Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline Fast Facts
Race weekend: Saturday, Aug. 26 – Sunday, Aug. 27
Track: World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline 260 laps / 325 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: OUTFRONT Showdown 75 laps / 93.75 miles
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Eight sets primary, two sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams will be required to start the race on primary tires, and alternate tires will not be allowed to be used in qualifying. Teams participating in the high-line session will get one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
INDY NXT by Firestone: Three sets to be used during the one-day event.
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Event website: www.wwtraceway.com/
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2022 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Matthew Brabham (No. 83 Andretti Autosport)
2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), 49.2539 seconds, 182.727 mph (two laps)
2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 HMD Motorsports) 56.1590 seconds, 160.259 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying lap record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Will Power, 23.7206, 189.709 mph, Aug. 25. 2017
INDY NXT by Firestone
Juan Piedrahita, 27.8890, 161.354 mph, Aug. 26, 2017
NBC race telecast: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline, 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 27, NBC (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dillon Welch and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters.
Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query and Michael Young are the pit reporters. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday), the INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown (3:20 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
8:55-9:40 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE
10-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock
11:45 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown Qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE
1 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT P1 Award qualifying (single car/cumulative time of two laps), Peacock
2:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown “Drivers Start Your Engines”
2:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown (75 laps / 93.75 miles)
4-4:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES high-line session (Two groups/15 minutes)
4:45-5:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock
SUNDAY, AUG. 27
2:30 p.m. – NBC on air
2:31 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
2:36 p.m. – Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta & Valvoline (260 laps/325 miles), NBC (Live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship Facts:
- Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the first time in his career.
- There are six drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward and Marcus Ericsson. Any driver who trails the points leader by 108 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.
- Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship three times: Alex Zanardi (1998), Josef Newgarden (2017) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship nine times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014 and 2022, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019.
Point differential: The 101 points that separate Alex Palou and Scott Dixon is the largest point margin with three races remaining since 2008. Prior to this season, the average lead with three races to go since 2008 was 28.5 points. The last time the INDYCAR SERIES championship was clinched before the final race was 2007 when Sebastien Bourdais won the Champ Car World Series with one race remaining.
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 3 TO GO (2008-2023)
| YEAR | LEADER | SECOND | LEAD | CHAMPION |
| 2008 | Scott Dixon | Helio Castroneves | 78 | Scott Dixon |
| 2009 | Ryan Briscoe | Dario Franchitti | 4 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2010 | Will Power | Dario Franchitti | 23 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2011 | Dario Franchitti | Will Power | 26 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2012 | Will Power | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 5 | Ryan Hunter-Reay |
| 2013 | Helio Castroneves | Scott Dixon | 49 | Scott Dixon |
| 2014 | Will Power | Helio Castroneves | 4 | Will Power |
| 2015 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Graham Rahal | 42 | Scott Dixon (-48) |
| 2016 | Simon Pagenaud | Will Power | 27 | Simon Pagenaud |
| 2017 | Josef Newgarden | Scott Dixon | 18 | Josef Newgarden |
| 2018 | Scott Dixon | Alexander Rossi | 29 | Scott Dixon |
| 2019 | Josef Newgarden | Alexander Rossi | 35 | Josef Newgarden |
| 2020 | Scott Dixon | Josef Newgarden | 72 | Scott Dixon |
| 2021 | Pato O’Ward | Alex Palou | 10 | Alex Palou |
| 2022 | Will Power | Scott Dixon | 6 | Will Power |
| 2023 | Alex Palou | Scott Dixon | 101 | ? |
Race Notes:
- There have been seven winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa Speedway-2 ), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Nashville), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio), Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2).
- The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the 15th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Josef Newgarden won his third consecutive race (and fourth overall) at WWTR in 2022. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Newgarden, Scott Dixon (2020 Race 1) Takuma Sato (2019), Will Power (2018) and Helio Castroneves (2003) are the former winners entered in this year’s race.
| ACTIVE RACE WINNER | WINS | SEASONS |
| Josef Newgarden | 4 | 2017, 2020-Race2, 2021, 2022 |
| Scott Dixon | 1 | 2020-Race 1 |
| Takuma Sato | 1 | 2019 |
| Will Power | 1 | 2018 |
| Helio Castroneves | 1 | 2003 |
- The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the fifth and final oval race of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa-Speedway-2). The last driver to “sweep” the oval portion of a schedule was Sebastien Bourdais, who won the only oval scheduled in 2006 (Milwaukee).
- The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will mark the first time that Firestone’s alternate tire will be used on an oval track in a race. Like on road and street courses, the Firestone Firehawk alternate tires will be constructed of a softer compound allowing for more grip but quicker tire wear. Teams will be required to start the race on primary tires, and alternate tires will not be allowed to be used in qualifying. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
- Alex Palou has a chance to complete the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge and win its $1,000,000 bonus – half of which will be donated to his chosen charity – The American Legion – if he wins at World Wide Technology Raceway. Palou has won on a street course and a road course, and needs an oval victory to complete the challenge.
- Three drivers have won at World Wide Technology Raceway from the pole – Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Gil de Ferran (2002) and Helio Castroneves (2003).
- Team Penske has won eight times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins at Gateway with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
- Twenty-four drivers have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has eight starts, most among the entered drivers. Rookies Agustin Canapino, Linus Lundqvist, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb will make their first start at WWTR. Sixteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 484, Will Power 329, Helio Castroneves 271, Scott Dixon 251, Takuma Sato 167, Pato O’Ward 141, Colton Herta 121, Scott McLaughlin 12, David Malukas 4, Felix Rosenqvist 4, Alexander Rossi 4, Marcus Ericsson 3, Romain Grosjean 2, Graham Rahal 2 and Conor Daly 1).
INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:
- HMD Motorsports’ Christian Rasmussen returns to World Wide Technology Raceway looking to solidify his grip on the INDY NXT by Firestone championship. The 23-year-old Danish driver leads Hunter McElrea of Andretti Autosport by 33 points heading into the pivotal championship stretch of four races in three weeks.
Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first INDY NXT win in 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway?