DETROIT (Aug. 12, 2021) – After finding direction on their first foray on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee, last weekend, Chevrolet teams return to the familiar Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course as the drive to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship continues.
Team Chevy will compete in the 85-lap/207-mile Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on Saturday, Aug. 14. Chevrolet has won eight of the 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, including the past three, on the technical 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course that incorporates Turns 1 and 2 and the front stretch of the famed oval.
“Team Chevy has had success on the challenging Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, most recently in May with Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing earning his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory,” Chevrolet INDYCAR program manager Rob Buckner said. “Teams and their Chevrolet trackside engineers will work together to incorporate the familiarity of the racetrack with performance gains to hopefully produce another victory and solid results by all drivers.”
VeeKay, driving the No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet, led 33 laps and won by nearly five seconds on May 15. He has also recorded third- and fifth-place finishes and earned his maiden pole in 2020 on the IMS circuit. The team has produced a T-shirt, featuring VeeKay celebrating his first Series victory in his 19th race, for this weekend.
“Getting my first podium here last year and now winning, it was a dream. We are going back to Indy and hopefully I can have some luck again,” said VeeKay, who turns 21 on Sept. 11.
Team Penske’s Will Power and Josef Newgarden won the October 2020 races on the IMS road course in their Chevrolet-powered race cars. Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, is a four-time winner on the road course – all from the pole. Teammate Simon Pagenaud is a three-time winner.
With five races left, Pato O’Ward is six points out of second place in the Driver Standings and Newgarden is fourth. O’Ward, a two-time winner this season, has a best finish of fifth on the IMS road course.
RC Enerson, 24, will make his fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES start and first since 2019 in the No. 75 Top Gun Racing Chevrolet. Enerson, of New Port Rickey, Florida, an Indy Lights graduate, posted a best finish of ninth at Watkins Glen International in three NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in 2016.
The racing weekend includes Chevrolet teams competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Aug. 14 and the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race on the road course on Sunday, Aug. 15. Chevrolet drivers won 17 of the 27 races on the 2.5-mile oval dating to 1994, including five by Jeff Gordon.
“The race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be extra special with the rare opportunity to catch up with our Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series personnel and watch the races,” Buckner added. “We wish our Chevrolet teams good luck as they close in on regular-season championships and their respective Playoff events.”
Spectators will have the opportunity to view some of Chevrolet’s newest production vehicles, including a Corvette convertible 3LT, Bolt EUV, Silverado 1500 Trailboss, and participate in a Q&A with NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers at the Chevrolet display near Pagoda Plaza. The display will be open from 2-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13; 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14; and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15. Participating drivers include:
Friday, Aug. 13
5:05-5:20 p.m. – Conor Daly
5:30-5:45 p.m. – Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist
Saturday, Aug. 14
9:45-10 a.m. – Rinus VeeKay and NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron
NBCSN will telecast the 85-lap Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 14, and qualifying live at 7 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 13. The race, qualifications and practice will also be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. Practice and qualifications will stream on Peacock Premium.
A Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray will lead the field to the green flag.
A.J. Foyt EnterprisesTeam Chevy will be represented by:
Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt Racing
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing
Arrow McLaren SP
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP
Carlin
Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin
Ed Carpenter Racing
Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek
Team Penske
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 XPEL Team Penske
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 CarShop Team Penske
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske
Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske
Top Gun Racing
RC Enerson, No. 75 Top Gun Racing
Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Year-By-Year Results since 2012
2021 – 4 wins, 5 poles in 11 races
Wins – Pato O’Ward (Texas2, Detroit2); Rinus VeeKay (Indy RC1); Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio). Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit1); Josef Newgarden (Detroit2, Road America, Mid-Ohio).
2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 races
Wins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)
2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Driver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)
2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Indianapolis 500 win (Will Power)
2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)
2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)
2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);
Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 2012
2014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)
2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)
2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)
Total – 93 wins, 104 earned poles in 160 races
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.
From: Judy Kouba Dominick
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