Team Chevy Takes Momentum to Indy for Month of May
Victory at GMR Grand Prix would be 100th in INDYCAR for Chevy since 2012
DETROIT (May 12, 2022) – Chevrolet continues its roll in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as the calendar has turned to the month of May and the countdown to the Indianapolis 500.
First up is Saturday’s GMR Grand Prix, the fifth round of this year’s championship. Momentum is clearly on the side of Team Chevy with victories in the season’s first four events. It’s the first time since 2016 that the Bowtie Brand has started 5-0 and opens the door for the 100th Chevrolet victory since rejoining INDYCAR in 2012.
There couldn’t a much better venue to continue the streak than Indianapolis Motor Speedway… particularly the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course layout. Chevrolet is unbeaten in May at the Indy Road Course since 2015 and enters Indianapolis leading the series’ Engine Manufacturer Championship.
“The month of May takes on more importance year after year,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet Program Manager for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. “We feel that way this season with the phenomenal start our Chevrolet-powered teams have experienced. The GMR Grand Prix is beneficial to ease our teams into what is a very significant month coming up. Another victory this weekend would be a great start to our month in Indianapolis.
“While there isn’t much direct correlation between our road-course and speedway packages, there are little things we can pick up such as surface conditions and degree of tire degradation that can help us prepare for the Indy 500 later this month,” Buckner added.
Three different drivers have won using the 2.2L, V6 twin-turbo Chevrolet engine including Team Penske’s Will Power three times (2015, 2017, 2018) and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay in 2021.
VeeKay was the pole-winner in the last INDYCAR race at Barber Motorsports Park in mid-April, a race where Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward claimed victory. He joined Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin (St. Petersburg) and Josef Newgarden (Texas and Long Beach) in Victory Lane this year.
In addition to an unbeaten start and attempt at its 100thh win, Chevrolet can watch one of its drivers – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden – take the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge, which rewards the first driver to win on an oval, street circuit and road course in the same season.
That driver will share $500,000 with his or her team and donate $500,000 to that driver and team’s chosen charity.
On the way to the green flag, the field for the GMR Grand Prix will follow a red Corvette Stingray, which will serve as Official Pace Car.
While at the GMR Grand Prix, Team Chevy fans can enjoy all that the Chevrolet display, located near the Pagoda plaza, has to offer. Included in the display activities will be two Q & A sessions with some of the star Chevrolet drivers.
Friday
· 12:00-12:15 p.m.: Team Penske – Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power
· 2:15-2:30 p.m.: Ed Carpenter Racing – Rinus Veekay and Conor Daly
· 2:30-2:45 p.m.: AJ Foyt Racing – Dalton Kellet, Kyle Kirkwood, Tatiana Calderon
· 3:00-3:15 p.m.: Arrow McLaren SP – Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Juan Pablo Montoya
Saturday
· 12:00-12:15 p.m.: Juncos Hollinger Racing – Callum Illott
The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 7:30 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include:
• The Corvette Stingray R concept
• Additional Chevrolet products such as Blazer, Silverado, Trailblazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Camaro and Bolt
• A cutaway chassis of the 2023 Corvette Z06 and IndyCar showcar
• An opportunity to receive a 2022 Chevrolet Racing t-shirt
Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series continue the 2022 season at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 14 from the Indianapolis Road Course. The race will air live on NBC, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160). Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.
TEAM CHEVY QUOTES
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “We’re trying to keep our eye on the ball and make sure we are staying concentrated on the next race. We can have a good run at the Indy GP. We’ve had good cars there the last couple of years. May is the biggest thing for us, and for the 500 specifically. We’ve worked really hard as a team and with Chevrolet to maximize this year. I hope that comes true.”
CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING: “The GMR Grand Prix of one of my favorite events in the schedule. I love getting into the Month of May and starting it off on the road course. We were obviously very, very fast there this time last year. We made it into the Fast 6 so we definitely want to do that again, but not be taken out in the first corner this time! I can’t wait to get May started off right, we already had a strong oval test a few weeks ago. All signs point to us being able to have a great weekend and start the Month of May strong!”
RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 ALZAMEND NEURO CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING: “Going back to the Racing Capital of the World is always awesome and starting the Month of May is always a very exciting time. I have a very good feeling! The Indy road course a place where I have had a lot of success. I had my first pole position, first-ever podium and eventually first-ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES win! I am very happy with how the season is progressing, we are only improving and we’re heading into the Indy GP stronger than ever. ECR has been putting in a lot of work and it’s really paying off. It makes me even more eager to defend my race win in the GMR Grand Prix!”
CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 DYNAMIC EDGE CHEVROLET, JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING: “I’m excited to start my month of May her in Indy for the GMR GP. I have a bit of experience of the road course as I conducted my first NTT INDYCAR SERIES test here towards the end of last year. Also coming off of the improvements we made last time in Barber, I’m excited to show what we can do with the Chevy Juncos Hollinger car.”
BY THE NUMBERS: CHEVROLET IN INDYCAR
· 1: Chevrolet’s position in the INDYCAR Engine Manufacturer standings after three races
· 3: Career GMR Grand Prix wins for Will Power in the month of May. All have been in Chevrolet-powered entries
· 4: Consecutive victories by Chevrolet to open the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin won the pole and race at St. Petersburg. Penske teammate Josef Newgarden won at Texas and Long Beach, and Pato O’Ward was victorious at Barber Motorsport Park for Arrow McLaren SP.
· 5: Wins and pole positions for Will Power on the Indianapolis Road Course since 2015, including races in the spring, summer and fall.
· 6: Wins for Chevrolet IndyCar teams in May at the Indianapolis Road Course – all consecutively dating back to 2015.
· 6: Different Chevrolet drivers to win races dating back to the start of 2020. Scott McLaughlin was the most recent at St. Petersburg
· 6: Number of Manufacturer Championships in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012
· 6: Number of Team Chevy Driver/Entrant championships since 2012
· 8: Wins by Team Penske on the Indianapolis Road Course – all with Chevrolet power.
· 9: Wins from pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver
· 13: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including past 10 with Chevrolet
· 25: Wins by Will Power since 2012. All have come with Chevrolet, giving him the most of any driver with same manufacturer
· 39: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver
· 99: Chevrolet victories in NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012
· 110: Earned poles by Chevrolet since 2012
· 169: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
