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Dale Coyne Racing's Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Race Report
Leeds, Alabama – (Sunday, March 29, 2026) Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean (No. 18 Bmax Honda) found himself starting on the 3rd row for today’s race, while teammate Dennis Hauger (No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda) fought hard and learned many lessons during his first time around Barber in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Romain Grosjean – No. 18 Bmax Honda, Dale Coyne Racing Starting P6, Grosjean felt confident heading into the 90-lap race around Barber Motorsports Park. After losing a handful of spots at the start, Grosjean showed his ability to push hard and was one of the few drivers able to follow other cars while maintaining pace in the beginning portion of the race. Staying out long after starting on black tires, Grosjean pitted on lap 23 from P4 for a scuffed set of alternate tires and a full fuel load. Pushing hard, Grosjean took these reds to lap 40, where the Dale Coyne Racing team fitted him with a new set of Firestone primary tires. On this stint, Grosjean went all the way to lap 66 to make his final stop of the day from 10th, putting on a set of fresh Firestone alternate tires to take him to the end of the race. Running long on the Firestone alternate tires, Grosjean ultimately finished the race in P15. Post-Race Quote: "That was super frustrating. We had the starting position and the pace, but the strategy did not go our way today. We could not find clean air, and that killed our lap times at the most important portions of the race. As the race went on, we just seemed to fall farther back. This car had so much pace in it, and it’s a shame we were not able to show it in the final results. Everyone worked hard this weekend to get a fast car, and it’s a shame we weren’t able to get the result I feel we deserved." Dennis Hauger – No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda, Dale Coyne Racing Starting from P24, Hauger approached the opening laps cautiously, trying to keep his nose clean. As the rookie settled into the race, he came in for his first pit stop on lap 11, switching to Firestone primary tires and taking on a full fuel load. Running P21, Hauger pitted again on lap 38 for another set of Firestone primary tires and full fuel. Hauger took these tires all the way to lap 64, pitting for a final set of Firestone primary tires and fuel to reach the end of the race. As the race came to an end, Hauger finished in P23, completing his first permanent road course race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Post-Race Quote: "This weekend was a big learning experience for me. That’s what’s important with weekends like these, you need to learn all you can. I know there are things we could do better that will help us moving forward. This is my first time being lapped in my entire career, and I won’t lie, that doesn’t feel good. A lot of people put a lot of effort into this, and this isn’t the result any of us want. We have two weeks to turn the page, and then we’ll be going to Long Beach to try this all over again."
Dale Coyne Racing's Java House Grand Prix of Arlington Race Report
Arlington, Texas – (Sunday, March 15, 2026) Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean (No. 18 Bmax Honda) ended his day around AT&T Stadium early after contact on a last-lap restart left him stranded in the final corner, putting him P23. Teammate Dennis Hauger (No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda) ended his day in P17 while saving fuel for his final stint of the race. Romain Grosjean – No. 18 Bmax Honda, Dale Coyne Racing Starting P15, Grosjean moved up to 14th in the early laps of the race. Settling into the race, Grosjean began to struggle with understeer, sending him into the pits on lap 12. On this pit stop, the Dale Coyne team fitted Grosjean with new Firestone primary tires and full fuel. This change helped with the understeer, giving Grosjean stronger pace for the remainder of the race. Pitting again from 14th on lap 34, Grosjean went onto his second set of Firestone Alternate tires. Pushing hard for pace during this stint, Grosjean pitted for one final time on lap 47 to make it to the end of the race on a fuel save. Defending hard, Grosjean ended up in the runoff area, losing a handful of positions and dropping to P20. The yellow flew shortly after for an unrelated incident, which led INDYCAR to set up a one-lap shootout to end the race. As the race went green for the final lap, Grosjean was hit in the rear by another car, ending any chance he had of moving forward and leaving him to finish P23. Post-Race Quote: "That was not a good race. We started the race with major understeer that made finding good pace impossible. We pitted a bit earlier than expected because of that, and once we got later into the race the issue went away and the pace came back. From there I felt good, but on the final stint I had to fuel save which cost me a few spots before I felt like I had no response in the brakes and went into the runoff. It only got worse from there because on the restart I was hit from behind before the restart and that ended my day. I think if those final 10 laps had gone our way a bit more we could have had a more competitive finish, but sometimes that's racing. We've had two weekends in a row with bad finishes and that hurts us in the points battle, so I hope we can turn our luck around in Barber. This team is working hard for me and I hope to give them results they deserve like we did in St Pete." Dennis Hauger – No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda, Dale Coyne Racing Starting from P19, Hauger went into the opening laps trying to keep his nose clean. As the rookie settled into the race, he came in for his first pit stop on lap 12, putting on Firestone alternate tires and taking full fuel. Running P16, Hauger pitted again on lap 24 for another set of Firestone primary tires and full fuel. Hauger would take these tires all the way to lap 46, pitting for a set of Firestone Primary tires and full fuel to go to the end of the race. This strategy forced the rookie into a big fuel save. The young Norwegian not only hit the required number but exceeded what was expected of him. When the lap 68 yellow flew, Hauger found himself P17 and held onto that position on the final restart to finish the race P17 of 25. Post-Race Quote: "That was my first time really fuel saving in an INDYCAR , and man that felt like a big number to make it to the end. I think if we didn't have to make that number at the end we could have been up around 12th or 13th, but I learned a lot this week about how to hit a fuel number. I've never really had to do that in my racing career, so it was interesting to learn. I think this team and me can get a lot of good results this year and these first 3 weeks are just the start of what we can do. Huge thanks to all my partners who make this all possible,"
Hauger Battles to P15 in First Oval Start
Phoenix, Arizona – (Saturday, March 7, 2026) Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger (No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda) completed his first ever oval with a lesson in backwards driving, however completing the 250-lap race with no damage and a P15 finish. Romain Grosjean (No. 18 Bmax.IO Honda) had his day ended early after a mechanical issue sidelined the veteran for the first oval of the year. Dennis Hauger No. 19 Ault Blockchain, Dale Coyne Racing Honda After qualifying P22 and feeling he could have started higher up, Hauger was determined to get to the front. From P22, Dennis moved quickly, getting all the way to P16 in the early goings of the race. Pushing hard while continuing to learn, Hauger ended up spinning out, somehow keeping the car off the wall by driving backwards on track. When the green flag flew again, Hauger did not let the spin ruin his day. Pitting under the lap 13 yellow gave Hauger extra fuel over a majority of the field. This extra fuel allowed Hauger to stay out longer, even leading the race in just his second ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. Coming in from the lead, Hauger took new tires and fuel on lap 98. When the lap 142 yellow flew, Dennis was up to P10 thanks to a combination of good strategy and strong race pace. Dennis held strong during this stint, pitting from P13 on lap 197 for fresh tires and fuel. When the lap 208 yellow flew, the team elected to stay out, restarting P8 as the last car on fresh tires, while everyone behind elected to pit for fresh tires. Fighting hard, Hauger finished P15 with a clean race car and 250 laps of NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval racing under his belt. Post-Race Quote: "That was a crazy day. I definitely learned a lot about how to drive these on ovals. I even learned how to drive these backwards for a bit! Overall, today was good. We ran a good strategy and my pace was strong. Had more cars stayed out on the last yellow, we could have been in position for a top 10, but it wasn't meant to be. I think we can grow from this as a team and go into Arlington with some good momentum from here and St. Pete." Romain Grosjean No. 18 Bmax.IO, Dale Coyne Racing Honda As cars took off from pit lane, Grosjean was unable to launch due to a mechanical issue in the clutch, forcing him to retire. Post-Race Quote: "Well, I suppose there is not much to say. I went to launch off pit road and the car wouldn't go , it would just stall. I was looking forward to this race too. I think we could have moved forward just like Dennis did, but I suppose we will never know. I feel horrible for everyone. A lot of people dedicate a lot of effort and time into this for it to end before it begins. Luckily, we don't have to wait long to try again."
Dale Coyne Racing Opens 2026 Season Strong with Double Top 10 Finish in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida – (Sunday, March 1, 2026) Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean (No. 18 Bmax Honda) and Dennis Hauger (No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda) convert their 6th and 3rd starting positions into a double top-10 performance to begin the year. Dennis Hauger starts his rookie campaign with a clean car and as the highest-finishing rookie in the race. Romain Grosjean – No. 18 Bmax, Dale Coyne Racing Honda For his first race back in over a year, Romain came out and qualified P6, giving the veteran driver confidence he could convert that into a good finish. After an early yellow, Grosjean stayed out with a majority of the field, settling into P7. Coming in to pit on lap 35, Grosjean and the Dale Coyne Racing team put on a fresh set of Firestone Primary Tires. Committing to a 2 stop strategy, Grosjean went long on this stint, pitting on lap 69 from P3 on track. On this pit stop, Grosjean and the team went on to the Firestone Alternate tires to fulfill the new NTT INDYCAR SERIES rule requiring teams to use two sets of Alternate tires. (The 18 team also started the race on the alternate compound.) Committing to making it all the way to the end of the race on these tires, Grosjean went on to finish the race on this set of Firestone Alternate tires. Defending against the 76 car for his final stint, Grosjean came out on top and ended his day in P8, a productive day for the new driver and engineering combination and in his homecoming with Dale Coyne racing. Post-Race Quote: "Today was a good day, whenever you start in the top 6 you are just looking to capitalize on the qualifying effort and today I think we did that starting the year with a P 8 finish. I think we could have done more and gotten a few more spots, but if you told me going into this weekend that id be in the firestone fast 6 and be top 10 in the race, I would have been very happy with that. Its only the first race of the year but it is finishes like this that make a good impression on the final point standings, so its a productive start for myself and the team. Id like to thank all of my partners, Todd (Ault) was here this weekend sponsoring the truck series race and to watch the Dale Coyne team and I am happy to put on a good weekend to start out. I'm thankful for all of his support in my comeback to Dale Coyne Racing". Dennis Hauger – No. 19 Ault Blockchain, Dale Coyne Racing Honda After putting on the best qualifying debut from a rookie in their debut since 2018, Dennis Hauger entered the race poised to make the most of his 2nd row starting position. Staying clean on the opening lap and battling wheel-to-wheel with reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and former DCR driver Alex Palou, Hauger found himself in P5 when the lap one yellow flew. In his first laps in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, Dennis Hauger managed to hold off the Penske of David Malukas and teammate Romain Grosjean to pit from P4 on lap 36 to go on to the Firestone Alternate tires. Staying out long to commit to the 2-stop strategy, Dennis Hauger held in well for a very non-forgiving race track in St. Petersburg, where any contact with the walls can end your day. Pitting for a final time on lap 68, the Dale Coyne Racing team put on the Primary tires for the rookie driver. Running consistent race laps for the remainder of the race, Hauger came across the checkered flag P10, finishing his debut performance in INDYCAR with a top-10 finish. Dennis Hauger ends his debut race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend showing the world how much raw talent the rookie possesses by qualifying P3 and receiving his first top 10 finish in his first ever race. Post-Race Quote: "This weekend is a dream come true. I have dreaming of this for a long time, to get P3 in my first ever qualifying performance in an IndyCar was surreal and to turn that into a top 10 finish is such a great feeling. I think we did good this weekend, but I know we have more we can find in ourselves to finish even better going forward. We can build off of this performance and I'm exited to go out and do this all again next week. I had all of my partners from Norway here this weekend so I'm happy I could give them a good performance for them I'm so grateful for all their support".
Hauger Shines on INDYCAR Debut Weekend with P3 Start as Both Dale Coyne Racing Cars Reach Fast 6
St. Petersburg, Florida (Saturday, February 28, 2026) Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger (No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda) is set to start P3 after both Dale Coyne Racing cars advanced to the Firestone Fast 6. Romain Grosjean (No. 18 Bmax Honda) qualified P6 in his homecoming with Dale Coyne Racing. Dennis Hauger – No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda, Dale Coyne Racing After two productive practice sessions, Dennis Hauger entered his first qualifying session in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with confidence. Hauger elected to start on the black primary Firestone tires for a banker lap in his first run of Round 1 qualifying. The rookie used the early laps to warm up his tires and brakes, setting a banker lap before pitting. The Dale Coyne Racing crew then fitted a set of alternate Firestone tires. Hauger pushed hard, setting a lap time of 1:08.881 good enough for P4 and advancing him to the Firestone Fast 12. When the green flag flew, Hauger went out to set a banker lap before pitting for a set of Firestone alternate tires. In the Firestone Fast 12, Hauger set a lap time of 1:00.640, putting him P4 overall and sending him into the Firestone Fast 6 on debut. In the Firestone Fast 6, Hauger went on to set a lap time of 1:00.5743, narrowly missing out on pole on debut and earning a P3 starting position for his first-ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. Post-qualifying quote: "The whole team did a great job, Romains up in the top 6 and I think he is saving his tires for tomorrow, we just wanted to give me as much practice as possible on the red tires as a rookie and to see just what we could do. I'm super happy about today and we will see what tomorrow brings. In the beginning of qualifying I was aiming for a top 12 and we got in there and just kept on going so im super stoked for the team and all my partners. I have some of my fans cheering down to me right now and that just means the world to me, im happy I could put on a good performence for them.." Romain Grosjean – No. 18 Bmax Honda, Dale Coyne Racing Romain Grosjean started Group 1 of Round 1 on primary Firestone tires to set a banker lap. After pitting for Firestone alternate tires, Grosjean pushed hard, setting a lap time of 1:01.0324 putting him P3 in the group and advancing him to the Firestone Fast 12. Coming out for the Firestone Fast 12, Grosjean employed a similar strategy, setting times on the Firestone primary tires before quickly heading into the pits to switch to a set of Firestone alternate tires. While on his banker lap in the Firestone Fast 12 Grosjean found his way into the runoff area, ending up penalized for impeding another car with a local yellow During the push laps on the Firestone Alternate tires, Grosjean finished P6 with a lap time of 1:00.7452, advancing into the Firestone Fast 6 in his homecoming with Dale Coyne Racing. Grosjean elected to save a set of alternate tires for the race and used the same set of tires in the Fast 6 as he did in the Firestone Fast 12. Ultimately, Grosjean finished P6, in a strong position to move up the field in the race. Post-qualifying quote: "I’m so happy for this team. Dale knows how to get the best out of everyone, and we saw that today with both the 18 and 19 in the Firestone Fast 6. Myself and my engineer Bill Pappas have learned to work with each other very well, very quickly. I think I give good direction and he has great ideas. I think there is actually more to unlock and more we can do, so I really hope this is only the start. We have a really good team here, and I’m super happy to be back. I think this is a good way to start my time with them again. I have a lot of partners here today, I am actually late for a sponsor dinner because qualifying got pushed back, so I hope they understand! "
