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Fox Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Despite Season Struggles, Power to 'Keep Pushing' in Contract Year
INDYCAR Will Power enters Sunday's Java House Grand Prix of Monterey ranked ninth in points, but the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season has been anything but smooth. Team Penske remains winless through the first 13 races of the year, its longest drought to start a season since 1973 when Gary Bettenhausen finally broke through in the 15th race of a 16-race campaign at Texas World Speedway. Team Penske has also gone winless in only four complete seasons: 1976, 1996, 1998, and 1999. Scott McLaughlin delivered the team's most recent victory -- 15 races ago -- at last year's Milwaukee Mile doubleheader. He is 13th in the standings, while teammate Josef Newgarden is 16th. At this point last season, the trio of Power, McLaughlin, and Newgarden had combined for six wins. They totaled just five finishes of 20th or worse in all of 2024. This year? They've already logged 16 with the most DNFs in a single season since 2000. Power, a Team Penske mainstay since 2009 and one of the team's most decorated drivers, finds himself in a particularly difficult spot, with no contract extension yet signed. 'Can you believe the year I'm having, in a contract year?' Power said. Power's 2025 campaign began with a crash on the opening lap of the season opener in St. Petersburg, relegating him to a 26th-place finish. In June, he crashed out of the lead at World Wide Technology Raceway and in July, consecutive race weekend engine failures at Mid-Ohio and the second Iowa race saw him finish 26th and 24th, respectively. 'Two engine failures in two race weekends,' Power said. 'Just one of those things. Not bad luck. It just happens at times.' Amid the struggles, speculation around Power's future has intensified, especially after David Malukas scored a runner-up finish in the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The 23-year-old drives the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing, which has a technical alliance with Team Penske. Malukas downplayed the rumors entering the doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway. "No matter the rumors or no rumors, I think everybody is trying to strive to always live in the present instead of stressing about the past and the future,' Malukas said. 'I've had a mental coach training me to always stay and live in the present, and as of right now, I'm with the AJ Foyt team, and we're focused on our successes and what we've accomplished so far this season.' Adding to the turbulence, Team Penske underwent a major midseason leadership shakeup. On July 4, Jonathan Diuguid was named president of Penske Racing, with longtime sports car program leader Travis Law appointed competition director. The promotions followed the release of three longtime executives -- Team President Tim Cindric, Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and General Manager Kyle Moyer – being released by team owner Roger Penske in May in the aftermath of penalties incurred during Indy 500 qualifying to Power and Newgarden's cars. Despite the challenges, Power remains resolute in proving he belongs behind the wheel of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Of his 44 career victories -- fourth-most in INDYCAR history -- 41 have come with Team Penske, the most of any driver in the team's storied history. That total includes the 2018 Indianapolis 500 win. He has 11 victories more than Team Penske legend Helio Castroneves. Power also leads all Team Penske drivers in road and street course wins (31), holds the all-time INDYCAR record for pole positions (71), ranks fourth in podiums (107) and is tied with Al Unser Jr. for fifth in top-five finishes (141). A two-time series champion, Power claimed the title in both 2014 and 2022. Perhaps the tide turns at this weekend's Java House Grand Prix of Monterey (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network). Team Penske has a strong recent record at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with three top-three finishes over the past three years. Power has shown consistency at the California road course, recording three top-four finishes in his last five starts. He finished seventh last year and has three top-six finishes in five natural road course starts this season. Next is Portland International Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 10, where Power claimed victory last year and finished runner-up in 2022. Following that, the series heads to Milwaukee Mile (Aug. 24), a track where Power won in 2014 and recorded three podium finishes in his last five starts on the historic oval. Nashville Superspeedway ends the season on Sunday, Aug. 31. 'Just keep pushing,' Power said. 'Still got (four) races to get great results. I've had great cars everywhere -- we're quick. (I) can only smile about it, because I've been in the sport a long time. I know these sorts of things come around. It's very typical of life that a bad year plays out when you're trying to get a contract. 'I love it here. I do. I really hope I'm back next year.' recommended Item 1 of 2
Newsweek
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Arrow McLaren's Nolan Siegel Sidelined From Double-Header After Iowa Speedway Crash
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Arrow McLaren driver Nolan Siegel missed race two at Iowa Speedway after not getting medically cleared to compete. Siegel was involved in a crash on Saturday, which left the driver unable to race on Sunday. McLaren released a statement regarding his status: "Following an on-track incident on lap 248 of yesterday's race at Iowa Speedway, Nolan Siegel has not been cleared to compete by the indyCar Medical team," McLaren's statement read. Nolan Siegel, driver of the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, looks on during the Carb Day practice prior to the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Indianapolis,... Nolan Siegel, driver of the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, looks on during the Carb Day practice prior to the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. More"The team has made the decision to not run the No.6 NTT Data Arrow McLaren Chevrolet without its team driver in today's race. "Nolan will continue to be evaluated and we will stay in close contact with the medical team as he recovers." During race one on Saturday, Siegel suffered a massive collision with the wall as he spun and lost control of his McLaren. He managed to get out of his car, but he looked compromised. Siegel misses out on an opportunity to get a solid haul of points. He qualified in fifth position, and the 20-year-old looked poised for a solid result. NEWS: Nolan Siegel has not been cleared by INDYCAR Medical and will not compete today at Iowa Speedway. Arrow McLaren will not run the No. 6 entry in Race 2. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 13, 2025 Instead, he watched from the sidelines. "There's no place I'd rather be than out there driving today, especially from P5; one of my best starting positions of the season" Siegel said in a team statement. "I know I'm in good hands with the INDYCAR Medical Team and thank them for the great care they provide us drivers. "Most of all, I feel for the 6 car crew. They gave me a rocket this weekend and put in a ton of work last night with hopes we'd be racing today. They deserve to be out there fighting for podium, and we'll be back soon to do just that." McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan shared his sympathy for Siegel, who was forced to miss the race. "I've been there, I know how Nolan feels not racing today," he said. "It's the worst feeling in the world. The most important thing, though, is that he's fit to race, and unfortunately, that's not the case today. "It was a tough decision to park the car, but we've been through this before. We just found out this morning he's not cleared, and we decided the best thing for the team is to not rush into switching drivers this weekend. It's too much of a shuffle and unnecessary stress when we're right back to racing in Toronto in a week. After today, we'll have to make a contingency plan in case Nolan's not cleared to race in Toronto, but today, this is the best for the team." Siegel currently sits in P21 in the standings and places as the lowest Arrow McLaren driver. His teammates, Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard, are both in the top five. His status for next week's race in Toronto remains up in the air.
Fox Sports
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Inside Line: Intrigue About WWTR Race?
INDYCAR Today's question: The NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to an oval this weekend for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline. What intrigues you the most about this race Sunday night at World Wide Technology Raceway? Curt Cavin: I'm most intrigued by Team Penske, not only for this weekend but for the weeks ahead. Who leads the program moving forward and how does the change in leadership impact on-track performance in the months ahead? This weekend, the race strategists will be Luke Mason (for Josef Newgarden), Ben Bretzman (for Scott McLaughlin) and David Faustino (for Will Power). This has been a track where the team has dominated, with Newgarden winning four of the past five races, and Power and McLaughlin combining to win the past four poles. Team Penske still hasn't placed a driver in the first or second finishing positions this season, and there have been seven races – that's certainly not the norm. Could this be the weekend where Roger Penske's group gets back on track? Eric Smith: I'm intrigued by Alex Palou. Now that he's crossed off a victory on an oval via his win in the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, how many more circle-track victories are to come? He has improved his finishing position in his last four starts at World Wide Technology Raceway, climbing from 20th to ninth to seventh to fourth. At Iowa Speedway, he had two podium finishes in his last three tries, including a runner-up in Race 2 last year. Can he pick up a victory in the July 12-13 doubleheader? Last year at the Milwaukee Mile (Aug. 24) and Nashville Superspeedway (Aug. 31), he had the championship all but locked up, so it's hard to take away anything from those events. Hence why I'm interested to see his performance in the No. 10 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and if more oval victories are ahead. Scott McLaughlin earned his first oval win at Iowa last year and won later in the season at Milwaukee. I think Palou follows suit, with at least one more oval win in 2025. Arni Sribhen: There's always a driver who has a surprisingly good race at World Wide Technology Raceway, and as competitive as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES' midfield has been, it could be anyone this year. From David Malukas taking a Dale Coyne car to the podium in 2022 and 2023 to first-ever top-10 finishes for Nolan Siegel and Sting Ray Robb in 2024, the tricky 1.25-mile oval has shown the ability to reward drivers who stay out of trouble and on the lead lap with a solid haul of points. So, I'll watch drivers such as Santino Ferrucci, Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay just to see who could be the sleeper of the weekend. Paul Kelly: OK, I'm dancing around the guardrails of this question a bit by looking past the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this weekend at WWTR. The INDY NXT by Firestone race Sunday afternoon intrigues the hell out of me for one reason: What will Dennis Hauger do in the first oval race of his life? Hauger appears to be one of the strongest INDYCAR SERIES prospects in the INDYCAR development series in the last decade, as he has won four of the first five races this season. All those events have taken place on road and street courses, where Hauger learned his trade in European and global single-seater racing. But ovals are an entirely different animal, with necessary skills that can't be replicated in a simulator or by watching YouTube videos. Hauger was second-fastest in testing this week at Iowa during his first experience on a circle track, so he looks poised to perform in his first oval race this Sunday in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. If he dominates this race the way he has most of the season, Hauger's label as a can't-miss INDYCAR SERIES prospect will be all but secured. recommended
Fox Sports
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: Santino Ferrucci Continues Foyt's Recent Resurgence
INDYCAR Santino Ferrucci made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2018 at Belle Isle Park in Detroit with Dale Coyne Racing. Fast-forward to Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, and Ferrucci delivered the best result of his INDYCAR SERIES career, finishing second in the No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. 'Huge shoutout to this whole team,' Ferrucci said. This is the second consecutive week an A.J. Foyt Enterprises entry has finished runner-up. David Malukas secured second place in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet in the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25. Ferrucci's podium finish on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile Detroit street circuit also represents the team's best road or street course result since Takuma Sato finished second in 2015 at Belle Isle. But Ferrucci admitted frustration that his task to reach the front was made more difficult because he qualified 21st Saturday. 'I struggled in qualifying,' Ferrucci said. 'I made a lot of mistakes. I was really hard on myself yesterday. I thought it was all on me.' Ferrucci steadily worked his way through the field during Sunday's race, but a pivotal moment came on Lap 67 when Callum Ilott crashed in Turn 1, bringing out a caution. Ferrucci had just made his final pit stop on Lap 65, and with many of the leaders still needing to stop, the caution allowed him to cycle to the front when they pitted under yellow on Lap 69. He held the lead until Lap 78 when Kyle Kirkwood made the race-defining move to take over the top spot. Kirkwood went on to secure his fourth career victory and second of the 2025 season, both coming on street circuits after also winning the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13. 'The pit stops were phenomenal,' Ferrucci said. 'The stand was amazing. Perfect strategy. I just got lucky with that yellow.' The result capped off a historic two-week stretch for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, marking the first time since 2013 the team has finished on the podium in back-to-back races. That year, Takuma Sato won at Long Beach and followed with a runner-up finish in Brazil. Frustrated O'Ward Still Gains Points Pato O'Ward turned a challenging weekend into a solid result by climbing 11 positions from 18th to finish seventh Sunday in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. 'We survived it,' O'Ward said. 'It's been the worst performance weekend I've probably ever had in INDYCAR, really. We legit qualified 18th on just pure pace. We've had other times where we've been back there, but it's always been because of an issue, or I made a mistake here and there. This one was truly where we deserved to be.' Despite his frustrations, O'Ward made the most of the race through smart strategy and tire management. He and Josef Newgarden were the only two drivers in the 27-car field to start the race on Firestone Firehawk primary tires, then follow with another stint on the same compound, opting for durability over early pace. O'Ward pitted on Lap 53 to switch to the softer alternate tires, but when the caution came on Lap 67 due to Ilott's crash, it allowed him to pit again with the leaders and return to the more durable primary tire. That strategic move kept him in the top 10 mix during the closing laps. The seventh-place finish gave O'Ward a much-needed 22-point gain on championship leader Alex Palou, who crashed in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on Lap 72. O'Ward heads into the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway second in the standings, trailing Palou by 90 points. 'That's a positive considering where we were starting,' O'Ward said. 'There's plenty of racing to go. There's more championship left than what we've done. I think that there's a lot of points on the table, and you can't expect (Alex) Palou to be making a lot of mistakes.' Late Caution Costs Power Potential Podium Will Power was on track for a runner-up finish in Sunday's race, but late-race cautions and a challenging restart dropped him to fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Power was running second on the primary pit strategy before the Lap 67 caution triggered by Ilott's crash. That yellow shuffled the field, as Ferrucci, Kyffin Simpson and Marcus Armstrong had already pit and cycled ahead. Power exited pit lane behind Kirkwood but rejoined the race in fifth. By Lap 77, the running order was Ferrucci, Kirkwood, Simpson, Power and Colton Herta. Power made swift moves to get around Simpson and Ferrucci just before another major incident on Lap 83 when Louis Foster suffered a mechanical failure entering Turn 3, colliding with Felix Rosenqvist in a frightening crash. Foster walked away uninjured, and Rosenqvist was seen and released from the infield care center following evaluation. The race was red-flagged with Power sitting in second, but that moment turned out to be his undoing. On the restart with 11 laps to go, his car struggled on cold tires, and he lost positions, first to Ferrucci, then to Herta – ultimately settling for fourth. 'My car was very tough on the restart,' Power said. 'We were as good as them once our tires were warmed up but struggled before. It was almost like I'm driving on snow.' While Power acknowledged he likely didn't have the pace to challenge Kirkwood for the win, he believes he could have held second without the late cautions. Still, the result marked a significant personal milestone, earning his 140th career top-five finish, moving him past Michael Andretti (139) and tying him with Al Unser for sixth on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES list. 'A little disappointed I didn't get a podium, but obviously results really matter for me at the moment,' Power said. Simpson Earns Career-Best Fifth Simpson is establishing himself on street courses in his second season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. After earning a then career-best 10th-place finish at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13, the young driver took another leap forward by finishing fifth in Sunday's race, his best result in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The turning point came during Sunday morning's final practice session, where Simpson and his Chip Ganassi Racing team discovered Firestone alternate tires dramatically improved the performance of his No. 8 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 'We found that the alternate tire really made the car come alive,' Simpson said. Capitalizing on that knowledge, the team opted for two mid-race stints on the alternates, giving Simpson the grip and speed to move up the order. He made his final pit stop two laps before the Lap 67 caution brought out by Ilott's crash, which handed him crucial track position as others pitted under yellow. The strategy paid off, and Simpson stayed in the mix with the frontrunners for the remainder of the race, ultimately delivering a strong top-five result and building momentum as the series heads toward the summer stretch. Odds and Ends The last time prior to Sunday that three American-born drivers swept the podium in Detroit came in 1995 with Robby Gordon, Jimmy Vasser and Scott Pruett. The last time three Americans stood on the podium in any INDYCAR SERIES race was the second race in 2020 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, when Andretti teammates drivers Herta, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay were in the respective podium spots. Graham Rahal finished fourth that day, too, giving Americans a lockout of the top four spots. Scott Dixon finished 11th, extending his winless streak to 19 races with his last victory coming here in 2024. This is the fourth-longest winless drought of his career, trailing 39 races between 2003 and 2005, 36 races between 2001 and 2002 and 22 races between 2021 and 2022. Kirkwood delivered Andretti Global its 76th career INDYCAR SERIES victory. Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global have three podium finishes each since the series returned downtown in Detroit in 2023. Team Penske, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Arrow McLaren each have one. Kirkwood has a 2.33 average finish on street courses this season. The race featured 261 on-track passes, a record for this downtown circuit and the second-highest total in the history of the event, including races on Belle Isle. The race also featured an event record 181 on-track passes for position. recommended
Fox Sports
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
2025 INDYCAR odds: Alex Palou opens as favorite for Detroit Grand Prix
INDYCAR heads to Detroit this weekend for the Chevrolet Grand Prix and fans can watch the exciting action on FOX . Fans can also dive into the odds for this weekend's race and wager on which driver they think has what it takes to get into victory lane. So far, the 2025 season has been all about Alex Palou . In his year of dominance, he's won five of the first six races, including the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 last weekend. And now — to no one's surprise — he's opened as the clear favorite for Detroit. Will anyone catch Alex this week? Let's dive into the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29. Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix 2025 Alex Palou: 8/5 (bet $10 to win $26 total) Scott McLaughlin: 11/2 (bet $10 to win $65 total) Colton Herta: 11/2 (bet $10 to win $65 total) Kyle Kirkwood: 6/1 (bet $10 to win $70 total) Josef Newgarden: 8/1 (bet $10 to win $90 total) Scott Dixon: 9/1 (bet $10 to win $100 total) Pato O'Ward: 9/1 (bet $10 to win $100 total) Will Power : 12/1 (bet $10 to win $130 total) Christian Lundgaard: 15/1 (bet $10 to win $160 total) Marcus Ericsson: 25/1 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Felix Rosenqvist: 25/1 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Marcus Armstrong: 25/1 (bet $10 to win $260 total) David Malukas: 40/1 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Alexander Rossi: 40/1 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Graham Rahal: 50/1 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Santino Ferrucci: 60/1 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Rinus Veekay: 80/1 (bet $10 to win $810 total) Robert Shwartzman: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Nolan Siegel: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Louis Foster: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Conor Daly: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total) Kyffin Simpson: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total) Devlin DeFrancesco: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total) Sting Ray Robb: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Jacob Abel: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Christian Rasmussen: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Callum Ilott: 200/1 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
