An IndyCar Assortment Trivia Quiz

Answer: Josef Newgarden

After touring around Europe in various racing series, Josef Newgarden returned to North America to compete in Indy Lights in 2011. Not only did he win his debut race on the Streets of St. Petersberg, but he notched 5 wins and 10 podiums in 14 races en route to the title. Moving up to the IndyCar Series, Newgarden had mixed results in five seasons racing for Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter Racing, but a 2017 shift to Team Penske elevated his career to the next level. Newgarden won four races in 2017 and edged teammate Simon Pagenaud to claim the title.

He repeated the performance with a championship in 2019.

Answer: Seattle, Washington

The streets of Detroit have had a long open wheel history, dating back to hosting the Detroit F1 Grand Prix in the 1980s. CART assumed the event in 1989, before shifting the track to Belle Isle Park. IndyCar assumed the event after a brief pause following the merger and began holding unique doubleheader weekends, consisting of points-paying races on both Saturday and Sunday of the event weekend.

Open wheel racing in Toronto began in 1986 on the 11-turn racetrack at Exhibition Place. The race was absorbed by IndyCar from CART/Champ Car in 2009. Michael Andretti claimed victory in Toronto seven times in his career.

The flagship street course race of the CART days occurred in mid-April on the streets of Long Beach. The unique front stretch lined with palm trees and fountain turn snakes around the Long Beach Convention Center and Aquarium of the Pacific. This race was originally hosted by Formula 1, and assumed by CART and later IndyCar after F1 discontinued the event. In many years, it serves as the final race before the Indianapolis 500. Al Unser Jr was the victor six times between 1988 and 1995.

Answer: Alexander Rossi

Rossi competed in five Formula One events in 2015 for the Marussia team, but made the shift to IndyCar after parting ways with the team. A late deal with Andretti Autosport led Rossi to start the 2016 season with almost no experience testing an IndyCar.

After a slow start, Rossi was able to save enough fuel in the dying stages of the 2016 Indianapolis 500 to make it to the checkered flag, running out of gas as he crossed the finish line to win the historic 100th running of the race. It took until the season finale for Rossi to finish in the top 5 again, and 16 months until he claimed his second career victory. Rossi is from Nevada City, California.

Answer: Chassis

In the Series' first year (1996), leftover CART series chassis were supplied until a deal with Dallara was reached for a more unique design the following season. The success of Dallara chassis on the racetrack saw it gain a larger market share on the circuit and, by 2012, they were the exclusive provider of the season. Engines are provided by both Chevrolet and Honda. Goodyear was the initial series tire supplier, until ceding to Firestone in 2000.

Answer: Scott Dixon

Dixon's talent was evident at an early age in New Zealand when he was granted a license to compete in off-road racing at the age of 13, two years younger than the required age at the time. Dixon had two years of Champ Car experience when he made the shift to IndyCar in 2003, which prevented him from taking home Rookie of the Year. Dixon got a win in the signature Indianapolis 500 in 2008, one of 6 wins that year on route to his second championship.

When Dixon claimed the points championship in 2015, it was his fourth title, all with Chip Ganassi Racing, but was the third different manufacturer he had driven to the championship (Toyota, Chevrolet, Honda).

The iconic red and white paint scheme was retired after the 2016 season when Target withdrew their sponsorship of the team. PNC Bank became the new primary scheme of Dixon's entry when Dixon claimed championship #5 in 2018.

Answer: The Mayor

Hinchcliffe's outgoing personality was on display when he was a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2016, finishing in second place. "The Mayor of Hinchtown" made his debut in the IndyCar Series in 2011 and was able to claim the Rookie of the Year award despite only completing a partial season. Hinchcliffe replaced Danica Patrick at Andretti Autosport in 2012 before moving on to Schmidt-Petersen Motorsports in 2015. Hinchcliffe was involved in a crash during qualifying for the 2015 Indianapolis 500, which forced him to sit out the rest of the season. Hinchcliffe is a native of Oakville, Ontario.

Answer: Carb Day

Carb Day has historically shifted throughout the week leading up to the Indianapolis 500, but has been held on the final Friday since 2005. IndyCar teams get their final practice session before the green flag and later participate in a pit stop competition on pit road for the fans in attendance.

The marquee event is the Freedom 100 for the Indy Lights series, a race that has delivered some of the closest finishes in track history. The day usually concludes with an infield concert for those in attendance.

Answer: Dario Franchiti

Franchitti was impressive in both touring cars and open wheels in Europe before moving to North America to participate in the CART series in 1999 and transitioning to the then-Indy Racing League in 2002. Racing for Michael Andretti and Barry Green, Franchitti won his first series championship in 2007, despite a pair of violent collisions that saw Franchitti upside down in consecutive weeks. Franchitti made a futile effort at a NASCAR career in 2008 with Chip Ganassi but shifted back to open wheel in time for the 2009 campaign. He did not miss a beat, beginning a stretch of three consecutive championships and another Indianapolis triumph.

Franchitti suffered career ending injuries in a horrible last-lap crash on the streets of Houston; that saw his car collide with the catchfence while in the air. His injuries included a spinal fracture, right ankle fracture, and concussion. After retiring, Franchitti moved in to a role as driver-coach and racing commentator. Franchitti is from Bathgate, Scotland.

Answer: Roger Penske

Penske had a successful racing career of his own in the early 1960s in sports cars and transitioned to ownership later in that decade. His first entry in the Indianapolis 500 came in 1969 with Mark Donahue, and his first win followed three years later. Penske's open wheel teams, in both CART and the IRL, have fielded some of the legends of the sport - names like Rick Mears, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, Helio Castroneves and Paul Tracy. Penske's business holdings which helped him establish his racing dynasty include a global conglomeration of car and truck dealerships, a truck leasing company, and partial holdings in a variety of motorsports-related sectors. Penske is originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Answer: Brazil

Some of the most famed families in racing history such as Fittipaldi and Piquet come from Brazil and that is only the start of the open-wheel talent to reach the IndyCar Series. Sao Paulo's Castroneves racked up 24 wins in 230 races over 16 seasons in the Series before retiring from full-time competition in 2017.

He spent his entire IndyCar career racing for Roger Penske. His teammate in Indy Lights in 1996 and 1997, Tony Kanaan (from Salvador), went on to become a champion of both the Indianapolis 500 (2004) and the series (1999). Both Kanaan and Castroneves' outgoing personality and comedic interviews made him quite a fan favourite. Brasillia's Vitor Meira was a fixture in the Series for ten years from 2002-2011, notching 15 podium finishes in 112 races.