Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the first time in his career as the championship heads to the World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline is timed to go at 2:36pm Sunday 27 August 2023 local time, 7:36am Monday morning NZ time.
There are six drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward and Marcus Ericsson. Any driver who trails the points leader by 108-points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.
Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship three times: Alex Zanardi (1998), Josef Newgarden (2017) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship nine times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014 and 2022, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019.
Point differential: The 101 points that separate Alex Palou and Scott Dixon is the largest point margin with three races remaining since 2008. Prior to this season, the average lead with three races to go since 2008 was 28.5 points. The last time the INDYCAR SERIES championship was clinched before the final race was 2007 when Sebastien Bourdais won the Champ Car World Series with one race remaining.
There have been seven winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa Speedway-2 ), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Nashville), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio), Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2).
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the 15th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Josef Newgarden won his third consecutive race (and fourth overall) at WWTR in 2022. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Newgarden, Scott Dixon (2020 Race 1) Takuma Sato (2019), Will Power (2018) and Helio Castroneves (2003) are the former winners entered in this year’s race.
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the fifth and final oval race of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa-Speedway-2). The last driver to “sweep” the oval portion of a schedule was Sebastien Bourdais, who won the only oval scheduled in 2006 (Milwaukee).
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will mark the first time that Firestone’s alternate tire will be used on an oval track in a race. Like on road and street courses, the Firestone Firehawk alternate tires will be constructed of a softer compound allowing for more grip but quicker tire wear. Teams will be required to start the race on primary tires, and alternate tires will not be allowed to be used in qualifying. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
Alex Palou has a chance to complete the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge and win its $1,000,000 bonus – half of which will be donated to his chosen charity – The American Legion – if he wins at World Wide Technology Raceway. Palou has won on a street course and a road course, and needs an oval victory to complete the challenge.
Three drivers have won at World Wide Technology Raceway from the pole – Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Gil de Ferran (2002) and Helio Castroneves (2003).
Team Penske has won eight times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins at Gateway with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
Twenty-four drivers have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has eight starts, most among the entered drivers. Rookies Agustin Canapino, Linus Lundqvist, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb will make their first start at WWTR. Sixteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 484, Will Power 329, Helio Castroneves 271, Scott Dixon 251, Takuma Sato 167, Pato O’Ward 141, Colton Herta 121, Scott McLaughlin 12, David Malukas 4, Felix Rosenqvist 4, Alexander Rossi 4, Marcus Ericsson 3, Romain Grosjean 2, Graham Rahal 2 and Conor Daly 1).
Comments