Gallagher Grand Prix Fast Facts

Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 11-Saturday, Aug. 12

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (clockwise)

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES 85 laps / 207.3 miles | INDYNXT by Firestone 35 laps / 85.365 miles / 55 minutes

Media Links: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List (PDF) | INDY NXT by Firestone Entry List (PDF) | Driver Video Quotes (individual driver quotes posted to content.indycar.com) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF)

Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Two new sets to be used during the one-day event. A carryover set from the Nashville event may be used during the first practice.

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Event website: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/

INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2022 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda)

INDY NXT by Firestone (Race in May 2022)

Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports)

2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Felix Rosenqvist (No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet), 1 minute, 10.2265 seconds, 125.030 mph

2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports) 1:16.4266, 114.887 mph.

Qualifying records:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Will Power, 1:07.7044, 129.687 mph, May 12, 2017 (Set in Round 3 of knockout qualifying)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Linus Lundqvist, 1:11:5149, 115.780 mph, April 16, 2021

USA Network race telecast: Gallagher Grand Prix, 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 12, USA Network (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for USA’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.

Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while the USA Network’s race telecast of the Gallagher Grand Prix will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Brad Gillie and Brett McMillian are the pit reporters. The Gallagher Grand Prix race (2 p.m. ET Saturday), the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (4:45 p.m. ET Friday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):

FRIDAY, AUG. 11

9-10:30 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (75 minutes), Peacock

11-11:50 a.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE

12:30 p.m.: Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of NTT INDYCAR SERIES knockout qualifications), Peacock

2:20-2:40 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE

4-4:30 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice (30 minutes), Peacock

4:55 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”

5 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock

SATURDAY, AUG. 12

2 p.m.: USA Network on air

2:23 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”

2:30 p.m.: Gallagher Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), USA Network (Live)

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship facts:

· Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with four races to go for the second time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Palou also led the championship with four races to go in 2021 when he won the title. Palou has led the point standings after nine of the 13 races this season.

· There are eight drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Will Power and Christian Lundgaard. Any driver who trails the points leader by 162 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.

· Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship twice: Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1.

· Since 2008 when INDYCAR SERIES racing unified under the NTT INDYCAR SERIES banner, the eventual series champion has won the 14th race of the season four times. The most recent occurrence was in 2021 when Alex Palou won at Portland. Other drivers to win the 14th race of their championship season were Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2009 and 2010) and Scott Dixon (2008).

Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the largest deficit overcome by the eventual champion was 59 points by Dario Franchitti in 2010. Scott Dixon overcame Juan Pablo Montoya’s 54-point lead in 2015. The top two drivers in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship standings are separated by 84 points.

Point differential: The 84 points that separate Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden is the largest point margin with four races to go since 2008. Before this season, the average lead with four races to go since 2008 was 35.7 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 4 TO GO

YEAR LEADER SECOND LEAD CHAMPION
2008 Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves 65 Scott Dixon
2009 Scott Dixon Ryan Briscoe 3 Dario Franchitti (-20)
2010 Will Power Dario Franchitti 59 Dario Franchitti
2011 Dario Franchitti Will Power 47 Dario Franchitti
2012 Ryan Hunter-Reay Helio Castroneves 23 Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013 Helio Castroneves Scott Dixon 39 Scott Dixon
2014 Helio Castroneves Will Power 13 Will Power
2015 Juan Pablo Montoya Scott Dixon 54 Scott Dixon
2016 Simon Pagenaud Will Power 58 Simon Pagenaud
2017 Josef Newgarden Helio Castroneves 7 Josef Newgarden
2018 Scott Dixon Alexander Rossi 46 Scott Dixon
2019 Josef Newgarden Alexander Rossi 16 Josef Newgarden
2020 Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden 76 Scott Dixon
2021 Alex Palou Pato O’Ward 21 Alex Palou
2022 Will Power Marcus Ericsson 9 Will Power
2023 Alex Palou Josef Newgarden 84 ?

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:

  • The Gallagher Grand Prix will be the 15th INDYCAR SERIES event conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Active race winners expected to compete are Alex Palou, Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Will Power.
ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS
Will Power 5 2015, 2017, 2018 (GMR Grand Prix); 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-2); 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Scott Dixon 1 2020 (GMR Grand Prix)
Colton Herta 1 2022 (GMR Grand Prix)
Josef Newgarden 1 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
Alex Palou 1 2023 (GMR Grand Prix)
Alexander Rossi 1 2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Rinus VeeKay 1 2021 (GMR Grand Prix)
  • Five NTT P1 Award winners have won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course from the pole: Will Power won the 2015, 2017 and 2018 GMR Grand Prix and the second Harvest GP race in 2020 from the pole. Simon Pagenaud also won the GMR Grand Prix from the pole in 2016.
ACTIVE POLE WINNER POLES SEASONS
Will Power 5 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 (GMR Grand Prix and Harvest Grand Prix-2)
Felix Rosenqvist 2 2019, 2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Christian Lundgaard 1 2023 (GMR Grand Prix)
Pato O’Ward 1 2021 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
Romain Grosjean 1 2021 (GMR Grand Prix)
Rinus VeeKay 1 2020 (Harvest Grand Prix-1)
Felix Rosenqvist 2 2019, 2022 (Gallagher Grand Prix)
  • Five drivers have competed in every INDYCAR SERIES race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, and Graham Rahal. All but Pagenaud are entered this weekend.
  • Team Penske has eight wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-Race 2, 2020-Race 3, 2021-Race 2). Chip Ganassi has two wins – with Scott Dixon in 2020-Race 1 and Alex Palou in 2023-Race 1. Andretti Autosport, Ed Carpenter Racing and Arrow McLaren SP are the only other teams to win at the track. Andretti Autosport won the GMR Grand Prix with Colton Herta in May, while Ed Carpenter Racing won in 2021-Race 1 with Rinus VeeKay and Arrow McLaren SP won the inaugural race in 2014 with Simon Pagenaud when it was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
  • Five NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders are entered – Marcus Armstrong, Agustin Canapino, Linus Lundqvist, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb. All but Lundqvist raced in the GMR Grand Prix in May.
  • Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 319th consecutive start, which would break a tie with Tony Kanaan for the INDYCAR SERIES record streak … With his next win, Dixon will extend his INDYCAR SERIES record for consecutive seasons with at least one win to 19 … With his next win, WillPower will tie Michael Andretti for fourth on the INDYCAR SERIES all-time victory list.

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:

  • HMD Motorsports’ Christian Rasmussen returns to Indianapolis looking to solidify his grip on the INDY NXT by Firestone championship. The 23-year-old Danish driver earned his third victory in 2023 by winning Aug. 6 on the streets of Nashville. Rasmussen leads rookie teammate Nolan Siegel by 45 points, with Hunter McElrea of Andretti Autosport 59 points behind the leader.
  • Push-to-pass could play a key strategic role at Indianapolis as INDY NXT by Firestone drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking, similar to the drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds.
  • Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first INDY NXT win in 2023 in Indianapolis?

Sources: Dave Furst/INDYCAR PR