IndyCar teams to test over next month, mainly at Sebring (UPDATED) - MotorSportsTalk

The long, five-month offseason is underway for IndyCar, but there is still some testing to look forward to over the next month before the end of the calendar year.

Seven teams: KV Racing Technology, Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Autosport, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and A.J. Foyt Racing, began testing on Wednesday and will continue through December 19. INDYCAR also outlined updated testing rules for 2014 on Wednesday.

Most will be at Sebring, while Penske will make trips to Barber Motorsports Park (Nov. 25-26), Auto Club Speedway (Dec. 9) and intriguingly, Phoenix International Raceway (Dec. 11).

Phoenix won’t be on the IndyCar schedule anytime soon but Penske will utilize a one-day test to enhance its short oval setup. Only two teams – Panther Racing (former driver JR Hildebrand) and Andretti Autosport (Marco Andretti) – have conducted tests at PIR with the Dallara DW12 chassis since it was introduced in 2012.

Penske’s new IndyCar recruit, Juan Pablo Montoya, is not scheduled for any of those tests at the moment. Per the Associated Press’ Jenna Fryer, Montoya is under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing through end of day Monday, November 18, after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Ganassi will run its new Chevrolets for the first time on Dec. 4, and Tony Kanaan will have his first outing for the team. Additionally, Alex Tagliani is still listed at CGR while Dario Franchitti continues his recovery from his Houston injuries.

Also of note, Simon Pagenaud is listed as testing for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, rather than the Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports nomenclature he has run under the last two years. Carlos Munoz will test for Andretti Autosport when the team runs its new Hondas for the first time.

UPDATE: 10:00 a.m. ET: A.J. Foyt Racing and Team Penske have been removed from testing at Sebring on Nov. 18. Dale Coyne Racing has been added with Arie Luyendyk Jr. Luyendyk Jr. has raced in Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks series this year. The all-time Indy Lights starts leader has one career IndyCar start, the 2006 Indianapolis 500 with a family-run team.

Here’s the breakdown of scheduled tests, per INDYCAR:

Nov. 13-14: KV Racing Technology (Sebastien Bourdais, Mikael Grenier), Sebring
Nov. 18: Honda manufacturer test for Andretti Autosport (James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Carlos Munoz), Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Simon Pagenaud), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Graham Rahal), Dale Coyne Racing (Arie Luyendyk Jr.), Sebring
Nov. 19: SPM (Pagenaud), Sebring
Nov. 25-26: Penske (Castroneves, Power), Barber
Dec. 4: Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon, Alex Tagliani, Tony Kanaan, Charlie Kimball), Sebring
Dec. 9: Penske (Castroneves, Power), Fontana
Dec. 11: Penske (Castroneves, Power), Phoenix
Dec. 18-19: SPM (Pagenaud), Sebring

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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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