Fox -era with a strong start in progress

Note: This new function at indycar.com will go beyond the time sheets to identify trends and to develop stories after the opening day of the practice at every event of the NTT IndyCar series.

A new day in the NTT IndyCar series offered to see new things.

These three were highlighted in the Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg on Friday, which was presented by RP financing, and there is certainly more to consume during the weekend.

Fox Sport begins IndyCar reporting

For the beginning, Friday felt like the first spring day, with Florida Sunshine in abundance. We'll take it in a heap.

Fox Sports took a strong first step into this sport with his reporting on training. As expected, Wuxton, as expected, emitted his great knowledge of the series, and the pairing of Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe felt familiar with as in previous years. Jamie Little effortlessly returned to sport.

The view of the new graphics package on the screen contained a great addition: the aeroscreen display, which includes the distance from the approaching corner. It is not only informative, it is also easy to read.

It was also worth mentioning that Fox Sports' first indy nxt from Firestone Show, the first cable presentation of this kind, the series. It had a beautiful synergy with the NTT Indycar series with last year's series champion Louis Foster, which was interviewed as a connector. It is on the opinion that the Broadcast team will be seized these drivers. So expect the Pacesetter to find out on Friday, Dennis Hauger, a Norwegian driving for Andretti Global.

For day 1 it was a solid overall debut.

Good starts for several drivers

Chew casual in the speed card, as we are only 80 minutes in a 17-race season. Expect a significant shift between now and the end of the qualification on Saturday for the NTT P1 Award.

Oh, sure, the usual suspects will be in the mix, from the two-time defending champion Alex Palou from Chip Ganassi Racing to the team Penske's Trio (Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden) to rule St. Petersburg-Sieger Pato O'Ward from Arrow McLaren.

There was a lot to like on Andretti Global that dominated the last street race of 2024 (in Toronto, with Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood first and secondly). Kirkwood reached the chart on Friday with Herta Fourth and Ericsson, who needs a bounce back season, sixth. Ericsson won the 2023 race in St. Petersburg, so it is fair to expect a good performance from him on Sunday.

In the first part of the practice, the drivers only used the primary Firestone Firehawk tire connection on Friday, and the Speedsters were predictable: Palou, Newgarden, Power, McLaughlin and Kirkwood ranked to five. The series in the second year Christian Rasmussen and the new teammate of Ed Carpenter, Alexander Rossi, were an impressive sixth or ninth, and Nolan Siegel opened his first full season with arrow McLaren in the 10th position, only 0.047 behind O'Ward.

Let's see what Saturday brings.

Test the boundaries of the route

Turn 3 offered some of the drivers of the NTT IndyCar series a strict warning: progress.

The latter is a pun, since the drivers found that Firestone have alternative tires under control than those offered a year ago, and this is bound to deliberately try to generate more differentiation between the connections. More handles and a heavier end of the car due to the adding of the hybrid system were probably factors for several drivers who made adventurous trips in the fast third curve.

The Meyer Shank Racing duo by Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong had almost identical spins without contact in this place, with Armstrong slid away from the outer wall within centimeters. Townsend Bell rightly noted in the show that it was “statistically impossible” that team cars would create so much excitement in the same place on the same day and would not do any damage. You won't always be so happy.

McLaughlin needed a little luck. The New Zealander was responsible for cooking the corner, and the car rolled hard into the irreconcilable wall. The impact broke the left front suspension, which folded seconds later when the car drove down this short straight down. The incident occurred only a few hours after McLaughlin, who took third place overall in the last two seasons in the overall ranking, confirmed a contract extension with Team Penske.

Saturday offers another opportunity to learn and improve. Practice 2 begins at 10:15 a.m. ET on FS2, the Fox Sports app and the Indycar Radio Network. The qualification at 2:30 p.m. shifts to FS1, the FOX Sports app and the Indycar Radio Network. We will watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR96BVN0D0M