What to watch for: IndyCar at Detroit’s Belle Isle

3 Comments

Stress balls won’t help here

Even before last year’s surface problems, Belle Isle had already gained a reputation as one of the tougher street courses there is. You’ve got park roads more narrow than the roads on a typical city course and multiple surface changes between asphalt and concrete. Now take all of that and multiply it by two for this weekend’s doubleheader slate, which has ensured that nobody in the paddock is getting comfortable.

This is going to be a grueling couple of days on multiple fronts. A first Dual that ends badly could put a team in a hole they can’t get out of.

Eye on the sky

With the amount of new asphalt and concrete that has been installed for this year’s race, drivers have had to deal with a very slick surface this weekend. But things could get even tougher for them today in Dual 1 (Green Flag: 3:50 p.m. ET) with forecasts calling for thunderstorms in the Detroit region. If rain indeed comes to Belle Isle, an increased rate of attrition will likely play a role in how today plays out.

Hot corner: Turn 3

With a new half-mile straightaway connecting Turns 2 and 3 on this new 2.3-mile Belle Isle configuration, this portion of the course is likely to have the most action through the weekend. As our man on the ground Tony DiZinno noted earlier in the weekend on Twitter, a good exit out of the left-hand Turn 2 will be critical in setting up passing opportunities down the straight and heading into the 90-degree right-hander at Turn 3.

Home cookin’ for Chevrolet?

With four drivers in the Top 5 last weekend at the Indianapolis 500 (including race winner Tony Kanaan), Chevrolet gained a major measure of revenge following Honda’s 1-2 with Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon there in 2012. They’ll look for more payback this weekend in their ‘home’ race on Belle Isle, where the Honda camp swept the podium in last year’s shortened race with Dixon, Franchitti and Simon Pagenaud doing the honors.

IZOD IndyCar Series – Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit
Starting Lineup – Race 1

Row 1
5-EJ Viso
18-Mike Conway

Row 2
16-James Jakes
1-Ryan Hunter-Reay

Row 3
98-Alex Tagliani
55-Tristan Vautier

Row 4
14-Takuma Sato
77-Simon Pagenaud

Row 5
12-Will Power
6-Sebastian Saavedra

Row 6
10-Dario Franchitti (won pole; penalized for unapproved engine change)
3-Helio Castroneves

Row 7
2-AJ Allmendinger
7-Sebastien Bourdais

Row 8
9-Scott Dixon
19-Justin Wilson

Row 9
78-Simona de Silvestro
25-Marco Andretti

Row 10
11-Tony Kanaan
27-James Hinchcliffe

Row 11
4-Ryan Briscoe
20-Ed Carpenter

Row 12
15-Graham Rahal (penalized for unapproved engine change)
67-Josef Newgarden (penalized for unapproved engine change)

Row 13
83-Charlie Kimball (penalized for unapproved engine change)

Starting on Alternate Tires: Jakes, Tagliani, Vautier, Saavedra, Franchitti, De Silvestro, Briscoe

IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix: How to watch, start times, TV, schedules, streaming

IndyCar Detroit start times
Ryan Garza/USA TODAY Sports Images Network
0 Comments

The NTT IndyCar Series will return to the Motor City for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix but with start times in a new location for 2023.

After a 30-year run on Belle Isle, the Detroit GP has moved a few miles south to the streets of downtown on a new nine-turn, 1.7-mile circuit that runs along the Detroit River.

It’s the first time single-seater open-cockpit cars have raced on the streets of Detroit since a CART event on a 2.5-mile downtown layout from 1989-91. Formula One also raced in Detroit from 1982-88.

The reimagined Detroit Grand Prix also will play host to nightly concerts and bring in venders from across the region. Roger Penske predicts the new downtown locale will be bigger for Detroit than when the city played host to the 2006 Super Bowl.

Here are the details and IndyCar start times for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend (all times are ET):


CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX INDYCAR START TIMES

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. Leigh Diffey is the announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Kevin Lee are the pit reporters. Click here for the full NBC Sports schedule for IndyCar in 2023.

Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for both practices and qualifying.

POSTRACE SHOW ON PEACOCK: After the race’s conclusion, an exclusive postrace show will air on Peacock with driver interviews, postrace analysis and the podium presentation. To watch the extended postrace show, click over to the special stream on Peacock after Sunday’s race ends.

COMMAND TO START ENGINES: 3:23 p.m. ET

GREEN FLAG: 3:30 p.m. ET

PRACTICE: Friday, 3 p.m. (Peacock Premium); Saturday, 9:05 a.m. (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 10 a.m. (Peacock Premium)

QUALIFYING: Saturday, 1:20 p.m. (Peacock Premium)

RACE DISTANCE: The race is 100 laps (170 miles) on a nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street course in downtown Detroit.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate. Rookie drivers are allowed one extra primary set for the first practice.

PUSH TO PASS: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation (Indy NXT: 150 seconds total, 15 seconds per). The push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. The feature increases the power of the engine by approximately 60 horsepower.

FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 80 degrees with a 0% chance of rain.

ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 27 drivers racing Sunday at Detroit

INDY NXT RACES: Saturday, 12:05 p.m. 45 laps/55 minutes (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 12:50 p.m. 45 laps/55 minutes (Peacock Premium)

INDY NXT ENTRY LISTClick here to view the 19 drivers racing at Detroit


CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX START TIMES

(All times are Eastern)

Friday, June 2

8:30-9:30 a.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice

9:50-10:20 a.m.: Trans Am Series practice

11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice

1-1:30 p.m.: Trans Am Series practice

1:50-2:40 p.m.: Indy NXT practice

3-4:30 p.m.: IndyCar practice, Peacock

4:50-5:05 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying

5:30-6 p.m.: IndyNXT qualifying (Race 1 and 2)

6-7:15 p.m.: A-Track concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

7:30-8:30 p.m.: Big Boi concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

Saturday, June 3

8:15-8:45 a.m.: Trans Am Series qualifying

9:05-10:05 a.m.: IndyCar practice, Peacock

10:35-11:35 a.m.: Trans Am Series, 3-Dimensional Services Group Muscle Car Challenge

12:05-1:00 p.m.: Indy NXT, Race 1 (45 laps or 55 minutes), Peacock

1:15-2:45 p.m.: IndyCar qualifying, Peacock

4:10-5:50 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic (100 minutes), Peacock

5:30-7 p.m.: Z-Trip concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

7-8:30 p.m.: Steve Aoki concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

Sunday, June 4

10:00-10:30 a.m.: IndyCar warmup, Peacock

11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Trans Am Series, 3-Dimensional Services Group Motor City Showdown

12:50-1:45 p.m.: Indy NXT, Race 2 (45 laps or 55 minutes), Peacock

2:47 p.m.: IndyCar driver introductions

3:23 p.m.: Command to start engines

3:30 p.m.: Green flag for the Chevrolet Detroit Prix, presented by Lear (100 laps/170 miles), NBC


2023 SEASON RECAPS

ROUND 1Marcus Ericsson wins wild opener in St. Petersburg

ROUND 2Josef Newgarden wins Texas thriller over Pato O’Ward

ROUND 3: Kyle Kirkwood breaks through for first career IndyCar victory

ROUND 4: Scott McLaughlin outduels Romain Grosjean at Barber

ROUND 5: Alex Palou dominant in GMR Grand Prix

ROUND 6: Josef Newgarden wins first Indy 500 in 12th attempt 


COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM

Inside Team Penske’s bid win another Indy 500 for “The Captain”

Annual photo shows women having an impact on Indy 500 results

Roger Penske feeling hale at another Indy 500 as Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner

Honda needed 45 seconds to approve Graham Rahal racing a Chevy at Indy

A.J. Foyt takes refuge at Indy 500 while weathering grief of wife’s death

Gordon Johncock: The most unassuming Indy 500 legend

Alex Palou on his Indy 500 pole, multitasking at 224 mph and a Chip Ganassi surprise

Marcus Ericsson, engineer Brad Goldberg have ties that run very deep

New competition elements for 2023 include an alternate oval tire

Indy 500 will be Tony Kanaan’s final race

IndyCar drivers say Thermal Club could host a race

IndyCar team owners weigh in on marketing plans, double points

Alexander Rossi fitting in well at McLaren

Phoenix takes flight: Romain Grosjean enjoying the pilot’s life

Helio Castroneves says 2023 season is “huge” for IndyCar future

How Sting Ray Robb got that name

Kyle Larson having impact on future McLaren teammates

Simon Pagenaud on why he likes teasing former teammate Josef Newgarden

HOW TO WATCH INDYCAR IN 2023Full NBC Sports schedule