Round 15: Bommarito Automotive Group 500. World Wide Technology Raceway. Aug 26-27.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Round 15: Bommarito Automotive Group 500. World Wide Technology Raceway. Aug 26-27.

This weekend will be the seventh running of the Bommarito Automotive Group
500, as an event. However, it will be the eighth running of the race, as a
double-header was held in 2020 due to a number of races being cancelled
because of the Covid pandemic.

There are a couple of notable changes to this year's race format, with the race itself being moved from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon and it will also feature the use of alternate tyres.

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History
Originally called St. Louis Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway has
undergone a number of name changes over the years and was previously
known as, Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park,
taking its name from the proximity to the Gateway Arch monument in St. Louis.

In 1967 St. Louis Raceway was originally developed as a 1/8 mile drag strip, by
Wayne Meinert. Four years later and following the purchase of more land, the
drag strip was expanded to a full quarter-mile and renamed St. Louis
International Raceway.

Drag racing at St. Louis International Raceway, was the main form of motorsport throughout the '70s and '80s but with increasing demand from road racers, a new 2.6-mile course was built and opened in 1985, incorporating the drag strip. The venue was renamed Gateway International Raceway and hosted Can-Am, Sports Car Club of American (SCCA) and Trans Am events.

In 1995, the venue was purchased by former Long Beach Grand Prix promoter
Chris Pook, who had plans to create a new oval track for hosting IndyCar and
NASCAR races. The original track was demolished and a new oval and infield
road course were built and opened in 1997.

The venue's inaugural race was the Motorola 300, the sixth round of the 1997
CART season. It was held on Saturday May 24 and was won by Paul Tracy,
driving for Marlboro Team Penske, in a Penske PC 26 - Mercedes-Benz IC108C.

CART decided, rather than holding the race on the same day as the Indianapolis 500, (which had become part of the rival Indy Racing League's calendar), as had happened in 1996 with the U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway, they would schedule the race the day before, to serve as their Memorial Day weekend race without direct conflict.

After a couple of years, track management grew increasingly dissatisfied with its use, which was seen by some, as a political pawn or statement by CART. The event also suffered from poor attendance, as fans generally chose to travel to the Indianapolis 500 for the weekend instead. In 2000, the race was moved to the Fall, Autumn, but with spectator attendance of only 25,000, it was dropped from the CART series calendar at the end of 2001 and switched to the Indy Racing League.

The Gateway Indy 250, was the Indy Racing League's inaugural race and was won by Al Unser, Jr. driving a G-Force GF05B-Oldsmobile Aurora V8, for Galles Racing. Despite the switch to the Indy Racing League, spectator attendance continued to be poor and the event was dropped after 2003.

In 2010 Dover Motorsports, Inc., who had purchased the venue from Pook,
hosted two Nationwide Series races at Gateway. However, the attendance
figures were disappointing and the Dover group, citing their inability to run the
operations with acceptable returns, officially announced Gateway was closing
and ceasing operations as of November 3, 2010.

Less than a year later Curtis Francois, a retired racing driver who had raced in
Indy Lights at Gateway in 2002 and now a real estate developer, purchased the
160-acre venue investing $20 million and re-opened it in 2012.

Key to reopening Gateway was the commitment to drag racing and the partnership with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Francois signed a long-term deal with the NHRA starting with a signature event in September 2012 and subsequently adding NASCAR truck events.

In 2015, the track was approved as a test facility for the Verizon IndyCar series
and in January 2017, a multi-year agreement was signed with Gateway
Motorsports Park and the Bommarito Automotive Group. Subsequently, on April
17, World Wide Technology announced it had acquired naming rights for the
track, renaming it to World Wide Technology Raceway.

At the 2017 St. Louis Auto Show, the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 was
announced and and added to the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series calendar, with the race being held on August 26, 2017. It was won by Josef Newgarden, driving for Team Penske in a Dallara DW12-Chevrolet IndyCar V6.

In 2020 a double-header was held, one of 5 on that year's revised calendar, due to the Covid pandemic, as a number of races had been cancelled.

Before the start of the 2021 race, event promoters announced a contract
extension with IndyCar, to secure the race for an additional five years.

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Some Trivia:
The team with the most wins: Team Penske. 1997, 2002, 2003, 2017, 2018,
2020, 2021, 2022

The driver with the most wins: Josef Newgarden, 2017, 2020*, 2021, 2022
*Race 2 of 2020 double-header.

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Track:
The 1.25-mile (2.01 km) oval has a unique egg shape, with different degrees of
banking. Turns 1 and 2 have characteristics similar to New Hampshire Motor
Speedway, while Turns 3 and 4 are similar to Phoenix International Raceway,
while the track's egg shape mimics the legendary Darlington Raceway. There is
also a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) infield road course. Alongside is a separate NHRA-
sanctioned drag strip. Today, Gateway has undergone an $11.5 million
revitalization project.

Original 1985-95 full course layout:



2019 to date:



Track length:
1.25-mile (2.01 km)
Turns: 4

Lap record:
Will Power, May 25, 2017. 23.721, 189.642 mph (224.447 km/h).
Team Penske
Dallara DW12-Chevrolet IndyCar V6
Verizon IndyCar Series.

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Last year's race:
https://www.indycar.com/news/2022/08...wwtr-nics-race

Pole position:
Will Power.
Team Penske,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Winner:
Josef Newgarden
Team Penske.
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6

Laps: 200
Distance: 310.686 Miles (500 km)
Race Time: 2:10:40.1827
Average Speed: 149.231 Mph (240.164 Km/h)
Fastest lap: Josef Newgarden-Team Penske, Lap 227. 25.5579 sec, 176.071 Mph
(283.358 Km/h)

Cautions: 2
Laps: 145 - 156, 214 - 223.

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Practice and Qualifications

Practice 1
Saturday, Aug 26
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Qualifications
Saturday, Aug 26
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

High Line Practice
Saturday, Aug 26
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET

Final Practice
Saturday, Aug 26
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM ET

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Race Broadcast:
Sunday, Aug 27.
NBC: 3:30 PM ET, UTC: 7:30 PM,
Sky Sports F1: 8:30 PM BST

[NaBUru38]

This should be a Saturday night race I think.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

This should be a Saturday night race I think.

I'm glad it isn't. Sunday afternoon is a much better time. I never thought Saturday night races were particularly good for track attendance and TV viewing figures.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Josef Newgarden, 4 time winner of this race, could be the first driver in IndyCar’s history to win every oval race of the season, if he wins on Sunday.


https://racer.com/2023/08/25/newgard...-oval-history/

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I'm glad it isn't. Sunday afternoon is a much better time. I never thought Saturday night races were particularly good for track attendance and TV viewing figures.

Ovals tend to get better attendance on Saturday afternoon or evenings for Indy and the cars just look better on an oval at night. Plus daytime late summer temp, no thanks in the sun

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Ovals tend to get better attendance on Saturday afternoon or evenings for Indy and the cars just look better on an oval at night. Plus daytime late summer temp, no thanks in the sun

That wasn't the case with Fontana, which returned in 2012 as a twilight race on Saturday after 6 years and was dropped after 2015, due to poor attendance and viewing figures. Similarly with Phoenix, which returned to the IndyCar Series calendar in 2016 after 10 years, also as a twilight race on Saturday and was dropped after 2018.

[joeb]

Rain has delayed on track action thus far.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

Rain has delayed on track action thus far.

IndyCar are also reporting thunderstorms.

https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/08...ics-rain-delay

[joeb]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

IndyCar are also reporting thunderstorms.

https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/08...ics-rain-delay

Still raining hours later. Not sure how this plays out today.

[mstets]

Rain must be tapering off as they are running vehicles around the track right now to start the drying process.


I wish Indycar would go back to three day race schedules. In the CART days I think we put the cars through tech on Thursday and had at least one session on Friday at MIS, Milwaukee, and Phoenix. If there had been a Friday practice session the teams would have had a better chance of getting a handle on the setup and tires. It's looking like a session for each series may be cancelled unless they run under the lights tonight. Radar shows another storm cell west of STL but perhaps it will track a bit south of Gateway.

[mstets]

Track looking pretty dry now. Just had a view of a golf cart pulling up to a camera and a guy wiping off the lens, so maybe they are thinking cars will yet get on track today.

[mstets]

Just announced that NXT practice will start at 7:45 Eastern time, with Indycar practice to follow. Still looks pretty cloudy, hope the revised schedule holds up. Indycar qualifying on Sunday.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by mstets

Just announced that NXT practice will start at 7:45 Eastern time, with Indycar practice to follow. Still looks pretty cloudy, hope the revised schedule holds up. Indycar qualifying on Sunday.

Like only place in country with heavy rain today and they happen to have an oval race!

[mstets]

Originally Posted by joeb

Like only place in country with heavy rain today and they happen to have an oval race!

Dying for rain here 185 miles north of STL. Dew point in Moline was the highest in the continental USA mid week and weather radio said 100% humidity in Peoria today at noon, but we can't buy a drop of rain.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Qualifying tomorrow at 11 am.

https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/08...ics-rain-delay

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Qualifying tomorrow at 11 am.

https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/08...ics-rain-delay

That is some sky in that photo!

And great intro - thanks

[fieldodreams79]

Those shelf clouds always make me nervous.

The weather today doesn't look too hot, but more rain between 12 and 3 so might have a delayed start...

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That wasn't the case with Fontana, which returned in 2012 as a twilight race on Saturday after 6 years and was dropped after 2015, due to poor attendance and viewing figures. Similarly with Phoenix, which returned to the IndyCar Series calendar in 2016 after 10 years, also as a twilight race on Saturday and was dropped after 2018.

Hasn't Iowa run on Saturday nights to packed crowds? Maybe Richmond, too.

I think Fontana, overall had some serious promotion issues.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Those shelf clouds always make me nervous.

The weather today doesn't look too hot, but more rain between 12 and 3 so might have a delayed start...

Hasn't Iowa run on Saturday nights to packed crowds? Maybe Richmond, too.

I think Fontana, overall had some serious promotion issues.

Iowa has been a mixed bag. From 2007 the race was held on Sunday afternoon and then switched to a Saturday twilight race in 2011 and went back to a Sunday afternoon race in 2013. Since then, Iowa has gone back and forth from twilight Saturday to Sunday afternoon. 2020 was the exception because of Covid and was a twilight double-header held on Friday and Saturday. Iowa didn't host a race in 2021 but last year and this year, it was a day time double-header on Saturday and Sunday.

I don't know about Richmond, as I started following IndyCar after series reunification in 2008 and Richmond dropped off the calendar after 2009.

[broadrun96]

Richmond was mostly twilight/evening, think maybe the last year wasn't but I only remember night. I like evening ovals, the cars just look better so think if it was daytime I missed it. But remember there was some Virginia anger and losing it but no sponsors and think tobacco was background supporting it and those loopholes were closing. And then 2020 killed the return, think it was a night proposal as well

Yeah, it was proposed for June 27 to replace Pocono. Sadly it feels like they aren't looking at going back but rather pushing for Milwaukee. In fairness I think there's more history than Richmond

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Richmond was mostly twilight/evening, think maybe the last year wasn't but I only remember night. I like evening ovals, the cars just look better so think if it was daytime I missed it. But remember there was some Virginia anger and losing it but no sponsors and think tobacco was background supporting it and those loopholes were closing. And then 2020 killed the return, think it was a night proposal as well

Yeah, it was proposed for June 27 to replace Pocono. Sadly it feels like they aren't looking at going back but rather pushing for Milwaukee. In fairness I think there's more history than Richmond

No objections from me if they go back to Milwaukee.
IIRC, Champ Car raced under the lights at Milwaukee in 2003.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Qualifying Result

Scotty Mac's on pole, joined on the front row by Penske team mate Josef Newgarden. Can he make it a clean sweep of oval victories?

4 Chevy's in the top six.

[joeb]

It is go time!

[joeb]

And yet again, a yellow before the first lap is over at Gateway

[bjohnsonsmith]

Newgarden takes the lead but it's the first FCY, as Pedersen stuffs it at Turn 1.


Edit:

I maligned Pedersen, it looks like Ed Carpenter tagged him.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Santino Ferrucci is the first to take the reds.