IndyCar Chevrolet 275 Preview
 |
| Drivers will run low downforce speedway setups |
The INDYCAR iRacing Challenge, a virtual racing event featuring a full field of NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers, continues Saturday, April 11 with the Chevrolet 275 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET at Michigan International Speedway.
The event, which will last approximately 75 minutes, will be broadcast live on NBCSN. The NBC broadcasting team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy and Marty Snider will call the action. The pre-race activities will be highlighted by NBC’s “The Voice" contestant Beth Griffith-Manley singing the national anthem and NBC Sports host Mike Tirico giving the command to start engines.
Click: Spotter Guide
The entry list of 31 drivers – up from 29 last week at Barber Motorsports Park and 25 from the series opener March 28 at Watkins Glen International – includes series champions Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais, Tony Kanaan, six Indianapolis 500 winners and collectively has registered 209 series victories.
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Two-time Daytona 500 winner and NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. is making his INDYCAR iRacing Challenge this week.
The Chevrolet 275 is the third of six events to be held weekly each Saturday through May 2. After this event, remaining races include a "Random Draw" track (April 18), Circuit of The Americas (April 25) and a non-INDYCAR "Dream" track (May 2).
Here are "5 Things To Look For…" heading into Saturday's Chevrolet 275:
‘Round and Round’
The Chevrolet 275 is the first oval race in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge after events at two natural terrain road courses, Watkins Glen International and Barber Motorsports Park. All competitors will use fixed setups from iRacing, which will create big packs of cars slipstreaming for position.
The fuel window for this 85-lap race is approximately 37 laps, slightly less than half of the race distance. So, depending on the number of caution periods, drivers and their team strategists could decide on two stops for service or try to stretch fuel to finish the race on one stop, creating even more strategic elements. There will be no competition caution to bunch the field Saturday, unlike Round 2 at Barber Motorsports Park.
There will be 31 drivers in this race, the largest field yet in the virtual racing series.
‘Andretti Fleet Grows’
Andretti Autosport is the largest team in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and that’s also the case in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge with the addition of two more team drivers to the Chevrolet 275 field.
2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is making his series debut in the No. 28 DHL Honda, while 2006 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Marco Andretti also joins the virtual sim racing world in the No. 98 U.S. Concrete/Curb Honda.
Their addition increases the Andretti fleet to six drivers in the 31-car field at Michigan International Speedway, joining teammates Colton Herta, James Hinchcliffe, Alexander Rossi and Zach Veach.
‘Hello, Dale Jr.’
NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for the first time last May in his role as a motorsports analyst for NBC Sports. Now Earnhardt is diving into competition in INDYCAR – in the virtual world – by racing Saturday in the Chevrolet 275.
While this is Earnhardt’s debut in the series, he is an avid virtual racer and has competed in iRacing since the racing simulation launched in 2008. Earnhardt will drive a Chevrolet sponsored by longtime backer Nationwide, carrying the No. 3 made famous by his late father, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt.
Earnhardt has been an enthusiastic participant in pre-race practice sessions this week, chatting with INDYCAR drivers for tips about how the aerodynamics and handling of Indy cars differ from stock cars.
This race will cap an eventful week for Earnhardt, who was named Wednesday as a nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021.
‘McLaughlin Ruling Sim World’
Scott McLaughlin has won the last two Virgin Australia Supercars championships for DJR Team Penske, and he’s enjoying similar success in virtual racing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Zealand native McLaughlin will aim for his fourth sim race victory in eight days in the Chevrolet 275 on Saturday, driving the No. 2 Snap-on Tools Dallara for Team Penske. He started his hot streak in the virtual world by winning Round 2 of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge, the Virtual Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Saturday, April 4.
Veteran sim racer McLaughlin then followed with wins in two of the three Supercars All Stars eSeries on Wednesday night, April 8, taking the checkered flag at virtual Phillip Island in Australia and virtual Monza in Italy.
‘Road to Indy Virtual Race’
The INDYCAR iRacing Challenge provides an uncanny resemblance to actual INDYCAR races, including an invocation, performance of the national anthem and a command to start engines during pre-race before on-track action that looks a lot like the real thing.
That customary cadence of an INDYCAR weekend will reach a new dimension this weekend, as 36 drivers from the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder series will compete in Round 3 of the Ricmotech RTI Racing eSeries at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, just 90 minutes before the start of the Chevrolet 275 at Michigan International Speedway.
Round 3 of the Road to Indy virtual series will take place on the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and will be streamed live on Road to Indy website and app, ApexRacingTV’s YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, the iRacing eSports Network and the series’ respective Facebook platforms.
Indy Pro 2000 Championship regular Phillippe Denes leads the eSeries by 18 points after two victories. USF2000 Championship driver Eduardo Barrichello, son of Formula One and Indianapolis 500 veteran Rubens Barrichello, is second in the standings.
Chevrolet 275 Fast Facts
When: 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, April 11
Track: Michigan International Speedway, a four-turn, D-shaped, 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, Michigan. Turn banking: 18 degrees. Turn width: 73 feet.
Race distance: 85 laps/170 miles/273.6 km (approximately 75 minutes)
Expected pit stops: Two. Fuel window is expected to be approximately 37 laps. Cars will be allowed one "Fast Repair" during the race.
Twitter: @IndyCar, @iRacing, @MISpeedway, #INDYCARChallenge, #INDYCAR
TV/Online: 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday on NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App. Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer, alongside the network's INDYCAR analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy and reporter Marty Snider. The pre-race activities will be highlighted by NBC's "The Voice" contestant Beth Griffith-Manley singing the national anthem and NBC Sports host Mike Tirico giving the command to start engines. The podium finishers will be interviewed on the live NBCSN broadcast. Diffey also will host a post-race virtual press conference with the podium finishers for media members (call-in details will be distributed).
Spotter guide: Click here to see a detailed spotter guide for this Saturday's race.
Race notes:
- Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) won Round 2 of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge on Saturday, April 4, the Virtual Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park. He edged Team Penske teammate Will Power by .4241 of a second.
- Sage Karam (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) won the inaugural round of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge on Saturday, March 28, the American Red Cross Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International. Karam beat Felix Rosenqvist (Chip Ganassi Racing) to the checkered flag by 3.6174 seconds.
- Will Power (Team Penske) is the only driver to finish on the podium in both races of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge. He placed third on March 28 at Watkins Glen and second on April 4 at Barber Motorsports Park.
- Participation continues to climb in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge. The field for the Chevrolet 275 will consist of 31 drivers. The series opener March 28 at Watkins Glen had 25 drivers, with 29 drivers taking the green flag last Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park.
- The Chevrolet 275, Round 3 of 6 in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge, is the first oval race in the virtual series. Future venues include a "Random Draw" track April 18, Circuit of the Americas on April 25 and a non-INDYCAR "Dream" track May 2.
- Five new drivers will join the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge in the Chevrolet 275: Marco Andretti (Andretti Herta with Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian), Max Chilton (Carlin), James Davison (INDYCAR Provisional), two-time Daytona 500 winner and NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. (INDYCAR Provisional) and 2012 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport).
- Fifty-six Indy car races have been conducted at Michigan International Speedway from 1968-2007. Ronnie Bucknum won the first, on Oct. 13, 1968, while Tony Kanaan won the most recent, on Aug. 5, 2007.
- Five drivers in the field for the Chevrolet 275 on Saturday also competed in the last INDYCAR event at MIS on Aug. 5, 2007: Tony Kanaan (winner), Marco Andretti (second), Ryan Hunter-Reay (sixth), Scott Dixon (10th), Ed Carpenter (14th),
- Among active INDYCAR drivers, Tony Kanaan leads with two career victories at Michigan International Speedway (1999, 2007). Kanaan is racing in the Chevrolet 275.
- Twenty-three of the 29 drivers who started the Virtual Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama last Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park were running at the finish, proving these athletes are just as skilled in the virtual world as in reality.
CHEVROLET 275 PRE-EVENT QUOTES:
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 4 Tresiba Chevrolet): "I have been turning laps around MIS on my own and in small groups. It is pretty easy flat on your own with fresh Firestones, but when you get past half tanks, if you catch some traffic, it gets very tricky. Much like the first two races, it will be a game of survival where managing to stay out of trouble will prove very hard. I am looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of our No. 4 Tresiba car and hope to make AJ Foyt Racing and Chevrolet proud."
ED CARPENTER (No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet): "I am thrilled to get back on an oval! Michigan is a track I am familiar with from the past, and I am excited to race there again. I hope that all of our friends in Detroit tune in for this one, especially since we won't see them until 2021 on Belle Isle. Any Michigan race are always extremely important for Chevrolet, so we will be trying to get one for them this weekend!"
MAX CHILTON (No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet): "I'm actually really excited to get back to some form of racing in the No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet this weekend with the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge. I'm in the same boat as a lot of the other drivers in terms of not having much iRacing experience, but I've done quite a bit of work on the simulators over the years, so I'm really hoping that it translates in some way. I've never raced at Michigan International Speedway, but I've been working remotely with our engineers on the Carlin simulator trying to get up to speed, and it's honestly been a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to Saturday!"
CONOR DALY (No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet): "I'm really excited to get back to oval racing in an Indy car – or a virtual Indy car, that is! Michigan is going to be a lot of fun. Even the practice laps with the INDYCAR Challenge league have been entertaining. It looks like the cars are going to race well there. It may be tough for people to get their heads in the game and there's the potential for stupidity, but that's the hilarious part of sim racing! Hopefully, we can put on a good show for the U.S. Air Force and all the people at Ed Carpenter Racing."
DALE EARNHARDT JR. (No. 3 Nationwide JR Motorsports Chevrolet): "Practice was a lot of fun, and I don't have any time in the car on the simulator. I've been on iRacing for a couple decades, but I haven't put much time on the Indy car and obviously have no real-world experience, so there's a lot of learning and trying to understand why the car reacts the way it does and what creates those issues because some of them are realistic and some of them may be because of the sim or the tire model of the sim. I had such a great time when I went to the Indy 500 last year, and I have so much respect for the guys that are in the field and the guys that we'll be practicing with and racing with this weekend. I think these guys have such great personalities, and they're even more diverse than what we have in NASCAR because they're from all over the world. I think that that's the real value in the series is the drivers and their personalities and who they are, and so I'm 'fan boying' myself just being out there hearing them talk, hearing them interact with each other, getting to know them better. I've got a few friends in the series but certainly want to know the other guys and get to know the rest of them really well, so this is such a great opportunity for me to do that. I think the fans are really going to appreciate getting the opportunity to see them on the racetrack, on the virtual racetrack throughout this break, to get to know them even more. I love it."
MARCUS ERICSSON (No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "I'm hoping for a third time luck this weekend. I've been taken out in Lap 1 in the first two races without anything I could do differently, so that has been a bit frustrating. I've felt like I've had good practice, and hopefully now this will be my weekend! It's very exciting to go on an oval for the first time in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I think it's going to be a very entertaining, fun race to both drive and to watch. I'm hoping the fans will love it and that we'll have a great show. I'm also hoping to bring the Chip Ganassi Huski Chocolate No. 8 car up to the front!"
JACK HARVEY (No. 60 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda): "I think Michigan will be a great race. I've watched old races at the speedway to prepare, and the track is so naturally cool. It will be great to virtually drive it. I got my very first iRacing race out of the way last weekend at Barber. I've been doing a lot of practice all week, so hopefully we'll have a better go at it this weekend."
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 DHL Honda): "I'm look forward to taking part in the iRace Saturday. Due to not having equipment at home and managing the schedules of home school with the boys, I haven't been able to join the previous rounds. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do future rounds yet, but I was able to come up with some borrowed equipment to take part at the Michigan race this week. After the Thursday practice session, I think it will be an interesting experience, but I'm thankful to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and iRacing for providing the opportunity. I'm looking forward to being back behind the wheel of the DHL car, even if it's just a virtual version for now!"
KYLE KAISER (No. 11 Juncos Racing Chevrolet): "I'm very excited for the first iRacing oval on the schedule. After practicing all week, I know this race is going to be even more crucial to stay out of trouble and keep clean. This week I'll be utilizing a crew chief and spotter remotely, which will allow me to focus more on just driving. We've been able to run three-wide through the corners at Michigan, so this will be an exciting race for the fans. I've been getting more comfortable each week, so I'm hopeful we'll be fighting for a win this weekend!"
TONY KANAAN (No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet): "I think this weekend's race will be more fun on the oval. You will see more passing, you'll see more close racing because it's the nature of the ovals. It's a bit more fun for us, too, because at least you can run in a pack."
SAGE KARAM (No. 24 DRR WIX Filters Chevrolet): "I have been practicing on the ovals lately. I never was able to race at Michigan. I was too young then. But I did race at Fontana in 2015, and it's a similar track, 2-mile oval. I got fifth there that year. I think Saturday's race at MIS will be just like that Fontana race – pack racing. Anybody can win from any starting spot. I don't think you want to lead until the last lap. Traffic will be heavy, and guys need to play it smart. It will be pretty wild. I think our DRR WIX Filters Chevy will be strong again. That Barber was tough to take because we had a car to win. Just didn't get to the finish. I'd like to get back to the front again this Saturday."
DALTON KELLETT (No. 41 K-Line Insulators USA Chevrolet): "This weekend's race at MIS is going to be exciting, judging from the practice sessions this week. As the cars are configured, we can definitely run two-by-two at both ends of the track. I think we can expect pack racing with tire degradation and fuel strategy coming into play. I don't think the pack will spread out as it did during the first two rounds, so it will be a fun race to watch. Important things to focus on will be staying out of trouble and finding clean air to save the front tires."
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN (No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Dallara): "I'm really excited to be running the No. 2 Snap-on Tools car in this weekend's INDYCAR iRacing Challenge race in Michigan and am proud to be representing this iconic brand on the racetrack. This year, Snap-on Tools are celebrating their 100-year anniversary by acknowledging all skilled workers who use their tools through their 'Makers and Fixers' campaign. It's fantastic way to recognize the work they do. And I think it's going to be a lot of fun to get my first crack at an oval in an Indy car – and to get to race against Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. at the same time. No matter what, the goal is to go out there and be competitive and stay out of the wrecks and finish near the front."
FELIPE NASR (No. 31 Carlin Chevrolet): "We haven't had the best of luck in the first two races of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge with early contact in both events, but it's honestly been so much fun being on track in some capacity these last few weeks! I'm excited to be joining another INDYCAR iRacing Challenge event this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, which will actually be my first ever go on an oval. It's something new for me, and honestly I'm pretty excited to try it out. I've been able to get in quite a bit of practice with the other INDYCAR drivers since they announced that we'd be at Michigan this weekend, and I'm just trying to learn everything I can before Saturday. After getting in some practice on the oval, I think it's safe to say we're going to produce some really good racing for the fans at home. The field is definitely going to be tight, and it's going to be a matter of strategy and looking after the tires, so it should be a lot of fun for everyone. I couldn't be happier to have my teammate Max (Chilton) in the race this weekend and also having Dale Earnhardt Jr. joining the field is going to be great for the fans and the race itself. Hopefully luck will be on our side this weekend, and we'll be able to get the No. 31 up front."
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 1 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet): "I cannot say how excited I am for us to race an oval in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge. I love racing ovals and to race at Michigan virtually, it just adds icing to the cake. I'm also really excited to have XPEL's colors on my Chevy this weekend. It's a really cool design that I can't wait for fans to see on the virtual racetrack. I've been hard at work practicing on my sim at home and am getting more and more comfortable. NBCSN did such a great job with the broadcast last week, so it's awesome they'll be airing our race again."
SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 22 DXC Team Penske Chevrolet): "I'm really excited to head to Michigan in the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge because it's a new track for me and that it's our first oval since we started doing iRacing as a series. Ovals have become one of my racing specialties, so I have been just waiting for a chance to race one virtually with the rest of the series. I've been doing a lot of training on my sim at home running ovals and trying new things to see what might apply best here for the DXC Technology Chevy. I'm thankful that NBCSN will be airing the race and that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be joining us. I met him last year and did his podcast. He's really into iRacing like me, so I'm excited for the chance to race against him. It's going to be another great show for the fans!"
ALEX PALOU (No. 55 Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh Honda): "When I imagined my first oval race, I didn't think it would be a virtual one! But I'm actually really excited about it, even if it's on iRacing. I think it's going to be really fun, and I'm going to learn a lot from the other drivers. It's also the first time I'll be using a spotter when I race. I need to learn about oval racing because I don't really know a lot about strategy and how to manage the car driving-wise. It will be a new experience for me. I'm also excited after last weekend's result. The other drivers gained a podium on strategy, but I think we did the best we could. They risked it and they won, but I'm happy with our fourth place. It was a good result and a good race. Hopefully we can have another good one on the virtual Michigan track. I think it will come down to the last 10 laps because when I did some testing this week, it was really close between all the drivers, and that's going to make the race more exciting. I hope everyone watches, and they can also tune in to my Twitch channel."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): "Oh, man. I am so excited to go oval racing with the rest of the INDYCAR Series at the virtual Michigan. Ovals have really become one of my favorite types of tracks to race and racing via iRacing is no exception. I've been practicing ovals quite a bit to prepare for the race with the help of my engineer. It's also really cool that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to join us. I did his podcast awhile back, and he's just a really cool guy and a great racer. We're going to do everything we can in the Verizon Chevy to try and win our first INDYCAR iRacing Challenge event."
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 TOTAL Honda): "I've done a few oval races on iRacing. They're fun and forgiving in the sense you can drive on lines that you normally can't in real life, but it makes it fun and exciting for everyone. I think people will be thrilled to watch Michigan this weekend, for sure. Oval racing is easier, for sure. It's much more forgiving on iRacing than real life but also more than iRacing on road courses. I think it'll be a pretty hectic race!"
FELIX ROSENQVIST (No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "Looking forward to Week 3 of the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge! I haven't practiced that much yet, but I've had a look at the track. I think it's always going to be very different when a lot of people run, especially because it's an oval this time. It looks like it'll be good fun. I did an iRace, the Open Wheel 250, at Indy the other day and it was a different challenge, for sure. Ovals probably require more respect from the drivers to not have any crashes. It's going to be fun to try an oval with everyone for the first time!"
Entry List
| Entry | No. | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | TEAM | ENGINE |
| 1 | 1 | Josef Newgarden | Nashville, Tennessee | Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 2 | Scott McLaughlin | Christchurch, NZ | Team Penske | Dallara |
| 3 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Kannapolis, NC | INDYCAR Provisional | Chevrolet |
| 4 | 4 | Sebastien Bourdais | Le Mans, France | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet |
| 5 | 5 | Pato O'Ward | Monterrey, Mexico | Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 6 | Robert Wickens | Guelph, Canada | Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet |
| 7 | 7 | Oliver Askew | Jupiter, Florida | Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet |
| 8 | 8 | Marcus Ericsson | Kumla, Sweden | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 9 | 9 | Scott Dixon | Auckland, New Zealand | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 10 | 10 | Felix Rosenqvist | Värnamo, Sweden | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 11 | 11 | Kyle Kaiser | Santa Clara, California | Juncos Racing | Chevrolet |
| 12 | 12 | Will Power | Toowoomba, Australia | Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 13 | 14 | Tony Kanaan | Salvador, Brazil | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet |
| 14 | 15 | Graham Rahal | New Albany, Ohio | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda |
| 15 | 18 | Santino Ferrucci | Woodbury, Connecticut | Dale Coyne w/Vasser-Sullivan | Honda |
| 16 | 20 | Conor Daly | Noblesville, Indiana | Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet |
| 17 | 21 | Ed Carpenter | Indianapolis, Indiana | Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | Montmorillion, France | Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 19 | 24 | Sage Karam | Nazareth, Pennsylvania | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Chevrolet |
| 20 | 26 | Zach Veach | Stockdale, Ohio | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 21 | 27 | Alexander Rossi | Nevada City, California | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 22 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 23 | 29 | James Hinchcliffe | Toronto, Canada | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 24 | 31 | Felipe Nasr | Brasilia, Brazil | Carlin | Chevrolet |
| 25 | 33 | James Davison | Melbourne, Australia | INDYCAR Provisional | Honda |
| 26 | 41 | Dalton Kellett | Stouffville, Canada | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet |
| 27 | 55 | Alex Palou | Barcelona, Spain | Dale Coyne Racing w/Team Goh | Honda |
| 28 | 59 | Max Chilton | Reigate, England | Carlin | Chevrolet |
| 29 | 60 | Jack Harvey | Bassingham, England | Meyer Shank Racing | Honda |
| 30 | 88 | Colton Herta | Belleair, Florida | Andretti Harding Steinbrenner | Honda |
| 31 | 98 | Marco Andretti | Nazareth, PA | Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agaj | Honda |