Pick the Podium - IndyCar Firestone Grad Prix of St. Petersburg, 2017

[Retroram52]

The IndyCar season is upon us and Pick the Podium is back! The point totals will be upgraded this year and will be as follows: 6 points for correctly choosing the winner, 4 points for second, and 2 points for third. We will add 1 point this year for correctly choosing the fourth place finisher if you choose to make that selection. If you don't make a selection, no points will be awarded for the correct selection of the fourth place finisher. As in years past, the selections must be completed before the start of the race meaning before they start their engines.

There are many new changes this year with the teams and we will look at those the season progresses. St. Petersburg is always a crashfest so let's see who survives. Good fortune to everyone and let the competition begin!

 

[Retroram52]

Dixon is fastest early on followed by Will Power and Tony Kanaan. Marco Andretti ran some pretty quick laps which turned some heads and even though Sato changed teams to Andretti, he is still wrecking cars now in practice. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[Retroram52]

Looks like Power takes the pole followed by Dixon. Here are the results of qualifying.

12 Power, Will D/C/C/F 01:01.0640 106.118 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 2
9 Dixon, Scott D/H/H/F 01:01.2219 105.844 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 3
5 Hinchcliffe, James D/H/H/F 01:01.3039 105.703 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 4
2 Newgarden, Josef D/C/C/F 01:01.7229 104.985 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
5 26 Sato, Takuma D/H/H/F 01:01.9851 104.541 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 6
10 Kanaan, Tony D/H/H/F 01:02.0824 104.377 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 7
8 Chilton, Max D/H/H/F 01:01.3516 105.621 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 8
98 Rossi, Alexander D/H/H/F 01:01.5198 105.332 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 9
83 Kimball, Charlie D/H/H/F 01:01.6066 105.184 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 10
15 Rahal, Graham D/H/H/F 01:01.6181 105.164 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 11
14 Munoz, Carlos D/C/C/F 01:01.7399 104.956 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 12
28 Hunter-Reay, Ryan D/H/H/F 01:03.1588 102.599 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
13 20 Pigot, Spencer D/C/C/F 01:01.5898 105.212 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 14
1 Pagenaud, Simon D/C/C/F 01:01.6129 105.173 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 15
27 Andretti, Marco D/H/H/F 01:01.6070 105.183 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 16
3 Castroneves, Helio D/C/C/F 01:01.7159 104.997 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 17
7 Aleshin, Mikhail D/H/H/F 01:01.7674 104.910 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 18
19 Jones, Ed (R) D/H/H/F 01:01.7598 104.923 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 19
21 Hildebrand, JR D/C/C/F 01:01.8465 104.776 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 20
4 Daly, Conor D/C/C/F 01:02.2030 104.175 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 21
18 Bourdais, Sebastien D/H/H/F No Time No Speed Elimination Round 1 / Group 2

 

[Retroram52]

I am going to go with Dixon for the win, Newgarden for second, and Hinchcliffe for third. Will power will take fourth.

 

[Retroram52]

On second thought it'll be Dixon, Pagenaud, Newgarden, and Power for fourth.

 

[Retroram52]

Bordais leads Pagenaud and Power is in trouble with seven laps to go.

 

[Retroram52]

Dixon is third followed by Sato and Hunter-Reay.

 

[Retroram52]

Three laps remaining and Bourdais is hanging on.

 

[Retroram52]

Bourdais, with small team Dale Coyne Racing takes it followed by Pagenaud, Dixon for third, Hunter-Reay fourth, and Sato for fifth.

 

[Retroram52]

Here is how we did:

Retroram52: 4 points - Correctly selected Pagenaud for second.

Nobody else showed-up.


Next up: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach April 4, 2017.