SCHMIDT PETERSON TEAMMATES POST 1-2 FINISH

HOUSTON – June 30, 2014 – Simon Pagenaud and Mikhail Aleshin turned heartbreak in Race 1 of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers into celebration in Victory Circle following an exhausting 90-lap battle in Race 2.

The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammates finished 1-2 on the 1.634-mile, 10-turn temporary street circuit in the second of three doubleheader events this season.

Jack Hawksworth, a Verizon IndyCar Series rookie like Aleshin, leaped from qualifying last to finishing a season-high third. Charlie Kimball finished fourth and Sebastien Bourdais, who overcame a broken front wing sustained in contact on Lap 49 with the car of Helio Castroneves, recovered to finish fifth.

It was the first 1-2 finish for the Indianapolis-based team co-owned by Ric Peterson and former Indy car drivers Sam Schmidt and Davey Hamilton.

“We thought we had the class of the field (in Race 1), but it didn’t work out that way,” team manager Rob Edwards said. “This is much better.”

Pagenaud earned his first Verizon P1 Award for Race 1, but the Frenchman was relegated to a 16th-place finish after struggling on the rain-soaked track at NRG Park. Aleshin’s Race 1 ended on Lap 33 after contact with Takuma Sato in Turn 6 after starting a then-best 10th. He started on the front row for Race 2.

“Awesome race. The car was just beautiful,” said Pagenaud, who earned his second victory of the season. “That’s why I was so disappointed yesterday. We had such a fast car this weekend. We regrouped after Detroit (22nd and 6th-place finishes) and then came up with this package.”

Following the Lap 49 caution, Pagenaud found clear sailing through a Lap 63 pit stop and three more full-course cautions. Aleshin, who drove 40 laps on one set of Firestone primary tires and 18.5 gallons of E85, slid into second on the pit stop.

All four full-season rookies posted podium results this weekend (Carlos Huertas winning and Carlos Munoz placing third in Race 1). Four different teams were represented in the top five.

“I can’t really explain my feeling. I just have so much emotion,” said Aleshin, the first Verizon IndyCar Series driver from Russia. “We had a great qualifying today and had a great race. I had contact with Graham (Rahal) after his pit stop and at this moment I felt like, ‘That’s it.’ But I had a great strategy and had the same pace as the leaders. I was able to catch up and overtake some of them. Because of the strategy we were up there. And then can you imagine? In the end, I (was losing tire pressure). I was really lucky to finish, actually. The team did an amazing job. I don’t have enough English words to thank the team.”

Castroneves, the Verizon P1 Award winner, lost an opportunity to slice into Team Penske teammate Will Power’s championship points advantage in the incident with Bourdais. The No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske was overtaken for the lead in Turn 3 by Pagenaud and then made contact with Bourdais’ No. 11 Mistic KVSH Racing car on the high-speed run-up to Turn 6.

“I had no idea that he was there,” said Castroneves, who tied Rick Mears for fourth all-time with 40 P1 starts. “When I’m attacking I can’t have eyes in the back of my head. I am upset because we had a great car and there were 40 laps to go and I wasn’t panicking to get the lead back.”

Castroneves led a field-high 47 laps to pick up two bonus points, but they were too few. Power, who made contact with a tire barrier on the white flag lap to fall from running third to finish 11th, takes a 39-point lead into the Pocono INDYCAR 500 fueled by Sunoco on July 7. That’s the margin he enjoyed entering the Houston doubleheader. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who finished seventh and sixth on the weekend, closed to 41 points behind. Pagenaud is 59 points back in fourth.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who was runner-up to fellow Columbian Huertas in Race 1, was overtaken by Hunter-Reay for sixth and Ryan Briscoe gained seven positions to finish eighth. Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan completed the top 10.

“It feels good to come out of this doubleheader in Houston with a top-10 finish,” said Briscoe, who secured his third consecutive top 10 and fifth of the season. “This series is just so competitive and it’s a fight to the finish at every race.”

 

 

CHARLIE KIMBALL LEADS CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 CONTINGENT IN RACE NO. 2 AT GRAND PRIX OF HOUSTON

HOUSTON, Texas – June 30, 2014 – Under blistering hot conditions at the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, Charlie Kimball carried the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 banner by fighting his way to his third top-five finish of the Verizon IndyCar season in his No. Levemir Flex Touch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

His fourth-place finish in enabled him to move up one position in the overall standings to 15th.

Sebastien Bourdais, No. 11 Team Mistic KVSH Racing Chevrolet, also notched his third 2014 top-five finish in Sunday’s race coming home fifth. His performance elevated Bourdais up two spots in the standings from 10th to eighth.

Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya was looking to put his No. 2 Verizon Chevrolet into victory lane after coming close in Saturday’s race #1.   Montoya battled from 14th to the top-five but was shuffled out in heavy traffic late in the race. He finished 7th in the event, and remains fifth in points.

His Team Penske teammate and series point leader Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, suffered a suspension failure with just a few laps remaining and came away with a disappointing 11th place finish after making a valiant run to third place.  Power still holds the overall point standings by 39 markers over Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves, who placed No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Premium Team Penske Chevrolet on the pole, led twice for race-high 47 laps. His dominating run ended on lap 48 when on-track contract damaged his car beyond repair.

The next race on the Verizon IndyCar Series will be on Sunday, July 6th at Pocono Raceway.  Live television coverage will start at Noon on NBC Sports and can be heard live on IMS Radio Network XM 209/Sirius 213 as well as IndyCar.com

 

 

 

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA LEADS CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 CONTINGENT AT GRAND PRIX OF HOUSTON

HOUSTON June 28, 2014 – Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 Verizon Chevrolet, saw a fantastic chance at his first win since returning to the Verizon IndyCar Series slip through his fingers on the final restart of Race One of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston double header.

Lined up in second place, Montoya was ready to make his move in his Chevrolet IndyCar V6 twin turbo powered car with time running short in the event. But before he could make a challenge for the lead in the first corner, the caution flew for the final time because of a spin behind him.  The race ended under caution as time expired.

With his fourth top-five finish of the year, Montoya moves up two positions in the point standings to fifth.

The event was scheduled to run a total of 90 laps but due to heavy rains that delayed the start, IndyCar officials elected to make this a timed race that would last one hour and fifty minutes.

Montoya’s Team Penske teammates Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, and Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet maintained their 1-2 lead in the series standings despite a challenging day for both on track.  Power started in 18th position and was looking to overcome the deficit and treacherous conditions.  However, he was involved in an incident late in the race that he could not overcome and finished 14th.

Castroneves started on the outside front row and raced inside the top-five for most of the event.  The team decided to pit for tires on the final stop and he could not overcome the lost track position as many others decided to stay out and the team would finish ninth.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 2ND:

COULD YOU HAVE WON THAT RACE?

“Yes, I had a good jump (on the restart) there. It is one of those deals; it’s racing. That’s what happens.  I had a shot once at passing. It was really close. I thought he wasn’t going to make it on gas, but congratulations to Carlos (Huertas). I think my Verizon Chevy was unbelievable today. This race, especially when it rains, is all about keeping it off the wall and running smart all day, and we did that. I liked passing Tony (Kanaan), I really enjoyed that. I’m starting to get there, and I’m pretty happy.”

AGAIN, IT CAME DOWN TO STRATEGY AND MAKING THE CALLS ON PIT ROAD

“Yeah, we were running pretty good, like seventh or something; and then we came in and put on black tires and that really hurt us. We suffered there a little bit, but in a way it forced us to do something different and it paid off. I was amazed with this timed race. There were like 35 minutes to go and I am counting 30 laps, you can’t make it. At this pace, you can’t make it. Why are they not stopping? I was kind of surprised nobody pitted. And I’m like oh, thank you.”

YOU GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT IMMEDIATELY OVER TO CARLOS (HUERTAS, RACE WINNER) AND GAVE HIM SOME ADVICE. WHAT WAS THAT?

“No, I just told him congratulations. He’s a good kid; you know what I mean? And he did a good job today. He did what he had to do to win.”

YOU WERE TEASING HIM TELLING HIM TO ZIP-UP HIS DRIVING SUIT

“I’ll be honest with you. Our Verizon Chevy was really good today and I thought we had a chance to win, but at the end the tires went off. But I do tease him a lot. He had the suit all open and I’m like, you’ve got to look good (laughs).”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS:  NO. 11 TEAM MISTIC E-CIGS – KVSH RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 4TH: ON HIS RACE:

“A very solid day for the KVSH Racing Mistic machine and the whole group. We did everything right and everything we had to do. We just got hurt by the yellows. The first yellow, when we switch to slick tires, a lot of things didn’t quite work out, but we seemed to come out of it strong, P2 behind Hinchcliffe. Unfortunately, another yellow came out and that really did it because we were good to go on fuel with one more stop and some of the other guys behind us stopped on an earlier yellow. But since it was a timed race, every time there was a yellow the race got shorter and shorter and they were not using as much fuel. So, a few of them stayed in front of us, but we salvaged a fourth which was a very solid result. Of course I am disappointed in a way because I think we could have finished higher, but I am pretty happy for the Mistic crew.”

TONY KANAAN, NO. 10 TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET –FINISHED 13TH:  YOU HAD AT LEAST A PODIUM FINISH, MAYBE MORE, BUT YOU WERE TURNED BY GRAHAM RAHAL GOING INTO THE LAST RESTART. YOU ARE NOT SHOWING ANY EMOTION. I KNOW YOU ARE STEAMING (ANGRY). HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THIS? WHAT HAPPENED?

“Well, you’ve got to be professional. I have a team to defend and a lot of good sponsors. So, I can’t do what I really want to do. What a shame. It was a great run by the Target Chip Ganassi boys. We fought all the way; all day long. And to be taken out like that I think it’s stupid. But he was having a good day, too and then ruined his day. I guess I wanted to believe the best. I wanted to believe he didn’t do it on purpose. Of course he came and apologized. But that still doesn’t take the frustration out of me.”

DID HE ACCEPT ALL THE BLAME FOR THAT?

“Yeah, he has to man, come on. He’s a humble guy. It’s just a shame. What am I going to say? Am I mad at him? Yes. Can I turn back in time? No. So, we’ve got to turn the page and move on to tomorrow.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14TH:

“Hard day today if we could have hung in there a little longer we could have been in good shape. I made a mistake there and I feel bad for the Verizon Chevy boys after I went into the wall. That’s racing. We’ll try it again tomorrow and go for better result.”

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA

NO. 17 AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLERS, INC. – KV AFS RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED: 15TH: ON HIS RACE:

“It was a crazy race. I am very sad because the result does not show what an amazing car we had. We were very strong in the wet, making a lot of passes when the conditions were at there worst. With a great strategy and fantastic  pit stops by the Automatic Fire Sprinklers – KV AFS Racing crew we were able to get up front. Unfortunately at the end I got taken out by Ryan Briscoe while looking to have a top-five or better finish. I’m disappointed, we came from so far back in the field and worked so hard that we deserve a lot better. We have a good car and just need to re-group for tomorrow. Big congratulations on the Colombian 1, 2, 3 finish today and of course in the World Cup with Colombia winning their game, which is huge for my country…I wish I could be there!”

MIKE CONWAY, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA CHEVROLET, FINISHED 17TH:  ON HIS RACE:

“The track was drying and we decided to pit (on lap 26) and put on the red Firestones slicks.  I wanted to make some time but I locked up the tires in turn 3. It was still a little wet on the outside.  And I got the car into the tire barrier.  The right front wing was wrecked and the car stalled.  The impact bent the steering column a bit and it twisted my left thumb pretty well too.  It is hurting but nothing serious.  It will be sore tomorrow.  I just feel badly for the ECR/Fuzzy’s team because the way the race finished up.  We could have been in the mix at the end. We need to get ready for Sunday’s race now.”

 

 

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 TEAMS READY FOR SECOND DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND ON VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE

Team Chevy’s Will Power and Scott Dixon Looking to Make Return Trip to Shell Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston Victory Lane

• Chevrolet  Leads Series Manufacturer Standings heading into 9th race of 18 race schedule
• Chevrolet IndyCar V6 has won 5 of 8 races held to-date in 2014
• Will Power Continues to Lead Driver Point Standings at Season Half-way Point

Scott Dixon

DETROIT June 25, 2014 – This weekend the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 contingent of teams and drivers head to the MD Anderson
Cancer Center Speedway at NRG Park, in Houston Texas for the second doubleheader weekend of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season. The Shell Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston is on deck with two full points-paying races, one Saturday and one Sunday, around the 10-turn/1.683-mile temporary street circuit.

“Last year, the Houston circuit was pivotal in the ultimate outcome of the 2013 Driver’s Championship,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, Verizon IndyCar Series. “This year the event takes place earlier on the schedule and being a double header again, coupled with the new Manufacturer’s points system in place for 2014, carries a serious impact to the championships.  The continued refinement of standing starts will be shown on Saturday and the allowed use of optional radiators for the first time will keep the engineers busy this weekend.  The added challenge of racing in Houston during the mid-afternoon in late June will definitely test the thermal vigor of the engines, drivers and crews.  Team Chevy is up for the challenge.”

Six of the first eight races of the 2014 season have been contested on either a road or street course.  Team Chevy driver Will Power scored the first victory in 2014, bringing the Chevrolet 2.2 liter direct injected twin turbocharged powered No. 12 Verizon Team Penske to Victory Lane at the Streets of St. Petersburg.  His second victory of the year that propelled him to the lead in the point standings was race one of the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit.  Power heads to Houston with a 39 point lead in the driver standings.

Will Power

The first oval was the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Three time Indy 500 winner, Helio Castroneves, came within just six one-hundredths of a second from claiming his fourth victory in the iconic track.

However, Castroneves took the momentum to Detroit and scored a top-five finish in race one in the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit, and a dominating victory in Sunday’s race two of Chevrolet sponsored weekend.  He is second in the standings behind his Team Penske Chevrolet teammate, Power.

Despite having nearly three weeks away from competition none of the Chevrolet powered teams have sat on their laurels and rested on recent success.  Teams have been hard at work testing and preparing themselves for the final stretch to finish out the season.

As the teams resume competition at Houston, two Chevrolet powered drivers are looking to repeat last year’s success. Power was victorious in the second race at the track last season.  Scott Dixon, new to Team Chevy this season, is also looking to capture a repeat win at Houston and turn his 2014 season around and place his No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Chevrolet in Victory Lane for the first time carrying the Chevrolet banner.

While these two drivers look to repeat as winners, Castroneves is looking for redemption.  Last season the driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske Chevrolet watched his championship hopes fade away at Houston as two mechanical issues ended his pursuit of victory early.  He hopes this season he can ride the momentum from his win at Detroit and conquer Houston to add to his championship quest in 2014,

The most recent Team Chevy winner, Ed Carpenter – Texas Motor Speedway – will return to the role as owner at the GP of Houston.  Long Beach winner Mike Conway returns to the cockpit of the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.

Race number one of The Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston is set to start on Saturday, June 28th at 3:00 p.m. ET with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network. Race number two is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 29th with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.

Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 209, and IMS Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 213. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com.

 

 

 

HUNTER-REAY, DIXON EARN ESPY NOMINATIONS AS BEST DRIVER

2014 Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay

INDIANAPOLIS Tuesday, June 25, 2014 – Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and recently-crowned Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay are nominees in the “Best Driver” category for the annual ESPY Awards.

Andretti Autosport’s Hunter-Reay earned the Best Driver ESPY in 2013 after claiming his first Verizon IndyCar Series title in a dramatic 2012 season finale at Auto Club Speedway. He won the 98th Indianapolis 500 in May – the first by an American since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006 –  in a dramatic late-race duel with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

“It’s such an honor to be nominated again,” Hunter-Reay said. “This is more exciting news following what was one of the most intense finishes in the history of the Indy 500. The list of ESPY nominees includes top athletes from around the world and in so many forms of sport. The ESPY we won following our Verizon IndyCar Series championship sits amongst the awards of my most significant accomplishments.”

Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, earned his third series title with a late-season run that saw him rally from a nearly 80-point deficit win by 27 points over Castroneves.

“It was an incredible year for the No. 9 car and the whole Target team last year,” Dixon said. “The fields are so tight in the Verizon IndyCar Series right now, with the best drivers competing every weekend. 2013 marked a great final run by our team to come back and win the championship, and I’m honored to represent Target Chip Ganassi Racing as a nominee for the ESPY Award for Best Driver.”

Voting is open until 9 p.m. on July 16 at http://espn.go.com/espys/2014/

Grammy Award-winning, platinum-selling recording artist Drake hosts the ESPY Awards, which will be broadcast on ESPN at 9 p.m. (ET) July 16 from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.

 

 

CHEVY AND CADILLAC COMBINE FOR FIVE VICTORIES DURING CHEVROLET DETROIT BELLE ISLE GRAND PRIX WEEKEND

Johnny O’Connell, driver of the #3 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, celebrates his victory Sunday, June 1, 2014 winning the second of two Pirelli World Challenge Series Cadillac Grand Prix of Belle Isle races in Detroit, Michigan. O’Connell’s teammate Andy Pilgrim, driver of the #8 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, finished second. O’Connell won the first race on Saturday, sweeping the weekend series. (Photo by Richard Prince for Cadillac Racing)

DETROIT – June 02, 2014 – Helio Castroneves’ victory in the Verizon IndyCar Series Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit on Sunday capped a weekend in which Chevrolet and Cadillac combined to win five races run in the Verizon IndyCar, Pirelli World Challenge and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series held on The Raceway of Belle Isle, a 2.3-mile, 13-turn street course near the manufacturers’ world headquarters.

“Racing and performance are important parts of our heritage,” said Jim Campbell, vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “For Chevrolet and Cadillac to combine to win five races this weekend, right here in our own backyard, demonstrates the preparation, teamwork, determination and never-give-up attitude by our Chevrolet and Cadillac teams.”

Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, led a race-high 42 laps en route to pacing a podium sweep for Chevrolet; Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) and Charlie Kimball (No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) finished second and third, respectively. Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) completed a 1-2-3-4 Chevy finish.

Castroneves’ victory came one day after Power reached Victory Lane. Power led 21 of the 70 laps en route to his second win of the season and 23rd of his career. Tony Kanaan, in the No. 10 Energizer Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, finished third to put two Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers on the podium. Earlier Saturday, Castroneves won the pole for his first Verizon P1 Award of the season. Power is now the points leader by 19 over Castroneves.

Brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor drove their No. 10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Corvette Daytona Prototype (DP) to victory in the TUDOR SportsCar Championship Chevrolet SportsCar Classic on Saturday. Richard Westbrook (No. 90 Visit Florida Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP) won the pole and finished second.

Johnny O’Connell, driver of the No. 3 Cadillac CTS.V.R, swept both Saturday’s and Sunday’s Pirelli World Challenge Series Cadillac Grand Prix of Belle Isle GT races from the pole. O’Connell, the series points leader, now has five wins in six series starts at Belle Isle. His teammate, Andy Pilgrim (No. 8 Cadillac CTS.V.R) was runner-up in Sunday’s race.

 

 

 

HELIO CASTRONEVES WINS RACE TWO OF THE CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT

Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar V6, climbs the fence to celebrate with teammates after his victory Sunday, June 1, 2014 during the second of two Chevrolet Indy Dual In Detroit races on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. Chevrolet swept the podium with first dual winner Will Power, driver of the #12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet V6 finishing in second-place, and Charlie Kimball, driver of the #83 Novo Nordisk Ganassi Racing Chevrolet V6 finishing in third-place. (Photo by F. Peirce Williams/LAT for Chevy Racing)

Will Power, Charlie Kimball and Scott Dixon Give the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 a 1-2-3-4 Sweep

DETROIT June 2, 2014 – Chevrolet swept the podium for Dual Race No. 2 of the Chevrolet Indy Dual at Detroit.   Helio Castroneves won the 70-lap/164.22-mile race in the No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet by 1.6836 seconds over his Team Penske teammate Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, the winner of Saturday’s Race No. 1.

Charlie Kimball finished third in the No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, his first podium finish of the 2014 season.  Kimball’s teammate, Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chevrolet, finished fourth to give the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 the top-four sweep in Sunday’s round two and final race of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix weekend.

“Congratulations to Helio Castroneves and the No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet team on their victory today in Dual II on the challenging Raceway of Belle Isle course,” said Jim Campbell, Vice President of Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This is Helio’s third win in Detroit, and he did it in dominating fashion, leading 42 of the 70 laps. Also, congratulations to Helio’s Team Penske teammate Will Power for moving into the points lead following his second place run. Charlie Kimball fought hard all day long to a podium finish, followed by his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon making it a Chevrolet 1-2-3-4 finish. I’m very proud of our Team Chevy drivers, who really excelled this weekend.”

Castroneves’ last win on The Raceway at Belle Isle came in 2001, backing up his 2000 career-first IndyCar victory in Detroit.  With today’s victory, the Brazilian has led 217 laps in 10 starts at the track in the shadows of Chevrolet’s world headquarters.

James Hinchcliffe (Honda) completed the top-five finishers.

Next on the schedule is the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 7, 2014.  The 248-lap/372-mile race is Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 209, and IMS Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 213. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com.

 

 

 

HELIO CASTRONEVES FINISHES IN SECOND PLACE TO PACE CHEVROLET IN THE 98th INDIANAPOLIS 500

Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar V6, races to a second-place finish Sunday, May 25, 2014, during the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Castroneves finished just 0.0600 seconds behind race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, just missing becoming only the fourth four-time winner of the race. (Photo by Phillip Abbott/LAT for Chevy Racing)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. May 26, 2014 – In the second-closest finish in the history the Indianapolis 500, Helio Castroneves just missed becoming only the fourth four-time winner of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Castroneves finished in second place – by a mere 0.0600 seconds – to lead six Team Chevy drivers in the top 10 in the 98th Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske Chevrolet, led 38 of the 200 laps and was in the lead with just over a lap to go, but was passed by eventual race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay as the two approached the start-finish line to take the white flag for the final lap around the 2½-mile speedway.

“It’s a shame it was so close, but today is Ryan Hunter-Reay’s day,” said Castroneves, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 2001, ’02 and ’09. “I do not take for granted.  I’m extremely happy with the result.  The car worked really well during the race.  The team did a great job during the pit stops.  It was the first time having Roger on the radio.  It was kind of awesome.  We dodged, avoided a few issues out there, incidents, were able to put ourselves in a great position to win.  Unfortunately it wasn’t our day.”

“What a solid effort by Helio Castroneves and Team Penske to come up short by six-hundredths of a second in the Indy 500 today,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, Verizon IndyCar Series. “Congratulations to Ryan Hunter-Reay for a strong showing and his first Indy 500 win. Team Chevy put up a tremendous battle, but misfortune caught too many Chevy-powered cars. Our focus shifts to next weekend at Detroit where we have two opportunities to redeem ourselves.”

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), returned to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since winning the event in 2000 and overcame an early pit-road penalty to finish in fifth place. He also registered the fastest lap (225.191 mph on lap 182) of the race.

“Unfortunately, I made a mistake on one of the pit stops when I was resetting the fuel. I pressed the wrong button. We got a penalty for that but we came back,” Montoya said. “I was proud of the way we fought. I don’t think we had anything for the Hunter-Reay or Helio. But I was happy with the Verizon Chevy and it was good to be back in Indy. It was cool to watch them swap the lead back and forth of the final laps. I had a good seat for it; I just wish we were in the middle of it, but we just had too much understeer at the end.”

Sebastien Bourdais (No. 11 Hydroxycut/Mistic KVSH Racing Chevrolet, seventh), Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, eighth), Sage Karam (No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley Gilbert Chevrolet, ninth) and JR Hildebrand (No. 21 Preferred Freezer Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, 10th) also finished in the top 10 for Team Chevy.

Other Chevrolet drivers to finish on the lead lap: Sebastian Saavedra (No. 17 KV AFS Racing Chevrolet), 15th; James Davison (KVRT Always Evolving Racing Chevrolet), 16th; and Ryan Briscoe (NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet), 18th.

The race was caution-free for the first 149 laps – the longest uninterrupted run in the event since 1976 – but a series of incidents over the final 51 laps eliminated contending Chevrolet drivers, including pole-sitter Ed Carpenter (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet) and former winner Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet). Carpenter was running in the top five when he got caught up in a wreck shortly after a re-start on lap 175. Dixon was running fifth when he spun into the wall on lap 166. Townsend Bell  (No. 6 Robert Graham KV Racing Technology) was also in fifth place when he wrecked with just 10 laps remaining.

The next race on the Verizon IndyCar Series circuit is the Dual in Detroit Chevrolet Belle Isle Detroit Grand Prix weekend on June 2 and 3.

 

 

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 TEAMS TREK WEST TO TAKE ON SONOMA RACEWAY

DETROIT – Aug. 22, 2013 – After a short break, the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers return to competition at Sonoma Raceway for Sunday’s running of the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. With only five races remaining on the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, critical points are on the line as the intensity of the battle for the championship increases.

Situated in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco, California, Sonoma Raceway has long been a favorite track of drivers and fans. The 2.385-mile, 12-turn natural-terrain course has it all to challenge drivers – elevation changes, tight right-hand Turn 12 leading onto the frontstretch, a Carousel turn that requires finesse to navigate – all packed into a scenic setting.

“Team Chevy has been very busy analyzing and refining our on-track results and we are eager to return to the race track, especially the Sonoma Raceway for the Go Pro Indy Grand Prix,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series.  “The competition has really peaked in the second half of the season so it is time to unleash the full potential of the Chevy arsenal.  The IndyCar Open Test on Wednesday along with the three practice sessions before qualifying will provide ample time to optimize the setup for the typically low grip surface there.  Our teams and technical partners know this is crunch time and are digging deep to focus on executing what it takes to win the top spot on the podium at each of the remaining races, and earning championships.”

Chevrolet heads to Sonoma tied for the lead in the Series Manufacturer point standings with seven victories thus far this season, as well as three Team Chevy drivers in the top-five of the Driver Championship Standings, and five drivers in the top-10 points positions.

Helio Castroneves sits atop the standings with one victory to his credit through 14 races.  Defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, has two wins in 2013 and sits third in the point’s order and Marco Andretti is solidly in fourth position with only five races remaining until this year’s champion is decided.

 In previous IndyCar races at Sonoma, five current Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers have visited the Winner’s Circle.  Ryan Briscoe is the defending race champion. Will Power is the only driver with multiple wins at the 2.358-mile course with back-to-back victories earned in 2010 and 2011.  Castroneves took the trip to Victory Lane in 2008.  Marco Andretti was the Sonoma race winner in 2006, and Tony Kanaan captured the win in 2005.

The 85-lap GoPro Indy Grand Prix at Sonoma is scheduled to start on Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. ET with live television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com

 

HELIO CASTRONEVES CONTINUES TO LEAD IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POINTS

Team Chevy Drivers Claim Five of Top-10 Finishing Positions at Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, Ohio August 05, 2013 – Helio Castroneves, No. 3 PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Chevrolet, extended his points lead to 31 points in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship battle with a sixth-place finish in today’s 90-lap/203.222-mile race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

It was the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner’s 10th consecutive top-10 finish and 13th of the 14 races run to-date this season including a win at Texas Motor Speedway.

A total of five Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers captured top-10 finishes in today’s race.  Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, finished fourth; defending Series’ champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, finished fifth to remain third in the standings and gain a few points on the leader; Marco Andretti, No. 25 RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet finished ninth and James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 GoDaddy Andretti Autosport Chevrolet finished 10th in the final order.

Andretti sits fourth in the standings and Hinchcliffe is seventh in points.

The race was won by Charlie Kimball.  Simon Pagenaud and Dario Franchitti completed the podium finishers.

Next on the schedule is the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma August 22-25, 2013. The race is scheduled to start Sunday, August 25,2013 at 4:00 p.m. ET with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network. Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com