Detroit, MI

2025 Detroit Grand Prix: Team Penske’s Will Power on IndyCar, and racing in his 40s

Published

12 months ago

March 14, 2025

2025 Detroit Grand Prix: Team Penske’s Will Power on IndyCar, and racing in his 40s

Detroit — As the 2025 IndyCar season gets underway, 44-year-old senior statesman Will Power of Team Penske is celebrating his 20th year in the open-wheel sport. With the Detroit Grand Prix less than three months away, Power says the sport has never been stronger.

“It’s been great to watch the series evolve and get to the point where it is at right now with incredible depth of teams and drivers,” said the two-time champion and driver of the No. 12 car in an interview at a sponsor event at the Garden Theater. “With a (broadcast) partner in Fox that is promoting us tremendously — more than I have ever seen. It’s great to see.”

The addition of Fox as the motorsports’ exclusive, 2025 broadcast partner has been a big boost for the sport. The partnership has paid immediate dividends with the season-opening race in St. Petersburg March 2 gaining 45% more viewers than a year ago.

Credit Fox’s relentless promotion of the series (the only North American pro motorsports series with an exclusive TV network partner) on programs like Super Bowl LIX, with ads featuring top drivers including 34-year-old, reigning Indy 500 champ Josef Newgarden, 2024 champion Alex Palou of Spain, 27, and Mexico’s charismatic Pato O’Ward, 25.

Australian-born Power and six-time IndyCar winner Scott Dixon from New Zealand are the oldest full-time racers in the field.

Power enjoys the multi-generational talent in the sport. “(Younger drivers) have always pushed me very hard, and I’m constantly having to elevate my game. I’ve never stopped learning on how to be better. It’s kept me competitive with guys who are 20 years younger than me. I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been right now.”

The Aussie, who won his last championship in 2022 at the tender age of 41, gives credit to improved diet, exercise, and recovery regimens for extending the careers of professional athletes into their forties.

“You have these people who just specialize in almost reversing aging actually with things you can take and do,” he smiled. But most of all, he credits determination.

“People put an age limit on it and expect people to start falling off at a certain age. I think if you set that in your head and stop working at it, then you will plateau. I believe probably the most important thing is the desire to be competive. If you’re just complacent and picking up a paycheck, you won’t be competitive. To me it’s a lot to do with attitude.”

While a win at Memorial Day weekend’s Indy 500 is the sport’s Super Bowl, the June 1 Detroit Grand Prix one week after the 500 is an important date on Team Penske’s calendar.

“Being a Chevrolet-powered team, it’s a very important event for us because they have been great partners,” said Power who has finished second and sixth in the two Detroit races since it moved downtown from Belle Isle. “To be running around the downtown in Detroit — the home of Chevrolet, the home of Roger (Penske) — it’s a good race to win.”

The tight, rough street course — coming just a week after the 240-mph banking of Indianapolis is a testament to the variety of tracks that IndyCar drivers must race to win a championship. The series is widely regarded as one of motorsports most challenging.

“(Detroit) is a hard one to win,” said Power, who scored the last win on the Belle Isle course in 2022. “It’s quite a difficult track, it’s hard to stay out of trouble and survive. That’s the sort of race that it is and the sort of track that it is.”

At Thursday night’s Accelerate Detroit sponsor event, he previewed a video of his 2024 qualifying lap to be shown to the evening’s audience. Of the four street courses that IndyCar races on its 17-event schedule, Power allows how Detroit is the toughest.

“(It’s) very narrow in spots (and) bumpy. I think it’s great for racing because you have a massively long straight so you can get runs on people. It seems to create mayhem which fans love — though not necessarily drivers, it depends where you are in the field,” he laughed. “No joke, multiple time during the lap you are less than an inch from the wall.”

Like sister open-wheel racing series Formula One, IndyCar last year moved to a hybrid powertrain to be in sync with the electrification plans of its manufacturing partners, Chevy and Honda. Unlike F1, the IndyCar system is not a full battery-electric system. It uses supercapacitors between the engine and gearbox for total drivetrain output of 900 horsepower.

“It’s added weight, its more power and torque,” said Power. “It hasn’t affected things too much, it’s quite a simple system. You push a button out of the corner to switch it on, you push a button to switch it off. I wish they would open up the technology a little more where we could play around with some of that stuff, but now. . . you can regenerate more energy which means more reverse torque when you brake.”

Power did not finish the season’s opening race in St. Petersburg, but his Team Penske teammates, Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin, finished third and fourth. The next IndyCar race is in Thermal, California, on March 23. Tickets for the Detroit Grand Prix are on sale at www. https://www.detroitgp.com/buy-tickets/tickets.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.

Source link

Click to comment

Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers 2026 roster prediction 2.0: Is Kevin McGonigle ready?

Published

11 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Tigers 2026 roster prediction 2.0: Is Kevin McGonigle ready?

LAKELAND, FL – Opening Day is 21 days away.

The Detroit Tigers are deep into spring training in TigerTown. Pitchers and catchers reported Feb. 11, position players arrived Feb. 15, and the first game took place Feb. 21.

After three weeks of camp, including one and a half weeks of games, leaders have emerged in the battles for roster spots among pitchers and position players – but nothing is guaranteed.

Here’s a look at our second version of how the Tigers should fill their 26-man 2026 Opening Day roster, with exactly three weeks until the first game of the regular season.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Right elbow arthroscopy in late January has limited Dingler in the early weeks of spring training, but he is expected to be fully healthy by Opening Day as the starting catcher.

The only question is how the Tigers will deploy their two catchers.

It could make sense for backup catcher Jake Rogers to catch left-handers Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, even though Dingler caught 25 of Skubal’s 31 starts last season. The reasoning is simple: The Tigers will need more offense from their catcher when their other three starters are pitching – and Dingler is the better hitter.

Celebrate 125 years of the Tigers with our book!

Torkelson is locked into the Opening Day roster after hitting .240 with 31 home runs in 155 games last season, ranking 14th among 25 first basemen with a .789 OPS.

He has experienced ups and downs in his four-year MLB career, including two demotions to Triple-A Toledo and two seasons with 31 home runs. The next step is becoming an All-Star-caliber player.

This spring, Torkelson is hitting .250 (3-for-12) with four strikeouts in five games. He also went 1-for-2 with one walk (and two hit by pitches) in two games against Team Dominican Republic in a two-game exhibition series.

The Tigers retained Torres when he received and accepted the one-year, $22.03 million qualifying offer. He will be relied upon as the everyday second baseman in the lineup and a reliable on-base presence near the top of the batting order.

In 2025, Torres hit .256 with 16 home runs, 85 walks and 101 strikeouts across 145 games.

This spring, Torres is hitting .286 (4-for-14) with one walk and three strikeouts in five games. He left the Tigers to represent Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-17.

McGonigle hasn’t played above Double-A Erie, but his performance against Team Dominican Republic in the first game of the exhibition series showed why he belongs on the Opening Day roster.

The 21-year-old shortstop hit a first-pitch 98.1 mph fastball from right-hander Luis Severino for a leadoff home run in the first inning, pulling it 461 feet to right field with a 110.4 mph exit velocity – making noise in a new environment at the electric Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo. After the homer, he added a two-run single, five-pitch walk and leadoff single to finish his four plate appearances.

McGonigle has passed every on-field test in camp.

He also looks comfortable around big leaguers behind the scenes.

This spring, McGonigle is hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two walks and four strikeouts across seven games. He also went 3-for-5 with two walks and two strikeouts in two games against Team Dominican Republic.

The Tigers are prepared for Keith to serve as the primary third baseman.

In 2024-25, Keith hit .237 with a .660 OPS during the months of March/April and May, then improved to .269 with a .744 OPS during the months of June, July, August and September/October.

If Keith starts slowly again, utility player Zach McKinstry could handle third base until he heats up. McGonigle could also slide over to third while McKinstry handles shortstop.

This spring, Keith is hitting .154 (2-for-13) with two walks and seven strikeouts across six games. He also went 3-for-6 with one strikeout in two games against Team Dominican Republic.

If McGonigle secures an Opening Day spot, the Tigers will need to cut one of four outfielders: Vierling, Wenceel Pérez, Jahmai Jones or Parker Meadows.

Among them, Vierling has performed the best in spring training (with a track record of success when healthy), Pérez provides value off the bench as the only switch-hitter (with experience at all three outfield positions) and Jones is the top option against left-handed pitchers (without any minor-league options remaining).

That leaves Meadows on the outside looking in.

Last season, Meadows hit .215 in 58 games while posting minus-1 defensive runs saved over more than 450 innings in center field. This spring, he is hitting .059 (1-for-17) with one walk and five strikeouts in six games. He also went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Team Panama in an exhibition game.

The Tigers plan to use Greene at designated hitter more often after just 21 starts there last season. As a result, Carpenter has spent more time in left field this spring, in addition to his primary position in right field.

Even so, Carpenter should still receive most of the starts at designated hitter. Injuries have limited him from completing a full season during his four-year MLB career, and the designated hitter role helps keep his bat in the lineup while reducing wear and tear on his body.

This spring, Carpenter is hitting .235 (4-for-17) with six strikeouts in six games, making three starts in right field, two in left field and one at designated hitter. He also went 1-for-3 with one home run against Team Panama, starting in left field.

If McGonigle starts at shortstop, Meadows gets demoted to Triple-A Toledo and Báez takes over in center field, the Tigers would have McKinstry, Pérez and Jones as their three position players on the bench, not including Rogers as the backup catcher.

Who is next in line?

McKinstry and Rogers should be secure, but Pérez and Jones could find themselves on the hot seat if they struggle early in the season because neither has an established track record of success.

Pérez could be replaced by Trei Cruz, a switch-hitter who plays center field and shortstop, offering more defensive versatility than anyone else in the organization. Jones could be replaced by Hao-Yu Lee, a right-handed-hitting infielder who crushes left-handed pitchers, balancing the roster with above-average defense at second and third base.

Both Cruz and Lee joined the Tigers’ 40-man roster in mid-November, protecting them from the Rule 5 draft.

This spring, Cruz is hitting .308 (4-for-13) with three walks and one strikeout in seven games. He also went 0-for-3 with one strikeout against Team Panama, starting at shortstop.

The Big Five is locked in.

The Tigers bolstered their rotation by signing Valdez and Verlander in the 10 days leading up to spring training, helping offset the loss of right-hander Reese Olson to season-ending shoulder surgery. Right-hander Troy Melton could also miss significant time after being shut down from throwing with right elbow inflammation.

Moving from Olson to Verlander is a downgrade, but the Tigers still boast the best one-two punch in baseball with Skubal and Valdez at the top of the rotation. If another injury occurs, right-hander Drew Anderson is expected to shift from the bullpen into the rotation.

Five relievers are locked in with Jansen, Finnegan, Vest, Holton and Anderson, leaving three openings.

The Tigers already thinned the competition by optioning right-handers Keider Montero, Ty Madden and Dylan Smith to Triple-A Toledo, with Montero and Madden providing starting depth. The Tigers also lost right-handed reliever Beau Brieske to right ribcage tightness this spring, though the severity of the injury remains unknown.

Both Hurter and Hanifee have been key bullpen pieces in the past, making them top candidates for two of the three openings. But Hanifee has a notable flaw: He has thrived against right-handed hitters as a ground-ball specialist with his sinker-slider approach, but left-handers have hit .307 with an .857 OPS.

If the Tigers carry three left-handed relievers, Sommers could have the inside track on the final spot in the bullpen, especially with Bailey Horn still rehabbing from left elbow arthroscopy.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Source link

Detroit, MI

Report: Lions tender K Jake Bates ERFA offer

Published

24 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Report: Lions tender K Jake Bates ERFA offer

The Detroit Lions are starting to take care of their own ahead of free agency, and it begins with one of the easier decisions to make. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have tendered kicker Jake Bates an exclusive rights free agent offer. What that means is Bates now has a one-year contract offer at the minimum salary ($1,075,000 for Bates). He can choose to sign it or sit out the season.

The reason the Lions can offer this ERFA tender is because Bates’ contract is expiring after just two accrued seasons in the NFL. All players with fewer than three years of experience who are on expiring contracts could be offered these ERFA tenders. In fact, the Lions did so with three other ERFAs earlier this offseason, all of whom already signed the deals: OL Michael Niese, RB Jacob Saylors, and CB Nick Whiteside.

Bates is coming off a season where he took a step back after an outstanding 2024. After making 89.7% of his field goals in his first year with the Lions, Bates slid back to just 79.4% accuracy. That said, five of his seven misses all season were from 50+ yards, and he was a perfect 14-of-14 from 39 yards or shorter. Additionally, he increased his extra point accuracy from 95.5% to 96.4%. He also steadily improved at the new NFL kickoff, which requires a lot more precision from kickers to boot the ball as close to the goal line without going into the end zone.

It’s unclear if the Lions intend on bringing in competition for Bates this offseason, but special teams coordinator Dave Fipp made it abundantly clear all last season that they value Bates, despite some struggles in 2025.

“Clearly, we have a very, very good player,” Fipp said in December. “If you put him on the streets, there would be a bunch of teams claiming him right away. And the truth is, we’d have a really hard time finding a guy even near the same player as him.”

Source link

Detroit, MI

Detroit Pistons’ loss to Cavs shows weaknesses before playoffs

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Pistons’ loss to Cavs shows weaknesses before playoffs

CLEVELAND – In just five days, the Detroit Pistons faced the Cleveland Cavaliers twice.

They split the games to finish their season series against the Central Division rivals, but with a potential reunion looming in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Pistons came away from both games unsatisfied.

On Friday, it was the Pistons needing overtime to overcome a Cavaliers team missing James Harden and Donovan Mitchell at Little Caesars Arena. On Tuesday, March 3, in Cleveland, however – with Harden back in the lineup – the Pistons struggled in the areas they usually thrive, for a 113-109 loss.

The Pistons’ first loss on the road since Jan. 29 didn’t feature their usual fire for much of the night.

“I’m frustrated with the effort level, the attention to detail that we played on that end of the floor,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The times and opportunities where we did do the right thing, did get stops, we let people outwork us to come up with offensive rebounds. We can’t afford to not play at maximum effort. That’s been our superpower all year long and, tonight, I felt like there were times where we were outworked. If we’re outworked, this isn’t going to be the results that we want.”

The Pistons work at being the league’s most disruptive team via turnovers has given them a top-three defensive rating. They force turnovers on 17.2% of possessions – best in the NBA –and only trail the Houston Rockets in offensive rebounding percentage. They also lead the league in steals and blocks per game. Getting out in transition and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities has created an above-average offense despite struggles on 3-point shooting.

For three quarters against the Cavaliers, little of that materialized – as least until the Pistons grabbed seven steals in the final period (after just two in the first three). Overall, the Pistons were beat on the offensive glass (11-10), mustered just 10 fastbreak points (their lowest total since Jan. 27) and picked up 11 second-chance points (their least since Feb. 6).

It was, in all, a lackadaisical defensive performance, with the Pistons repeatedly losing shooters behind the arc as the Cavs knocked down 17 3-pointers – eight more than the Pistons.

“Obviously they’re a good team, but we haven’t been playing to our standard on that side of the ball,” Pistons wing Javonte Green said. “Coach talked about the effort we need to bring every game. We just need to play harder. We can’t get outworked on offensive rebounds and 50-50 balls, that’s our identity. I feel like we needed to pick up that slack.”

The Pistons also were hurt by a poor shooting performance by Cade Cunningham; he finished with 10 points and 14 assists but shot 4-for-16. Cleveland threw multiple defenders at him all night, and he obliged by passing the ball and setting up his teammates. It led to a big second half for Tobias Harris, who scored all 19 of his points in the last two quarters.

But it wasn’t enough.

“On the defensive end we just couldn’t put up a wall, couldn’t get a stand going,” Cunningham said. “Personally, I had a lot of bad closeouts; just off the ball, I didn’t feel sharp. Just gotta clean all that stuff up.”

With 22 games remaining, the Pistons are focused on cleaning up the margins so they’ll be ready for postseason play. These two games against the Cavaliers have given them a list of areas to clean up.

Friday, they needed an extra period to win after rallying from a late nine-point deficit despite losing Cunningham late after he fouled out with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins stepped up in overtime after Duncan Robinson also fouled out.

Mostly, the Cavaliers have proven they can pounce during soft stretches on defense. Thursday brings another rematch with a contender, as the Pistons wrap up a three-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs (another opponent from last week).

“We didn’t play our best basketball the other night,” Bickerstaff said of the Cavaliers’ game on Feb. 27. “Give our guys credit because we played 53 minutes and were able to pull it out in some adverse conditions. Cade fouls out, Duncan fouls out, our guys still figure out a way to get it done.

“We need to be better. We need to be better defensively, we need to impose ourselves on the game a little bit more than we did last game. I thought the last two quarters of the Orlando game [on Sunday] were the best quarters we’ve played defensively since New York [on Feb. 19]. I hope, and told our guys, that we can continue to build off that, because that’s where it always starts for us. You can tell the tone by how we are defensively and how we’re getting after it.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.

[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]