Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar
Through the 2005 Verizon IndyCar Series season, the finishing results from the Phoenix Grand Prix round of the championship was often viewed as a bellwether for what could be ahead in terms of the Indianapolis 500 and after a ten-year absence, a new look Phoenix International Raceway will greet teams and drivers as the D-shaped one mile oval hosts 250 laps of racing on Saturday evening. Following a promising Test in the West last month that saw the fastest of the full time IndyCar fleet post lap speeds over 190 mph, the question is how competitive will the racing be when the circuit attends in full.
Unlike the layout that greeted open wheel racing teams since its debut in 1964 to 2005, the one-mile track now features added banking in the infamous dogleg section of the backstretch, while the relative flat track nature of turns one and two and turns three and four remains relatively the same as a decade ago. Despite the subtle change, the way drivers handle the circuit should be similar to the most recent event eleven years ago, even with speeds increased by as much as ten miles per hour. While most drivers should be able to take the dogleg and three and four flat-out, the entry into turn one may still require a brief lift off the throttle before mashing it again through turn two.
In terms of winning history, Team Penske leads currently active teams in terms of total Phoenix triumphs with six, including three wins by the legendary Rick Mears and a win in 2002 by current team member Helio Castroneves. Andretti Autosport, then known as Andretti-Green Racing, has also won here on two occasions with current Chip Ganassi Racing driver Tony Kanaan earning both checkered flags. While Chip Ganassi Racing has yet to win at this venue, the team did claim a pole position here in 1995, with now team owner Bryan Herta earning the honor.
As for the current state of Verizon IndyCar Series racing, expect the recent duel upfront between Penske and Ganassi to continue this weekend in the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix. Although he has yet to try his luck here in an open wheel car, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Juan Pablo Montoya has the most experience among the 22 drivers expected to run this weekend in terms of stars here at PIR, making ten appearances in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition with a best effort of sixth place in November of 2013. As mentioned previously, Castroneves could be a threat as could Will Power, who has shown a knack of being a fast learner at new venues. As for Ganassi, Scott Dixon’s oval success should equate here while the second round of the 2016 season could be a breakthrough for teammate Kanaan, who struggled to a ninth-place finish at the St. Petersburg opener.
The question of course, is who might be able to get among the current old guard at the top of the pyramid. The new look Ed Carpenter Racing team could be capable of achieving that task as the team boss himself makes his 2016 debut in proper after skipping St. Pete. PIR could be a bellwether for both Ed Carpenter and Josef Newgarden’s potential strength looking ahead to Indy, where excluding last year’s struggles the team has excelled, claiming back to back pole positions in 2013 and 2014. A solid effort at Phoenix could bring Newgarden back into the title picture after finishing last at St. Pete due to mechanical problems. Andretti Autosport is likely to be the best bet for a possible Honda winner this weekend, as the team has shown well on ovals in years past when the car package has been up to snuff. If improvement has been made from HPD since last year, a strong run by former Indy 500 Rookie of the Years Carlos Munoz and Marco Andretti is within reason.
PREDICTION:
Although the way one drives an IndyCar at Phoenix as opposed to a stock car varies greatly, the NASCAR track knowledge gained by Juan Pablo Montoya in years past could be enough to keep him unbeaten in the 2016 season to date, with perhaps his biggest challenges coming from teammate Will Power and CGR’s Scott Dixon.
Stay tuned to OnPitRoad.com for further news and updates from the Verizon IndyCar Series.
