Jack Hawksworth gets BHA IndyCar nod - MotorSportsTalk

The 2014 IndyCar rookie class will grow by one, although not with the name many expected to take the reins of the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Honda.

Jack Hawksworth will join Carlos Munoz and Mikhail Aleshin as IndyCar freshmen in 2014, with the news the Englishman has been appointed by Herta to drive the team’s BBM/The Collection Auto Group/Castrol Honda-powered entry in 2014.

“I am absolutely delighted to be racing for Bryan Herta Autosport in the 2014 IndyCar Series,” said Hawksworth. “It has been a dream of mine for many years and I can’t wait to get started.”

Hawksworth has already completed three IndyCar tests at Sebring since September, one apiece with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Dale Coyne Racing and a third just a couple weeks ago with BHA. The Sebring test impressed team co-owner Herta.

“Quite frankly, Jack really impressed us with a very strong test in Sebring last month,” Herta said. “He has had success at every level he has competed in to date and we believe he has the skills to maintain that going into the IndyCar series. Jack is well aware of the level of competition he is stepping into and we look forward to the season ahead.”

Hawksworth finished fourth in the 2013 Indy Lights championship, with three wins at the St. Petersburg, Toronto and Baltimore street circuits.

Meanwhile, Italian Luca Filippi had been the favorite all winter, and while proverbially “close” to a deal, nothing was completed for the driver who impressed in four starts for BHA last year.

He had this to tweet immediately after the announcement came out:

So,here we are. As usual the winter never brings me much luck. It normally never comes to me with too many surprises. But,it is what it is.

— Luca Filippi (@LucaFilippiLF) March 5, 2014

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The NTT IndyCar Series will return to the Motor City for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix but with start times in a new location for 2023.

After a 30-year run on Belle Isle, the Detroit GP has moved a few miles south to the streets of downtown on a new nine-turn, 1.645-mile circuit that runs along the Detroit River.

It’s the first time single-seater open-cockpit cars have raced on the streets of Detroit since a CART event on a 2.5-mile downtown layout from 1989-91. Formula One also raced in Detroit from 1982-88.

The reimagined Detroit Grand Prix also will play host to nightly concerts and bring in venders from across the region. Roger Penske predicts the new downtown locale will be bigger for Detroit than when the city played host to the 2006 Super Bowl.

Here are the details and IndyCar start times for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend (all times are ET):

CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX INDYCAR START TIMES

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. Leigh Diffey is the announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Kevin Lee are the pit reporters. Click here for the full NBC Sports schedule for IndyCar in 2023.

Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for both practices and qualifying.

POSTRACE SHOW ON PEACOCK: After the race’s conclusion, an exclusive postrace show will air on Peacock with driver interviews, postrace analysis and the podium presentation. To watch the extended postrace show, click over to the special stream on Peacock after Sunday’s race ends.

COMMAND TO START ENGINES: 3:23 p.m. ET

GREEN FLAG: 3:30 p.m. ET

PRACTICE: Friday, 3 p.m. (Peacock Premium); Saturday, 9:05 a.m. (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 10 a.m. (Peacock Premium)

PRACTICE RESULTS: Session I l Session II l Warmup l Combined

QUALIFYING: Saturday, 1:20 p.m. (Peacock Premium)

STARTING LINEUP: Alex Palou captured the first street course pole of his IndyCar career; click here for where everyone will begin Sunday’s race

RACE DISTANCE: The race is 100 laps (170 miles) on a nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street course in downtown Detroit.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate. Rookie drivers are allowed one extra primary set for the first practice.

PUSH TO PASS: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation (Indy NXT: 150 seconds total, 15 seconds per). The push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. The feature increases the power of the engine by approximately 60 horsepower.

FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 80 degrees with a 0% chance of rain.

ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 27 drivers racing Sunday at Detroit

INDY NXT RACES: Saturday, 12:05 p.m. 45 laps/55 minutes (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 12:50 p.m. 45 laps/55 minutes (Peacock Premium)

INDY NXT ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 19 drivers racing at Detroit