Scott Dixon won a chaotic Detroit street race in the 2024 IndyCar Series, marked by eight caution stoppages, rain, and numerous incidents. Dixon's strategic fuel gamble and avoidance of wet tires helped him secure his second win of the year and the series points lead. The race saw multiple leaders, penalties, and dramatic moments, including a late push from Marcus Ericsson and a wild finale. Notable incidents included Josef Newgarden's spin and penalties, Colton Herta's early lead and subsequent struggles, and Christian Lundgaard's lost chance at victory.
Louis Deletraz secured the GTP pole position for the Motul Petit Le Mans, giving Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport the points lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Deletraz set the fastest time in a challenging qualifying session held in drizzly conditions, beating Sebastien Bourdais and Augusto Farfus. In the LMP2 class, Ben Keating took pole position, while Glenn van Berlo secured the final pole position in the LMP3 class. In the GTD classes, Ian James set the fastest time in the first qualifying session, with Jack Hawksworth taking the GTD Pro pole position. The race will take place on Saturday.
Marcus Ericsson is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing to join Andretti Autosport for the 2024 IndyCar season. After a successful tenure at Ganassi, including two wins and a historic Indy 500 victory, Ericsson felt that Andretti recognized his worth and made it clear they wanted him on their team. He will receive a significant salary increase and will no longer be required to bring budget for his seat. Ericsson believes that his consistent race craft and Andretti's strong qualifying cars make for a promising partnership.
Andretti Autosport dominated the practice session for the Honda Indy Toronto, with Kyle Kirkwood leading the way. Kirkwood set the fastest lap time on the street circuit, showcasing the team's expertise on such tracks. Romain Grosjean, Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta, and Scott McLaughlin also performed well, securing spots in the top five. Championship leader Alex Palou finished 12th, while Tom Blomqvist made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut, taking a cautious approach to learn the unfamiliar car and circuit. The race will be broadcast live on Sunday.
Colton Herta, the IndyCar star who was in line for a Formula 1 seat before the FIA denied him a superlicence, is facing a crucial period in his career. While his teammate Nyck de Vries struggles in Formula 1, Herta is aiming to improve his job security and season momentum in IndyCar. Despite some inconsistent performances, Herta has shown promising speed and potential, with two consecutive pole positions. However, he needs to convert his pace into consistent results and podium finishes to challenge for the championship and keep his F1 aspirations alive.
Andretti Autosport has made another personnel change among its NTT IndyCar Series entries, appointing Rob Edwards as Colton Herta's race strategist for the Honda Indy 200 event at Mid-Ohio. This is the third strategist change for Herta in 2023 as the team aims to improve its results. The move comes after Herta's potential win at Road America was hindered by a premature pit stop and refueling issue. The team is also using this opportunity to evaluate the best timing stand pairings for the 2024 season.
Colton Herta earns the NTT P1 Award for the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR, with teammate Kyle Kirkwood starting sixth. Thirteen drivers in the top 17 starting spots are searching for their first win of 2023, including seven still searching for their maiden victory in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The track is expected to be treacherous, with some big names starting toward the back of the 27-car field. Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, and Emerson Fittipaldi each have scored three wins, the most by an INDYCAR SERIES driver at the track.
Takuma Sato was the fastest in the final Carb Day practice session for the Indy 500, with a speed of 227.855mph. Scott Dixon and Will Power followed him in second and third place respectively. The session was incident-packed, with several cars suffering issues, including Katherine Legge, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Devlin DeFrancesco. The Indy 500 race will start on Sunday at 12:45 pm local time.
Andretti Autosport failed to qualify for the Fast 12 in the Indy 500, with all five of their Hondas missing out on a chance to run for pole position. Romain Grosjean settled for 19th, Colton Herta was stymied in 21st, Marco Andretti was angry and answerless in 24th, and Devlin DeFrancesco was slowest of the five in 26th. Only Kyle Kirkwood, the team’s lone race winner this season, was quick, but he was knocked out of the top 12 and will start 15th. Marco Andretti fired both barrels at his family-owned outfit, calling their performance "embarrassing."
Takuma Sato of Chip Ganassi Racing remained at the top of the speed charts midway through Indy 500 Fast Friday, but four-lap averages produced by rivals suggest that CGR will have a fight on its hands when qualifying begins. Conor Daly set an early four-lap benchmark of 232.012mph, which held until Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Autosport reeled off a pair of 233mph laps backed up by a couple in the high-231mph range to string together a 232.613mph four-lap average that dethroned Will Power. Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing raised the four-lap benchmark to 232.898mph, which remained the standard as the session entered its second half.
Romain Grosjean, the Andretti Autosport driver, is determined to win the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday after two second-place finishes this season. Grosjean, who has two poles this season, is confident that he can win the race and end his decade-long wait for a victory. Despite starting 18th on the grid, Grosjean is optimistic about his chances and believes that he can make his way to the front. The Frenchman is also preparing for the Indianapolis 500, which takes place on May 28.
Andretti Autosport's Kyle Kirkwood won his maiden IndyCar race at the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach, with Romain Grosjean finishing second and Colton Herta fourth. The team's last win was in July with former driver Alexander Rossi. Michael Andretti, the team owner, said the win was huge and extra special to do it at Long Beach, where he won his first and last race. The team's one-two-four finish is a reminder of what the organization can do when the majority of its entries are operating at their full potential.
Romain Grosjean, who started third in the Long Beach IndyCar race, rued his inability to use push-to-pass boost due to fuel constraints, which prevented him from overtaking his Andretti Autosport teammate Kyle Kirkwood, who won the race. Grosjean praised his team's strategy and pit stops, but lamented the missed opportunity to win.
Kyle Kirkwood won his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach from the pole in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda. Andretti Autosport teammate Romain Grosjean finished second, and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the podium finishers. Kirkwood led 53 of 85 laps and took the lead for good on Lap 56. The win helped him jump from 20th to fifth in the championship standings.
Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Autosport won his first IndyCar race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, leading 53 of the 85 laps from pole position. Romain Grosjean finished second, followed by Marcus Ericsson. Colton Herta and Alex Palou completed the top five. Kirkwood lost his lead to Josef Newgarden of Team Penske in traffic but regained it after a great overcut at the second pitstop.
