IndyCar: A.J. Foyt pulling for California Chrome in today’s Belmont

By Jun 7, 2014, 11:20 AM EDT
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In addition to winning four Indianapolis 500s, current Verizon IndyCar Series team owner A.J. Foyt has experienced success on a different kind of track.

As IndyCar.com helpfully points out, “SuperTex” was the former record holder at Churchill Downs for victories during the track’s Spring/Summer meet.

His horses earned 27 wins over the 93-day meet back in 1984, and that mark stood until last season, when Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s horses chalked up 32 wins in 38 days.

Foyt knows a thing or two about thoroughbreds (he has a trio of 2-year-olds that have begun training). And while he’s certainly focusing on tonight’s Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra), you can probably assume that he’ll be keeping tabs on this afternoon’s Belmont Stakes (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra).

With a victory today in New York state, California Chrome (pictured, with jockey Victor Espinoza) will become the first winner of horse racing’s Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Foyt is among those hoping to see history, but worries about the Belmont’s grueling 1.5-mile distance.

“He’s no Secretariat. I don’t know if he can go that far,” Foyt said to the IndyCar website. “A mile and a half is a long way and the way it’s set up [two weeks between the Derby and Preakness Stakes, then three weeks until the Belmont] knocks a horse down. That’s the reason why you didn’t see a lot of them [continue] at the Preakness.”

However, Foyt would be glad to see California Chrome pull it off for owners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn.

“Because they turned down a lot of money before they ran the Derby and took a big gamble,” he added. “I hope they do it but they have their work cut out.”

California Chrome will start from the second post position this afternoon at the Belmont. Foyt’s driver, Takuma Sato, is starting 16th on the grid for tonight’s IndyCar race at TMS.

IndyCar disappointed by delay of video game but aiming to launch at start of 2024

By Mar 27, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
IndyCar video game 2024
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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”