With snow covering the Belle Isle race course, it's difficult to imagine that the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is three months out. Verizon IndyCar Series team co-owner and driver Ed Carpenter is looking forward to warmer days ahead and the lone doubleheader on the series' schedule.
Carpenter, who won at Texas Motor Speedway last June and earned the Verizon P1 Award for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race for the second consecutive year, was in Detroit the past two days to promote the Chevy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans. Luca Filippi will drive the No. 20 Chevrolet and Josef Newgarden will drive the No. 67 entry for CFH Racing.
"We're really looking forward to this year and picking up where we left off last year and hopefully finding more success," Carpenter said. "The Chevy Dual in Detroit is always the first races after the '500,' which is always important to keep the momentum of the '500' and it's a big race for me being in the back yard of Chevrolet. It's just a great weekend for the City of Detroit."
Carpenter also helped welcome movie-goers to a screening of "Focus" at the Emagine Theater in Novi, Mich. The Warner Bros. feature film stars Will Smith, a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes romantically involved with a novice con artist played by Margot Robbie. The movie features several scenes with Verizon IndyCar Series cars in action as the final scenes take place around a racing event.
Verizon IndyCar Series team owner Bryan Herta and Andretti Autosport driver Carlos Munoz were drivers.
“I liked watching 'Focus' at the Detroit screening of the movie,” Carpenter said. “It was a pretty entertaining story and it was definitely great to see the cars from the Verizon IndyCar Series featured in a major motion picture. It’s good exposure for the series and our sport overall. Hopefully the fans watching the movie like what they see and they’ll come out to races like the Chevy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans to see our cars and drivers in action this summer.”
Tickets for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix are available at www.DetroitGP.com or by dialing 866-464-7749.
Open house at Chip Ganassi Racing Teams shop
Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball will sign autographs Feb. 28 as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams hosts an open house as a fundraiser for the Indy Honor Flight.
The organization provides free transportation to America’s aging veterans so that they may visit the memorials that stand in their honor in Washington, D.C. The open house offers shop tours, live/silent auctions, meet and greets with veterans and the Verizon IndyCar Series drivers (Dixon and Kanaan from 2-3 p.m. and Kimball from 3-4 p.m.). Team owner Chip Ganassi's father, Flloyd, was a World War II veteran.
The open house is from 2-7 p.m. at the race shop at 7777 Woodland Drive in Indianapolis. A donation is requested. To learn more, call 317-559-1600 or visit www.IndyHonorFlight.org.
IMS Night at the Indiana Pacers
Verizon IndyCar Series drivers James Hinchcliffe and Josef Newgarden will serve Feb. 27 as honorary co-captains at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Night with the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. A Verizon IndyCar Series show car will be on display in the Entry Pavilion for photo opportunities.
Newgarden will take part in the "Power Pack," the high-energy dunkers that entertain fans on game night. Hinchcliffe will participate in the "Deal or No Deal" game during intermission. Both drivers will also participate in a tricycle race.
Of note
A day earlier, Kimball will meet show-goers from 3-8 p.m. at the Mid-Indiana Marine and Axis Wake display at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds' West Pavilion. ... Dixon, who co-drove with Kanaan to the overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, will join Scott Pruett and Joey Hand to co-drive the No. 01 Prototype in the 12 Hours of Sebring March 21 at Sebring International Raceway.