Ganassi pair leads Wednesday Sonoma IndyCar test - MotorSportsTalk

IndyCar teams completed more than 1,000 laps in five hours of testing on Wednesday at Sonoma ahead of this Sunday’s GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma (4 p.m. EST, NBCSN). Drivers from the “big three” teams of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske and Andretti Autosport locked out the top seven as teams worked to find grip and consistency at the 1.99-mile Sonoma Raceway.

Dario Franchitti, winless in 2013, led from Scott Dixon in the pair of Target Hondas. Interestingly this is only the fifth weekend of 13 thus far in 2013 where Franchitti has had Target on his car (St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Indianapolis, Toronto). Franchitti’s best lap of 38 turned was 1:18.2945, just ahead of Dixon’s 1:18.3694.

Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti), Will Power, Helio Castroneves (both Penske), James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti (Andretti) locked out the top seven ahead of the Dragon Racing Sebastie(a)ns, Bourdais and Saavedra, and Justin Wilson.

Hinchcliffe, Bourdais, Ryan Briscoe (Panther Racing), and series debutante Lucas Luhr (RW/Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing) set their fastest times in the morning two-hour session, with the remaining 21 clocking in their best in the afternoon. JR Hildebrand was 18th on his first day for Barracuda Racing, while James Davison’s first day in an IndyCar at Sonoma ended 23rd for Dale Coyne.

Official practice begins on Friday.

1. Dario Franchitti, 1:18.2945, 38
2. Scott Dixon, 1:18.3694, 46
3. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 1:18.4707, 37
4. Will Power, 1:18.5082, 45
5. Helio Castroneves, 1:18.8965, 48
6. James Hinchcliffe, 1:18.9329, 43*
7. Marco Andretti, 1:18.9912, 35
8. Sebastien Bourdais, 1:19.1274, 34*
9. Sebastian Saavedra, 1:19.2560, 35
10. Justin Wilson, 1:19.2731, 43
11. Simona de Silvestro, 1:19.3386, 39
12. Ryan Briscoe, 1:19.3941, 38*
13. Charlie Kimball, 1:19.4095, 51
14. E.J. Viso, 1:19.4495, 28
15. Josef Newgarden, 1:19.4671, 38
16. Tony Kanaan, 1:19.5319, 31
17. James Jakes, 1:19.5426, 44
18. JR Hildebrand, 1:19.6668, 51
19. Graham Rahal, 1:19.7002, 58
20. Simon Pagenaud, 1:19.7100, 57
21. Tristan Vautier, 1:19.9103, 44
22. Takuma Sato, 1:19.9302, 36
23. James Davison, 1:20.1534, 50
24. Ed Carpenter, 1:20.2236, 45
25. Lucas Luhr, 1:20.2262, 44*

*Set fastest time in Practice 1 instead of Practice 2

Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

*Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles*

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.

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