What: Gallagher Grand Prix / Race 14 of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Sequence

The place: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ind. – 2.439-mile, 14-turn everlasting street course

When: Saturday, Aug. 12, 2:00pm ET

There are three street programs and one brief oval left on the 2023 NTT IndyCar Sequence schedule, and the championship-deciding dwelling stretch begins with Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway street course. It’s the second IndyCar race of the 12 months to be held on the two.439-mile, 14-turn monitor which was first utilized by the sequence again in 2014. 

Its relative smoothness and lack of gradient would possibly lead one to consider that it’s one of many less complicated programs on the IndyCar calendar, however maybe that very “simplicity” makes discovering an edge in mainly equal automobiles such a mind teaser for all concerned. In qualifying, the margins between automobiles seem virtually as skinny as on an oval.

Gavin Ward, racing director at Arrow McLaren, could have the reassurance of operating the final two polesitters on the season’s second IMS street course race — Pato O’Ward in 2021; Felix Rosenqvist in ’22 (above) — in addition to final 12 months’s race winner, Alexander Rossi, who scored his eighth and last victory for Andretti Autosport there (under), earlier than making the swap to McLaren within the low season. However as Ward tells RACER, there are a number of complicated equations to unravel on the Indy street course, and racing on the identical monitor in Could isn’t essentially useful in zeroing in on the solutions.

“One of many issues that’s distinctive concerning the course is that we race there twice,” he says, “and it’s not just like the Iowa doubleheader occurring on the identical weekend. Right here we now have a three-month hole between the races, and you may return there in August, run the identical automobile you probably did in Could and have amazingly totally different dealing with traits and issues. There’s simply not a ‘useless cert’ setup for the place. 

“We’ve seen it so many occasions: groups that shine in Could can come again in August and never be aggressive, and vice versa. It’s a type of infuriating — but additionally fantastic! — issues about race engineering. It’s so sophisticated with the way in which the tires work, totally different monitor situations, how wind route impacts the automobile, totally different temperatures… 

“However this monitor can be a little bit of an anomaly among the many street programs we go to. There’s not numerous elevation change and it doesn’t actually have high-speed corners. Flip 14 onto the entrance straight on recent tires is flat, however a wind change within the race could make it extra of a nook. Typically, although, the monitor is all about medium- and low-speed turns. The drivers additionally take much more curb than at most street programs, significantly by Turns 8-9-10.”

The street course makes use of the half-mile begin/end straight of the legendary IMS oval (albeit operating in the wrong way), and although the present IndyCar aerodynamic package deal with aeroscreen is now in its fourth 12 months, this flat-out blast — and a prolonged again straight from Turns 6 to 7 — requires a fragile balancing act from the groups. How a lot can the automobile be trimmed out to scale back drag, but nonetheless have sufficient downforce for the twisty sections?

“Oh yeah, that’s nonetheless a supply of debate for each qualifying and the race,” says Ward (above), “and it’s slightly wind delicate, too. For those who’re having to raise off out of the ultimate flip since you haven’t obtained sufficient downforce to stay, then you find yourself falling again from whoever you’re chasing, and your trim-out is simply barely getting you again on his tail on the finish of the straight. In order that’s an fascinating a part of the puzzle. Then you need to make modifications to the entrance of the automobile to maintain your aero stability. You’ll be able to run the automobile decrease right here than on some other street course as a result of the floor is so clean and since there’s no high-speed corners the place you can backside out or roll, so that you’re working in slightly bit totally different a window than on most different tracks. 

“You even have huge braking calls for due to the speeds down the straights and the character of the corners on the finish of these straights. And there’s some actually fascinating nook sequence tradeoffs, the place you’ve obtained to surrender slightly bit right here to realize slightly there, time and again all through the lap.”

With the race being 85 laps, it’s doable to deal with it on two or three pit stops, relying after all on the size and timing of warning durations, tire degradation, and whether or not you are feeling that the efficiency acquire from a recent set of tires is definitely worth the 38 seconds eaten up in a pit cease right here.

“Yeah, that determine is on the upper facet, though clearly not as dangerous as Street America,” Ward says. “However not too long ago we’ve had a good quantity of tire degradation right here, so that may imply it’s not at all times a foul factor to lose an additional 38 seconds. Doing three stops lets you remove gasoline save and cease early for the undercut, or cease later for the overcut, relying on the degradation of Firestone’s primaries and alternates. And that’s one other unknown: though the first is identical because the one we utilized in Could, Firestone are giving us an alternate that’s extra much like the 2021 tire right here. Which means barely much less grip, barely higher abrasion resistance, however taking barely longer to heat up.”

Talking of rubber, the truth that this race weekend is shared with NASCAR and its Goodyear rubber has been much less of an element than was initially anticipated, and there hasn’t been a serious incompatibility situation between the Firestone and Goodyear compounds by way of the monitor gripping up.

Ward observes: “The condensed schedule [see below] might be a much bigger deal than the NASCAR rubber, to be sincere. The primary time we have been operating on the identical weekend as NASCAR right here, there have been some worries that their rubber can be an enormous curveball for us, but it surely didn’t play out that approach. 

“Whereas with simply a few hours between periods, you’re at all times pondering, ‘Ought to I alter this now?’ You virtually need to rule out the thought of creating huge modifications, and thoroughly take into account the risk-reward ratio by way of experiments. You attempt to not deviate from what you understand. I feel having three automobiles is the optimum quantity — it’s not info overload, so you possibly can examine all of it intimately and make educated choices. The great factor is, Pato, Felix and Alex are all fairly suited to the Indy street course, although their methods are totally different, they usually all have loads of expertise now to get one of the best from themselves and their automobiles.”

You’ll be able to watch each apply and qualifying session from the Gallagher Grand Prix on Peacock on Friday, Aug. 11, whereas the USA Community and Peacock will ship the race day motion, Saturday, Aug. 12. And to get even nearer to all of it, seize one of the best seat in the home with the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA and its 14 race day stay onboard cameras.

TUNE IN

Friday, Aug. 11 / 9:00am – 10:30am ET – Follow 1 – Peacock

Friday, Aug. 11 / 12:30pm – 2:00pm ET – Qualifying – Peacock

Friday, Aug. 11 / 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET – Follow 2 – Peacock

Saturday, Aug. 12 / 2:00pm – 5:00pm ET – RACE – USA Community, Peacock

• All periods and the race are additionally out there as audio commentary on SiriusXM and INDYCAR Radio.  

Experience together with the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA

Taking you contained in the motion, 14 drivers will probably be carrying in-car cameras. Through the race, you possibly can live-stream each one among them with the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. You select who you experience together with, and you may swap drivers at any time. The App’s free to obtain for followers worldwide and you will discover out extra HERE. For those who’re not already onboard, take your viewing expertise to a complete new degree HERE.

Bringing you the onboard motion from the Gallagher Grand Prix are…

Colton Herta / No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda 

At Nashville, having certified within the high 4, Herta appeared set for a powerful exhibiting come race day. However discovering himself on the marbles on a restart and being elbowed apart by rivals despatched him down an escape street and down the order, and so his star-crossed season continued. He sits solely tenth within the championship, however we all know his potential and he’s returning to a monitor the place Andretti Autosport has upped its sport significantly within the final 18 months. Fingers crossed, this may very well be the breakthrough weekend.

Christian Lundgaard / No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

The IMS street course has been an excellent monitor for Lundgaard, who made his debut there in 2021 and certified fourth, scored his first podium there a 12 months later, after which took pole for the GMR Grand Prix again in Could (under). He returns with the arrogance of getting notched up his first sequence win — final month on the streets of Toronto — and he’s making RLL appear to be an actual drive as soon as extra. There’s no purpose to count on him to be in something aside from podium rivalry.

Rinus VeeKay / No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 

Like Lundgaard, VeeKay has comfortable reminiscences of this place — his first pole and podium in 2020, and his first (and thus far solely) win in 2021. However as McLaren’s Gavin Ward talked about earlier, being sturdy in a single occasion on this monitor is certainly not a assure that you simply’ll be preventing for the win in your return, and Ed Carpenter Racing has had some extremely nameless days at this venue. That mentioned, if the Dutch driver is to attain solely his second top-10 end of the 12 months, it’s maybe extra prone to come right here than wherever else.

Romain Grosjean / No. 28 Andretti Autosport Honda

One other European import who’s discovered the Indy street course very a lot to his style, Grosjean scored a pole and two runner-up finishes right here in his rookie season with Dale Coyne Racing. His begins with Andretti have been extra fraught, each right here and throughout the board, however he has a minimum of now completed three straight races with out incident. If he and engineer Olivier Boisson could make the automobile quick whereas additionally offering all of the suggestions that RoGro requires from the entrance finish, then he’ll battle for pole. Thereafter, who is aware of?

Scott McLaughlin / No. 3 Crew Penske Chevrolet
Whereas McLaughlin has proved there are particular occasions when he’s obtained an edge over his champion teammates at Crew Penske — final spherical at Nashville, for example — he’s but to place all of it collectively on the IMS street course. However given his price of studying and his dedication, it’s exhausting to think about this case will final lengthy, and people people at Gallagher who sponsor the occasion can count on to see “their” automobile driving excessive this weekend. 

Josef Newgarden / No. 2 Crew Penske Chevrolet
The Indy street course was once one of many few tracks the place Newgarden didn’t really feel on high of his sport. Then he gained right here in 2020, and it was added to the lengthy record of venues the two-time champion has mastered over the previous eight years. That can add a flicker of encouragement for a driver attempting to trim down Alex Palou’s 84-point lead within the championship after ending on the rostrum, however behind the Spaniard in final weekend’s avenue race in Nashville (under).    

Alexander Rossi / No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

The defending winner of this occasion, Rossi continues to be in search of a breakthrough lead to 2023, or the form of weekend the place he’s Arrow McLaren’s man to beat. Even his lone podium end this 12 months — scored right here, by the way — was barely marred by the truth that each his teammates outqualified him and Pato O’Ward was forward of him on the checkered flag. However Rossi and race engineer Craig Hampson each know methods to shine right here and can probably come again stronger. Will this lastly be the massive weekend?

Pato O’Ward / No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

With out wishing to decry the efforts of race engineer Will Anderson, nor any of the super-talents within the Arrow McLaren engineering mind belief, O’Ward’s qualifying lap at Nashville to land himself a entrance row slot gave the impression to be right down to a driver carrying his automobile by sheer talent and drive of will. It was a reminder, if anybody wanted it, simply how particular he may be. But when he’s to clamber again into the highest three within the championship — he’s at the moment sixth — it’s time to transform that potential right into a win. He completed second in Could’s GMR Grand Prix (under), so can he make the ultimate step on Saturday?

Graham Rahal / No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

Rahal’s quest to discover a automobile that truly rolls off the truck in aggressive kind, with dealing with that fits him proper off the bat, has been thwarted on so many events this 12 months. And the necessity for that fast efficiency, the place a driver simply seeks small fine-tuning tweaks, is rarely extra needed than on a weekend that includes only one apply session earlier than qualifying. Rahal continues to be searching for his first top-five end this 12 months, however has twice completed on the rostrum right here.

Felix Rosenqvist / No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

That is a type of “particular” tracks for the quiet Swede. He scored his first pole right here in 2019 for Chip Ganassi Racing, took pole for Arrow McLaren in 2022, and final Could he began on the entrance row having been overwhelmed to P1 by an infinitesimally small margin. But the place owes Rosenqvist, too: he might need gained this race final 12 months however for a mechanical drawback that prompted an excessive amount of friction and drag, making him a sitting duck. There is no such thing as a driver within the subject who deserves a powerful IMS street course weekend greater than this man.

Kyle Kirkwood / No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda

The rising star’s stats for 2023 now look even stranger than they did per week in the past — two wins, however no different top-five finishes! That explains why freshly-minted Nashville winner Kirkwood (under) is simply ninth within the championship proper now, but it surely nonetheless makes him high Andretti Autosport driver within the standings. Given their tempo in earlier years on the Indy street course, it could be a big feather in Kirkwood’s cap have been he to once more outpace teammates Grosjean and Herta, as he did in Could’s occasion.

Callum Ilott / No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

Ilott served discover of intent on his first race on the Indy street course final 12 months, qualifying seventh and ending eighth within the pre-Indy 500 GMR Grand Prix. Such outcomes have been far more durable to come back by in 2023, a minimum of for the reason that third spherical, and it’s not solely clear why. However it is a monitor the place the ex-Components 2 ace can punch above his weight. 

Linus Lundqvist / No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Till his late-race shunt at Nashville, Billy Corgan lookalike Lundqvist (under) was doing the whole lot anticipated of him and extra on his NTT IndyCar Sequence race debut after qualifying within the high dozen. It’s little shock, due to this fact, that Meyer Shank Racing has elected to maintain him within the No. 60 Honda for a second occasion because it waits for Simon Pagenaud to get medical clearance to return to motion following his Mid-Ohio shunt. Lundqvist gained on the Indy street course twice whereas in Indy NXT (previously Indy Lights), so be careful for an additional sturdy exhibiting. 

Jack Harvey / No. 30 Crew Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

There’s little question he’s preventing for a experience in 2024, however Harvey stands an amazing probability of a powerful outcome this weekend. That is the place he scored a tremendous podium in 2019 for Meyer Shank Racing, and he certified fourth for Rahal Letterman Lanigan three months in the past. The headlines and plaudits for RLL’s revival have largely gone the way in which of teammate Lundgaard — and deservedly so — but when Harvey can nonetheless discover an edge over the Dane someplace, it may very well be right here.

The INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA is free to obtain and entry, so don’t miss out – CLICK HERE to get began.