Sunday
Jun132021
JUNE 16, 2021
Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 08:53AM 
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Twenty-two-year-old Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) charged from fifth place to the lead late in Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Dual 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear to become the series’ first repeat winner of 2021. Following a restart on Lap 64, O’Ward quickly moved up from fifth place to third within one lap, then caught and passed leader Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet) with three laps remaining in a side-by-side, wheel and bodywork banging move at 170 mph. Newgarden's tires were toast and it was all he could do to hang on after that to finish second. O’Ward, who started 16th, pulled away at will and now leads the series standings by one point. Two-time series champion Newgarden had started from the pole for Sunday’s race and led the first 67 laps of the 70-lap event on the way to his second runner-up finish of 2021. Next up for the series? After the hard-scrabble streets of Detroit's Belle Isle, the NTT INDYCAR series heads to America's National Park of Speed - Road America - this country's premier natural-terrain, high-speed road course, for a 12:45 p.m. (EDT) start next Sunday on NBCSN.
Twenty-two-year-old Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) charged from fifth place to the lead late in Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Dual 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear to become the series’ first repeat winner of 2021. Following a restart on Lap 64, O’Ward quickly moved up from fifth place to third within one lap, then caught and passed leader Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet) with three laps remaining in a side-by-side, wheel and bodywork banging move at 170 mph. Newgarden's tires were toast and it was all he could do to hang on after that to finish second. O’Ward, who started 16th, pulled away at will and now leads the series standings by one point. Two-time series champion Newgarden had started from the pole for Sunday’s race and led the first 67 laps of the 70-lap event on the way to his second runner-up finish of 2021. Next up for the series? After the hard-scrabble streets of Detroit's Belle Isle, the NTT INDYCAR series heads to America's National Park of Speed - Road America - this country's premier natural-terrain, high-speed road course, for a 12:45 p.m. (EDT) start next Sunday on NBCSN.
(Photo by Joe Skibinki/INDYCAR)
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet) was none too happy with his second-place finish on Sunday. Why? He could have won, but the team's strategy didn't pan out, and he knows that days like this one determine championships.
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet) was none too happy with his second-place finish on Sunday. Why? He could have won, but the team's strategy didn't pan out, and he knows that days like this one determine championships.
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
Alex Palou (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing The American legion Honda) finished a very racy third in Race 2 on Belle Isle.
Alex Palou (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing The American legion Honda) finished a very racy third in Race 2 on Belle Isle.
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
Marcus Ericsson and Chip Ganassi celebrate after Ericsson won Race 1 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader, part of the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit. It was his first career series victory. Ericsson (No. 8 Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Honda) held off Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet) and Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) in a three-lap dash to the checkered flag after the second red flag of the event. Ericsson was in second place when cars entered pit road for the red-flag period caused when Romain Grosjean crashed in the No. 51 NURTEC ODT Honda with six laps to go. But Ericsson took the lead on pit lane when the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon 5G Chevrolet of leader Will Power would not restart after the red flag period on a humid, sunny day with an air temperature of 80 degrees. That apparent electrical control unit malfunction completed Ericsson’s charge from a disappointing 15th starting position, as the last five laps of the race – including two under caution – were the only circuits Ericsson led all day. Swedish driver Ericsson pulled away from VeeKay over the closing three laps under green of the 70-lap race, winning by 1.7290 seconds at an average speed of 93.509 mph. NTT P1 Award winner O’Ward was third, 1.9105 seconds behind Ericsson. “For once, things fell my way,” Ericsson said. “It feels really good. For Will, I feel really bad for him with the way it ended for him. He did a tremendous job today. But it was my day today, and it was about time.” Formula One veteran Ericsson also became the seventh different winner in the first seven races this season, a feat last achieved in 2017 and a milestone reached only in five prior seasons in the series’ century-long history. He is the fourth first-time career winner in 2021, joining Alex Palou, O’Ward and VeeKay. The race was stopped for one hour and eighteen minutes after Felix Rosenqvist (No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) crashed heavily in Turn 6 on Lap 25. Rosenqvist's throttle appeared to stick open, and he made heavy contact with the tire barrier and concrete barrier. Rosenqvist was removed from the car by the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team, and he was transported to the infield care center for preliminary evaluation and then transported to a local hospital for more detailed evaluation, according to INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows. Rosenqvist was conscious, alert and talking throughout, Billows said. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
(IMSA)
Chip Ganassi’s teams completed a sweep on Saturday when Renger van der Zande held on to the lead given to him by Kevin Magnussen to win the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. The victory was the second of the day at Belle Isle Park for Ganassi, who won the IndyCar Series race earlier in the day with Marcus Ericsson. The victories were the first since 2013 for both Magnussen and Ericsson, former Formula One drivers. "I don’t think it’s any secret that this (IMSA) team was put together at the last minute in the fall of last year,” Ganassi said. “After what we’d all been through in 2020, we really didn’t know where we were at going forward. It’s really special to have an availability of talent … that want to come drive for you.” Van der Zande was leading a fierce duel with Felipe Nasr (No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) as the yellow flag waved when the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW stopped on track. When the 100-minute race resumed with 2 minutes 50 seconds left, van der Zande accelerated away from Nasr, getting enough of a gap to win the race by 0.573 seconds. “It was good for us,” van der Zande said. “The track got really slippery in those last two, three laps. I had some really big moments, and I think the guy behind me, Nasr, also had some big moments. I could pull a bit of a gap. Every time you hit traffic, it’s a risk. I knew that those last two, three laps, I wouldn't have any traffic. That’s why I think it was better for us to have that last restart.” The victory was the first in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Magnussen, who joined the series in the offseason after seven seasons in F1. It also let Magnussen join his dad, veteran racer Jan Magnussen, as an IMSA race winner. “It feels great,” said Magnussen, who also won his first Motul Pole Award on Friday. “This weekend has been extremely good on the team side. We’ve just been fast. I’d say the whole season we’ve been fast. We just haven’t been able to get to the end in the lead. We’ve led a lot of laps this year. Finally, we led the right lap.” Ganassi, whose operation has won more than 230 races over 31 years in NASCAR, IndyCar and sports car racing – with Saturday’s victory becoming the team’s 60th in IMSA competition – has a knack for finding talent both in and out of the car. "I think we bring a little to the party as a team, and they bring some things as a driver,” Ganassi said. “I think it’s that combination. There are a lot of guys who are fast, and they don’t get opportunities sometimes. You’ve got to find guys at the right time in their career that need an opportunity to excel and bloom, if you will, and to expose their talents.” Magnussen kept the car in the lead from the start ahead of Nasr’s teammate, Pipo Derani, and handed the lead to van der Zande with 47 minutes remaining. For Magnussen, whose last win came eight years ago in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, the celebration was magical. "It’s really a dream,” he said. “I feel very fortunate and privileged and blessed to be able to do that. To come out of a weekend like this with a big trophy, it’s pretty special. I’m very thankful to Chip for making this possible and giving me this opportunity.” Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque (No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05) finished third. The WeatherTech Championship resumes June 24-27 with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International. (Thank you to Jeff Olson/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)
Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis (No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3) crossed the finish line second in GT Daytona (GTD) at the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on Saturday. But the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 that had finished first was moved to the rear of the field when a post-race audit showed that the team’s refueling time was faster than the minimum time listed on IMSA’s Balance of Performance (BoP) table for the GTD class. The change elevated Gunn, De Angelis and the No. 23 to the top step of the podium and gave Aston Martin its first win in WeatherTech Championship competition. It also moved the No. 19 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 up to second place and the No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 to third. “A win’s a win,” said De Angelis, the 20-year-old who grew up just across the Canadian border from Detroit in Belle River, Ontario and was racing on his home track for the first time. “Whether you take it after the race or during the race, it’s always going to say that we won the Detroit Grand Prix in 2021. I’ve always dreamt about winning an IMSA race, let alone competing in one. To say that we won the Detroit Grand Prix and that the Heart of Racing finally won their first race with the Aston Martin is just unbelievable,” added De Angelis, competing in his 13th series race. “I can’t be more proud and happy of the whole team. It’s so amazing to do it in front of pretty much my home crowd.” It didn’t pay WeatherTech Championship points, but the two Corvettes racing in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic earned their due in goodwill and some friendly competition. The Nos. 3 and 4 Corvette Racing C8.Rs made a special appearance in the race at Belle Isle Park, competing as the lone GT Le Mans (GTLM) entries when the opportunity came available with the date of the 24 Hours of Le Mans shifted to August. Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner took the No. 4 Corvette across the finish line 0.226 seconds ahead of Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 after a spirited intra-team competition. More than the win, Milner said, was the chance for the team to thank the Detroit fans and everyone involved with the program by racing on Belle Isle for the first time in 13 years. (Thank you to Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
(Photo by Richard Prince/Corvette Racing)
Marcus Ericsson and Chip Ganassi celebrate after Ericsson won Race 1 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader, part of the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit. It was his first career series victory. Ericsson (No. 8 Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Honda) held off Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet) and Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) in a three-lap dash to the checkered flag after the second red flag of the event. Ericsson was in second place when cars entered pit road for the red-flag period caused when Romain Grosjean crashed in the No. 51 NURTEC ODT Honda with six laps to go. But Ericsson took the lead on pit lane when the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon 5G Chevrolet of leader Will Power would not restart after the red flag period on a humid, sunny day with an air temperature of 80 degrees. That apparent electrical control unit malfunction completed Ericsson’s charge from a disappointing 15th starting position, as the last five laps of the race – including two under caution – were the only circuits Ericsson led all day. Swedish driver Ericsson pulled away from VeeKay over the closing three laps under green of the 70-lap race, winning by 1.7290 seconds at an average speed of 93.509 mph. NTT P1 Award winner O’Ward was third, 1.9105 seconds behind Ericsson. “For once, things fell my way,” Ericsson said. “It feels really good. For Will, I feel really bad for him with the way it ended for him. He did a tremendous job today. But it was my day today, and it was about time.” Formula One veteran Ericsson also became the seventh different winner in the first seven races this season, a feat last achieved in 2017 and a milestone reached only in five prior seasons in the series’ century-long history. He is the fourth first-time career winner in 2021, joining Alex Palou, O’Ward and VeeKay. The race was stopped for one hour and eighteen minutes after Felix Rosenqvist (No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) crashed heavily in Turn 6 on Lap 25. Rosenqvist's throttle appeared to stick open, and he made heavy contact with the tire barrier and concrete barrier. Rosenqvist was removed from the car by the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team, and he was transported to the infield care center for preliminary evaluation and then transported to a local hospital for more detailed evaluation, according to INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows. Rosenqvist was conscious, alert and talking throughout, Billows said. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
(IMSA)Chip Ganassi’s teams completed a sweep on Saturday when Renger van der Zande held on to the lead given to him by Kevin Magnussen to win the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. The victory was the second of the day at Belle Isle Park for Ganassi, who won the IndyCar Series race earlier in the day with Marcus Ericsson. The victories were the first since 2013 for both Magnussen and Ericsson, former Formula One drivers. "I don’t think it’s any secret that this (IMSA) team was put together at the last minute in the fall of last year,” Ganassi said. “After what we’d all been through in 2020, we really didn’t know where we were at going forward. It’s really special to have an availability of talent … that want to come drive for you.” Van der Zande was leading a fierce duel with Felipe Nasr (No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) as the yellow flag waved when the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW stopped on track. When the 100-minute race resumed with 2 minutes 50 seconds left, van der Zande accelerated away from Nasr, getting enough of a gap to win the race by 0.573 seconds. “It was good for us,” van der Zande said. “The track got really slippery in those last two, three laps. I had some really big moments, and I think the guy behind me, Nasr, also had some big moments. I could pull a bit of a gap. Every time you hit traffic, it’s a risk. I knew that those last two, three laps, I wouldn't have any traffic. That’s why I think it was better for us to have that last restart.” The victory was the first in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Magnussen, who joined the series in the offseason after seven seasons in F1. It also let Magnussen join his dad, veteran racer Jan Magnussen, as an IMSA race winner. “It feels great,” said Magnussen, who also won his first Motul Pole Award on Friday. “This weekend has been extremely good on the team side. We’ve just been fast. I’d say the whole season we’ve been fast. We just haven’t been able to get to the end in the lead. We’ve led a lot of laps this year. Finally, we led the right lap.” Ganassi, whose operation has won more than 230 races over 31 years in NASCAR, IndyCar and sports car racing – with Saturday’s victory becoming the team’s 60th in IMSA competition – has a knack for finding talent both in and out of the car. "I think we bring a little to the party as a team, and they bring some things as a driver,” Ganassi said. “I think it’s that combination. There are a lot of guys who are fast, and they don’t get opportunities sometimes. You’ve got to find guys at the right time in their career that need an opportunity to excel and bloom, if you will, and to expose their talents.” Magnussen kept the car in the lead from the start ahead of Nasr’s teammate, Pipo Derani, and handed the lead to van der Zande with 47 minutes remaining. For Magnussen, whose last win came eight years ago in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, the celebration was magical. "It’s really a dream,” he said. “I feel very fortunate and privileged and blessed to be able to do that. To come out of a weekend like this with a big trophy, it’s pretty special. I’m very thankful to Chip for making this possible and giving me this opportunity.” Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque (No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05) finished third. The WeatherTech Championship resumes June 24-27 with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International. (Thank you to Jeff Olson/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis (No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3) crossed the finish line second in GT Daytona (GTD) at the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on Saturday. But the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 that had finished first was moved to the rear of the field when a post-race audit showed that the team’s refueling time was faster than the minimum time listed on IMSA’s Balance of Performance (BoP) table for the GTD class. The change elevated Gunn, De Angelis and the No. 23 to the top step of the podium and gave Aston Martin its first win in WeatherTech Championship competition. It also moved the No. 19 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 up to second place and the No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 to third. “A win’s a win,” said De Angelis, the 20-year-old who grew up just across the Canadian border from Detroit in Belle River, Ontario and was racing on his home track for the first time. “Whether you take it after the race or during the race, it’s always going to say that we won the Detroit Grand Prix in 2021. I’ve always dreamt about winning an IMSA race, let alone competing in one. To say that we won the Detroit Grand Prix and that the Heart of Racing finally won their first race with the Aston Martin is just unbelievable,” added De Angelis, competing in his 13th series race. “I can’t be more proud and happy of the whole team. It’s so amazing to do it in front of pretty much my home crowd.” It didn’t pay WeatherTech Championship points, but the two Corvettes racing in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic earned their due in goodwill and some friendly competition. The Nos. 3 and 4 Corvette Racing C8.Rs made a special appearance in the race at Belle Isle Park, competing as the lone GT Le Mans (GTLM) entries when the opportunity came available with the date of the 24 Hours of Le Mans shifted to August. Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner took the No. 4 Corvette across the finish line 0.226 seconds ahead of Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 after a spirited intra-team competition. More than the win, Milner said, was the chance for the team to thank the Detroit fans and everyone involved with the program by racing on Belle Isle for the first time in 13 years. (Thank you to Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
(Photo by Richard Prince/Corvette Racing)
(OCF Photo)
Corvette racing, design and marketing legends will join Dr. Frederick Simeone, founder of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, in a panel discussion about the history of Corvette – “America’s Sports Car” – during the Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance at the Museum on July 17, 2021. Tony DeLorenzo (above) and George Wintersteen will represent the racing history of the Corvette, while Ed Welburn and Lowell Paddock will speak on the subject of the car’s design and General Motors’ marketing strategies that led to the Corvette’s overwhelming popularity in the U.S. and around the world. This will be the first time this group of illustrious authorities on the Corvette will be gathered in one place to share their knowledge of the history and legacy of this iconic Chevrolet sports car. The discussion will take place from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. at the museum located at 6825 Norwitch Dr., Philadelphia, Pa., and is open to all Concours attendees. Historian/photographer Harry Hurst will moderate the discussion. Tickets to the 2021 Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance may be purchased at www.philadelphiaconcours.com/tickets.
Corvette racing, design and marketing legends will join Dr. Frederick Simeone, founder of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, in a panel discussion about the history of Corvette – “America’s Sports Car” – during the Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance at the Museum on July 17, 2021. Tony DeLorenzo (above) and George Wintersteen will represent the racing history of the Corvette, while Ed Welburn and Lowell Paddock will speak on the subject of the car’s design and General Motors’ marketing strategies that led to the Corvette’s overwhelming popularity in the U.S. and around the world. This will be the first time this group of illustrious authorities on the Corvette will be gathered in one place to share their knowledge of the history and legacy of this iconic Chevrolet sports car. The discussion will take place from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. at the museum located at 6825 Norwitch Dr., Philadelphia, Pa., and is open to all Concours attendees. Historian/photographer Harry Hurst will moderate the discussion. Tickets to the 2021 Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance may be purchased at www.philadelphiaconcours.com/tickets.