CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT IOWA: TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
HY-VEE HOMEFRONT 250 & HY-VEE ONE STEP 250 DOUBLEHEADER
NEWTON, IOWA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
JULY 21-23, 2023

CHEVROLET LOOKS TO SHIFT MOMENTUM AT IOWA DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND WITH REPEAT VICTORY

With a Strong History at Iowa Speedway, Team Chevy Aims to Sweep the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 and Hy-Vee One Step 250

DETROIT (July 19, 2023) – Shifting sights to the third oval of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR Series season, Chevrolet has eyes on not only shifting momentum, but racing to Victory Lane at Iowa Speedway where the Bowtie brand has excelled in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo injected era.

Since 2012, Team Chevy boasts nine wins and 11 earned pole awards since 2012. Additionally, Chevrolet holds 26 podiums that include five sweeps since 2012, and an astounding 3,144 laps led. With both races seeing 250 laps, or 223.5 miles, on Saturday and Sunday of the doubleheader, the Bowtie brand brings a strong history to the 0.894-mile tri-oval.

Winning at Iowa Speedway in 2013, Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, looks to return to his winning ways in the series. “Iowa Speedway has always been one of my favorite races on the schedule, I just love short track racing,” said Hunter-Reay. “We had a very productive test here a few weeks ago. With that said, this track is very challenging and can be extremely difficult to nail a balanced setup over a long run on tires. It seems its always changing year to year.”

Joining Arrow McLaren INDYCAR this season, Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet, noted of the short oval program the team has built, while the success it has seen in past at Iowa Speedway saying, “Iowa is one of the most challenging tracks that we go to, but the team has some amazing pedigree there and I can’t wait to drive our short oval package for the first time. On top of that, the support of Hy-Vee is incredible and the energy of the fans fuels us. We’ll be pushing hard to put on a great show for them.”

Climbing in and back behind the wheel this weekend in Iowa, Ed Carpenter, Team Owner and driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing noted excitement heading to the track this weekend for the event. “I always get excited to race at Iowa Speedway. I actually enjoy the doubleheader format and Hy-Vee has done a great job with the whole event. We have been strong at Iowa in the past and had a good test there recently. It is an important event for us as a team to create strong results for all three BITNILE.COM Chevrolets.”

“The NTT INDYCAR Series doubleheader at Iowa Speedway is a favorite for our Chevy teams and drivers,” said General Motors’ IndyCar Program Manager Rob Buckner. “Things happen very quickly on this traditional short oval. With the mix of traditional road courses and street circuits the last few weeks, Iowa offers new and unique challenges for our engineers working with the teams and drivers. But our past success gives us a toolbox to work from, and we are looking forward to good results as the push for the championship continues.”

The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway kicks off with practice Friday, July 21 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Qualifications start Saturday’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 race day at 9:30 a.m. ET, with the first 250 lap event starting at 3 p.m. ET, live on NBC. The Hy-Vee One Step 250 wraps up the weekend on Sunday, July 23, with green flag live at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“We’re going back to the cornfields. It’s a track with some of the best racing you’ll ever see. More than that, it’s a very unique place we race at and very different than any other track on the calendar. I always look forward to going to Iowa.”

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

”Iowa is becoming a highlight of the season. As a team, we have many reasons to look forward to it after having a very successful weekend here last year. It will be one of the most important weekends of the year as it’s a doubleheader, so we are very focused on maximizing our performance.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

”As we gear up for the doubleheader at Iowa, I feel both excited and focused. It’s always great to get back to the track immediately after a rough weekend. Iowa is one of the most challenging tracks that we go to, but the team has some amazing pedigree there and I can’t wait to drive our short oval package for the first time. On top of that, the support of Hy-Vee is incredible and the energy of the fans fuels us. We’ll be pushing hard to put on a great show for them. I can’t wait to get there and get started and maybe see some cool concerts along the way.”

Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“Iowa has been a successful stomping ground for our team in recent years, and our oval package has been strong all year. So this weekend is about doing the basics right, not overthinking it, and enjoying being a part of the best short oval racing in the world.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“Two races this weekend! That’s going to be very exciting. I’ve done well at Iowa Speedway in the past and had a pretty nice race there last year, 4th place. We can do very well, this is one of those tracks that will provide a lot of opportunities for us. The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend is always so fun with the concerts and everything else going on in addition to our races, it’s going to be a nice couple of days!”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“Really looking for to Iowa. I think it’s one of the best dynamic racing tracks we go to. Most passes, most strategy, multiple lines, you can really run wherever you want however you’d like to. It just kind of depends on your car and your balance and your strategy. It’s very fun. We did learn a lot from our test earlier there this year – we know where we’re struggling and we know why we’re struggling. So assuming we’ve done our homework correctly we should be okay.”

Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“I am really looking forward to Iowa Speedway, I love the track and I am a big fan of ovals in general. We have had some great success on ovals so far this season, so I am ready to get back to them and see what we can do. It’s a very bumpy track, so getting the car in the right window and getting the dampers to work well is extremely important to being successful there. It’s a double-header event, so there is a lot to offer within the weekend in terms of results, so I am looking forward to what we can accomplish in the No. 55 Sexton Properties Chevrolet.”

CHEVROLET AT IOWA (since 2012):

Wins at Iowa: 9

  • 2012: Ryan Hunter-Reay
  • 2013: James Hinchcliff
  • 2016: Josef Newgarden
  • 2017: Helio Castroneves
  • 2019: Josef Newgarden
  • 2020: Simon Pagenaud (Race 1)
  • 2020: Josef Newgarden (Race 2)
  • 2022: Josef Newgarden (Race 1)
  • 2022: Pato O’Ward (Race 2)

Pole Awards at Iowa: 11

  • 2013: Helio Castroneves
  • 2014: Scott Dixon
  • 2015 Helio Castroneves
  • 2016: Simon Pagenaud
  • 2017: Will Power
  • 2018: Will Power
  • 2019 Simon Pagenaud
  • 2020: Conor Daly (Race 1)
  • 2020: Josef Newgarden (Race 2)
  • 2022: Will Power (Race 1)
  • 2022: Will Power (Race 2)

Podiums at Iowa by Team Chevy since 2012: 26*

*Chevrolet has swept the podium five times in the 2012 V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era at Iowa, including in 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2022’s Race 1 and Race 2. 

Laps Led at Iowa by Team Chevy since 2012: 3,144

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:

  • 192: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR. 
  • 109: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012. 
  • 121: Earned poles since 2012. 
  • 7: Manufacturer Championships since 2012. 
  • 7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012. 
  • 12: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  • 5: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.
  • 26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer. 
  • 14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including the past 11 with Chevrolet power. 
  • 9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver. 
  • 44: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.
  • *Will Power’s career total of 68 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.