|
|
|
Marcus
Ericsson
claimed
his
first
IndyCar
victory
in a
twice
red-flagged
opening
race at
Detroit,
as
long-time
leader
Will
Power
was
cruelly
denied
his
first
win of
the
year.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us USA
News
Network) |
|
Ericsson
scores
1st
IndyCar
win at
action-packed
Belle
Isle
By
JENNA
FRYER
apnews.com
DETROIT
- Marcus
Ericsson
raced to
his
first
IndyCar
victory
Saturday
in the
action-packed
opener
of the
doubleheader
at the
Raceway
at Belle
Isle
Park.
The
Swede
became
the
seventh
driver
to win
through
seven
IndyCar
races
this
season,
and he’s
the
fourth
first-time
winner
this
year. It
was the
first
victory
for the
former
Formula
One
driver
since a
GP2 race
at
Nurburgring
in 2013.
“It’s
been
such a
long
time for
me, I
don’t
even
remember,
I was a
kid when
I won
the last
time,”
said the
30-year-old.
It
was the
first
victory
for Chip
Ganassi
Racing’s
No. 8
car
since
1994
when
Michael
Andretti
won at
Toronto.
The
seven
different
winners
through
seven
races
ties an
IndyCar
record
set in
1958 and
matched
in 2000
and
2017.
Ericsson
benefitted
from the
second
red-flag
stoppage,
this one
with six
laps
remaining
when
Romain
Grosjean
crashed
in Turn
9. An
earlier
accident
sent
Felix
Rosenqvist
to a
hospital
for
evaluation
and
caused a
78-minute
stoppage
to
repair
the tire
barrier
and
concrete
wall
damaged
when
what
appeared
to be a
stuck
throttle
sent
Rosenqvist
smashing
into the
wall.
Will
Power
had
control
and led
a
race-high
37 of
the 70
laps
until
the
Grosjean
crash.
IndyCar
threw
the red
flag and
Power
immediately
screamed
over his
radio
for Team
Penske
to bring
him
water
and a
fan.
Although
IndyCar
had
mandated
the use
of an
aerodynamic
device
designed
to
circulate
air in
the
cockpit,
the
drivers
were
overheated
on a hot
and
humid
Detroit
day.
Some
drivers
wore
cooling
vests or
other
new
technology
to help
with
heat on
the
bumpy,
rough
2.35-mile,
14-turn
circuit
considered
one of
the most
physical
in
IndyCar.
But
IndyCar
initially
stopped
the
Penske
crewmember
from
going to
Power’s
car, but
the
series
eventually
relented
and the
drivers
received
aid
during
the
nine-minute
stoppage.
It
was too
late for
Power,
though.
His car
would
not
restart
when it
was time
for the
race to
resume
and
IndyCar
waved
Ericsson
past him
into the
lead as
Power
sat
idled on
pit road
awaiting
a
replacement
for his
electronic
control
unit.
“I’m
mad at
IndyCar
because
I’m the
first
guy (on
pit
road)
and they
wait for
the last
car to
come to
get a
fan on
that car
and it
roasts
the
ECU,”
Power
seethed.
“The
guys up
there in
race
control
never
listen
to any
drivers.
They
never
listen.
They
don’t
care. We
give
them so
many
good
suggestions
and they
don’t
care.
“Like,
I’m
screaming
on the
radio to
get a
fan
because
ECU
always
overheats.
You’re
working
your ass
off for
this
sport,
so much
money
goes
into,
and just
dumb
decisions
like
that. If
it’s not
dumb
yellows
they
throw,
it’s
some
stupid
idea
like
this or
red
flags.”
Power
finished
20th and
rival
Alexander
Rossi
briefly
tried to
calm him
on pit
road.
The
four-car
Penske
organization
remains
winless
on the
season
headed
into
Sunday’s
second
race.
Chip
Ganassi
Racing,
meanwhile,
now has
three
wins
from
four its
drivers
with
Ericsson
in
victory
lane for
the
first
time in
37 races
over
three
seasons.
His only
other
career
podium
came at
Belle
Isle in
2019
when he
finished
second.
IndyCar
did not
race in
Detroit
last
year
because
of the
pandemic.
Ericsson
inherited
the lead
when
Power
could
not get
his car
to
restart
and then
had to
hold off
hard-charing
Rinus
VeeKay
and Pato
O’Ward
over the
final
three
laps to
seal the
victory.
He
celebrated
by
climbing
into the
James
Scott
Memorial
Fountain,
per
tradition,
but he
then
straddled
a lion
that was
spitting
water
and
raised
his
fists in
the air.
___
More
AP auto
racing:
https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing
and
https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Advertise With Us:
Certified Minority Business Enterprise
|
|
|
|