(Motorsport-Total.com) – The IndyCar series released the official trailer video for the 2021 season on Wednesday under the title “Defy Everything”, which means something like “leave everything behind”. The season opener is scheduled for April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. The season finale is scheduled for September 26th in Long Beach, California.
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The 105th Indy 500 as the highlight of the IndyCar season 2021 will take place on May 30th (Photo: Test)
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Montoya at McLaren SP with historic # 86 (April 6)
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Juan Pablo Montoya’s McLaren-Chevrolet for the two Indianapolis races in May Zoom
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It has been certain since December 2020 that the two-time Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya will compete for McLaren SP at this year’s Indy 500 (May 30). But one detail has now changed. In contrast to Fernando Alonso, who drove the third McLaren SP car with starting number 66 in the Indy 500 in 2020, Montoya will drive this third car with a different starting number this year.
# 86 was chosen for Montoya and that has a historical background. Because this year it will be 50 years since Peter Revson drove to the Indy 500 pole for McLaren with the start number 86. Along with the new start number, McLaren SP presented Montoya’s complete car design. The second main sponsor besides title sponsor Arrow (electronics company) is on the car of the Colombian Mission Foods, a brand of the Mexican food processor Gruma, which specializes in tortillas. On top of that.
McLaren SP has also confirmed that Montoya will not only contest the Indy 500 in May, but two weeks earlier also the Indianapolis Grand Prix (May 15) with the orange / white # 86 McLaren-Chevrolet. Apart from the two IndyCar races for McLaren SP, Montoya is driving the entire WEC season for DragonSpeed and the IMSA endurance races for Meyer Shank Racing this year. He recently took third place at the 12h Sebring.
IndyCar pilots with worry lines: Only one line in Texas (April 6)
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Pato O’Ward at Texas Motor Speedway Zoom
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IndyCar ran a test ahead of the races on May 1st and 2nd at Texas Motor Speedway. Many drivers now worry that there will only be one fast line. The reason is the so-called traction compound, which is applied to the outside lane for the NASCAR races. Therefore, so the IndyCar drivers fear, there could hardly be any overtaking maneuvers. Last year there were only five changes in leadership at the top, which three drivers shared among themselves.
“It could make the race very difficult if we don’t have a second lane,” said Pato O’Ward after the test. “We really need them so that we have a chance to overtake and put on a good show.” Graham Rahal even speaks of a “no-go zone” in turns 1 and 2, which should be avoided by all means. There is still a chance, however, that another line will open up that would improve racing at Texas Motor Speedway.
Second IndyCar series esports season completed (April 2nd)
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Scott McLaughlin won the season 2 finale of the IndyCar iRacing Challenge Zoom
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The IndyCar series and many of its regular drivers brought the second season of the IndyCar iRacing Challenge – the official esports series of the US formula racing series – to an end on Thursday evening. After the first season in the 2020 corona year had six stations, only three (Montreal, Homestead and Sebring) were on the calendar for the 2021 season.
These three online races took place over the past three Thursdays and were won by Alex Palou, Sage Karam and Scott McLaughlin. As in 2020, there was no official title for the overall winner of IndyCars’ e-sports tour. If this had happened in 2020, McLaughlin would have won it. And the Penske driver was also one of the strongest in the second esports season. Apart from the Sebring victory, he finished second in the Montreal race. McLaughlin had to skip the Homestead race due to a PR appointment in Indianapolis.
Countdown to the start of the season (April 1st)
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The 2021 IndyCar season starts in Barber Motorsports Park, where they last drove in 2019 Zoom
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The almost six-month IndyCar winter break is almost over. On Sunday, April 18th, the first of 17 planned races on the IndyCar calendar 2021 will take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham (Alabama). In addition to the usual protagonists around defending champion Scott Dixon (Ganassi-Honda), Vice-Champion Josef Newgarden (Penske-Chevrolet) and Co. will pay special attention to the three extremely prominent rookies in the new season.
Jimmie Johnson (Ganassi-Honda), Scott McLaughlin (Penske-Chevrolet) and Romain Grosjean (Coyne-Honda) are the three rookies who have made numerous successes and headlines on their previously known NASCAR, Supercars series and Formula 1 stages , for which an IndyCar season will be something completely new. (Overview: drivers, teams and driver changes for the IndyCar season 2021)
McLaughlin, who made his racing debut at the season finale in St. Petersburg in October 2020, is the only one in this year’s rookie trio who is set for the entire season. Both Johnson and Grosjean limit themselves to the 13 races, which are scheduled on circuits and street circuits. The Barber Motorsports Park on April 18th is also a start in this regard.
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