INDYCAR to cover $925,000 in refunds owed by Boston promoter

By Jul 7, 2016, 4:04 PM EDT
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INDYCAR has a released a statement on Thursday confirming the sanctioning body is assisting the Boston Grand Prix promoter by covering $925,000 in refunds.

That statement is printed in full, below. The race organizers filed for bankruptcy earlier this week for the race that was canceled in late April.

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Stepping into the breach left by promoter Boston Grand Prix – when it failed to fully refund ticket purchasers after the cancellation of its planned race – INDYCAR announced today it would contribute $925,000 to help make fans whole.

“I appreciate INDYCAR’s willingness to step up for their fans and help resolve this problem,” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said in a news release earlier today. “They’ve gone above and beyond to be a productive part of this solution and fans will reap the benefits.”

In May of last year, INDYCAR entered into an agreement with race organizer Boston Grand Prix for races to be run in Boston annually from 2016 through 2020. But on April 29, BGP unilaterally canceled the race scheduled for Labor Day weekend and its plans to stage races in Boston in the future. According to news reports, the amount BGP has refunded to ticket holders to date is insufficient to make full refunds.

Attorney General Healey announced earlier today that her office has filed suit against Boston Grand Prix and its CEO John Casey to pursue the remainder of refunds owed to ticket purchasers.

“We enjoy some of the most loyal and dedicated fans in all of sports, and so we are pleased to work with the Attorney General and contribute in her efforts to protect ticket buyers,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “We want our fans to know that we share their disappointment that the race won’t take place. And we also want to join them in expressing our appreciation for Attorney General Healey’s work on their behalf.”

Ticket purchasers that are owed a refund should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (617) 727-8400. Customer service representatives will be on standby to assist with the process for securing refunds.

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)