| January 2019 News |
| RACE NEWS & VIEWS |
Jan 2 - Michael Schumacher's 50th Birthday
Jan 4 - 150 Driver Entered for The Roar
Jan 16 - IndyCar Signs Title Sponsorship Deal
Jan 28 - The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
Jan 29 - '500' Party Gets New Name
Jan 29 - 2019 Snake Pit DJ's Announced
Jan 4 - 150 Driver Entered for The Roar
Jan 16 - IndyCar Signs Title Sponsorship Deal
Jan 28 - The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
Jan 29 - '500' Party Gets New Name
Jan 29 - 2019 Snake Pit DJ's Announced
Michael Schumacher's 50th Birthday
Jan 2 - Michael Schumacher's family plan to celebrate his
50th birthday by releasing an app that will be a "virtual
museum" of the driver's achievements.
Schumacher's skiing accident that put him in a coma
happened in 2013.
Ferrari also will celebrate his 50th with an exhibition at the
Ferrari Museum in Maranello. Schumacher won 5 of his
championships at Ferrari.
Jan 2 - Michael Schumacher's family plan to celebrate his
50th birthday by releasing an app that will be a "virtual
museum" of the driver's achievements.
Schumacher's skiing accident that put him in a coma
happened in 2013.
Ferrari also will celebrate his 50th with an exhibition at the
Ferrari Museum in Maranello. Schumacher won 5 of his
championships at Ferrari.
Schumacher's career in numbers
7 - a record seven world championships - two with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, and five in a row for Ferrari from 2000 to 2004.
91 - race wins, from 306 starts - he remains 18 clear of second-placed Lewis Hamilton on the all-time list.
68 - pole positions, a record beaten by Hamilton in 2017.
15 - consecutive seasons with a grand prix win, from 1992 to 2006. It is a record - three clear of Hamilton.
8 - wins at the French Grand Prix, the most by any driver at a single race. His seven wins in Canada and San Marino are also
unmatched by any other driver.
17 - podium finishes in 17 races in the 2002 season.
43 - age when he drove in his final grand prix, in Brazil in 2012. He originally retired in 2006 but returned three years later.
7 - a record seven world championships - two with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, and five in a row for Ferrari from 2000 to 2004.
91 - race wins, from 306 starts - he remains 18 clear of second-placed Lewis Hamilton on the all-time list.
68 - pole positions, a record beaten by Hamilton in 2017.
15 - consecutive seasons with a grand prix win, from 1992 to 2006. It is a record - three clear of Hamilton.
8 - wins at the French Grand Prix, the most by any driver at a single race. His seven wins in Canada and San Marino are also
unmatched by any other driver.
17 - podium finishes in 17 races in the 2002 season.
43 - age when he drove in his final grand prix, in Brazil in 2012. He originally retired in 2006 but returned three years later.
150 Driver Entered for The Roar
Jan 4 - Sportscar teams must compete in the three day
practice ("the Roar") at Daytona Intl. Speedway this weekend
to be able to compete in IMSA's biggest race - the Rolex 24
Hours, which is held during the last weekend of January.
That race has resulted in 47 race teams with 150 drivers
showing up today to prepare for it.
Open-Wheel Stars Competing:
Jan 4 - Sportscar teams must compete in the three day
practice ("the Roar") at Daytona Intl. Speedway this weekend
to be able to compete in IMSA's biggest race - the Rolex 24
Hours, which is held during the last weekend of January.
That race has resulted in 47 race teams with 150 drivers
showing up today to prepare for it.
Open-Wheel Stars Competing:
IMSA is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year.
Michelin Tires have joined IMSA this year and will be
providing tires for all the cars.
Defending Champions Joao Barbosa and Christian
Fittipaldi return in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac
DPi-V.R. Fittipaldi has announced that this will be his last
race.
Michelin Tires have joined IMSA this year and will be
providing tires for all the cars.
Defending Champions Joao Barbosa and Christian
Fittipaldi return in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac
DPi-V.R. Fittipaldi has announced that this will be his last
race.
CLASS
TEAM
DRIVER
DPi
DPi
DPi
DPi
DPi
GTLM
GTLM
GTLM
GTLM
GTD
GTD
GTD
GTD
DPi
DPi
DPi
DPi
GTLM
GTLM
GTLM
GTLM
GTD
GTD
GTD
GTD
Acura Team Penske
Acura Team Penske
Konica Minolta Cadillac
Juncos Racing
JDC-Miller
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing
BMW Team RLL
BMW Team RLL
AIM Vasser Sullivan
Via Italia Racing
AIM Vasser Sullivan
Meyer Shank Racing
w/Curb-Agajanian
Acura Team Penske
Konica Minolta Cadillac
Juncos Racing
JDC-Miller
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing
BMW Team RLL
BMW Team RLL
AIM Vasser Sullivan
Via Italia Racing
AIM Vasser Sullivan
Meyer Shank Racing
w/Curb-Agajanian
Juan Pablo Montoya
Simon Pagenaud
Helio Castroneves
Alexander Rossi
Fernando Alonso
Rene Binder
Kyle Kaiser
Tristan Vautier
Sebastien Bourdais
Scott Dixon
Ryan Briscoe
Alex Zanardi
Colton Herta
Townsend Bell
Aaron Telitz
Victor Franzoni
Jack Hawksworth
Katherine Legge
Ana Beatriz
Simona De Sivestro
Simon Pagenaud
Helio Castroneves
Alexander Rossi
Fernando Alonso
Rene Binder
Kyle Kaiser
Tristan Vautier
Sebastien Bourdais
Scott Dixon
Ryan Briscoe
Alex Zanardi
Colton Herta
Townsend Bell
Aaron Telitz
Victor Franzoni
Jack Hawksworth
Katherine Legge
Ana Beatriz
Simona De Sivestro
CAR#
6
7
10
50
85
66
67
24
25
12
13
14
57
7
10
50
85
66
67
24
25
12
13
14
57
| 2018 Winning DPi Car |
| 2018 Winning GTLM Car |
| 2018 Winning GTD Car |
| The All Female Team |
| ex-F1 Drivers with 2-Time CART Champ Alex Zanardi |
IndyCar Signs Title Sponsorship Deal
Jan 16 - IndyCar announced a multi-year agreement with
NTT on Tuesday that will make the Japanese tech giant the
title sponsor of North America's premier open-wheel racing
series.
Mark Miles, chief executive of Hulman & Company which
owns IndyCar, said IndyCar floated around the idea of NTT
as a sponsor last September and quickly sealed the deal at a
meeting in Tokyo to which they brought along Takuma Sato,
who in 2017 became the first Japanese driver to win the
Indianapolis 500.
"We were invited to Tokyo, and there we had a meeting
together which I'll never forget," said Miles.
"Takuma Sato, one of our best-known drivers and
champions who happens to be a hero in Japan, was with us,
and by the end of that discussion, we said, 'Let's get this
done'."
Jan 16 - IndyCar announced a multi-year agreement with
NTT on Tuesday that will make the Japanese tech giant the
title sponsor of North America's premier open-wheel racing
series.
Mark Miles, chief executive of Hulman & Company which
owns IndyCar, said IndyCar floated around the idea of NTT
as a sponsor last September and quickly sealed the deal at a
meeting in Tokyo to which they brought along Takuma Sato,
who in 2017 became the first Japanese driver to win the
Indianapolis 500.
"We were invited to Tokyo, and there we had a meeting
together which I'll never forget," said Miles.
"Takuma Sato, one of our best-known drivers and
champions who happens to be a hero in Japan, was with us,
and by the end of that discussion, we said, 'Let's get this
done'."
NTT replaces Verizon as title sponsor of the series.
Verizon served as the title sponsor for five years, replacing
IZOD in 2014.
The financial terms and length of the agreement were not
disclosed but media reports said IndyCar's asking price was
$30 million annually compared to the $10 million paid by
Verizon.
Verizon served as the title sponsor for five years, replacing
IZOD in 2014.
The financial terms and length of the agreement were not
disclosed but media reports said IndyCar's asking price was
$30 million annually compared to the $10 million paid by
Verizon.
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
Jan 28 - One of the greatest showcases of racing talent in
the world was marred by extreme rain. Rain began to fall
with 10 hours remaining and never let up. It was the first
time in Rolex 24 history that the event was marred by two
red flags.
Of the 593 laps, 126 – or 21 percent – were run under
yellow, and it wreaked havoc on the flow and fortunes of
teams in the race.
DAYTONA PROTOTYPE INT'NL CLASS
Fernando Alonso, driving a Cadillac for Wayne Taylor
Racing, took the lead two laps from the end when sports
car ace Felipe Nasr blew the Turn 1 corner. Alonso's
teammates were Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor and
Renger van Der Zande. This was Alonso's 2nd Rolex 24.
Alonso joins Phil Hill (1964) and Mario Andretti (1972)
as only the third Formula 1 champion to win the Rolex 24.
Alsonso won last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Trouble struck twice for Team Penske’s Acura DPIs while
running under yellow in a downpour with less than 6 hours
remaining. The #6, driven by IndyCar driver Simon
Pagenaud, pulled off the track due to a bad oil pump.
Juan Montoya would finish the race in #6 in sixth place.
Ricky Taylor fell ill in Penske’s No. 7 Acura while run-
ning for nearly an hour behind the pace car with the lead.
Taylor pitted and turned the car over to Helio
Castroneves. 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi
drove the car to the finish, placing third.
Team Mazda appeared to be the biggest competition in the
prototype class until both the No. 55 and pole winning No.
77 had problems during the sixth hour. The No. 77 team
led the field to green Oliver Jarvis after breaking a 26-
year-old record. Timo Bernhard was behind the wheel
when the car caught fire causing the retirement.
GT LE MANS CLASS
In the GT Le Mans class, defending winner Richard
Westbrook pitted his Chip Ganassi Racing Ford from the
lead just before the final red. This handed the victory to
BMW Team RLL (whom young IndyCar driver Colton
Herta was driving for.)
Alex Zanardi’s return to endurance racing got off to a bad
start. At the beginning of his first stint, he encountered a
problem changing his steering wheel 90 minutes into the
race. His BMW RLL Team would finish last in class while
their stablemate finished first.
LE MANS PROTOTYPE 2 CLASS
The DragonSpeed team (Pastor Maldonado, Roberto
Gonzalez, Sebastian Saavedra and Ryan Cullen) won
the LMP2 class.
GT DAYTONA CLASS
Christian Engelhart and the No. 11 team won in the GTD
class with Rolf Ineichen, Roberto Pampanini and Miles
Pavlovic.
Jan 28 - One of the greatest showcases of racing talent in
the world was marred by extreme rain. Rain began to fall
with 10 hours remaining and never let up. It was the first
time in Rolex 24 history that the event was marred by two
red flags.
Of the 593 laps, 126 – or 21 percent – were run under
yellow, and it wreaked havoc on the flow and fortunes of
teams in the race.
DAYTONA PROTOTYPE INT'NL CLASS
Fernando Alonso, driving a Cadillac for Wayne Taylor
Racing, took the lead two laps from the end when sports
car ace Felipe Nasr blew the Turn 1 corner. Alonso's
teammates were Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor and
Renger van Der Zande. This was Alonso's 2nd Rolex 24.
Alonso joins Phil Hill (1964) and Mario Andretti (1972)
as only the third Formula 1 champion to win the Rolex 24.
Alsonso won last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Trouble struck twice for Team Penske’s Acura DPIs while
running under yellow in a downpour with less than 6 hours
remaining. The #6, driven by IndyCar driver Simon
Pagenaud, pulled off the track due to a bad oil pump.
Juan Montoya would finish the race in #6 in sixth place.
Ricky Taylor fell ill in Penske’s No. 7 Acura while run-
ning for nearly an hour behind the pace car with the lead.
Taylor pitted and turned the car over to Helio
Castroneves. 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi
drove the car to the finish, placing third.
Team Mazda appeared to be the biggest competition in the
prototype class until both the No. 55 and pole winning No.
77 had problems during the sixth hour. The No. 77 team
led the field to green Oliver Jarvis after breaking a 26-
year-old record. Timo Bernhard was behind the wheel
when the car caught fire causing the retirement.
GT LE MANS CLASS
In the GT Le Mans class, defending winner Richard
Westbrook pitted his Chip Ganassi Racing Ford from the
lead just before the final red. This handed the victory to
BMW Team RLL (whom young IndyCar driver Colton
Herta was driving for.)
Alex Zanardi’s return to endurance racing got off to a bad
start. At the beginning of his first stint, he encountered a
problem changing his steering wheel 90 minutes into the
race. His BMW RLL Team would finish last in class while
their stablemate finished first.
LE MANS PROTOTYPE 2 CLASS
The DragonSpeed team (Pastor Maldonado, Roberto
Gonzalez, Sebastian Saavedra and Ryan Cullen) won
the LMP2 class.
GT DAYTONA CLASS
Christian Engelhart and the No. 11 team won in the GTD
class with Rolf Ineichen, Roberto Pampanini and Miles
Pavlovic.
| Fernando Alonso, Kamui Kobayashi, Renger van Der Zande and Jordan Taylor |
| Winning Daytona Prototype - Konica Minolta Cadillac |
| Winning GTLM - BMW Team RLL |
'500' Party Gets New Name
Jan 29 - The 500 Festival announced today that its upscale
party at Indiana Roof Ballroom featuring celebrities and
well-known bands, will be known as "Off the Grid" rather
than the "Snakepit Ball."
The "Snakepit Ball" name was used from 2004 through
2018 as a nod to an infield party — known as the "snake
pit" — that raged at Indianapolis Motor Speedway each
May from the 1960s through the '80s.
In 2010, Indianapolis Motor Speedway launched a Race
Day party billed as the "Indy 500 Snake Pit." That event
has grown into a prestigious electronic music concert.
"Our event’s new name ... will help eliminate any confusion
between the two events and set the tone for the evening,"
500 Festival president and CEO Bob Bryant said in a
statement. "We’re proud to continue the tradition of
producing the preeminent pre-race party."
The newly renamed "Off the Grid" party is scheduled 6
p.m. May 25 at Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 W.
Washington St.
Tickets for Off the Grid, priced at $325, go on sale March
6. For more information, visit 500festival.com.
Jan 29 - The 500 Festival announced today that its upscale
party at Indiana Roof Ballroom featuring celebrities and
well-known bands, will be known as "Off the Grid" rather
than the "Snakepit Ball."
The "Snakepit Ball" name was used from 2004 through
2018 as a nod to an infield party — known as the "snake
pit" — that raged at Indianapolis Motor Speedway each
May from the 1960s through the '80s.
In 2010, Indianapolis Motor Speedway launched a Race
Day party billed as the "Indy 500 Snake Pit." That event
has grown into a prestigious electronic music concert.
"Our event’s new name ... will help eliminate any confusion
between the two events and set the tone for the evening,"
500 Festival president and CEO Bob Bryant said in a
statement. "We’re proud to continue the tradition of
producing the preeminent pre-race party."
The newly renamed "Off the Grid" party is scheduled 6
p.m. May 25 at Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 W.
Washington St.
Tickets for Off the Grid, priced at $325, go on sale March
6. For more information, visit 500festival.com.
2019 Snake Pit DJs Announced
Jan. 29, 2019 - The Snake Pit these days is a gathering of
around 30,000 young people who party in the infield during
the running of the Indy 500 to listen to DJs spin electronic
music. Tickets are required as well as Indy 500 admission.
Ticket Information
This year's lineeup include Skrillex, Alesso, Illenium and
Chris Lake.
Performances will start at 7 a.m.
All Snake Pit ticketholders must be at least 18 years old.
Jan. 29, 2019 - The Snake Pit these days is a gathering of
around 30,000 young people who party in the infield during
the running of the Indy 500 to listen to DJs spin electronic
music. Tickets are required as well as Indy 500 admission.
Ticket Information
This year's lineeup include Skrillex, Alesso, Illenium and
Chris Lake.
Performances will start at 7 a.m.
All Snake Pit ticketholders must be at least 18 years old.
