Nine transporters, several chartered jets and a colorful mix of rental cars arrived in Monterey Sunday as a prequel to what this year’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will look like in September. Four teams competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES are spending every minute of today to afford drivers valuable track time on the technically-challenging WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, while engineers tweak the chassis, engine and Firestone tires to fine tune the car’s setup to achieve optimal performance.
Teams and their drivers participating today are Dale Coyne Racing (Ed Jones and Romain Grosjean), Meyer Shank Racing (Helio Castroneves and Jack Harvey), Ed Carpenter Racing (Rinus VeeKay), and Arrow McLaren SP (Juan Pablo Montoya, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist). Former Formula 1 racer Romain Grosjean is making his debut at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“The entire business community enjoys welcoming INDYCAR athletes, their crews and owners to Monterey,” commented John Narigi, president and general manager of Monterey’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “It is exciting to see and hear the finely tuned race cars on track, and to witness the intensity in the pits, even in the non-race environment.”
The paddock and grandstands are closed for today’s testing, yet there are still some INDYCAR fans who paid the day-use fee to watch the sessions from the surrounding hillsides. For campers, the INDYCARS provide another unexpected benefit of camping in the Laguna Seca Recreation Area.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Indy Lights teams, headed by Andretti Autosport will be in Monterey conducting private tests in preparation for their season.
The track rental program is possible through a welcomed adherence to the strict health and safety protocols that were put into place last June. This includes registration logs at the gate, temperature checks at the paddock entry, face coverings, physical distancing, and contact tracing procedures.
Complete ticket packages and camping for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, September 17-19, are on sale by visiting www.WeatherTechRaceway.com, sending a message to [email protected] or by calling the Tickets and Accommodations specialists at 831-242-8200.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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