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Indycar 2023, Texas preview: first oval of the year

In Texas the first oval race for INDYCAR, arrived in Fort Worth for the second round of the season. Let’s find out all the news and info from PPG 375, live on Sky Sport F1 (channel 207) on Sunday 2 April at 18.05

Almost a month after the opening of the season in St. Petersburg, NTT INDYCAR Series sets off again landing in Fort Worth, Texastheater of the first round ovale del 2023. The race – born in 1997 and now called PPG 375 – is preparing to host the 36th race, presenting itself to the general public as one of the most spectacular, difficult and unpredictable events on the calendar. The proof comes directly from last year’s finale, decided in an exciting sprint in which Josef Newgarden outwitted his teammate Scott McLaughlin.

This year’s edition replicates the distance, equal to 248 laps and 372 miles, with Scott Dixon aiming to collect a sixth win to stay at the top of the roll of honour. Since the Texas event is the first appointment on a circuit of this type, it is reasonable to expect a reversal of the values ​​seen in the city of St. Petersburg, a track where Ericsson triumphed in front of Patricio O’Ward and Scott Dixon. If Ganassi and Arrow McLaren collected a large number of points, the same cannot be said for Penske and Andretti, squadrons who left Florida in dismay with frustration and regret. Is exactly Team Penske puts the great hope of returning to Victory Lane in the Texas Motor Speedway, achieved eleven times from 1997 onwards. Furthermore, the team of the “Captain” (Roger Penske) counts on the statistics of the past season, in which three out of five oval appointments were won by Josef Newgarden, who only missed the poker due to the mechanical problem that occurred in the Iowa race-2.

28 cars: Sato replaces Armstrong, Carpenter returns

The first change on the starting grid concerns the Dallara number 11 of Chip Ganassi Racing, a car brought to the race in St. Petersburg by the rookie Marcus Armstrong (eleventh). As agreed with the team, the former F2 makes way for two-time Indy500 winner Takuma Sato, moved to the role of part-time pilot. The 46-year-old from Tokyo will be chasing his seventh career win by starting the season in Texas and then returning to the wheel at the 107th Indianapolis 500.

Furthermore, we point out the excellent state of health of Jack Harvey, remained under observation after the impact suffered in the accident in St. Petersburg which also involved Rinus VeeKay and Kyle Kirkwood. Therefore, Harvey will be on track regularly in Texas after missing the private tests in Alabama (replaced by Juri Vips), taking the wheel of the #30 Dallara (Team Rahal) again at the same track where he was injured last year during the qualifications being immediately replaced by Santino Ferrucci, ninth classified in the race.

In the end, reaches twenty-eight members – never so many in Texas since 2011 – thanks to the addition of Ed Carpenter, entered the entry list with the fourth Dallara prepared by his team. Just like Sato, Carpenter will race exclusively in the ovals, placing his sights on the twentieth Indy500 of his career.

Il Texas Motor Speedway

Opened in 1996, the Texas Motor Speedway it has always been a staple on the INDYCAR calendar since their days in the Indy Racing League. In 2001 CART tried to race there but the greater power of the cars seriously endangered the health of the drivers, who were forced to bear forces greater than 5G. In the end, controversy after controversy, the race was not run, causing immeasurable damage to both the CART (which later became Champ Car) and the Texas circuit.

Moving on to the anatomy of the circuit two distinctive signs can be noted, one related to the original configuration and the other due to a recent change. The first aspect is the banking (elevation degree of the track) equal to 20° in the first two corners and 24° in the final banked. The PJ1 was positioned right in the four corners, according to the characteristic aspect, a compound that creates a considerably darker strip of asphalt, theoretically useful for increasing grip on full mileage.

This solution has proved to be as useful for NASCAR as it is harmful and dangerous for the Dallara INDYCAR cars, which are lighter and have a greater load. The fact of being able to rely mainly on a single line, the low one, forces the drivers to manage overtaking with great sensitivity, which is much more difficult as the central trajectory is almost completely impracticable with rare exceptions such as restarts, where the cars are compact and lower speeds. To counter the lack of grip due to the PJ1, in 2022 Dallara and INDYCAR have implemented extra appendages managing to make the race more dynamic. However, the problem remains and over the course of the 248 laps it will present itself as one of the toughest challenges faced by the riders.

Indycar in Texas, the program

Saturday 1st April

  • ore 15: Prove 1
  • 6.15 pm: Qualifications
  • ore 19.45: Prove 2
  • 8.30 pm: Final Tests

Sunday 2nd April

  • 18.05: RACE (live on Sky Sport F1)

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