IndyCar: Road America Preview
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES Sonsio Grand Prix presented by American Medical Response takes center stage at Road America June 15-18, 2023, as an international lineup of drivers will have their chance to battle it out for glory on one of the world’s most majestic road courses.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel series, with athletes representing over 11 different countries around the world. The diverse schedule is made up of superspeedways, short ovals, road courses, and street courses that put athletes physical and mental strength to the test reaching speeds up to 240 mph.
The weekend schedule at Road America, will also be bolstered by the Radical Cup series and junior development series’, the INDY NXT Series presented by Firestone, the USF Pro 2000 series, and USF 2000 series, of which many drivers of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES are graduates.
In addition, several iconic machines from Vintage Indy™ will be featured at the event, ranging from the classic to several modern Indy racers. Spectators will be able to get up close and personal with these legendary machines, and this special feature is sure to be an exciting experience for any racing fan, as they get to witness these cars in action during special parade laps and see first-hand the history and legacy of Indy racing.
Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, June 16 – Sunday, June 18
Track: Road America, a 4.014-mile, 14-turn permanent road course (clockwise) in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 55 laps / 220.77 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: 20 laps / 80.28 miles or 55 minutes
IndyCar Entry List
|
CAR |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CAR NAME |
TEAM |
ENGINE |
|
|
1 |
2 |
Josef Newgarden |
Nashville, Tennessee |
PPG Team Penske |
Team Penske |
Chevrolet |
|
2 |
3 |
Scott McLaughlin |
Christchurch, New Zealand |
Sonsio Team Penske |
Team Penske |
Chevrolet |
|
3 |
5 |
Pato O’Ward |
Monterrey, Mexico |
Arrow McLaren |
Arrow McLaren |
Chevrolet |
|
4 |
06 |
Helio Castroneves |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
AutoNation/SiriusXM |
Meyer Shank Racing |
Honda |
|
5 |
6 |
Felix Rosenqvist |
Värnamo, Sweden |
onsemi Arrow McLaren |
Arrow McLaren |
Chevrolet |
|
6 |
7 |
Alexander Rossi |
Nevada City, California |
Arrow McLaren |
Arrow McLaren |
Chevrolet |
|
7 |
8 |
Marcus Ericsson |
Kumla, Sweden |
Huski Ice Spritz |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
8 |
9 |
Scott Dixon |
Auckland, New Zealand |
PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
9 |
10 |
Alex Palou |
Barcelona, Spain |
The American Legion |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
10 |
11 |
Marcus Armstrong (R) |
Christchurch, New Zealand |
Ridgeline Lubricants |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
11 |
12 |
Will Power |
Toowoomba, Australia |
Verizon Team Penske |
Team Penske |
Chevrolet |
|
12 |
14 |
Santino Ferrucci |
Woodbury, Connecticut |
AJ FOYT RACING / SEXTON PROPERTIES |
A.J. Foyt Enterprises |
Chevrolet |
|
13 |
15 |
Graham Rahal |
New Albany, Ohio |
Fifth Third Bank |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Honda |
|
14 |
18 |
David Malukas |
Chicago, Illinois |
HMD Trucking |
Dale Coyne Racing with HMD |
Honda |
|
15 |
20 |
Ryan Hunter-Reay |
Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
Bitnile.com |
Ed Carpenter Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
16 |
21 |
Rinus VeeKay |
Hoofddorp, Netherlands |
Direct Supply |
Ed Carpenter Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
17 |
26 |
Colton Herta |
Valencia, California |
Gainbridge |
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian |
Honda |
|
18 |
27 |
Kyle Kirkwood |
Jupiter, Florida |
AutoNation |
Andretti Autosport |
Honda |
|
19 |
28 |
Romain Grosjean |
Geneva, Switzerland |
Delaware Life / DHL |
Andretti Autosport |
Honda |
|
20 |
29 |
Devlin DeFrancesco |
Toronto, Canada |
EVTEC |
Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport |
Honda |
|
21 |
30 |
Jack Harvey |
Bassingham, England |
Mi-Jack |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Honda |
|
22 |
45 |
Christian Lundgaard |
Hedensted, Denmark |
Vivid Clear Rx |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Honda |
|
23 |
51 |
Sting Ray Robb (R) |
Payette, Idaho |
biohaven |
Dale Coyne Racing with RWR |
Honda |
|
24 |
55 |
Benjamin Pedersen (R) |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
AJ FOYT RACING / SEXTON PROPERTIES |
A.J. Foyt Enterprises |
Chevrolet |
|
25 |
60 |
Simon Pagenaud |
Montmorillon, France |
AutoNation/SiriusXM |
Meyer Shank Racing |
Honda |
|
26 |
77 |
Callum Ilott |
Cambridge, England |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
27 |
78 |
Agustín Canapino (R) |
Arrecifes, Argentina |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Chevrolet |
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: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate for use during the race weekend. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
Twitter: @RoadAmerica @INDYCAR, #SonsioGP, #INDYCAR
Event website: www.roadamerica.com
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2022 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Christian Rasmussen (No. 28 Andretti Autosport)
2022 NTT P1 Award winner: Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda) 1:44.8656, 137.799 mph
Qualifying lap record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Dario Franchitti, 1:39.866, 145.924 mph, Aug. 19, 2000
INDY NXT by Firestone
Colton Herta, 1:52.0034, 129.018 mph, June 24, 2017
USA Network race telecast: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, June 12, USA (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.
Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. NBC’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR race telecast also will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Alex Wollf, Joel Sebastianelli and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. The Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR race (1 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America (11:05 a.m. 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 Central Time):
Friday, June 16
1:50-2:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Practice 1, INDYCAR Live
3-4:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1, Peacock
Saturday, June 17
8:50-9:35 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Practice 2, INDYCAR Live
9:55-10:55 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 (45 minutes of green flag or 60 total minutes), Peacock
12:15-12:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (10 minutes of green flag running or 17 minutes), INDYCAR Live
12:55-2:25 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying with segments lengthened by two minutes – Segments 1 and 2 – 12 minutes; Firestone Fast Six – eight minutes), Peacock
Sunday, June 18
9:15-9:45 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, Peacock
10:10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America Command To Start Engines
10:15 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America (20 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
11:45 a.m. – Driver Introductions
12:23 p.m. – Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR Command To Start Engines
12:30 p.m. – Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR (55 laps/222.64 miles), USA Network (live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:
- There have been five different winners in seven NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach), Scott McLaughlin, (Barber Motorsports Park) and Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1 and Streets of Detroit) have all won in this season. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
- There have been five different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood). Newgarden (WWT Raceway 2022, Texas 2023 and Indianapolis 500 2023), Palou (Laguna Seca 2022, Indianapolis GP-1 2023 and Detroit 2023) and McLaughlin (Portland 2022 and Barber 2023) have won multiple races over that stretch.
- The Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR will be the 34th INDYCAR SERIES event conducted at Road America since it hosted its first INDYCAR event in 1982. Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi have three wins, the most by an INDYCAR SERIES driver at the track.
- Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden have won twice at Road America – most among active drivers. Other previous Road America winners entered include Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist and Alex Palou.
| ACTIVE RACE WINNER | WINS | SEASONS |
| Scott Dixon | 2 | 2017, 2020 Race #1 |
| Josef Newgarden | 2 | 2018, 2022 |
| Will Power | 1 | 2016 |
| Alexander Rossi | 1 | 2019 |
| Felix Rosenqvist | 1 | 2020 Race #2 |
| Alex Palou | 1 | 2021 |
- Eight drivers have won the Road America race from the pole: Mario Andretti (1983, 1984,1987), Danny Sullivan (1989), Paul Tracy (1993), Jacques Villeneuve (1995), Bruno Junqueira (2003), Sebastien Bourdais (2007), Will Power (2016) and Josef Newgarden (2018).
| ACTIVE POLE WINNER | POLES | SEASONS |
| Josef Newgarden | 3 | 2018, 2020 Race #1, 2021 |
| Will Power | 1 | 2016 |
| Helio Castroneves | 1 | 2017 |
| Colton Herta | 1 | 2019 |
| Pato O’Ward | 1 | 2020 Race #2 |
| Alexander Rossi | 1 | 2022 |
- The driver who has gone on to win the championship has won at Road America six times: Mario Andretti (1984), Michael Andretti (1991), Jacques Villeneuve (1995), Alex Zanardi (1997), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2007) and Scott Dixon (2020).
- Scott Dixon and Will Power have competed in 10 previous races at Road America, most of any driver. Thirteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 149, Alexander Rossi 70, Will Power 60, Pato O’Ward 43, Scott Dixon 43, Helio Castroneves 41, Felix Rosenqvist 15, Alex Palou 5, Graham Rahal 5, Marcus Ericsson 4, Simon Pagenaud 2, Romain Grosjean 1 and Christian Lundgaard 1.
- Chip Ganassi Racing has won three of the last four INDYCAR SERIES races at Road America and is one of three current teams with wins at the track. Overall, Chip Ganassi Racing has won six times at Road America (1997, 2001, 2017, a sweep of the 2020 doubleheader and 2021). Team Penske has also won six times at Road America (1989, 1992, 1993, 2016, 2018 and 2022) while Andretti Autosport won its first in 2019.
- Rookies Marcus Armstrong, Agustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Road America for the first time this weekend.
- Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 313th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
Firestone Firehawk Race Tire Facts
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Firestone is supplying more than 1,600 race tires to teams and drivers as they take to the 4.014-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course for practice, qualifying (including the Firestone Fast Six), and Sunday’s 55-lap (220.55 miles) race.
The primary and alternate tire construction for this weekend’s event is the same as was supplied for the 2022 Road America event. The primary compound is the same as that which was used for 2019 Road America race, while the alternate compound is the same as the 2018 Indianapolis road course primary compound. This weekend’s rain tires are the same constructions and compounds as those released in 2018.
Each NTT INDYCAR SERIES entry will receive the following allocation:
- Primary (black): 7 sets per entry*
- Alternate (red): 4 sets per entry
- Rain (gray): 5 sets per entry
*Rookies will receive one extra set
Each entry must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race. One additional set is available to teams fielding a rookie driver.
Cara Krstolic Notes:
Road America is historically INDYCAR’s fastest road race accompanied by an elevation gain of about 211 feet per lap which totals a climb of 11,600 feet in the 55-lap race. To help tackle the elevation gain on the 4-mile-long natural terrain road course, Firestone modified its standard road course tires with slightly less tread gauge and lower thickness to assist with load changes and generate more temperature through turns. With the newly paved surface, both primary and alternate tires will be more heat resistant with improved wear.
Firestone Racing provides a real-time tire tracker at livetiming.net/firestone for qualifying, including Firestone Fast Six, and races for NTT INDYCAR SERIES street and road courses.
INDY NXT by Firestone
Firestone is supplying nearly 500 race tires to INDY NXT by Firestone teams and drivers for practice, qualifying, and the 20-lap (80.28 miles or 55-minute) race on Sunday.
Each INDY NXT by Firestone entry will receive the following Firestone Firehawk race tire allocation:
- Primary: 4 sets per entry
- Rain: 2 sets per entry
Cara Krstolic Notes on INDY NXT tires:
The INDY NXT tire for Road America is similar to the other road and street course tires but with a lighter gauge and a more durable compound to adapt to the high speeds of the natural terrain road course.
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:
- Christian Rasmussen and Nolan Siegel will bring the close INDY NXT by Firestone title fight to Elkhart Lake when the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America hits the track Sunday. Rasmussen, who scored his first career INDY NXT by Firestone win at Road America in 2022, leads Siegel by just two points heading into the 20-lap race. The ultra-competitive 2023 season has seen five different winners in five races to start the season. There were seven winners in 2022.
- Push-to-pass could play a key strategic role at Road America as INDY NXT by Firestone drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking, similar to the drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds
- Qualifying takes on a new look in 2023 with Saturday’s qualifying session featuring just 10 minutes of green flag running or 17 minutes total, whichever comes first. As the five previous sessions have yet to feature a red flag stoppage, drivers will need to get up to speed early or risk having to beat the clock and the opposition