September 23, 2024
My last blog was on the qualifying for the Milwaukee Mile Hy-Vee 250 races held August 31 and September 1. Today's blog is on the two races that weekend. Conor Daly made the most passes EVER done at the Milwaukee Mile during a race even with 42 passes!
Pato O'Ward won the first race with Will Power and Conor Daly following behind. Ten more laps and I think Will Power would have caught Pato.
Scott McLaughlin won the second race with Scott Dixon and Colton Herta close behind.
It was fun, the weather was good and there were not too many accidents.
The crowd of 42,000+ enjoyed the nicely refurbished Milwaukee Mile which is still getting more improvements in the future thanks to the state of Wisconsin and Roger Penske Indy Car Corporation.
On a personal health update I will get a neph tube placed in my back going to my left kidney on Wednesday. Cancer cells are back and after the neph tube heals for a month I get 6 infusions of BCG. Hope this kicks it's ass and gets rid of it.
Racing season is done and cameras and lenses are getting cleaned so bring this treatment on!
Be well all and enjoy a look at the races a few weeks back.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
September 9, 2024
On Friday, August 30th I turned 70 and the Indy Cars came into town to the Milwaukee Mile where they haven't raced in years. Qualifying took place at my favorite race track and to me it's the best portrait session a photographer can get with the Indy Car racers because they go out 1 at a time.
This blog is just on the qualifying on Friday but two races were held August 31 and September 1 with the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s. The racing will be the next blog but enjoy the qualifying and a look at the tight confines of the present day Indy Car cockpit. It's a little different now with the nice air conditioning and blowers that they all have hooked up while waiting to get going.
The Indy NXT cars look a little different and notice Yuven Sundaramoorthys helmet with the Wisconsin Badgers football team theme. Very cool and he is from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
Each Indy Car driver got 3 laps in qualifying with the second lap being your qualifying lap for race 1 and the third lap your qualifying lap for the second race.
Josef Newgarden won the pole position for race 1 and Scott McLaughlin for race 2.
It was a wonderful weekend of weather and 42,000+ in attendance at the Milwaukee Mile which makes for a very successful weekend!
Enjoy a look at qualifying. The two races will be the next blog coming up.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
August 12, 2024
This is Part 2 of my Indy Cars at Road America blog. The race was June 9, 2024 and it's been a busy summer.
Part 1 was on the Indy Cars in the rain qualifying on Saturday June 8, 2024. I went through 2 pairs of shoes and I was soaked!
So here we look at the race after Linus Lundqvist got the pole position with qualifying on that Saturday in a great session. Linus finished the race 12th and Will Power finally won a race again and congratulations to him. It's been a while for Will to get a win on a road course.
The race was a tight battle with Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin coming in second and third. Team Penske had the top 3 positions so Captain Roger Penske had to be happy.
A bright spot in the weekend was Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick taking pole position and dominating their race for the win. Remember that name because she has a great future and is a really nice person. She is car #28 here in a few photos and Louis Foster in the #26 finished second.
Enjoy a look at a fun and exciting weekend.
On a personal note I have mentioned before that I have stage 2 bladder cancer and today is another big day with another blue light cystoscopy procedure to try to figure out where the cancer cells are coming from. Keep me in your thoughts today.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
July 11, 2022
On the weekend of June 12, 2022, the Indy Cars came to race at Road America. The Sensio Road America Grand Prix was a spectacular race! For a while we figured it was going to take all day though.
Alexander Rossi won the pole position and Josef Newgarden won the race with a great pit stop that put him ahead of Alex for the win.
The first 10 laps or so had a bit of crazy driving. Jimmie Johnson went off course on the first lap in turn 3 which brought out the yellow flag.
Alex Palou had contact on lap 4 for another yellow flag and then Will Power had a wild accident in turn 5. Will Power got a little push by Devlin DeFrancesco that put him into the wall and was facing the wrong way with a broken nose on his car. He attempted to continue on right in front of me, but had to stop on track and get the nose removed.
Finally, at lap 10 we got going again for a great race.
In my photos, checkout the hot brakes on many of the cars. Then look at winner Josef Newgarden doing some really nice victory donuts with alot of smoke and perfectly shaped donuts! Those tires were done after that for sure but his "favorite race car" he said was fine to race again.
Had great weather and it was a fun time at Road America!
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
March 7, 2022
The world is in a crazy place these days but the Indy Car season has begun!
It's great to see Scott McLaughlin win the first race of the year in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has a great future in Indy Car.
Last week was Mario Andretti's 82nd birthday and Sebastian Bourdais on the same day! Will Power's birthday was the following day. He had a strong showing in St. Petersburg. Will is trying to beat Mario Andretti for most pole positions with only one more to do it.
Here are a few photos of the Indy Cars through the years to get us in the mood for the season.
Good luck to all. Last year's champ ,Alex Palou, has some competition this year. Colton Herta is my pick on his way to the championship!
Enjoy and be safe.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
July 12, 2021
Last week, I focused my blog on the Vintage Indy Reserve cars. This week, I'm showing you the Indy Cars that ran that same weekend at Road America.
Included in this blog are some Indy Lights, USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 race cars and drivers.
The Indy Cars are my favorite race cars of all. They never cease to amaze me with what the drivers can do with them! Takuma Sato is a wild driver and his car shows it as the race went on. It will need some bodywork!
After two days of practice and qualifying, it seemed Joseph Newgarden had things under control for the pole and the race. Well, he got the pole position and led a lot of the race but did not win.
Joseph really seemed to have it done until the last few laps when his gearbox had other ideas. Alex Palou won the race and Colton Herta was close behind in second. Will Power finished third followed by Scott Dixon and the Formula 1 racers Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean.
It was interesting to watch NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson trying to handle an Indy Car. It's going to take some time for him to get up to speed.
Not so for Formula 1 veterans Marcus Ericksson and Romain Grosjean. Romain really is fast and has adapted very well to Indy Car and is having fun being very competitive. Marcus and Romain will be winning soon I believe.
Check out the photos and enjoy the HOT brake photos taken near the end of the race. One actually looked like it was on fire! Unfortunately I missed that shot though..
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
