Race Report: 2021 Bommarito Automotive Group 500

Session Notes:

• The 2021 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 was 260 laps on the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway oval totaling 325 miles. The pit road speed was 50 mph and the pit window was 45–55 laps under green-flag conditions.
• Fifteen minutes before the green flag, the ambient temperature was 85 degrees with 66% relative humidity and fair skies. The track temperature was 97 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• At the green flag, pole sitter Will Power led the field into Turn 1. On Lap 2, Colton Herta passed Power for the lead. Herta would go on to be a dominant factor until a broken halfshaft during a pit stop on Lap 185 knocked him out of the race.
• Between the start and the checkered flag at the conclusion of Lap 260, the race slowed for seven cautions:
  • Lap 3: The No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan Honda of Ed Jones and the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda of Graham Rahal made contact in Turn 1. Jones spun and made hard front contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier while Rahal was able to continue with a damaged left sidepod.
  • Lap 17: Debris from the front wing of the No. 22 Team Penske Chevrolet of Simon Pagenaud brought out the race's second full-course caution. The damage was caused by earlier contact between Pagenaud and teammate Josef Newgarden.
  • Lap 21: The second caution was extended another five laps due to a caution light malfunction.
  • Lap 55: Ed Carpenter spun the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet and made contact with the Turn 4 SAFER Barrier to bring out the fourth full-course caution.
  • Lap 65: The fifth yellow flag was brought out by a multi-car incident precipitated by Rinus VeeKay, whose No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet got into the back of the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Scott Dixon causing both cars to spin out. VeeKay's car made further contact with the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Alex Palou, sending both into the wall. All three cars were eventually retired from the race.
  • Lap 200: Alexander Rossi made contact with the wall in Turn 2, bringing out the sixth and final caution.
• Newgarden took the checkered flag with a 0.5397-second advantage over Pato O'Ward. The victory marked the second win of 2021 for Newgarden and his third win at World Wide Technology Raceway.
• O'Ward's strong second-place finish thrust him into the points lead with three races remaining.
• Unofficial points after the Bommarito Automotive Group 500:
  • O'Ward: 435
  • Palou: 425 (-10)
  • Newgarden: 413 (-22)
  • Dixon: 392 (-43)
  • Ericsson: 375 (-60)
  • Herta: 324 (-111)
  • Pagenaud: 320 (-115)
  • Rahal: 319 (-116)
    
  
  

Session Notes:

• Qualifying at World Wide Technology Raceway for the 2021 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 consisted of two laps with times and speeds calculated using a traveling distance of 1.25 miles, which corresponded with data registered by onboard telemetry. Qualifying order was set by reverse entrant points.
• At the time of the first qualifying run by Dalton Kellett, the ambient temperature was 88 degrees with 57% relative humidity and party cloudy skies. The track temperature was 118 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• There were no incidents during qualifying and each qualification attempt consisted of a complete two-lap run.
• Will Power won the NTT P1 Award, his 63rd pole in Indy car competition.
• Power ranks second on the all-time list, behind Mario Andretti who earned 67 poles in Indy car competition.
• Power's pole marked the 13th consecutive season that he has earned at least one pole postion, and broke a record he shared with Bobby Unser and Helio Castroneves for most consecutive seasons with a pole position.
  

Session Notes:

• The ambient temperature at the beginning of the 90-minute practice session was 86 degrees with 71% relative humidity and mostly cloudy skies. The track temperature was 119 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• The weekend's only practice was free of incidents. There were two yellow flags, each for track inspections.
• Josef Newgarden's 178.774 mph lap in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet was fastest overall while Colton Herta had the fastest no-tow lap at 173.962 mph in the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda.