Martin Plowman confirmed for May Indy double with Foyt

By Feb 17, 2014, 9:59 AM EST
7 Comments

A.J. Foyt Racing is providing another young driver a shot at his first Indianapolis 500 in the team’s second car, as Englishman Martin Plowman has been confirmed in the team’s No. 41 Honda for both the ‘500 and Grand Prix of Indianapolis road course race earlier in the month of May.

Al-Fe Heat Treating, which announced its return to the team a couple weeks ago, will serve as primary sponsor for the road race. Foyt’s usual ABC Supply Co. primary sponsor, which is the main backer for Takuma Sato’s No. 14, is back on-board the No. 41 for the ‘500.

Plowman, who raced three IndyCar events in 2011 in a jointly entered AFS-Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, follows Conor Daly (2013) and Wade Cunningham (2012) as ‘500 debutantes in Foyt’s second car.

In 2013, Plowman was part of the LMP2 class-winning lineup in OAK Racing’s Morgan Nissan for both the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Driver’s Championship at year’s end in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

“Once my career took me to sports cars I was concerned that I would never get the chance to race at and win the Indy 500,” Plowman said in a team release. “Winning at Le Mans last year was an incredible feeling that can only be beaten by one day adding my face to the Borg Warner trophy. I’ve lived in Indianapolis for the last five years, and winning there is what I dream about.

“I have to say a massive thank you to Larry and A.J. Foyt, ABC Supply, Al-Fe Heat Treating and all who have made this opportunity possible,” Plowman added.  “A.J. Foyt is one of the greatest drivers to have lived and someone who I look up to a lot. It will be an honor to represent his team in May.”

Plowman won races in Indy Lights in two years in that championship, competing from 2009 to 2010. In 2012 and 2013, he’s raced the Morgan Nissan LMP2 package, first for Conquest Racing in the American Le Mans Series and then shifting to OAK for the WEC last year.

While his full 2014 calendar is yet to be determined, Plowman does have the unofficial mark of being the first Indy-only driver confirmed for the year. The race up to 33 or more cars for the ‘500 officially begins now.

IndyCar Power Rankings: Pato O’Ward moves to the top entering Texas Motor Speedway

By Mar 29, 2023, 6:00 AM EDT
0 Comments

The NBC Sports IndyCar power rankings naturally were as jumbled as the action on the streets of St. Petersburg after a chaotic opener to the 2023 season.

Pato O’Ward, who finished second because of an engine blip that cost him the lead with a few laps remaining, moves into the top spot ahead of St. Pete winner Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi, who finished fourth in his Arrow McLaren debut. Scott Dixon and St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who led 31 laps) rounded out the top five.

St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who started first at St. Pete after capturing his second career pole position) Callum Ilott (a career-best fifth) and Graham Rahal entered the power rankings entering the season’s second race.

Three drivers fell out of the preseason top 10 after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – including previously top-ranked Josef Newgarden, who finished 17th after qualifying 14th.

Heading into Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through the first of 17 races this year (with previous preseason rankings in parenthesis):

NBC Sports’ IndyCar Power Rankings

1. Pato O’Ward (5) – If not for the dreaded “plenum event” in the No. 5 Chevrolet, the Arrow McLaren driver is opening the season with a victory capping a strong race weekend.

2. Marcus Ericsson (7) – He might be the most opportunistic driver in IndyCar, but that’s because the 2022 Indy 500 winner has become one of the series’ fastest and most consistent stars.

3. Alexander Rossi (10) – He overcame a frustrating Friday and mediocre qualifying to open his Arrow McLaren career with the sort of hard-earned top five missing in his last years at Andretti.

4. Scott Dixon (3) – Put aside his opening-lap skirmish with former teammate Felix Rosenqvist, and it was a typically stealthily good result for the six-time champion.

5. Romain Grosjean (NR) – The St. Petersburg pole-sitter consistently was fastest on the streets of St. Petersburg over the course of the race weekend, which he couldn’t say once last year.

6. Scott McLaughlin (6) – Easily the best of the Team Penske drivers before his crash with Grosjean, McLaughlin drove like a legitimate 2023 championship contender.

7. Callum Ilott (NR) – A quietly impressive top five for the confident Brit in Juncos Hollinger Racing’s first race as a two-car team. Texas will be a big oval litmus test.

8. Graham Rahal (NR) – Sixth at St. Pete, Rahal still has the goods on street courses, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan remains headed in the right direction.

9. Alex Palou (4) – He seemed a step behind Ericsson and Dixon in the race after just missing the Fast Six in qualifying, but this was a solid start for Palou.

10. Will Power (2) – An uncharacteristic mistake that crashed Colton Herta put a blemish on the type of steady weekend that helped him win the 2022 title.

Falling out (last week): Josef Newgarden (1), Colton Herta (8), Christian Lundgaard (9)