Marco Andretti once again fastest in practice for Indy 500

By May 18, 2018, 6:16 PM EDT
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For the second time in three days, Marco Andretti turned in the fastest speed during Friday’s practice session for the May 27th Indianapolis 500.

The beneficiary of increased horsepower at his disposal today – as were the other 34 drivers in the field, as well – Andretti covered the 2.5-mile oval at a stout speed of 231.802 mph.

“We’ve been feeling good actually, pretty good in traffic, which obviously the tow time shows that, and the car is close in race trim,” Andretti said. “I don’t know how much better we can get it.

“But qual trim alone, I’m not pleased with the car speed right now. I think we’re right on the bubble of the Top Nine to be honest. And I think it’s going to take us to nail it to get it in, as with probably five or six other guys, we’re going to be right there with them, and I think it’s going to be all about a third and fourth lap, and we’re just going to have to nail it and do everything right to get it in. Hopefully we can.”

Throughout the first four days overall of practice thus far, Andretti has consistently been one of the fastest drivers in the field, including being No. 1 on Wednesday and again Friday.

“Well, obviously it is very important to win the race, but the month is a roller coaster,” the third-generation racing member of the Andretti family said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 13 years here, you just have to be prepared for the roller coaster.

“You look at Graham (Rahal), he’s No. 1 yesterday, he’s struggling today. I could be struggling tomorrow. That’s the way it works. We just need to maximize every time out there, take it corner by corner and hopefully make the right decision at the right time. This place, it always helps to catch the circumstances right, as well. Not only in qualifying but over the course of the 500 miles, it picks the winner, right?

“I’m just focused on trying to be quickest every time out, and I’ll smile when I’m quickest every time out.”

Canadian driver and IndyCar rookie Robert Wickens was second-fastest at 231.732 mph, followed by team owner and part-time driver Ed Carpenter (231.066 mph).

“Well, first off, I feel like I don’t fully deserve to be here,” Wickens said. “I mean, Fast Friday is for qualifying and all that stuff, but my very first lap of the day, two people came out of the pits in front of me, and I just got like this insane tow that got me to where I am.

“Honestly, we have a lot of work to do. I think we’re okay by ourselves here on Fast Friday, but we’re definitely, in my opinion, on the outskirts of the Fast Nine, which is my goal for (Saturday).

Veteran IndyCar driver Oriol Servia, who is competing in a one-off event in a third car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the 500, was fourth-fastest (230.247 mph).

Fifth through 10th were Will Power (229.780 mph), Sebastien Bourdais (229.740), Tony Kanaan (229.500), rookie Matheus Leist (229.365), Stefan Wilson (229.273) and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi (229.235).

Graham Rahal, who was fastest Thursday after struggling Wednesday, returned to the struggling side of the ledger, with a top speed of 226.811 mph, good for 33rd in the 35-car field.

Pre-qualifying practice takes place Saturday from 8-9:30 a.m. ET, while qualifying takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

There was only one incident of note in Friday’s practice: Australian driver James Davison spun exiting Turn 2, hitting the wall broadside on the left side of his car.

While the chassis tub did not sustain damage, the gear box did, but his team expects to have the car repaired in time for Saturday’s qualifying.

Below are the non-tow chart, as well as the chart of the first four combined practices from Tuesday through Friday.

 

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Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
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LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).