Chevrolet Seeks to Sweep Streets of Belle Isle in Doubleheader
· Team Chevy drivers enter with expectations of continued success
ᴏ Chevrolet has won four of the past five races on 2.34-mile street course
· Chevrolet drivers have won three of the past four Verizon IndyCar Series races
ᴏ Will Power and Josef Newgarden have claimed road course victories
· Indianapolis 500 runner-up Helio Castroneves enters with momentum
ᴏ Team Penske driver, No. 1 in points, is three-time winner at Belle Isle
· Spencer Pigot returns to No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing entry
DETROIT (May 31, 2017) – Racetracks in Detroit and Indianapolis – dissimilar in their Indy car layout – nonetheless have been parallel paths in Helio Castroneves’ racing career.
Castroneves recorded three second-place finishes before breaking through on June 18, 2000, in his 46th race, at Belle Isle for his maiden victory. Nearly 17 years, encompassing 287 races, and 29 victories later, Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, is taking aim on adding to the win total in the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit as part of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear race weekend.
ABC will telecast the 70-lap/164.5-mile races on the 2.34-mile, 13-turn street circuit on Belle Isle at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday. Chevrolet swept the doubleheader last year and has won five of past six races.
“Detroit is a really cool race. The fans are great and full of enthusiasm. It’s our only doubleheader this season and is always a fun race weekend for the fans,” said Castroneves, who also won in 2014 and ’01 at Belle Isle. “It’s a unique track and it presents a challenge to teams due to the back-to-back nature of racing there.”
On the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, Castroneves was runner-up for the third time in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 28. In pursuit of a record-tying fourth victory, he’ll have to wait until May 27, 2018.
“The No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet team and I are ready for the weekend, especially after finishing second in the Indianapolis 500,” he said. “We feel we have built some great momentum so far this season and are ready to keep building on that.”
The second-place finish, after starting 19th, propelled Castroneves from fourth to first in the Verizon IndyCar Series standings through six of 17 races. Teammate and reigning series champion Simon Pagenaud, No. 1 DXC Technology Team Penske Chevrolet, is 11 points arrears.
Team Chevy drivers have won three of the past four Verizon IndyCar Series races, including two on road courses, and claimed five poles (two by Castroneves and three by teammate Will Power).
“Street course, our back yard at Penske and Chevrolet, is very strong with the heavy downforce aero kit,” said Pagenaud, who earned his first Verizon IndyCar Series victory in 2013 at Belle Isle. “So, for sure, we’re back on the championship run and hopefully we can be really strong in Detroit, get some more points and take the championship (lead) away.”
Carlos Munoz, driver of the No. 14 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, and Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, also are former winner entered in the doubleheader on the temporary street course.
“Detroit is a two-race event, which makes it tough. Still, Detroit is where we’ve had a lot of success. We’ve qualified good, run good and I got my first win there in 2015,” Munoz said. “They’ve ground down the bumps on the backstretch, which will be nicer, but it’s still a challenging track. I’m looking forward to it.”
The expansive Chevy IndyCar Racing Tour display will be open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday for fans to see an impressive array of Chevrolet production vehicles, including the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, 2018 Traverse, Silverado 2500 HD High Country, Camaro convertible, Corvette Carbon 65, Cruze hatchback, and Tahoe.
There will also be race simulators for fans to test their skills and a Chevrolet Verizon IndyCar Series show car plus the Chevrolet V6 twin turbo direct fuel-injected Verizon IndyCar Series engine on a stand.