Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:
1. Milwaukee technical penalty update
2. IndyCar.com to carry coverage of Iowa Heat Races
3. Wilson helps unveil Toronto trophies
1. Milwaukee technical penalty update: There were no technical penalties issued following the IZOD IndyCar Series race on the Milwaukee Mile on June 15.
2. IndyCar.com to carry coverage of Iowa Heat Races: Streaming video of the three 50-lap heat races to determine the starting lineup for the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by DEKALB will be broadcast on www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 app at 6:45 p.m. (ET) June 22.
Video will be augmented by the IMS Radio Network broadcast and real-time Timing & Scoring.
The first two heat races include transfers to Race 3 for the top two finishers of the qualifying races.
Positions in the three heat races will be determined by single-car, single-lap qualifying (4 p.m. ET) on the .875-mile, variably-banked oval. A blind draw will determine the qualifying order. Practice (11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. ET) and qualifying also are featured on indycar.com and INDYCAR 13 with Timing & Scoring and the IMS Radio Network call.
The format, which adds the lure of bonus points – from nine points for the Verizon P1 Award winner and descending by one point each position to one point for 11th and 12th:
Race 1 — Will consist of the even-numbered positions, starting with position 8 from single-car qualifying. The results of Race 1 shall determine the even-numbered positions in the starting field, starting with position 12. The top two finishers will transfer to Race 3 and start in positions 8 and 10.
Race 2 — Will consist of the odd-numbered positions, starting with position 7 from single-car qualifying. The results of Race 2 shall determine the odd-numbered positions in the starting field, starting with position 11. The top two finishers will transfer to Race 3 and start in positions 7 and 9.
Race 3 — Will consist of positions 1 through 6 from single-car qualifying plus the first- and second-place finishers from Races 1 and 2 to determine the pole winner and the first five rows of the starting grid.
3. Wilson helps unveil Toronto trophies: After a grueling race in Milwaukee, Justin Wilson enjoyed a cup of tea in Toronto on June 17 while helping unveil the Waterford Crystal trophies for the Honda Indy Toronto on July 13-14.
The trophies were commissioned by William Ashley, whose flagship store on fashionable Bloor Street showcases a window display in which each tire of an Indy car is supported by a Wedgewood tea cup.
Wilson, who won the 2005 race at Exhibition Place and started third last July, is looking forward to the second IZOD IndyCar Series doubleheader weekend.
“We’re a slightly smaller team but our cars have been fast,” said Wilson of Dale Coyne Racing. “At Detroit, my teammate (Mike Conway) won one of the races and I finished third. He placed third in the second race, and hopefully that’s going to translate here.
“It’s so even right now (among the competitors) that you go into every weekend thinking ‘I can win this race. We come here and get everything right we can win.’ It’s a lot of pressure at the same time. All 24, 25 cars will be covered by less than a second, so that’s pretty intense. The competition level right now is really high, so to get pole position you have to do a really good lap, the car has to be just perfect. If you’re off two-tenths, you’ll be starting 10th.”
Construction of the 11-turn, 1.755-mile circuit at Exhibition Place is well underway for the twin 85-lap races that carry full points and prize money.
“We train hard in the preseason and during the season, trying to keep that fitness level up so you can do the job in the car,” Wilson said. “On top to that, eating right by having the proper carbohydrates, proteins and fluids to help your body recover. You want to compete on the same level on day two as you did on day one. We found in Detroit that a lot of people were more aggressive on day 2 as emotions went up, and I think that could be the same in Toronto.”
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The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by DEKALB on June 23 at Iowa Speedway. The race will be televised live at 2:30 p.m. (ET) ABC and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211, www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 App for most smartphones and tablets. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Sukup 100 at 7:45 p.m. (ET) on June 22 at Iowa Speedway. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 11 p.m. (ET) on June 28.
