Click on Palou’s Green Honda to enlarge.
Honda wrecked what was looking to be a Chevrolet Party at The NTT IndyCar Series’ seventh round. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (presented by Lear) presented a semi-race that was run almost one-third of the time under caution flags during its 100 laps. Alex Palou – starting on the pole for the second race in a row – in his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda bumped and banged his way to victory. “It’s a crazy track, tight and short,” Palou said. AutoInformed couldn’t agree more. The start was waved off. Then on lap 2 – the restart – there was a pile up in the third turn… yawwwwwwn, and so it went.
From a racing fan’s point of view, AutoInformed remains worried about the lack of real racing in IndyCar. Street tracks present huge problems. Detroit, to our eyes, was too narrow, too short and way too bumpy. The longest straightaway needed to be resurfaced – like many Michigan roads the second half of it needs to be fixed – smoothed so passing can occur without bumps and carbon-fiber wing benders. This is an IndyCar problem. Restarts lead to more restarts, but on street circuits the best way to overtake and pass is on the restart where everyone is bunched up – more accidents, more flags, more restarts with little sustained racing. (AutoInformed: Josef Newgarden Driving a Penske-Chevrolet Wins Accident Marred Indianapolis 500)
Palou’s moved Honda to a Manufacturers’ title lead of 22 points at 575 versus rival Chevrolet at 553. For the books, Chevy powered cars finished second and third. Will Power, driver of the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, finished second, and Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, finished third.
“I guess we were worried when the yellow came,” Power said at the post-race press conference. .”Everyone packs up. But then we got a yellow again, so that kind of helped us. We had 10 laps to push hard. I got Palou on the restart… he got me back. Yeah, I couldn’t get him. I tried everything.”
Rosenqvist said “It was tight at the end, maybe a bit too tight for comfort. Unfortunately, we were in the situation now with Arrow McLaren that we’re fighting each other at the front almost every weekend. It’s a good problem to have, let’s say. Obviously, we don’t want to put each other into the wall or anything, but we raced each other really hard a couple of times, me and Alex (Rossi) all season.”
The NTT IndyCar series takes a one-week hiatus before resuming at Wisconsin’s Road America for the June 16-18 Sonsio Grand Prix. The broadcast airs live on Sunday starting at 1 pm ET on USA Network. Additional coverage is streamed by Peacock. There is also radio coverage from IndyCar Radio and SiriusXM Channel 160.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Ganassi Racing Honda Wins Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
Click on Palou’s Green Honda to enlarge.
Honda wrecked what was looking to be a Chevrolet Party at The NTT IndyCar Series’ seventh round. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (presented by Lear) presented a semi-race that was run almost one-third of the time under caution flags during its 100 laps. Alex Palou – starting on the pole for the second race in a row – in his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda bumped and banged his way to victory. “It’s a crazy track, tight and short,” Palou said. AutoInformed couldn’t agree more. The start was waved off. Then on lap 2 – the restart – there was a pile up in the third turn… yawwwwwwn, and so it went.
From a racing fan’s point of view, AutoInformed remains worried about the lack of real racing in IndyCar. Street tracks present huge problems. Detroit, to our eyes, was too narrow, too short and way too bumpy. The longest straightaway needed to be resurfaced – like many Michigan roads the second half of it needs to be fixed – smoothed so passing can occur without bumps and carbon-fiber wing benders. This is an IndyCar problem. Restarts lead to more restarts, but on street circuits the best way to overtake and pass is on the restart where everyone is bunched up – more accidents, more flags, more restarts with little sustained racing. (AutoInformed: Josef Newgarden Driving a Penske-Chevrolet Wins Accident Marred Indianapolis 500)
Palou’s moved Honda to a Manufacturers’ title lead of 22 points at 575 versus rival Chevrolet at 553. For the books, Chevy powered cars finished second and third. Will Power, driver of the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, finished second, and Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, finished third.
“I guess we were worried when the yellow came,” Power said at the post-race press conference. .”Everyone packs up. But then we got a yellow again, so that kind of helped us. We had 10 laps to push hard. I got Palou on the restart… he got me back. Yeah, I couldn’t get him. I tried everything.”
Rosenqvist said “It was tight at the end, maybe a bit too tight for comfort. Unfortunately, we were in the situation now with Arrow McLaren that we’re fighting each other at the front almost every weekend. It’s a good problem to have, let’s say. Obviously, we don’t want to put each other into the wall or anything, but we raced each other really hard a couple of times, me and Alex (Rossi) all season.”
The NTT IndyCar series takes a one-week hiatus before resuming at Wisconsin’s Road America for the June 16-18 Sonsio Grand Prix. The broadcast airs live on Sunday starting at 1 pm ET on USA Network. Additional coverage is streamed by Peacock. There is also radio coverage from IndyCar Radio and SiriusXM Channel 160.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.