2019 IndyCar Series

2019 IndyCar season
IndyCar Series
Season
Races 17
Start date March 10
End date September 22
Awards

Scott Dixon is the reigning IndyCar Series Drivers' Champion.

The 2019 IndyCar Series will be the 24th season of the IndyCar Series and the 98th official championship season of American open wheel racing. The premier event will be the 2019 Indianapolis 500, with Will Power entering as the defending winner. Honda will enter as the defending Manufacturers' Cup champion. Scott Dixon will enter the season as the defending National Champion.

Series news

  • Verizon Communications ended its title sponsorship of the series after the 2018 season.[1] No replacements have been announced.
  • On March 21, 2018, NBC Sports announced that it would become the sole television rightsholder under a new three-year contract, replacing the previous split between ABC and NBC Sports' cable network NBCSN (whose involvement in the series dated back to its tenure as Versus, prior to Comcast's acquisition of NBC). Eight races per-season will air on NBC, including the Indianapolis 500 (ending a run of 54 consecutive editions aired by ABC), and supplemental digital content will be offered through NBC Sports' subscription product NBC Sports Gold. As with the previous arrangement, the remaining races will air on NBCSN.[2][3][4]
  • All entrants will use 2018-specification engines through the 2020 season as the series concentrates on developing the new 2021 engines.[5]

Entries

The following teams and drivers have been announced to compete in the 2019 IndyCar Series season.

Team Engine No. Driver(s) Round(s)
A. J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet 4 Brazil Matheus Leist[6] All
14 Brazil Tony Kanaan[6] All
Andretti Autosport Honda 26 United States Zach Veach[7] All
27 United States Alexander Rossi[8] All
28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay[9] All
Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian 98 United States Marco Andretti[10] All
Carlin Chevrolet 59 United Kingdom Max Chilton[11] All
TBA TBA[11] All
TBA TBA[11] TBA
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon[12][13] All
10 Sweden Felix Rosenqvist[14]  R  All
Dale Coyne Racing Honda 19 United States Santino Ferrucci[15]  R  All
Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan 18 France Sébastien Bourdais[16] All
Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 20 TBA 1-5, 7-8, 10-11, 13, 16-17
United States Ed Carpenter[17] 6, 9, 12, 14-15
21 United States Spencer Pigot[18] All
Harding Steinbrenner Racing TBA 8 Mexico Patricio O'Ward  R  All
88 United States Colton Herta  R  All
Juncos Racing[19] Chevrolet TBA TBA TBA
TBA TBA TBA
Meyer Shank Racing with Schmidt Peterson Honda 60 United Kingdom Jack Harvey[20] TBA
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 15 United States Graham Rahal[21] All
30 Japan Takuma Sato[22] All
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 5 Canada James Hinchcliffe[23] All
6 TBA1 All
Scuderia Corsa[24] Honda TBA TBA TBA
Team Penske Chevrolet 2 United States Josef Newgarden[25] All
3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves[26] 6
12 Australia Will Power All
22 France Simon Pagenaud[27] All
R Rookie
  1. ^ Robert Wickens is signed under a multi-year deal to drive the #6 car full-time for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports but has no set return date after sustaining severe injuries at the 2018 ABC Supply 500.[28][29]

Team changes

On September 19, 2018, it was announced that George Michael Steinbrenner IV's Steinbrenner Racing would join forces with Harding Racing to form a new two-car team under the name Harding Steinbrenner Racing.[30]

Meyer Shank Racing will compete in at least six races and expects to add four additional races for a total of ten in the 2019 season with driver Jack Harvey. [20]

Driver changes

After both running the final race of the 2018 season at Sonoma with Harding Racing, 2018 Indy Lights champion Patricio O'Ward and runner-up Colton Herta will run the full season with the new partnership of Harding Steinbrenner Racing.

On September 28, 2018, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that they had signed Felix Rosenqvist to drive for the team during the 2019 season. He will replace Ed Jones in the #10 car.[14]

Schedule

Rd. Date Race Name Track City
1 March 10 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg  R  Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida
2 March 24 TBA[31]  R  Circuit of the Americas Austin, Texas
3 April 7 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama  R  Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama
4 April 14 Grand Prix of Long Beach[32]  R  Streets of Long Beach Long Beach, California
5 May 11 IndyCar Grand Prix  R  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Speedway, Indiana
6 May 26 103rd Indianapolis 500 Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil  O  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana
7 June 1 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear Corporation  R  Belle Isle Park Detroit, Michigan
8 June 2
9 June 8 DXC Technology 600  O  Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas
10 June 23 Kohler Grand Prix  R  Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
11 July 14 Honda Indy Toronto  R  Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario
12 July 20 TBA  O  Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa
13 July 28 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio  R  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio
14 August 18 Pocono 500  O  Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania
15 August 24 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Presented by Valvoline  O  Gateway Motorsports Park Madison, Illinois
16 September 1 Grand Prix of Portland  R  Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon
17 September 22 IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix  R  WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California
O Oval/Speedway
R Road Course/Street Circuit

Schedule changes and notes

  • On June 22, 2018, it was announced that the Phoenix race at ISM Raceway would not be on the 2019 schedule.[33]
  • On June 24, 2018, IndyCar and Road America announced a three-year contract extension, keeping the circuit under contract through the 2021 season.[34]
  • On July 17, 2018, it was announced that Laguna Seca will be added to the schedule on a three-year contract and will be the 2019 season finale.[35] The event will replace the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.[36] It will be the first event there since the 2004 Champ Car season.
  • On July 30, 2018, it was announced the Iowa Corn 300 will return to a Saturday night race.[37]
  • On August 10, 2018, it was announced that Pocono Raceway will return in 2019.[38]
  • On August 16, 2018, an interview with Indycar's Stephen Starkes revealed that Portland would return, while Barber's date could move to early April.[39]
  • On August 23, 2018, Texas Motor Speedway confirmed a multi-year agreement to host the IndyCar Series through 2022.
  • On September 4, 2018, a March 24, 2019 race was announced at Circuit of the Americas.[40] The Austin American-Statesman reported a 5-year contract for the venue.

Season summary

Race results

  • One (1) championship point is awarded to each driver who leads at least one race lap. Two (2) additional championship points are awarded to the driver who leads most laps during a race.
  • At all races except the Indy 500, the number 1 qualifier earns one (1) point. At double header races, the fastest qualifier of each qualifying group earns one championship point.[41]
  • Entrant-initiated engine change-outs before the engines reach their required distance run will result in the loss of ten (-10) points.
    • NOTE: The distance run will be based on the total distance raced by that entrant with the engine in question, regardless of driver.
  • Ties are broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.

Footnotes

    References

    1. ↑ Malsher, David (October 20, 2017). "Verizon to quit as IndyCar title sponsor, remain with Penske". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
    2. ↑ "The Indy 500 will soon have a new TV network". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
    3. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (2018-03-21). "NBC Sports Grabs Indianapolis 500 Rights From ABC After 54 Years". Variety. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
    4. ↑ "How IndyCar-NBC deal will affect local Indy 500 blackout". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
    5. ↑ Glucker, Jeff (1 October 2018). "IndyCar is ready to introduce 900-horsepower engines by 2021". motorauthority.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
    6. 1 2 "Foyt confirms ABC Supply, Kanaan, Leist to remain in 2019". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
    7. ↑ "Zach Veach signs with Andretti Autosport through 2020". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
    8. ↑ "Andretti retains Rossi on multi-year deal". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
    9. ↑ "Andretti Autosport re-signs Ryan Hunter-Reay, DHL". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
    10. ↑ U.S. CONCRETE, MARCO ANDRETTI EXTEND PARTNERSHIP WITH ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT
    11. 1 2 3 https://racer.com/2018/09/24/carlin-cautious-on-third-car-plans/
    12. ↑ "Dixon to stay with Ganassi for 2019". RACER. 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
    13. ↑ Dixon signs multiyear extension to stay with Ganassi
    14. 1 2 "Ganassi signs Rosenqvist for 2019, extends deal with NTT Data". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Ltd. September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
    15. ↑ "Ferrucci set for full-time Coyne seat in 2019". Racer. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
    16. ↑ "IndyCar's Sebastien Bourdais back with Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser and Sullivan for 2019". Autoweek. 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
    17. ↑ Pigot returns to ECR for 2019
    18. ↑ "Pigot returnig to ECR in 2019".
    19. ↑ "Juncos to run two IndyCars in 2019". Motorsport.com. 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
    20. 1 2 Meyer Shank Racing aims for 10 IndyCar races in 2019 | RACER
    21. ↑ Rahal inches closer to three full-time cars in 2019 | RACER
    22. ↑ Takuma Sato gets new Rahal Letterman Lanigan IndyCar deal
    23. ↑ "Schmidt Peterson confirms Wickens to partner Hinchcliffe in IndyCar". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
    24. ↑ Scuderia Corsa commits to 2019 Indy 500 | RACER
    25. ↑ Dixon to McLaren? The 2019 IndyCar silly season is ramping up | RACER
    26. ↑ "Cindric: Helio will get another shot at fourth Indy win with Penske". RACER. 2018-05-27. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
    27. ↑ Penske confirms Pagenaud, Power; Rosenqvist to Ganassi? | RACER
    28. ↑ Schmidt building for the long term with Wickens | RACER
    29. ↑ https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/139147/hinchcliffe-hopes-new-spm-hire-has-wickens-style
    30. ↑ Miller, Robin (September 19, 2018). "New Harding Steinbrenner Racing team signs O'Ward, Herta for 2019". Racer.com. Racer Media and Marketing, Inc. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
    31. ↑ COTA to join 17-race 2019 IndyCar schedule | RACER
    32. ↑ Toyota ends 44-year title sponsorship of Long Beach GP | RACER
    33. ↑ Malsher, David (June 22, 2018). "Phoenix removed from IndyCar schedule for 2019". motorsport.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
    34. ↑ "INDYCAR, Road America announce three-year race extension". IndyCar.com. June 24, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
    35. ↑ "WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to host 2019 INDYCAR season finale". IndyCar.com. July 17, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
    36. ↑ Lerseth, Michael (July 13, 2018). "IndyCar swapping Sonoma Raceway for Laguna Seca in 2019". SFGate. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
    37. ↑ "Iowa Speedway race returning to nighttime on 2019 INDYCAR schedule". IndyCar.com. July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
    38. ↑ IndyCar Series to return to Pocono in 2019 - Sports - The Times-Tribune
    39. ↑ Miller, Robin (August 16, 2018). "'A lot of moving pieces' to IndyCar's 2019 schedule puzzle". racer.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
    40. ↑ https://www.mystatesman.com/sports/motor-sports/indycar-race-lands-austin-cota-next-march/OgaS31gUvUEmEQXabbLyzO/
    41. ↑ "2017 IndyCar Series rulebook" (pdf). Verizon IndyCar Series. p. 149. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
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