Honda Racing Report
Saturday, May 16, 2015

Indianapolis 500
Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval), Indianapolis, IN
2014 Winner: Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport Honda) 186.563 mph average
Weather: Overcast, frequent showers, 70 degrees F

• Full-field qualifying now set for Sunday
• 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24

Persistent rain showers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway forced the cancellation of first-round qualifying Saturday, with qualifying for all positions in the 33-car starting field now scheduled to take place Sunday.

Rain briefly interrupted morning practice, then returned after only two qualifying runs – Honda’s Ryan Hunter Reay (229.845 mph) and Carlos Huertas (228.235) had been completed. Additional showers throughout the early afternoon led race officials to call off activities shortly after 2 p.m. EDT.

As the full field did not have an opportunity to qualify, today’s only two completed runs are erased, and the entire qualifying program is now scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Weather permitting, qualifying for the first 30 positions will begin tomorrow at 10 a.m., with the “Fast Nine” shootout for the pole starting at 1:45 p.m. Group Two qualifying, to set the final three positions in the field, will get under way at 3 p.m. Television coverage begins at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday on ABC.

* Final practice prior to qualifying Saturday and Sunday
* Gabby Chaves continues impressive rookie performance
* 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24

Marco Andretti led the way for Honda and his Andretti Autosport team in “Fast Friday” practice today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, posting the fourth-fastest speed of 230.312 mph in the final practice session prior to the start of qualifying Saturday for the Indianapolis 500.

Marco Andretti again led the way for Honda and Andretti Autosport in practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Gabby Chaves continued his run of impressive performances in practice to record the seventh-fastest speed of 229.891 mph for Bryan Herta Autosport; while A.J. Foyt Racing’s Takuma Sato wrapped up an encouraging week of practice with the ninth-fastest speed, 229.808 mph.

Qualifying to set the field of 33 begins Saturday and concludes on Sunday. Television coverage on ABC begins at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday and 1 p.m. EDT Sunday.

Gabby Chaves (#98 Bryan Herta Autosport Honda) 7th fastest, leads Indy 500 rookies: “I think we had a very positive day. The car was working well. It’s definitely been the hardest day out there for me. I think, here today and tomorrow and Sunday will be the hardest days. I think once we get back to race trim downforce configurations, it will be a lot easier. I think the track conditions weren’t very favorable, as well, very strong winds. It definitely made for some tough times out there. But I was very happy with the car. We made great progress all day. Made some good changes that allowed me to post some quick speeds.”

* Four Honda drivers in top-10 positions
* Qualifying set for May 17-18, 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24

As he did in the May 3 “Opening Day” test session, Marco Andretti led the way for Honda and his Andretti Autosport team in practice Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Andretti posted the fourth-fastest speed, after leading most of the session with an average of 225.184 mph, until a series of “Happy Hour” speeds from the Chip Ganassi Racing trio of Sage Karam, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan shuffled him down the speed chart.

Two more Andretti Autosport drivers, Carlos Munoz and Justin Wilson, posted the sixth and seventh-fastest speeds today, with Takuma Sato, eighth. Gabby Chaves posted the fastest speed by an Indy rookie, 12th overall. In all, 30 drivers took to the historic 2.5-mile oval on an overcast and windy day.

Practice continues through the week at Indianapolis, with qualifying to set the field of 33 starting Saturday, May 16 and concluding on Sunday, May 17. Television coverage on ABC begins at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday and 1 p.m. EDT Sunday.

Marco Andretti (#27 Andretti Autosport Honda) 4th fastest: “We got through a lot of test items on our list today. We needed to mileage out the engine and for only having one set of tires, I’m pretty pleased with where things progressed. But I think there’s still a lot of speed coming for the 27 Honda. I’ve never wanted something as badly as I want an Indy 500 win. I love this place and there is so much history and meaning here at IMS for my family. Winning at Indy would be such a huge weight off my shoulders. We’ve been close and it feels like we are knocking on the door every year. I think we are capable.”

Marco Andretti again led the way for Honda in practice Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Honda Racing Report

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Circuit:                        Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (2.439-mile road course), Indianapolis, IN

2014 Winner:  Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda) 96.462 mph average

Weather:         Mostly cloudy, pre-race shower, humid, 79 degrees F

 Top 10 Race Results:

Top 10 Race Results:
Fn. St. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Average Speed/Notes
1. 1. Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 82 116.842 mph average speed
2. 17. Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda 82 +1.5023 seconds
3. 4. Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 82
4. 7. Sebastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 82
5. 14. Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 82
6. 3. Helio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 82
7. 10. Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 82
8. 10. Stefano Coletti-R KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 82
9. 23. Takuma Sato A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 82
10. 2. Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 82

Other Honda-powered Results:

11. 19. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 82
12. 13. James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 82 Fastest race lap
13. 21. Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Honda 82
15. 16. Gabby Chaves-R Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 82
16. 24. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 82
18. 20. James Jakes Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 81 Running
19. 23. Carlos Huertas Dale Coyne Racing Honda 81 Running
22. 25. Francesco Dracone-R Dale Coyne Racing Honda 80 Running
23. 11. Jack Hawksworth A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 69 Running
68. 18. Justin Wilson Andretti Autosport Honda 68 Did not finish – transmission

Rahal Stars Again for Honda at Indy Grand Prix of Indianapolis

• Nets second consecutive second-place finish
• Hinchcliffe also leads, runs fastest race lap

For the second consecutive event in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, Graham Rahal led the Honda effort Saturday at the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, leading nine laps of today’s 82-lap contest on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and finishing a close second to race winner Will Power.

Starting 17^th, Rahal avoided a multi-car crash in the first turn of the first lap, gaining 11 positions to finish the lap in sixth position.  From there, the Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver stretched his opening fuel run for 23 laps until his first pit stop, moving into second as the Chevrolet-powered leaders pitted one to three laps earlier.  His second stint was similarly long, as Rahal extended his run by two or more laps, improving his track position again.  Following the final stop, Rahal closed to within 1.5 seconds of eventual winner Power before taking the checkers in second, where he also finished two weeks ago in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

The opening-lap crash, the only caution on the day, delayed several Honda drivers, including Ryan Hunter-Reay, Justin Wilson, James Hinchcliffe and Jack Hawksworth.  After the incident, several teams went “off-sequence” with their pit stop strategies, a gamble that came close to netting top-10 results for Hinchcliffe and his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammate James Jakes.

Hinchliffe led four laps, and Jakes two, by staying on track while their competitors pitted, but the lack of a late-race caution resulted in both Honda drivers having to make pit stops for fuel in the final laps, leading to an unrepresentative 12^th (Hinchcliffe) and 18^th-place (Jakes) results, although Hinchcliffe did record the fastest lap of the race.

Video recaps from this month’s Honda racing activities at Indianapolis, including this weekend’s road race and the 99^th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, are being posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2015 HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.

With the completion of the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the focus of Indy car drivers and teams now turns to the 99^th running of the Indianapolis 500, with activities on the famed 2.5-mile oval beginning Monday, with the first of five full days of practice for the May 24^th event, and qualifying activities starting on Saturday, May 16.

Verizon IndyCar Series Drivers’ Championship (after 5 of 16 rounds):

1. Juan Pablo Montoya 171 points (1 win)
2. Will Power 166 (1 win)
3. Helio Castroneves 161
4. Scott Dixon 144 (1 win)
4. Graham Rahal 144
6. Tony Kanaan                    136
7. James Hinchcliffe            129 (1 win)
7. Josef Newgarden             129 (1 win)
9. Sebastien Bourdais           123
10. Simon Pagenaud              101

Manufacturers’ Championship:

1. Honda 441 (1 win)
2. Chevrolet 336 (4 wins)

Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) started 17^th, finished 2^nd:  “I’ve got to give it to my guys.  Again, I think [today’s performance] was down to the team.  Everyone executed perfectly all day long, and we were able to make the moves [on track] when we had to.  I gave it everything I could to catch Power, but he had a little bit too much.  Sure, it feels good to be the leading Honda, but we want to win one of these things!”

James Hinchcliffe (#5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda) started 13^th, finished 12^th:

“Obviously not the result that we wanted. We got caught up in that first-corner melee and lost the front wing. From there, we were just playing catch-up. We took a gamble on strategy to try and get back up [front], but ultimately, the yellow never came. We’ve had a couple lucky yellows this year, so we can’t be too upset. We’ll take it and move on to the next one. Great job by the boys in the pits and again, getting the car better in race pace.  It was wicked quick.”

 Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s race:  “We had another great performance from Graham Rahal and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team.  As a single-car team, they continue to impress us with their competitiveness, and Graham’s driving has been extraordinary.  The Schmidt Peterson team took a worthwhile gamble with its pit strategy that could’ve earned strong results for both James Hinchcliffe and James Jakes.  Unfortunately, they came up short, but it was encouraging to see Hinch turn the fastest race lap today.  I believe we’re making progress with our road-course program, but we still have much work to do. Now we’re looking forward to running our new super speedway aero kits on the oval next week and, of course, the 99^th running of the Indianapolis 500.”

Honda Racing Report
Friday, May 8, 2015

Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis Qualifying Report
Circuit:​​Indianapolis Motor Speedway Roadcourse (2.439-mile road course), Indianapolis, IN
2014 Winner:​Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda) 96.462 mph average
Weather:​Mostly cloudy, warm, 82 degrees F

Top-12 Qualifying Results:
Ps.
Driver​
Team
Manufacturer
Best Time
Notes
1.
Will Power
Team Penske
Chevrolet
1:09.4886
126.357 mph average
2.
Scott Dixon
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
1:09.7156
+0.2270 seconds
3.
Helio Castroneves
Team Penske
Chevrolet
1:09.7388
Fast Six Shootout
4.
Juan Pablo Montoya
Team Penske
Chevrolet
1:09.8072
Fast Six Shootout
5.
Simon Pagenaud
Team Penske
Chevrolet
1:09.8715
Fast Six Shootout
6.
Tony Kanaan
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
1:10.2772
Fast Six Shootout
7.
Sebastien Bourdais
KV Racing Technology
Chevrolet
1:10.0230
Second Round
8.
Sebastian Saavedra
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
1:10.1572
Second Round
9.
Luca Filippi
Carpenter Fisher Hartman
Chevrolet
1:10.1968
Second Round
10.
Stefano Coletti
KV Racing Technology
Chevrolet
1:10.3679
Second Round
11.
Jack Hawksworth
A.J. Foyt Racing
Honda
1:10.4558
Second Round
12.
Josef Newgarden
Carpenter Fisher Hartman
Chevrolet
1:10.8321
Second Round
Other Honda-powered Results:
13.
James Hinchcliffe
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Honda
1:10.6273
First Round, Group 1
16.
Gabby Chaves-R
Bryan Herta Autosport
Honda
1:10.5282
First Round, Group 2
17.
Graham Rahal
Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Honda
1:10.6480
First Round, Group 1
18.
Justin Wilson
Andretti Autosport
Honda
1:10.5775
First Round, Group 2
19.
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Andretti Autosport
Honda
1:10.8345
First Round, Group 1
20.
James Jakes
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Honda
1:10.6749
First Round, Group 2
21.
Carlos Munoz
Andretti Autosport
Honda
1:10.8786
First Round, Group 1
22.
Takuma Sato
A.J. Foyt Racing​
Honda
1:10.7391
First Round, Group 2
23.
Carlos Huertas
Dale Coyne Racing
Honda
1:12.5038
First Round, Group 1
24.
Marco Andretti
Andretti Autosport
Honda
1:11.1636
First Round, Group 2
25.
Francesco Dracone-R
Dale Coyne Racing
Honda
1:12.5814
First Round, Group 2
​
Hawksworth Heads Honda Field in Indy GP Qualifying
• Road race prelude to Indianapolis 500
• Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis to run Saturday

Jack Hawksworth led the Honda field in Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying Friday for Saturday’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, posting the 11th-quickest time in his A.J. Foyt Racing Honda in the second of the three-round “knockout” qualifying sessions on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The performance marked the second time this season Hawksworth advanced to the second qualifying round, as the second-year Indy car driver earlier qualified eighth at NOLA Motorsports Park. The Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis starts at 3 p.m. Saturday, with live television coverage on ABC.

Jack Hawksworth (#41 A.J. Foyt Racing Honda) on qualifying: “It was a solid qualifying run. We ran pretty clean. The car was pretty good, especially in the first round, it didn’t feel quite as good in the second round for whatever reason, but we’ll have a look through stuff tonight. We just have to keep on getting better and hopefully, tomorrow we can have a good day.”

Justin Wilson (#25 Andretti Autosport Honda) on tire life: “When we put the Firestone [alternate] red tires on the car [in qualifying], it brought the [car’s] balance to life and we actually started to roll some speed into the corners and we started to get some grip. It was good, I just wish we could be a fraction quicker. We’re pushing, we’re trying hard and we’re trying to catch up. I’ve been really happy with our tire life, so I’m hoping that is going to continue into race day and play in our favor, as it did for the Honda teams at Barber, and we’ll have a good consistent car.”

Honda Racing Report
Thursday, May 7, 2015

Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis Thursday Practice
Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Roadcourse (2.439-mile road course), Indianapolis, IN
2013 Winner: Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda) 96.462 mph average
Weather: Sunny, warm, 87 degrees F

Top-10 Afternoon Practice Session Results:
Ps. Driver Team Manufacturer Best Time Notes
1. Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1:10.6971 124.197 mph average
2. Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 1:10.8118 + 0.1147seconds
3. Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 1:10.8560
4. Sebastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 1:10.8839
5. Helio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 1:10.9290
6. Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 1:10.9527
7. Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda 1:11.1422
8. Takuma Sato A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 1:11.1859
9. Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1:11.1982
10. Sebastian Saavedra Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1:11.2603
Other Honda-powered Results:
13. James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 1:11.3943
14. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 1:11.3958
15. Jack Hawksworth A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 1:11.4177
16. James Jakes Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 1:11.4635
18. Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Honda 1:11.4927
19. Justin Wilson Andretti Autosport Honda 1:11.7470
22. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 1:12.0331
23. Carlos Huertas Dale Coyne Racing Honda 1:12.1009
24. Gabby Chaves-R Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 1:12.1137
25. Francesco Dracone-R Dale Coyne Racing Honda 1:12.8729

Sato, Rahal Lead Honda Contingent as Indy GP Practice Opens
• Road race prelude to Indianapolis 500
• Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis to run Saturday

Verizon IndyCar Series practice began Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for Saturday’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, with Honda drivers Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato posting top-10 practice times around the 2.439-mile road course laid out inside the grounds of the famed 2.5-mile oval.

Sato posted the sixth fastest time in the morning session, and ran eighth in the generally quicker afternoon practice; while Rahal was eighth quickest in the morning, seventh in the afternoon.

Activities continue Friday with a final practice, followed by “Fast Six” knockout qualifying that will set the 25-car grid for Saturday’s 82-lap race. The Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, with live television coverage on ABC.

Video recaps from this month’s Honda racing activities at Indianapolis, including this weekend’s road race and the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, are being posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2015 HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.

Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) on today’s practice: “It was good to be the fastest Honda in the second session but we’ve got to get some predictability in the car. It’s on edge, which is how it’s been all year, but as I said to someone earlier, ‘if it’s on edge and fast, that’s cool but if it’s on edge and [not quickest], that’s obviously not so [good]’. We’ve got to find some more things to make the Steak ‘n Shake car faster in qualifying and on race day.”

Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis
May 9, 2015
3 p.m. EDT
ABC

COMPETITION

• This weekend’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis will be the second Verizon IndyCar Series road race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and will serve as a prelude to the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24.

• Honda comes to Indianapolis seeking a repeat of last year’s results on both the road course and famed 2.5-mile oval. In 2014, Honda’s Simon Pagenaud won the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis; and two weeks later Ryan Hunter-Reay scored a thrilling victory for Honda at the Indianapolis 500.

• Following Sunday’s “Opening Day” practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Honda received a bonus of 30 manufacturers’ championship points for attaining the 2,500-mile life cycle minimum for three of its Honda HI15RTT Indy V6 engines, the first engines this season to reach their mileage limit.

• The engines of Graham Rahal, Carlos Munoz and Gabby Chaves all achieved their mileage goal on Sunday, earning 10 points each for Honda, with others due to “mile out” at this weekend’s race.

• After four races, Honda has a total of 380 Manufacturer Championship points, Chevrolet has 216 points.

• The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, the fourth season of the current generation of manufacturer competition, sees the introduction of manufacturer-developed Aero Kits to Indy car racing, adding another element of competition between Honda and Chevrolet. Each manufacturer has developed visually distinctive, performance-enhancing aerodynamic packages for use by its respective teams.

• Manufacturers were able to develop their own front/rear wing endplates, sidepods, engine covers, rear-wheel guards, and front/rear wing flaps, as long as they fit inside designated “volume boxes” as specified by INDYCAR.

• Aero kits allow multiple combinations of aerodynamic elements to suit the strategy and preferences of each team. This brings a new challenge to both Honda and individual team race engineers, who may mix and match these parts in an effort to find the right combination of downforce for optimum performance during both qualifications and the race at each Verizon IndyCar Series circuit.

• In accordance with INDYCAR regulations for 2015, Honda designed one aero kit for road/street courses/short ovals, and a second superspeedway aero kit, which debuted last weekend during“Opening Day” practice for the Indianapolis 500. Cost of engine manufacturer aero kits is capped at $75,000 per entry.

• Drivers and teams using Honda engines have won 212 Indy car races and 10 Indianapolis 500s, both during years of multi-manufacturer competition (1994-2005, 2012); and during Honda’s tenure as single engine supplier to the series (2006-11). Honda will be seeking its second consecutive ‘500’ triumph, and 11th in the last 12 years, on May 24.

MARKETING

• On Tuesday, May 5, Honda IndyCar Series drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Jakes, Carlos Munoz and Justin Wilson visited the Honda Manufacturing of Indiana auto assembly plant in nearby Greensburg, Indiana, approximately 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis. The drivers took a tour of plant facilities, including an up-close look at the latest quality assurance procedures utilized by HMIN, and conducted a two-hour autograph session for plant associates.

• Opened in 2008, HMIN is Honda’s newest American auto assembly plant, with approximately 2,000 associates, and has the capacity to build up to 200,000 Honda and Acura vehicles annually.

HONDA RACING/HPD VIDEOS

• Video recaps from this weekend’s Honda racing activities at the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis are being posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel.

• Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2015 HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV

* Opening Day for Indy 500 preparation, qualifying set for May 17-18
* Oval practice precedes Saturday’s Grand Prix of Indianapolis road course event

Marco Andretti led the way for Honda and his Andretti Autosport team in Opening Day practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday in preparation for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. Andretti posted the third-fastest speed, an average of 226.268 mph, as 27 drivers took to the historic 2.5-mile oval.

Speeds increased dramatically during the final 30 minutes of the day-long practice, as drivers took advantage of the large number of cars on track to draft one another for a fast lap. Gabby Chaves, Honda’s sole first-year Indy car driver in this year’s 500, successfully completed his traditional Rookie Orientation Practice Sunday morning, prior to running the afternoon session and posting the 12th fastest speed. Making his debut with Andretti Autosport, veteran Justin Wilson led the morning practice session and was 15th for the day.

After today’s oval practice at Indianapolis, focus now shifts to the circuit’s 2.45-mile road course and preparations for the second annual Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Saturday, May 9.

Marco Andretti (#27 Andretti Autosport Honda) 3rd fastest in Indy 500 Opening Day Practice: “It was interesting; there are still some gremlins to work out. We have an overwhelming laundry list of changes to try. Fortunately, we still have some time to do that. I’m pleased with the speed. The only thing I wasn’t pleased with was the balance of the car, but we’ve still got a lot of things to throw at that, and it’s very, very early.

Honda’s Justin Wilson led the morning practice session in his debut for Andretti Autosport

Honda Racing Report
Sunday, April 26, 2015

Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Race Report
Circuit: Barber Motorsports Park (2.3-mile road course), Birmingham, AL

2014 winner: Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport Honda) 94.537 mph average

Weather: Mostly sunny, warm, 84 degrees F

Top 10 Race Results:
Fn. St. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Average Speed/Notes
1. 5. Josef Newgarden Carpenter Fisher Hartman Chevrolet 90 107.176 mph average speed
2. 8. Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda 90 +2.2061 seconds
3. 4. Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 90
4. 2. Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 90
5. 18. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 90 Fastest race lap
6. 22. Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Honda 90
7. 10. James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 90
8. 7. Sebastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 90
9. 3. Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 90
10. 13. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 90

Other Honda-powered Results:
16. 17. Gabby Chaves-R Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 90 Running
17. 20. Takuma Sato A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 90 Running
20. 21. Rodolfo Gonzalez-R Dale Coyne Racing Honda 90 Running
21. 19. Jack Hawksworth A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 90 Running
22. 14. James Jakes Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 89 Running
23. 23. Francesco Dracone Dale Coyne Racing Honda 89 Running

Rahal Stars at Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

• Storming drive nets second-place finish
• Five Honda drivers in top 10 at the checkers
• Ryan Hunter-Reay claims fastest race lap, finishes fifth

Emerging from the final round of pit stops in fifth place, Graham Rahal starred in the final 20 laps of Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, turning some of the fastest laps of the race and twice passing competitors around the outside of the Turn 5 hairpin to finish a close second in the 90-lap Verizon IndyCar Series race run at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.

Exiting the pits more than 20 seconds behind eventual race winner Josef Newgarden, Rahal caught and passed Helio Castroneves with his first outside Turn 5 pass on Lap 79, then successfully made the same move on fellow Honda driver Ryan Hunter-Reay two laps later. Rahal then chased down former series champion Scott Dixon for second, making the pass on the final lap and taking the checkers just 2.2 seconds behind Newgarden.

Prior to the final round of pit stops, Rahal also led 17 laps of today’s race, while James Hinchcliffe also briefly led for Honda, and ran in the lead pack during the middle stages before fading to a seventh-place finish. Hunter-Reay set the fastest race lap as he fought his way to a fifth-place result after starting 18th; and his Andretti Autosport teammate Carlos Munoz made the biggest move through the field in the race, finishing sixth after starting 22nd.

After three consecutive events, the Verizon IndyCar Series now takes a weekend off before heading “home” to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second Grand Prix of Indianapolis road race on Saturday, May 9, followed by the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24th.

Video recaps from this weekend’s Honda racing activities in Alabama, including Verizon IndyCar and Acura Pirelli World Challenge efforts, are being posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2015 HPD Trackside Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.

Verizon IndyCar Series Drivers’ Championship (after 4 of 16 rounds):
1. Juan Pablo Montoya 136 points (1 win) 6. James Hinchcliffe 110 (1 win)
2. Helio Castroneves 133 7. Tony Kanaan 110
3. Scott Dixon 123 (1 win) 8. Graham Rahal 103
4. Josef Newgarden 119 (1 win) 9. Simon Pagenaud 96
5. Will Power 112 10. Sebastien Bourdais 91

Manufacturers’ Championship:
1. Honda 350 (1 win)
2. Chevrolet 256 (3 wins) (penalized for early engine changes)

Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) started 8th, finished 2nd: “We knew when we made the strategy call to stay out we had to go fast in order to make up the gap. I knew I was going to have to push 110 per cent. I’ve got to say Honda did a great job for me today. It’s still tough to follow, but obviously, I passed a lot of guys. This team has come a long way and I think we have proven that. Eventually, one of these days we’ll win one of these things. I hope everybody enjoyed the race because we were pushing there until the last second. It was great racing with Ryan [Hunter-Reay], Will [Power] and [Scott] Dixon – he gave me room there in those last couple turns. That’s pretty nice of him – not a lot of guys [would] do that.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28 Andretti Autosport Honda) started 18th, finished 5th: “I think that [fifth] was as good as we were going to get today. We really worked hard on saving fuel – we had to have a lot of discipline there to pull it off. Some guys pitted a little later than us, they were able to go a little heavier, a little harder, so we missed out on the podium because of that. All in all, a pretty good day for the DHL Honda.”

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s race in Long Beach: “This was an encouraging day, with a lot of strong performances from our teams, led by Graham [Rahal], Ryan [Hunter-Reay], ‘Hinch’ [James Hinchcliffe] and Carlos [Munoz]. Graham put on a driving clinic in the last 20 laps that, as a race fan myself, was just enjoyable to watch.
Congratulations to Josef [Newgarden] on a well-earned first Indy car victory. This was a good day for Honda, but we know we still have a lot of work ahead of us, and we’re looking forward to the ‘Month of May’ and the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500.”

* Hinchcliffe also posts top-10 qualifying effort
* Field set for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

Graham Rahal led the Honda field in Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying Saturday for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, posting the eighth-quickest time in his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda in the second of the three-round “knockout” qualifying sessions.

The performance matched Rahal’s best previous qualifying effort at Barber Motorsports Park, eighth in 2012, and was his second consecutive top-eight qualifying run of 2015. James Hinchcliffe completed the top 10 qualifiers in his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda.

Video recaps from this weekend’s Honda racing activities in Alabama, including Verizon IndyCar and Acura Pirelli World Challenge efforts, are being posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2015 HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV. The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, with live television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) qualified eighth today: “It was a really good lap. I don’t know if there was much left in the Steak ‘n Shake car. These guys worked very hard and we fought back here in qualifying. It’s good to be the fastest Honda. We have to close the gap and get up there, get more competitive. I think we have a good chance in the race starting eighth. Anything can happen here. We’ve got to be smart and we’ve got to take care of the rear tires. I think we can get a good result, I feel good about it.”