IndyCar Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Preview
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Weekend is a pair of IndyCar Series races held at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The event was first held as a CART series race from 1997 to 2000, initially on Memorial Day weekend. From 2001 to 2003, it was held as an Indy Racing League event. After a hiatus of over a decade, the race returned in 2017 as part of the unified IndyCar Series.
In July 2020, the race was shortened to 250 miles (200 laps) to accommodate a revised schedule for the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will now feature two identical 200-lap races in the afternoon with limited fans.
Former Winners
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Team | Chassis | Engine | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||
| CART World Series | ||||||||||
| 1997 | May 24 |  Paul Tracy |
Penske Racing | Penske | Mercedes-Benz | 236 | 299.72 (482.249)* | 2:37:54 | 113.884 | |
| 1998 | May 23 |  Alex Zanardi |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Reynard | Honda | 236 | 299.72 (482.249)* | 2:23:02 | 125.725 | |
| 1999 | May 29 |  Michael Andretti |
Newman/Haas Racing | Swift | Ford-Cosworth | 236 | 299.72 (482.249)* | 2:25:35 | 123.513 | |
| 2000 | September 17 |  Juan Pablo Montoya |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Lola | Toyota | 236 | 299.72 (482.249)* | 1:55:38 | 155.519 | |
| IndyCar Series | ||||||||||
| 2001 | August 26 | Al Unser Jr. |
Galles Racing | G-Force | Oldsmobile | 200 | 250 (402.336) | 1:49:59 | 133.379 | |
| 2002 | August 25 |  Gil de Ferran |
Penske Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 200 | 250 (402.336) | 1:44:23 | 143.711 | |
| 2003 | August 10 | Hélio Castroneves |
Penske Racing | Dallara | Toyota | 200 | 250 (402.336) | 1:50:53 | 135.286 | |
| 2004 – 2016 |
Not held | |||||||||
| 2017 | August 26 | Josef Newgarden |
Team Penske | Dallara | Chevrolet | 248 | 310 (498.897) | 2:13:22 | 139.465 | |
| 2018 | August 25 |  Will Power |
Team Penske | Dallara | Chevrolet | 248 | 310 (498.897) | 1:59:30 | 155.644 | |
| 2019 | August 24 |  Takuma Sato |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Dallara | Honda | 248 | 310 (498.897) | 2:15:53 | 136.874 | |
| 2020 | August 29 | Dallara | 200 | 250 (402.336) | ||||||
| August 30 | Dallara | 200 | 250 (402.336) | |||||||
- CART measured the track length to 1.27 miles (2.04 km).
Sato Returns to Bommarito 500 as Defending Winner and Two-Time Indy 500 Champion
The team returns to the 2020 Bommarito Automotive Group 500’s as the defending winner after Takuma Sato drove to victory here last year and is also arriving to town as the newly-crowned 2020 Indianapolis 500 champions. It will be the ninth event for the team at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR). The 1.25-mile oval hosted CART-sanctioned races from 1997-2000 and IRL races from 2001-2003 before the IndyCar Series returned in 2017.
The team competed in all four CART races from 1997-2000 and one of the three IRL races (2003). The best starting position for the team of second place came in 2003 by Kenny Brack and the best finish came last year when Takuma Sato won.
Prior to 2020, the team prepared a total of 14 Indy car entries for drivers such as Bobby Rahal (1997-1998), Bryan Herta (1997-1999), Max Papis (1999-2000), Kenny Brack (2000, 2003), Graham Rahal (2017-2019) and Takuma Sato (2018-2019). The No. 15 United Rentals Honda entry for Graham Rahal and No. 30 ABeam Consulting entry for Takuma Sato will bring that total to 16 in 2020.
RAHAL HOPES TO TURN A STRONG RUN TO THIRD PLACE AT IOWA INTO SUCCESS AT WWTR
The 2020 race will be Rahal’s fourth at the track. His highest start is seventh and highest finish is 10th – both in 2018. In 2019, he qualified 16th and struggled with tire wear for a good portion of the race like many others but was running ninth late in the race before losing two positions to run 11th. While 11th, he reported a problem on Lap 224 of 248 and ultimately retired after 226 laps in 18th place.
A post race inspection showed that his exhaust secondary failed. He has earned three podiums in seven races this season, contended for the win in two others and could have been a podium contender in the other two. He is looking forward to a strong race after being competitive on other ovals this season including Texas and third-place finishes at Iowa and Indianapolis.
“I feel like we should be good at St. Louis. Obviously, Takuma won there last year, and we were good last year until the exhaust cracked. We’ve just got to keep working on our short oval cars. We were strong in Iowa but how much of that we can take and apply at St. Louis is the question. But I hope and I expect us to be pretty strong. I feel like the 15 team has done an amazing job this year.
“We have been the most consistent of our cars this year and I just feel like our guys deserve a win so hopefully we can break through here and make it happen. The pit stops have been amazing as has car preparation and everything else. We’ve got to stay confident and got to keep working hard and I think it will come.”
SATO RETURNS AS DEFENDING RACE WINNER AND ONLY ACTIVE 2-TIME INDY 500 WINNER
With his win in Sunday’s 104th Indianapolis 500, Takuma Sato became the only active, fulltime NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver to have won two Indy 500 races. Coupled with that, he returns to WWTR as the defending winner of the race after he led the final 61 laps en route to victory at WWTR last year. This will be Takuma’s fourth race here. His highest start and finish came last year of fifth and first, respectively. His victory last year was special for many reasons.
“Last year’s race was a special one. St. Louis is a great track. It’s quite challenging. Turn 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 have quite different characteristics and that makes for great fun for all of us. Last year it was such a special moment. We had a difficult week the week before and leading up to the event was a tough situation, but I was so pleased with the warm welcome at the venue. So many fans came up to me and cheered us on. What an amazing race result with the win.
“Even though it was midnight, so many fans remained for the podium. Once again, a great strategy worked, and the No. 30 team was extremely strong. I was very proud of that moment. It is good to return to defend our win after having just won the Indy 500 for a second time.
“There are a lot of things related to other ovals we have raced on that may help at St Louis. This year, the mechanical aspect of the car is a bit different with the aeroscreen which is putting more emphasis on the outside right front tires. At Iowa we showed a great performance, won at Indy on the speedway, Graham was very competitive at Texas and of course we were competitive at St. Louis last year too. We have a good baseline and I believe we can be competitive once again. Giving the fans two nights of fun is good.”
Big Machine Vodka Sponsors TK’s Last Laps
Sleek. Black. Fast. So describes the No. 14 Big Machine Vodka Chevrolet that Tony Kanaan will drive in his final two races of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES as his #TKLastLap tour on the oval tracks winds down.
Big Machine Vodka, a longtime sponsor of the 2013 Indianapolis 500 champion, will be the primary sponsor of the car. The bold, bright chrome Big Machine logo makes this Black Beauty sparkle which fans will see in both Bommarito Automotive Group 500 races this weekend.
“Scott Borchetta and his brother Mark have been with me since 2014 and they’ve
always been solid, so to me, it’s an honor that we could make this deal work and have my last races of the year with their livery,” Kanaan said.
Scott Borchetta, the music industry mogul who acquired Tenn South Distillery in 2015 and joined forces with Tenn South founder and Chief Distiller Clayton Cutler, also signed as an associate sponsor of Kanaan in this year’s Indy 500.
“The name Tony Kanaan is synonymous with winning and that aligns with the essence, pride and result that we carry through all things Big Machine” says Big Machine Label Group President & CEO Scott Borchetta. “We’re very proud to be representing Tony this weekend for TK’s Last Lap.”
As the Big Machine Vodka Chevrolet was getting some final tweaks in the race shop for this weekend, Kanaan looked on in admiration.
“The car looks awesome,” Kanaan remarked of the new livery, adding, “I think it would have looked even better if it were still a night race.”
Originally the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 was scheduled to run on a Saturday night before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the rearrangement of this year’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. One night race has now turned into two afternoon races which will be broadcast on NBCSN on Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m. ET.
“I saw the design from day one and was part of it, so it’s kind of like having a child,” Kanaan revealed. “And when you see it ready, and then having the diecast of that car which just became available last week, it’s pretty cool.
“It’s a neat story because when you talk about relationships, it’s always obviously business but when you can mix business with friendship — and have a pretty cool thing like this going — it becomes something we will talk about for years to come,” Kanaan continued. “It’s not just a business transaction, it’s a bunch of friends that wanted to help. We had a cool idea that we’ve been brewing since last September which is when we came up with the #TKLastLap. Some things have changed a bit, but their deal is solid and they’re still around. And they said they will still be around as long as I race. And that is awesome.”
Kanaan has run four races to date this year. He finished 10th at the season opener at Texas Motor Speedway in June. In July, he dropped out in Race 1 at Iowa and finished 11th in Race 2. He placed 19th in last week’s Indy 500 after having to conserve fuel in the final stint but had been running in the top-10 for second half of the race.
This weekend Kanaan is looking forward to returning to World Wide Technology Raceway, the 1.25-mile oval located in Madison, Ill. which is east of St. Louis just across the Mississippi River.
“I’m excited to return to St. Louis this weekend after our podium there last year,” said Kanaan, who finished third behind Ed Carpenter and Takuma Sato. “The promoters at World Wide Technology Raceway have done a terrific job working with the local authorities to provide a race where fans could go and have an opportunity for entertainment in a safe and socially distanced environment and I’m really looking forward to see them at the track. When I announced the #TKLastLap in January of this year no one had an idea of what 2020 had in store for us, so being able to have fans at these last two races of my season is really special for me. I want to put on a good show for them and for the fans at home as well.”
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 28 – Sunday, Aug. 30
Track: World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois
Race distance: 200 laps / 250 miles (each race)
Media links: Race 1 Entry List | Race 2 Entry List | Trackside Book
Firestone tire allotment: Fourteen sets for use throughout the weekend
Twitter: @WWTRaceway, @IndyCar, #Bommarito500, #IndyCar
Event website: http://www.wwtraceway.com/
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2019 race winner: Takuma Sato (No. 30 Mi-Jack/Panasonic Honda)
2019 NTT P1 Award winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet), 48.2554 seconds, 186.508 mph)
One-lap qualifying record: Will Power, 23.7206 seconds, 189.709 mph, Aug. 25, 2017
NBCSN television broadcasts: Race 1, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 29 (live); Race 2, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 30 (live); Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer for the NBCSN telecasts this weekend alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.
NBC Sports Gold livestreaming: Friday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice session (4:30 pm ET) and Saturday’s qualifying (Noon) will stream live on INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.
Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query is the turn announcer. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES races are broadcast live on Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. Live coverage of NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying is available on XM 205, IndyCar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Aug. 28
4:30-6 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #1, NBC Sports Gold (live)
Saturday, Aug. 29
Noon – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), NBC Sports Gold (Live)
3 p.m. – NBCSN on air
3:40 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
3:45 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline · Race 1 (200 laps/250 miles), NBCSN (Live)
Sunday, Aug. 30
3 p.m. – NBCSN on air
3:40 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
3:45 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline · Race 2 (200 laps/250 miles), NBCSN (Live)
Race notes:
- The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline doubleheader will be the 11th and 12th Indy car race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Takuma Sato won the race in 2019. Paul Tracy won the first Indy car race at Gateway in 1997. Sato, Will Power (2018) and Josef Newgarden (2017) are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
- The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline will be the first doubleheader event at World Wide Technology Raceway and the 12th INDYCAR oval doubleheader held since 1967. The last doubleheader was in July at Iowa Speedway.
- The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline will be the fifth and sixth oval races of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous oval races were won by Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway), Simon Pagenaud (Iowa Speedway-1), Josef Newgarden (Iowa Speedway-2) and Takuma Sato (Indianapolis Motor Speedway).
- Three drivers have won at World Wide Technology Raceway from the pole – Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Gil de Ferran (2002) and Helio Castroneves (2003).
- Team Penske has won five times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins at Gateway, with Alex Zanardi (1998) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2000).
- Eighteen drivers entered in the event have competed in past Indy car races at World Wide Technology Park. Tony Kanaan has seven starts, most among the entered drivers. Fourteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Scott Dixon 223, Josef Newgarden 220, Will Power 99, Santino Ferrucci 97, Takuma Sato 65, Kanaan 21, Simon Pagenaud 13, Colton Herta 10, Marco Andretti 4, Alexander Rossi 4, Marcus Ericsson 2, Zach Veach 2, Conor Daly 1 and Felix Rosenqvist 1).
- Three rookies – Oliver Askew, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay – are expected to compete. All three rookies, plus Pato O’Ward and Jack Harvey, also will make their first NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at World Wide Technology Raceway.
BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500 PRE-EVENT QUOTES:
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet): “I’m really excited for Gateway. While Indy was a really tough race, we had a decent finish, but it just wasn’t our year. We had a really strong car and learned a few things we’re going to try on the Hitachi Chevy this weekend at Gateway. It’s a much smaller oval than Indianapolis, so it can be a tricky race, and this weekend is a doubleheader, so we’ll have two chances to win there. We really need a solid weekend to keep racking up points for the championship, so that will be a huge focus for us.”
CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 4 Tresiba/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet): “After learning a lot in a very different-looking Indy 500, I am excited to get back on track at WWT Raceway for two races. The AJ Foyt Racing team had a great podium last year on the outskirts of St Louis, and we have high hopes for the No. 4 Tresiba Chevrolet for this weekend.”
PATO O’WARD (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet): “The last time I was at Gateway (World Wide Technology Raceway) was in 2018 with Indy Lights, and I had a solid run, finishing in third. The whole Arrow McLaren SP team is going to be pushing hard to get the best out of our cars and get to the top step of the podium this weekend. The hard work of the entire team paid off at Indy, and hopefully it will again.”
OLIVER ASKEW (No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet): “I’m looking forward to putting the Indy 500 behind us but continuing our strong form on ovals. Gateway (World Wide Technology Raceway) in St. Louis is a place that I love visiting and a track that I’ve had a lot of success at in the past. I also can’t wait to see the fans in the stands, which is something I really miss. The working relationship between Arrow McLaren SP and Chevrolet is getting stronger every weekend and every chance we have on track, so we are looking forward to continuing to learn as much as possible together.”
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “My team has been working hard ever since Sunday to turn my Verizon Chevy around for this weekend’s race at Gateway. Going from such a large oval to a small one, we will have to adjust our strategy quite a bit, but I think we learned some things about the car this past weekend we can apply at Gateway. Running two races at Iowa will help us prepare, as well, since it’s also a small oval. Having a good idea on how the Aeroscreen impacts that track will be important, for sure. We also normally run races at Gateway at night. With this being in the afternoon, we’ll have to adjust our plan from what we’ve done there in the past, but we all feel great going into this weekend.”
TONY KANAAN (No. 14 Big Machine Vodka AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet): “I’m excited to return to St. Louis this weekend after our podium there last year. The promoters at World Wide Technology Raceway have done a terrific job working with the local authorities to provide a race where fans could go and have an opportunity for entertainment in a safe and socially distanced environment, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them at the track. When I announced the TK Last Lap in January of this year, no one had an idea of what 2020 had in store for us, so being able to have fans at these last two races of my season is really special for me. I want to put on a good show for them and for the fans at home, as well.”
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 United Rentals Honda): “I’m excited about the opportunity for the championship. I feel like we’re in a really good spot in fourth, and we’ve got some bright days ahead. We’ve had a really consistent year. I wish we hadn’t wasted some of the opportunities we had at Road America and Texas because we’d surely be even further up in the hunt, but we’re excited about what we’ve got, and I hope we can continue to have a great run to the finish line for the United Rentals car in both races at WWTR. I feel like we should be good at St. Louis. Obviously, Takuma won there last year, and we were good last year until the exhaust cracked. We’ve just got to keep working on our short oval cars. We were strong in Iowa, but how much of that we can take and apply at St. Louis is the question. I hope and I expect us to be pretty strong. I feel like the 15 team has done an amazing job this year. We have been the most consistent of our cars this year, and I just feel like our guys deserve a win, so hopefully we can break through here and make it happen. The pit stops have been amazing, as has car preparation and everything else. We’ve got to stay confident and got to keep working hard, and I think it will come. It will be great to have fans back in the stands at World Wide Technology Raceway. We anticipate a great weekend of racing with the doubleheader. Hopefully, everyone will come out and have some fun.”
SANTINO FERRUCCI (No. 18 SealMaster Honda): “We’re coming off the Indy 500 with huge momentum heading into the Bommarito Automotive Group doubleheader. I’m super confident we can build on that momentum, and I can’t wait to get back to racing for SealMaster, Bommarito and all of our sponsors. We felt like we had the race won last year, leading almost 100 laps. So, I’ve been waiting to get back there ever since. I think we have a really good chance at getting a win, especially with the doubleheader format.”
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 United States Air Force Chevrolet): “After a tough Indy 500, I am happy to be able to climb back aboard the No. 20 Chevrolet this weekend and return to WWT Raceway. We plan to pick up where we left off last year and once again finish my season on the podium.”
RINUS VEEKAY (No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet): “WWT Raceway coming up next! The Indy 500 was really tough for the whole team but only a few days until we are on track again turning left. I’m really looking forward to Gateway. Last year, ECR showed they have good cars and are capable of good finishes there. I’ve won a race there, too, so it’s a good combination. I cannot wait to get out there for two races.”
SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet): “The Indianapolis 500 was really tough. We had some really bad luck, but we’re excited for a chance to turn that around this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in the Menards Chevy. With two races this weekend, we have two chances to run hard and try and get more championship points. We lost some momentum after the last race, but we still have a shot at it, so we’re going to race hard. Gateway is a really fun little oval that is really fun to race at. I know my guys are working hard turning around the car from Indy for this weekend, and I know they’re putting something great together.”
TAKUMA SATO (No. 30 ABeam Consulting Honda): “Last year’s race was a special one. St. Louis is a great track. It’s quite challenging. Turn 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 have quite different characteristics, and that makes for great fun for all of us. Last year it was such a special moment. We had a difficult week the week before and leading up to the event was a tough situation, but I was so pleased with the warm welcome at the venue. So many fans came up to me and cheered us on. What an amazing race result with the win. Even though it was midnight, so many fans remained for the podium. Once again, a great strategy worked, and the No. 30 team was extremely strong. I was very proud of that moment. It is good to return to defend our win after having just won the Indy 500 for a second time.”
ALEX PALOU (No. 55 Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh Honda): “I’m super excited about racing at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) this weekend, mainly because I now have much more experience on an oval with these last two weeks at Indianapolis, where I felt really comfortable. Already in Iowa, I think we made a big step forward, but I think Indy was the big moment where it clicked, and I gained confidence and feel ready to fight for races on ovals. Even if we had the accident, looking back at Indy we had an amazing two weeks. Until that moment, I think we were in a good spot to fight for the win. It was unfortunate and my mistake, but the team showed that we have the speed. Going to Gateway, if we look at the race last year, the team did an amazing job. They were close to accomplishing a 1-2 finish, so hopefully, we can try and do the same this year with Santino (Ferrucci). Last week we had the opportunity to do some simulator work for Gateway, and we learned a lot, I learned even more. It was my first oval work on a simulator, and that always helps me. Hopefully, we can have a really good weekend.”
CONOR DALY (No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet): “I’ve honestly been looking forward to getting back to World Wide Technology Raceway since the checkered flag waved there last year. It’s definitely one of my favorite tracks on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, and after how well we did last year at WWTR, I’m confident that the No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet will be great again this year. It’s been a lot of fun being back with Carlin this year for the ovals, and we’ve had really a strong run as a team together so far. So, with this being our last oval of the season, I want to make sure we finish it on a high note.”
JACK HARVEY (No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda): “Last weekend at Indy was really great for us and put us in a good headspace going into Gateway. The one thing I think about most about Gateway is the crowd and the energy. It’s nice to hear that fans will be allowed to come to this race. The last three years I’ve sat in the stands, with the fans; it’s just such a fun place. I’m really excited to get to Gateway for the first time.”