Jimmy Johnson and Romain Grosjean, who suffered right sidepod damage after his No. 51 Dallara-Honda briefly went airborne in the corkscrew.
In a hard-fought and thrilling race, Honda took the makers championship yesterday after the 95-lap Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey by sweeping the podium with Colton Herta first from the pole, and the mulita-lingual Alex Palou* and Romain Grojean finishing 2nd and third respectively.
It was Honda’s tenth maker’s title** ending this year with an impressive fourth straight maker’ crown. If Palou participates at Long Beach next week, all drivers not within 49 points do not have a chance. That means Palou’s only significant challenger is Pato O’Ward.
Laguna Seca, infamous for its 2.3-mile, 11-turn road course with a breathtaking “Corkscrew” in Turns 8 and 8A turned into a thrilling display of skill and aggression that will see the drivers’ championship*** come down to next week’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Sunday at 3:45 p.m. (ET), with live coverage on NBCSN and the IndyCar Radio Network.
Already ousted from the title shot is Scott Dixon the reigning series champion. Dixon has won six series championships – the second-most in the sport’s history, but he has never won titles in consecutive years. His came in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020. With a 12th place finish, Scott McLaughlin****, driving for Team Penske Chevrolet, has a 20-point lead in the battle for the IndyCar Rookie-of-the-Year title.
Chevrolet also has a couple of long shots at the Drivers Title next week. Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet with his fifth-place finish is 35 points behind the points leader. Team Chevy’s second championship contender, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden***** finished seventh in for Team Penske Chevrolet and is still mathematically in the fight. “We’ll go to Long Beach and at least get second out of this championship,” he said.
While Penske has had an unusual, mistake prone losing season, Roger is quietly reinforcing his standing as one of the giants in motor sports. Not only did he buy Indianapolis, but the IndyCar now bolstered its network television deal for IndyCar starting next season with NBC Sports, the exclusive U.S. television home for IndyCar, with 14 of 17 races airing live on NBC in 2022. IndyCar will begin the 2022 season Feb. 27, 2022, on the streets of St. Petersburg. It’s the first February start since the Championship Auto Racing Teams circuit started its 2003 season Feb. 23 in St. Pete.
The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will kick off six consecutive races on NBC to open the 2022 season, including the 106th Indy 500 on May 29. The May 21-22 qualifying weekend at the Brickyard also will be on NBC.
Also of note: The Della Penna Motorsports Next Gen Foundation, founded this year by Michelle Della Penna to honor the legacy of her father, IndyCar team owner and legend, John Della Penna held its first-ever event at Laguna Seca Raceway hosting the Bay Area’s Radical Monarchs, an organization “that seeks to create opportunities for young girls of color to form fierce sisterhood, celebrate their identities and contribute radically to their communities.” To further its mission of inspiring the next generation of women in motorsports, Next Gen Foundation provided a dedicated hospitality suite for the Radical Monarchs, give private tours of the paddock and garages, coordinate meet-and-greets with professional female ambassadors in the sport, as well as provide hands-on exposure to vintage Indy Car racing gear.
Footnotes
* Palou is competing in his second IndyCar S season, his first with Chip Ganassi Racing
** Honda clinched the Manufacturers Award with its ninth win of the season. Honda won its first IndyCar championship 25 years ago, and this is its fourth consecutive Manufacturers Award.
*** The final race of the season will be September 26th on the Streets of Long Beach.
**** Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, has a 20-point lead in the battle for the INDYCAR Rookie-of-the-Year title to Long Beach.
***** Newgarden’s INDYCAR titles came in 2017 and 2019
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, 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.
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 during a downshift 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.
IndyCar – Honda Takes Manufacturers’ Title at Laguna Seca
Jimmy Johnson and Romain Grosjean, who suffered right sidepod damage after his No. 51 Dallara-Honda briefly went airborne in the corkscrew.
In a hard-fought and thrilling race, Honda took the makers championship yesterday after the 95-lap Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey by sweeping the podium with Colton Herta first from the pole, and the mulita-lingual Alex Palou* and Romain Grojean finishing 2nd and third respectively.
It was Honda’s tenth maker’s title** ending this year with an impressive fourth straight maker’ crown. If Palou participates at Long Beach next week, all drivers not within 49 points do not have a chance. That means Palou’s only significant challenger is Pato O’Ward.
Laguna Seca, infamous for its 2.3-mile, 11-turn road course with a breathtaking “Corkscrew” in Turns 8 and 8A turned into a thrilling display of skill and aggression that will see the drivers’ championship*** come down to next week’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Sunday at 3:45 p.m. (ET), with live coverage on NBCSN and the IndyCar Radio Network.
Already ousted from the title shot is Scott Dixon the reigning series champion. Dixon has won six series championships – the second-most in the sport’s history, but he has never won titles in consecutive years. His came in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020. With a 12th place finish, Scott McLaughlin****, driving for Team Penske Chevrolet, has a 20-point lead in the battle for the IndyCar Rookie-of-the-Year title.
Chevrolet also has a couple of long shots at the Drivers Title next week. Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet with his fifth-place finish is 35 points behind the points leader. Team Chevy’s second championship contender, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden***** finished seventh in for Team Penske Chevrolet and is still mathematically in the fight. “We’ll go to Long Beach and at least get second out of this championship,” he said.
While Penske has had an unusual, mistake prone losing season, Roger is quietly reinforcing his standing as one of the giants in motor sports. Not only did he buy Indianapolis, but the IndyCar now bolstered its network television deal for IndyCar starting next season with NBC Sports, the exclusive U.S. television home for IndyCar, with 14 of 17 races airing live on NBC in 2022. IndyCar will begin the 2022 season Feb. 27, 2022, on the streets of St. Petersburg. It’s the first February start since the Championship Auto Racing Teams circuit started its 2003 season Feb. 23 in St. Pete.
The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will kick off six consecutive races on NBC to open the 2022 season, including the 106th Indy 500 on May 29. The May 21-22 qualifying weekend at the Brickyard also will be on NBC.
Also of note: The Della Penna Motorsports Next Gen Foundation, founded this year by Michelle Della Penna to honor the legacy of her father, IndyCar team owner and legend, John Della Penna held its first-ever event at Laguna Seca Raceway hosting the Bay Area’s Radical Monarchs, an organization “that seeks to create opportunities for young girls of color to form fierce sisterhood, celebrate their identities and contribute radically to their communities.” To further its mission of inspiring the next generation of women in motorsports, Next Gen Foundation provided a dedicated hospitality suite for the Radical Monarchs, give private tours of the paddock and garages, coordinate meet-and-greets with professional female ambassadors in the sport, as well as provide hands-on exposure to vintage Indy Car racing gear.
Footnotes
* Palou is competing in his second IndyCar S season, his first with Chip Ganassi Racing
** Honda clinched the Manufacturers Award with its ninth win of the season. Honda won its first IndyCar championship 25 years ago, and this is its fourth consecutive Manufacturers Award.
*** The final race of the season will be September 26th on the Streets of Long Beach.
**** Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, has a 20-point lead in the battle for the INDYCAR Rookie-of-the-Year title to Long Beach.
***** Newgarden’s INDYCAR titles came in 2017 and 2019
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, 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. 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 during a downshift 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.