As Autosport launches the latest episode in its Race of My Life podcast series, we revisit the race four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears picked as his personal favourite – the 1981 Michigan 150 Race: 1981 Michigan 150 Car: Penske PC9B I guess the Indianapolis 500 in 1982 (pictured below, with Mears chasing Gordon Johncock)
IndyCar
Felix Rosenqvist has attributed his breakthrough oval performance at IndyCar’s season opener to a visit he made to see three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti over the winter break. Rosenqvist was running in second place behind his Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Scott Dixon in last weekend’s belated IndyCar opener at the Texas Motor Speedway, before
With IndyCar roaring back into action at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, David Malsher-Lopez looks ahead to what is currently set to be a 14-race season, analyses Alexander Rossi’s chances of winning his first IndyCar title and checks out his competition So there will be no Dallas Fort Worth faithful in the Texas Motor Speedway
Reigning IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden has claimed pole position for the first race of the delayed 2020 season at Texas Motor Speedway. After the COVID-19 pandemic postponements to the new IndyCar campaign, action belatedly begins in Texas this weekend with Team Penske’s Newgarden edging five-time champion Scott Dixon with his two-lap average speed of
Felix Rosenqvist doesn’t blame James Hinchcliffe for the final-stint shunt that cost him a shot at victory in the IndyCar season-opener at Texas Motor Speedway. The IndyCar sophomore had closed up on Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon throughout the penultimate stint after disposing of Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud, on what was a
Defending IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden says he felt “like we won the race with how bad we were”, after the Penske driver finished third in the Texas season-opener. The polesitter led 41 of the race’s 200 laps, but consistently fought with tire problems that left him easy prey for the dominant Chip Ganassi car of
Scott Dixon won the opening race of the delayed 2020 IndyCar Series season at the Texas Motor Speedway as Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Felix Rosenqvist crashed out late on. Dixon was leading a comfortable one-two for Chip Ganassi with Rosenqvist set for his first-ever podium finish in an oval race, before the Swede hit trouble
When reigning Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew secured his step up to IndyCar with Arrow McLaren SP, he never expected to wait until the middle of 2020 to make his debut. But as he and the rest of the grid get ready for action in Texas this weekend, it will test how good his extra
With IndyCar roaring back into action at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, David Malsher-Lopez looks ahead to what is currently set to be a 14-race season, analyses Alexander Rossi’s chances of winning his first IndyCar title and checks out his competition So there will be no Dallas Fort Worth faithful in the Texas Motor Speedway
In the first of a series of articles focusing on Brits who went in search of the American Dream, Martin Plowman recalls how help from an IndyCar legend and friend paved the way for an enlightening but short-lived career in the States Martin Plowman is no stranger to success in the world of GT racing
Reigning IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden says the rookie class will struggle at this weekend’s Texas Motor Speedway season-opener and throughout the season, due to the lack of seat time. This year’s IndyCar rookies took part in a test at Texas Motor Speedway two days after the Spring Training session at Circuit of The Americas in
IndyCar president Jay Frye admits the coronavirus pandemic may delay the introduction of a new chassis and hybrid motors, and will outline the latest plans in the next 30 days. Last August, IndyCar revealed the next-generation engines would incorporate hybrid units – although didn’t specify what size the engines would be – and stated the
Carlin will enter just one car for this weekend’s 2020 IndyCar Series opener at Texas, as the #31 originally to be driven by Felipe Nasr has been withdrawn. The British team has cited the COVID-19 pandemic behind the economic reasons for scaling back to one entry for Conor Daly, but underlined its plan to complete
Scott Dixon says he wishes the IndyCar Series hadn’t been so radical with the regulation of tyre usage ahead of this weekend’s 2020 opener at Texas Motor Speedway. IndyCar officials have introduced a 35-lap limit for tyres this Saturday’s Genesys 300, to mitigate the fact that Firestone will be bringing the same compound and construction
Fifty years on from the first of Al Unser’s record-matching four Indianapolis 500 triumphs, Autosport’s IndyCar correspondent DAVID MALSHER-LOPEZ recalls the career of an Indy hero No fan of the Indianapolis 500 needs telling that last weekend was a weird one. For media folks – who are merely fans paid to write about it –
On the day we would traditionally be watching one of the biggest races in the world, David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute to Ted Horn, who was consistently robbed by fate at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but holds a record for top-four finishes that has never been matched Michael Andretti is often cited as the unluckiest racer at
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Marcus Ericsson says he has complete faith in IndyCar to ensure a safe return to racing in Texas on 6 June. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the opening eight races of the 2020 IndyCar season to be called off, plans are in place to begin racing with the Genesys 300 at
Marcus Ericsson believes the rivalries emerging from the incidents in IndyCar’s iRacing series finale could continue into the start of the real-world season next month. Ex-Formula 1 driver Ericsson, who moved to IndyCar last season after making 97 grand prix starts, was one of a number of drivers involved in clashes in the final round
The return of Richmond Raceway to the IndyCar Series calendar has been pushed back to 2021 while the Toronto street race has also lost its date on the 2020 schedule. The 0.75-mile Richmond oval was due to stage an IndyCar race for the first time since 2009 on June 27, but despite the return of
Just days after his terrifying Formula 1 crash at Suzuka, a battered Allan McNish went to the United States to take on an equally frightening IndyCar oval test with Penske at Fontana Allan McNish can easily claim rights to being one of racing’s great all-rounders of his generation. After a blazing karting career, he climbed
The 104th Indianapolis 500 should be taking place this weekend. The coronavirus pandemic means we’ll instead have to wait until August to enjoy America’s greatest race, but it seemed the opportune time to look back at some of the Brickyard’s finest moments. The famous event was first run in 1911, so picking out the best
Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has admitted that the team is currently investigating the possibility of entering IndyCar, possibly as soon as 2022. Days after racing icon Mario Andretti called on the Scuderia to consider entry into US open-wheel racing, Binotto admitted that both IndyCar and sportscar racing are under discussion at the
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will host the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season finale on 25th October having lost the opening round slot amid the coronavirus pandemic postponements. The new date, confirmed by IndyCar officials and St. Petersburg spokespeople, means the iconic event regains its spot on the calendar to mark its 16th
Veteran IndyCar mechanic, race engineer and team manager Larry Curry has died after a stroke, aged 68. Curry, who was most recently team manager at Harding Racing, was perhaps best known for his work as engineer at Team Menard, where he gave NASCAR ace Tony Stewart his shot at U.S. open-wheel glory. Stewart duly won
British single-seater powerhouse Carlin is ready to run a Formula 2 driver in the IndyCar Series if motorsport in the US gets going before the Formula 1 season. Carlin has one spare seat for the road and street-course rounds of the IndyCar Series, which is currently scheduled to emerge from the coronavirus-enforced hiatus at the
Veteran IndyCar mechanic, race engineer and team owner Larry Curry has died after a stroke, aged 68. Curry, who was most recently team manager at Harding Racing, was perhaps best known for his work as engineer at Team Menard, where he gave NASCAR ace Tony Stewart his shot at U.S. open-wheel glory. Stewart duly won
The 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season will begin 6th June with the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, which will be held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 IndyCar Series season has been on hold since the coronavirus outbreak which has forced a complete shake-up of its original calendar. As well
When Justin Wilson delivered victory for Dale Coyne Racing at Watkins Glen in IndyCar back in 2009, it was not only a case of beating the big boys but also putting right the wrongs of a missed opportunity from the opener at St. Petersburg No open-wheel driver of the past 30 years in the United
McLaren CEO Zak Brown admits 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button and NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson have expressed interest in racing in IndyCar. So far, double F1 world champion Fernando Alonso has been confirmed by McLaren as one of its drivers for the 2020 Indy 500. The 38-year-old Spaniard is aiming to make his
Scott McLaughlin took victory in the final round of the IndyCar iRacing Challenge at a virtual Indianapolis Motor Speedway after late chaos saw a number of front-runners crash out. Two-time Supercars champion McLaughlin scored his second win of the six-race schedule despite running fifth with half a lap to go, benefitting from two big accidents