Ron McQueeney/IMS
After five consecutive weekends of practice/qualifying/racing at Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Texas, the series takes this weekend off.
Many teams/drivers will pack in testing this week at venues hosting the next three races. It’s one of the few opportunities—Indy Racing League rules state there is no testing allowed within seven days of an event—this summer. Also, Ed Carpenter will participate in a Firestone tire test at Chicagoland Speedway on June 10.
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Dario Franchitti will be in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car at Iowa Speedway on June 10. The speedway hosts the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights on June 21-22. Franchitti won the inaugural race at the 0.875-mile track in 2007, and Dan Wheldon was the victor last year.
Franchitti will then fit in some R&R in France to watch his brother, Marino, compete in the 77th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours. On the same day at Richmond International Raceway, Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, Panther Racing’s Dan Wheldon, Luczo Dragon Racing rookie Raphael Matos and HVM Racing’s E. J. Viso will test on the 0.75-mile oval.
The grandstands will be open at no charge from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. Guests should enter the property at the main entrance, located at the corner of Laburnum Avenue and Richmond-Henrico Turnpike. Parking and grandstand entry will be at Gate 70. The SunTrust Indy Challenge is scheduled for June 27. Castroneves won the race in 2005 and finished second in 2008 (to Tony Kanaan) and ‘03 (to Scott Dixon). Wheldon, the 2004 race winner, has never finished outside the top 10 at the track.
Watkins Glen International has invited fans to watch eight drivers test June 9 on the road course in advance of the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen on July 3-5. Scheduled to participate are Andretti Green Racing’s Danica Patrick, Kanaan and Marco Andretti, KV Racing Technology’s Mario Moraes, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Mike Conway and Milka Duno, and Dale Coyne Racing’s Justin Wilson. Richard Antinucci, the 2008 Firestone Indy Lights championship runner-up, will test for Team 3G.
Fans should enter through the main gate (Gate 2) starting at 10 a. m. The entire infield will be open for general viewing. Spectators sitting in Pit Terrace will have the opportunity to purchase that seat (if it’s available) through the “Save-a-Seat” program. Tickets for the race weekend - a popular camping destination for the holiday—will be on sale at the track.
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Ryan Hunter-Reay scored his first IndyCar Series victory on the 3.34-mile circuit last year, ending Dixon’s three-year reign.
