Car FYI

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI When it comes to going fast, every flag in the world can be evenly captivated by the alluring rush of speed. However, the citizens of every nation want to see their country’s colours ride the fastest.  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long hosted exceptional gentlemen and ladies of the world attracted to the mystique of the event known as the Indianapolis 500. Drivers, financiers, media and even fans from all over the globe are recognized for their contribution to the traditional 500-mile race on the United States’ Memorial Day weekend. For Canadians, we celebrate the success of Jacques Villeneuve’s 1995 victory at the 2.5-mile oval while some curse the outcome of the 2002 Indy 500 where so argue Paul Tracy was the rightful winner rather than Helio Castroneves. While Canada’s best land-based pilots of automobiles are noted for their attempts to be immortalized through a relationship alongside the Borg-Warner trophy, one individual born in the nat...

Photo Credit: Walt Kuhn/IndyCar untitled Six days after an unforgettable first street course race won by Marcus Ericsson, NTT IndyCar Series drivers and teams return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time since May’s 500-mile race. A race held in conjunction with the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series race weekend on the 2.439-mile road course connected to the famous oval track, IndyCar presented the most familiar sight having competed on the exact circuit 10 times before the 85-lap Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix. Containing the healthy field of 28 open wheel cars that included 2021 Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and RC Enerson driving for the #75 Top Gun Racing team, the Indianapolis road race also featured the debut of Danish driver Christian Lundgaard competing in the third car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Pato O’Ward driving the #5 Arrow McLaren SP car took the pole position on Friday with a 1-minute, 10.7147-se...

Photo Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images untitled While the elite NASCAR Cup Series raced for their first time on the road course of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Xfinity Series car already had experience battling on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit with Chase Brisoce winning the inaugural event. With Briscoe focused on his hunt for NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year honours in 2021, a different driver would be the Saturday’s Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard would fight for claim the win. The #16 Chevrolet of A.J. Allmendinger started on the pole for the 62-lap race but his third place starting Kaulig Racing teammate Justin Haley’s #11 car leaped into the lead into the first corner as Allmendinger ran wide. Action on the road course quickly turned chaotic as the 36-car field exited turn six of the opening lap. Several drivers including Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones, Kevin Harvick, Alex Labbe and Josh Bilicki hopped a curb that was placed on the exit of the s...

Photo Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images untitled For 2021, the NASCAR Cup Series arrives at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what might have been the most hyped event since their inaugural race on the famous 2.5-mile oval. Instead of running on the speedway synonymous with the IndyCar Series’ crown jewel competition, NASCAR’s top stock cars battled on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. The final of three all-new road courses appearing on the 2021 Cup Series schedule, the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard had the premise for being something unique and spectacular. The race was indeed memorable but only because of some late-race issues with the track setting up a path to victory for one less than likely winner. With William Byron taking pole as well as Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson leading sizable stints, Hendrick Motorsports again showed their customary mastery of road course racing as they have done throughout the year. Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler ...

Photo Credit: Joe Skibinski/IndyCar untitled As race day for the 105 th edition of the Indianapolis 500 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway approached, a number of favourites emerged through the practices and qualifying session. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon topped the lists of many analysts after he captured the race’s pole position . Dixon’s #9 Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dallara-Honda posting the fastest time in Friday’s Carb Day practice only solidified the logic of picking the New Zealander to win. Other names favoured for having the best chances to drink milk in Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s victory lane included Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Alex Palou and Alexander Rossi. Besides Scott Dixon, it is surprising to conceive after the 2021 running of the 500-mile greatest spectacle in racing that another more veteran name wasn’t immediately entered into top contention prior to the green flag. Unlike the COVID-19 delayed 202...

Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar untitled The 33-car starting grid for the 2021 Indianapolis 500 is now set ahead of the May 30 th event with drivers representing 17 countries. Perhaps the most coveted single pole position in auto racing, the prime starting spot for the Indianapolis 500 is something a driver has a week to bask in the honour. For what will be the 105 th running of the greatest spectacle in racing, New Zealander superstar Scott Dixon claimed the prestigious pole at the 2.5-mile speedway. His fourth time taking the first place spot, Scott Dixon and his #9 PNC Bank-sponsored Chip Ganassi Racing car succeeded in topping competitors in the contentious Fast Nine Qualifying session. In his four-lap/ten-mile time trial run, Dixon sailed around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with an average lap speed of 21.685 miles per hour or total time of 2 minutes and 35.3837 seconds. Dixon’s 19 th showing in the Indianapolis 500 has the 40-year-old, six-time Ind...

Photo Credit: Joe Skibinski   The Indianapolis 500 ran for its 104th time in history under less than traditional circumstances for 2020. Held on a date in late August without any fans in the stands, the open wheel race on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval operated in a less than traditional way. However, the combination of the national anthem and “Back Home Again in Indiana” being sung, track owner Roger Penske gave the command to start engines and the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Pace Car took a 33-car field off pit lane towards the green flag provided an illusion close to the typical Memorial weekend 200-lap contest. Becoming the first Japanese driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, Takuma Sato is now in the illustrious company of multiple winners of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. Taking the lead of the 500-mile race on lap 185, Sato fended off charges from New Zealand native Scott Dixon through the late laps until a caution on lap 196 solidified his pl...