welcome race fans to krazyaboutracing.com the leader in motor sports coverage on the world wide web

we are now in our 24th year

WE MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE WHISTLES & BELLS OF OTHER SITES , hOWEVER  krazyaboutracing.com has THE most complete MOTOR SPORTS COVERAGE on the web !

(HOME)  (CONTACT US)  ( THE PIT )  (LOCAL RACING)   (PREVIOUS NEWS)  (PREVIOUS RACING)   (SITE NEWS)  (MEET THE STAFF)   (HALL OF FAME)  (MULTIMEDIA)   (SPECIAL EVENTS) (ANNUAL AWARDS)  (DRIVER & TEAM RELEASES) (LOCAL TRACK NEWS) (MISC RELEASES)

 

    

     

for more coverage on the series click on the series lOgo

INDYCAR SERIESNXT SERIES

INDYCAR SERIES

 

www.indycar.com

photos courtesy INDYCAR SERIES

The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920. 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, unifying the history and statistics of both series (as well as those from their predecessors).

SEBRING, Fla. (Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026) – The development of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ next-generation IR-28 car moved this week to the bumps and bruises of Sebring International Raceway from earlier testing on the silky-smooth surface of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Alexander Rossi, who drives full time for Chevrolet-powered ECR, took over testing duties Tuesday at the historic Florida circuit. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner continued the evaluation of the car that will debut at the start of the 2028 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

The Sebring test marks the first opportunity to evaluate the IR-28 away from Indianapolis, following initial sessions on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course and 2.5-mile oval in August and September. Five-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou completed 43 laps Monday on Sebring’s outer loop, putting the new car through its paces on a circuit renowned for its punishing surface and demanding mix of asphalt and concrete. Rossi completed 134 laps Tuesday.

Palou, a Honda-powered driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, and Rossi also were chosen to handle testing duties at both IMS configurations.

The two-day Sebring test session represents another important step in the series’ extensive development program, with the IR-28 facing the kind of conditions designed to expose weaknesses long before the car reaches competition.

“It’s a new car for me at Sebring,” Rossi said. “Coming back here and being part of the next generation of INDYCAR’s future is a huge honor. It’s an exciting time in this sport. This car, in so many ways, is a pretty big upgrade from what we have.”

Sebring is a regular testing destination for INDYCAR SERIES teams, in large part because of its unforgiving character. Its bumps, uneven surfaces and relentless demands on vehicle components make it an ideal proving ground for a car expected to compete on road courses, ovals and temporary street circuits. With street circuits accounting for one-third of the 2026 schedule, durability and driver confidence over challenging surfaces remain important considerations in the IR-28’s development.

“What’s good about this place is it’s the poorest-quality surface that you can have in a permanent road course,” Rossi said. “It mimics a street course kind of. Because it’s a permanent road course, it gets used a lot, so it’s a higher grip level than a street course. In terms of bumps, pavement changes, difficult changes in the asphalt, that’s why everyone comes and tests here. It’s somewhat of a preview that you’re going to get in street courses.”

Rossi’s test plan Tuesday focused on evaluating the car’s fundamental systems and performance, building on work completed during earlier sessions at Indianapolis. He worked alongside Dallara and INDYCAR officials.

The testing emphasis has evolved as development has progressed. Initial tests focused on confirming that the car’s systems functioned as expected. At Sebring, the priority was understanding how the package performs over an extended test and identifying issues that might emerge through more extensive running, especially on rough, bumpy surfaces.

“I don’t know that anyone is looking for anything (particular),” Rossi said. “The messaging we get is run the car as if it’s your race car. From there, we’ll see what issues, problems, surprises come out of that. I think all the test list items were really accomplished in the first two tests. Just making sure things worked as you would expect.

“This test is more of a practical application of: ‘Does it perform over a two-day test as the current car does? Does it do what it is expected to and kind of what little things could come out of that we need to address before the series produces a bunch of these?’”

Driver feedback remains central to that process, particularly when it comes to comfort and cockpit cooling. The IR-28 incorporates a more integrated cooling approach, with strategically positioned ducts designed into the initial bodywork rather than added to the existing carbon-fiber structure. Palou reported a significant improvement in cooling during Monday’s running, highlighting progress since the initial Indianapolis tests.

Rossi also experienced the benefits of those improvements at Sebring.

“First of all, visually, it’s an incredible race car to look at,” Rossi said. “It generates more grip in high-speed corners. It’s a very nice car to drive. It’s well-built and incredibly well-engineered. Cooling-wise, we made a pretty big step in this test, in particular. It’s night-and-day different in terms of comfort and drivability in the cockpit.”

Although the car’s competition debut remains more than a year away, the development schedule allows time to address concerns and validate improvements across different types of circuits before the 2028 season begins. Every lap adds another piece to that process, helping ensure the IR-28 can withstand the demands of a race weekend while delivering the performance drivers and fans expect.

“There are more things that are scheduled to come as time comes that will allow this car to race and perform even better, that will only put on a better show for the fans, which is the No. 1 priority for all of us,” Rossi said.

 

  

 

Shake It Up: Palou Puts IR-28 Through Pounding Paces at Sebring
SEBRING, Fla. (Monday, Oct. 12, 2026) – The initial tests of the new NTT INDYCAR SERIES IR-28 chassis took place in August and September on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and oval, two circuits known for their billiard-table smooth asphalt.

Now, for the rough stuff.

Five-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou of Honda-powered Chip Ganassi Racing turned 43 laps Monday on the outer loop at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, the first test for the car outside of IMS. 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi of Chevrolet-powered ECR will take over testing duties Tuesday at the historic Florida circuit.

Sebring is a popular testing site for NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams due to its bumpy nature and mix of asphalt and concrete surfaces, which simulate well the temporary street circuits that formed a third of the series schedule in 2026. It’s a punishing, unforgiving track that stresses the durability and strength of components perhaps better than any other testing ground for the series.

“We’re trying to test it as tough as we can,” Palou said. “It’s a bumpy course. Before we produce all the new cars, we want to make sure it passes this stress test and that it’s good to go for racing.

“We’re trying to get miles and miles, see what breaks so we can fix it.”

Palou and Rossi are the only series drivers so far to test the car, which will be introduced at the start of the 2028 season. As in the road course and oval tests at IMS, the two drivers and Dallara and INDYCAR officials will continue to perform a long checklist of basic system and performance checks on the car.

But Palou noticed Monday his feedback on driver comfort and car braking from the initial tests at IMS was adopted and made significant improvements, especially in driver cooling. The revolutionary aeroscreen was added to the current car in 2020, with ducts fit into the existing carbon fiber body to aid cooling. The new car has more ducts that are more strategically placed from initial design instead of an add-on like the ducting on the current car.

“Yeah, it’s been so much better, the cooling, since we started a couple months ago,” Palou said. “Huge step, and that’s something we’ve been asking for a long time on our current car.

“We have a very big one (duct) right in front of us (on the IR-28) that makes the air go from down to up and makes the airflow so much better. It’s been huge.”

Palou completed a historic moment for the IR-28 during testing today when he passed a current car driven by Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, who was testing Firestone Firehawk tires at the circuit along with Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske. It was the first on-track pass for the new car.

“It wasn’t planned,” Palou said. “We went out, and I saw Kirkwood was doing the tire test. We spoke during lunch that at some point this afternoon we would go together. We wanted to see how this car does in traffic. It was cool. We were playing a little bit.”

Another advantage to Sebring being a regular test spot for NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams is there’s a plethora of data with the current car that can be compared with the IR-28. All systems continue to be go with the new car.

“I’m very excited,” Palou said. “I like the looks of it. It seems safer. It looks like it’s going to be much better racing because we’re going to be able to follow much closer on road, street and ovals.

“I’m just excited to go racing. I wish it was already ’27. Having said that, it gives us so much time to work on the car, to make sure it’s good. If there’s something that doesn’t really work on ovals or whatever, we can go test it before we actually race it.”

 

Managing Director of Officiating Elkins Also Confirmed for 2027

  

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026) – INDYCAR has announced extensions for Independent Officiating Board (IOB) members Ray Evernham, Raj Nair and Ronan Morgan for the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone seasons.

This month, INDYCAR’s charter team owners unanimously agreed to retain Evernham and Nair, and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) reappointed Morgan as the series looks to the second year of INDYCAR Officiating.

Nair is a 30-year veteran of the automotive and auto racing industries with vast experience and technical compliance expertise as an executive at Singer Group, Inc., Multimatic, Inc. and Ford Motor Company. He served as the IOB’s chair during the 2026 INDYCAR season.

Evernham is a longtime motorsports veteran who most notably served as the crew chief for three of Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR Cup Series championships before he pioneered Dodge’s return to NASCAR. He served as the IOB’s secretary and treasurer last season.

Morgan has over five decades of global motorsport experience as a senior official, promoter, organizer and competitor. Morgan also is a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council and advisor to the FIA president.

Both Nair and Evernham will continue with their specific leadership roles within the IOB in 2027. Nair has served as the IOB chairman and Evernham as its secretary and treasurer.

With the framework finalized in December 2025, INDYCAR established INDYCAR Officiating as an independent, not-for-profit organization to govern North America’s premier open-wheel racing series. As designed, the IOB is comprised of two members chosen via a vote from INDYCAR charter team owners, and the other member is appointed by the FIA. The IOB is charged with enforcement of INDYCAR and INDY NXT rules and establishing officiating and governance separation and process transparency for INDYCAR Officiating.

The IOB also has confirmed that veteran motorsports officiating and competition executive Scot Elkins will continue as INDYCAR Officiating’s managing director of officiating (MDO). Elkins was selected in April 2026 and began in May to oversee race control, race stewards and technical inspection. He will continue to report directly to the IOB – with no oversight from INDYCAR or Penske Entertainment Corp. officials – to provide officiating governance and management.

In June, Elkins instituted a formal three-steward model that will continue in 2027 and launched official post-event reports for both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. The reports summarize race control activity, penalties, incident reviews and technical inspection findings, including matters reviewed and closed with no penalty. They are supported by published technical penalty guidelines carrying a three-level infraction framework, a central stewarding log and a precedent library, so that decisions can be measured against one another and provide a framework toward consistency across INDYCAR events. Post-event reports are available at https://noticeboard.indycarofficiating.org.

The IOB also worked closely with the FIA through its first season to exchange ideas and explore best practices. The FIA Officials Department assisted in the evaluation of stewarding practice and helped develop a more robust model. All three IOB members attended the FIA Formula One Miami Grand Prix to benchmark race control, stewarding, technical inspection and communications against Formula One and Formula 2. Additionally, FIA safety officials attended the Indianapolis 500 and met INDYCAR medical and rescue teams to learn how INDYCAR implements its medical and rescue operations, which remain under the direction and authority of INDYCAR.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

“It was gratifying to see how well INDYCAR Officiating was integrated into the 2026 INDYCAR season, and I believe continuity of the IOB is important as it builds on the success from its first season. INDYCAR remains committed to clear independence in the application of our rulebook and the IOB is instrumental in that effort. Additionally, creating consistency in the rule enforcement and penalty guidelines is important to our teams, drivers and our fans, and I appreciate the IOB board’s leadership and Scot’s work in this area. ” – J. Douglas Boles, INDYCAR president

"We moved quickly but meticulously this year in instituting a more transparent process, enhanced by a formal three-steward model, technical penalty guidelines and post-event reports, which we believe has been beneficial for all of INDYCAR. With that foundation, several improvements land for the 2027 season: a rulebook review with INDYCAR, a clarified formal review and appeal process, and additional tools for race control. Alongside that, we are modernizing technical inspection, including scanning technology, with the aim of having it proven and in place before the IR-28 starts racing in 2028. Our entire INDYCAR Officiating team is buoyed by the support of the paddock and looks forward to getting started next season.” – Scot Elkins, INDYCAR Officiating managing director of officiating

“I maintain what I’ve said from the start – that INDYCAR already greatly benefited from the knowledgeable and professional officiating personnel in race control and technical inspection. Kyle Novak and Nick Allen lead tremendous teams, and I have been delighted to join and support them in my role. With Raj and Ronan, I look forward to continuing this journey of strengthening and adding another layer to an already skilled group.” – Ray Evernham, Independent Officiating Board secretary and treasurer

“I believed that this board would add another layer of experience and expertise to the process of INDYCAR Officiating, and with the quality of people who comprised that board, INDYCAR has, in fact, achieved that. I look forward to their continued participation relative to 2028 and the new IR-28 and corresponding rules and regulations.” – Chip Ganassi, Chip Ganassi Racing owner

“The implementation of the INDYCAR Officiating Board this past season was a pivotal step forward for the series to ensure fair and transparent processes and decision making across race control and tech inspection. The team and I were pleased with its effectiveness in 2026 and look forward to their continued leadership in 2027.” – Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren team principal

“Raj, Ray and Ronan have each brought valuable experience and perspective to their first year of service to INDYCAR Officiating, and unanimous support by the team owners has been proof of concept for the direction of independent officiating in our sport. With Scot Elkins continuing as the MDO in concert with the race control and tech inspection team already in place, officiating will build on the strong foundation and continue the mission of separation and transparency.” – Mark Miles, Penske Entertainment Corp. president and CEO

“I was pleased to see how seamlessly and successfully the established members of the team collaborated with the board to improve an already impressive product. INDYCAR Officiating is a sensible evolution and powerful way to support one of the best racing series in global motorsport. I expect 2027 will be another successful season of synergy and growth.” – Ronan Morgan, Independent Officiating Board member

“It has been a year of substantial growth for INDYCAR Officiating, and I would like to personally thank team owners, managers, drivers and partners for their unwavering support to our mission. Year two of INDYCAR Officiating will continue to build on our established baseline of process, independence, governance separation and transparency. We cannot wait to get started in the 2027 season.” – Raj Nair, Independent Officiating Board chairman

“The FIA is proud to continue our role on the INDYCAR Independent Officiating Board and to strengthen our partnership with INDYCAR and the wider motorsport community across the United States. This collaboration goes far beyond officiating – it is about sharing knowledge and expertise across safety, sporting integrity and governance, while learning from one another to deliver a stronger championship. I have been delighted to see this relationship grow over the past year and congratulate INDYCAR, its teams, drivers and officials on a historic 2026 season. We look forward to building on this momentum together in 2027.” – Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president

The 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT championships begin Sunday, March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Coverage of the upcoming season will be provided by FOX, FOX Sports and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

 

NXT SERIES

 

www.indynxt.com

photos courtesy INDYCAR SERIES

Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champ Palou Quickest with Helping Hand for CGR

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Oct. 16, 2026) – Alex Palou didn’t expect to be the quickest driver in Friday’s Chris Griffis Memorial Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion had never driven INDY NXT by Firestone machinery before climbing into the No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing entry on an overcast, chilly day in Central Indiana. He arrived with minimal expectations. His lap time, however, told a different story.

Palou topped the 22-car test, named in memory of Chris Griffis, the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team manager who died suddenly in September 2011. Palou turned a lap of 1 minute, 14.5050 seconds on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.

SEE: Overall Test Results

“Feels strange, but it feels good,” Palou said. “Feels kind of strange to be a rookie, but I'm a rookie. I've never been in this car before, so I'm a rookie in this series. I think a lot of people think that it's like other sports where you go down and it's like you're so much higher level. Here it's tough. I didn’t expect to be first.”

Tymek Kucharczyk finished second on the day with a lap of 1:14.8209 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry. The Polish driver finished third as a rookie in the standings this past season with two victories. The last time he was on this road course, he won on May 9. The last time he was in this car, he won the Sept. 6 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Max Taylor was third Friday at 1:14.8453 in the No. 28 Andretti Global entry. Kucharczyk and Taylor were the highest-finishing drivers from the 2026 championship standings to participate in Friday's test. Taylor finished fourth last season in the same ride.

Max Garcia, who became the second-youngest winner in INDY NXT by Firestone history with his Aug. 30 victory at Milwaukee Mile, finished fourth at 1:14.9443 while testing for HMD Motorsports. The Miami high school senior competed for Abel Motorsports during his rookie season.

Jack Beeton rounded out the top five with a lap of 1:14.9577. He competed for HMD Motorsports this past season but tested the No. 29 Andretti Global entry.

Friday’s test offered an opportunity to experience a different car for Palou and learn from the next generation of open-wheel drivers. The opportunity first arose during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, when Chip Ganassi Racing asked him to participate. His answer was an easy yes.

“I love driving cars, any kind of car,” Palou said. “Obviously, it's a bit different to what I'm used to. But you learn so much. These kids are really, really fast in these cars, but any track day is good. Obviously, I wouldn't do a race, but test day, 100 percent.”

One of Palou’s key points of reference was teammate Alessandro de Tullio, whose progress he had followed throughout the 2026 season. De Tullio recorded two wins and eight poles during his rookie season with AJ Foyt Racing. Friday marked his first day testing with Chip Ganassi Racing, and he finished sixth quickest with a lap of 1:15.0009.

“I think we have an incredible reference in our team with de Tullio,” Palou said. “He's been so fast all year, and I've been following him a lot.”

The 22 cars combined to complete 1,573 laps during the test.

The 2027 INDY NXT by Firestone season begins the first weekend of March on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

INDYCAR SERIESNXT SERIES

 

2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE

DateVenue
Sunday, March 1Streets of St. Petersburg
Saturday, March 7Phoenix Raceway
Sunday, March 15Streets of Arlington
Sunday, March 29Barber Motorsports Park
Sunday, April 19Streets of Long Beach
Saturday, May 9Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
Sunday, May 24The 110th Indianapolis 500
Sunday, May 31Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7World Wide Technology Raceway
Sunday, June 21Road America
Sunday, July 5Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Sunday, July 19Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 16Streets of Markham
Saturday, Aug. 29Milwaukee Mile Race 1
Sunday, Aug. 30Milwaukee Mile Race 2
Sunday, Sept. 6WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
 

2026 INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE

DateVenue
Sunday, March 1Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, March 15Streets of Arlington
Saturday, March 28Barber Motorsports Park Race 1
Sunday, March 29Barber Motorsports Park Race 2
Friday, May 8Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1
Saturday, May 9Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2
Sunday, May 31Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7World Wide Technology Raceway
Saturday, June 20Road America Race 1
Sunday, June 21Road America Race 2
Saturday, July 4Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1
Sunday, July 5Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2
Sunday, July 19Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 30Milwaukee Mile
Saturday, Sept. 5WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2

 

 Copyright 2002- 2026 Motorsportsgarage productions

no part of site site can be copied or duplicated without written permission from Motorsportsgarage productions

all logos and images are copyrighted to the racing series and used for editorial purposes only

   

              

follow up on

This site is dedicated to my father " hoot " who introduced me to the Great sport of auto racing when I was a very young child

Thru the years I have befriended several people Thru Racing that have passed on and I honor them here

Larrt Criss. Charlie Patterson. Carrol Horton, Todd shaffer, gary lee and Judy Morris