2019 Airbnb IndyCar Series - R17: THE FINALE

[kevinbotz]

Ahead of 50th anniversary of first 500 start, Penske aims to recover from shaky start to season

With the 101st edition of the Indianapolis 500 marking fifty years since Mark Donohue escorted the first Penske-badged car across the finish line at the illustrious race, one might expect the occasion to mark something of a celebratory occasion for the old and august outfit, which has established itself as one of the world's most eminently respected and revered motor racing teams in the years since that humble start. Instead, a near-palpable tension pervades as the team finalize their preparations, as Roger Penske's organization look to break their streak of losses at the grandest venue of them all.

Whilst Will Power and James Hinchcliffe are nevertheless situated in a relatively respectable second and fourth, respectively, in the Drivers' Championship, the difficulties encountered by the team in collecting podiums, let alone victories, starkly contrast the optimism that surrounded Penske during the pre-season. Having agreed to become Honda's most visible and competitive exponent in IndyCar, arranged a close, long-term technical partnership with Britain's Commonwealth Group, a multinational technological conglomerate with a sterling global reputation, and signed four of the finest open-wheeler pilots available, Penske officials, understandably, expected a more triumphal return to the series after a long, two-year absence. Instead, the team finds themselves locked in a cagey, unsettling contest with not only long-time rivals Ganassi and Andretti, but also relative upstarts in Cassidy Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

"We've struggled for consistency," concedes a weary Tim Cindric. "In terms of relative performance, we've actually been rather competitive, but come race day, we just haven't been able to string a result together. Driver error, technical failure, strategy errors...it's easy to try to pin blame on any single factor, but the simple fact is that we simply haven't been good enough as a team. And we're going to need to rectify that as soon as possible."

"Victory at Indy is the sole focus for us at this point. Everybody's a bit rusty, a bit low on morale, as one might expect to be after a two-year long forced sabbatical," continued Cindric, referencing the ownership imbroglio that effectively dissolved IndyCar from 2017 to 2018, "...but we're heading into May with the knowledge, and the confidence, that we can win the race this year; Honda's been an excellent partner, we have the best engineering staff in the paddock, with excellent reinforcements from Commonwealth, and all four of our drivers are more than capable of competing for the win. So, it certainly hasn't been the steadiest start to the season, but we'll aim to turn it around at the biggest race of the year."

In any case, Cindric, and indeed the rest of the Penske organization, will hope that victory at Indy will provide the final element of the catalyst to bring this leviathan of Indianapolis out of its long, uncomfortable, slumber.

[Dexter249]

De Silvestro and Bourdais that fast on an oval!?

[Ataxia]

:shock:
De Silvestro and Bourdais that fast on an oval!?

I don't know if you got the memo (I'm going to guess you haven't...) but I've handed control of KV to Miguel for the rest of the season. I don't have time to deal with people who take up a space and then disappear.

Several others are on thin ice as well.

[Ataxia]

Tuesday, 14th May - Second Practice

1. #2 Simon Pagenaud - 229.161
2. #3 Will Power - 228.706
3. #10 Carlos Munoz - 228.313
4. #18 Josef Newgarden - 227.820
5. #28 Kyle Kaiser - 227.565
6. #8 Ryan Hunter-Reay - 227.163
7. #14 Max Chilton - 226.362
8. #9 Lance Stroll - 226.107
9. #20 Ed Carpenter - 226.056
10. #15 Graham Rahal - 225.863
11. #26 Felipe Massa - 225.782
12. #72 Helio Castroneves - 225.706
13. #6 Jack Harvey - 225.264
14. #7 Karun Chandhok - 225.221
15. #5 Sergio Perez - 224.872
16. #12 Thomas de Bock - 224.411
17. #70 Al Unser Jr. - 223.805
18. #22 James Hinchcliffe - 223.412
19. #34 Dave Anderson - 223.220
20. #83 Scott Dixon - 222.632
21. #65 Raffaele Marciello - 222.623
22. #4 Sebastien Bourdais - 221.530
23. #77 Katherine Legge - 221.282
24. #98 Colton Herta - 221.092
25. #35 AJ Allmendinger - 220.913
26. #55 Jack Christopherson - 220.901
27. #24 Sage Karam - 220.820
28. #41 Collin Pratchett - 220.748
29. #27 Marco Andretti - 219.895
30. #21 Ryan Briscoe - 219.421
31. #19 Gabby Chaves - 219.257
32. #64 Ashley Cassidy - 218.736
33. #16 Esteban Guerrieri - 218.594
34. #91 Buddy Lazier - 216.921
35. #63 Sam Hornish Jr - 216.900
36. #11 Simona de Silvestro - 215.677

Wednesday, 15th May - Third Practice

1. #3 Will Power - 228.761
2. #2 Simon Pagenaud - 227.789
3. #28 Kyle Kaiser - 227.453
4. #20 Ed Carpenter - 227.391
5. #72 Helio Castroneves - 227.284
6. #24 Sage Karam - 227.210
7. #8 Ryan Hunter-Reay - 227.050
8. #9 Lance Stroll - 226.815
9. #4 Sebastien Bourdais - 226.086
10. #7 Karun Chandhok - 225.976
11. #70 Al Unser Jr. - 225.603
12. #5 Sergio Perez - 225.390
13. #15 Graham Rahal - 225.278
14. #35 AJ Allmendinger - 224.844
15. #77 Katherine Legge - 224.632
16. #11 Simona de Silvestro - 224.190
17. #41 Collin Pratchett - 223.937
18. #19 Gabby Chaves - 223.665
19. #22 James Hinchcliffe - 223.572
20. #91 Buddy Lazier - 223.205
21. #64 Ashley Cassidy - 222.981
22. #55 Jack Christopherson - 222.925
23. #21 Ryan Briscoe - 222.613
24. #18 Josef Newgarden - 222.565
25. #10 Carlos Munoz - 222.449
26. #65 Raffaele Marciello - 222.446
27. #27 Marco Andretti -222.357
28. #6 Jack Harvey - 222.262
29. #12 Thomas de Bock - 222.092
30. #98 Colton Herta - 221.944
31. #26 Felipe Massa - 221.619
32. #16 Esteban Guerrieri - 219.903
33. #34 Dave Anderson - 219.296
34. #83 Scott Dixon - 216.943
35. #14 Max Chilton - 216.145
36. #63 Sam Hornish Jr. - 213.891

Thursday, 16th May - Fourth Practice

1. #26 Felipe Massa 228.249
2. #2 Simon Pagenaud 227.561
3. #3 Will Power 227.485
4. #12 Thomas de Bock 227.408
5. #8 Ryan Hunter-Reay 226.690
6. #16 Esteban Guerrieri 226.444
7. #6 Jack Harvey 226.440
8. #83 Scott Dixon 226.126
9. #55 Jack Christopherson 226.055
10. #35 AJ Allmendinger 225.947
11. #18 Josef Newgarden 225.851
12. #15 Graham Rahal 225.433
13. #72 Helio Castroneves 225.313
14. #20 Ed Carpenter 224.321
15. #98 Colton Herta 224.219
16. #4 Sebastien Bourdais 224.079
17. #27 Marco Andretti 223.939
18. #70 Al Unser Jr. 223.754
19. #65 Raffaele Marciello 223.515
20. #28 Kyle Kaiser 223.182
21. #24 Sage Karam 222.921
22. #41 Collin Pratchett 222.599
23. #77 Katherine Legge 222.426
24. #9 Lance Stroll 222.388
25. #19 Gabby Chaves 222.202
26. #63 Sam Hornish Jr. 222.025
27. #14 Max Chilton 221.956
28. #10 Carlos Munoz 221.393
29. #5 Sergio Perez 220.540
30. #91 Buddy Lazier 220.255
31. #22 James Hinchcliffe 219.448
32. #11 Simona de Silvestro 219.289
33. #64 Ashley Cassidy 219.235
34. #7 Karun Chandhok 217.544
35. #21 Ryan Briscoe 216.373
36. #34 Dave Anderson 212.241

Reminder:
All full-time teams will earn $10,000 for each news report-style post they make. You may make a maximum of three reports between each race.

[Klon]

Massa "Could Have Been Multiple-Times IndyCar Champion Already," Says Michael Andretti

In an exclusive interview after the practice sessions, Michael Andretti announced his happiness with the Brazilian driver. "He has adapted to IndyCar extremely quick, especially at his advanced age," the Andretti team owner commented.

Felipe Massa joined IndyCar after a four-year break from open-wheel racing following his final F1 season with Mercedes. "Had he come to IndyCar in his youth, we would be talking about multiple championship challenges," according to Andretti.

"It has made dealing with the rough patch of the last two-years significantly easier, his veteran presence being essential in getting our outfit back on track and ready for the biggest race of the season," Michael Andretti praised, "and it has helped us deal with the departure of our former lead driver [editor's note: Ryan Hunter-Reay, now Chip Ganassi Racing so well, that I am very confident in stating that Andretti Autosport will win titles in IndyCar long before [Hunter-Reay] is going to win one. We have an excellent staff and bright talent in Eduardo Armando and Eduardo Barrichello coming up."

[Miguel98]

Bourdais looking forward to take the fight to the big teams at Indy

After scoring his first top 10 of the season at the Indy GP, Sebastien Bourdais is hugelly motivated for the 101st Edition of the Indianapolis 500 that will be held in just over 2 weeks time at the Indianapolis Speedway.

The ex-F1 superstar and current KV driver is looking forward to take the fight to the big teams in the Speedway next week.
"We had good pace over practice - the car is working really well in the longs run on the heavy fuel, so I think we have a really good car for the race - for qualifying, not so much. We expect to come through with a top 5 at least from Indy, which would be a fairly good result considering what has been one of the hardest seasons for me in the last couple of years.", said the Frenchman who's a multiple GP winner in Formula One.

[Ataxia]

Friday 16th May - FAST FRIDAY with SUNOCO



1. #8 Ryan Hunter-Reay 232.328
2. #4 Sebastien Bourdais 232.314
3. #2 Simon Pagenaud 232.247
4. #5 Sergio Perez 232.234
5. #27 Marco Andretti 232.194
6. #9 Lance Stroll 232.026
7. #72 Helio Castroneves 231.783
8. #64 Ashley Cassidy 231.533
9. #15 Graham Rahal 231.064
10. #3 Will Power 231.029
11. #11 Simona de Silvestro 230.957
12. #20 Ed Carpenter 230.896
13. #28 Kyle Kaiser 230.849
14. #19 Gabby Chaves 230.657
15. #24 Sage Karam 229.999
16. #10 Carlos Munoz 229.874
17. #16 Esteban Guerrieri 229.701
18. #18 Josef Newgarden 229.395
19. #21 Ryan Briscoe 228.975
20. #98 Colton Herta 228.160
21. #65 Raffaele Marciello 227.868
22. #22 James Hinchcliffe 227.135
23. #83 Scott Dixon 225.686
24. #12 Thomas de Bock 225.559
25. #63 Sam Hornish Jr. 225.082
26. #14 Max Chilton 224.819
27. #55 Jack Christopherson 224.792
28. #26 Felipe Massa 224.215
29. #41 Collin Pratchett 222.234
30. #77 Katherine Legge 222.102
31. #35 AJ Allmendinger 221.616
32. #91 Buddy Lazier 221.524
33. #7 Karun Chandhok 221.372
34. #70 Al Unser Jr. 220.815
35. #6 Jack Harvey 220.256
36. #34 Dave Anderson 217.566

[Pinkd56]

Herta "buzzing" ahead of Indy 500 bow

Despite a fairly consistent if underwhelming start to his IndyCar career, Colton Herta is under no illusions about his chances in his upcoming debut in America's most famous race.

"I've struggled a lot with the ovals this year, being more used to the road courses - and obviously with Indy coming up it's going to be tough definitely. I've just gotta keep pushing on and keep my fingers crossed for the best day possible"
"Being in the top ten is my target, although anything can happen at the Brickyard - so who knows?"

[Ataxia]

Saturday 17th May - INDY 500 TIME TRIAL with CASIO



-------------------------FAST NINE----------------------------------------
1 #2 Simon Pagenaud Team Penske 230.301
2 #10 Carlos Munoz Chip Ganassi Racing 230.239
3 #26 Felipe Massa Andretti Autosport 230.202
4 #15 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan 230.199
5 #83 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 230.137
6 #8 Ryan Hunter-Reay Chip Ganassi Racing 230.066
7 #3 Will Power Team Penske 230.055
8 #20 Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing 230.045
9 #18 Josef Newgarden Dale Coyne Racing 229.960
----------------------------POSITIONS 10-33 -----------------------------
10 #4 Sebastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology 229.903
11 #9 Lance Stroll Chip Ganassi Racing 229.862
12 #72 Helio Castroneves DoubleSeven Competition 229.834
13 #64 Ashley Cassidy Cassidy Racing 229.828
14 #16 Esteban Guerrieri Rahal Letterman Lanigan 229.793
15 #27 Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport 229.786
16 #5 Sergio Perez Schmidt Peterson Motorsport 229.766
17 #22 James Hinchcliffe Team Penske 229.762
18 #12 Thomas De Bock Team Penske 229.697
19 #28 Kyle Kaiser Andretti Autosport 229.444
20 #6 Jack Harvey Underhill Motorsports 229.254
21 #19 Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing 229.203
22 #98 Colton Herta Andretti Herta Autosport 229.187
23 #34 Dave Anderson Sentinel Motorsports 229.114
24 #65 Raffaele Marciello Cassidy Racing 229.113
25 #14 Max Chilton AJ Foyt Racing 229.111
26 #21 Ryan Briscoe Ed Carpenter Racing 228.765
27 #11 Simona de Silvestro KV Racing Technology 228.572
28 #24 Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 228.335
29 #41 Collin Pratchett AJ Foyt Racing 226.997
30 #7 Karun Chandhok Schmidt Peterson Motorsport 225.642
31 #55 Jack Christopherson Christopherson Racing 224.511
32 #91 Buddy Lazier Lazier Partners Racing 224.378
33 #77 Katherine Legge Grace Autosport 224.277
----------------------------------DNQ-----------------------------------
34 #63 Sam Hornish Jr. Team Menards Dale Coyne Racing 224.206
35 #35 AJ Allmendinger Michael Shank Racing 224.146
36 #70 Al Unser Jr. Galles Racing 223.780

The grid will be decided in the next session: Pole Day and FAST NINE with VERIZON. Hornish, Allmendinger and Unser will take no further part in the weekend.

[Ataxia]

Sunday 18th May - Pole Day and FAST NINE with VERIZON



FAST NINE
1 #2 Simon Pagenaud Team Penske 230.684 - 33
2 #18 Josef Newgarden Dale Coyne Racing 230.331 - 32
3 #20 Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing 230.280 - 31
4 #15 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan 230.279 - 30
5 #3 Will Power Team Penske 230.219 - 29
6 #26 Felipe Massa Andretti Autosport 230.179 - 28
7 #8 Ryan Hunter-Reay Chip Ganassi Racing 230.158 - 27
8 #10 Carlos Munoz Chip Ganassi Racing 230.092 - 26
9 #83 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 229.791 - 25

POSITIONS 10-33
10 #12 Thomas De Bock Team Penske 230.217 - 24
11 #64 Ashley Cassidy Cassidy Racing 230.191 - 23
12 #9 Lance Stroll Chip Ganassi Racing 230.084 - 22
13 #72 Helio Castroneves DoubleSeven Competition 229.984 - 21
14 #4 Sebastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology 229.887 - 20
15 #16 Esteban Guerrieri Rahal Letterman Lanigan 229.849 - 19
16 #22 James Hinchcliffe Team Penske 229.796 - 18
17 #27 Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport 229.785 - 17
18 #5 Sergio Perez Schmidt Peterson Motorsport 229.732 - 16
19 #65 Raffaele Marciello Cassidy Racing 229.358 - 15
20 #24 Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 229.353 - 14
21 #98 Colton Herta Andretti Herta Autosport 229.334 - 13
22 #6 Jack Harvey Underhill Motorsports 229.257 - 12
23 #28 Kyle Kaiser Andretti Autosport 229.210 - 11
24 #19 Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing 229.063 - 10
25 #14 Max Chilton AJ Foyt Racing 228.317 - 9
26 #41 Collin Pratchett AJ Foyt Racing 228.260 - 8
27 #21 Ryan Briscoe Ed Carpenter Racing 228.138 - 7
28 #11 Simona de Silvestro KV Racing Technology 228.098 - 6
29 #34 Dave Anderson Sentinel Motorsports 227.717 - 5
30 #55 Jack Christopherson Christopherson Racing 227.462 - 4
31 #7 Karun Chandhok Schmidt Peterson Motorsport 225.761 - 3
32 #91 Buddy Lazier Lazier Partners Racing 225.165 - 2
33 #77 Katherine Legge Grace Autosport 224.381 - 1

[TomWazzleshaw]

Hornish might still start Indy 500

After struggling to get to speed all week resulting in a shock bumping from the field, former Indycar champion Sam Hornish Jr might still make the field of 33 for the Indianapolis 500. Word from the paddock is that his team,
Dale Coyne Racing, are close to making a deal with either Sentinel Motorsport or Underhill Motorsport to get the American on the grid. Reported to be worth $100,000, it's believed an announcement will be made in the next 24 hours.

[TomWazzleshaw]

As agreed to with Normal32, Sam Hornish Jr will move into the #6 Underhill car for the Indianapolis 500. As a satellite car to the Cassidy Racing operation, $100,000 will be transferred from Dale Coyne Racing to Cassidy

[Ataxia]

I'm in a bit of a pickle here.

I wanted to run the 500 today but, because it has to be run in a dedicated server because of the grid setup, it's maxed out at 32 AI cars which was a limitation I was unaware of. Short of kicking someone off the grid (which just isn't fair) I'm not entirely sure what else to do.

[Miguel98]

I'm in a bit of a pickle here.

I wanted to run the 500 today but, because it has to be run in a dedicated server because of the grid setup, it's maxed out at 32 AI cars which was a limitation I was unaware of. Short of kicking someone off the grid (which just isn't fair) I'm not entirely sure what else to do.

You can setup the grid off-line without having to run a dedicated server Taxi. In each .veh file, just put the number of each car as their grid positions. Then edit the .gdb of the track with the qualifying time to 0, and run qualifying that way. The grid will be set as you which.

[Ataxia]

I'm in a bit of a pickle here.

I wanted to run the 500 today but, because it has to be run in a dedicated server because of the grid setup, it's maxed out at 32 AI cars which was a limitation I was unaware of. Short of kicking someone off the grid (which just isn't fair) I'm not entirely sure what else to do.

You can setup the grid off-line without having to run a dedicated server Taxi. In each .veh file, just put the number of each car as their grid positions. Then edit the .gdb of the track with the qualifying time to 0, and run qualifying that way. The grid will be set as you which.

That's worked a treat my friend, thank you!

[Ataxia]

101st Indianapolis 500 - May 26th, 2019

Pagenaud secures first Indianapolis 500 victory

2016 IndyCar Series champion Simon Pagenaud took a decisive victory in the 101st Indianapolis 500, putting in a dominant performance in the second half of the race.

The Penske driver began the race from pole, and led the early laps from the 33-strong field. Pagenaud then later sat back, allowing the drivers around him in the lead pack to shuffle back and forth.

As the first pitstop phase began, Marco Andretti headed the pack, but the American suffered problems in pitroad to cycle out in last place. Ganassi’s Ryan Hunter-Reay assumed the mantle of the lead, enjoying a titanic battle with Ed Carpenter. Carpenter then suffered problems of his own, allowing Pagenaud to fight with Hunter-Reay.

Pagenaud and Hunter-Reay swapped positions frequently around the Brickyard, and were later joined by Will Power as the trio took command of the race. Power and Pagenaud then drew clear of Hunter-Reay through the Penske team’s use of the undercut during further pit phases, providing a thrilling duel between the two Verizon-liveried cars.

Power then dropped back as his French team-mate was better equipped to deal with traffic, with Pagenaud building a strong lead to sweep home to his first ever IndyCar oval victory. Hunter-Reay was able to follow home over 10 seconds behind, jumping Power in the final round of stops after the Australian suffered a problematic final tyre change.

Josef Newgarden drove a patient race, finishing 4th ahead of Sebastien Bourdais, who secured KV Racing’s best result of the season.

Ashley Cassidy was 6th, beating Graham Rahal and Lance Stroll in a ferocious scrap which lasted the second half of the race. Felipe Massa, also part of that battle, dropped back in the latter stages and had to be content with 9th, while Ed Carpenter recovered from an early broken front wing to round out the top 10.

Full Results

Video (completely unedited)

Current Standings

[Ataxia]

The first set of engine upgrades are now available. Please ensure you have the correct funds to pay for it, if you wish to do so.



Furthermore, remember to keep in mind the entry bond required to continue into 2020. If you don't have conditions which pay out over the season, you can earn $10,000 for each news story posted between each weekend (up to a maximum of three between races).

Budgets on the first page are now up to date.

EDIT: Aislabie and TheFlyingCaterham have until the completion of the Milwaukee 225 to make at least one post, otherwise they will be losing control of their teams. These will be passed over to the next names on the waiting list.

[Normal32]

Cassidy will buy an upgrade for Chevy.

[SeedStriker]

Rahal will buy the first engine upgrade

[TheFlyingCaterham]

AJ Foyt will get the first engine upgrade.

[pi314159]

First engine upgrade for Ganassi please

[kevinbotz]

Penske will purchase the first engine upgrade.

[thor97]

Waiting List Please

[Klon]

Kyle Kaiser Released!

Whilst no official statement has been made by the team yet, sources close to Michael Andretti have informed ESPN that their driver Kyle Kaiser has been released from the team with immediate effect after a heated conversation between the Californian driver and the racing legend.

"[Michael's] been pretty unhappy about Kaiser's performance," the source stated, "and not making the top 15 in the single most important race of the season was the final straw. They are done with Kyle and have basically lost all faith in his potential in upcoming seasons."

There has been no word on a possible replacement, however, the team is apparentely willing to go left-field to please the sponsors of the #28 car, which are also unhappy with the current situation. A proper announcement will be expected to be posted on the team's social media.

Offer for the new #28 driver:
Todd Gilliland - $0.8m

[Ataxia]

IndyCar organisers rule out Andretti-Gilliland entry

Andretti Autosport announced their intentions to draft in an incredibly left-field choice into their #28 Blu E-cigarettes car, lifting the lid on a deal which would bring NASCAR Camping World Truck racer Todd Gilliland into the team in place of Kyle Kaiser.

Kaiser, who had been making steady progress with Michael Andretti's team, had been vocal about the team's alleged "focusing of efforts" onto Felipe Massa and Marco Andretti, and subsequently ended up in a disagreement with the team's management. Disappointed by his 19th place finish in the 101st Indianapolis 500, Kaiser was perhaps unfairly shown the door by Andretti in his rookie season.

Although Andretti wanted to announce Gilliland, the IndyCar Series organisers denied the initial stream of paperwork that made Andretti's intentions known. It is unclear whether Gilliland had accepted the drive, but IndyCar chief Craig Pollock was forthright in his opinions of the move.

"We have decided not to allow Andretti the chance to run Todd Gilliland in the next race" said Pollock. "Although his stock car career is beginning to take off, we feel he has insufficient experience to safety handle the current generation of IndyCar."

"We wish him the best in his career, but it is best for both worlds if this move does not happen."

Who Andretti will sign in place of Kaiser is anyone's guess. It is believed that Blu has put a list of names forward for consideration, including ex-Ganassi driver Charlie Kimball, former F1RICS frontrunner Natalie Ryder, Tennessee native Shelby Blackstock and Sage Karam, who ran for the Dreyer & Reinbold team in this year's Indy 500.

[Klon]

Andretti Slams IndyCar Decision

After having been denied permission to drive in the series, Todd Gilliland will not be joining Andretti Autosport as new driver in the #28 car.

Michael Andretti was not particularly pleased with this development. "This is ridiculous. Todd's shown enough talent on oval circuits to be safe and competitive in IndyCar," he stated when asked about the topic.

"This decision was driven by a personal dislike of Pollock," he continued. So far IndyCar representatives have not been available for further comment on the topic.

Offer for the new #28 driver:
Victor Guerin - Pay driver

[Ataxia]

Victor Guerin has been out of single-seaters for a while, flirting briefly with the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. He's got $3m available for an Indycar drive, and Andretti want it to replace the Blu money they'll lose.

1-90: Guerin joins Andretti
91-100: Guerin sticks with stock cars
20! Guerin brings sacks of Brazilian reals to Andretti.

[Ataxia]

2019 Airbnb Indycar Series - Round 8 - Direct Supply Milwaukee 225 presented by Kopp's Frozen Custard, Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin

Qualifying


Race

Rahal walks to victory in Milwaukee

Graham Rahal took a decisive victory in the Milwaukee 225, taking his second IndyCar Series win of 2019.

Rahal benefitted from a bout of Penske misfortune in the first half of the race; polesitter Simon Pagenaud was overtaken at the start by team-mate Will Power, although the Indy 500 winner was able to apply pressure to the Australian. Pagenaud then suffered from a catastrophic turbo failure, retiring in the early stages of the race.

Power was able to conduct the pace without any real challenges from his rivals, but a stuck wheel nut on his first stop meant that the 2014 IndyCar champion emerged from the pits in a lowly 22nd, handing the lead to Rahal.

After inheriting the lead, Rahal was able to extend an advantage over the rest of the field with ease, dealing expertly with traffic throughout the 225-mile race to win at the Milwaukee Mile.

Josef Newgarden followed the Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver home in 2nd, albeit six seconds down. Penske salvaged a good result through James Hinchcliffe, who took 3rd ahead of the KV Racing of Simona de Silvestro, her best result of the year.

Although he battled for the lead in the early stages, Marco Andretti had to be content with 5th ahead of Sebastien Bourdais. Scott Dixon and Carlos Munoz were the highest-placed Ganassis in 7th and 8th, followed home by Will Power who produced a phenomenal recovery drive to finish 9th.

Managing to atone for his poor qualifying, Lance Stroll rounded out the top 10, keeping Thomas de Bock and Gabby Chaves at bay in the latter stages. The race was neutralised at the end as Max Chilton hit the wall on the last lap, ensuring that the race finished under a caution.

1. Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan / Chevy) - 1:32:34.907 - 50
2. Josef Newgarden (Dale Coyne Racing / Honda) - +6.523 - 40
3. James Hinchcliffe (Team Penske / Honda) - +14.937 - 35
4. Simona de Silvestro (KV Racing / Honda) - +1 Lap - 32
5. Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +1 Lap - 30
6. Sebastien Bourdais (KV Racing / Honda) - +1 Lap - 28
7. Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +1 Lap - 26
8. Carlos Munoz (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +2 Laps - 24
9. Will Power (Team Penske / Honda) - +2 Laps - 22
10. Lance Stroll (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +2 Laps - 20
11. Thomas de Bock (Team Penske / Honda) - +2 Laps - 19
12. Gabby Chaves (Dale Coyne Racing / Honda) - +2 Laps - 18
13. Esteban Guerrieri (Rahal Letterman Lanigan / Chevy) - +3 Laps - 17
14. Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing / Honda) - +3 Laps - 16
15. Karun Chandhok (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports / Chevy) - +3 Laps - 15
16. Raffaele Marciello (Cassidy Racing / Chevy) - +3 Laps - 14
17. Ashley Cassidy (Cassidy Racing / Chevy) - +3 Laps - 13
18. Collin Pratchett (AJ Foyt Racing / Mazda) - +4 Laps - 12
19. Victor Guerin (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +4 Laps - 11
20. Felipe Massa (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +4 Laps - 10
21. Max Chilton (AJ Foyt Racing / Mazda) - +5 Laps/Collision - 9
22. Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - Suspension - 8
23. Ryan Hunter-Reay (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - Engine - 7
24. Ryan Briscoe (Ed Carpenter Racing / Honda) - Transmission - 6
25. Simon Pagenaud (Team Penske / Honda) - Engine - 8
26. Sergio Perez (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports / Chevy) - Collision - 5

FL. Simon Pagenaud (Team Penske / Honda) - 20.472s

[pasta_maldonado]

Perez "unlucky", says Sam Schmidt
Sam Schimdt has gone on record defending Sergio Perez, who many are calling out of his depth in the revived IndyCar season.

"I think that's pretty ingenuous" said Schmidt "Sergio's a class act off the track, his feedback has been incredible despite being new to IndyCar, and his pace has been incredibly close to the front running guys. With a little more luck he could've won a race". Perez himself added-To read more, subscribe to Autosport+

Schmidt-Peterson motorsports will purchase the first Chevrolet upgrade.

[Ataxia]

As can be seen above, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports has been removed from Aislabie's control and given to Pasta. I haven't seen hide nor hair of Getz and V8fan of late, and because I'd rather have people playing who are going to be a bit more involved, I've deliberately skipped them.

If either member has an issue with this, please speak now.

[TomWazzleshaw]

Coyne Title Run Possible

After a season-best runner up finish for Josef Newgarden in last weekend's Milwaukee 225, car owner Dale Coyne has stated the team are now starting to believe a run to the 2019 Indycar title is possible. The former Red Bull driver currently sits 6th in the standings, 34 off series leader Will Power.

"We always knew Josef was going to be great for us, but we're now realising just how good he is," said Coyne after the race. "We're less than a race win off the lead, and with our consistency so far, we're starting to believe back in Springfield that the title run is on. If we give Josef the car he needs, he will deliver."

When asked about the rotating driver policy of the 19 car, Coyne showed little reason for concern, but did state his desire for a full-time pilot next year.

"We've had some very talented guys in the second car this year with JR, RC and Gabby, who've all been quick from the minute they got in the drivers' seat. We've got Scott coming up as well and we expect big things from him. While we have no concerns with the current arrangement, we do like the idea of having two full-time guys in the cars next year, so we are looking at our options."

The Indycar field will now travel to Iowa Speedway for the next round of the series, the Iowa Corn 300.

[Ataxia]

2019 Airbnb Indycar Series - Round 9 - Iowa Corn 300, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa

Qualifying



Race

Pagenaud in a field of his own in Iowa
Simon Pagenaud took a dominant victory in the IndyCar Series race at the Iowa Speedway, leading all but 34 of the 300 laps in the race.

Pagenaud made good progress through the front of the field at the start, working his way past Lance Stroll, Thomas de Bock and Graham Rahal in the opening laps.

After the first pit phase, Pagenaud's Penske team made quick work of their stop to overhaul polesitter Carlos Munoz, who had led the opening 34 laps of the Iowa Corn 300.

From there, Pagenaud was untouchable, and although the Frenchman came under pressure from team-mate Will Power at middle distance, there were no other forthcoming challenges to stop Pagenaud taking his second victory of 2019.

Scott Dixon scored his first top three finish of the season with a well-worked second, blending strong Ganassi pitstops with an assured drive through the pack to stand on the podium.

Esteban Guerrieri finished third after overhauling Will Power in the latter stages of the race, who finished fourth. Sergio Perez equalled his best finish of the year in fifth, narrowly holding off James Hinchcliffe, who put three Penskes into the top six finishers.

Milwaukee Mile winner Graham Rahal fell behind team-mate Guerrieri in the last round of stops to finish seventh ahead of Lance Stroll, while polesitter Carlos Munoz and Cassidy Racing's Raffaele Marciello also finished inside the top 10.

The only major incident came when Thomas de Bock had to pit early with damage, after making contact with Andretti's Victor Guerin whom he was trying to lap. Ed Carpenter was the only retirement after his Honda engine blew on lap 27.

1. Simon Pagenaud (Team Penske / Honda) - 1:39:28.244 - 50
2. Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +3.840 - 40
3. Esteban Guerrieri (Rahal Letterman Lanigan / Chevy) - +7.888 - 35
4. Will Power (Team Penske / Honda) - +8.996 - 32
5. Sergio Perez (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports / Chevy) +9.609 - 30
6. James Hinchcliffe (Team Penske / Honda) - +10.036 - 29
7. Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan / Chevy) - +1 LAP - 26
8. Lance Stroll (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +1 LAP - 24
9. Carlos Munoz (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +1 LAP - 24
10. Raffaele Marciello (Cassidy Racing / Chevy) - +1 LAP - 20
11. Collin Pratchett (AJ Foyt Racing / Mazda) - +2 LAPS - 19
12. Ryan Hunter-Reay (Chip Ganassi Racing / Chevy) - +2 LAPS - 18
13. Ashley Cassidy (Cassidy Racing / Chevy) - +2 LAPS - 17
14. Karun Chandhok (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports / Chevy) - +2 LAPS - 16
15. Ryan Briscoe (Ed Carpenter Racing / Honda) - +2 LAPS - 15
16. Josef Newgarden (Dale Coyne Racing / Honda) - +2 LAPS - 14
17. Gabby Chaves (Dale Coyne Racing / Honda) - +3 LAPS - 13
18. Max Chilton (AJ Foyt Racing / Mazda) - +3 LAPS - 12
19. Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +3 LAPS - 11
20. Sebastien Bourdais (KV Racing / Honda) - +3 LAPS - 10
21. Simona de Silvestro (KV Racing / Honda) - +4 LAPS - 9
22. Victor Guerin (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +4 LAPS - 8
23. Felipe Massa (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +4 LAPS - 7
24. Thomas de Bock (Team Penske / Honda) - +4 LAPS - 6
25. Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport / Mazda) - +5 LAPS - 5
26. Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing / Honda) - Engine - 5

FL: James Hinchcliffe (Team Penske) - 16.416s

[Ataxia]

Budgets are now updated.

You now have the chance to enter the Young Drivers' Test after Mid-Ohio. This is a chance for you to assess possible new drivers. You may select two drivers to test, who must meet the following criteria:

- Must be aged between 18 and 25 years old.
- Must have participated in less than ten Indycar, ARWS or F1 races.
- Must currently race in a junior category above F4 level.

The test is free. Kostenlos. Gratis. Kostnadsfri.

Here's a form for you to make it nice and easy:

Code: Select all

Team Name:
Test Driver 1:
DOB:
DEC Holder (if fictional):

Test Driver 2:
DOB:
DEC Holder (if fictional):

[kevinbotz]

Team Name: Team Penske
Test Driver 1: Mineiro
DOB: 17 September, 2000
DEC Holder (if fictional): Biscione

Test Driver 2: Oliver Askew
DOB: 12 December, 1996
DEC Holder (if fictional): N/A

[Ataxia]

Because I'm anticipating...few responses (the "post news stories for money" thing isn't exactly working...) I'm doing this:

Harding Racing to join IndyCar Mid-Ohio test

Dreyer and Reinbold Racing have been one of the many on-off Airbnb IndyCar Series teams which scrape all of their nickels together for an all-out tilt at the Indianapolis 500. They're also going to be helping out a potential new team who are looking to join the IndyCar ranks in 2020.

Prospective IndyCar team Harding Racing are to make their series debut at the Young Drivers' Test at Mid Ohio with the help of Dennis Reinbold's outfit, testing the waters before looking at joining the series full-time next season. With rumours abound that Schmidt-Peterson Racing are facing trouble, with Sam Schmidt looking at scaling back to Indy Lights, Harding may be in line to take their seat at the big table in American open-wheel racing.

Mike Harding is the man in charge at his eponymous team, and the concrete entrepreneur is hoping that he will be able to pave the way to IndyCar on a full-time basis; the team are expecting to fill one of the part-time entry berths for the Indy 500 at the very least.

For now, the team will hook up with the field after the Smucker's Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, and will hand testing roles to former Indy Lights duo Zach Veach and Kyle Kaiser, the latter of whom was discarded by Andretti Autosport earlier in the season.

Team Name: Harding Racing
Test Driver 1: Zach Veach
DOB: 9 December, 1994

Test Driver 2: Kyle Kaiser
DOB: 5 March, 1996

[Normal32]

Team Name: Cassidy Racing
Test Driver 1: John Davis
DOB: 1998
DEC Holder (if fictional): Normal32

Test Driver 2: Ritomo Miyata
DOB: 1999

[SeedStriker]

Team Name: Rahal Lannigan
Test Driver 1: Jorge del Rio
DOB: 25/9/1998
DEC Holder: Me

Test Driver 2: John D. Sullivan
DOB: 14/3/1996
DEC Holder: Me

[pasta_maldonado]

Team Name: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Test Driver 1: Fajny Sklep
DOB: 15/12/2001
DEC Holder: Me

Test Driver 2: Konrad Czacyk
DOB: 1996

[Miguel98]

Team Name: KV Racing
Test Driver 1: Ed Jones
DOB: 1995
DEC Holder (if fictional): N/A

Test Driver 2: Axel Matus
DOB: 1998
DEC Holder (if fictional): N/A

[Pinkd56]

Team Name: Andretti Herta Autosport
Test Driver 1: Pierre St. Laurent
DOB: February 22, 1999
DEC Holder (if fictional): kevinbotz (approved)