The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is back in the limelight for the third consecutive week, as Felix Rosenqvist and his rivals charge up for battle in the last oval race of the 2021 season.
Following the Nashville street event and last weekend’s dash around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the INDYCAR contingent will face a very different arena this time around in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, staged over 260 laps of the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway oval in Madison, Illinois.
“Gateway (as the circuit is sometimes also known) is a special track with varying amounts of banking in the different corners,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “The first two turns are pretty tight, but then it opens up in Turn 3 and 4. Since it’s such a short track, lapping quickly becomes a factor in the race, so it’s probably more important here than anywhere else to manage the traffic.”
The Illinois venue, which features a 24-second lap and average speeds in excess of 180 mph (around 300 km/h), has historically been happy hunting grounds for Felix Rosenqvist.
The 29-year-old Swede has recorded his best oval results of both the 2019 and 2020 seasons here, with a seventh-place finish last year remaining his best INDYCAR oval score to date.
Rosenqvist’s team, Arrow McLaren SP, also boasts a strong record at World Wide Technology Raceway, with Pato O’Ward making the podium in both races staged at the venue last season.
In other words, there is reason for optimism for Rosenqvist heading into the weekend.
“Historically, Gateway has been my strongest oval since arriving in INDYCAR, so I’m really looking forward to coming back,” Rosenqvist says. “The team has been extremely fast there, too, in the past. I feel like we have made good progress in recent races following the summer break, and it would mean a lot to finally come through with a strong result for the #7 guys this weekend.”
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 is a one-day event, with all practice, qualifying and racing activity taking place on Saturday. The race itself is run under floodlights on Saturday evening local time, meaning an early morning time slot for European audiences.
TIME TABLE
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 13
Bommarito Automotive Group 500
World Wide Technology Raceway (USA)
All times local (U.S. Central)
Saturday 21 August
Free Practice: 12:15-1:45 pm
Qualifying: 4:00-5:00 pm
Race: 7:40 pm
TIMING: INDYCAR App / racecontrol.indycar.com
ENTRY LIST: view here
TRACK DATA: view here
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 12/16 races
1: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 415 p.
2: Pato O’Ward (MEX), AMSP, 394 p.
3: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 381 p.
4: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 360 p.
5: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Ganassi, 353 p.
—
22: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), AMSP, 135 p.
View full standings