By: Spencer Neff
September 8, 2023
This weekend marks the conclusion of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The 17th and final race will be the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
It is the 26th race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn permanent road course in Salinas, California since it’s first race in 1983. Laguna Seca hosts for INDYCAR and the 11th season finale (1989-1996, 2019 and 2022).
Next year, the Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville will be the final race. While first and second in the standings have been decided, the 27-car field will have a lot on the line this weekend.
Headlines
Last weekend, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou earned his series-leading fifth win of 2023. Palou’s second win at the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland wrapped up his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship.
Now, Palou returns to an event he won in 2022 by a track record 30.3812 seconds over Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden.
Newgarden’s teammate Will Power, who earned his record-breaking 68th career pole and the 2022 INDYCAR Championship at Laguna Seca, heads to the last race of 2023 looking to extend his 16-year win streak. If Power wins for the first time at Laguna Seca, he would avoid becoming the first series champion to go winless the following season since 2004 (Scott Dixon).
Power led Thursday’s Open Test following the track’s first repave since 2008. Nine drivers eclipsed the current track record set by Helio Castroneves in 2000 (1m07.722-118.969 mph).
After finishing second at Portland, Felix Rosenqvist will look to end his time with Arrow McLaren by giving the organization its first win of 2023. Rosenqvist, who confirmed as the driver of the No, 60 for Meyer Shank Racing for 2024, has their only pole of 2023 (Texas Motor Speedway).
While Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon locked up second in the championship with his third-place effort in Portland, 47 points separate third (Newgarden) from sixth in points (Marcus Ericsson).
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and Penske’s Scot McLaughlin head to Laguna Seca fourth and fifth in the standings.
Marcus Amstrong will also look to bring home the Rookie of the Year title for CGR.
The orgnaization’s last Rookie of the Year winner was Juan Pablo Montoya, who won the 1999 CART Fedex Series Championsip in his debut season. Armstrong is 26 points ahead of Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Agustin Canapino.
Also looking for a first win of 2023 is Colton Herta, a two-time pole and race winner (2019 and 2021).
On Wednesday, Herta and his father Bryan ran laps at the track in Bryan’s 1998 Reynard-Ford (Cosworth). Like Colton, Bryan won twice at Laguna Seca (1998-99). This weekend, Colton will run a special livery paying tribute to his father.
On Thursday morning, Armstrong was announced as the fourth driver for CGR in 2024, his first full-time INDYCAR season.
Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, Sept. 8-Sunday, Sept. 10
Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile permanent road course in Monterey, California
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey 95 laps / 212.61 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 & 2 (each) 35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes
Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 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: Seven 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. Note: Teams will be allotted four sets of tires for Thursday’s Open Test. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. A carryover set from the Portland event may be used during the first practice.
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Event website: www.weathertechraceway.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com
2022 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Alex Palou (No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Race 1: Sting Ray Robb (No. 2 Andretti Autosport)
Race 2: Christian Rasmussen (No. 28 Andretti Autosport)
2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 1:11.6127, 112.505 mph
2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winners:
Race 1: Sting Ray Robb (No. 2 Andretti Autosport), 1:15.7209, 106.401
Race 2: Christian Rasmussen (No. 28 Andretti Autosport), 1:15.3618, 106.908
Qualifying records:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Helio Castroneves, 1:07.722, 118.969 mph, Sept. 8, 2000
INDY NXT by Firestone
Max Chilton, 1:14.2329, 108.534 mph, Sept. 12, 2015
NBC Sports race telecast: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 10, 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. Marty Snider, 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 NBC’s race telecast of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey 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, Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wollf are the pit reporters. The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey race (3 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader (3:20 p.m. ET Saturday and 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday) 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, Sept. 8
1:15-2:05 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, INDYCAR LIVE
2:30-3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock
Saturday, Sept. 9
9:05-9:35 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two 12-minute sessions / Session 1 determines the lineup for Race 1, Session 2 determines the lineup for Race 2), INDYCAR LIVE
10-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes limited guarantee), Peacock
12:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
12:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
2 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 10
9-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock
9:55 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
11:30 a.m. – NBC on air
12:19 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey “Drivers, start your engines”
12:26 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/212.61 miles), NBC (Live)
Header Image By Chris Jones/INDYCAR, Fast Facts By INDYCAR
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