Latest news with #RinusVeeKay
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kyffin Simpson rides two-stop strategy to breakthrough first IndyCar podium
entered Sunday in need of some help to make the most of the day after just missing out on the Fast 12 in qualifying. Rolling off 13th, his No. 8 team knew it would need to get creative to find a way to the front. Thankfully for the group, a slate of early cautions opened the door for strategic variation. Simpson took advantage for his first IndyCar podium. Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing 'It was a crazy race,' Simpson said afterward. 'So many ups and downs. At one point we thought we were in the worst position, then very quickly it turned to one of the best positions. All the glory to God. (My crew) did an incredible job on pit road today. …. Just incredible.' As one of many starting on the alternate tire, Simpson stretched the rapidly-degrading rubber a full 16 laps while most came in on the opening laps or under caution on lap 4. While risky, it allowed Simpson's team to put him on a two-stop pit strategy that, aided by a slew of yellows over the opening half of the race, was made favorable and easily doable on fuel. Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing With the rest of the field coming in for an extra stop, Simpson was able to cycle through to second entering the race's middle stages. He never saw the lead — Rinus VeeKay was ahead as the lone driver on the same strategy and Pato O'Ward overtook them both for the win. But the 20-year-old avoided putting a wheel wrong and rode the strategy out for a third-place finish. While a feel-good result on its own, Sunday's effort also came with a sigh of relief. Simpson had qualified third and come close to a podium run in Mid-Ohio only to see it undone late when he stalled on pit road and ran over tire changer Nico Don's foot. He finally saw a complete run come together two weeks later in Toronto. Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing 'At Mid-Ohio I was really bummed, because realistically we could have even won that race,' Simpson said. 'To not even be on the podium, I was super bummed there. To come back here and get it done is incredible.' Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing With Sunday's podium, Simpson finally has a noteworthy result amid a summer of solid runs. While overshadowed by the heroics of winning teammates Alex Palou and Scott Dixon, Simpson has put together four top 10 runs in the past seven races and made it to the checkered flag in each race, rising from 21st to 14th in the championship standings. Read Also: Pato O'Ward, Arrow McLaren score strategic win in Indy Toronto See how crashes and on-track incidents defined the 2025 Toronto Indy The winners and losers from IndyCar's 2025 Mid Ohio 200 race To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mexico's O'Ward wins Toronto Indy to gain in title chase
Mexico's Pato O'Ward took the lead off a pit stop exchange with 27 laps remaining and captured Sunday's Indy Toronto to gain ground in the season points title chase. The 26-year-old from Monterrey crossed the finish line under caution after 90 laps over an 11-turn, 2.874-km (1.786-mile) temporary street course at Toronto's Exhibition Place. "I can't say I saw this one coming but I was feeling so good," O'Ward said. "I knew I had a great car under me to race with and the guys nailed it on the strategy." O'Ward took his ninth career IndyCar victory and second of the season after winning at Iowa last weekend. "I'm stoked for everybody," O'Ward said. "I would never have expected to have gotten this much better in Toronto because it has been the most challenging track for us in the past." Dutchman Rinus VeeKay was second with Kyffin Simpson of the Cayman Islands third, gaining 10 spots from the start for his first IndyCar podium, and US pole-sitter and defending champion Colton Herta fourth. Spain's Alex Palou, the Indianapolis 500 winner seeking his fourth season crown in five campaigns, finished 12th and saw his season points lead cut from 129 to 99 over O'Ward -- 536-437 with four races remaining in the season. Herta jumped into the lead at the start but after New Zealander Scott MacLaughlin's car lost the left rear wheel to bring out caution flags, Palou took over the lead. Palou stayed out while most cars pitted under caution on lap 34 after American Alexander Rossi brushed the wall, then was aided by a four-car crash moments later that allowed him to stretch fuel mileage. Palou pitted on lap 42 under caution, leaving VeeKay in the lead and Palou 14th when full-speed racing resumed on lap 43. VeeKay pitted on lap 58 but second-place O'Ward refueled on the next lap then returned to the course just ahead of the Dutchman. O'Ward took over the lead once rivals refueled and kept it to the finish. The next IndyCar race is next Sunday at Laguna Seca raceway in Monterey, California, with three final events next month at Portland, Milwaukee and Nashville. js/iwd
France 24
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- France 24
Mexico's O'Ward wins Toronto Indy to gain in title chase
The 26-year-old from Monterrey crossed the finish line under caution after 90 laps over an 11-turn, 2.874-km (1.786-mile) temporary street course at Toronto's Exhibition Place. "I can't say I saw this one coming but I was feeling so good," O'Ward said. "I knew I had a great car under me to race with and the guys nailed it on the strategy." O'Ward took his ninth career IndyCar victory and second of the season after winning at Iowa last weekend. "I'm stoked for everybody," O'Ward said. "I would never have expected to have gotten this much better in Toronto because it has been the most challenging track for us in the past." Dutchman Rinus VeeKay was second with Kyffin Simpson of the Cayman Islands third, gaining 10 spots from the start for his first IndyCar podium, and US pole-sitter and defending champion Colton Herta fourth. Spain's Alex Palou, the Indianapolis 500 winner seeking his fourth season crown in five campaigns, finished 12th and saw his season points lead cut from 129 to 99 over O'Ward -- 536-437 with four races remaining in the season. Herta jumped into the lead at the start but after New Zealander Scott MacLaughlin's car lost the left rear wheel to bring out caution flags, Palou took over the lead. Palou stayed out while most cars pitted under caution on lap 34 after American Alexander Rossi brushed the wall, then was aided by a four-car crash moments later that allowed him to stretch fuel mileage. Palou pitted on lap 42 under caution, leaving VeeKay in the lead and Palou 14th when full-speed racing resumed on lap 43. VeeKay pitted on lap 58 but second-place O'Ward refueled on the next lap then returned to the course just ahead of the Dutchman. O'Ward took over the lead once rivals refueled and kept it to the finish. The next IndyCar race is next Sunday at Laguna Seca raceway in Monterey, California, with three final events next month at Portland, Milwaukee and Nashville. © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rinus VeeKay crashes on pit road during 2025 Indy 500
Dale Coyne Racing driver Rinus VeeKay (18) stands on the track Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. INDIANAPOLIS — Pit road became Rinus VeeKay's undoing as his 2025 Indianapolis 500 ended on Lap 80 with a crash. The Dutch racer was trying to slow down entering pit road for his third pit stop of the race. However, the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda spun out of control, hitting the inside pit wall with the right rear corner of the car. Advertisement The 2018 USF Pro 2000 Champion got the car pointed in the correct direction and managed to drive his car to his pit stall where he got out of the machine, his day over. VeeKay climbed out of the car under his own power. Indy 500 news: Indianapolis 500 live race leaderboard updates today: Takuma Sato leads David Malukas at 70 laps This story was updated to add a gallery. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Rinus VeeKay crashes on pit road during 2025 Indy 500
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indy 500 Polesitter Hits Four Pit Crew Members, Retires From Race
As chaos continues to unfold in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, rookie polesitter Robert Shwartzman retires from the race after hitting four members of his pit crew when his brakes failed coming into the pits after the Rinus VeeKey pitrow crash. "When it was yellow, I came in and honestly, it felt really strange, my brakes, already while coming into pit lane," Shwartzman tells IndyCar on Fox's Jamie Little. "I locked both front tires which usually is not the case. I wasn't sure if it was because the brakes or because the tires were cold." Prema and Shwartzman's crew will take apart the No. 83 apart to figure out what led to the loss of control on pitlane, a rookie mistake or a deeper issue. This was the team's first-ever attempt at oval racing as they joined IndyCar this year. "When I came back to my pit, I really did not push, I tried to be very slow, but as soon as I touched my brakes, my front just locked and went straight into the guys," Shwartzman said. "Luckily, no one got really injured. I think there's just one guy with a bit of an injury. I'm happy that everyone is fine, it was really scary because at the moment when I braked, I was just a passenger. We don't know what happened with the car yet." The one crew member who sustained an injury was his fueler who walked to a stretcher unassisted for his foot to be evaluated by the track's safety crew. This incident led Shwartzman to be the fifth driver to retire from the race, following Scott McLaughlin's crash before the green flag, Marco Andretti on the opening lap of racing, Alexander Rossi's pitbox fire, and Rinus VeeKay's pitrow crash. VeeKey's crash also came from a brake problem that the driver didn't know about as he went to pit for tires and fuel. Following the caution for VeeKey a spin by Kyle Larson on the restart led to the retirement of Larson, Kyffin Simpson, and Sting Ray Robb. Leaving just 25 drivers in the race at the halfway mark. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
