NASCAR: Multiple drivers test at Indy; Stewart OK after crash - MotorSportsTalk

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be going road racing this weekend, but for the last two days, several drivers have been at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take part in a Goodyear tire test.

The series will visit IMS on July 27 for the Crown Royal Presents The John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard – or, more colloquially, the Brickyard 400.

According to the Indianapolis Star, conditions for today’s activities were warm and humid – perhaps a solid indicator of what the drivers will be expecting next month.

Among those taking part was Indiana native and Richard Childress Racing driver Ryan Newman, who won last year’s Brickyard for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Obviously, Newman is hoping for more success at IMS with RCR.

“We were blessed last year to have a good qualifying effort,” Newman told the Star about last year’s win. “We had good track position and kept it all race long. I think we never fell back past seventh.

“I knew what my race car felt like. That’s what I have to work on this year, to make my race car feel like [that]. We’ve had a good test so far. I feel like our speed is pretty good. The temperature changes so much it’s hard to keep up with sometimes.”

Also running laps at Indy are Newman’s former boss, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Clint Bowyer.

Today did not go without incident, however. An Instagram photo taken by Stewart Haas Racing engineer Chris Chidgey revealed that Stewart went into the Turn 1 wall after blowing a right-front tire.

Luckily, Chidgey relays word that Stewart is okay after the wreck.

View this post on Instagram

Would say our #Indianapolis tire test is over… Blew a RF tire in turn 1. Glad Tony is okay #NASCAR

A post shared by Chris Chidgey (@cchidgeyy) on Jun 17, 2014 at 12:00pm PDT

NASCAR.com has since reported that Stewart’s crash took place during a part of the session that was closed to media and that “transportation by paramedics was not necessary.” However, “Smoke” did talk with NASCAR medical personnel.

Follow @estradawriting

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, 1.7-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)

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

RACE DISTANCE: The race is 100 laps (170 miles) on a nine-turn, 1.7-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