last lap. I managed to maximize it. The Andretti team and 28 crew have had a good weekend so far and are looking forward to starting on pole tomorrow.”

The 35-lap race starts at 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Evagoras Papasavvas will start third in his series debut in the No. 24 HMD Motorsports machine. Papasavvas, 17, turned a top lap of 1:13.3669 in the second group. Lochie Hughes of Andretti Global will join him in the second row after qualifying fourth at 1:25.4437 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car of Andretti Global.

Myles Rowe qualified fifth at 1:13.4377 in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy machine of Abel Motorsports. Bryce Aron will start sixth after his run of 1:25.5923 in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing car.


Hauger Leads Fast Andretti Pack in Opening Barber Practice

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Friday, May 2, 2025) – Dennis Hauger continued the impressive start to his INDY NXT by Firestone career by leading practice Friday for the Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

Andretti Global rookie Hauger, from Norway, was quickest in the 45-minute session with a lap of 1 minute, 12.1621 seconds in the No. 28 Rental Group car. Formula 2 race winner Hauger won the pole and led every lap of the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 2.

SEE: Practice Results

“It was a good run,” Hauger said. “As a team, we seem strong today. I think we still have some things to work on and feel like there was still some time in there for me. But a good start, and it’s good to see we sort of left off where we ended in St. Pete.”

Caio Collet, in his second season in the INDYCAR development series, was second at 1:12.4694 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports machine. Veteran teammate Josh Pierson ended up third at 1:12.7627 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports car.

Rookie Lochie Hughes clocked in fourth at 1:12.7689 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car. Hughes finished second to Andretti Global teammate Hauger in his series debut at St. Petersburg.

Andretti Global ended up with all four of its drivers in the top six of the time sheets. Veteran Salvador de Alba was the third Andretti driver in the top five, as he ended up at 1:12.7865 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car. Andretti Global veteran James Roe was sixth at 1:12.8097 in the No. 29 Topcon machine.

There was one incident with contact that triggered a red flag 19 minutes into the session. Rookie Evagoras Papasavvas, making his first series start, nosed into the tire barrier in the final turn of the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural-terrain road course in the No. 24 HMD Motorsports car. He was unhurt.

Up next is another practice at 10:10 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by qualifying at 1:30 p.m. ET. FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage of both sessions.

 


 

  indycar series INDY NXT  series

2025 INDYcar schedule

2025 Schedule
DATE RACE TV
Sun, Mar 2
Noon ET
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Streets Of St. Petersburg
FOX
Sun, Mar 23
3:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Thermal
The Thermal Club
FOX
Sun, Apr 13
4:30 PM ET
Grand Prix of Long Beach
Streets Of Long Beach
FOX
Sun, May 4
1:30 PM ET
Grand Prix of Alabama
Barber Motorsports Park
FOX
Sat, May 10
4:30 PM ET
Grand Prix of Indianapolis (Road Course)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
FOX
Sun, May 25
10:00 AM ET
Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
FOX
Sun, Jun 1
12:30 PM ET
Grand Prix of Detroit
Detroit Street Circuit
FOX
Sun, Jun 15
3:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Illinois
World Wide Technology Raceway
FOX
Sun, Jun 22
3:30 PM ET
Grand Prix of Road America
Road America
FOX
Sun, Jul 6
2:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
FOX
Sat, Jul 12
5:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Iowa Race 1
Iowa Speedway
FOX
Sun, Jul 13
2:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Iowa Race 2
Iowa Speedway
FOX
Sun, Jul 20
2:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Toronto
Streets Of Toronto
FOX
Sun, Jul 27
3:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Monterey
Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca
FOX
Sun, Aug 10
3:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Portland
Portland International Raceway
FOX
Sun, Aug 24
2:00 PM ET
Grand Prix of Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Mile
FOX
Sun, Aug 31
2:30 PM ET
Grand Prix of Nashville
Nashville Superspeedway
FOX

 

2025 INDYNXT schedule

Rd. Date Race name Track Location
1 March 2 Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg  R  Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida
2 May 4 Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama  R  Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama
3 May 9 Indy NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix  R  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Speedway, Indiana
4 May 10
5 June 1 Indy NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix  R  Detroit Street Circuit Detroit, Michigan
6 June 15 Indy NXT by Firestone Outfront Showdown  O  World Wide Technology Raceway Madison, Illinois
7 June 22 Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America  R  Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
8 July 6 Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio  R  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio
9 July 12 Indy NXT by Firestone Iowa 100  O  Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa
10 July 26 Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey  R  WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California
11 July 27
12 August 10 Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland  R  Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon
13 August 24 Indy NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100  O  Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin
14 August 31 Indy NXT by Firestone Music City 100  O  Nashville Superspeedway Lebanon, Tennessee
O Oval track
R Road/street course

 
       

 

©2002-2025 MOTOR SPORTS GARAGE PRODUCTIONS,  All Rights Reserved

ALL LOGOS ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE RACING SERIES AND ARE USED FOR EDITORIAL PURPOSES ONLY

ALL PICTURES ARE PROPERTY OF THE RACING SERIES AND ARE USED FOR EDITORIAL PURPOSES ONLY

NO PART OF THE SITE CAN BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF MOTORSPORTSGARAGE PRODUCTIONS

This site is dedicated to my dad " Hoot" who introduced me to the great sport of auto racing............. rest in peace  DAD

larry criss....................A true race fan LIKE AN UNCLE TO ME

   gary lee.................auto racing broadcast legend and personnel friend

charlie patterson ............my old friend that supported me when mo one else did

 Carroll Horton .......................................life long friend and indy car owner

Judy Morris.................... a true race fan

todd shafer..............."a rock n roller" with a love for racing!

FOLLOW US on