What: PPG 375 / Race 2 of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series
Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Texas
When: Sunday, April 2, noon ET (green flag 12.10pm ET)
First oval of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season, and it’s a daunting one. Texas Motor Speedway provides incredible, wheel-to-wheel, 220mph action, but it’s always ready to bite hard. Winning in the Lone Star State isn’t just about mastering the draft and picking your moments to perfection; it’s also about risk vs. reward, daring to ride the sketchier high groove, and having a sixth sense for trouble.
Last year, Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden played it all to perfection, putting a last-lap slingshot move on teammate Scott McLaughlin to win in Texas for a second time (above). Prior to that, McLaughlin had dominated the race, leading 186 laps. But Texas is all about being in the right place when it counts most, and Newgarden’s move saw him edge the Kiwi by 0.0669s at the checkered flag.
Can Newgarden do it again, or will McLaughlin make amends and land a first oval win on a track where he’s twice finished on the podium in just three starts? Or could it be a day when Pato O’Ward tightrope walks on the high line and scores his second Texas victory? And will the other former winners in the field, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Will Power, Graham Rahal and Ed Carpenter, feature in the mix, too?
Throw in potent wild cards such as Ganassi debutant Takuma Sato, 2022 pole winner Felix Rosenqvist, and even a fast-learning Romain Grosjean, and anything’s possible over 250 laps and 375 miles of 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.
You can follow all the practice and qualifying action on Peacock on Saturday, April 1, with NBC taking over for what should be another Texas thriller on Sunday, April 2. And to get even closer to it all, grab the best seat in the house with the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA and its 14 race day live onboard cameras.
TUNE IN
Saturday, April 1 / 9:00am – 10:00am ET – Practice 1 – Peacock
Saturday, April 1 / 12:15pm – 1:15pm ET – Qualifying – Peacock
Saturday, April 1 / 1:45pm – 3:30pm ET – Practice 2 – Peacock
Sunday, April 2 / Noon – 2:30pm ET – RACE – NBC, Peacock
• All sessions and the race are also available as audio commentary on SiriusXM and INDYCAR Radio.
Ride along with the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA
Taking you inside the action, 14 drivers will be carrying in-car cameras. During the race, you can live-stream every one of them with the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. You choose who you ride along with, and you can switch drivers at any time. The App’s free to download for fans worldwide and you can find out more HERE. If you’re not already onboard, take your viewing experience to a whole new level HERE
Bringing you the onboard action from Texas Motor Speedway are…
Josef Newgarden / No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
Newgarden only led three laps at Texas last year, but that included the lap that mattered most — the final one. With two wins and two other podiums from his last five Texas starts, expect the Penske ace to be in the mix once again.
Scott McLaughlin / No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
The Kiwi’s three Texas starts have already delivered two second-place finishes, and last year he led 186 of the 248 laps. Will Sunday deliver the third-year Penske driver’s first career oval win?
Colton Herta / No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda
Herta’s yet to win on an oval in his NTT IndyCar Series career, and hasn’t really been a factor in his five Texas starts so far. But as his experience and oval smarts build, don’t rule him out of contention this time around.
