Two stout lineups set for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s DPs at Daytona

By Dec 29, 2015, 10:22 AM EST
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Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona has traditionally gone for its usual sports car drivers in one car and its remaining drivers from its NASCAR Sprint Cup and Verizon IndyCar Series programs to fill out the roster.

This year, with four cars to fill between two new Ford GTs in the GT Le Mans class and two Riley-Ford DPs, there’s a slightly different path taken.

As expected, the usual two IndyCar and two NASCAR drivers – and defending overall winners – Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray will be in the No. 02 Riley-Ford.

Meanwhile the No. 01 car will feature Canadian teenager Lance Stroll alongside Brendon Hartley, Andy Priaulx and Alex Wurz, the latter coming out of retirement at least for one race to make his Rolex 24 at Daytona race debut.

“We’re proud to have the defending Prototype Champions from last year, along with the excitement worldwide with the reintroduction of the Ford GT. I think we’ve built a very strong effort for the 2016 race in the Prototype class, which gives us two more solid chances to get to victory lane,” said team owner Chip Ganassi.

Notably absent from the DP lineups are Charlie Kimball, Ganassi’s third IndyCar driver, and Sage Karam, Ganassi’s fourth IndyCar driver from this past year. Only Kimball of those two is set to continue into 2016.

The team’s two Ford GTs have their first lineups set, with Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller in the No. 66 car and Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook in the No. 67 car, with endurance extra drivers to be named later.

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

By Mar 29, 2023, 6:00 AM EDT
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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)