WIRE/Indycar
Race weekend: Friday, July 29 - Saturday, July 30
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES 85 laps / 207.3 miles
Media Links: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List (PDF) | Driver Video Quotes (individual driver quotes posted to content.indycar.com) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF)
Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.
Firestone tire allotment: Five sets primary, four sets alternate (Note: A sixth set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.)
Twitter: @IMS @INDYCAR, #GallagherGP, #IndyCar
Event website: www.ims.com
NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com
2021 race winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)
2021 NTT P1 Award winner: Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), 1:10.7114, 124.167 mph
Qualifying lap record: Will Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)
NBC Sports race telecast: Noon ET Saturday, July 30, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC's coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.
Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. and NBC’s Gallagher Grand Prix race telecast will be simulcast on the streaming service, while Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will be streamed following the race.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Chris Denari, Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Brad Gillie and Brett McMillan are the pit reporters. The Gallagher Grand Prix race (noon ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates (race only), SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
FRIDAY, JULY 29 (All times are local)
9:30-11 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (90 minutes), Peacock Premium
1 p.m.: Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), Peacock Premium
(Live)
SATURDAY, JULY 30
8:15-8:45 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock Premium
Noon:NBC on air
12:23 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”
12:30 p.m.: Gallagher Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), NBC (Live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship facts:
Marcus Ericsson leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with five races to go for the first time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Ericsson, who took the points lead at Road America in June, has led the point standings after six of the 12 races this season.
Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship twice: Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the championship leader with five races to go has gone on to win the championship eight times. Those drivers were: Scott Dixon (2008, 2018 and 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2019) and Alex Palou (2021).
Point differential: The eight points that separate Marcus Ericsson and Will Power is tied -- with the 2009 season – for the second-closest point margin with five races remaining since INDYCAR SERIES racing was unified in 2008. Before this season, the average lead with five races to go since 2008 was 43.7 points.
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 5 TO GO
Year
Leader
Second-Place
Lead
Eventual Champion
(Deficit- if any)
2008
Scott Dixon
Helio Castroneves
58
Scott Dixon
2009
Ryan Briscoe
Scott Dixon
8
Dario Franchitti (-11)
2010
Will Power
Dario Franchitti
41
Dario Franchitti
2011
Dario Franchitti
Will Power
62
Dario Franchitti
2012
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Will Power
34
Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013
Helio Castroneves
Scott Dixon
31
Scott Dixon
2014
Helio Castroneves
Will Power
28
Will Power
2015
Juan Pablo Montoya
Will Power
46
Scott Dixon (-49)
2016
Simon Pagenaud
Josef Newgarden
73
Simon Pagenaud
2017
Scott Dixon
Helio Castroneves
3
Josef Newgarden (-23)
2018
Scott Dixon
Josef Newgarden
62
Scott Dixon
2019
Josef Newgarden
Alexander Rossi
29
Josef Newgarden
2020
Scott Dixon
Josef Newgarden
96
Scott Dixon
2021
Alex Palou
Scott Dixon
42
Alex Palou
2022
Marcus Ericsson
Will Power
8
???
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:
The Gallagher Grand Prix will be the 13th INDYCAR SERIES event conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. Active race winners who are expected to compete are: Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.
ACTIVE RACE WINNER
WINS
SEASONS
Will Power
5
2015, 2017, 2018 (GMR Grand Prix); 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-2); 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Simon Pagenaud
3
2014, 2016, 2019 (GMR Grand Prix)
Scott Dixon
1
2020 (GMR Grand Prix)
Josef Newgarden
1
2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
Rinus VeeKay
1
2021 (GMR Grand Prix)
Colton Herta
1
2022 (GMR Grand Prix)
Five NTT P1 Award winners have won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course from the pole: Will Power won the 2015, 2017 and 2018 GMR Grand Prix and second Harvest GP race in 2020 from pole. Simon Pagenaud also won the GMR Grand Prix from pole in 2016.
ACTIVE POLE WINNER
POLES
SEASONS
Will Power
5
2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 (GMR Grand Prix and Harvest Grand Prix-2)
Pato O’Ward
1
2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Romain Grosjean
1
2021 (GMR Grand Prix)
Rinus VeeKay
1
2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
Felix Rosenqvist
1
2019
Simon Pagenaud
1
2016
Sebastian Saavedra
1
2014
Six drivers have competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato. All are entered this year.
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). Andretti Autosport, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren SP are the only other teams to win at the track. Andretti Autosport won the GMR Grand Prix with Colton Herta in May, while Ed Carpenter Racing won in 2021-Race 1 with Rinus VeeKay. Chip Ganassi Racing won with Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1, and Arrow McLaren SP won the inaugural race in 2014 with Simon Pagenaud when it was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
Five NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Devlin DeFrancesco, Callum Ilott, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard and David Malukas - are entered. All five raced in the GMR Grand Prix in May.
Milestones: Helio Castroneves will attempt to make his 370th INDYCAR SERIES start, which would break a tie with A. J. Foyt and give him sole possession of third on the INDYCAR SERIES all-time starts list … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 301st consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history … With his next win, Dixon will break a tie with Mario Andretti and take sole possession of second on the INDYCAR SERIES all-time victory list with 53 wins … With his next pole position, Will Power will tie Mario Andretti for the INDYCAR SERIES record for most career poles with 67 … With his next win, Power will tie Michael Andretti for fourth on the INDYCAR SERIES all-time victory list.
Comments