At the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit, two motorsport legends will be competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this weekend.
Chip Ganassi Racing has hired the renowned racing driver Scott Pruett as strategist for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Pruett joins seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson after taking a call from Mike Hull, Managing Director of Chip Ganassi Racing.
“It’s great to be here,” said Pruett. “This is sure to be a new adventure. With so many years spent at Ganassi and all the things I’ve done with teammates over the years, bringing them with me and helping them as best as possible, it seemed like a good opportunity. “
If anyone can help Johnson move from two decades of stock car racing to open wheel racing, it is Pruett. A native of Sacramento, California, has a diverse background in racing as he competed in INDYCAR, NASCAR, and sports cars. His most successful years in sports cars were with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Pruett is one of the greats in North American sports car racing. At 60, he is second on the all-time IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship wins list. He scored 44 of these with Ganassi in the iconic blue and white Daytona prototype No. 01. He is associated with Hurley Haywood for the most victories at the prestigious Rolex 24 in Daytona with five victories.
Aside from sports cars, Pruett has two INDYCAR SERIES wins at Michigan International Speedway and Surfers Paradise in Australia. In addition to Bernard Jourdain, he was also Indianapolis 500 Co-Rookie of the Year in 1989.
Pruett knows Johnson’s transition from NASCAR firsthand, as he also competed in the NASCAR Cup Series with Ganassi. He took three top five finishes in 40 starts, with a runner-up in 2003 at Watkins Glen.
Aside from calling strategy during this season’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, Pruett said he will join Johnson in his new racing adventure along with four-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Dario Franchitti, who also competed in NASCAR races.
“Working with Dario Franchitti, he did a great job with these guys and a lot of talented teammates,” said Pruett. “That is a big request. If you switch from NASCAR to INDYCAR, get the feeling and what it takes, you have to learn a lot in a short period of time. Jimmie does a great job of getting started. “
Johnson finished 25th in practice on Friday with a best time of 1 minute and 22.7353 seconds.
This is not a drive in the park
Friday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice at the Raceway at Belle Isle, the only practice on the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix double weekend, lasted 75 minutes. Rookies and other newcomers on the physically demanding street circuit tried to make the most of every minute of it.
Seven of the 25 drivers participating this weekend (28 percent) have never driven the INDYCAR SERIES on the 2.35-mile circuit with 14 corners, the highest figure since the event resumed in 2012 after a four-year absence.
Scott McLaughlin is one of the rookies in the series and only drove five laps – all at the start of the session – before crashing into the tire barrier at Turn 5 with his PPG Team Penske Chevrolet No. 3.
“I was a little too excited,” he told NBC Sports on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service that has all of the training and NTT P1 Awards qualifying sessions this season. “The car felt pretty solid and I was going into Turn 5 and was just losing the rear end of the (corner) entry. Pretty stupid mistake on my part. All my fault. I tested the limits on a very hot track. “
McLaughlin noted that it was lost time “that we really need” as the team was unable to repair the front wing and suspension damage before the session ended.
“I made the mistake and I have to admit it and move on,” he said.
McLaughlin and the rest of the field have to “move on” quickly. Qualification for the NTT P1 Award for the first race will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET (NBCSN). The first of the two 70-lap races will take place at 2 p.m. ET (NBC).
Another rookie in the series, Johnson, also had a problem early on in practice, which cost him valuable time learning the track. The driver of the number 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda spun around at Turn 3 but didn’t hit anything. However, like McLaughlin, Johnson was given a five-minute penalty for causing a red flag.
Other newcomers this weekend include series rookies Romain Grosjean (No. 51 NURTEC ODT Honda) and Dalton Kellett (No. 4 K-Line Insulators / AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet) as well as three drivers who have never driven in Detroit . Remember, the event did not take place last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her Detroit debuts include Alex Palou (No. 10 The American League Honda), Jack Harvey (No. 60 AutoNation SiriusXM Honda) and Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Sonax / Autogeek Chevrolet).
Grosjean had a spin that was effective in avoiding contact with a tire barrier. The rear wing just brushed the barrier cover, and the incident didn’t interrupt training. He finished with the 13th fastest lap.
VeeKay finished the best lap of the newbies in ninth, but at Turn 1 he had a wild ride through the grass and narrowly missed the wall on his left. He was able to return to the pits without further incident. Other newbies were deeper in the field: Palou 15th, Harvey 21st, Kellett 23rd, McLaughlin 24th, and Johnson 25th.
Since 2012, only three INDYCAR drivers have taken podiums in their Detroit debuts. Conor Daly (2016) and Marcus Ericsson (2019) finished second, while Simon Pagenaud (2012) came third. However, Pagenaud had previously driven in sports cars on the racetrack and was third in a 2008 American Le Mans Series race.
One aspect that speaks for these Motown newbies: The use of the Aeroscreen on this route is a first for everyone. The Aeroscreen debuted in 2020.
Keep drivers cool
Palou and Daly (No. 20 Chevrolet of the US Air Force) experimented on Friday with “cool” suits that defy the high temperatures and humidity. The reason why not everyone uses one: The suit is believed to add at least 2 to 3 pounds to the total weight of the car and there could be a weather change on Saturday with possible rain in the forecast.
Santino Ferrucci used a tinted aeroscreen to counteract the warm conditions.
For this event, INDYCAR ordered the use of an air scoop to direct air into the cockpit. The shovels didn’t have to be used in practice or qualifying, but all cars must be equipped with them in the 70-lap races.
“It’s hot, really hot,” said Alexander Rossi, driver of the number 27 AutoNation / NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda from Andretti Autosport. “But it’s the same for everyone.”
Palou not worried about Penalty Pen
Palou, who finished 15th in practice on Friday, will try to finish as high on the timesheet as possible in the NTT P1 Award qualifying on Saturday morning.
Palou has to start the first race of this double race six positions lower in the field as he qualifies for an unauthorized engine change in his Chip Ganassi Racing number 10 ahead of the 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Palou wasn’t too concerned about the penalty, partly because the winner’s average start in the double-header era (2013-19) was 7.2. Four of these race winners started in 10th or lower place, with Carlos Munoz winning from 20th position in 2015 and Will Power from 16th position in 2014.
Additionally, Chip Ganassi’s organization has been one of the best in Detroit in the past, with Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda) being the final race of 2019 and a three-time overall winner of the event.
“The team has done really well over the last few years so I know Scott will be fast and Marcus (Ericsson) got his first podium there in 2019 (INDYCAR SERIES) so he will be really fast,” said Palou . “Yes, I will learn from everyone.”
The championship leader Palou goes into the seventh race of the season with 36 points ahead of Dixon. Pato O’Ward (# 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) is one point behind Dixon.
Bits and pieces:
- Qualifying will have a unique format for both races of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. The field will be split into two groups, with the fastest six cars in each group advancing into the Firestone Fast 12 to set the order for the first six rows. The remaining cars complete the grid. The same procedure applies to Sunday qualifying, scheduled for 9 a.m. ET. Both sessions can be seen live on NBCSN.
- Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood took pole position today for the first of two Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires races at Belle Isle this weekend. Kirkwood will lead the field to the green on Saturday at 12:10 p.m. ET.
- Firestone Racing supplies more than 2,000 racing tires for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit. Each team is allocated eight sets of primary “black” tires, five sets of alternative “red” tires, and seven sets of “gray” rain tires. Firestone brought the same tire compound and construction as at this year’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.