With Pocono Raceway coming up next on the schedule, a majority of the IZOD IndyCar Series teams are taking the opportunity to test there on Tuesday afternoon.
The test, which is closed to the public, will see eight teams and 15 drivers turning laps around the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” in Pennsylvania. Two of those drivers, Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti and Team Penske’s Will Power, were part of an earlier test there in April (pictured) that focused on tires and setting the proper aero package.
Here’s the list of competitors that will be at Pocono on Tuesday seeking to gain an early edge for the Pocono INDYCAR 400 on July 7:
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT: Ryan Hunter-Reay, EJ Viso, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti
DRAGON RACING: Sebastian Saavedra and Sebastien Bourdais
ED CARPENTER RACING: Ed Carpenter
PANTHER RACING: Ryan Briscoe
KV RACING TECHNOLOGY: Tony Kanaan and Simona de Silvestro
RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN: Graham Rahal and James Jakes
SARAH FISHER HARTMAN RACING: Josef Newgarden
TEAM PENSKE: Helio Castroneves and Will Power
Tuesday will also see Dale Coyne Racing’s Justin Wilson testing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which will welcome the series on Aug. 4 with the Honda Indy 200. As for the Chip Ganassi Racing contingent, the “Team Target” duo of Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, as well as American pilot Charlie Kimball, will all be testing Wednesday down at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
After the Pocono sessions, Power himself will head to Michigan for a straight-line test on Wednesday at General Motors’ proving grounds.
Seattle Supercross by the numbers: Three riders separated by 17 points
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
