By: Spencer Neff
August 6, 2023
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.
Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix marks the fourth year in a row the series will contest multiple races on the Speedway, Indiana venue’s infield road course.
With four races left to close out 2023, here’s a look at the pre-race stories to watch.
Headlines
Last weekend, Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood earned his second victory of 2023. The sophomore driver led 34 of 80 laps, including the last 27 and won the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix by .7633 of a second over Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin on the Streets of Nashville.
Kirkwood, the only driver on his four-car team to win so far this year, has extra incentive to win this weekend.
If he, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Ericsson or Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard win the 85-lap race, they join Ericsson’s teammate and points leader Alex Palou as eligible drivers in the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge.
Palou, winner at the GMR Grand Prix in May, also won on the Streets of Detroit before two more victories at Road America and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. If he or another driver wins on all three track types (permanent road course, street course and oval), they win the prize.
The program has $1 million up for grabs to be split between a driver and a charity of their own selection. Palou or any eligible driver has to win at the August 27 oval finale at WorldWide Technology Raceway
The Spaniard returns to IMS on the heels of a second consecutive third-place effort at Nashville. He leads Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden by 84 points with four races to go.
Newgarden, who won Race 1 of the Fall 2020 doubleheader road course, finished seventh in the May event.
2022 race winner Alexander Rossi finished third in May, as part of a 2-3-5 for Arrow McLaren with Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist.
Since then, O’Ward (Road America) and Rosenqvist (Detroit) have the team’s only podiums.
After starting 11th and running the fastest lap of the day before a crash took him out of the race, Linus Lundqvist returns to Meyer Shank Racing to drive in place of a recovering Simon Pagenaud.
“Obviously, a lot of impressions and a lot of new stuff for me going on that weekend and I was pretty disappointed with the way that it ended” Lundqvist reflected in Monday’s announcement of his return.
“It was my mistake and I enjoyed it up until that point,” he continued about his weekend, where he started 11th and finished 25th. Teammate Helio Castroneves earned an 11th-place finish, his best since April in Texas (10th).
Gallagher Grand Prix Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 11-Saturday, Aug. 12
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES 85 laps / 207.3 miles | INDYNXT by Firestone 35 laps / 85.365 miles / 55 minutes
Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Two new sets to be used during the one-day event. A carryover set from the Nashville event may be used during the first practice.
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Threads: @indianapolismotorspeedway, @INDYCAR, #GallagherGP, #INDYCAR
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YouTube: @IMS, @INDYCAR
Event website: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2022 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda)
INDY NXT by Firestone (Race in May 2022)
Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports)
2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Felix Rosenqvist (No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), 1 minute, 10.2265 seconds, 125.030 mph
2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports) 1:16.4266, 114.887 mph.
Qualifying records:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Will Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Linus Lundqvist, 1:11:5149, 115.780 mph, April 16, 2021
USA Network race telecast: Gallagher Grand Prix, 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 12, USA Network (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for USA’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.
Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while the USA Network’s race telecast of the Gallagher Grand Prix will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Brad Gillie and Brett McMillian are the pit reporters. The Gallagher Grand Prix race (2 p.m. ET Saturday), the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (4:45 p.m. ET Friday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
FRIDAY, AUG. 11
9-10:30 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (75 minutes), Peacock
11-11:50 a.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE
12:30 p.m.: Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), Peacock
2:20-2:40 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE
4-4:30 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice (30 minutes), Peacock
4:55 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
5 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
SATURDAY, AUG. 12
2 p.m.: USA Network on air
2:23 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”
2:30 p.m.: Gallagher Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), USA Network (Live)
Header Image By Doug Matthews/INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 