CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
AUGUST 11-12, 2023
CHEVROLET RACES BACK TO INDIANAPOLIS FOR THE GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX AT THE FAMED INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
DETROIT (August 9, 2023) – For the second time this season, the Chevrolet drivers and teams of the NTT INDYCAR Series will compete on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of a triple-header event weekend with NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Series.
With a stacked weekend on deck for the Bowtie brand, the INDYCAR Series will share its Saturday race day with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Rain or shine, the Gallagher Grand Prix will showcase 85 laps, or 207.32 miles, of exciting open-wheel action Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network from Indianapolis.
Defending winner of both the 2020 and 2021 events, as well as a two-time NTT P1 Pole Award winner in 2020 and 2021, Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet said of the upcoming weekend, “I’m really excited to get to Indianapolis. It’s my favorite road course on the calendar, one that I’ve won five times and have a lot of pole positions. It’s always good racing. It’s also really cool to be on the same weekend as NASCAR. I think it helps both of us, and it’s a weekend I look forward to each year. It’s the only time I’ve seen them (our Chevrolet NASCAR teammates) at the same track, and it’s the only time it ever happens. It’s so cool to see those guys race, and they get to watch Indy cars go around on track. It’s awesome.”
With three pole awards total to the Chevrolet brand (2020 – Will Power, 2021 – Pato O’Ward, and 2022 – Felix Rosenqvist), in addition to 18 podiums and 630 laps led on the road course, Team Chevy looks to the weekend with anticipation in capturing victory once again this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most recently, Arrow McLaren INDYCAR’s O’Ward and Alexander Rossi took to the second and third steps on the podium, respectively, in the spring event this year for the Bowtie brand banner.
Rob Buckner, IndyCar Program Manager at General Motors, said “Returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the second time this season is a welcome stop for most of the Chevrolet-powered teams that are based in and around Indy. Even though it is a very compressed two-day race schedule, it is a big opportunity for the teams to put their best foot forward.”
“Over the years, Chevrolet has had great success on the road course at Indianapolis, but it is always a different set of challenges from spring to late summer. It’s a different time of year, so the track and air temperature will influence tire performance, which tasks our engineers to work closely with the Chevrolet-powered team engineers to get a solid setup package. We’ll also have different brands and compounds of tire rubber on the track throughout the weekend with NASCAR sharing the course, but changing track conditions aren’t unusual in the NTT INDYCAR Series and we are prepared for it.”
Adding another element of excitement to the weekend, Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren INDYCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, and Chevrolet are proud to unveil his 2024 Indianapolis 500 car in Pagoda Plaza at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. ET.
Leading the field to the green in Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix, the powerful white Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 convertible with black and yellow trim will pace the NTT INDYCAR Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course.
Finally, the Team Chevy display will be open all weekend long at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, greeting both INDYCAR and NASCAR fans alike starting Friday, Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Power will join Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin on the Team Chevy stage in the midway Friday, Aug. 11 from 3:05 to 3:20 p.m. ET. Ed Carpenter Racing drivers Rinus VeeKay and Ryan Hunter-Reay will kick off Saturday’s appearances from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Callum Ilott and rookie Agustin Canapino from Juncos Hollinger Racing will follow from 11:45 a.m. to noon ET. Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, and Tony Kanaan of Arrow McLaren INDYCAR will appear from 12:30 to 12:45 p.m. ET prior to the race.
The Gallagher Grand Prix on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course starts with the first practice session on Friday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. ET, qualifications and the Firestone Fast Six on the same day at 12:30 p.m. ET. Wrapping Friday, the NTT INDYCAR Series sees a final practice session at 4 p.m. ET. Saturday’s 85-lap event takes the green flag live on USA Network at 2 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:
“Back in May, we had the best performance we’ve ever had on the Indy road course. It will be awesome to go back to try and repeat that podium.”
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:
”I’m happy to be back at our home track. We had a great race here in May with all three cars. I love this track, and we’ll do everything we can to have that same success and get that first win for the team.”
Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:
”Over the past few races, we’ve experienced a few struggles. But motorsport is never a straightforward journey; it’s a test of resilience. As we return to the site of our last podium, it reminds us that every race is an opportunity to learn and grow. We’re going to harness that past success “
Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:
“We’re back to the Indy road course this weekend where we had a strong outcome in May across the team. We know what it takes to race well here, so after a tough weekend in Nashville, we’re ready for our momentum to swing the other way as we head into the final races of the season.”
Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:
“It’s always special going to back to Indy! This will be my first attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with ECR. I am looking forward to developing the team’s setup package there to suit my driving style.”
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:
“I am very excited to get back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, can never have enough races there! I have had lots of firsts there, first Top 5, first pole, first win. It’s a great place for me! Hopefully we can get a little redemption from earlier this year, from the Indy 500, we’re just going a different direction this weekend. We learned a lot from the Indy GP during May that should help us now in August. It’s good to be back on a road course for the first time in a while, no crazy bumps on this one! It’s going to be exciting and hopefully it’s a really good race for us and BITNILE.COM!”
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:
“I’m very much looking forward to this weekend at the Brickyard. I did race there last year, but in the Xfinity car not in the Indy car. It’s a lot of fun to be partnered with NASCAR on a race weekend and I wish we would do it more often.
“I’m just a very big fan of the flow of the road course here at IMS. It has a little bit of everything from high-speed chicanes to low-speed hairpins with big brake zones. This track also races very well and we were pretty good here in May. This track is very similar to Road America and I think having a good rhythm here and understanding how to build the tire temperature for qualifying and then having a very good long-run car will be the key to getting a solid result.”
Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:
“With the Gallagher Grand Prix this weekend at the Brickyard, I’m very excited to return to a very smooth, permanent road course. There have been a lot of street courses lately, and bumpy ovals such as Iowa, so happy to get back to Indianapolis. This track whether it’s the oval or the road course is always special in an Indy car. I look forward to seeing all the fans and reminiscing on the strong month of May we had.”
“The last time we were there was very promising. Actually, we finished with the best car we had all week in the GP so we’re going to be starting with that package. It was definitely very competitive in the race. Unfortunately, we had to serve a penalty due to some radio issues and we got a couple laps down, so it didn’t show the pace that we had but we’re looking forward to redeeming ourselves this weekend.”
CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS (ROAD COURSE – V6 era, since 2012):
Wins at Indianapolis Road Course: 9
2015: Will Power
2016: Simon Pagenaud
2017: Will Power
2018: Will Power
2019: Simon Pagenaud
2020: Josef Newgarden (Race 2)
2020: Will Power (Race 3)
2021: Rinus VeeKay (Race 1)
2021: Will Power (Race 2)
Pole Awards at Indianapolis Road Course: 9
2015: Will Power
2016: Simon Pagenaud
2017: Will Power
2018: Will Power
2020: Will Power (Race 1)
2020: Rinus VeeKay (Race 2)
2020: Will Power (Race 3)
2021: Pato O’Ward (Race 2)
2022: Felix Rosenqvist (Race 2)
Podiums at Indianapolis Road Course by Team Chevy since 2012: 18 total, 5 in the Fall (since adding a second event in 2020)
Laps Led on the Indianapolis Road Course by Team Chevy since 2012: 630 total, 229 in the fall (since adding a second event in 2020).*
*Note: Will Power led every lap of 75 laps for Team Chevy in the 2020 INDYCAR Harvest Grand Prix Race 2.
2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:
195: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.
111: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.
125: Earned poles since 2012.
7: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.
7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.
12: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
5: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.
26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.
14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including the past 11 with Chevrolet power.
9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.
46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.
*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 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.
