Be the One to get double track time this weekend
Followers of The American Legion’s racing program may think they’re seeing double this weekend during the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ stop at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.
Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) will feature two American Legion Be the One liveries in Saturday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500: rookie Linus Lundqvist, behind the wheel of the No. 8 American Legion Honda, and Marcus Armstrong, who will debut the No. 11 American Legion Honda.
Lundqvist has featured the blue Be the One livery throughout this season, while Armstrong’s version has a red paint scheme. Both carry The American Legion’s veteran suicide prevention message.
Saturday’s race is the first in the INDYCAR SERIES since the July 21 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, where Lundqvist finished 13th. He currently sits in 18th place overall and holds a 40-point lead over CGR teammate Kyffin Simpson in the Rookie of the Year standings.
Armstrong is in 14th place in the season points standings and has three top-five finishes this season. He’s coming off a fifth-place finish in the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto and last year captured Rookie of the Year for CGR.
Alex Palou, who leads the INDYCAR championship race by 49 points, also will carry American Legion branding on the No. 10 DHL Honda.
The 260-lap, 500-kilometer race takes place on a 1.25-mile oval favored by many of the drivers who race there due to the unique shape and varying degrees of banking in each corner. Turns 1 and 2 have characteristics similar to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while Turns 3 and 4 are similar to Phoenix Raceway. The track's egg shape is reminiscent of the oval at Twin Ring Motegi.
This weekend’s broadcast schedule (all times ET):
· Friday, Aug. 16 – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1, 12:45-1:45 p.m.; NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifications, 4:20-5:20 p.m.; NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, 7:45-9:30 p.m. (all Peacock).
· Saturday, Aug. 17 – Bommarito Automotive Group 500, 6-9 p.m. (USA and Peacock).
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship Facts:
· Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with five races to go for the third time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. He also led the 2021 and 2023 championships with five races to go, winning the title in each of those seasons. Palou, who has led the point standings after seven of the 12 rounds this season, took the point lead at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey in June.
· There are 18 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Will Power, Scott Dixon, Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, Scott McLaughlin, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi, Santino Ferrucci, Christian Lundgaard, Marcus Ericsson, Felix Rosenqvist, Marcus Armstrong, Rinus VeeKay, Romain Grosjean, Graham Rahal and Linus Lundqvist. Any driver who trails the points leader by 217 points or more following this 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 championship leader with five races to go has won the championship nine times. Those drivers were: Scott Dixon (2008, 2018, 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2019) and Alex Palou (2021, 2023).
· Point differential: The 49 points that separate Alex Palou and Will Power is the seventh-largest point margin with five races remaining since INDYCAR SERIES racing was unified in 2008. Before this season, the average lead with five races remaining was 43.9 points.
Race Notes:
· There have been seven winners in 12 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2024 season. Pato O’Ward (Streets of St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Scott Dixon (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Detroit), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway-1), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500), Will Power (Road America, Iowa Speedway-2) and Colton Herta (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2024. The modern record (1946-present) for the most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
· The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the 16th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon won at WWTR for the second time in 2023. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Dixon, Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022) and Will Power (2018) are the former winners entered in this year’s race.
· The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the fourth of seven oval races during the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Team Penske drivers have won the previous three races. Josef Newgarden won the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May while Scott McLaughlin and Will Power split the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader at Iowa Speedway last month.
· 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 nine starts, most among the entered drivers. Rookies Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson will make their first start at WWTR. Thirteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 582, Scott Dixon 374, Will Power 333, Pato O’Ward 159, Colton Herta 134, Scott McLaughlin 12, Alexander Rossi 8, David Malukas 4, Felix Rosenqvist 4, Marcus Ericsson 3, Romain Grosjean 2, Graham Rahal 2 and Conor Daly
· Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 335th consecutive start, extending his NTT INDYCAR SERIES record streak.
To learn more about The American Legion’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention program, including taking part in a Be the One virtual training session, click here.