Nobody is more excited about Saturday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix than Team Penske’s Will Power and Simon Pagenaud, who consider the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.439-mile road course one of their favorites for that type of circuit.
The fact that the two drivers have split all the victories in the four previous INDYCAR Grand Prix races influences that affinity.
“That does help, as far as liking a track,” said Power, who triumphed last year and in 2015. “I personally love the track. It’s probably my favorite road course of any road course I’ve been to. It’s fun, technical, I just really love it. I’m quick everywhere, but here in particular, I really enjoy.”
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Pagenaud won the inaugural race in 2014 while driving for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. It was the first time his father watched him drive at the historic venue. The Frenchman also triumphed in 2016 for Team Penske, one of five wins that season on his way to winning the Verizon IndyCar Series championship.
“It’s definitely one of my favorite, too, because of what it requires in driving, it suits me,” said Pagenaud, driver of the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet this weekend. “Everything flows for me here. It’s also the best facility, the one that’s the most maintained. It’s fun to come here and feel like our sport is relevant.”
Practice and qualifying is Friday (all sessions stream live on RaceControl.IndyCar.com) with the 85-lap INDYCAR Grand Prix scheduled for Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network).
Pagenaud compares the demands of the IMS road course to driving back home at Le Mans.
“Maybe it’s the background, where we come from, we used to race in Europe,” Pagenaud said. “This kind of track is very similar to where I grew up. My home racetrack is probably the closest to this. I’ve done many laps with these kind of techniques required by driving. Maybe that’s it.
“Maybe it’s also a bit of luck. I’m learning this year there’s definitely lady luck involved in racing. You go to some tracks, you always have luck. And some tracks, you don’t have any luck.”
Pagenaud is 15th in points, largely due to being taken out in an incident with Graham Rahal at the start of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach last month and finishing last in the 24-car field. The 33-year-old hasn’t finished better than ninth in any of the first four races this season.
Power sits 10th in the points and is also in need of a strong result. The 37-year-old driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet finished second at Long Beach, but was 21st in the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama presented by America’s First and 22nd in the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Phoenix Grand Prix.
The 2014 series champion, whose 32 career wins rank ninth on the all-time list, earned the Verizon P1 Award with a new track record in qualifying before leading 61 of 85 laps in last year’s INDYCAR Grand Prix. The victory was similar to 2015, when Power led 65 laps and won from the pole.
Pagenaud also prevailed after being the quickest qualifier in 2016, when he led 57 laps. He won from the fourth starting position in 2014.
They’re both chasing teammate Josef Newgarden, the defending series champion and points leader. Newgarden has won two of the series’ four races this season. The 27-year-old Tennessean hasn’t enjoyed similar success in the INDYCAR Grand Prix, where his best finish was 11th last year.
Why has Team Penske been so dominant in this race?
“The team has been really good on permanent road circuits and this one, we’ve done a little bit more,” said Tim Cindric, Team Penske president. “It’s more about our permanent road circuit success than anything else.”
A victory Saturday would be the 200th in Hall of Fame owner Roger Penske’s Indy car career, 37 of those coming on permanent road courses. Since 2008, his cars have won 21 races on permanent road courses.
Penske will have another familiar face in the lineup with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves. The popular Brazilian has been racing sports cars this season for Team Penske – winning on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – but is back in an Indy car this month for the INDYCAR Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.
Twenty-four cars are entered in the INDYCAR Grand Prix. Dale Coyne Racing has yet to announce a substitute for Pietro Fittipaldi, who was scheduled to drive the No. 19 Paysafe Honda until sustaining fractures in both legs from a crash during practice last week for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps sports car race in Belgium.