LONG POND, Pennsylvania – Now that everyone has had a chance to catch their breath, it’s go time for the Verizon IndyCar Series.
Four races in a five-week span to determine the 2017 champion in a battle that is shaping up of epic proportion. The top three drivers separated by just eight points; the top six by 58 points. Nineteen drivers are still mathematically eligible for the title.
ABC SUPPLY 500: Entry list
Following a pair of off weekends to rest and refresh, teams and drivers head to Pocono Raceway this weekend for the ABC Supply 500. Sunday’s race on the unique 2.5-mile triangular oval is the final superspeedway event of the season, with a short oval (Gateway Motorsports Park) and a pair of permanent road courses (Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway) to close the campaign.
Josef Newgarden of Team Penske enters a race weekend as the championship leader for the first time in his six-year career, on the strength of back-to-back wins. Teammate Helio Castroneves is seven points behind, with four-time series champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing eight back in third.
Dixon won the 2013 Pocono race to jump-start the charge to his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series crown. The 37-year-old New Zealander knows well what is at stake this time around.
“Nothing is a given here,” said Dixon, who had been the points leader for six races until Newgarden’s July 30 triumph at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “We've slipped to third in the championship with four to go here recently, but are only eight points out. This is the time to really start a string of strong finishes that will hopefully get you across the finish line in front of the other contenders."
It begins with Pocono Raceway, a difficult oval to conquer with its three very different turns in both banking and angle. The buzzword of the ABC Supply 500 weekend is “compromise,” as in getting the car to work well enough in a corner without sacrificing too much performance in the other two turns.
“The characteristic of this 'Tricky Triangle' is so much fun,” said Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato from Andretti Autosport. “Every corner is totally different. The sensation of speed going into high-banked Turn 1 is very impressive and the balance of the car shifts, particularly (in) Turn 3, (which is) quite neutral as it (has) much less banking. It is very, very challenging.
“It is followed by a long straight which gives us a great overtaking opportunity, too, so the race here is always exciting.”
Action begins Saturday with a 75-minute practice starting at 9 a.m. ET. Single-car qualifying to determine the 22-entry starting grid begins at 1 p.m. on NBCSN, with a final, 30-minute practice set for 5 p.m.
Race coverage commences at 2 p.m. Sunday on NBCSN and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network. Every lap, every point is crucial from here on out.
“Every week is make-or-break for us,” said Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. “It's crunch time, so we need to go out there and have the absolute best result that we can. If that's winning, we need to win, and if we have a seventh-place car, we need to finish seventh at the worst.
“We're 58 points out (of the lead) and I think we have been the most consistent car, so we're hoping to continue that.”
ABC Supply 500 fast facts:
Race 14 of 17 on the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule
Track: Pocono Raceway, a 2.5-mile triangular oval in Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Race distance: 200 laps / 500 miles
Track record: Juan Pablo Montoya, 40.1929 seconds (223.920 mph), set in 2014 qualifying
Firestone tire allotment: Thirteen sets for use throughout the weekend
NBCSN telecast information: Qualifying airs live at 1 p.m. ET Saturday; the race airs live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday
Ticket information: PoconoRaceway.com