GMR Grand Prix


The GMR Grand Prix is an IndyCar Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The race takes place in early May on the combined road course at the Speedway. The inaugural running occurred in 2014.
The race is run on a newer, modified layout of the circuit previously used for the Formula One United States Grand Prix, and later the Moto GP motorcycle event.
The Grand Prix serves as a lead-in to the Indianapolis 500. Support races are held, including Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and U.S. F2000. From 2014 to 2016, the race was known as the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and from 2015–2016 it was sponsored by Angie's List. For 2017, the Angie's List title sponsorship was dropped, and the race name was changed to the IndyCar Grand Prix. This was done in order to reduce confusion with the previous Formula One grand prix race that used to be held there, and to emphasize to fans that the race was part of the American-based IndyCar Series.
On December 10, 2019, it was announced that Global Medical Response, the parent company of IndyCar Safety Team sponsor AMR, has become title sponsor of the race for 2020 and beyond.

Background

In 2012, Hulman & Co., then parent company of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hired Boston Consulting Group to evaluate its business operations. In their report, one of their suggestions was to explore the possibility of hosting an IndyCar Series race on the road course at Indy. The modern FIA Grade One infield road course had opened in 2000, and was initially used for the United States Grand Prix from 2000–2007. Later, it was used for Moto GP, and Grand Am. Indy cars had never raced on the road course layout, sticking only to the oval circuit for the Indianapolis 500, but their support series, the Indy Lights, had raced there four times. Occasionally Indy cars used the Indianapolis road course as a test facility, since many teams are headquartered in the Indianapolis area. Dan Wheldon notably tested the DW12 chassis at the course in September 2011.
In September 2013, an IndyCar feasibility test was conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The test yielded positive results. Speculation immediately began to grow about a possible race for 2014, either as a May "doubleheader" event with the Indy 500, or a stand-alone race in the fall. The inaugural race was announced on October 1, 2013, and was scheduled for early May. The decision was made to utilize the course in a clockwise layout, and to re-work certain parts of the track.

Course changes

In October 2013, a construction project began to reconfigure the road course layout in order to the make the circuit more competitive, better for fans, and more suited for Indy cars. The entire road course portion was repaved, while several segments were modified. Corner one of road course was changed to a 90-degree turn with a raised curb on the inside. The road course portion inside oval turn four was revised to bypass two slow turns, and effectively lengthened the Hulman Boulevard backstretch. At the end of the Hulman Blvd. backstretch, a new 90-degree left corner leads to a new series of faster turns behind the Museum. Rather than follow original corner 13 like the U.S. Grand Prix did, the IndyCar circuit mimics the motorcycle course, and utilized the "snake pit" infield complex. Two of the tighter, sharper, corners were bypassed and replaced with a single 90-degree right turn leading to the pit entry. The new course distance measures 2.439 miles.

Schedule

Since its inception, the IndyCar Grand Prix has been scheduled for the Saturday two weeks before the Indianapolis 500. The race effectively serves as an "opening weekend" for the month of May activities at the Speedway. The race is on the Saturday that was once used for Indy 500 pole day, and in other years the opening day of practice.
Saturday was selected for the race due to the fact that the Sunday two weeks before the Indy 500 is usually Mother's Day. In addition, the track is closed on Sunday to allow crews to convert the track back to the oval layout, and to allow teams to convert their cars from road course to oval configuration. Practice for the Indy 500 on the oval begins the following day on Monday or Tuesday.
On April 6, 2020, the IndyCar Series announced that as part of revisions to the 2020 schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would add a third race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the schedule known as the IndyCar Harvest GP, as a road course race on October 3. Its naming pays tribute to the Harvest Auto Racing Classic, and the race will serve as a support event for the. It will be the second road course race at IMS for the 2020 season, alongside the GMR Grand Prix.

Race summaries

2014

The month of May at Indianapolis opened with the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the Speedway's road course. With the field lined up for a standing start, polesitter Sebastián Saavedra's car stalled. A huge crash resulted, involving Saavedra, Carlos Muñoz, and Mikhail Aleshin, showering debris along the frontstretch and into the pit area.
Late in the race, Simon Pagenaud led Ryan Hunter-Reay. Both drivers were low on fuel, and trying to nurse their cars to the finish. Hélio Castroneves, who had pitted for fuel, was charging through the field, and looking to run down the leaders. Pagenaud held off the challenge, and crossed the finish line just ahead of Hunter-Reay and Castroneves. Pagenaud's car ran out of fuel on the cool down lap. Series rookie Jack Hawksworth, who earned his first front-row start, led a field-high 31 laps and finished seventh.

2015

won the pole position for the second annual Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, continuing a dominating trend in 2015 for Penske Racing during qualifying. Penske cars qualified 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th, with Ganassi's Scott Dixon situated on the outside of the front row.
At the start, a multi-car tangle in turn one saw Scott Dixon spin out in front of the entire field. Hélio Castroneves was involved in contact, as was Josef Newgarden, and others. Will Power took the lead and dominated the race, leading 65 of 82 laps. Power became the fifth different winner in as many races for 2015.
For the second race in a row, Graham Rahal had a spirited run to finish second. After the final round of pit stops, Rahal was able to close within two seconds of the lead, but was unable to catch Power in the final few laps. The races was slowed for only one yellow to clean up the incident on lap 1.

2016

became the first two-time winner of the Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Pagenaud started from the pole position and led 57 of the 82 laps. After a caution came out on lap 38, Conor Daly came to the lead for a total of 14 laps while the field was cycling through different pit stop strategies. On the final series of pit stops, Pagenaud executed a very fast in-lap and out-lap, including a lightning fast 6.7-second pit stop. He emerged as the leader, and led the final 14 laps to victory. Cold temperatures and cloudy, windy conditions made for one of the coldest Indy car races in Speedway history.
It was Team Penske's second consecutive win in the Grand Prix, and 18th overall win at Indy.

2017

started from the pole position and led 61 of 85 laps en route to victory. The race went the entire distance caution free. Hélio Castroneves led 24 laps, but slipped to 5th at the finish after their tire strategy did not work out favorably. After his final pit stop, Castroneves slipped from second to 5th in the waning laps on the primary black tires, while all the other leaders were on the option red tires.

2018

won the IndyCar Grand Prix for the second year in a row, and third time overall. Power started on the pole position and led 56 of the 85 laps. Power chased down leader Robert Wikens to take the lead on lap 51 with a daring pass on the outside of turn one. When a full-course caution came out on lap 56 due to a spin by Josef Newgarden, all the leaders headed to the pits for their final pit stops. Power edged Wickens to the blend line by about two feet, to be the lead out of the pits. Powers held off Scott Dixon and Wickens for the victory.
Power's victory was the milestone 200th Indy car victory for Penske Racing, and two weeks later, Power would sweep the month by winning the Indianapolis 500.

2019

In wet and rainy conditions, Simon Pagenaud won the IndyCar Grand Prix for the third time, and matching Will Power's accomplishment from a year earlier, swept the month of May by winning the Indianapolis 500 two weeks later. Pagenaud charged from 6th place to 1st over the final 18 laps. With two laps to go, race leader Scott Dixon led Pagenaud as they approached the end of the Hulman Boulevard backstretch. Dixon slid a little wide in turn 7, and Pagenaud took the lead in turns 8-9. Pagenaud pulled out to a 2-second victory.

2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GMR Grand Prix was moved from its traditional May date to July 4th weekend. It became part of Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 weekend, and was part of a doubleheader on Saturday with the Pennzoil 150. Scott Dixon dominated the race, running away from the field after a full-course caution shuffled the standings on lap 36. Dixon had made his second pit stop under green on lap 33, but three laps later Oliver Askew crashed hard in turn 14. The leaders subsequently pitted under the caution, allowing Dixon to cycle up to the front of the pack. After the green came back out, Dixon chased down leader Graham Rahal and took the lead on lap 48. Despite Rahal only making two pit stops - compared to three by Dixon - Dixon was able to cruise over the final twenty laps, and he won by 19.9469 seconds. It was Dixon's first victory in the GMR Grand Prix, and Dixon's first victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since winning the 2008 Indianapolis 500. The Speedway, NASCAR, INDYCAR, and NBC are considering extending that weekend to a five-day weekend in 2021, after not being allowed in 2020 to admit spectators, with the Bryan Clauson Classic on Wednesday and Thursday on the dirt track, practice for NASCAR Xfinity and INDYCAR on Friday, race day for both series Saturday, with oval conversion and the Cup Series race Sunday on the oval..

Past winners

IndyCar Series

won the first Indy Lights race on the Indianapolis road course

History

The addition of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis established two Indy car races in the Indianapolis area. It was the first time since 1970 that multiple Championship/Indy car races are being held in the greater Indianapolis area. Through 1970, the Indy 500 was accompanied by the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, which at the time was a National Championship event. The Hoosier Grand Prix at Indianapolis Raceway Park was held as a USAC Champ Car race from 1965–1970.
When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was under construction in 1909, the original plans included a combined road course layout. This would have allowed for both oval track and road course events. It is believed that some initial grading was completed for what would have been a 5-mile layout, but plans for the road course were scrapped during construction. It was not until 1998 that plans for a road course layout at the facility were revived, when the United States Grand Prix was announced.
In 1990, a street circuit in downtown Indianapolis was proposed, with a goal of attracting a Formula One or CART Indy car race. The layout encompassed roads near the Hoosier Dome and Indianapolis Zoo. The plan never materialized.