SIMON PAGENAUD

Alex Palou earned the first pole of his IndyCar career and put himself in position to reclaim the championship lead headed into Sunday’s race at Portland International Raceway.

The IndyCar championship flipped leaders Saturday night when Alex Palou was collected in an early three-car accident that moved Pato O’Ward to the point following O’Ward’s runner-up finish to winner Josef Newgarden at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Marcus Ericsson survived the perilous city streets of Nashville on Sunday and won the inaugural Music City Grand Prix.

IndyCar may have a hit on its hands if the first few days were an indicator of the enthusiasm from fans and drivers of the race.

Josef Newgarden has earned the pole position for Sunday’s IndyCar race at Road America as he attempts to help Team Penske earn its first win of the season.

The first engines will fire up on Belle Isle Friday as Grand Prix weekend officially gets underway.

Scott Dixon was again atop the leaderboard for the final practice before the Indianapolis 500.

The Indianapolis 500 will open its gates to 135,000 spectators on Sunday for the largest sports event since the start of the pandemic.

Team Penske had an uncharacteristically slow first day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying and Will Power will have to avoid being bumped from the 33-car field when the lineup is finalized.

A trio of Indianapolis 500 winners led opening day of practice and temporarily silenced the sudden youth movement.

Rinus VeeKay continued IndyCar’s youth movement Saturday by scoring his first career victory with a win on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Alex Palou and Will Power will start on the front row for the IndyCar Series' first oval race this season.

Colton Herta has rebounded from a first-lap crash in the IndyCar season opener to win the pole on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.

The Indianapolis 500 plans to host 135,000 spectators next month, which would make it the largest sporting event in the world since the pandemic.

FILE - Roger Penske looks over the track from the grandstand at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, in this Thursday, July 2, 2020, file photo. There will be fans at this year's Indianapolis 500, Penske said Monday, March 22, 2021, but how many remains a moving target based on pandemic restrictions. (AP Photo/Jenna Fryer, File)A fully vaccinated Roger Penske is hard at work at Indianapolis Motor Speedway preparing for a full season of racing that will include spectators at his showcase event. There will be fans at this year's Indianapolis 500, Penske said Monday, but how many remains a moving target based on COVID-19 restrictions. Penske noted Monday that the positivity rate for COVID-19 for Marion County, where Indianapolis Motor Speedway is located, was 3.1%.

Wayne Taylor left General Motors after 28 years at the end of last season to become a factory Acura program. "We won it with Ricky, and Jordan won the GT class with Corvette, and then the Wayne Taylor Racing program won it overall. Albuquerque won in 2018 driving a Cadillac; Ricky Taylor won in a Cadillac for his father's team in 2017. AdWhen Taylor switched to Acura, he released van der Zande, who was grabbed by Ganassi as the team returned to sports car racing after a one-year hiatus. “Looked like we had the race won right there.

The seven-time NASCAR champion is beginning a new chapter of his career — at 45 years old — in unfamiliar race cars. He was tabbed to start the most prestigious sports car race in America for his Action Express team and Johnson had just one goal for his first stint in the Cadillac. 48 over to teammate Simon Pagenaud and then turned to Kamui Kobayashi, the two-time reigning winner of the Rolex 24, for an animated debrief. AdElliott seemed despondent after his first run in his first sports car race. 31 Action Express entry had slipped to last in his class after the driver change between Elliott and Mike Conway.

Sato held off Dixon last Sunday for his second Indy 500 victory in four years. Dixon had 20 laps to chase Sato down, but a late caution ended the race under yellow. Sato returned to the track in third, passed O'Ward with a bold outside move then set his sights on Dixon. Dixon beat Sato by 0.1404 seconds for his fourth win of the season and 50th overall and praised his Chip Ganassi Racing team. That was a textbook Scott Dixon race.

FILE - In this May 26, 2019, file photo, Simon Pagenaud, of France, leads the field through the first turn on the start of the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis 500 will limit fan attendance to 25% of capacity and lift a local broadcast blackout for just the second time in nearly seven decades when the postponed race is run next month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Speedway officials released a detailed 88-page plan Wednesday for conducting the 104th edition of the race in the age of the coronavirus. Penske Entertainment chief executive Mark Miles acknowledged everything will be different about this year's race.Capacity will be limited to 87,500 fans at the massive speedway. Tickets will be distributed so that groups of fans are socially distanced and many ancillary events, such as Legends Day and the 500 Festival Parade, have been canceled.

Josef Newgarden leads Will Power, of Australia, right, during the IndyCar Series auto race, Saturday, July 18, 2020, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)NEWTON, Iowa Josef Newgarden led nearly wire-to-wire Saturday night to win the IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway, giving team owner Roger Penske a sweep of the doubleheader and his fourth victory across three series this weekend. Team Penske has 13 drivers completing in five series across two continents this weekend. The two Penske entries in the IMSA race at Sebring struggled earlier Saturday. The veteran driver did the same thing in Race 1, leaving black marks on the wall about 30 yards apart.

Two-time and defending champ Josef Newgarden, who won the second race of the Iowa doubleheader, has yet to turn 30. Pagenaud, who like Newgarden drives for Team Penske, won the first Iowa race on Friday night. The natural ebb and flow of sports dictates there must be a wave of youngsters waiting to replace them. Not surprisingly, Ferrucci was fired by his Trident Racing team. Take the doubleheader this weekend, where Herta and VeeKay were in contention Friday night before a caution flag waved.

NEWTON, Iowa Simon Pagenaud came from the last starting spot before holding off Scott Dixon in the final laps to win the opener of IndyCar's doubleheader at Iowa Speedway on Friday night, a race that drove home the importance of the new Aeroscreen designed to protect drivers from flying debris. Pagenaud was sent to the back after a fuel pressure issue forced him to scrap his qualifying attempt. He wound up stretching his tires with a unique strategy and got a little bit of luck along the way to give team owner Roger Penske his first IndyCar win since purchasing the series late last year. The win also snapped a sweep of the first four races by Chip Ganassi's team. Dixon still gave him a second-place run after three wins to start the season, while rookie Oliver Askew rounded out the podium.

IndyCar Rev Group Grand Prix winner Alexander Rossi enters Victory Lane Sunday, June 23, 2019, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Road America allowed fans back in for its events starting last month. Fans this weekend will get temperature checks at gates and receive masks and hand sanitizer as they enter. The only drivers to open an IndyCar season with at least three straight victories are A.J. Drivers believe the Road America course wont be as grueling with all of its straightaways despite its 14 turns.

Race driver Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, celebrates with the trophy after winning the IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, July 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)INDIANAPOLIS Scott Dixon finally made his second trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway's victory lane. Dixon finished runner-up in each of the last three races on the track's 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. It's so good to be standing here, racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway," Dixon said after pumping his fist in a mostly empty and silent renovated winner's circle. Otherwise, it was a relatively easy drive for Dixon, whose 48 IndyCar wins rank third behind A.J.

In this photo provided by Chris Owens/INDYCAR Series, Scott Dixon, left, jumps off his car toward team owner Chip Ganassi as the two celebrate Dixon's IndyCar auto race win at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, June 6, 2020. (Chris Owens/INDYCAR Series via AP)FORT WORTH, Texas FORT WORTH, TexasThrough all of the uncertainty and unknowns after more than eight months since the last IndyCar race, Scott Dixon and another pair of former champs relied on their experience for podium finishes. NBC Sports said Sunday that the Saturday night prime-time telecast drew nearly 1.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched IndyCar race outside the Indianapolis 500 on any network since 2016. It was the biggest audience for an NBC telecast of any IndyCar race away from the Brickyard. I mean, it felt like a normal IndyCar race to me.

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Ive been training every morning getting ready for the season, Simon Pagenaud said. I train three hours every day, then I go on a simulator.Racing is everything to Simon Pagenaud and thats why he gives it his all. Haley is my wife, she is disinfecting everything when it comes into our house, Pagenaud said. Last year was pretty good to Pagenaud who drives for Team Penske. I love Detroit for that reason.Indycar returns June 6th in Texas, but it will be very different.

Then a caution with two laps remaining at Charlotte Motor Speedway cluttered Elliott's clear path to the win and gave Keselowski an opening. Now Keselowski returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Wednesday night race and a shot at consecutive victories. That was the situation we were put in.Both Keselowski and Busch could empathize with Elliott's heartbreak at Charlotte. Keselowski spoke with Elliott as the two switched spots in front of a laptop during the post-race Zoom media availability. But Elliott's team has been the most consistent late in races and Wednesday brings another chance for the driver to finally get his first win of the season.

His Hendrick Motorsports team bounced back with a competitive Chevrolet in the 600 that Elliott drove to the front late in the race. Theres no other choice.KESELOWSKI SHOWS HIS WORTHA Daytona 500 victory is the only crown jewel race Keselowski is missing on his resume. "I hope to continue to compete at a very high level and be able to win races for a long time. Weve got a race win at a major on a team thats really just starting to click together. I hope it does because this is my 30th win at the Cup level with Team Penske.

FILE - This May 26, 2019, file photo shows Simon Pagenaud, of France, celebrating after winning the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis. The Indy 500 has been rescheduled for Aug. 23, 2020, and won't be run on Memorial Day weekend as scheduled for the first time since its return in 1946. On Sunday, he'd chase a second straight Indianapolis 500 victory. Instead, he is spending the Memorial Day weekend quietly at home, far away from deafening engines and roaring crowds. Fans just might park around Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend and celebrate their annual traditions anyway.

A second straight victory in virtual racing for Simon Pagenaud and Team Penske and tempers were hot at the end of this one. Pagenaud, the reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, competed in his firesuit and captured IndyCars race Saturday on a simulated Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. McLaughlin, the Australian V8 SuperCars champion and winner of the virtual race three weeks ago at Barber Motorsports Park, was sent spinning into the wall and out of contention. Thats what I sent to Askew.Pagenaud then raced Power wheel-to-wheel and the cars appeared to touch before Pagenaud took the lead. Kudos obviously to the NTT IndyCar Series and iRacing iRacing have so much on their plate at the moment with so many different series.

IndyCars virtual return to Michigan International Speedway mimicked the U.S. 500 at the start when the current open-wheel racing stars mismanaged the green flag and triggered a spectacular crash. The accident in the opening seconds of the Chevrolet 275 iRacing event gave Saturdays latest event a throwback feel. Michigan marked the first oval track on IndyCars virtual schedule and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud won the race. Earnhardt finished a surprising third, behind the Team Penske duo of Pagenaud and Scott McLaughlin, winner of last weeks iRacing event at virtual Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Sage Karam won IndyCars first iRacing event and led the most laps at Michigan but pitted from the lead for fuel with 14 laps remaining.

DETROIT – These days, we’re all getting our IndyCar fix virtually. His Team Penske teammate, Josef Newgarden, hasn’t won yet, but he’s new to this. RELATED: 2020 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix canceled due to coronavirus“It’s not been terrible, two top ten finishes,” Newgarden said. “See, it’s pretty nice, I have the wheel and pedal system and a pretty impressive screen, 49 inches,” Newgarden said. Newgarden said it’s a shame the Detroit Grand Prix is canceled this year.

After breaking records for esports racing live streaming last Sunday, The Race All-Star Esports Battle returns this week with the worlds greatest sim racers taking on leading drivers from Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula E and more. Sundays event was created following the cancellation of the opening round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Australia. Last week was a massive success, but were raising the bar for round 2 and setting an incredible challenge for the esports simulator racers, Torque Esports President and CEO, Darren Cox said. Esports racing was already in a dramatic growth phase, but given the current global situation with COVID-19, the stay at home economy is booming. Saturdays race can be seen on Torque Esports motorsport and sim racing platforms YouTube page.

For Norman Pagenaud, ball is life, ham is second. That is according to his dog dad, Indy 500 champion, Simon Pagenaud. Norman travels everywhere, to every race. The first race Simon brought him to, he won, so Norman is his official good luck charm. When we met Norman, Simon showed us all of the tricks in Normans arsenal.