Oval debut ahead for DeFrancesco in Texas

NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Devlin DeFrancesco is set to make his INDYCAR oval debut this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport driver made his series debut last month on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, where the average speed for pole position in qualifying was 108.940 mph.

On the 1.5-mile Texas oval, however, qualifying speeds were in excess of 215 mph in 2020 (last year’s qualifying was canceled due to weather).

Opened in 1996, the track has 20 degree banked corners in Turns 1 and 2 and 24 degrees through Turns 3 and 4. This year will be the 26th year INDYCAR has raced on the Fort Worth oval. The massive facility has seats for more than 180,000 fans.

INDYCAR teams will hit the track for the opening practice session at 10:00 a.m. for a one-hour practice session before qualifying begins at 2:00 p.m. (local time). The final one-hour practice will also be run from 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Saturday’s 248-lap XPEL 375 goes green at 11:45 a.m. and will be shown live on NBC.

TEXAS SCHEDULE (all times local)

Saturday, March 19
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Practice 1
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Qualifying
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Practice 2

Sunday, March 20
11:45 AM – Round 2 (248 laps)
 

HOW TO WATCH
USA: NBC and Peacock TV
Peacock also will stream all races airing on NBC and will be the exclusive home of INDYCAR practice and qualifying sessions as well as a new post-race show
Canada: SportsNet World
International TV: https://www.indycar.com/ways-to-watch/international

HOW TO LISTEN
INDYCAR Radio and Sirius XM – https://www.indycar.com/radio/broadcast-schedule

HOW TO FOLLOW
Website: devlindefrancesco.com
Website: andrettiautosport.com
Website: steinbrennerracing.com
Twitter: twitter.com/devlindefran
Instagram: instagram.com/devlindefran

DEVLIN DEFRANCESCO Q&A

A: “Texas is fast, and we are going to send it. I’m looking forward to the oval. We had a successful test day there; the team has done quite a bit of work since the test day to find more speed. I have a lot of confidence in the No. 29 crew. We’re going to be pretty strong when we get there. You have to respect Texas because it’s fast, but you need to push.”

Q: WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE TEXAS OVAL?

A: “It is incredibly fast. It takes a couple of laps to get up to speed, but once I got into the groove, I just loved it.
“I am very fortunate to have a very experienced bunch of guys in the Andretti Steinbrenner crew and on the timing stand. They were a big help for me at the test.
“It was a great learning experience, but there are some more lessons ahead this weekend. We had a handful of oval rookies at the test, including my teammate Romain (Grosjean), but this week will be another story.”

Q: WHAT MAKES OVALS SO SPECIAL FOR YOU?

A: “It is kind of strange. I never did any oval racing when I was younger, and the first time I was ever on an oval was at Lucas Oils Raceway in Indy two years ago in Indy Pro 2000. I’ve always loved fast corners, and it has been a part of my driving style that has been really strong for me in the past.
“I instantly felt very comfortable. Obviously, it is a big jump from an Indy Pro 2000 car on a small oval to an INDYCAR at Texas, but I quickly felt comfortable at the test.
“You have to treat this track with great respect though.”
 

Q: HOW BIG A CHALLENGE IS THE COMPACT SCHEDULE AT TEXAS?

A: “We only have an hour of track time before we head out for qualifying. Having done the test recently is a big help as we’ll have a great baseline to get started with.
“I’m really looking forward to the weekend. There is so much to learn, so much to experience, working through the traffic – there are a lot of new experiences ahead that I’m really looking forward to.
“This is what makes INDYCAR so mega. Street courses, road courses, short ovals, and superspeedways – it really is an incredible challenge.”

ANDRETTI STEINBRENNER AUTOSPORT PARTNERS

In 2022, Italian-Canadian racer DeFrancesco will drive the No.29 Honda-powered machine – resplendent in his signature bright fluorescent and red livery backed by long-time Road to Indy partner, Powertap Hydrogen.

The Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport entry is backed in 2022 by a trio of green technology brands. Joining PowerTap Hydrogen is long-time Andretti Steinbrenner partner, microturbine energy solutions provider Capstone Green Energy and clean technology company, Atmofizer.

Additional brands that will feature on the car in 2022 include electric motorcycle pioneers Damon Motorcycles; software and services company Fyllo; Miami-based Sol Yoga; Clarus Securities, life sciences health and wellness company, Wesana Health along with green technologies investment company, The House of Lithium.

Major retail brands will also be showcased on the car, including Kimoa – the fashion, clothing, and accessories brand founded by Fernando Alonso; Seattle, WA-based Jones Soda Co. and returning Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport partner – small-batch and Austrian-distilled ultra-premium brand, NEFT Vodka.