The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has the next two weekends off from racing after being on track for five consecutive weekends since early May, but that doesn’t mean teams and drivers are enjoying a vacation.
Far from it, judging by the upcoming testing schedule.
Nearly every full-time team in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will participate in one or more of a combination of three private test sessions between June 20-27 at three racetracks, as preparations continue for a crucial summer stretch of six races between July 3 and Aug. 7. Only three races will remain on the 2022 schedule after that run, so the road to the championship could be paved in the next seven weeks.
Twenty drivers will participate in a private test Monday, June 20 at Iowa Speedway. The .875-mile tri-oval is hosting a doubleheader, with the HyVeeDeals.com 250 on Saturday, July 23 and the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 on Sunday, July 24.
Drivers and teams scheduled to test at Iowa (alphabetical): Helio Castroneves (Meyer Shank Racing), Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing), Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing), Jack Harvey (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), JR Hildebrand (AJ Foyt Racing), Callum Ilott (Juncos Hollinger Racing), Jimmie Johnson (Chip Ganassi Racing), Dalton Kellett (AJ Foyt Racing), Kyle Kirkwood (AJ Foyt Racing), Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske), David Malukas (Dale Coyne Racing with HMD), Josef Newgarden (Team Penske), Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren SP), Simon Pagenaud (Meyer Shank Racing), Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing), Will Power (Team Penske), Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), Felix Rosenqvist (Arrow McLaren SP) and Takuma Sato (Dale Coyne Racing with RWR).
Testing will shift from the tight oval at Iowa to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course Thursday, June 23, where the series already raced May 14 in the GMR Grand Prix and will compete again Saturday, July 30 in the Gallagher Grand Prix.
Seven drivers are scheduled to turn laps on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit at IMS: Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport), Romain Grosjean (Andretti Autosport), Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian), Kirkwood, O’Ward, Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi (Andretti Autosport).
Four drivers are scheduled to test Monday, June 27 at Sebring International Raceway, where the combination of rough, bumpy asphalt and concrete simulates remaining street course races July 17 at Toronto and Aug. 7 at Nashville. Testing at the Florida track will be Harvey, Lundgaard and Rahal, and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires standout Benjamin Pedersen with Juncos Hollinger Racing.
Stay tuned to indycar.com over the next 10 days for complete coverage. The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R on Sunday, July 3 (noon ET, NBC, Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network).