What to watch for: IndyCar at Sonoma - MotorSportsTalk

SLIPPERY SONOMA

Getting a grip on the situation will be very tough to do for the IZOD IndyCar Series drivers in today’s GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. Throughout the weekend, we’ve heard that the tires have a very short window of optimal performance before they fall off. There’s also Mother Nature to think about, as the California winds can toss sand and dirt on the track, making the driving experience even more hairy.

LUCKY SEVEN

Last year’s modifications to Sonoma’s IndyCar course included tightening up Turn 7, which comes after a short burst down the track’s dragstrip. It’s probably the best of the passing zones that opened up with the modifications, which also affected Turn 9 and Turn 11, the last corner on the course. Having a good run off the Carousel and onto the strip will be critical to making passes in Turn 7 work, but it can be done.

MAKE THE MOST OF IT

Scott Dixon finished one spot behind Helio Castroneves three weeks ago at Mid-Ohio, missing out on an opportunity to cut further into the latter’s championship lead at a place where he’d won four previous times. But with he and Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti running as strong as they have this weekend in Sonoma, Dixon has another chance to narrow his 31-point gap to the Brazilian.

DON’T HOLD BACK

As I mentioned earlier this weekend, Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti may be still in the championship but must make up significant ground on Castroneves and Dixon this afternoon. It’s time for these two to be as aggressive as they can get away with.

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IZOD IndyCar Series – GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma
Starting Grid

Row 1
10-Dario Franchitti
9-Scott Dixon

Row 2
12-Will Power
1-Ryan Hunter-Reay

Row 3
3-Helio Castroneves
83-Charlie Kimball

Row 4
19-Justin Wilson
15-Graham Rahal

Row 5
27-James Hinchcliffe
77-Simon Pagenaud

Row 6
25-Marco Andretti
7-Sebastien Bourdais

Row 7
14-Takuma Sato
55-Tristan Vautier (rookie)

Row 8
5-E.J. Viso
11-Tony Kanaan

Row 9
67-Josef Newgarden
98-J.R. Hildebrand

Row 10
16-James Jakes
6-Sebastian Saavedra

Row 11
4-Ryan Briscoe
78-Simona de Silvestro

Row 12
20-Ed Carpenter
97-Lucas Luhr (rookie)

Row 13
*18-James Davison (rookie)

Drivers in italics will start on the alternate Firestone tires
*18-Davison has been penalized for an unapproved engine change; he qualified 21st on Saturday.

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It took four attempts for Kyle Larson to win his first High Limit Sprint Car Series race in the series he co-owns with brother-in-law Brad Sweet, but once he found victory lane, he has been undefeated with his win at Eagle (Nebraska) Raceway. For the second week, Abreu led early only to fall prey to Larson.

The win was Larson’s third straight victory and the fifth consecutive top-five, giving him a perfect sweep of the season after finishing 10th in last year’s inaugural race at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana.

Larson started third behind Abreu and Brent Marks but was embroiled in a fierce battle with Anthony Macri for third during the first dozen laps. Larson slipped by Macri in traffic until a red flag waved for a flip by Lachlan McHugh.

Meanwhile at the front of the pack, Marks retook the lead from Abreu on Lap 18. Larson followed one lap later and then caution waved again. Tyler Courtney lost power and fell to 24th after starting eighth.

Marks scooted away on the restart but tragedy struck in Lap 26. Leading the race, Marks hit a pothole in Turn 1, bicycled and then flipped, handing the lead to Larson.

Abreu caught Larson again during the final laps and in a reprise of their battle at Tri-City Speedway, the two threw sliders at one another for several laps until Larson built some separation and ran away to the checkers.

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧. 𝗪𝗔𝗦. 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗖.@EagleRaceway went above and beyond in their return to the main stage with the High Limit Sprint Car Series tonight!

pic.twitter.com/H3XKQEOpg6

— High Limit Racing (@HighLimitRacing) June 7, 2023

“I didn’t feel like my pace in [Turns] 1 & 2 slowed down a ton,” Larson said from victory lane. “I missed it once there and then I saw his nose in 3 & 4. I didn’t know if he nailed the bottom that well behind me and I think he might have slid me in the next corner, so he was definitely on the top.

“I was nervous to move up there because my car was really pogoing up in the entry of 1. I got up just in time, made a few mistakes and he threw a couple more sliders at me but he was just a little too far back and I was able to squirt around him. Then I really had to commit to hitting my marks – back my effort down a bit to avoid mistakes.”

After leading early, Abreu fell back as far as sixth, but faith in his car kept hope alive.

“I just needed to do a few things a few laps before I did and fix some angles, then my car got a whole lot better,” Abreu said. “I’m thankful for this team; they do an amazing job. They don’t give up on me. I know my car is going to be there right at the end of these races, so it’s just the discipline of being patient.”

For Abreu, it was his third near-miss this season. He was leading at Lakeside in the 2023 opener until a tire went flat in the closing laps and he lost the lead to Larson late in the Tri-City Speedway race. Abreu has finished sixth or better in his last three High Limit races with each result being progressively better until his pair of runner-up results.

Third-place finisher Scelzi was the hard charger, advancing from 17th.

“I had a very specific plan; don’t go near [the hole in Turn 1],” Scelzi said. “It worked out. No one wanted to start on the top. I think I gained a couple of rows there on the choose cone and ran the middle, which seemed to be better than right around the bottom.”

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid in fourth and Macri rounded out the top five.

World of Outlaws star and former NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne was one of 41 entrants, but he was not among the 26 starters. He failed to advance to the Main after finishing eighth in the B Main and seventh in his heat.

Feature Results

A Feature (40 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 3. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[17]; 4. 71-Michael Kofoid[5]; 5. 39M-Anthony Macri[3]; 6. 9-Chase Randall[9]; 7. 26-Zeb Wise[14]; 8. 1X-Jake Bubak[15]; 9. 8-Aaron Reutzel[10]; 10. 14D-Corey Day[18]; 11. 11-Cory Eliason[12]; 12. 5T-Ryan Timms[11]; 13. 88-Austin McCarl[13]; 14. 21H-Brady Bacon[22]; 15. 48-Danny Dietrich[16]; 16. 7S-Robbie Price[19]; 17. 21-Brian Brown[23]; 18. 22-Riley Goodno[26]; 19. 52-Blake Hahn[25]; 20. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[21]; 21. 3J-Dusty Zomer[6]; 22. 14-Cole Macedo[7]; 23. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 24. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]; 25. 25-Lachlan McHugh[20]; 26. 53-Jack Dover[24]

2023 High Limit Sprint Car Series

Race 1: Giovanni Scelzi wins at Lakeside Speedway
Race2: Anthony Macri wins at 34 Raceway
Race 3: Kyle Larson wins at Wayne County Speedway
Race 4: Kyle Larson wins at Tri-City Speedway

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