IndyCar: GMR Grand Prix Preview

The field racing into Turn 1 at the 2022 GMR Grand Prix (Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment)

The Month of May officially kicks off this weekend, with the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Here are some track facts to study before this weekend’s race:

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn clockwise road course in Speedway, Indiana

Race distance: 85 laps or 207.3 miles

Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation

Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate, along with one additional set available to rookie drivers for use in the Friday practice session

2022 race winner: Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport

2022 NTT P1 Award winner: Will Power – 1:09.6774

Qualifying record: Will Power – 1:07.7044, 2017

Weekend Schedule (Eastern Standard Time)

FRIDAY, MAY 12

9:30 A.M. – Practice #1 – Peacock

1 P.M. – Practice #2 – Peacock

4 P.M. – Qualifying – Peacock

SATURDAY, MAY 13

11:15-11:45 A.M. – Warmup – Peacock

3:45 P.M. –  GMR Grand Prix – NBC

Active Race Winners

Will Power – 5 wins (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 Race #3 & 2021 Race #2)

Simon Pagenaud – 3 wins (2014, 2016 & 2019)

Scott Dixon – 1 win (2020 Race #1)

Josef Newgarden – 1 win (2020 Race #2)

Rinus VeeKay – 1 win (2021 Race #1)

Colton Herta – 1 win (2022 Race #1)

Alexander Rossi – 1 win (2022 Race #2)

Race Notes

  • Only 6 drivers have competed in every IndyCar race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Graham Rahal, and Takuma Sato.
  • Team Penske has 8 wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-Race 2, 2020-Race 3, 2021-Race 2). Andretti Autosport swept the races in 2022 while Ed Carpenter Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren are the only other teams to win at the track. Ed Carpenter Racing won in 2021-Race 1 with Rinus VeeKay. Chip Ganassi Racing won with Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1, and Arrow McLaren won the inaugural race in 2014 with Simon Pagenaud when it was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
  • Rookie of the Year contenders Marcus ArmstrongAgustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb – are entered. All will race an IndyCar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time.
  • Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 310th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in IndyCar history. Dixon will also attempt to make his 350th start with Chip Ganassi Racing.

 

 

Featured Image Credit: Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

 

 

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