IndyCar

Marcus Ericsson dodged multiple incidents in a chaotic season-opening race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, winning the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg ...

None of the drivers involved in the incident was hurt. 14 AJ FOYT RACING/SEXTON PROPERTIES Chevrolet and rookie Benjamin Pedersen in the No. 55 AJ FOYT RACING/SEXTON PROPERTIES Chevrolet, rookie Sting Ray Robb in the No. 51 biohaven Honda and Devlin DeFrancesco in the No. 60 AutoNation/Sirius XM, AJ Foyt Racing teammates Santino Ferrucci in the No. O’Ward took the lead on Lap 74 when leader Scott McLaughlin in the No. Alexander Rossi finished fourth in the No. The No. 06 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda and Simon Pagenaud in the No. Then the trailing No. Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon finished third in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda over runner-up Pato O’Ward in the No.

Scott McLaughlin has admitted that the collision that took Romain Grosjean out of the St. Petersburg IndyCar opener was his mistake, and says that he'll ...

“I'm very disappointed and I hope there's going to be rules put in place. I’ll go and see him soon.” “I just made a big mistake. He was given a drive-through penalty for unnecessary contact and went on to finish the race in 13th, while Grosjean was classified 18th. As they charged towards Turn 4, Grosjean attempted to outbrake him around the outside but McLaughlin also went deep under braking, locked his rears and took them both out into the tyre barrier. Petersburg IndyCar opener was his mistake, and says that he’ll apologise to the Frenchman.

McLaughlin blows his chance while Dixon holds his nerve as 10 cars crash out in Florida.

It was a wild race with a lot of crashes, I’m just pleased to finish,” the veteran said. “I don’t race like that, I apologise, I just made a stuff-up. McLaughlin locked up his brakes, forcing both cars to smash into the tyre-wall. It was a brutal introduction to the IndyCar scene for Armstrong who looked solid and was just pipped for a top-10 placing. I was racing hard, I’m very gutted.” *

Last year's winner was 20 laps away from repeating, when he collided with rival Romain Grosjean.

The race was just seconds old when chaos reigned on the streets of St Petersburg in Florida.

It looked like a bad crash back there.” * But the back markers came up at speed and multiple cars were involved in a crash that saw one go airborne after being T-boned. [Dixon](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/131379757/triple-treat--kiwis-to-the-fore-as-indycar-revs-up?rm=a) appeared not to see Felix Rosenqvist as they snaked through the second turn and tapped tyres, causing his former team mate to check and go into the wall of the tight street course. I hope everyone is OK.

Devlin DeFrancesco walked away without a scratch following an airborne crash in the opening lap of the first race of the IndyCar season in St Petersburg, ...

Grosjean was furious, first throwing his arms up in disgust, and then pounding his first on the stack of tires as he screamed. Ericsson, meanwhile, passed Pato O’Ward for the win with three laps remaining when O’Ward suffered a brief loss of power. But it was supposed to be an Andretti car in victory lane, at least based on the speed the team showed all weekend. Petersburg for a surprise victory for Chip Ganassi Racing on a swampy day in Florida. Rinus VeeKay had slid into a tire barrier, Harvey ran into the back of VeeKay and Kirkwood launched over both cars. I saw the 55 coming and thought, yep, this is going to be a big one.

Marcus Ericsson inherited the lead after engine trouble for Pato O'Ward, leading the final four laps of a chaotic IndyCar opener in St. Petersburg.

Julia Vazier said Harvey was taken to the hospital because of “an abundance of caution.” We had a super fast car, and the team did a really good job, but I’m really annoyed to be talking to you with the race going on. “I don’t know what else I can do there except hit the wall. “He wanted to use the next state over for room on the exit,” Herta told NBC Sports’ Kevin Lee about Power while watching the replay. — Marcus Ericsson won a chaotic IndyCar season opener, leading the final four laps of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete and first since Dario Franchitti in 2011.

Marcus Ericsson won the St Petersburg IndyCar opener after leaders Romain Grosjean and Scott McLaughlin collided and Pato O'Ward's car cut out.

0 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Graham Rahal 3 Laps Led Laps All escaped unhurt, while the race was red-flagged for a spell. Herta had been second early on but lunched his tyres and fell back as others got ahead on strategy. The long caution helped Dixon run fewer laps on the soft tyre than his top 10 rivals who started on the harder compound. As the Rahal Letterman Lanigan car hit VeeKay’s crashed Carpenter machine, Kyle Kirkwood was caught up too and literally vaulted over both. After the race he apologised multiple times.

Final practice ahead of the IndyCar season-opener, the Grand Prix of St. Petersbug, was topped by the Andretti Autosport cars of Colton Herta and Kyle ...

Petersburg will get the green flag at 12.30pm local (Eastern) time. There was plenty of experimentation with tires in the 78 degree heat and increasing humidity under cloudy skies. Petersbug, was topped by the Andretti Autosport cars of Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.

Nine of the IndyCar field's record 27 cars at the St. Pete season-opener were involved in a massive Lap 1 accident that red flagged Sunday's race.

Power was sent to the back of the field for his role in the incident, and Herta's day was done, becoming the eighth car eliminated from the field (Rosenqvist was able to make it back on-track, 40 laps down, after his Lap 1 crash). I'm really bummed because I really wanted to finish the first race of the season and carry that momentum. "He wanted to use the next state over for his exit there. Everyone checked up, and I just smoked the brakes and went straight into the back of Helio. Once the red flag was thrown, the race was paused for nearly 20 minutes as the AMR Safety Team cleared the cars and carnage. I thought I was going to be okay, but the way he then came around, it hit my right-rear, and that killed our race." He told the NBC broadcast he had "a little finger issue" but was otherwise 'OK'. Running just behind him, Jack Harvey couldn't avoid the Ed Carpenter Racing car and barreled into the ride side of him. "I'm fine, but it was a really hard knock and not the way you want to start the season," DeFrancesco said. I thought I was clear, but you saw in the mirror that it backed up, and it must've been a slightly bigger hit for him." He was on the reds, so he was probably going to get me anyways. Dixon's hip-check then sent Rosenqvist into the wall, damaging his car enough to continue pinballing down the track and slowing.

Marcus Ericsson opened his 2023 season in style after passing Pato O'Ward with four laps to go to clinch victory in a chaotic crash-strewn IndyCar season ...

Rahal and Power demoted Palou on the final lap to claim sixth and seventh. O’Ward staved off Ericsson on the restart, and the Swede had his mirrors full of Dixon. Grosjean was out on the spot, while McLaughlin was bumpstarted and went to the pits. The McLaren driver was also having to keep his eye on his mirrors for Dixon and Ericsson who were both edging away from Rossi, Palou, Newgarden and Callum Ilott of Juncos Hollinger Racing. Thankfully the next restart was clean and stayed clean, and Grosjean did a superb job on primary tyree to hang on to McLaughlin on alternates over the next laps. For the second time in 45 laps, an Andretti car was sent into the air. The second Meyer Shank car of [Simon Pagenaud](https://www.autosport.com/driver/simon-pagenaud/829686/) and [Dale Coyne Racing](https://www.autosport.com/team/dale-coyne-racing/36587/)’s rookie Sting Ray Robb was also involved. McLaughlin emerged from the pits ahead of Grosjean and the pair went side by side down to Turn 4. Herta then pitted on lap 27, and Kirkwood on lap 28. By lap 23, Grosjean had dropped Herta by 5.5s, and Herta was dropping into the clutches of O’Ward and Ericsson. Lundgaard made an error that saw him lose 10th to Malukas but the DCR driver soon pitted as Race Control ordered him to serve a drive-through penalty. The impact sent Rosenqvist into the outside wall at Turn 3 and was left limping to the pits with left-rear damage.

Team Chevy IndyCar program manager and engine guru Rob Buckner takes RACER's Marshall Pruett inside the championship-winning manufacturer's integration of ...

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In a wild start to the IndyCar season opener, Devlin DeFrancesco went airborne in a multicar wreck on the first lap of the Grand Prix of St. Pete.

“I was just trying to get through the first couple of turns,” the Arrow McLaren driver said. I thought I was clear. “I think he didn’t know I was there. [who started 18th of a track-record 27 cars](https://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2023/03/04/indycar-st-petersburg-starting-lineup-romain-grosjean-colton-herta-andretti-autosport-pato-oward-marcus-ericsson-kyle-kirkwood-scott-mclaughlin/), told NBC Sports after the Andretti Autosport was checked out at the care center. “I thought I went through, man. I thought I made it. Not the way we want to start. According to IndyCar medical director Dr. I’m on the brakes into that corner and turning right so hard. [or click here](https://www.nbcsports.com/video/indycar-series-grand-prix-st-petersburg-devolves-chaos-lap-1)) with a lazy half-spin after being hit at full speed by the No. 55 Dallara-Chevrolet of rookie Benjamin Pedersen during the opening minute of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. After gingerly climbing from his No.

Romain Grosjean looked set for his long-awaited first IndyCar win until a collision with Scott McLaughlin left him out of the race and raging.

“Ultimately I was just racing for the win there and I knew we had a chance when I got out in front of him. I’m really annoyed to be here talking to you while the race is still going on.” But this incident wasn’t a question of respect or whether Grosjean’s trusted to race wheel-to-wheel with the series’ best. “We had an amazing weekend, we had a super-fast car. Then at the final pitstops, at which both took the harder compound, Grosjean came in first and had a run on McLaughlin as his cold-tyred rival rejoined a lap later. Romain Grosjean looked set to begin his third IndyCar season with his long-awaited first series victory but instead a collision with Scott McLaughlin left him out of the race and raging.

IndyCar's 2023 season began with a frightening St Petersburg pile-up featuring a car in the air after a broadside high-speed hit.

It’s like when you hit your funny bone on a chair, it hurts but it’s all good. It’s a shame I have to try it out! Castroneves may have already had an x-ray on his right leg before the green flag came out following the incident he was caught up in. I said, ‘Yeah, this is going to be a big one.’ The aeroscreen took a big hit so that did its job. “I’m healthy, luckily I got my hands off the wheel. “I certainly feel devastated for the whole team. It was a big one. Sticking with the move was a lose-lose scenario. However, it was a move Rosenqvist should have backed out of earlier. But there was no gap. Dixon apologised profusely and did say he would have left more room for Rosenqvist if the same situation happened again.

The NTT IndyCar Series results and points standings after the 2023 season opener at St Petersburg, where Marcus Ericsson earned his fourth career victory.

“Do you give up a win to finish for the championship, or do you go for the win? “We banged all the way in, and I went up the inside, and I had as much lock as I could,” Power said. “You always want to win the race. I was racing hard; I was racing for the win. “A real good job to the team. “I know that we were the fastest car on track by a long way and that’s all that matters. “We predicted it was going to be wild,” McLaughlin said. “The whole race was getting into Turn 4 – who can get there first and get out of there first,” Bretzman told NBCSports.com. “We all race, we all make mistakes,” Grosjean said. “I was racing for the win. Grosjean climbed out of his car, walked over to the tire barrier and was furious. It was obvious that McLaughlin of Team Penske and Grosjean of Andretti Autosport had the two best cars in Sunday’s race.

Their battle for the lead in St Petersburg ended in disaster and Kiwi driver then proved true to his word.

Rookie Marcus Armstrong was 11th on his debut. We have had many good battles with McLaughlin later tweeted: “Glad we could talk man to man. “I know that we were the fastest car on track by a long way and that’s all that matters. We have had many good battles with— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) Glad we could talk man to man. He did get a penalty. McLaughlin was gutted by the outcome and accepted full responsibility, insisting the incident didn’t reflect his driving style. McLaughlin, trying to defend his St Petersburg title from last year, managed to restart but was handed a penalty and eventually finished 13th We showed today with Andretti that we can be up there." *

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Michael Andretti had his head in his hands nearly every time the camera showed him during the IndyCar season-opening race.

IndyCar reduced the guaranteed payout it gives to 22 full-time entrants in its “Leaders Circle” program by $150,000 a car to add $3.3 million to its marketing budget. IndyCar also held its preseason testing at the Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California, to spotlight its series for the members of the private club. “I’m very bullish on the series,” Andretti said. IndyCar firmly believes its racing product is the most competitive in all of motorsports and has taken huge steps to showcase it this year. Of the 27 drivers in the field, only 12 finished on the lead lap. Colton Herta was furious with reigning IndyCar champion Will Power, who received an avoidable contact penalty for knocking Herta into the tires.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Michael Andretti had his head in his hands nearly every time the camera showed him during the IndyCar season-opening race.

“I understand that we went through the period of planning and could we get the unscripted series done so it was reliable, it was going to happen, and could we put the revenue, the money together really, to fund the investments to do all this?" IndyCar reduced the guaranteed payout it gives to 22 full-time entrants in its “Leaders Circle” program by $150,000 a car to add $3.3 million to its marketing budget. IndyCar also held its preseason testing at the Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California, to spotlight its series for the members of the private club. IndyCar firmly believes its racing product is the most competitive in all of motorsports and has taken huge steps to showcase it this year. Of the 27 drivers in the field, only 12 finished on the lead lap. He started with at least three true challengers to win Sunday on the downtown streets of St.

In its earliest iterations, motor racing fans turned their nose up at the Formula 1 halo or IndyCar aeroscreen protective cockpit devices.

A new second-generation aeroscreen is reportedly in development. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by BIG difference makers." "But the aeroscreen effort by Jay Frye and the team is a huge safety step that is in the same category as Tony George's early investment in and focus on SAFER walls. DeFrancesco wrote on Twitter, "I need to say thank you to IndyCar for the aeroscreen today and for making sure our cars are safe!" IndyCar president Jay Frye posted a video of Pedersen's wrecked car in the aftermath, showing damage to the aeroscreen (below).