It was announced on Wednesday that Mikhail Aleshin will return to Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Verizon IndyCar Series team for the 2017 season. Photo by Chris Jones
It’s official: Mikhail Aleshin is returning to drive for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
Speculated since the conclusion of the 2016 season, Aleshin’s return was confirmed Wednesday. The announcement was made in Aleshin’s native Russia that the 29-year-old from Moscow will drive the No. 7 Honda with sponsorship once again from SMP Racing, Russia’s largest and most successful motorsports program.
Aleshin drove full seasons for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2014 and 2016, as well as the 2015 season finale. For the second year in a row, he will team with James Hinchcliffe, who is driving the No. 5 Honda.
“Thanks to both the SMP Racing program and our American team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, I am to keep fighting for even better results this season in IndyCar,” Aleshin said. “With the Russian flag on my car, and with James and the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew, I will push hard to bring more poles and hopefully victories in 2017.”
Aleshin came on strong in the second half of 2016, winning the pole for the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, then leading 87 laps before finishing second in the race. He also finished fifth at Iowa Speedway and sixth on the streets of Toronto. A late-race pit incident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course cost him a shot at his first Verizon IndyCar Series victory.
“We are thrilled to have Mikhail back for 2017,” team co-owner Sam Schmidt said. “We know he is capable of winning races and competing for the championship. This also means we have maintained continuity across drivers, engineering and team member staffing, which is critical for success.”
Bourdais Savors Spoils Of Rolex 24 At Daytona Class Win
Sebastien Bourdais spent a portion of Monday making room for yet another trophy, one of the perks of winning the GT Le Mans class the day before at the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race.
Another portion of his day was spent looking forward to the Verizon IndyCar Series season, which begins March 12 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – in Bourdais’ adopted hometown.
“It’s great preparation for the IndyCar season,” said Bourdais, one of eight confirmed 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series drivers who competed in the annual sports car endurance race around Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile road course. “I got more than seven hours of driving in the rain. I don’t think your senses can be more practiced than that in trying to gauge what’s available and how you manage the tires.”
Bourdais teamed with Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller – the same three who drove the Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT to victory last June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – to repeat the class win over the weekend at Daytona. Bourdais now sets his sights on his fulltime ride in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
Other Verizon IndyCar Series regulars driving at Daytona included Conor Daly of A.J. Foyt Racing, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan of Chip Ganassi Racing, James Hinchcliffe from Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay, Spencer Pigot from Ed Carpenter Racing and Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Not only does the Rolex 24 serve as mental preparation for the Verizon IndyCar Series season, it also helps drivers stay in shape and hone their skills.
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“That’s not the reason why I do it,” said Bourdais. “I do it because I enjoy it. … It’s tough to put a value on it, but for me it helps. The longer you stay inactive, the harder it is to get back up.
“It sure helps to get more seat time and keep your feelings sharp,” he added. “At the end of the day, it’s a race of touch and feel and sight. If you don’t exercise those skills, they become a bit less sharp.”
7-Eleven Returns To IndyCar As Associate Sponsor For Kanaan
It’s a pairing that won a Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Tony Kanaan and 7-Eleven are together again in a partnership announced Tuesday by Chip Ganassi Racing.
The convenience retail chain will serve as an associate sponsor on Kanaan’s No. 10 Honda for four Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. Kanaan drove with 7-Eleven primary sponsorship for eight seasons when he was with Andretti Autosport, including the 2004 season when the Brazilian completed every race lap and won the championship.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be back in the 7-Eleven family,” said Kanaan, whose primary car sponsorship this season still comes from NTT Data. “7-Eleven was my home for most of my career in INDYCAR and they were with me for 14 out of my 17 wins. It’s definitely special to have them with me to celebrate my 20th Indy car season and I’m looking forward to getting them to victory circle again like we did many times in the past.”
Phoenix Raceway Unveils Modernization Project Plans
Phoenix Raceway, together with its parent company, International Speedway Corp., announced Monday details of a $178 million modernization for the track that hosts a Verizon IndyCar Series race, with a variety of enhanced amenities for fans, teams, sponsors and other stakeholders.
Among the highlights is the repositioning of the start/finish line to Turn 2 in the 1-mile oval’s famous dogleg. Other upgrades include a completely redesigned infield featuring a first-of-its-kind fan zone, greater fan access to victory circle and a new pedestrian tunnel connecting the infield to new seating areas featuring in-seat wifi connectivity.
“When our project is completed, we will have a venue that delivers amazing fan experiences to go along with our reputation for great racing action,” said Bryan Sperber, the track president. “By shifting the start/finish line to Phoenix Raceway’s famed dogleg, fans will be perfectly positioned to watch one of the most exciting turns in motorsports. We are confident the Phoenix Raceway Project powered by DC Solar will put racing in Arizona in a whole new and exciting light.”
The project will not be completed until November 2018, so will not be in place for this year’s Phoenix Grand Prix weekend April 28-29, the fourth race on the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.
The modernization project also includes the installation of new/upgraded seating and hospitality areas near the current Turn 2 location. A new grandstand will be built alongside upgraded seats in the existing Bobby Allison Grandstand (both featuring individual chair-back stadium seats with armrests), complete with modern amenities such as new escalators and elevators, additional restrooms and concessions and a redesigned midway conveniently located near the seating areas.
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