34 replies to this topic

[red stick]

The Empire Strikes Back? On a SATURDAY, no less. It cannot be repeated enough--this race is on SATURDAY.

 

Continuing our tenuous Star Wars analogy, Lord Palou regained his stranglehold over all things IndyCar, 2025 edition, by whipping the field at Barber Motorsports Park, leading 81 of 90 laps, and crossing the finish line 16 seconds ahead of the first loser. We move into the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where we first crown a road course winner before remaining for several weeks, several thousand miles of practice, and several wrecked race cars, if history is any guide, preparing for the highlight of the season, the Greatest Spectacle in Motor Racing.

Can Palou's momentum be stopped, or at least contained? Although past performance is, famously, no guarantee of future results, it bears noting that our Sith apprentice has won the last two road course races here. Place your bets accordingly. I'd buy chicken futures myself. What? You can't? Well, scratch that . . .


The Basics, for those who still have no patience for IndyCar thread tomfoolery. Given the short week, and your correspondent's preoccupation with matters related to his retirement volunteering, tomfoolery will have to be edited in.  Or not.  At least the thread will only be initially posted once!


The Schedule

All times U.S. Eastern Daylight Time
Friday, May 9
9:30 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1

11:00 -- INDY NXT Practice 1
1:00 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2

2:30 -- INDY NXT Qualifying
4:30 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying

7:00 -- INDY NXT Race 1 (35 laps)

7:06 -- INDY NXT green flag

SATURDAY, May 10
11:30 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm-Up
1:00 -- INDY NXT Race 2 (35 laps)

1:06 -- INDY NXT green flag

4:00 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Pre-Race
4:30 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES SONSIO GRAND PRIX (85 laps)

4:52 -- NTT INDYCAR SERIES green flag 

ALL SESSIONS AVAILABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS ON INDYCARLIVE.COM (SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY).



The Track






Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Road Course

For purposes of this section, I have included all fall races as well in the cumulative stats.

First INDYCAR Race: 2014
Turns: 14
Track Length: 2.439 miles
Elevation change: Negligible
Number of Laps: 85
Race Distance: 207.3 miles
’Winningest’ Driver: Will Power (5 wins)
’Winningest’ Team: Team Penske (6 wins)
’Winningest’ Engine: Tied. Chevrolet and Honda each have 7 wins.
Current Drivers with IMS Road Course Wins, Spring or Fall: Power (2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2015), Dixon (2023, 2020), Palou (2024, 2023), Herta (2022), Rossi (2022), VeeKay (2021), Newgarden (2020).




The Story So Far

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

1^st – Álex Palou (196 pts)
2^nd – Christian Lundgaard (136 pts)
3^rd – Kyle Kirkwood (127 pts)
4^th – Pato O’Ward (108 pts)
5^th -- Scott McLaughlin (105 pts)
6^th – Felix Rosenqvist (105 pts)
7^th – Scott Dixon (104 pts)
8^th - Colton Herta (99 pts)
9^th – Will Power (93 pts)
10^th – Alexander Rossi (82 pts)

Palou’s average finish over four races is 1.25. If he is going to insist on standing at the podium at every race, this championship may be over early.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Fantasy Challenge Driven by Firestone

1^st – Cig35Racing (2791 pts)
2^nd –No Ordinary Rabbit (2779 pts)
3^rd – Loup Garou Racing (2730 pts)

 

 

What passes for tomfoolery . . .

No Mad Libs, again, this week. Instead, consider which IndyCar thread regular will sheepishly or angrily post Sunday that he missed the race because no one told him it was scheduled for a . . . SATURDAY.

 

Edited by red stick, Today, 03:29.

[paulb]

A tomfoolery-less op can be the spice of life.

Who knows if Lord Palou’s stranglehold will be broken?

Looking forward to a clean race so fans can continue to complain about the hybrid drivetrain.

[eibyyz]

If NEW wins Saturday, the rest can pack up and bail on the I500.  His season has quasi-sucked but I've got a feeling...

[prommer]

Indycat drives on

 

CATURDAY

 

Edited by prommer, Yesterday, 02:15.

[Sabre1977]

I would not be suprised if Lundgaard wins here. He is always very strong in Indy GP, and he has been excellent this season.

Edited by Sabre1977, Yesterday, 07:47.

[BRG]

I hear the race might not be on Sunday?  Can that be true?

[Frood]

Dies Saturni, Dé Sathairn, dydd Sadwrn, Sadorn, Satọde, Saturday, Saterdag, Zaterdag, Samstag, Samstaach, Samschdeg, Samdi, Samedi, Savato, Sábado, Sabato, Sàbbatu, Sabatu, Sabtu, Sâmbătă, Sabota, Sobota, Subota, Sŭbota, Subbota, Saptu, Asabotsy, al-Sabt, is-Sibt, e Shtunë, Sestdiena, Šeštadienis, Szombat, Sávvato, Shabat', Shaabeat, Shabati, Shanba, Şənbə, Senbi, Şenbe, Shenbeh, Shenavara, Śanibāra, Shanibar, Śanivāra, Shanivaar, Saneechar, Caṉikkiḻamai, Şemî, Cumartesi, Cumaertesi, Lávvardat, Lördag, Lørdag, Leygardagur, Laugardagur, Lauantai, Laupäev, Larunbata, Lamatlhatso, Mposo, Mugibelo, uMgqibelo, Arfininngorneq, Allingisungartut, Thngaisaw, Vansao, Wạn s̄eār̒, Thứ bảy, Zhōu liù, Toyoil, Doyōbi, Vakarauwai, Farereira'a

[BRG]

How do you say "Palou" in all those languages?

¿Pero podrá ganar un sábado?

[FLB]

I would not be suprised if Lundgaard wins here. He is always very strong in Indy GP, and he has been excellent this season.

Agreed. Another one I think could shine is VK.

[jcbc3]

Agreed. Another one I think could shine is VK.

 

RECENCY BIAS!

[FLB]

RECENCY BIAS!

Hey! Where has VK won in the past? 

[jcbc3]

ok, if you put it that way 

[Frood]

How do you say "Palou" in all those languages?

¿Pero podrá ganar un sábado?

 

It's just "Palou" meaning "conqueror" in all languages. Apart from the chicken language, where he is instead "BWAAK-buk", meaning "THE GREAT DEVOURER".

 

Probablemente.

Edited by Frood, Yesterday, 11:30.

[Pete_f1]

So few full corse yellows this year!

Come on, sort it out!

[B Squared]

So few full corse yellows this year!

Come on, sort it out!

Crash fan instead of race fan?

[Alan Lewis]

It's just "Palou" meaning "conqueror" in all languages. Apart from the chicken language, where he is instead "BWAAK-buk", meaning "THE GREAT DEVOURER".

Probablemente.

So, Palou's secret real first name is Kull?

[red stick]

I hear the race might not be on Sunday?  Can that be true?

Repetition is occasionally the key to enlightenment.

[jonpollak]

Суббота
Суббота
Суббота

BE THERE !!
Jp

[red stick]

So few full corse yellows this year!
Come on, sort it out!

This came up on the Marshall Pruett IndyCar podcast. Part of it is better, more respectful, driving, part is no one has hit a wall or gotten stuck in the kitty litter, but a large part is drivers can restart the cars if they stall instead of waiting for help, along with an accompanying yellow.

[nivoglibina]

Crash fan instead of race fan?

No, but if you want a different winner than Palou you need some bad-luck-timing for him

[prommer]

No, but if you want a different winner than Palou you need some bad-luck-timing for him

 

This is what I was thinking. Remove the lottery tendencies of typical Indycar and suddenly the cream of the crop reveals itself... or himself.

[red stick]

Tire rules, considered.
https://racer.com/20...up-the-indy-gp/

[Afterburner]

Tire rules, considered.
https://racer.com/20...up-the-indy-gp/

Talk about damning with faint praise!

“But we must remember that as well as being in the racing business, we’re also in the entertainment business. And if we are going to try and experiment somewhere, I think the Indy Grand Prix is the best of the options to experiment.”

[B Squared]

No, but if you want a different winner than Palou you need some bad-luck-timing for him

When you didn't grow up in the era of Formula Bumpercar, you know yellow flags can have devastating results to drivers, teams, families and friends. There's been some yellow flags that have been because of Wheels going into crowds. When you've been around it for 62 years, you're not so cavalier about a yellow to make my viewing enjoyment better.

[Jim Thurman]

I hate to give credit to Reddit, but credit where credit is due, someone there posted (paraphrasing, as I can't find the exact comment):

 

Reddit Indycar fan: "Too many yellows, there's no racing"

 

also Reddit Indycar fan: "Too few yellows, there's no racing" 

[nivoglibina]

When you didn't grow up in the era of Formula Bumpercar, you know yellow flags can have devastating results to drivers, teams, families and friends. There's been some yellow flags that have been because of Wheels going into crowds. When you've been around it for 62 years, you're not so cavalier about a yellow to make my viewing enjoyment better.

 

You suggested that someone who wants more yellows is a fan of crashing.

I merely stated another possible reason for wanting a yellow flag, it doesn't have to be anything macabre.

[GlenWatkins]

Not a fan of the track, but finally a Saturday race that I can watch can live 4:30pm for me.

Edited by GlenWatkins, Yesterday, 21:50.

[red stick]

Indy NXT schedule added to OP.

[SenorSjon]

I hate to give credit to Reddit, but credit where credit is due, someone there posted (paraphrasing, as I can't find the exact comment):

 

Reddit Indycar fan: "Too many yellows, there's no racing"

 

also Reddit Indycar fan: "Too few yellows, there's no racing" 

 

There is a bit of daylight between yellows for a plastic bag drifting along the track which takes 15-20 minutes to resolve with pit sequence and clarifying the running order with the FCY ONLY after everyone has passed the pitlane entry at least once against 5 races where nearly nothing happens and everyone is trying to keep the tires alive. 

Edited by SenorSjon, Today, 08:35.

[BRG]

I hate to give creddit to Reddit,

but creddit where creddit is due

Is this a new trend of rhyming posting, to counter those hakus?

 

[B Squared]

You suggested that someone who wants more yellows is a fan of crashing.
I merely stated another possible reason for wanting a yellow flag, it doesn't have to be anything macabre.

I don't think that we know in advance what the yellow will be for.

[jonpollak]

You suggested that someone who wants more yellows is a fan of crashing.
I merely stated another possible reason for wanting a yellow flag, it doesn't have to be anything macabre.

At my age (and as my coverage has no commercials) I need a yellow to go have a pee. !!
Jp

[jonpollak]

Sonsio Practice 1 in 5 min
Jp

[red stick]

IndyCar with ham, eggs,and toast. Seems more an F1 thing.

[paulb]

NXT on NBC now.