IndyCar: Points movers and shakers after crazy five-week stretch

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We chronicled who moved up and down in the Verizon IndyCar Series points standings after the month of May in Indianapolis.

Now, with two weeks off before the next race in Houston June 28-29, a doubleheader that kicks off a stretch of six races in four weekends, we take a look at who’s been the biggest movers and shakers in the points in the last six weeks.

The Sunday of May 4, the weekend in-between races at Barber Motorsports Park and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, marked the last off weekend.

Since that point, over the last five weekends, there have been six points-scoring opportunities – five races (Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Indianapolis 500, Detroit Dual and Texas) and Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

Here’s a look at how teams and drivers have fared over this stretch:

PRE-GPI INTERIM POST-TMS
1 12 Power 125 245 370
2 3 Castroneves 66 265 331
3 28 Hunter-Reay 107 203 310
4 77 Pagenaud 92 187 279
5 25 Andretti 73 162 235
6 34 Munoz 55 172 227
7 2 Montoya 56 167 223
8 9 Dixon 87 127 214
9 10 Kanaan 62 127 189
10 19 Wilson 67 115 182
11 27 Hinchcliffe 46 135 181
12 11 Bourdais 48 132 180
13 8 Briscoe 52 127 179
14 83 Kimball 37 132 169
15 7 Aleshin 54 109 163
16 98 Hawksworth 42 114 156
17 67 Newgarden 58 93 151
18 14 Sato 53 98 151
19 15 Rahal 46 101 147
20 18 Huertas 46 100 146
21 17 Saavedra 55 83 138
22 20 Conway 82 40 122
23 20 Carpenter 104 104
24 16 Servia 36 52 88
25 26 Busch 80 80

Unsurprisingly, those that have maximized their results over the last six weeks have made big moves. Of note, Charlie Kimball has advanced eight spots from P22 to P14; James Hinchcliffe has also climbed eight spots from P19 to P11; Helio Castroneves is up six spots from P8 to P2; Carlos Munoz seven spots from P13 to P6; Jack Hawksworth five spots from P21 to P16; and Juan Pablo Montoya four spots from P11 to P7.

Those who have fallen off? Sebastian Saavedra’s lost the most with nine, to fall from P12 to P21; Josef Newgarden has lost seven spots from P10 to P17; and Scott Dixon has lost four, from P4 to P8.

Also noteworthy is the point gap from the leaders themselves through the rest of the top 10. Just 67 points covered the top 10 after Barber; now, five weekends later and with a double-points race and a doubleheader in the books, that margin has nearly tripled to 188 covering leader Will Power from 10th-placed Justin Wilson.

Unless drivers are within 100 points of the lead after Pocono, the next double-points race, it’s unlikely that more than the top five drivers at the moment are in championship contention. Dixon, in eighth, at 156 points back is on the borderline of falling out of contention.

IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix: How to watch, start times, TV, schedules, streaming

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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 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 LISTClick here to view the 19 drivers racing at Detroit


CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX START TIMES

(All times are Eastern)

Friday, June 2

8:30-9:30 a.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice

9 a.m.: IndyCar garage opens

9:50-10:20 a.m.: Trans Am Series practice

11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice

1-1:30 p.m.: Trans Am Series practice

1:50-2:40 p.m.: Indy NXT practice

3-4:30 p.m.: IndyCar practice, Peacock

4:50-5:05 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying

5:30-6 p.m.: IndyNXT qualifying (Race 1 and 2)

6-7:15 p.m.: A-Track concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

7:30-8:30 p.m.: Big Boi concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

Saturday, June 3

6 a.m.: IndyCar garage opens

8:15-8:45 a.m.: Trans Am Series qualifying

9:05-10:05 a.m.: IndyCar practice, Peacock

10:35-11:35 a.m.: Trans Am Series, 3-Dimensional Services Group Muscle Car Challenge

12:05-1:00 p.m.: Indy NXT, Race 1 (45 laps or 55 minutes), Peacock

1:15-2:45 p.m.: IndyCar qualifying, Peacock

4:10-5:50 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic (100 minutes), Peacock

5:30-7 p.m.: Z-Trip concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

7-8:30 p.m.: Steve Aoki concert (Hart Plaza Stage)

Sunday, June 4

7 a.m.: IndyCar garage opens

10:00-10:30 a.m.: IndyCar warmup, Peacock

11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Trans Am Series, 3-Dimensional Services Group Motor City Showdown

12:50-1:45 p.m.: Indy NXT, Race 2 (45 laps or 55 minutes), Peacock

2:47 p.m.: IndyCar driver introductions

3:23 p.m.: Command to start engines

3:30 p.m.: Green flag for the Chevrolet Detroit Prix, presented by Lear (100 laps/170 miles), NBC


2023 SEASON RECAPS

ROUND 1Marcus Ericsson wins wild opener in St. Petersburg

ROUND 2Josef Newgarden wins Texas thriller over Pato O’Ward

ROUND 3: Kyle Kirkwood breaks through for first career IndyCar victory

ROUND 4: Scott McLaughlin outduels Romain Grosjean at Barber

ROUND 5: Alex Palou dominant in GMR Grand Prix

ROUND 6: Josef Newgarden wins first Indy 500 in 12th attempt 


COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM

Inside Team Penske’s bid win another Indy 500 for “The Captain”

Annual photo shows women having an impact on Indy 500 results

Roger Penske feeling hale at another Indy 500 as Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner

Honda needed 45 seconds to approve Graham Rahal racing a Chevy at Indy

A.J. Foyt takes refuge at Indy 500 while weathering grief of wife’s death

Gordon Johncock: The most unassuming Indy 500 legend

Alex Palou on his Indy 500 pole, multitasking at 224 mph and a Chip Ganassi surprise

Marcus Ericsson, engineer Brad Goldberg have ties that run very deep

New competition elements for 2023 include an alternate oval tire

Indy 500 will be Tony Kanaan’s final race

IndyCar drivers say Thermal Club could host a race

IndyCar team owners weigh in on marketing plans, double points

Alexander Rossi fitting in well at McLaren

Phoenix takes flight: Romain Grosjean enjoying the pilot’s life

Helio Castroneves says 2023 season is “huge” for IndyCar future

How Sting Ray Robb got that name

Kyle Larson having impact on future McLaren teammates

Simon Pagenaud on why he likes teasing former teammate Josef Newgarden

HOW TO WATCH INDYCAR IN 2023Full NBC Sports schedule