FORT WORTH, Texas – It’s also billed as “No Limits, Texas,” which sums up the racing excitement Verizon IndyCar Series fans have witnessed the past two decades at Texas Motor Speedway.
The thrill show on the high banks of the 1.455-mile oval is on tap again this weekend for the Firestone 600, with the 248-lap race capping off the weekend Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network). The event kicks off the second half of the 2016 season and, while Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud carries a comfortable 80-point championship lead into the weekend, the rest of the 22-car field is looking to narrow the gap.
Helio Castroneves, one of Pagenaud’s three teammates with Penske, is among them. The likable Brazilian has more Indy car wins than anyone at Texas (four) and sits third in the point standings, but is currently mired in a two-year winless streak that he’s itching to end Saturday in the No. 3 AAA Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet.
"We've been so close - so close,” Castroneves said. “We're just missing out on some wins. A couple things different here and there and we could have a couple of victories, but that's racing and you need some luck.
“At some point we'll be on the right side of some of these things,” added the winner of 29 career Indy car races, tied for 11th best all time. “Texas has been good to us over the years, so we hope to keep that going.”
Josef Newgarden has also run strong at Texas, starting second in 2014 and finishing eighth the year before. His teammate and boss, Ed Carpenter, won the 2014 race. That brings high anticipation within the Ed Carpenter Racing camp.
"I absolutely love Texas, it's one of my favorite Indy car tracks,” said Newgarden, driving the bright green No. 21 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet this weekend. “It's one of our best places for fans and certainly one of the best ovals to drive an Indy car on. I can't wait to get back there with Ed again, I think we'll have two really good chances with both of the Fuzzy's Vodka cars."
Since TMS is a superspeedway, all cars will be fitted with domed skid plates and rear wing beam flaps as safety enhancements in the event a car spins on track. Most teams tested at Texas in April with the superspeedway configuration that was also in place for Indianapolis 500 competition last month.
"Texas Motor Speedway demands a lot of commitment as a driver, a lot of trust in your car, in your guys, your pit crew, engineer,” said Gabby Chaves, driving the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda for Dale Coyne Racing. “Everyone has to be working as one unit. It's definitely a daunting track with its high banking.
“It's a high-speed track with a lot of passing opportunities and it's one of the more fun tracks to race at. Last year, I had a top-10 finish there as a rookie and I'm very much looking forward to go back there and to try to get a top five this year, go for the win and see what we can do.”
There is a single practice session – which airs live at noon ET Friday on NBCSN – prior to Verizon P1 Award pole qualifying (live stream at 4:15 p.m. ET Friday on RaceControl.IndyCar.com, delayed telecast at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN). A final practice is set for 7:45 p.m. ET Friday (RaceControl.IndyCar.com).
Firestone 600 fast facts:
• Race 9 of 16 in the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. There have been 27 previous Indy car races at Texas Motor Speedway since the track opened in 1997. TMS hosted two separate events a year from 1998-2004 and a one-night doubleheader in 2011.
• Race distance: 248 laps/360.84 miles
• Track record: Gil de Ferran, 23.5031 seconds, 222.864 mph, Oct. 10, 2003 (one lap of qualifying); Will Power, 47.7960 seconds, 219.182 mph, June 7, 2013 (two laps of qualifying, the current format)
• Tickets and event information: www.texasmotorspeedway.com
• Twitter: @TXMotorSpeedway, #Firestone600; @IndyCar, #IndyCar
• TV: NBCSN will telecast Friday’s first practice live (noon-1:30 p.m. ET), Friday’s qualifying on a delay basis (6-7:30 p.m.) and Saturday’s race live (8 p.m. ET). Brian Till is the lead announcer alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy. Pit reporters are Katie Hargitt, Kevin Lee, Robin Miller and Marty Snider.
• Radio: The Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network is led by chief announcer Mark Jaynes, with booth analyst Davey Hamilton. Pit reporters are Brad Gillie, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young, with Jake Query calling the turns. All Verizon IndyCar Series races are broadcast live on network affiliates, Sirius 212, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app. Qualifying broadcasts are available on Sirius 212, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app. Practice sessions are on IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.
• Video streaming: Qualifying (4:15-5:15 p.m. ET Friday) and the final practice session (7:45-8:15 p.m. ET Friday) will stream live at RaceControl.IndyCar.com. Live timing and scoring for all weekend sessions is available at the same site.
• Fantasy league: The #INDYRIVALS Fantasy Challenge driven by Firestone allows fans to become a team manager by fielding a four-driver lineup for each Verizon IndyCar Series race, with a stockpile of prizes on the line each week. Sign up today at fantasy.indycar.com.