Marco Andretti 2009 Indy 500 pic by aXe
Mar 11 2010
Rumor or ? go here to see about Sarah hiring Graham for 2 races?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134571
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Gearing up: IZOD IndyCar Series 2010 season preview
2. Drivers pick champion, top rookie, next winner, biggest surprise
3. IZOD IndyCar Series Q & A - March 10
4. Lloyd joins Coyne in Brazil
5. HVM to field Firestone Indy Lights entry with Strous
1. Gearing up: IZOD IndyCar Series 2010 season preview: The start of every IZOD IndyCar Series season begins with high expectations, but the 2010 season may be one of the most anticipated.
With 17 races across three continents, 12 teams competing over an extended race calendar. This season seems to have it all: new title sponsor, fast ovals, historic road courses, tricky street circuits, new venues, fresh teammate combinations, young drivers and returning champions. All could add up to another unbeatable season.
With the first practice session now less than three days away, the season is just beginning to build to what could be another final race crescendo.
THE BIG STORIES:
IZOD Enters First Year of Entitlement
The 2010 season marks the first year of IZOD's title sponsorship of the IZOD IndyCar Series. The partnership marks the series' first entitlement in nearly a decade.
In Novemeber 2009, Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. announced a six-year agreement with the Indy Racing League for the IZOD brand to become the title sponsor of the newly renamed IZOD IndyCar Series.
Over the past two years, both entities have seen pieces fit to mutual benefit. Speed, competition, athleticism meets vibrant and well-known lifestyle apparel brand appealing to the entire family.
"Our relationship with the IZOD brand has been on the fast track since the day we began our partnership in 2008, and we are thrilled they have taken a bigger and more vital role in our sport," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League.
League officials have been seeking to align with a company that would expand the scope and demographic as the IndyCar Series title sponsor (its first since 2001) through activation beyond race markets. IZOD's proven that repeatedly.
"Their strong marketing skills, national retail partnerships and ability to bring fresh eyes to the sport have already proven powerful in our short time together," Angstadt said. "We're confident that we have found a partner with a strong brand, a bright future and a vision for growing the IZOD IndyCar Series that will benefit fans, drivers, teams, owners and tracks."
Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. knows a thing or two about marketing and positioning itself with brands that make a statement. It's the world's largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods worldwide under its own renowned brands (Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, IZOD, ARROW, Bass, and G.H. Bass & Co.) and licensed brands such as Nautica, Timberland and Tommy Hilfiger.
"Our involvement with the IRL began shortly after the unification of U.S. open-wheel racing and, despite the recession, we have seen growth and sense the potential for even greater opportunity as the sport is re-energized on the American sports landscape, as well as abroad," said Allen Sirkin, president and COO of Phillips-Van Heusen.
Randy Bernard named CEO of Indy Racing League
Randy Bernard, longtime CEO of Professional Bull Riders, Inc., was named CEO of the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, on Feb. 2. He began his new duties March 1.
"Randy is the right person at the right time to head the Indy Racing League," said Jeffrey Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, the home of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and owner of the Indy Racing League.. "He brings a superb sports marketing and promotion background, proven CEO skills, energy and enthusiasm at a time when the IZOD IndyCar Series is positioned for growth."
"I truly believe I can make a difference with the Indy Racing League, and I see tremendous potential," Bernard said. "The IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights have intense action, high-stakes competition, extreme athletes, a diverse international schedule, great sponsors and a very passionate fan base."
Bernard, 43, produced one of the eight PBR events in its inaugural 1994 season while with the marketing and entertainment department of the California Mid-State Fair and "fell in love with the sport." He was named CEO in 1995 and worked with the PBR founders in the succeeding years to develop and expand the brand, events and the popularity of the sport worldwide.
Under Bernard's leadership, PBR's Built Ford Tough Series regular-season attendance increased 12 percent in 2009, and ratings with television partner VERSUS increased nearly 30 percent last year. The PBR was quick out of the chutes in 2010 with attendance up 23 percent in its first five weeks of competition.
Familiar faces in new places:
• Will Power, who competed in six races with Penske Racing in 2009, will be a full-season entrant in 2010 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car. He'll join forces with Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, and Ryan Briscoe, who placed third in the 2009 series championship.
It will be the first time since the mid-90s that Penske Racing will field three full-time cars in Indy cars (Paul Tracy, Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr.).
• Ryan Hunter-Reay will compete with Andretti Autosport with Phillips-Van Heusen's IZOD brand as the primary sponsor of the No. 37 entry. Hunter-Reay will open the season in Brazil and also compete at St. Petersburg, where he finished second last year for Vision Racing.
Hunter-Reay moved to A.J. Foyt Racing in June as a replacement for the injured Vitor Meira, posting a best finish of fourth at Mid-Ohio. He'll join Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan at the team.
• FAZZT Race Team joins the IZOD IndyCar Series for 2010 with veteran driver Alex Tagliani, who competed in six races last season with Conquest Racing. The team announced a partnership with Bowers & Wilkins, the world's leading producers of reference quality hi-fi and home theater speakers, as the primary sponsor for the season opener in Brazil.
• Justin Wilson, who won at Watkins Glen International and finished ninth in the '09 standings with Dale Coyne Racing, will compete in 2010 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as a teammate to second-year driver Mike Conway. Also in a Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car for the Brazil opener is Ana Beatriz, who competed the past two seasons in Firestone Indy Lights. She recorded one victory each year - becoming the first female to win a Firestone Indy Lights race (2008 at Nashville).
• Hideki Mutoh, the rookie of the year in 2008, will drive the No. 06 car for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. He had competed the past two seasons with Andretti Autosport.
• Mario Romancini, who won two oval races in 2009 in his first Firestone Indy Lights season, has jumped to the No. 34 Conquest Racing entry.
• E.J. Viso, who drove for two seasons with HVM Racing, moved to KV Racing Technology in the No. 8 car.
• Jay Howard, the 2006 Firestone Indy Lights champion, will compete in five IZOD IndyCar Series races with Sarah Fisher Racing (starting with the Indianapolis 500). "Since 2008, I've been pretty driven," said Howard, who competed in five races with Roth Racing that year. "I have a lot of confidence going into it. I think Sarah Fisher Racing as a team will raise some eyebrows this year."
• IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Davey Hamilton will compete in three races with Luczo Dragon Racing/de Ferran Motorsports - the Indianapolis 500, at Texas Motor Speedway the following week and another event to be determined.
• For the second consecutive year, Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing will team up to compete in the Indianapolis 500. The No. 99 SSM/CGR entry with primary sponsor Herbalife will be driven by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Townsend Bell of San Luis Obispo, Calif. He finished fourth in the 2009 race for KV Racing Technology.
New Rules and Regulations:
• Removal of the four-position fuel mixture switch. The Honda overtake assist system will remain and receive almost a doubling of horsepower boost (it was between 5 and 20 horsepower in 2009 depending on fuel position). The "yellow" position will remain - to be used during caution periods if the driver chooses.
"Teams and drivers can still save fuel because they can develop their own fuel strategy, but instead of having a mechanical device to achieve it they can use their right foot," Indy Racing League senior technical director Les Mactaggart said. "It will allow the drivers more strategy during the event."
• A reverse gear supplied by promotional partner Xtrac will be incorporated for the nine road and street course races and be available to drivers through the paddle shift system. Drivers will retain six forward gears, and the kit won't be required for the eight oval events.
"It doesn't make any of the parts obsolete; you just add the new kit," IZOD IndyCar Series technical director Kevin Blanch said. "It's on the drop gear side, so when the crew is making gear changes it doesn't interfere. It just stays in the car the whole time."
• Honda Performance Development will incorporate a refueling lockout device on IZOD IndyCar Series cars in an effort to further reduce the possibility of fuel spills and fire during pit stops. A sensor next to the refueling coupling behind the driver's shoulder will recognize the proximity of the fuel probe and prevent the driver from shifting into gear (from neutral) until it has cleared the pre-set distance.
The system will receive testing during the Open Test on May 4 at Kentucky Speedway. It is scheduled to be added following the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, according to HPD technical division manager Roger Griffiths.
• A "floating back" headrest configuration that has been researched and tested by Indy Racing League director of engineering Jeff Horton was recommended for implementation by teams. Horton developed the "floating back" to curb the disparity in G forces between the car and head in rearward crashes. The Kevlar skin of the headrest is attached to the front of the foam and the sides are allowed to float, "so the driver only feels the effect of the foam during impact," according to Horton.
THE DRIVERS:
The Champions: The four drivers who have combined to win six of the last seven IZOD IndyCar Series championships return to the series in 2010. Target Chip Ganassi Racing features a pair of two-time champions with Dario Franchitti (2007 and 2009) and Scott Dixon (2003 and 2008). Andretti Autosport features 2004 champion Tony Kanaan, while Panther Racing features 2005 champion Dan Wheldon.
Race winners: In addition to the four series champions, seven drivers who have won at least one race winners return to the series in 2010. Team Penske and Andretti Autosport feature three race-winning drivers in their lineups (Penske has Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power. Andretti Autosport has Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Danica Patrick). Justin Wilson (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) is the other returning race winner.
THE SCHEDULE
The 17-race calendar features two new additions to one of the most diverse schedules in motorsports. The season kicks off on a temporary circuit in South America's largest city. (Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 14) and ends in on an oval in South Florida (Homestead-Miami, Speedway, Oct. 2). In between drivers will be challenged by a mix of seven superspeedways, including the 2010 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 28) a short oval, five temporary circuits and four permanent road courses.
In addition to the race on the 2.6-mile, 11-turn circuit in the Anhembi section (north-central) of São Paulo, on April 11, both the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights will have races for the first time at the 2.38-mile Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
PRE-SEASON TESTING
In the only pre-season open testing session at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, Team Penske set the bar as the team to beat. Will Power, Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves set the fastest times and have clearly established that they will be the drivers to beat.
The top 14 cars of the 21 that participated in the test were separated by 0.8399 of second. Last season produced another competitive championships in recent history, with the points lead swapping hands 15 times over the course of 17 races and the championship once again coming down to the final race of the season.
2. Drivers pick champion, top rookie, next winner, biggest surprise: Using an unscientific survey, several returning IZOD IndyCar Series drivers were asked to pick their choice for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series champion, IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, the driver who will be the next first-time winner and biggest surprise of the season. Below are their results:
Champion:
Most of the drivers agree that Target Chip Ganassi Racing's two-year reign atop the championship standings will end, but the driver to take title was open for debate, though the top three vote getters all came from the same team - Team Penske.
The Team Penske's triumvirate of Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power drew 75 percent of the vote with second-year driver Mike Conway and two-time champions Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti splitting the remaining 25 percent of the vote.
Castroneves was mentioned the most of the Penske drivers with five votes, while Briscoe and Briscoe had four votes and Power had three.
Drivers Poll
1. Helio Castroneves 5
2. Ryan Briscoe 4
3. Will Power 3
4. Dario Franchitti 1
Scott Dixon 1
Mike Conway 1
Rookie of the Year:
The drivers were unanimous in their pick for the series' top rookie in a class that features four drivers graduating from developmental series and a Formula One veteran. Japanese driver Takuma Sato, who will compete with KV Racing Technology, was the overwhelming selection receiving all votes in the poll of drivers.
Drivers Poll
1. Takuma Sato 12
Next winner:
The drivers were split in their pick for the series' next first-time visitor to Victory Lane with five drivers receiving votes.
E.J. Viso, who switches to KV Racing Technology for 2010, received the most votes in the survey with four. 2009 Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos and Mike Conway were the only other drivers to receive multiple votes, each securing two.
Takuma Sato and Vitor Meira were also mentioned as potential first-time winners by the drivers surveyed.
Drivers Poll
1. E.J. Viso 4
2. Raphael Matos 2
Mike Conway 2
3. Vitor Meira 1
Takuma Sato 1
Biggest Surprise:
Another category that drivers were split on was their pick for the series' biggest surprise with six drivers receiving votes and most drivers opting to abstain.
Takuma Sato, received the most votes in the survey with three, with his teammate E.J. Viso among the other five drivers receiving one vote based on his "speed." Ryan Hunter-Reay, Danica Patrick, Mario Romancini and "one of the rookie," also received votes in the poll.
Drivers Poll
1. Takuma Sato 3
2. E.J. Viso 2
3. Mario Romancini 1
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1
Danica Patrick 1
Takuma Sato 1
"One of the rookies" 1
3. IZOD IndyCar Series Q & A - March 10: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Helio Castroneves participated in a Q&A session to discuss the Sao Paulo Indy 300, the opening race of 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Below are select quotes from his interview. The complete transcript and audio MP3 file are posted at www.indycar.com/media.
Helio Castroneves
· 34-year-old native of Sao Paulo, Brazil will compete in his 10th season in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010.
· Will drive the No. 3 Team Penske car after finishing fourth in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings in 2009.
· Won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time in 2009, becoming the ninth driver to win the famed race at least three times.
· Became a father in the offseason, after his daughter Mikaella was born in Dec. 29 2009.
Q. You're one of the several Brazilians racing in the series in 2010. How exciting is it for you to be racing in your home country for the first time in almost 10 years?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: It's great to give the opportunity to the Brazilian fans to see am IndyCar (Series) race right there, going right past by them. It's been 10 years that the Indy car has not been in Brazil, but there are people that are really fans (of the sport). They follow on TV, but the general public sometimes doesn't know about it. Now it's a great, great opportunity to show them what American fans are able to see. It's been great. And I'm excited to be racing close to my home fans.
Q. How much of a little bit of incentive is there amongst the Brazilian drivers to win this race on their home territory? There's always a little bit of rivalry between you and T.K. (Tony Kanaan)You throw in the Vitor (Meira), I'm sure this would be a big victory. Talk about that a little bit.
HELIO CASTRONEVES: You're absolutely right. In fact, the guy that wins here, or the girl, we have Ana Beatriz, the first Brazilian woman to be in (the) IndyCar (Series), no question, for every Brazilian here right now, it will be exciting to win because everybody will know this person.
It happened in the past with Andre Ribeiro when he won in 1996. He became a big star of Indy car over here. Like I said, we're talking about 14 years ago. But certainly it would be huge. It would be great. I'm sure we're going try everything we can to have one of the Brazilians win the race. Hopefully it will be a Brazilian. If it's not, it's OK.
Q. After the up-and-down year of 2009, how has becoming a father helped you get past that and lay those emotions to rest?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Yeah, it's a great experience. So far I've been very fortunate to experience the life that I have. And I can't wait. I cannot wait to be on the podium with my daughter. That's going to be my biggest goal this year to have that experience. In the future one day, she can see that she was there with me. That will mean the world to me.
Q. You've won the Indy 500 three times, you've done just about everything there is to do in the sport except win a championship. How important is it for you to have a championship before you retire from the sport?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Like I said before, I'm always going out there to win as many races as I can, to do the best I can. That's what I love to do.
Now, the rest of it, it's a matter of putting all the chips together. You know, if it does not happen, it's will not because of a lack of preparation, but it just wasn't meant to be.
So if that does not happen, no, I won't regret it because every time I went out there, I did everything is possible to make it the way it's supposed to be. So I'm very fortunate what I've accomplished already. Sure I'm going to continue working four times harder to achieve that. Hopefully this year will be the year.
But I won't get frustrated. I won't get disappointed. I won't be upset because I didn't win the championship, no. I enjoy what I love to do. As long as I'm competitive, I'm going to pursuing my goals.
4. Lloyd joins Coyne in Brazil: Dale Coyne Racing announced that 2007 Firestone Indy Lights champion Alex Lloyd will drive the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America car in the season-opening Sao Paulo Indy 300 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Lloyd, a 25-year-old native of Manchester, England, will make his first IZOD IndyCar Series start on a road course after making three oval appearances over the past two seasons.
Lloyd, who dominated the 2007 Firestone Indy Lights season and made his IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the 2008 Indianapolis 500, started two IZOD IndyCar Series in 2009, finishing a career-best eighth for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
5. HVM to field Firestone Indy Lights entry with Strous: HVM Racing will participate in the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season with a car driven by Junior Strous, with the intention of progressing the Dutch racer to the IZOD IndyCar Series.
The 23-year-old driver won two races and led the series point standings in 2009, will pilot the Shell/HVM Racing car, beginning with the series-opening event on the Streets of St. Petersburg on March 28.
"I'm now closer to reaching my ultimate goal and that's racing the big IndyCars," Strous said. "If I have a chance to improve my position, I'll always go for it. The HVM partnership offers me good opportunities both for the short and long term in my racing career. HVM is the place to be to achieve my goals."
HVM Racing team principal and owner Keith Wiggins recognizes the benefits of a ladder system to develop drivers for the premier-level IZOD IndyCar Series and welcomes the opportunity to work with the young driver.
"Junior is a proven talent," Wiggins said. "He's won races, so we know he has good skills behind the wheel. We will start him in a (Firestone Indy) Lights car and plan to do some testing with him in the (IZOD IndyCar Series) car at some point this season also. I have no doubt that with continued development he will be in an IZOD IndyCar Series car in the future."
Strous will run with sponsorship from Shell and the European-based Car Channel Television Network. Car Channel has acquired the live television broadcasting rights for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights in the Netherlands.
"The IZOD IndyCar Series has a large fan base in Europe," said Etienne Marijnissen, CEO of Car Channel. "Junior driving for Keith Wiggins and HVM is a great development for European televisions viewers, who will get a better understanding and feeling for the fast and exciting Indy Racing League. We will follow Junior and the team on and off track. It will be an exciting racing season in the highest level of motorsports."
HVM Racing currently fields the No. 78 Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing entry, driven by Simona De Silvestro, in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com.
Mar 8 2010
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - March 8, 2010
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Franchitti expects another close fight for 2010 title
2. Beatriz gets noticed on Streets of Sao Paulo
3. Straight ethanol for the cars
4. Brazil race holds special place in de Ferran's heart
1. Franchitti expects another close fight for 2010 title: Through 17 events in 2009, on the most diverse set of racetracks in motorsports, four IZOD IndyCar Series drivers swapped the points lead a record 15 times. Dario Franchitti earned the driver championship by outdueling Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe in a season-finale shootout at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
That the title was determined in the closing stages of the race was fitting - the three competitors entered the 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval separated by eight points. The final margin was 11 points (the third-closest in series history and the fourth consecutive year it's been less than 20 points). No more than 33 points separated first to third in the standings over the course of the season.
Franchitti's second series championship in three years was forged by five victories, eight other top-five finishes that piled up points and 11 bonus points from pole starts and race laps led.
"I didn't think I'd win five races and a championship in my first year back (after the shortened by economics foray into stock cars)," Franchitti said. "Scott is a better driver than he was in '07 and Ryan came in every single week, as well as other people who made appearances and won races. It just seemed that Scott and Ryan every week were tough competition."
Franchitti expects Dixon to again contend for the title during the 17-race schedule that kicks off March 14 on the streets of São Paulo, Brazil, along with the Team Penske triumvirate of Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Will Power, and Tony Kanaan of Andretti Autosport. He also expects a couple of dark horses to emerge, such as Justin Wilson of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and former Formula One driver Takuma Sato.
Again, the road to the championship will be challenging - with the first four races on road/street circuits and the final four on 1.5-mile ovals; in between is a mix of short and long ovals and street/road courses.
"(At dinner recently with team members) I said this year is going to be harder than last year and we all kind of nodded," Franchitti said. "We know the competition is going to be tougher. There will be the usual suspects that were in the title fight last year and I think you'll add a couple more. We'll have to work harder if we want to come home with another championship.
"To even challenge for another championship we'll have to work even harder. If we do our best, we'll see if we can repeat. Right now, we're just going to with the same attitude as last year, which was let's do our best and hopefully that will put us in contention."
Of the 40 drivers who started at least one race last season, 27 earned a top-10 finish, 18 a top five and 15 wound up on the podium. Castroneves, who has won the Indianapolis 500 three times but is looking for his first series title, has been in the hunt almost every year since entering full time in 2002. He finished fourth in '09 -- missing the season opener because of his federal tax evasion trial.
Briscoe, who recorded three victories in '09 and tied the series record with eight runner-up finishes, predicted that several title contenders will emerge because of the diverse schedule.
"This year, with nine road and street courses, it's going to be very challenging," he said. "There are going to be lots of different drivers vying for wins so we're going to have to be very focused and paying attention all the time."
Franchitti became the fifth different series champion in the past six years. Another battle to the finale is expected.
Attempting to repeat
Dario Franchitti will attempt to be the third driver to follow up an IZOD IndyCar Series championship season with another. How the title-holders have fared:
Year
Champion
Finish following year
2008
Scott Dixon
Second
2007
Dario Franchitti
Did not compete
2006
Sam Hornish Jr.
Fifth
2005
Dan Wheldon
Second
2004
Tony Kanaan
Second
2. Beatriz gets noticed on Streets of Sao Paulo: Ana Beatriz, who will make her IZOD IndyCar Series debut in her home country this weekend in a Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-prepared car, had an early morning wakeup call to drive the Indy Racing Experience street-legal two-seater in sections of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
It wasn't a simple morning commute. Under the auspices of the CET (Traffic Engineering Company of Sao Paulo), the operation incorporated about 400 people. There really isn't a time when streets in the largest city in South America are not congested. The helicopter hovered overhead as TV Bandeirantes filmed the five-mile ride for promotion of the race event.
"I would like to thank São Paulo City and Bandeirantes Group for believing in the making of this race," Beatriz said. "I have driven so many times by the Marginal (Tietê River road) at 40 kilometers an hour that I can hardly wait to ride here at 300 kilometers an hour without getting a ticket."
On March 8, the two-seater was transported to the Northeastern region of the state of São Paulo for media rides and display. Team Penske's Helio Castroneves was honored with the title of Citizen of Ribeirão Preto (his hometown) by Mayor Dárcy Vera and he showed her around the car (photo above). The city of 570,000 is a technology business hub in Brazil.
On March 9, the mayor of Piderão Preto will be one of the riders in the two-seater. Castroneves will attend the public event with a few of his former race cars/karts.
3. Straight ethanol for the cars:The sugar cane ethanol that will fuel IZOD IndyCar Series cars this weekend won't be denatured with 2 percent gasoline (as in other race markets). It will be 100 percent ethanol with a red dye added that has no chemical properties other then adding color to the fuel.
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the only form of motorsports that utilizes a renewable and environmentally conscious fuel to power its engines.
4. Brazil race holds special place in de Ferran's heart: The São Paulo Indy 300 will mark the IZOD IndyCar Series' first race in Brazil and its first trip to South America. CART hosted five races on a 1.864-mile oval in Rio de Janeiro from 1996 to 2000.
It will have special significance to Luczo Dragon Racing/de Ferran Motorsports president and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran, who grew up in Brazil and raced at the Rio circuit.
"All races count the same number of points and pay the same money, so why should I approach racing in Brazil any different, right?" he said. "This race, however, has many special landmarks for me personally. Although I have owned a (sports car) team for the past two seasons, it is my debut in IndyCars, a series that has had a great significance in my motorsports career. In addition, racing at home at a location where in fact I learned to drive karts at age 6 will be quite special."
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com.
Mar 4 2010
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - March 4, 2010
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Indianapolis Motor Speedway To Host First "Road To Indy" Summit
2. Duno signs for full season with Dale Coyne Racing
3. DB Schenker helps move IZOD IndyCar Series to Brazil
4. Andretti Autosport to field Karam in USF2000 National Championship
1. Indianapolis Motor Speedway To Host First "Road To Indy" Summit: The Road to Indy, the Indy Racing League's official development ladder system, will host its first Road to Indy Summit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May during preparations for the Indianapolis 500 and Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Night Before the 500 at O'Reilly Raceway Park.
Drivers and teams from the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda will participate in this invitation-only event that includes track tours of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. Both series will be competing as part of the Night Before the 500 at O'Reilly Raceway Park.
"One of the goals of the Road to Indy is for drivers to develop skills needed to be successful off track and having this summit every year is key way for us to reach that goal," said Tony George Jr., manager of business development for Firestone Indy Lights and an instrumental figure in the development of the Road to Indy. "Every Road to Indy participant will be racing on the biggest open-wheel weekend of the year, but the valuable lessons that will be taught by our legends and the behind-the-scenes access the teams will receive make this a must-attend event."
Included on the schedule are:
Road to Indy drivers' meeting with Indy Racing League President of Competition and Racing Operations Brian Barnhart focusing on oval racing.
A breakfast seminar presented by Mazda focusing on the business of motorsports, which is designed to help improve the off-track performance of the drivers.
A seminar to teach drivers and spotters how to work together.
Pace car rides around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Meet and greets with Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series drivers who have competed in either Star Mazda or USF2000.
A tour of the Indianapolis Hall of Fame Museum with racing historian Donald Davidson.
A Road to Indy reception at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"Athletes in motorsports need more help than any other kind of young talent," said Gary Rodrigues, founder of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. "Drivers not only must hone remarkable physical ability and incredible powers of concentration. They must also develop an infrastructure around them that will meet the engineering and business challenges of organizing a winning racing program. The Road to Indy launches a system that will identify talent and train drivers how to successfully function in the sport and in the business."
"The Road to Indy Summit is exactly the type of assistance career-minded drivers need and want as they climb the ladder, and it is why the USF2000 National Championship has been revived with the Indy Racing League's sanction," said Dan Andersen, co-owner and chief executive officer, Andersen Promotions, administrator of the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. "We are very pleased to have this opportunity for our participants, and it will certainly be beneficial for them and for the series. With the involvement of Mazda as well, this will be a terrific event."
The Road to Indy is the Indy Racing League's developmental ladder system for drivers who wish to reach the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. Made up of Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the system was designed to create a defined career path for young, career-minded race car drivers and to teach them the skills needed to advance to the highest level of open-wheel racing on and off the track.
2. Duno signs for full season with Dale Coyne Racing: Milka Duno has participated in IZOD IndyCar Series limited-season programs the past three years. This year, she'll compete in all 17 races in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing car.
"I look forward to competing with Dale Coyne Racing," said Duno, who was running at the finish in six of nine races in 2009. "I've had the chance to speak with Dale and the team to discuss goals for the season and we are in harmony in all areas. For the past three seasons I've only run partial schedules and I'm anxious to be competing in all the races this year. Doing so builds momentum and maintains consistency that I feel is a key factor to good results.
"The full schedule includes seven races at tracks that I have yet to compete on so I will be doing my absolute best to learn these new tracks as quickly as possible. This full season will be challenging, but I'm very thankful for the opportunity."
The season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
"We are very excited about the challenges and rewards that lie ahead for Milka," team owner Dale Coyne said. "We have seen Milka's competitiveness on the ovals and now we look forward to focusing on the road course effort on a full-time basis in 2010."
Duno has won on road courses before in other categories, but 2010 represents her most serious attack at the road courses of IndyCars. The team has planned an extensive testing program for the coming season with a focus on road and street circuits. An announcement regarding the driver of the No. 19 entry for Dale Coyne Racing is expected early next week.
3. DB Schenker helps move IZOD IndyCar Series to Brazil: The Point A to Point B and return trip of the IZOD IndyCar Series is relatively straightforward for DB Schenker. Still, the Indy Racing League's Official Freight Logistics sponsor is moving an entire racing series to São Paulo, Brazil, and back to Indianapolis.
That's 400,000 total pounds swallowed by two Atlas Air 747-400F cargo planes for the 5,000-plus-mile ride between two continents, while making sure it arrives at the venue safely and on time for the season-opening São Paulo Indy 300 on March 14.
That's why teams unloaded their race cars, equipment and consumables March 3 at a staging area at the Indianapolis International Airport. In a free-form ballet of forklifts, equipment was weighed, placed on pallets and wrapped in plastic. Chassis, along with front and rear wing assemblies, were stacked and secured on specially-made racks. It all will be loaded March 6 (seeking an even distribution of weight in the cargo bay by the loadmaster) for the flight to Viracopos-Campinas International Airport in the state of São Paulo. Firestone Firehawk tires departed via ocean cargo vessel on Feb. 4.
DB Schenker has been associated with the sanctioning body since 2009, providing logistics for the Honda Accord Safety Cars between North American event venues and promotional units such as a show car to Panama for an IZOD photo shoot in autumn. DB Schenker's role expanded with oversight of the Sao Paulo event logistics.
DB Schenker combines all transport and logistics activities of Deutsche Bahn, employing more than 91,000 people across 2,000 locations in about 130 countries.
"We've been working on sports events dedicatedly since 2000," said Nick Kashiparekh of DB Schenker sportsevents - USA. "We started with the sports events division in '99 primarily to work on our contract with the Sydney Olympic Games. After that success, we were an official logistics provider from 2000 to 2008. Although we didn't have an official capacity with the Vancouver Games, we provided logistic services for broadcasters, national Olympic committees and quite a few of the sponsors and marketing groups.
"Moving broadcast equipment and athletic gear is all time-sensitive and it takes careful coordination - not just from the country of origin or the host country, but many times you have accounts that spread over numerous countries. From a coordination standpoint, (the IZOD IndyCar Series move is) a lot easier than an Olympic Games or a FIFA World Cup when you have multiple countries and multiple entities to deal with."
Upon arrival March 7, the freight is transferred to trucks to continue the journey to the Anhembi complex in the north-central section of the largest city in South America. Manifests are checked and spot customs inspections are conducted at the track in time for team personnel to unpack March 10 and begin preparations for the race weekend.
"The most difficult part is making sure the (six copies for everything) paperwork is in order for customs," Indy Racing League director of operations Bill van de Sandt said. "We're a racing league and not a shipping company, so all we can do is get everything ready and count on DB Schenker to get us there and back."
Before the champagne is uncorked in Victory Circle, packing is underway for the return trip.
"It's multiple processes, but it's very well-organized," van de Sandt said. "The cooperation of the governments, the help of DB Schenker and the airlines works very well. It's a process that is very effective and efficient.
4. Andretti Autosport to field Karam in USF2000 National Championship: Andretti Autosport announced March 4 it has signed 15-year-old Sage Karam to drive for the team in the 2010 Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the entry level series for the Indy Racing League's Road to Indy.
The entry marks Andretti Autosport's debut in the Indy Racing League's new Road to Indy driver development program. Comfort Revolution, a developer and distributor of specialty bedding mattresses and accessories, and The Michael Fux Foundation will sponsor the effort.
"We look forward to bringing Sage on board as Andretti Autosport's first USF2000 National Championship driver and hope to make him the first driver to go all the way through the 'Road to Indy' program - all the way to the IZOD IndyCar Series," said Michael Andretti, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Andretti Autosport. "I've watched him grow to become an accomplished young driver, and I think his experience in karting and Skip Barber will serve him well this year in the USF2000 series. I'm very confident Sage will be successful with Andretti Autosport."
Karam, a native of Nazareth, Pa., has spent the last few years competing in the Skip Barber National championship, a part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder program, as well as the World Karting Association (WKA). He was the only American driver to compete in both a national karting championship and an open-wheel professional series full time in 2009.
"The opportunity to drive for my mentor, Michael Andretti, has always been a dream of mine," Karam said. "I've worked very hard to get to this point, but I know I have a long way to go. Driving in the USF2000 with Andretti Autosport is the best way to reach my ultimate goal: racing in the IZOD IndyCar series and winning the Indy 500."
Karam began competing in karts at the age of five. He has since established himself as a 35-time WKA and Indy Racing League (IRL) Stars of Karting national champion. Karam also stands as the only driver ever to win a WKA Triple Crown Championship and titles in the IRL Stars of Karting (East, West and National) all in the same year (2007). In 2008, Karam - then 13 -- established himself as the youngest winner in the history of the Skip Barber Shootout.
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com.
Mar 1 2010
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - March 1, 2010
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1.Indy Racing League re-launches official Web site
2.Angstadt co-chairman of "Good Scout" luncheon
1. Indy Racing League re-launches official Web site: The Indy Racing League re-launched www.indycar.com today, the official Web site of the Indy Racing League, IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.
In addition to a new design, the Web site re-launch features several new interactive aspects to further immerse fans into the sport.
Highlights of the Web site include:
• The re-launch of IndyCar Race Control presented by iRacing.com, providing quick access to live video streaming that features multiple camera views (including up to four in-car cameras) in HD quality.
• Race Control also includes multiple timing and scoring views so fans can track all of the action, including Pit Board strategy that charts individual pit stops, and Leader Graph, which visually charts the cars around the track based on speed differentials.
• An emphasis on social media on the homepage and driver/team pages. All driver and team Twitter accounts are aggregated into their respective pages on the site along with individual team Flickr and YouTube accounts.
• Another unique feature is Nomee Cards, which allows fans to download their favorite drivers to their desktop and follow all social networks that the drivers participate in.
• Simple navigation and seamless integration of news, photo and video content. In addition to up-to-the-minute news stories and off-track driver profiles, the site features up to four different video blogs from various drivers that take fans behind the scenes and provide track access.
• PEAK Performance Fantasy Racing League will be offered to fans that are part of IndyCar Nation, an online fan community that provides extra benefits to members free of charge. Fans can create their own league or play individually to win prizes throughout the season.
"The newest version of indycar.com is designed to enhance the fan experience," said John Lewis, vice president of marketing and league development, Indy Racing League. "Our new media team has focused on centralizing fan, drivers and League social media campaigns within one access location. We will continue to provide in-depth editorial news, behind the scenes access, IndyCar Nation, Race Control and more. Indycar.com will be a one-stop shop for all IZOD IndyCar Series fans, both rookies and veterans."
The Indy Racing League has partnered with RACERSITES to create the new indycar.com. RACERSITES has provided design and development. The Indy Racing League will produce all editorial content for the site as well as overall strategy.
"This is a proud day for our company", said Chuck Tate, founder and president of RACERSITES. "As avid fans of open wheel racing ourselves, we couldn't be happier to announce, in partnership with the Indy Racing League, the launch of the new indycar.com. We are excited about our relationship with the league, and are committed to doing our part to continue to raise the profile of the series online over the next few years."
2. Angstadt co-chair of "Good Scout" Luncheon: Indy Racing League commercial division president Terry Angstadt is co-chairman with National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman of the 2010 "Good Scout" Award Luncheon on March 2 that honors VERSUS president Jamie Davis.
The "Good Scout" Luncheon benefits tens of thousands of boys and girls of the Greater New York Council, Boys Scouts of America. VERSUS will broadcast 12 IZOD IndyCar Series races this season, beginning with the opener March 14 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The network also broadcasts NHL games.
Feb 26 2010
HINCHCLIFFE PACES FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS OPEN TEST AT BARBER
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 - Four drivers who competed for the full season in Firestone Indy Lights last year have been projected to contend for the 2010 championship. During the series' only preseason Open Test. - they stood 1-4 on the time chart.
James Hinchcliffe, driving for Team Moore Racing, posted a quick lap of 1 minute, 14.9714 seconds to pace the 13 drivers participating in the test Barber Motorsports Park - a month before the opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
"It was a great day for us on the No. 2 car," Hinchcliffe said. "I'm really happy, especially coming into a new team with new people. We are all working well together right off the bat and that translated into the speed we showed on the track. Everyone at Team Moore Racing deserves a huge pat on the back because there have been some long hours getting everything ready in time for this test. I'm happy that the hard work paid off."
Martin Plowman in the No. 27 AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport car was second-quick at 1:15.1319, while teammate Charlie Kimball was third at 1:15.1715. Sebastian Saavedra, who finished third in the 2009 series standings, was fourth with a best lap of 1:15.3817 in the No. 29 Bryan Herta Autosport car. All four are with new teams this season.
"I was pretty happy with today," Plowman said. "I'm never going to be truly happy unless I am P1 or on pole, but it was a solid day. We got a lot done with our testing program. We started off the day strong with a good base car and fine-tuned it the rest of the day. I don't think we showed a true potential today, but we did some long runs in the afternoon that leaves me very optimistic for when we come back."
The top seven were separated by only 0.6326 of a second. Veteran racer Jan Heylen made his debut in the No. 17 Team E entry and was fifth quick (1:15.5407). Stefan Wilson, who competed in six races in 2009, was sixth (1:15.5912) in the No. 28 Bryan Herta Autosport entry.
Another newcomer to the series, Frenchman J.K. Vernay, was seventh (1:15.6040) in the No. 7 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car.
Fourteen drivers participated in the test with rookie Adrian Campos having the only major incident during the 1,074 laps recorded. Campos was uninjured. Drivers/teams return to the scenic facility in early April for their second of three in a row races on road/street circuits to kick off the season.
DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:
Charlie Kimball's car sported a new paint scheme featuring his sponsorship from Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care. Kimball will drive the No. 26 Levemir® FlexPen® car for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport in Firestone Indy Lights.
"This is a big year for me and expectations are high," Kimball said. "I am fortunate to not only be part of one of the top teams in all of racing at AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport, but to have the support of Novo Nordisk, one of the world's leading healthcare companies that is committed to helping me live my dream."
Kimball, 25, is the only licensed racer with type 1 diabetes in the history of the Indy Racing League. Diagnosed in 2007, he monitors his blood sugar before, during and after each race, and uses Novo Nordisk insulin Levemir® (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection) and NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection). The partnership with Novo Nordisk includes primary sponsorship of Kimball's race car, racing suit and helmet. Kimball also will make appearances on behalf of Novo Nordisk throughout 2010.
"Charlie Kimball is the perfect example of how people living with diabetes can successfully manage their disease without letting it get in the way of their dreams," said Camille Lee, Vice President of Diabetes Marketing at Novo Nordisk. "We are proud of our association with Charlie and we look forward to a successful year on and off the track in 2010."
***
Ana Beatriz, the first female to win a Firestone Indy Lights race, is slated to become the latest driver to graduate from Firestone Indy Lights to the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Beatriz, the first female to win a Firestone Indy Lights race, will compete with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the season opener March 14 on the streets of the most-populated city in South America.
"We are excited about going to Brazil for the first time with the IZOD IndyCar Series and putting Ana Beatriz in our car at Brazil adds another dimension to our program," team co-owner Dennis Reinbold said. "We are happy to have her on board for the Brazil race."
Beatriz finished third in 2008 in the Firestone Indy Lights standings for Sam Schmidt Motorsports with one win (at Nashville Superspeedway), nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes. In '09, she won at Iowa Speedway in the No. 20 Healthy Choice/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car among seven top-10 finishes in 13 races.
"It's great to be with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the Brazil IZOD IndyCar Series race," she said. "Hopefully we can get the rest together for the whole season. I think the team is very professional and I have great teammates with Mike Conway and Justin Wilson. I hope that I can learn a lot from these British drivers.
"This is very special for me doing my debut race at my home event. It's also very special to be the first female Brazilian race car driver to race there and it will be a great experience."
***
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com.
Feb 25 2010
POWER LEADS AS BARBER OPEN TEST CONCLUDES
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 - Will Power led a Team Penske sweep of the top three sports of the time charts as IZOD IndyCar Series teams concluded a two-day Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Australian had a quick lap of 1 minute, 9.8724 seconds on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn circuit.
Helio Castroneves (1:10.0084) in the No. 3 entry was second and Ryan Briscoe (1:10.0459), who topped first day lap times, was third in the No. 6 car. Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon (1:10.0594) was fourth and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Justin Wilson (1:10.0869) was in the top five for the second consecutive day.
Former Formula One driver Takuma Sato, participating in his first IZOD IndyCar Series test with KV Racing Technology, had another impressive outing with the sixth-best time of 1:10.2070. Mike Conway of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing climbed to seventh (1:10.2497) and Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport was eighth (1:10.3956).
Twenty-one driver/car combinations totaled 2,009 laps in the three sessions (all drivers posted their best laps times in the Thursday's session). The top 14 cars were separated by 0.8399 of a second.
Firestone Indy Lights teams take to the track on Feb. 26 for a one-day test at Barber Motorsports Park.
DAY 2 NOTEBOOK:
The session, which started at noon (CT) due to cold temperatures, was delayed further just after its start by an accident involving reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, whose car slid off the track in Turn 12 and made hard contact with the barrier, ending his test after two laps. The session resumed nearly an hour later after repairs to the guardrail and grass were made. Franchitti was uninjured in the incident.
2009 Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos also saw his test end early following an incident later in the afternoon
2006 Firestone Indy Lights champion Jay Howard made his debut for Sarah Fisher Racing, driving 37 laps in Fisher's No. 67 car.
"It was a great opportunity to complete as many laps as I did under the circumstances here today," Howard said. "We were hoping to do a little better, but as long as we learned something as a team, the test was beneficial."
Team owner/driver Fisher, who originally intended on sharing her car with Howard, opted instead to let Howard get seat time. "We changed our plan slightly with Jay due to our on track time availability being shorter today," she said. "We only had a 12- 4pm window, along with a big accident taking up an hour of that time. We thought it was within our best interests to keep him in car the entire three hours available and learn as much as we could about the car for when we come back. We saw him and the team making big gains with an hour and a half to go, which will give us a good starting point come race weekend in April. We did learn a lot and improved as a team over our test in Sebring, which is the bottom line at day's end."
DAY 2 QUOTES:
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "It was a good day. We certainly found some good things. We went through a lot of things during the two days. Today, towards the end of the day, we focused on getting outright speed. You can see how tough the championship is going to be- There are so many good drivers and so many good cars and teams. I think it's going to be a very exciting year. You're going to have to really be on your game if you want to win."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske):"It was a good test for Team Penske. We came here to get back in the groove and get our rhythm going again. We learned some things that will be useful for the race in St. Petersburg and for when we come back here to Barber. I am excited for the team, coming out on the top of the timing chart is great and I hope we do that all season."
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske): "We had a real good couple of days testing. We found some set-up information that will be helpful in Brazil, St. Pete and for when we return here, to Barber. The test went very smooth. We were able to work through a long list of testing points. It is real nice to see the Team Penske cars 1-2-3 at the end of the test."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "It was alright. I think we definitely made drastic improvements on the car today for this course. We've been concentrating on just getting development programs scratched off the test list that we've been working off of for the winter. This afternoon was good. I messed up my second to last set of tires by spinning in Turn 13. That was on my second lap so we had to scratch them and go to our last set, but the car was good and pretty close on time. On the last lap I was up a couple of tenths (of a second) but got caught up in traffic. Overall, the car is pretty decent and we're in the hunt which is nice because the last time we came away from this test we were struggling and were four or five tenths (of a second) off. So it's nice to know that we've made some gains to the car and we've got some development items on our test list checked off."
TAKUMA SATO (No. 5 KV Racing Technology): "It was a very successful day for the KV Racing Technology team considering the weather. It was extremely cold this morning so we were unable to run, but once the temperature had improved, we were out on track. I was able to learn a lot again from how the car reacted to the different setups we tried, which was good preparation for the Brazil race. However nothing is ever perfect and I am never satisfied, but I am very positive that I have a good feeling of how the car handles and look forward to going racing in a few weeks time."
MIKE CONWAY (No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "Today was a lot more enjoyable day. We had a lot more comfortable car. We learned a lot from some things that we tried and from Justin and as a result we came away with a proper setup. We just need to keep working on it and I think we are in a good position when we come back to race."
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "The test went quite well. We were quick early on and we just continued to work through a few changes. Right at the end of the day we set our quickest lap, which was on the end lap, and finally I got what I was looking for. It's a shame that the lap times aren't shown on the results sheet, but we ended up pretty quick and I am pleased. I'm looking forward to our next test and then onto Brazil."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Andretti Autosport): "The Venom car laid a good foundation in practice yesterday and we were able to really build on that today. I think we're still a couple small changes away from being in the ballpark, but we learned a lot this weekend. I'm looking forward to Brazil and putting what we've learned to good use."
HIDEKI MUTOH (No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing): "I think the Formula Dream/Panasonic team had another good day today. We stopped at 2:30 to make a change on the car and it made the car much better. It was a huge, good change. My engineer Martin (Pare) and the team understand my driving style more now and what they should do for me to make the lap time quicker and I understand as a driver how to work better with them. We are getting closer."
MARIO ROMANCINI (No. 34 Conquest Racing): "I'm very happy to finish in the top ten today considering it was our first time at this track. Yesterday I spent the day just trying to learn the new car. I felt pretty comfortable in the car today so I was able to work with the engineers on a few different setups. We obviously still have some work to do, but I think these two days show that we have potential to be competitive and I'm really looking forward to the Brazil."
JAMES ROSSITER (No. 32 KV Racing Technology): "Today was my first proper afternoon testing an Indy car and with KV Racing Technology. I learned a lot. We did a bit of a qualifying simulation with three sets of new tires as well as a couple of long runs, running from full fuel tanks to empty so I could understand how the car reacts in these situations. We have made some good progress in setup changes and hopefully the team have learned enough to have a good first race in Brazil."
TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Andretti Autosport): "We had a great start to the afternoon today and found some things we really like. Then we decided to go back and make some big changes to see what direction it would send us. And, I knew if those things didn't work, that we would not have time to change things back. But, that is what a test is for. So, we found out some things later this afternoon that we know won't help us, and that is good. We learned and we learned on all four cars. There is no question that we still have a lot of work to do, but we have a much better idea of what we want for ourselves."
VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing): "Overall the test was very good. We have a very good race car. For me, it's good to get back in the car. I've been out of it for too long. Working with Jeff Britton is like we never missed a beat. We started right where we left off in 2005 which put us ahead of where we were last year. I feel very good about the season the way everyone is working so well together."
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 37 Andretti Autosport): "We're working hard to get where we need to go. The IZOD team learned a lot of what we don't want and that is just as valuable as learning what you do want. It was a good test for getting through some things. We're not happy with our pace right now, but I know I can go fast and this team knows it can go fast. We'll put it all together and we'll make it work, for sure."
E.J. VISO (No. 8 KV Racing Technology): "Today was a day with a lot of different issues. It was not as good as yesterday but the other drivers for KV Racing Technology team worked well together, so hopefully we will have a good amount of data and a productive race weekend when we return in a few months."
DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Andretti Autosport): "It was good to get back into the Go Daddy car this weekend and get working again with my teammates. I'm disappointed with our times, but we were able to gather a lot of data that I think will be beneficial for the season. I'm looking forward to starting the season in a couple weeks.
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com.
Feb 24 2010
BRISCOE LEADS OPENING DAY AT BARBER OPEN TEST
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010 - Team Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves topped the time sheets as IZOD IndyCar Series teams opened a two-day Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park.
Briscoe toured the 2.3-mile road course in 1 minute, 10.5020 seconds (117.438 mph) in his No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone, while Castroneves was just behind at 1:10.7146 (117.090 mph) in his No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Both laps were set in the afternoon session when the sun helped heat the track surface on an unseasonably chilly day at the picturesque road course.
The third Team Penske member - Will Power in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car - was fourth quick (1:10.7637). Scott Dixon, the 2009 championship runner-up, was fifth (1:10.8927). Justin Wilson, driving the No. 22 Z-Line Designs car for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the first time, slid into third on the chart with a lap of 1:10.7397.
Twenty cars piled on 1,025 laps, with a second day of testing scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. (local time) Feb. 25.
DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:
Panther Racing and driver Dan Wheldon decided to forgo this week's IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park and instead test at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., due to the cooler than expected temperatures.
Panther Racing Chief Engineer David Cripps explained the decision to test in Sebring, saying, "The inclement weather that's being predicted for Barber, is not really going to be conducive to what we had planned for our test for São Paolo. Our current setup is based on warmer environments in São Paolo, Long Beach, and St. Pete, and Barber's not going to present that for us. We felt it would be more advantageous to get to Sebring and…a warmer climate. Hopefully, Sebring will be more advantageous for our preparation."
Also skipping the test due to the forecast was first-year IZOD IndyCar Series entrant Fazzt Race Team with driver Alex Tagliani.
FAZZT Race Team General Manager Rob Edwards elaborated on the decision saying, "We are in the fortunate position of having had very successful tests at Homestead and Sebring in January. Since those tests, our engineers have continued testing on the seven-post rig, gearbox rig and in the wind tunnel to further develop our race package. Given the inclement weather forecast for Barber over the next few days and after much discussion, we believe the best use of our time is to continue our preparations for Brazil here in Indianapolis."
Luczo Dragon Racing, fresh off its merger with de Ferran Motorsports, has strengthened its team by adding a second car and veteran driver Davey Hamilton for three races during the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series, it was announced today.
Hamilton, who joins 2009 Apex Brazil IndyCar Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos as the Luczo Dragon drivers, is scheduled to enter the Indianapolis 500, the Bombardier Learjet 550 at Texas Motor Speedway and another oval race. It will be his first multi-race IndyCar schedule since he retired with injuries in 2001.
Hamilton, the IndyCar Series runner up in 1997 and 1998, has more than 25 years of experience as a competitive racecar driver, including nine years and 51 races in the IndyCar Series. He has posted eight podiums and 15 top 10 finishes, including three top 10s at the Indy 500. He retired as a driver after a serious crash at Texas Motor Speedway in 2001. After enduring 21 surgeries to reconstruct his feet, Hamilton courageously returned to the cockpit for the Indy 500 in 2007 and finished ninth. He has entered the last three Indy 500s. When he takes the track on June 5, it will be Hamilton's first race back in Texas since the horrific accident.
Raphael Matos: "It helps a lot. It's extremely difficult to be a one-car team. There's no comparison for data or driver input. Adding Davey with his experience, as well as Gil, they've been through a lot of the situations I have not. I was fortunate to run the full season last year, and I was able to learn a lot but there's still a lot of learning for me. You don't learn everything in just one year. There's a lot of hard work for me and a lot of hard work for the team. We must improve at a lot of the tracks and we have a really good direction. We have good support from our new sponsor, HP, and I'm just very honored to be on my second year with the team."
Davey Hamilton: "It's exciting for me to back and able to run the Indy 500. It's always been something I wanted to do, run more than Indy and I haven't been able to put that together the last several years. I'm able to do that finally. This team coming together, Luczo Dragon already has some success and with Gil joining this team, I'm very excited about the possibilities. Rafa has done a fantastic job. He's out of his rookie season now so he's been to these tracks before and has experience. We're hoping to be able to give each other a lot of information to excel the team and to get a victory. Hopefully we can do it sooner than later."
Gil de Ferran: "(Davey) is one of the best oval drivers out there so I'm sure he's going to contribute to the performance of the team and also help Rafa quite a bit given there's a vast gap in experience here between the two. I feel that he's very much a positive for our team, particularly regarding the Indy 500. "
Danica Patrick participated in the today's luncheon to discuss April's Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by Legacy Credit Union. Following are selected quotes from her availability.
DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Andretti Autosport): "The thing about Barber Motorsports Park is that every time we've been here there have always been fans out to the track. I think that's one of the big things that drew us to come here. Our cars are very high-performance and are fun to see out there. To give people that chance to see us is good. It lets us know that we are wanted here." (About testing at Barber): "It's nice to be able to test at a track that we race at. We're going to work on the car and make it the best it can be."
Holmatro Incorporated, an important resource for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights since their foundings, will be the sponsor of the Indy Racing League Safety Team, it was announced today during the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.
The Holmatro Safety Team unveiled its new look for the 2010 season that opens in Sao Paolo, Brazil, next month. Holmatro has provided trackside support at every Indy Racing League race since its January 1996 inaugural event at Walt Disney World Speedway. In 2010, the Holmatro Safety Team will accompany the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, at 17 events in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Japan.
"Holmatro is excited to take our involvement with the Indy Racing League to the next logical level. We have worked with the men and women of the Indy Racing League since the league began in 1996 to ensure that the on track response to accidents is as efficient and effective as possible," said William "Giff" Swayne, President of Holmatro. "As a world leader in rescue equipment, our gear is called upon everyday to save lives. What we learn in racing helps us to keep ahead of the new technologies that will ultimately make their way into the cars that our customers will deal with on the street. The Holmatro Safety Team will continue to be the world leader in motorsports safety and on track response."
Under the supervision of Dr. Mike Olinger, Indy Racing League director of medical services, and Mike Yates, Indy Racing League manager of track safety operations, the Holmatro Safety Team consists of approximately 24 safety personnel with a minimum of 14 attending each event--two trauma physicians, three paramedics and nine firefighters/EMTs. Team personnel have an average of 20 years of experience in their respective areas.
The team travels with four safety vehicles and brings the most sophisticated racing technologies with its state-of-the-art, high-performance Holmatro rescue equipment to each venue. It continually evaluates its on-track procedures to be at the forefront of motorsports safety for participants and spectators. The Holmatro Safety Team works in conjunction with and coordinates the safety personnel staffing each venue, including firefighters, ambulance and tow-truck providers and track maintenance crews. An eight-hour instructional course is held at every new venue on the schedule and the team meets with tracks for update sessions before each event.
"Holmatro tools have been a staple of our safety team's equipment over the years, and we're excited to now have the company serve as the title sponsor of the crew," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division, Indy Racing League. "We continue to take pride in our role as a leader in on-track safety in the motorsports community and with Holmatro's support, we look forward to further expanding our leadership position."
DAY 1 QUOTES:
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske): "It's nice to be at the top of the speed charts. It's important because it is our only test before the first race, so we're all comparing times. It's nice to have the Team Penske cars on top. It's a great way to start the year."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske): "Today was about getting a rhythm. The last time I was in a Team Penske car on a road course was Infineon (last August). You need testing to get your muscles back into shape. Even if you've been working out, you still need to get your rhythm back and get to work. That was the goal today. Tomorrow we'll work on the small details."
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "The first day in the car was really good. It was a pretty positive day and we kept making improvements. All in all, I think that it went well and I'm pleased with P3. I'm getting comfortable in the car and with my new engineer and crew. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Unfortunately, at the end of the day I just clipped the grass going into Turn 1 and the car snapped around on me. The car isn't too badly damaged and I'm OK."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "It felt great to be back in the car. This has been the longest offseason of my career. We were able to learn a few things today. The No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car ran great today. The team worked together nicely and we had a productive day. I am looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We worked on a combination on aero and mechanical items today. There's still a lot more work to be done tomorrow so I hope it's going to be a bit warmer for us."
E.J. VISO (No. 8 KV Racing Technology): "It was a pretty good day for the whole KV Racing Technology team. It was the first time we had three cars on track and I think it was a successful day. I am very happy to be part of this team. With the little time that I have had with them, the KVRT crew guys have done a great job and I think we showed the hunger make this a very positive year for KV Racing Technology."
TAKUMA SATO (No. 5 KV Racing Technology): "It was a great day. The KV Racing Technology car was reliable and once I had got used to the way an Indy car handles and how the track layout was I enjoyed it. The track is superb, a lot of fast corners and elevation. The day started off slowly, with cold temperatures and difficult conditions, but by the end we had a very successful first test. We went through some setups which helped me to learn a lot and had a very productive first day."
TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Andretti Autosport): "It was a lot better than I expected. It was good to be back in the Team 7-Eleven car. It's a tough track, actually, and it takes you a while to learn it. I think it was a productive day for us. We made huge improvements on the car from the start of the practice to the end. Hopefully, the weather will be a little bit better tomorrow. It's our last practice day before the first race of the season, so we need to take advantage of it."
DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We went through a list of test items today that we've been working on in the offseason. The weather has changed things slightly. Overall, we learned some things not to do. Hopefully, we'll just keep working our way through our list of items tomorrow."
HIDEKI MUTOH (No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing): "The last time I drove an Indy car was at Sebring in November with this team for a one-day test, so it has been three months since I was in a race car. It took a while to get up to speed but once I got there the car felt really good. By the end of the day, I was starting to have good communication with my engineer Martin (Pare), who I knew when we were both at Andretti Green Racing. It takes time because of my (English) and also I need to understand what they are talking about, but so far, I am very happy. I feel the car has a lot of potential to do a good lap time. I like the course. There are a lot of elevation changes and nice, fast corners, quick Esses and also some slow corners. It's very fun and challenging to drive."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Andretti Autosport): "If anything today, we were able to make the 26 car different. It started to feel more like a race car and we got some normal qualities back that we've been looking for. I'm a little disappointed with our time, but we're heading in the right direction. I think we'll see good results from the Venom car if we stick to our plan."
MARIO ROMANCINI (No. 34 Conquest Racing): "I am very happy with our first day of testing with the team. We had a productive session and we used well our track time. It's good to see that we are within one second of the best time for our very first day. I adapted to the car very easily. Tomorrow we will start to test different things versus today where the team focused on giving me as much seat time as possible."
JAMES ROSSITER (No. 32 KV Racing Technology): "It felt good for my first experience with KV Racing Technology and driving an Indy car. I have lots to learn and lots to think about tonight and I am sure we will come back stronger tomorrow. I certainly have a lot of information to take onboard and digest and will work with the engineers tonight and hopefully have a more productive day tomorrow."
VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing): "We accomplished what we came to do which was to establish a baseline today working with Jeff (Britton, chief engineer). It's been over 10 months since I was on a road course and as you can see it's taken its toll. I'm still getting myself in the game. I didn't push it as much as I normally would—I never even put a wheel off today. But today was more about gathering data to know where we are at so we can move forward tomorrow. It was a good day for the ABC Supply team."
RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 2 Luczo Dragon Racing): "It was a difficult day for us. We were working on the balance of the car all day, but were never able to find a good balance. The good thing is we know the direction we are going to take, we'll make a few changes to the car and hopefully will be much better tomorrow. It has been helpful being around Gil. I think we are understanding each other better and better every time and that will help communicating about the car with the engineers. Now we will try to make the necessary changes and hopefully that will translate in performance.
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 37 Andretti Autosport): "It was a bit of a strange day, but an expected day for Team IZOD. We had to get some things sorted out for my liking and we went back to the transporter a number of times to do that. They were lengthy changes, but we got it sorted to where we could run for about two hours." (About the track): "Barber, like Sonoma, is a place where you have to know your way around to get a good time around it. It has a lot of blind entries and exits, so I needed to learn the track. I took my time with that and we took our time getting the settings right on the car. By the end of the day, I was finally able to start to push. Hopefully, it's not too cold tomorrow and we'll get some better track time."
MIKE CONWAY (No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "Today was a tough day and we were just trying to get a good balance with the car, but struggled a little bit. Tomorrow we are just going to keep up the hard work and try and get through all of the test items. Luckily, we were able to get some laps in and hopefully we can do the same tomorrow."
DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Andretti Autosport): "Today's test was definitely a challenge. The GoDaddy car wasn't handling the way that I would've liked; the cold weather doesn't help either. So tonight we're going to take a look at the data and see what we can learn from it. Hopefully tomorrow's session will go better."
SARAH FISHER: (No. 67 Sarah Fisher Racing): "Not necessarily my most fantastic day, but we did learn a lot. The fastest lap we had was the last one, which just shows there's a lot more to learn tomorrow. We fought the weather all day, temperatures weren't on our side for grip right off the bat, all in all - I'm more comfortable in the car which will help allow me to learn these techniques quicker. With the smaller window of experience there's a lot to be learned in a short amount of time. The plan tomorrow is for Jay to be in the car in the morning, learn from him with his time on track - leading up to me in the car again in the afternoon."
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com.
Feb 23 2010
IZOD IndyCar Series Preseason Open Test
Track --- Barber Motorsports Park A 2.38-mile, 17-turn road course
Faces in New Places:
The Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park will be one of the last opportunities for several drivers and key personnel to gel with their new teams as they prepare for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Ryan Hunter-Reay joins Andretti Autosport, Justin Wilson joins Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Jay Howard joins Sarah Fisher Racing, 2003 Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran joins de Ferran Luczo Dragon Racing as co-owner, managing partner and team president and veteran team manager Tom Anderson joins Andretti Autosport as senior vice-president of racing operations. How much time is needed for the chemistry to set in with these new pairings before the first race of the season?
First four races on streets/road courses: Nine road/street circuits are part of the 17-race IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, and the season kicks off with four non-oval events for the first time. A temporary street course in São Paulo, Brazil - the largest city in South America - plays host to the IZOD IndyCar Series for the first time on March 14 to start the season.
The domestic opener is March 28 in St. Petersburg, Fla., where in 2008 Graham Rahal became the youngest winner in major open-wheel racing history. Last year, Rahal became the youngest pole sitter in IZOD IndyCar Series history. Four drivers have won in the five years of the event. The inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park is on the schedule for April 11, followed by the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Dario Franchitti will seek to successfully defend his race victory. How will these early races set the tone for the championship hunt?
Another tight championship expected: Through 17 events, on the most diverse set of racetracks in motorsports, four IZOD IndyCar Series drivers swapped the 2009 points lead a record 15 times. Dario Franchitti wrested the driver championship away from Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe in a season-finale shootout at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The final margin was 11 points (the third-closest in series history and the fourth consecutive year it's been less than 20 points). Another close battle to the finish is expected, with multiple drivers in championship contention. Who are the drivers most likely to sustain a run through Oct. 2?
We'll be back in six weeks: IZOD IndyCar Series drivers return to Barber Motorsports Park for the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 11. The 2.38-mile natural-terrain road course played host to an Open Test in 2009 in addition to this week's preseason test for all teams. Teams will work through multiple car set-ups and collect pages of data that they will use to create a race weekend plan, and drivers will use every inch of the circuit to understand its nuances and formulate their own plans of attack for qualifications and the race. How does a test at a new venue carry over to the race weekend?
Where's the fuel-setting dial? The four-position fuel mixture dial has been removed from the cars, though the Honda overtake assist system will remain and receive almost a doubling of horsepower boost (it was between 5 and 20 horsepower in 2009 depending on fuel position). "Teams and drivers can still save fuel because they can develop their own fuel strategy, but instead of having a mechanical device to achieve it they can use their right foot," Indy Racing League senior technical director Les Mactaggart said. What goes into a fuel strategy at a road course such as Barber Motorsports Park?
At-Track Schedule (all times local):
Wednesday, Feb. 24
9 a.m. to Noon - IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test
Noon - Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Press Conference
1 to 5 p.m. - IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test
Thursday, Feb. 25
9 a.m. to Noon - IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test
Noon - Driver Availability in Media Center (Andretti, Wheldon)
1 to 5 p.m. - IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test
Feb 17 2010
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. IZOD IndyCar Series Q & A - Feb 17
2. De Ferran looks forward to working with Matos
3. Teams get jump on 2010 at Sebring
4. Find Tag in Toronto
5. Drivers On TV
1. IZOD IndyCar Series Q & A - Feb 17: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Ryan Hunter Reay and Firestone Indy Lights driver Charlie Kimball participated in a Q&A session to discuss the Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park. Below are select quotes from their interview. The complete transcript and audio MP3 file are posted at www.indycar.com/media.
Ryan Hunter-Reay
28-year-old native of Boca Raton, Fla., will compete in his fourth season in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010.
Will drive the No. 37 IZOD-sponsored car for Andretti Autosport.
Has one win, three top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes in 40 IZOD IndyCar Series starts.
Was 2007 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.
Charlie Kimball
24-year-old native of Camarillo, Calif., will compete in his second Firestone Indy Lights season in 2010.
Will drive the No. 26 Levemir Flexpen car for Andretti Autosport/AFS Racing.
Finished 10th as a rookie in Firestone Indy Lights in 2009 with best finish of fourth at Watkins Glen.
Q. Ryan, talk about the change to Andretti Autosport. This is the first opportunity you've had with a team of this caliber.
Ryan Hunter -Reay It's an amazing opportunity. I have everybody at Andretti and IZOD to thank for it. We've already got to work. The atmosphere on the team is unreal. I mean, they're really pushing to get back to where they were winning races constantly. That's what matters most. It's been an easy transition. We're working really well together. I'm really looking forward to having three other teammates, too.
Q. You mentioned some of that pre-season testing you've done with the team. You have to be champing at the bit to get to next week, can't come soon enough for you.
RYAN HUNTER-REAY: Oh, yeah, for sure. The Barber test is something I've been really looking forward to. I haven't been to that track yet. I wasn't able to make that test last year because of my ride coming together late with Vision. I've looked at it on videos, seen it on TV, I've done some iRacing with it. I can't wait to get there and get on track and see where we are stacked up against everybody else. Most importantly get to work with the team, with everybody being there, all three teammates on track at the same time.
Q. How is working with Michael Andretti?
RYAN HUNTER-REAY: Michael is great. He's got so much passion for racing, it's contagious. He's pushing hard. He's in the office every morning before the sun comes up and leaves when the sun goes down. He's pushing the hours. He's working as hard as anybody else. He's at the top of the team. There's no other partners, it's just Michael. He has a clear vision of what he wants to do. He's really determined to make it happen. It's a really good atmosphere on the team because of it.
Q. Ryan, I know you got engaged last year. How are the wedding plans coming and if they are coming along, is it you or your fiancée Beccy (Gordon) that has more say in that?
RYAN HUNTER-REAY: Well, she has all the say. We've been just so busy with everything from moving, we just moved from California to Florida. My mom recently was very ill late in the season, into the early off-season. We're still in that moving process, in transition. We're starting to talk more about it. I'll get a date here pretty soon. But, yeah, that's our ship, and she's definitely sailing that one.
Q. Charlie you feel much pressure entering the season going into the car and the team that won last year's championship?
CHARLIE KIMBALL: Well, I think I always put more pressure on myself than I feel externally. Obviously, jumping in the No. 26 car means that I know I've got some of the best equipment out there. At the end of the day, it comes down to me to perform. I think that testing has been going really well. I'm really excited. The crew is a lot of fun to work with. I can't wait to get to the open test next week and the first race at St. Pete.
Q. You mentioned you've already tested with the team. What have you learned about yourself and the team going into next week's test at Barber, which is essentially like a race weekend?
CHARLIE KIMBALL: You're right, going into Barber, we're sort of treating it like our first competition. There's no prizes or rewards for results at Barber, but it's a chance for us to unveil the new paint scheme for the No. 26 Levemir car. We have a line item list of stuff to test. Hopefully we'll end the day near the top of the charts.
I've learned a lot this year just about how a professional team works. Stepping into Andretti, having someone like Michael Andretti with his hand on the tiller, giving me the benefit of his experience has allowed me to learn a lot more quickly than I have in the past.
Q. The test is at Barber Motorsports Park. Have you been there? What are your thought on that facility?
CHARLIE KIMBALL: I actually did a test day at Andretti/AFS Racing last fall down at Barber. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was surprising how much fun it is. It's very technical and pretty quick in places. It's got a really good mix. I think it benefits a driver that's on top of it as well as a good car.
So not only am I looking forward to the test next week, but also to the second race of the season.
Q. You're the first Indy Racing League driver to compete with Type 1 diabetes. Does being diabetic affect the way you go racing?
CHARLIE KIMBALL: Having diabetes definitely affects how I prepare to get in the car. From the moment I get up in the morning, before a test day or a race day, I'm preparing. I'm checking my blood glucose levels. I'm injecting Levemir and NovoLog, the two insulins I use as needed. Everything is getting ready for the moment I put my helmet on. I check my blood glucose level 15 minutes, 10 minutes, five minutes before I get in the car. It's the last thing I do before I put my gloves on. That management routine allows me to go out and compete on a test day or race day equally and not have to worry about the diabetes.
I'm there proving that diabetes doesn't have to slow you down. It doesn't slow me down on the track or off the track. Together, partnering with them allows me to get that story out there and be proof that you don't have to have diabetes in the drivers seat; it can be in the passenger seat while you drive your life.
2. De Ferran looks forward to working with Matos: When 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos heard that Gil de Ferran was joining forces with Luczo Dragon Racing, he hung up the phone and quickly dialed his new boss.
"He was so excited he could barely stand it," team co-owner Jay Penske said. "He's been so excited and just welcomes the opportunity to race with Gil this year."
Matos first met de Ferran as the 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner began his preparations for a return to the driver seat in 2008. The two quickly became friends and that led to de Ferran recommending Matos to Penske and Steve Luczo as they searched for a driver to build their team around.
"Here's a guy that really kind of struggled a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where he is," de Ferran said. "The only reason that he got to where he is is because he has actually been successful at every level that he's raced on so far.
"I guess he's not a rookie anymore, but still, when you compare him to people like Helio (Castroneves) and (Scott) Dixon and Tony (Kanaan), he's a relative rookie, but nevertheless, a rookie with impeccable credentials. First of all, I would say the raw material I believe is of very high quality."
But more importantly, Luczo and Penske feel Matos is very accepting of advice and criticism. With de Ferran's background as a driver and ability to communicate with Matos in their native language they feel like they have the right fit in guiding Matos to race wins and championships.
"Frankly I'm only getting to know Rafa now, and I think for you to be able to transmit some of your experience and your knowledge to somebody, first you have to understand what makes them tick, because my belief on this is horses for courses," de Ferran said. "Everybody has a few different buttons, and I have to learn how Rafa operates because clearly already he does a decent job. I think his success has proven that.
"Plus Gil can say 'stay calm' in Portuguese much better than Jay or I can," Luczo joked.
And if de Ferran needs to fall back on experience, he can look at the last young driver he worked with.
"I started my relationship with Simon Pagenaud as a boss, and today I would say he's my good friend and a mentor," de Ferran said. "I really don't see any issues there. He's a great guy, and we struck up a good personal relationship, and I was happy for him that he had a great break with Steve and Jay last year, and I look forward to working with him. I really don't see any issues here."
3. Teams get jump on 2010 at Sebring: E.J. Viso, Raphael Matos and J.R. Hildebrand got a jump on track time with testing at Sebring International on Feb. 15.
Viso, who competed the past two IZOD IndyCar Series seasons with HVM Racing, tested with KV Racing Technology. Hildebrand, the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion, was testing with Dale Coyne Racing. Matos, the 20009 Apex-Brasil Rookie of the Year, was back in the Luczo Dragon Racing car.
"I've been itching to get back in a car," said Hildebrand, who drove for Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing last season. "I've been talking to Dale (Coyne) the last couple of weeks and he had scheduled this test day, so he invited me to come out. We're still trying to sort things out because the season is coming very quickly, but we are both in that boat. We'll just see how things look in a couple of weeks. Those important decisions have to be made quickly, but from both of our standpoints (the) test day went well.
"Most of the guys here were trying to prepare for street course races. I know, for sure, we weren't tuning to go fast at Sebring. We we're tuning the car to prepare for the bumpy tracks that start the 2010 season. St. Pete is pretty bumpy, and Brazil looks pretty rough from that standpoint. We still had a very good day. We didn't think we would be real competitive from a time standpoint, because as I said, we were working on street course testing packages, but we ended up being right in the quickest windows in terms of time."
Viso ran 103 trouble-free laps in KVRT's first test of 2010. Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama plays host to an Open Test next week.
"KV Racing Technology had a successful test and I am very pleased with the way both the team and E. J. performed," team general manager Mark Johnson said. "The team did a great job preparing the car and it performed flawlessly. The engineering staff had a solid plan and we accomplished everything on our check list. I also want to complement E. J. on the job he did. This was his first test with our team and he was professional and worked well with the engineers and crew. Based on his feedback and the plan the engineers had in place, we were able to collect some valuable data.
"At this point, we will sit down with E. J. and discuss further plans for the 2010 IndyCar Series season. I do anticipate testing him again at the Open Test at Barber next week."
Viso, 24, of Caracas, Venezuela, has posted one top-five finish in 32 races.
"I am very happy with the way the test went with KV Racing Technology," Viso said. "The car was prepared well and we got a lot of work done. This is a very professional team, a great group of engineers and mechanics. I felt very positive and comfortable working with them."
4. Find Tag in Toronto: FAZZT Race Team driver Alex Tagliani will greet attendees and sign autographs Feb. 20-21 at the Canadian International Auto Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Tagliani's No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins FAZZT Race Team car will be on display ono Centre Stage of the North Building, where the Quebec native will sign autographs from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 20 and noon-2 p.m. Feb. 21. His appearances are in conjunction with the team's partnership with Autonet.ca.
"I am excited to be back in Toronto and to get an opportunity to greet my Canadian fans who have been so supportive of my racing career," Tagliani said.
5. Drivers On TV: Before Danica Patrick gets on track Feb. 24 at Barber Motorsports Park in the No. 7 GoDaddy car for the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test, she's making the rounds of Southern California media outlets. So to catch up with Patrick on your favorite talk show:
She appeared on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" on Feb. 17 and made stops at "Good Day LA" on KTTV FOX 11, "The Bonnie Hunt Show" (airs Feb. 19, check local listings), the "CBS Evening News" and CNN for future air dates. She will be a guest on the syndicated "On- Air with Ryan Seacrest" radio show on Feb. 18 and "Chelsea Lately" for air Feb. 23 on E! Check local listings. She will also be a guest on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC (show airs 12:05 a.m. ET Feb. 19).
Also making the rounds are three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who introduced his daughter Mikaella to the world on on Feb. 17's episode of "Entertainment Tonight.
Feb 4 2010
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES ANNOUNCES OBJECTIVES FOR NEW CHASSIS TO DEBUT IN 2012
INDIANAPOLIS, (Feb. 7, 2010) - The Indy Racing League announced today objectives for its next IZOD IndyCar Series chassis, which is scheduled to debut at the start of the 2012 season.
Attributes desired by the Indy Racing League in developing its next iconic chassis look include:
· Safe: The new chassis must adhere to the league's already high safety standards while exploring new technology to improve safety in all aspects of the car.
· Raceable: The new chassis must continue to produce the exciting racing that has become signature of the IZOD IndyCar Series while not affecting other cars on track (i.e. less sensitive to the turbulence).
· Cost-effective: The league continues to work to reduce the cost of participation for teams in the IZOD IndyCar Series, which remains an important priority in this economic climate. The new chassis must have a price point that adheres to that goal.
· American-made: The new chassis must be built in the U.S., preferably at an Indiana-based facility.
· Less mass/More efficient: A lighter chassis with less mass that produces the same aerodynamic effect in an efficient way.
· Relevant technology: The league would like the new chassis to be relevant to the future of the consumer auto industry; innovative technology that is born on the racetrack and can translate to consumer cars.
· Modern Look: More space for sponsor logos, cars easily identifiable.
· Green: The Indy Racing League prides itself on its role in the greening of racing and wants to maintain its position as a leader in environmentally-friendly initiatives with this chassis.
"Two years ago the league engaged both the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (Calif.) and College for Creative Studies in Detroit in conceptual exercises about the next generation of car," said Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series. "For the last year we have engaged in ongoing conversations with four chassis makers on two different design tracks. Now we are receiving concepts and will make a decision soon."
The league is in discussions with Dallara, DeltaWing, Lola and Swift about designing, manufacturing and supplying the new chassis, focusing on two parallel paths - one radical and one more evolutionary in design.
"Our chassis is the most complex challenge in world motorsports because of the variety of race courses where we compete," Barnhart said. "It must be designed to run at 235 mph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and protect drivers and spectators in high-speed crashes. It must be able to perform on superspeedways, speedways and short ovals well as natural terrain road courses and temporary circuits."
Barnhart said the first and foremost requirement for the new chassis is safety, based on three decades of experience with the current chassis.
"Our drivers take the greatest risks in the world of sports driving Indy cars and it is paramount we have the best safety features designed into this next generation of cars," he said. "It is also important that we continue to develop more relevance between the new generation of IndyCars and the cars that world manufacturers will be producing in the future. Finally, we have stipulated that the new chassis must be made in the United States, preferably Indiana, to take advantage of more competitive pricing and the existing American supplier network for parts and protect our team from issues with currency fluctuations."
The current chassis utilized by teams is produced by Dallara and was last updated in 2003.
BERNARD NAMED CEO OF INDY RACING LEAGUE
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 2, 2010) – Randy Bernard, longtime CEO of Professional Bull Riders, Inc., has been named CEO of the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.
His hiring was announced today by Jeffrey Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, the home of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and owner of the Indy Racing League. Bernard will begin March 1.
“Randy is the right person at the right time to head the Indy Racing League,” Belskus said. “He brings a superb sports marketing and promotion background, proven CEO skills, energy and enthusiasm at a time when the IZOD IndyCar Series is positioned for growth.”
Bernard said that for the 15 years he has been the CEO of the PBR he’s been “blessed to work with such a great sport, and I enjoyed the success that we all shared together.”
“But I was ready to make a change in my life,” he said. “Josie George was determined that the change should be with the Indy Racing League, and after significant research I was excited about the opportunity.
“I truly believe I can make a difference with the Indy Racing League, and I see tremendous potential. The IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights have intense action, high-stakes competition, extreme athletes, a diverse international schedule, great sponsors and a very passionate fan base.”
Bernard, 43, produced one of the eight PBR events in its inaugural 1994 season while with the marketing and entertainment department of the California Mid-State Fair and “fell in love with the sport.” He was named CEO in 1995 and worked with the PBR founders in the succeeding years to develop and expand the brand, events across North America and the popularity of the sport worldwide.
Under Bernard’s leadership, PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series regular-season attendance increased 12 percent in 2009, and ratings with television partner VERSUS increased nearly 30 percent last year. The PBR has been quick out of the chutes in 2010 with attendance up 23 percent in its first five weeks of competition.
Professional Bull Riders, the governing body for the stand-alone rodeo event of bull riding, was formed in 1992 in Scottsdale, Ariz., by 20 bull riders who each invested $1,000 to launch an athlete-owned and operated bull riding tour apart from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Their goal was to increase the opportunity to earn more money as well as to gain some control of their sport.
In April 2007, Bernard successfully executed a merger between Professional Bull Riders, Inc. and Spire Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, and remained CEO under the new ownership structure.
The announcement was made at a news conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway attended by members of the IMS Board of Directors including Nancy George, Josie George and Jack Snyder. IMS chairman Mari Hulman George, who was traveling, and board member Kathi George Conforti, who lives in California, were not in attendance.
Bernard thanked the Hulman-George family “for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this great tradition. I have had the opportunity to meet with Ms. George, Josie, Nancy, Kathi, Jack Snyder and Jeff Belskus several times and really look forward to sharing their vision.
“I also look forward to working with Terry Angstadt and Brian Barnhart. They both are highly regarded, and I am confident we will make a great team.”
Ms. George, who has served as chairman of the family-controlled corporation since 1990, praised Bernard’s selection. “Our family has been the steward of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1945 and has owned and operated the Indy Racing League since its founding in 1994. This is our family business, and we have a new generation of family members beginning to be involved. I believe Randy is an excellent choice to head our growing IZOD IndyCar Series and assure that it will continue to be a positive asset for racing and for our family business.”
Ms. George also praised Belskus, who heads all businesses owned by IMS. “Jeff has stepped in during a challenging time in our business, and he is making the changes necessary to insure a healthy future for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that we can hand over to future generations of our family and the public.”
Belskus noted that Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League, and Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations, are doing excellent jobs. “Never in the history of the Indy Racing League have we been as strong or as well positioned. Terry has led a superb sales effort that has brought IZOD, Apex-Brasil and others to our sport, injecting many millions of new dollars. Brian has provided racing fans exciting competition with many of the world’s greatest drivers while leading advances in safety and technology, with much more to come. Randy’s leadership will add another dimension to our company, complementing Terry and Brian and allowing them to concentrate on what they do best.”
Belskus assumed the duties of president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in June 2009. He subsequently succeeded Tony George as CEO of the Indy Racing League, which is a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bernard, who attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, is married and has three children.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Feb. 1, 2010
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. IZOD IndyCar Series has Super Bowl XLIV ties
2. Wilson co-drives runner-up car in 24-hour race
3. Wheldon goes back to his karting roots
4. Drivers to meet with Brazil president
5. Tickets on sale for Sao Paulo Indy 300
1. IZOD IndyCar Series has Super Bowl XLIV ties: The Indy Racing League Championship Cup, hoisted by Dario Franchitti at Homestead-Miami Speedway in October, will be on display in downtown Miami this week as part of the Eats, Beats and Cleats fan event preceding Super Bowl XLIV.
Eats, Beats and Cleats, which replaces the NFL Experience, will showcase more than 75 current and former NFL All-Stars and other sports legends during the four-day event on Lincoln Road.
Also, the Indy Racing Experience street-legal two-seater will be in town to shuttle media and personalities around Miami. Three IZOD IndyCar Series show cars will be in Miami, too.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, who tested the No. 37 IZOD car for Andretti Autosport at Sebring International last week and co-drove the third-place car in the Rolex 24 At Daytona over the weekend, will be among the participants in the Super Bowl Hall of Fame Players Classic presented by Van Heusen on Feb. 4 at the Biltmore Golf Club and Resort in Coral Gables. The event's goals are to raise awareness and funds for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees Assistance Fund, which lends assistance to fellow Hall of Fame alumni.
Andretti Autosport driver Danica Patrick will be a guest on "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials" on Feb. 3 (8 p.m. EST, CBS). Patrick has been featured in GoDaddy.com spots during the Super Bowl the past few years.
As a side note, Patrick is included in BusinessWeek's 2010 Power 100 list of athletes. Tiger Woods, who ended '09 embroiled in scandal, still topped the list as he raked in an estimated $103 million on and off the golf course. The issue is on newsstands and online now.
2. Wilson co-drives runner-up car in 24-hour race: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson co-drove the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates car to a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 31.
Wilson teamed with Scott Pruett, Max Papis and Memo Rojas. The No. 01 entry was just one of two Daytona Prototypes to finish on the lead lap, finishing 52.303 seconds behind the No. 9 Action Express Racing car.
"I really enjoyed being part of this team for the weekend," Wilson said. "We seemed to always be first or second. What a great experience."
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates' second entry, driven by reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray, retired with mechanical issues to finish 15th in the Daytona Prototype class. The two cars combined to lead 285 of the 755 laps (No. 01 led 146 laps).
Ryan Hunter-Reay, who will drive the No. 37 IZOD car for Andretti Autosport this season, teamed with Scott Tucker, Richard Westbrook and Lucas Luhr to finish third overall.
KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser, 2009 Apex-Brasil Rookie of the Year Raphael Matos of Luczo Dragon Racing, 2004 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice, and IZOD IndyCar Series driver Darren Manning also competed in the event.
3. Wheldon goes back to his karting roots: It's difficult to keep IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon off a racetrack.
Over the weekend, he drove in the Rotax Senior division of the CKI Florida Cup in Homestead, Fla. - the first of 13 scheduled karting events he'll compete in around the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule.
"Kart racing is something that is very close to my heart," said Wheldon, the 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series champion who will compete for the second season in the No. 4 National Guard car for Panther Racing. "It's how I got my start in racing when I was 4 years old. And once you develop a love for kart racing it never goes away, no matter how successful a racing career you might develop over the years in other disciplines."
Wheldon, who earned second place at the World Karting Association event in Daytona, Fla., in December, will participate in two karting events before the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park on Feb. 24-25. He'll return to Homestead (Fla.) Feb. 26 for the second round of the CKI Florida Cup.
"I couldn't say no to an opportunity to race with some of the best up-and-coming talent out there," said Wheldon, 31. "Those kids are keeping me on my toes … and that is not something that I take lightly."
Vitor Meira, who will drive the No. 14 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series, also competed in the Rotax Senior division at the Homestead facility.
4. Brazilian drivers to meet with President Lula: IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira and Mario Moraes and Firestone Indy Lights standout Ana Beatriz are scheduled to participate in a photo opportunity with Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Feb. 2 in the capital city of Brasilia.
The meet and greet is in advance of the inaugural São Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of the state capital March 14. It will be the first IZOD IndyCar Series race in South America and will kick off the 17-race season.
5. Tickets on sale for São Paulo Indy 300: Tickets for the São Paulo Indy 300 on March 14 are on sale by visiting www.saopauloindy300.com.br or www.livepass.com.br. Most of the grandstands for the 75-lap race on the 2.6-mile, 11-turn circuit are part of the Sambodromo - permanent structures mainly used during the colorful parades of Carnival this month.
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 14 with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will air live on indycar.com
Jan 29 2010
More on
Tony George halting his IndyCar Series racing team Lacking sponsors
IRL founder suspends Racing team
By Curt Cavin
IndyStar.com
Tony George suspended operations of the IndyCar Series team he owns Thursday, capping a tumultuous seven months for the former king of U.S. open-wheel racing and signaling the end of his association with the sport, at least for now.
Indianapolis-based Vision Racing, which George owns with his wife, Laura, does not have the outside sponsorship to continue, and he has decided not to fund the team with his personal holdings.
George, 50, said Thursday that releasing Vision's 16 employees was the most emotional thing he's had to do, but he vowed to return to motorsports.
"I can't begin to put that into words," he said after meeting with Vision staffers. "We're going to continue to try and put together a program so that we can reactivate the team. It's been the greatest group of (people) I've ever had the chance to work with."
George called the suspension "a necessary thing."
Since last year, his diminishing involvement in the sport he once ruled has been startling. On June 30, the longtime leader of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the founder of the Indy Racing League was forced to resign several key positions within the Hulman-George business empire amid pressure from his family.
The IMS Corp. board is controlled by George's mother, Mari Hulman George, and his three sisters, Josie George, Nancy George and Kathi George-Conforti, and they were concerned about the financial health of the company.
Earlier this month, George resigned his board position. He has consistently refused to discuss the family feud that led to his departure.
Vision was formed in 2005 for George's stepson, Ed Carpenter, to drive the car. Discussing Thursday's developments, emotion was also evident in Carpenter's voice.
"We're suspending operations, but I don't know fully what that means," he said.
Another member of Carpenter's generation, Kyle Krisiloff, lacks the funds to keep racing. Krisiloff is the youngest son of Josie George, considered the strongest voice among George's siblings.
Tony George declined comment on speculation that he is organizing a group to purchase the IndyCar Series. But friend Zak Brown, the founder and CEO of Zionsville-based Just Marketing Inc., said George recently has admitted unfinished business in the sport he loves.
More than 250 IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights Participants
The Drivers and team Representatives descended on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Jan. 12 for the Indy Racing League's annual winter meeting, in which several updates for the 2010 season were announced, including financial savings for teams and a new driver safety feature.
Teams will receive financial savings of $27,000 through decreases in the Honda engine full-season lease program and a savings of $75,000 for Indianapolis 500-only lease program.
A lease for the 17-race season has been reduced to $935,000 ($15,000 lease and removal of $12,000 shipping fee) - about half of the 2005 lease program cost. For the Indianapolis 500, the $150,000 lease package includes 800 miles of practice and qualifications, Miller Lite Carb Day and the race. A fresh engine for Miller Lite Carb Day and the race will be available for $60,000.
A "short Indy" program - commencing Thursday, May 20, two days before qualifications - will be offered for $90,000. It includes 500 miles of practice and qualifying, with the engine carried over to Miller Lite Carb Day and the race.
Additionally, a "floating back" headrest configuration that has been researched and tested by Indy Racing League director of engineering Jeff Horton was recommended for implementation by teams to curb the disparity in G forces between the car and head in rearward crashes. The Kevlar skin of the headrest is attached to the front of the foam and the sides are allowed to float, "so the driver only feels the effect of the foam during impact," according to Horton.
Another major update for the 2010 season is the inclusion of a reverse gear supplied by promotional partner Xtrac that will be incorporated in cars for the nine road and street course races and be available to drivers through the paddle shift system. Drivers will retain six forward gears.
"We've been making updates every year (changing gear size, adding the paddle shift system) and it just happened to be the right time to put the gear in the car," IZOD IndyCar Series technical director Kevin Blanch said. "It doesn't make any of the parts obsolete; you just add the new kit. It's on the drop gear side, so when the crew is making gear changes it doesn't interfere. It just stays in the car the whole time."
Additional changes include removal of the four-position fuel mixture switch from the cars. The Honda overtake assist system will remain and receive almost a doubling of horsepower boost.
The Honda overtake assist was added for the race at Kentucky Speedway in August 2009 and carried through the remainder of the season on ovals and road courses. It provides drivers a boost in horsepower and RPMs for a predetermined number of uses and durations by activating a button on the steering wheel.
Jan 28 2010
Tony George shuts down racing team
By Curt Cavin
indystar.com
January 28, 2010
Tony George's Indy-car team suspended operations today due to a lack of sponsorship, completing a downfall of his involvement with major open-wheel racing.
George was asked to resign his position as chief executive officer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway last summer, in part because of his commitment to Vision Racing. George subsequently resigned his leadership role with the Indy Racing League, a series he started in 1996 as an alternative to CART.
George's Indianapolis-based team was a family entity. It was co-owned by George, his wife, Laura, and actor Patrick Dempsey with the George's son, Ed Carpenter, as the driver. Carpenter's sister, Lauren George, wrote for the team's Website.
The team was formed in 2005 as the Georges purchased the assets of former IRL team Kelley Racing. It operated out of a 32,000 square foot facility on the Northwestside.
The team's best result in 121 starts was a second-place finish at last year's event at Kentucky Speedway. Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe edged Carpenter at the finish line by 0.0162 seconds.
Many of Vision's staff of about 16 were released today in what Carpenter described as emotional as George addressed team members.
"We're suspending operations, but I don't know fully what that means," Carpenter said. "We're still pursuing opportunities to resume operations."
Jan 25 2010
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES TO CONTEST 2.6-MILE, 11-TURN TEMPORARY STREET CIRCUIT IN SÃO PAULO
INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 25, 2010) - Indy Racing League officials today released the course design for the IZOD IndyCar Series' inaugural race in Brazil, the São Paulo Indy 300.
The IZOD IndyCar Series will open its 2010 season March 14 on the 2.6-mile, 11-turn circuit that mirrors the metropolis - built for speed and excitement. The course, located in the north central section of São Paulo known as Anhembi, incorporates the Sambodromo - permanent grandstands lining the route primarily used for parades during Carnival - that will include the start/finish line and forms one of three long straightaways. The backstretch is nine-tenths of a mile long, leading into a sharp right-hand turn into the Sambodromo. Seventy-five laps will constitute the São Paulo Indy 300.
"Two of the long straightaways have relatively slow corners leading onto them," said Tony Cotman, who designed the course and is overseeing the construction through his new company, NZR Consulting. "There are some good 90-degree turns at the end of them, and on one occasion a little tighter than that. It's a track that's challenging but can create some exciting racing. I like to see a course that is really quite challenging on a driver and has potential for the driver to either A, take multiple lines or B. entice them into mistakes.
"Running through the middle of the stadium that hosts Carnival, which holds about 30,000 people, I think will be an electric atmosphere for the drivers. That portion of the track through the stadium is concrete and everywhere else will be asphalt, so there will be some surface changes. That's always good for the racing."
The design received positive response from Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, a native of the state of São Paulo who plans to tour the site later this week.
"With long straightaways, it's certainly going to be fast, and you definitely will have challenges," said Castroneves. "No question it will be a good race and the people are so excited to have the IZOD IndyCar Series come to Brazil."
Representatives of the state and city of São Paulo and event promotional partner Bandeirantes (Brazilian TV network) echoed those comments during a presentation at the Indy Racing League season preview meeting Jan. 12.
"Brazilians love motor racing and most Brazilians know the names of the drivers - not only the five Brazilian drivers in the (IZOD IndyCar Series) - but all of them, the cars they drive and even the owners of the teams," said Milton Longobardi, director of marketing for the São Paulo Tourism board. "This is really exciting for the people of São Paulo; they're waiting for the race and very proud to host the opening of the 2010 season."
The event will be the first for the IZOD IndyCar Series in South America. Cotman and dedicated groups of workers from multiple trades are constructing the circuit in four sections based on events in the area and not hindering the flow of traffic (there are more than 7 million vehicles in the city). A convention center and major hotel inside the circuit will be utilized by teams and IZOD IndyCar Series officials.
"Everybody we're working with is incredibly motivated to showcase the event," Cotman said. "I'm sure there will be some fine-tuning in the future, but to be perfectly honest it's no different than going to any of the temporary circuits where we currently race. It will be fast. It will be fun. It will be exciting. It will be safe. Most importantly, from a fan's perspective, they'll see a lot of action."
For more event and ticket information in Portuguese, visit http://www.saopauloindy300.com.br/
Jan 18 2010Jan. 18, 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Franchitti Wins Titus Award From American Motorsports Media
2. Brian Stewart to field Star Mazda team in 2010
1. Franchitti Wins Titus Award From American Motorsports Media: Dario Franchitti received more recognition for his 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series championship Jan. 16 by being named the recipient of the Jerry Titus Award during the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association's All-America Team dinner in Brownsburg, Ind.
The Titus award, given in remembrance of the late racer/journalist, signifies the top vote-getter among All-America Team members as the driver of the year. Franchitti also won the award following his 2007 series championship and Indianapolis 500 victory.
"It's a privilege to win this award," said Franchitti, who won the season finale to secure the title by 12 points over Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon. "It's the kind of thing that you share with your team. Winning the Titus Award makes you think of all of the guys on the team and the effort that they put in, as well. I really feel that they should be up there with me, accepting this award. It's a great honor."
Franchitti, J.R. Hildebrand (Firestone Indy Lights champion), Donny Schatz (World of Outlaws), Tony Schumacher (NHRA), Mark Martin (NASCAR Sprint Cup), Ron Hornaday (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) and Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney (Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series) were first-team selections among drivers representing Open Wheel, Stock Car, Road Racing, Drag Racing, Short Track, Touring Series and At-Large.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing owner Chip Ganassi was honored as the organization's Pioneer in Racing.
"Receiving an award like this lets me look back on my career and affords me the opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me along the way," said Ganassi, whose drivers have won the past two IZOD IndyCar Series titles. "I want to thank my parents; they were there on day one about 50 years ago. And I want to thank Target; they were there on day one about 20 years ago. They've both been with me throughout it all. I'm also fortunate to have a guy like (team managing director) Mike Hull to keep everything together.
"I live this sport, I breathe it. That's why I like to be involved in so many different levels of racing. I'm at home at the racetrack, and my family is at the racetrack. There is no other place that I'd rather be. I heard once that working in sports is like the toy department of life. I think that's true about racing, too. It's my toy department of life."
Target Chip Ganassi Racing will seek another entrant and driver championship when the IZOD IndyCar Series kicks off March 14 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
"It was great to see Chip being honored," said Franchitti, who joined Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2008 season in a stock car program curtailed because of a lack of sponsorship. "He's a guy that has led the way in motorsports. A lot of team owners are quite cautious by nature, but he's a real gambler. He's taken some big chances over the years, and it was good to see him get honored for that tonight."
Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, who won his third Indianapolis 500 and finished fourth in the series standings in 2009, was voted to the second team.
2. Brian Stewart to field Star Mazda team in 2010: Firestone Indy Lights championship-winning team Brian Stewart Racing announced its intentions to field a team in all three series that make up the Indy Racing League's Road to Indy developmental ladder.
Brian Stewart Racing, which has fielded a Firestone Indy Lights team since 2002, announced it will add a team in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear to its previously announced plans to field a team in the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda.
"In our 45-year history, we have consistently graduated drivers through the various levels of open-wheel racing. Since 2005 we have sponsored the Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship (BSRKC) and we recently added a USF2000 team to our Driver Development Program," said team owner Brian Stewart. "With the addition of our Star Mazda team, we now have a seamless series of stepping stones for a driver moving from karting right through to our Firestone Indy Lights team."
BSR's Star Mazda Team will compete in 13 races in 2010 and will be supported by Firestone Indy Lights-quality staff and technology.
"Each driver will be supported by all of the resources of our Driver Development Program, which includes many of the most skilled personnel in auto racing," adds BSR Business Manager Janet Stewart. "The addition of this team provides drivers as well as sponsors with a wide spectrum of ways to get involved with one of the most respected racing teams in the industry."
Jan 8 2010
Girls of FHM
Indianapolis 500 IRL Driver and Now about to be in NASCAR
Driving for the Dale Earnhardt Jr team
is Danica Patrick
This interview appeared in 2006 on this web site http://www.fhm.com/
Formula race-car driver Danica patrick is the hottest thing on wheels since Roller Girl
You can't blame FHM for taking 24-year-old Danica Patrick a bit lightly upon first meeting her back in 2003. After all, at 5-foot-1 and barely 100 pounds, she's hardly intimidating. She is, however, plenty tough enough to hold her own in a male-dominated sport. Few people know better than Sam Hornish Jr the two-time IndyCar champ and winner of this year's Indianapolis 500 who battled Danica on the go-cart circuit when the two were teenagers.
"He tried to knock me off the track, but I drove over top of him," Danica says of the time she embarrassed Hornish at a championship race. "He didn't like getting beat by a girl."
Hornish might want to check his rearview mirror because Danica was named IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year in 2005 and has very high hopes of eventually capturing the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500. With her dominance and determination, very few people would be surprised to see this happen. At present, she’s idling at 10th place in IndyCar standings.
Danica struggled a bit mid-season when her current team, Rahal Letterman Racing, made the switch to Dallara-Honda chassis. Her first go-round with the Dallara was on June 10 at Texas Motor Speedway. Danica started 14th and finished 12th, consequently breaking a streak of placing in the top 8. Danica's best finish to date has been fourth place.
"I'm confident and I'm dominant," says the Roscoe, IL, native. "I'm aggressive—both on and off the track. I like to be in charge.
Granted, you have to be aggressive on the track, but why be that way off of it?
To maintain that level, you can’t be shy and have a weak handshake. Your overall opinion of me would go down if you thought I couldn’t hold my own off the track.
Do you think you scare men off?
I hope that’s what it is.
Wouldn’t it be just as easy to treat them sweet and kind?
No, I need to kick their asses. I need to beat them, belittle them and make them feel small. Trying to run them off the road at 170 mph isn’t sweet and kind.
What’s the sexiest part about you?
You tell me.
The red leather boots you’re wearing for the FHM photo shoot aren’t bad. What goes on under that flame-retardant suit?
I wear a fireproof shirt and underwear. So, if you pulled my suit down. . .
Please continue.
If you pulled my suit down, it’s regular underwear, like boys’ underwear. Definitely not a thong. And it’s not flame retardant.
Are you a road-rage driver on the regular streets?
Yes, and everybody in town knows it. I use my horn more in one day than most people do in their whole lives. If I can make people know they’ve done something wrong on the road, then I’ve helped them. And they won’t be dumb again—they won’t go 65 in the left lane. Some people give to charity, I run ’em off the road.
Are there times of the month when you are a more aggressive or angry driver?
Not that I’ve noticed. It’s just a different mindset. I do everything in my power to not overdrive.
You’ve been quoted as saying you like to sweat.
It makes you feel like you’ve really done something. I know the way you’re going to write that: “Sweating makes her feel like she’s done something,” wink, wink. Whatever, that’s cool.
You got some publicity when you led fellow racer Tommy Kendall around the garage by a leash and collar.
His idea. Imagine that.
Who’s the dream guy you’d like to return the favor to?
Enrique Iglesias. I used to be a Leonardo DiCaprio fan, but he’s let himself go. He doesn’t look so great lately. Enrique is a Latin sex bomb.
So which is the better scenario: uninhibited, incomparable sex with the man of your dreams, or winning the Indy 500?
Winning the Indy 500. The recognition is far greater.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Jan. 6, 201
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Firestone test at Miami signals start of 2010
2. Wheldon takes on bobsleds
3. Howard gets back on the track
4. Fisher invites Ellen to Indianapolis 500
1. Firestone test at Homestead-Miami signals start of 2010: The sounds of IZOD IndyCar Series cars returned to South Florida as Target Chip Ganassi racing and Team Penske participated in the first day of the first Firestone tire test of the 2010 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The two-day test features reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe. Though it was 40 degrees cooler than it was the last time the drivers toured the Homestead-Miami Speedway 's 1.5 oval, everyone seemed excited to get back on track and get to work.
Franchitti said he's enjoyed the off-season (only two visits to the shop in Indianapolis), which included the wedding of his brother, Marino, to Holly Mason (daughter of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason).
"He's still in one piece and the wedding came off," Franchitti said. "It was an amazing wedding and I really enjoyed that a lot."
The Franchitti brothers will be at Daytona International Speedway this week for Rolex 24 At Daytona testing. They'll be driving separate Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates prototypes. The race is Jan 30-31 "I'm looking forward to being on the same team with him again, though it's not in the same car," Dario said.
Also back to work was Briscoe, who was married last month in Hawaii where he said everything went off without a hitch.
"It was absolutely perfect," said Briscoe, who wed Nicole Manske. "We had all our closest friends and family there. It actually was a big turnout for being a destination wedding; we had about 100 guests. We're really happy."
2. Wheldon takes on bobsleds: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon will be among the racing stars attending the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge - an annual event hosted by the former NASCAR star to raise money for the USA Olympic Bobsled team.
While there are no scheduled plans for the 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series champion to race a bobsled, the thought is that his natural competitive fire combined with some good ole fashioned peer pressure from his friend in the National Guard could sway the Panther Racing driver into making a run in a sled.
"I'm really excited about it," Wheldon said. "It's certainly a form of racing that I'm not terribly familiar with, but I'm sure we're going to learn a lot this weekend with our friends from the National Guard."
Bodine, a former Daytona 500 champion and winner of 18 other stock car races, has held the event in Lake Placid, N.Y. for the past four years. Wheldon will join other drivers from NASCAR and the NHRA as the event kicks off this weekend in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The event is being supported by the National Guard, which is having some of its soldiers work as brake men on the sled during the race. In addition to Bodine, the event will feature Joey Logano, Boris Said, Johnny Benson, Ron Hornaday, Morgan Lucas and others.
3. Howard gets back on the track: Jay Howard, the 2006 Firestone Indy Lights champion who will compete in four IZOD IndyCar Series races this season for Sarah Fisher Racing with backing from Tire Kingdom, will be back in a go-kart for the CKI Florida Cup at the circuit adjacent to Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Round 1 of the Florida Cup is scheduled for Jan. 29-31. The others are in February and March. He'll compete in the Rotax Senior Division at the Florida Cup in addition to select WSK North American Series events.
Also, Howard has formed an on-site engine building, repairing and service support program with a recent partnership with British and European champions Ogden Racing Engines of the UK.
"I am excited to get back in a kart," said Howard, a Florida resident. "I try and do select events each year and with the way the CKI program is headed, I had to jump at the opportunity on my off weekends from the professional circuit. I am very excited about the opportunities and possibilities in 2010."
4. Fisher invites Ellen to Indianapolis 500: Sarah Fisher wants day-time talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to be her guest at the Indianapolis 500 and is taking a unique approach to invite her, via the social networking site Twitter.
Fisher, the only female owner/driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series, has started a twitter account, @ellen2Indy500, and invited race fans to support her grassroots campaign to get DeGeneres to come to the 2010 Indianapolis 500.
"1 of my resolutions is 2have @TheEllenShow (DeGeneres) n my book & n return give her tix 2 the Indy500 this May. Follow how we reach her @ellen2indy500," Fisher wrote on her own twitter account, @sarahfisher67.
Fisher also hopes to include a quote from DeGeneres in her book, "99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before You Got Behind The Wheel Of Your Dream Job," which will be published in May. In the book, Fisher includes quotes from pioneering women who have made a name for themselves in their chosen field.
Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Briscoe Weds Manske in Hawaii
2. Castroneves ready to welcome new member of Penske Racing
3. Target Chip Ganassi Racing featured on VERSUS program
4. Brian Stewart Racing to field USF2000 team
1. Briscoe Weds Manske in Hawaii: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Ryan Briscoe was married to ESPN anchor Nicole Manske in Maui, Hawaii, Dec. 19.
The couple kicked off their tropical wedding celebration Dec. 18 by treating each of their 100 guests to a traditional luau celebration. The following day, the Team Penske driver and Manske said their vows during a cliff-side ceremony under the Hawaiian sunset.
Following the ceremony and a beach-side dinner, guests were treated to a club-like "after party" that featured a 12-foot ice martini bar, an ice cream sundae bar and the couple's favorite indulgences: french fries for Manske and salt and vinegar chips for Briscoe.
Briscoe, who finished third in the 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series standings after he recorded three wins and four poles for Team Penske, proposed to Manske last year during the holidays when the two were vacationing at the Great Barrier Reef in Briscoe's home country of Australia. The couple chose Hawaii as the location for their wedding because it was roughly the midpoint between their two hometowns of Sydney, Australia (Briscoe) and Roscoe, Illinois (Manske).
The newlyweds will spend their honeymoon in Fiji before visiting Sydney for a few days. The couple will then return to their home in Charlotte, N.C. before Manske resumes her hosting duties for "NASCAR Now" on ESPN and Briscoe takes his place behind the wheel of the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda in January for pre-season testing.
2. Castroneves ready to welcome new member of Penske Racing: Team Penske's Helio Castroneves and his girlfriend, Adriana Henao, are preparing for a very special gift this holiday season.
The couple is expecting their first child - a little girl that will be named Mikaella - over the holidays and they could not be more excited. The baby is due shortly after Christmas.
"Adriana is doing great and we are just waiting for the little one to arrive," said Castroneves, the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion with Team Penske. "Like we do at Team Penske, we are trying to make sure we are well prepared for the big race. We have been working on her room and getting everything ready - basically just making sure we are set to go when we get the green flag."
The expectant mother and father are in Atlanta, where the baby will be born and where Henao and her family reside. They have prepared the baby's room with all the necessities, including a beautiful crib and all the stuffed animals a newborn could possibly need.
"It has been a crazy year but this is the best ending we could hope for in 2009," said Castroneves. "Adriana and I are so happy and we are looking forward to the best Christmas present of all!"
3. Target Chip Ganassi Racing featured on VERSUS program: NFL linebacker Junior Seau smelled the ethanol, got his hands dirty and lifted a few tires during his weekend with the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew for Scott Dixon during the Infineon Raceway race weekend in August.
What he learned and experienced will be shown on "Sports Jobs with Junior Seau" on VERSUS. The first airing of the pit crew episode is 10 p.m. (EST) Dec. 23.
Seau, a 19-year veteran who played with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, experiences a different sport each episode of the show, trying behind-the-scenes jobs that make the athletic activity possible.
4. Brian Stewart Racing to field USF2000 team: Two-time Firestone Indy Lights championship winning entrant Brian Stewart Racing announced plans to field a team in the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda in 2010.
The new team will serve as a development step for the team's Firestone Indy Lights program, which claimed back-to-back entrant championships in 2005 and 2006.
"Since 2005, we have sponsored the Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship (BSRKC) in an effort to enable all young people to be able to participate in a competitive karting series while developing their driving skills," said team founder, Brian Stewart. "Now we want to take our Driver Development Program one step further by establishing a new stepping stone between karting and our Firestone Indy Lights team. The decision to enter a team in the USF2000 Series also helps us to support the 'Road To Indy' ladder program that was recently announced by the Indy Racing League."
Participants in BSR's Driver Development Program will compete in 12 USF2000 races over the course of the year and will be supported by Firestone Indy Lights quality staff and technology, including driver coaching by Tommy Byrne and physical training from the staff of PitFit.
"Each driver will have a team of people to support them, including top-notch mechanics and engineers," added BSR business manager, Janet Stewart. "We will be bringing 45 years of experience and our history of excellence with us to this series."
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES UNVEILS 2010 BROADCAST SCHEDULE- Dec. 1, 2009
Five races to air on ABC; 12 others broadcast on VERSUS
INDIANAPOLIS
The schedule is highlighted by ABC's coverage of the Indianapolis 500 in addition to VERSUS' extensive coverage of the final seven races of the 2010 season.
"We are very excited about the return of VERSUS and ABC for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series. "Having two television partners during the 2009 season assisted the growth of our sport and its accessibility to fans, and we have confidence that the 2010 season will reap even bigger gains with ABC and VERSUS' enrichment of their already outstanding programming."
ABC will offer high-definition broadcasts of five races in 2010 produced by ESPN, including the Indianapolis 500 on May 30 for the 46th consecutive season. ABC will air the season's first domestically-run race on the Streets of St. Petersburg on March 28. The network will begin its month of May IZOD IndyCar Series coverage May 1 when it televises the series event at Kansas Speedway, the lead-in race to the Indianapolis 500. ABC finishes its 2010 coverage with the broadcasting of back-to-back events at Watkins Glen International and the Streets of Toronto in July.
VERSUS will televise the remaining 12 IZOD IndyCar Series events and will begin its in-depth and all-encompassing coverage with events from Sao Paulo, Brazil and Barber Motor Sports Park in Alabama — two new events on the 2010 schedule. VERSUS' live race coverage will continue following the Indianapolis 500 with the Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway telecasts. VERSUS concludes its 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series coverage with the final seven races on the schedule, including the season finale, for the second consecutive year, at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 2.
All 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series events on VERSUS will be produced and shown in high definition where available.
The IZOD IndyCar Series announced multi-year multimedia partnerships with ABC and VERSUS in August 2008. The 10-year partnership with VERSUS includes at least 12 live races per year, with each telecast featuring three hours of live race action with extended pre- and post-race coverage. VERSUS' commitment to super-serve motorsports fans with the most coverage than ever before is also extended beyond the 12 live races with a one-hour preview show the day before each race that features qualification highlights and all of the relevant IZOD IndyCar Series stories of that weekend as well as in-depth coverage of the qualification events leading up to the Indianapolis 500.
The partnership with ABC is highlighted by the network's continued coverage of the Indianapolis 500 through 2012 as part of a four-year rights agreement between the Indy Racing League and ABC. ABC will also broadcast four other races on the IndyCar Series schedule in each year of the agreement.
The complete 2010 IndyCar Series television broadcast schedule:
Date Location Venue Television
Sunday, March 14 Sao Paulo, Brazil 2.3-mile street course VERSUS
Sunday, March 28 Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. 1.8-mile street course ABC
Sunday, April 11 Barber Motorsports Park 2.38-mile road course VERSUS
Sunday, April 18 Streets of Long Beach, Calif. 1.968-mile street course VERSUS
Saturday, May 1 Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile oval ABC
Sunday, May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval ABC
Saturday, June 5* Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile oval VERSUS
Sunday, June 20 Iowa Speedway .875-mile oval VERSUS
Sunday, July 4 Watkins Glen International 3.4-mile road course ABC
Sunday, July 18 Streets of Toronto 1.721-mile street-course ABC
Sunday, July 25 Edmonton City Centre Airport 1.973-mile airport course VERSUS
Sunday, Aug. 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2.258-mile road course VERSUS
Sunday, Aug. 22 Infineon Raceway 2.245-mile road course VERSUS
Saturday, Aug. 28* Chicago Land speeday 1.5-mile oval VERSUS
Saturday, Sept. 4* Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile oval VERSUS
Saturday, Sept. 18 Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval VERSUS
Saturday, Oct. 2* Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-mile oval VERSUS
* Denotes night race Schedule Subject to Change
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Nov. 30, 2009
Today's IZOD Indy car series and Firestone indy car lights headlines
1. Patrick re-signs with Andretti Autosport
2. Franchitti, Hildebrand named to All-America Team
3. Tickets for St. Petersburg event on sale Dec. 4
1. Patrick re-signs with Andretti Autosport: With the backdrop of New York's Times Square, Danica Patrick unveiled the car she will race in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"We've got the new IndyCar Go Daddy car for Andretti Autosport here," Patrick said. "Go Daddy has been part of our car for the last three years, but now we've got them as the primary sponsor. With these bright colors, you can't miss me."
Andretti Autosport announced Nov. 30 that Go Daddy, the world's largest domain name registrar and Web hosting provider, had signed a multi-year primary sponsorship agreement with the team and Patrick had signed a new multi-year deal to be the driver of the team's #7 Go Daddy IZOD IndyCar Series entry.
"All of us at Andretti Autosport are looking forward to having Danica back with the team and are excited about working with (Go Daddy CEO and Founder) Bob Parsons and everyone at Go Daddy as the primary sponsor on Danica's car," said team owner Michael Andretti, who helped Patrick unveil the black and neon green-liveried car. "Go Daddy brings a lot of energy to our team and to the IZOD IndyCar Series. We're very excited about the opportunity to work with them in 2010 and beyond."
Patrick joined Andretti Autosport before the start of the 2007 season and became the first woman to win an IZOD IndyCar Series event at the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. She finished third in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 -- bettering the fourth-place mark she established during her breakout 2005 season. Patrick also drove to a career-best fifth-place finish in this year's IZOD IndyCar Series championship.
"Michael Andretti has helped me become a better driver, and we hope to accomplish a great deal during the next few years together, "Patrick said. "Bob Parsons and Go Daddy have believed in me from the start. You know, my lifelong goal is to win the Indy 500, and I'd love to do that in the GoDaddy.com car."
Go Daddy is a leading provider of services that enable individuals and businesses to establish, maintain and evolve an online presence. Go Daddy provides a variety of domain name registrar plans and Web site design and Web hosting packages, as well as a broad array of on-demand services. Go Daddy is also well-known for its Super Bowl commercials, in which Patrick has been featured three straight years.
"Danica is the quintessential Go Daddy Girl," Parsons said. "Danica is a beautiful woman competing in a male-dominated sport. She's passionate. She's focused. She's all about doing what it takes to win and we love that about her. Not to mention she's edgy, smokin' hot and as tough as any competitor anywhere. We are very good together."
As part of its continuing relationship with Andretti Autosport, Go Daddy provided the team with a redesigned company Web site, which was also launched Nov. 30 at www.andrettiautosport.com.
2. Franchitti, Hildebrand named to All-America Team: 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti and 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand were among the seven drivers honored with first-team honors on the 2009 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association's All-America team.
Franchitti, who won five races and the IndyCar Series championship in his return to the series after a year in NASCAR, earned his second first-team honor by earning the most votes in the open-wheel category. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves earned the second-team honors in the voting of more than 300 members of the media.
Hildebrand, who won four races en route to the Firestone Indy Lights title, was the top vote-getter in the at-large category. It's the second time Hildebrand has been named to the All-America First team. He also was a selection in 2006 after winning the F2000 Championship.
Franchitti and Hildebrand, along with the rest of the first team - NASCAR Sprint Cup star Mark Martin, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., NHRA Top Fuel Champ Tony Schumacher, Rolex Sports Car Series co-champs Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney and World of Outlaws titlist Donnie Schatz - will be honored at the 40th AARWBA banquet Jan. 16 in Brownsburg, Ind.
The winner of the Jerry Titus Award, which is awarded to the top vote-getter over the seven categories, also will be announced at the banquet.
3. Tickets for St. Petersburg event on sale Dec. 4: Tickets for the 2010 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, featuring five racing series headlined by the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights go on sale Dec. 4.
The three-day racing event, scheduled for March 26-28 on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, features five unique racing. In addition to the featured classes, the SPEED World Challenge, including both GT and Touring classes also returns while the Star Mazda Championship and the U.S. F2000 National Championship will debut on the 1.8-mile temporary circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Bayfront Center and extending onto runways at Albert Whitted Airport that overlook the Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
"The 2010 schedule at the Honda Grand Prix is packed with exciting racing," said Tim Ramsberger, vice president and general manager of the event. "We have kept our ticket prices at the same level for the past four years and we are looking forward to staging another great event in St. Petersburg this March."
Tickets for the event range in price from $25 for adult general admissions tickets to $110 for an adult three-day reserved seat pass. Three-day general admission passes are $45 and a general admission ticket for Sunday's featured races is $40. Reserved seat for Sunday range from $60 for seats in the lower rows to $80 for seats in the upper rows and three-day reserved seat passes start at $85. Reduced rate tickets are available for juniors, ages 12 and under, in certain ticket categories.
Race fans purchasing a three-day reserved seat ticket, purchased by December 31, 2009, will also receive an IZOD IndyCar paddock pass, valued at $55. To purchase tickets, visit www.gpstpete.com.
IZOD INDY CAR SERIES Q & A - Nov. 19, 2009
Penske Racing President Tim Cindric and IZOD Indy Car series driver Will Power participated in a Q&A session following the announcement that Power will race in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010 for Penske Racing's No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dallara/Honda. Below are select quotes from their interview. The complete transcript and audio MP3 file are posted at www.indycar.com/media.
Tim Cindric
President of Penske Racing, which fields the IZOD IndyCar Series entries of Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe under the Team Penske banner and Will Power under the Penske Racing banner.
Since Cindric joined Team Penske in 1999, it has scored three open-wheel titles, including the 2006 IndyCar series title with Sam Hornish Jr., and five Indianapolis 500 race wins including in 2009 with Helio Castroneves.
Will Power
28-year-old Australian who has competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series for the last two seasons, including six events with Penske Racing in 2009. Will drive the No. 12 Verizon Wireless entry in the IZOD IndyCar Series full-time in 2010.
Won his first IZOD IndyCar Series race at Edmonton and recorded four top-five and six top-10 finishes in his six starts in 2009. Won pole positions at Long Beach and Edmonton.
Suffered season-ending back injury in practice accident at Infineon Raceway.
Q. What does Will bring to Penske Racing and why make this decision to bring him on board full-time?
TIM CINDRIC: Obviously the results speak for themselves last year. We're excited to be able to give (Will) the opportunity to come on full-time, because he's done an excellent job in a very difficult situation. It seems like so long ago that he was sitting here and his fate was depending on Helio (Castroneves') fate. Now he's independent of all of those things and continues to perform. It was great that Verizon was able to support us going forward, and we were in a position to be able to keep Will and that Will continued to believe that this is the place to be, even though he kind of had to wait this out a little bit.
Q. This the first time since the mid '90s, that Penske Racing will field three full-time cars in the Indy Car series Last time you had Paul Tracy, (Emerson) Fittipaldi and Al Unser, Jr. Can you tell us why the team made the decision to expand?
TIM CINDRIC: The opportunity was there. It's not every day that you have an opportunity like we have to put three proper programs together with your three very capable drivers. All the moons aligned for us, and we feel obviously that this is a great opportunity for all of us.
Q. If I could, Will is considered to be a gasser, a guy that's not afraid to push it. You have two other guys there that are pretty good drivers themselves. How much do you kind of see the three of them pushing each other and getting all three of them maybe to step up a notch or two?
TIM CINDRIC: It's always a challenge, but it's a good problem to have. The guys not only the drivers, but the crew itself, you know, we have to remember that we're an organization. We're not three one-car teams. That's always a challenge.
Whether it's this series or the Cup series or whatever else it is. For us it's pretty easy when you have a guy like Roger, it works for us -- or we work for it, I should say. For us when things get out of line, we usually hit the reset button and sit down and talk about it. The good news is we've got the right kind of personalities to be able to do that.
We're all competitive, and sometimes that gets the best of you. But I've seen all these guys in difficult situations that way. They've all come to the right conclusion at the end of the day. You know, that's the respect we have for the guy we all work for.
Q. Will, last time you were in a car, a little bit of a nightmare situation, getting injured. What is your status? How are you feeling?
WILL POWER: I'm feeling good. Everything's going well. It's actually ahead of schedule the way my back healed. I'm in the gym every day. I'm working out with the PitFit guys. I can't believe in a mont, in just one month, how far I've come. I'm swimming. I'm on the row machine, doing weights.
I don't think there's going to be any problem getting back in the car in January. That is sort of my plan. I'll probably be cleared to drive before then, but to get back to full cardio fitness I think I need to wait until January.
Q. Will, obviously you were very impressed with what Penske Racing could do for you last year. With the victory that you had at Edmonton and all that, even after you got injured, how confident were you that you were going to be able to stick with the plan and stick with this team?
WILL POWER: It was like Tim said, it was a matter of waiting it out. I think I would have stayed there no matter what, because it was a great situation for me to be driving there. Every time I was in the car, it was a good car. It's no use running around the back of the field with a team that's sort of not up for the job, because you don't do yourself any favors.
But it was for me a great year, although it ended badly, now it's turned out to be, it was just a very good decision for me to go there. I really look forward to it. I'd like to thank Verizon Wireless, and Lowell McAdam, and John Stratton for putting all this together and giving me this fantastic opportunity.
Q. Beyond getting yourself fully healthy again, do you see any areas of improvement that you can work on to kind of bring yourself up to the level of a title contender? And by areas I mean getting better on specific tracks, car setups, things of that nature? What is your perspective on that?
WILL POWER: I believe you have to learn every year. Every year you have to come away with a plan for the next year at places where you're going to be better. I've always done that throughout my career. I already have in my head where I'm going to improve on the tracks that I raced at this year. So that's just a constant process with me. I'm always searching. I think to be successful in this business you have to be because it's always a development going on. It's always moving forward. So that's my normal plan of attack.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Nov. 18, 2009
1. In Her Own Words - Danica Patrick: It's hard to look back at 2009 and not feel a little bit frustrated or just want to shrug your shoulders and wonder why or how things went the way they did for us this year.
That's not to say that it was all bad. I finished fifth in points, which is the best finish I've had in the points in my career. So that's a good thing and it's not something you want to take lightly. But let's face it - at the end of the day you want to be contending for wins every weekend and battling for the championship until the last lap of the season, and we just weren't at that level this year.
There's no question that our team knows what it's like to be in that position. AGR has obviously won a lot of races and has three championships to show for its time in the IndyCar Series so far. We have talented drivers - all of us have won races and Tony Kanaan has a championship on his resume, so we all know how to get it done. But, in the last couple years, we've just not been doing that like we used to.
In general, I think one of the bright spots for me this year was having Michael Andretti call my races and run my pit. Mike has seen just about everything during his career as a driver and now as an owner, and having that insight is really a plus. He made some good strategy calls this year and helped us make up for some of whatever we missed in qualifying at some races. Long Beach comes to mind, specifically, and Toronto, too. The street circuits and road courses this year were particularly tough for us in qualifying, and we really made the best of those two specifically with strategy.
We finished third at Indy, which was my best career finish there and, of course, the best finish ever there for a woman. But the nice thing about it this year - as strange as this sounds - is that people didn't make that big a deal of it. I kind of appreciated that because it made it clear to me that people expected me to be there and weren't shocked by it. I certainly wasn't satisfied with third; I go to Indy every year with the idea of winning it. That's all I want to do. Third is a decent day in the biggest race of the year, but it's not a win.
Indy was also part of a good stretch for us early in the season and that's when we really put ourselves in a good position in the championship. We had four straight top fives between Long Beach and Milwaukee and had eight top 10s in nine races there. It's by far the best stretch I've had in my career so far. But we needed a couple wins in there to stay with the Penske and Ganassi guys and we just didn't have the pace to do it. That's when we kind of lost touch with them for the title and had to focus on holding on to fifth.
All in all, I'm happy with the season. We've got a lot of good people on the team and have a lot of work to do. But I know everybody at AGR is ready to dig in and do what it takes.
2. In His Own Words - Graham Rahal: The 2009 season was both an up and down one for both myself and the McDonald's Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing crew.
We started with two extreme highs in St. Petersburg and then shortly after in Kansas by getting poles in both places, but what we quickly learned was starting up front was the easy part. It seemed as though through only the first few races that we knew our luck would challenge us through the entire season, which became oh so true.
In St. Pete, we got hit from behind at the very start. Perhaps this was slightly my fault as I was very careful due to the fact it was my first pole in my IndyCar Series career and I didn't want to screw it up. Well, when Tony Kanaan hit me, I quickly realized maybe I was too cautious. We struggled for the remainder of that day, but again our luck would strike us in Long Beach. We ran a fantastic race, staying out of trouble, running fast laps, saving fuel, and found ourselves in second place with only 20 or so laps to go. Well what happens then -- a freak incident where I got waived out of the pits too early and pulled the fuel tank with me.
This is something that our team hasn't seen in years, and hopefully will never see again. But as mentioned before, you can see luck would challenge us all along.
I don't need to bore you with race-by-race stats, but everyone knows that NHLR had lots of ups and lots of downs this year. I am, and was, very proud of my guys for all their effort this season, and especially over the 2008-09 inter when we made most of our strides.
During the off-season, the team hired Martin Pare as my race engineer. He came from Andretti Green Racing and he had a wealth of experience in this series. I think we can give him credit for a lot of the gains we made, but as a team we did a great job adapting to the new rules package, and updating our cars to reach the maximum performance for our experience level. Few people realize this but our team did not enter into a single test this season. We ran off a more limited budget and I think when people take that into consideration, what we accomplished is even more impressive.
We came to every race weekend flying blind in some sort of manor, and after a lot of hard work we always seemed to do alright. I think when you do look at the stats we qualified outside the top 10 only once - in Texas, and then our worst qualifying sessions other than that were when we were rained out in Iowa and Kentucky. That shows the strength of this team, and the efficiency in which we worked this season. Especially considering it was only our second one in this series.
As the season went on and slowly came to a close, I think everyone could clearly see that the McDonald's car was always the best of class. And when I say best of class I'm speaking about non-Ganassi and Penske teams. We really had a lot of strong runs, and if I had limited my mistakes at both Mid-Ohio and Indy and if the driveshaft wouldn't have broken at Sonoma, we probably would have finished fifth if not better in the championship.
I think for the entire team to at least say we ended on an upswing gives us a lot of high hopes and strong feelings toward the 2010 season. We remain very positive that with the crew, engineers, and ownership surrounding the NHLR group, that we as a team should expect a very strong and competitive championship fight in 2010.
We have shown the speed and pace during qualifying and gradually made our race cars better. And now that we will have another off-season to test and prepare, we ought to be a contender on every race weekend. We did a great job closing the gap of five years to the Ganassi and Penske boys, and I think as the years roll on we are a team that can provide them with some major headaches.
3. In His Own Words - Marco Andretti: It's easy to get down on the season we had, especially with the way it ended in Homestead, but it's over with and we can't go back. So that leaves us with having to find the good and learn from where we've been.
We didn't win races, but out of 17 starts we had 11 top-10 finishes. We finished eighth in the points - still inside the top 10. It wasn't a great season, but made we progress throughout the year.
It was a frustrating season, for sure, and it was a strange feeling. People would congratulate us for a sixth-place finish. We got pats on the back for mediocre results, and the team was working so hard for it. There's no getting used to bad luck and low results. And, for us, it was twice as frustrating because we used to be able to compete with Penske and Ganassi - and not just that - we were able to beat them not that long ago. I think we just have to stick to it and keep some faith that we'll come back from whatever low point we've fallen into. We might be down, but we're not out.
I don't know how to do it though. I don't know what we need to make that jump back to the top. This season, guys like Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe were in a race of their own most weekends. We were lucky if more than three cars finished on the lead lap. The league helped by changing some aero options and the push-to-pass helped with overtaking, but there's still such a big gap from the front of the field to the back. How do we fix that? Again, I don't know the answer. I'm not sure many people really do. All I can do is keep working hard with my team and my engineers, and hopefully things will turn around next season.
A lot of good things are happening at AGR. I have great hopes for 2010. By now, everyone knows about the changes coming at the team and we're all really positive about things. I think Kim Green and Kevin Savoree are going to continue putting on great events, and dad can be focused on the team and what we need to be on top again. It's really the best option for everyone involved.
I can't be 100 percent certain what the future holds for me, but I've said before that in IndyCar right now there's nowhere else I'd rather be than with this team. But it takes more than just me. Of course, the biggest step is funding to run the car. We hope to have that taken care of soon, so with funding out of the way we can really focus on making the car better. On top of that I have a great crew. I think we have all the right pieces, we just have to get them to fall together in the right way, and that's what we'll be working on all winter.
4. In His Own Words - E.J. Viso: I'm very happy that I made the decision in early 2008 to come to this great racing category. I've had a great time; I think among the best years of my career. Maybe not talking about success, but it's been a great challenge to be working really hard to get up to speed with this very competitive category. There are so many good drivers.
It's been a big challenge to be on a small, new team in this category, so the work that we did was twice as difficult as everybody else because we needed to get up to speed with them.
I think we've done a decent job. In 2008, we had a great year - better than 2009. This season has been difficult. We had some mechanical problems, also some accidents. But we can never forget that it's from these types of years that we learn the most. And I'm sure, as a team, we learned a lot and we will improve ourselves as human beings and as professionals. That's all that matters.
I'm sure we are all in a much better position for 2010. Hopefully, in the coming year I am going to achieve everything that I'm looking for after these two years of preparation.
This year we had a nice mix of races. I really need to thank the series for adding some more street and permanent road courses because it's on those tracks that we can achieve our best results. This year I had a blast going back to Japan. It's such a nice place. The people are very respectful and very nice, and it's a beautiful racetrack. I spent some time with my sponsors over there - Herbalife and Arai. I also spent some time with Honda. I would definitely look forward to going back there.
All the other places we went in Canada and the States, they were also very nice. Some challenging tracks like Indy, and Miami is also a very tough place. I think the series is making the right decisions and I'm very happy to be part of it.
5. Stewart honored with award: Firestone Indy Lights team owner Brian Stewart was honored by Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs - Ontario Region with the Wayne Kelly Memorial Trophy.
The award is named in honor of Kelly, a respected driver and constructor who lost his life in a racing accident, and is awarded to the Ontario region member who has brought recognition and prestige to Ontario Motorsports.
The award had an added meaning to Stewart, who also was close friend with Kelly though they were racing rivals.
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Nov. 12, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. In His Own Words - Ed Carpenter
2. In His Own Words - Richard Antinucci
3. Drivers take to links for IZOD
4. New team to race in Firestone Indy Lights
5. Wilson to raise funds for Operation Helmet
6. Fisher, AAA Hoosier Insurance renew partnership
7. Duno to sign books at Miami event
1. In His Own Words - Ed Carpenter: While we achieved some new highs as a team and made definite progress this past season, the end result wasn't up to our standards either. But you probably knew that already, so let me break it down for you on a personal level.
The obvious high for me this season was the race at Kentucky. We have been working for a long time to win a race, and getting that close really reaffirmed to the team that we can win, and that we are doing the right things to get to that point. But we did not win, so we still have some work to do to make it happen.
Another positive achievement for the team was that we completed the third-most laps of all cars. The Ganassi cars of (Scott) Dixon and (Dario) Franchitti were the only cars to complete more. However, with that stat I would have expected to finish higher than 12th in the standings. I was disappointed not to be in the top 10 in points, but I was happy for my team and mechanics to be able to complete that many laps. That stat says a lot about our team's preparation and the quality of team that we have become.
Qualifying in the season finale at Homestead was certainly a bright spot, but it was also a "what could have been" moment because we did not back up our qualifying performance in the race. When we start up front, we must finish up front. It's as simple as that…we must capitalize on those types of things.
The biggest low for me this season came at St. Pete. I made a mistake in season opener that gave us our only DNF of the year. That was not how I wanted to start our season, and I plan on not repeating that next year.
Switching gears, as I look back on the season it's difficult to come up with any one humorous or funny thing that's happened over the year. We have so much fun as a team no matter where we go and I think that's evident on our Facebook page, Twitter feeds and team web site.
We have a great core of guys, many of whom have been with the team since the beginning, so we get along very well…probably a little too well at times. And we've had quite a bit of fun bringing our fans in on it this year, too.
It was also fun to watch our Indy Lights team get some victories with James (Davison) and Daniel (Herrington) and really improve each race weekend. Our Indy Lights operation partnered with Bryan Herta Autosport, which was a real bright spot for the organization this year and I think it raised our overall game. What they were able to do in just one season was impressive.
That said, I feel good about the outlook for 2010. We are establishing a lot of continuity on the team, and are keeping our core group of people together, which will allow us to continue growing and improving as a team.
Next year's schedule starts mostly with street courses, so I am really trying to focus on that as I prepare over the off season, including some of the karting events that I've been competing in.
The reality is I need to maximize my results in those early races next year until we get to an oval where I feel like we can compete for wins.
Obviously, we'll be taking the good with the not-so-good from 2009 and we'll set our sights on 2010. This year we proved to ourselves that we have what it takes to win and to consistently achieve positive results. In 2010, we just have to do it. No pressure.
2. In His Own Words - Richard Antinucci: This season I achieved one of my lifetime goals. I managed to race in the IndyCar Series for five straight events.
As a kid, I used to watch Emerson Fittipaldi battling it out with Mario and Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr. and Rick Mears. What great battles. Those were the days. Ever since then I've aspired to be either an IndyCar driver or a Formula One racer. In a nutshell, I aimed for the top.
There were times this year, especially early on, when I wondered if I'd ever get a break in the top-flight series. We were still in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and things were looking tougher than ever. I had no funding and was therefore at the back of team's priorities. These are still times where teams need sponsorship or funding of any type. So you can imagine how powerless I felt.
I actually thought for a while that I'd be sidelined all year. Then Greg Beck and Steve Sudler came into my life. I was at the Indy 500 as a spectator and Steve and Greg shouted my name. I turned around and had a talk. The rest is history. They gave me the biggest break of my career - five straight IndyCar races from Watkins Glen to Sonoma.
I hope and believe that our partnership will continue to grow into the 2010 season. With adequate funding, we'll soar up the grid. No doubt. I plan to cement myself in the IndyCar Series and fulfill some of my other lifetime goals. I want to be champion.
Looking forward to 2010.
3. Drivers take to links for IZOD: Maybe Ryan Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal will follow in the spike marks of Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson with cameo appearances on HBO's "Entourage."
The IZOD IndyCar Series drivers proved their mettle Nov. 9 as they participated in the Budweiser and "Entourage" Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. It was among the first activation elements by IZOD, which last week became the title sponsor of the series.
"It was a lot of fun being out here with the IZOD people and I think this just shows the bonus that they will add to our series," said Rahal, whose group was the overall winner. "It was great for me to be able to come out and play and enjoy myself with these guys. We played far better than our handicaps may show and had a lot of fun, which is what counts.
"It was a great experience and I look forward to continuing to do these things."
Hunter-Reay, whose group included actor Joe Pesci, and Rahal mingled with the cast of the hit series and A list celebrities including "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, James Denton of "Desperate Housewives," Greg Kinnear and Don Cheadle.
The golf and poker tournament helped raise funds and awareness of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
"We're just trying to create opportunities, especially for at-risk youth," said Wahlberg, an actor and co-executive producer of "Entourage." "A lot of people don't have the opportunity to really get a second chance, so we try to create an opportunity for kids. We try to send them to school, try to send them to camp, try to give them positive role models."
On Nov. 7, Hunter-Reay participated in the 13th Alice Cooper Pro-Am Golf Tournament at the Rancho de Los Caballeros Golf Club in suburban Phoenix.
4. New team to race in Firestone Indy Lights: Brooks Associates Racing, a long-standing competitor in developmental series racing, announced plans to compete in Firestone Indy Lights in 2010.
The Tucson, Ariz.-based team, which won the 2008 Champ Car Atlantic title with Finnish driver Markus Niemela, recently acquired a Firestone Indy Lights Dallara chassis from Guthrie Meyer Racing and plans to begin testing potential drivers shortly.
"After winning the 2008 Atlantic Championship, we have taken the last year to review all of our opportunities in North American racing series," said team owner John C. Brooks. "We wanted to examine the various series to see where we could best continue our history of preparing young drivers for successful futures in professional motorsports. The Firestone Indy Lights series is such a clear steppingstone to America's premier open wheel series (The IZOD IndyCar Series), that it meets our objectives and our drivers' objectives as well".
Brooks, a former driver, founded his team in 2000 and has fielded cars for drivers such as Neimela, Al Unser III, Andreas Wirth and Kevin Lacroix. The team scored victories in 2005 (Denver with Wirth), 2007 (Portland with Lacroix) and 2008 (Utah and Atlanta with Niemela).
"We are delighted to welcome another quality team to our grid for the 2010 championship, " said Roger Bailey, Executive Director of Firestone Indy Lights. "Brooks Associates Racing has shown the ability to be a championship contending operation in other forms of motorsport and we fully expect them to continue that success in the Firestone Indy Lights."
5. Wilson to raise funds for Operation Helmet: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson will join Jim and Monica Sexton of Z-Line Designs furniture and NASCAR star Kyle Busch at an event in Miami on Nov. 19 to raise funds for Operation Helmet.
The event, which will be held at Nikki Beach Club on South Beach, is a fundraiser for Operation Helmet, which provides helmet upgrades for U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Jack Arute, a IndyCar Series commentator for ESPN on ABC and VERSUS, will serve as emcee for the event, which includes a silent auction with scores of valuable gift items including a private jet flight to Las Vegas with accommodations for two at Caesar's Palace and two tickets to a spectacular concert featuring Cher as the Grand Prize.
Also on the auction block will be two "Indy Racing Experience" two-seater rides; two suite level tickets and hospitality at the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Wilson is also donating items from his 2009 season to help the cause.
"I'm very excited to help out Operation Helmet," said Wilson, who finished ninth in IZOD IndyCar Series point standings and claimed Dale Coyne Racing's first win in 2009. "I know my helmet is a very important piece of safety equipment and I want to make sure that the soldiers have what they need to be safe."
6. Fisher, AAA Hoosier Insurance renew partnership: AAA Hoosier Insurance announced Nov. 10 that it has renewed its contract with IZOD IndyCar Series driver/owner Sarah Fisher and Sarah Fisher Racing.
AAA Hoosier Insurance will continue to be a personal sponsor of Fisher and will remain an associate sponsor on Fisher's No. 67 Honda-powered Dallara for both the 2010 and 2011 Indianapolis 500.
Additionally, Fisher will continue to serve as the official spokesperson for AAA Hoosier Insurance.
"We are very proud to be moving into a 4th and 5th year partnership with AAA," said Fisher. "Their ongoing support of SFR illustrates both sides of a successful partnership. As the 'Indiana Tradition' continues, I am ecstatic about their confidence in our team and its plans moving forward. They have believed in us since the very beginning."
AAA Hoosier Insurance added Fisher in 2007, quickly becoming prominent in collateral materials throughout much of Indiana by way of billboard, television and radio advertising. Since that time, AAA Hoosier Insurance and AAA Hoosier Motor Club have leveraged the partnership by cross-promoting Fisher and her team through the organization's Teen Driver Program, Public Service Announcements, involvement in the Miracle Ride to benefit Riley Hospital for Children and through the annual RTV6 Toy Drive presented by AAA Hoosier Insurance. The Toy Drive initiative begins later this month.
"Sarah has been a great spokesperson for AAA Hoosier Insurance and we have enjoyed our association with her and Sarah Fisher Racing," said Steve Vernick, Vice President of Insurance for AAA Hoosier Motor Club. "She has helped us build the AAA Insurance brand in a highly competitive marketplace. She is a very disciplined and skilled athlete as well as a successful businesswoman. She also possesses the traits and values that are Hoosier 'traditions.' In short, Sarah is a fantastic person and we are very happy to continue our relationship with her."
7. Duno to sign books at Miami event: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Milka Duno will autograph copies of her bilingual children's book "Go, Milka Go!" and greet fans from noon to 3 p.m. (EST) Nov. 14 at the bububooks.com booth as part of the 2009 Miami Book Fair International Street Fair.
The event will be in Miami's Central Business District surrounding Miami Dade College. The bububooks.com booth will be located in section E of the fair located on NE 3rd Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
"Go, Milka, Go!" -- about Duno's life and racing career -- was awarded the Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation Book of 2009 at the 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards.
Duno also will answer questions, pose for photos and offer words of encouragement that embody her "Milka Way" program. The program's mission is to inspire children and young adults to "Aim for the Stars" and achieve academic excellence. Duno has taken this message to schools across the nation and internationally.
"I am very passionate about education and I want to do everything that I can to inspire young people to study hard and aim for the stars," Duno said. "I'm honored to be involved with bububooks because we share the same passion and have similar goals."
IZOD NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF INDYCAR SERIES
IZOD Brings IndyCar Series a Strong Brand, Bright Future, And Vision For Growth
NEW YORK, NY and INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Nov. 5, 2009) – Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (NYSE: PVH) announced today a multi-year agreement in principle with the Indy Racing League (IRL), the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series, for its IZOD brand to become the title sponsor of the newly renamed IZOD IndyCar Series.
The IZOD IndyCar Series, which will mark the League’s first title sponsorship since 2001, introduced its new logo and key partnership details today, with additional activation, promotional plans and marketing initiatives to be revealed in the coming months, prior to the start of the 2010 season.
Under the new arrangement, IZOD will also retain its designation as the official apparel partner of the Indy Racing League, which began in 2008. Key elements of the agreement are expected to include:
• Multi-year, multi-million dollar activation plans and brand-building efforts around the IZOD IndyCar Series intended to broaden the promotion of the sport both off the track and beyond its traditional audience. These include:
-Increased and enhanced national media initiatives with IRL’s two television partners – ESPN on ABC and VERSUS
-Access to drivers and 100 years’ worth of motorsports assets and graphics from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, including current and vintage cars, for both on- and off-track events, both in and out of race markets.
• Multi-year, multi-million dollar commitment to participate in the IZOD IndyCar Series Team Enhancement/Allocation Matrix (TEAM) fund. Introduced in 2008, TEAM provides a guaranteed financial foundation for all teams committed to running the entire IZOD IndyCar Series schedule
• Shared Web initiatives and online promotions
• Rights to use one of the most dynamic marketing events in all of sports – two parade laps in the IZOD IndyCar Series two-seater at the start of the Indianapolis 500 and other selected races –providing a one-of-a-kind experience to an IZOD-selected VIP or fan sweepstakes winner
“The combination of young, dynamic drivers representing over 14 countries, events in key domestic and global markets and its strong American racing heritage make the IndyCar Series a perfect fit for the sport-spirited IZOD brand lifestyle,” said Allen Sirkin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Phillips-Van Heusen. “Our involvement with the IRL began shortly after the unification of U.S. open-wheel racing and, despite the recession, we have seen growth and sense the potential for even greater opportunity as the sport is re-energized on the American sports landscape, as well as abroad. We’re excited at the opportunity to become the title sponsor of the IZOD IndyCar Series and look forward to taking our partnership with the fastest form of motorsport in the world, along with its ‘cars and stars’, to a new level of marketing and activation both on and off the track.”
“Our relationship with the IZOD brand has been on the fast track since the day we began our partnership in 2008, and we are thrilled they have taken a bigger and more vital role in our sport,” said Terry Angstadt, president of the Commercial Division of the Indy Racing League. “Their strong marketing skills, national retail partnerships and ability to bring fresh eyes to the sport have already proven powerful in our short time together. We’re confident that we have found a partner with a strong brand, a bright future and a vision for growing the IZOD IndyCar Series that will benefit fans, drivers, teams, owners and tracks.”
The move by Phillips-Van Heusen follows a series of recent similar decisions to shift IZOD’s marketing mix towards sports and sponsorship activation. In 2008, IZOD was awarded the naming rights for what was then Continental Airlines Arena at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, home of the New Jersey Nets, renaming it the IZOD Center. Phillips-Van Heusen’s efforts helped lift the IZOD Center to become the fourth-ranked venue of its kind in North America. Phillips-Van Heusen also recently announced its VAN HEUSEN brand’s sponsorship of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame fan vote, a first of its kind for any professional sport.
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series, the premier open-wheel racing series in the U.S., showcases some of motorsport’s leading personalities, including Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Tony Kanaan, as well as Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti and Tomas Scheckter, heirs to some of auto racing’s greatest legends. The 2010 season is scheduled to feature 17 races in the United States, Canada, Japan and Brazil, with the first green flag dropping March 14 in Brazil. The races will be broadcast in high-definition on ABC and VERSUS.
Background of Sponsorship
In July 2008, PVH announced an agreement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League that designated the IZOD brand as the official apparel sponsor of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights. In this capacity, PVH provides apparel to IRL executives and crew – from pit officials and track flagmen to the on-air broadcast talent and track announcers. This exclusive collection was inspired by the uniquely American heritage of IndyCar Series and designed to address the performance needs of the IRL and IMS staff.
Prior to the start of the 2009 season, as a natural extension of the sponsorship, IZOD introduced an IZOD/INDY vintage clothing line commemorating the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Centennial Era. The collection was launched initially at select Macy’s stores nationwide and was supported by a national advertising campaign that included an IZOD/INDY themed 30-second spot shown during all nationally televised ABC and VERSUS IndyCar Series race broadcasts, as well as through additional spot broadcast purchases and in movie theaters across the country. The media plan also included print advertisements that appeared in Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine and on high-profile billboards in New York City’s Times Square and Toronto. The advertisements featured IZOD-sponsored 2008 Watkins Glen winner and 2008 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Available in March 2010, IZOD has created a new “Winning Series” sportswear collection, inspired by the historic INDY 500 “Winning Car Series” including the first Indianapolis 500 winner, the 1911 Marmon Wasp, along with the 1939-40 Maserati and the 1948 Novi.
Sponsorship Activation
Throughout the 2009 IndyCar Series season, and to coincide with the series race schedule, in-store events took place at select Macy’s stores around the country to further support the launch of the IZOD/INDY sportswear line. The events displayed vintage driver suits, archival photography and one-of-a-kind cars on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum and were highlighted by both legendary and current driver appearances.
In one such event, at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store in New York, the entire field of 33 starting drivers of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 posed for a photograph on a closed Broadway in front of display windows showcasing winning cars from nearly every decade of Indy racing.
Promotional activities for the IZOD/INDY sportswear collection included a text messaging and Web-based national sweepstakes hosted at macys.com/izod. The grand prize was an all-inclusive package for four to the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
About IZOD and Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation:
IZOD, one of the best-known and best-selling apparel brands in the United States, is known for its sport-inspired, clean designs and colorful product lines. With a history in the United States dating back to the 1930s, the IZOD brand is licensed to 21 companies in the U.S. and 17 other countries. IZOD brand products include apparel and accessories for men, women, and children, soft home goods and men’s fragrance. The IZOD brand offerings include products sold under the IZOD PerformX (technical and performance fabricated sportswear), IZOD Jeans, and IZOD LX (a luxury sportswear collection sold exclusively at Macy’s) sub brands, which are sold in over 6,000 retail venues worldwide, including department, specialty and company-operated stores. For more information visit www.izod.com.
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel companies. It owns and markets the Calvin Klein brand worldwide. It is the world’s largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, IZOD, ARROW, Bass, and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, unlisted, A Kenneth Cole Production, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, and Timberland.
About the IZOD IndyCar Series:
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier open-wheel series in the United States, competing on a challenging combination of superspeedways, short ovals, scenic road courses and temporary street circuits. In 2010 the IndyCar Series will conduct 13 races in the U.S., two in Canada and one both in Japan and Brazil, all available worldwide through comprehensive, long-term agreements with ABC and VERSUS in high-definition. The IZOD IndyCar Series continues to the be the fastest and most competitive racing series, attracting a diverse lineup of drivers including Marco Andretti, Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal and Dan Wheldon. A leader in motorsports technology, the IndyCar Series is the first racing series to power its Honda engines on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel. For more information on the IZOD IndyCar Series, visit www.indycar.com.
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Oct. 28, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Wheldon returns to Panther in 2010
2. In His Own Words - Dario Franchitti
3. In His Own Words - Hideki Mutoh
4. Teen driver gets help from Howard
5. IndyCar Series drivers head to SEMA
1. Wheldon returns to Panther in 2010:
Panther Racing confirmed that Dan Wheldon will return to the cockpit of its familiar No. 4 machine for the 2010 season.
Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion, finished 10th in the final point standings, with a second-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 in May as his best result in 2009.
"I'm excited for next season, honestly," Wheldon said in a story posted on the team's website www.pantherracing.com. "Anytime I'm out of a racecar for too long I get restless. But I feel like we made some progress towards the end of the season after some struggles that show we're heading in the right direction."
Wheldon led just eight laps last season - his fewest since 2003 and never finished better than eighth over the final half of the season. But despite what some consider a poor season, team officials remain positive about their team.
"What I can tell you is that we're going to be fighting tooth and nail to improve," team owner John Barnes said. "We've got a group here that we really like, and I've made clear in the last two weeks what my expectations are for our team and driver."
Wheldon's return to Panther in 2009 concluded with the former Indy 500 winner earning three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
"My goals are to win races," Wheldon said when asked of his expectations for next year. "Obviously we haven't achieved everything we wanted for the season, so for next year I'd like to build on the momentum that we've created this year and make it a winning season."
2. In His Own Words - Dario Franchitti:
Throughout the offseason, IndyCar Series drivers will discuss their 2009 season. Here is the perspective of Dario Franchitti, the 2009 IndyCar Series champion:
Winning a second IndyCar Series championship is very sweet, especially after the year I went through in NASCAR in 2008, when we had to park the car because of lack of sponsorship. Luckily, team owner Chip Ganassi gave me the opportunity to do what I do best and that is driving an IndyCar. I have to really thank Chip for giving me the chance to come back.
So to say I was very motivated would be an understatement. It was a tough year last year for all kinds of reasons. The first time I drove the car was at a road course test and then I got to race in Australia. I have such good memories of that place and getting back in the car got me so motivated about this team and the equipment they give you.
I wasn't out to prove a point; I just wanted to win again.
The Australia race last year was a great way to get started off with Chip's team. With testing the way it is limited in the IndyCar Series now they say, `Hey, we're going to let you go to Australia.' I was, `Oh, fantastic.' That really helped give it a jump-start with the guys on the team. I knew a lot of the guys to say hello to them but I didn't know their names. And working with Scott Dixon for the first time gave us a four- or five-month head start. That was really helpful.
Scott and I had enjoyed racing against each other on different teams but now we were teammates. We are still learning each other's ways. We definitely have different ways of going about things. Scott is fairly relaxed about the way he does everything. I'm more focused. Don't mistake Scott being relaxed with a lack of application; it's just he is so comfortable with his engineer. I'm more into the details of things and I always have been.
At St. Petersburg, I had the best start of the year for me to go from fifth to second in the first corner. I was really happy to get away with that one. I was running second to Justin Wilson and Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Hunter-Reay got a little lucky with the yellow and jumped us. We finished fourth but we had a car that could have won.
So we moved on to Long Beach where I won the race and Scott finished 15th. Will Power parked in his pit at St. Pete and that screwed his race and then Ryan Briscoe took him out under yellow at Long Beach. He was a bit ticked at the Penske boys for a while.
As for myself, Long Beach was great. For everything Chip Ganassi and I went through last year it was the point where `yes, this is why I came back.' The car was really good. I got into that street course rhythm again and didn't have to drive above 80 percent the rest of the race.
Long Beach was always the signature event in the CART series so this year to win Long Beach and Toronto was big for me. I had won Toronto 10 years before and finished second to Juan Montoya at Long Beach. That was the one I wanted to win so to get that was great.
But then it was off to Kansas where I started on the pole and they got me for crossing the white line, then I had the brake failure in the pits, which was very entertaining.
Indianapolis was a very big indicator for us. The first time we went out and had the car dialed in we managed to get my car exactly how I wanted it and was driving it well, then I started thinking Indy is as tough a place as we go to and if I can run as well as we did there; we can do that anywhere.
Helio Castroneves got most of the attention that month but that didn't really matter to me. I've done this long enough that I don't pay attention to what is being said or written because I'm under the team bubble. I had as good a car this year as the year I won it in 2007 but that last pit stop just killed us.
After being at Indy for the month of May, then the schedule really picks up with races every weekend but I just take them one at a time. If the races are five days apart - whatever -- I just take them one at a time. That seems to have worked for me. There were a lot of races this year where we had the fastest car and didn't win for a variety of reasons. Then, at the end of the year at Homestead, we didn't have the fastest car but we got the job done.
This year when I won at Iowa, at least our dog, Shug, didn't run off. That was a stressful time when he ran off in 2007. Iowa worked out well for me. When we had to go, we went. We did what we had to do in the middle of the race and then at the end, we turned up the wick and went. To win at Iowa again was really cool.
That it was obvious that nobody with the points lead would hold on to it from one race to the next. It was so close that one little slip each week; the other guys were right on you or vice-versa. It was so intense. Tony Kanaan to start off with was strong but Indy was the tipping point and he struggled after that where everything that could go wrong did. After that, it was pretty much a three-man race.
I knew I was getting the good stuff at the Target team but I didn't take that for granted. I thought I could do it - I believed in myself - but nobody was going to give it to me. I hoped it was possible but I didn't expect the championship.
So when we got to Japan, I was 25 points behind Ryan Briscoe and while both Scott and I knew we were still in it, Ryan had to make a mistake. But we all made mistakes this year. We all had bad pit stops and got lucky and unlucky in strategy. It was just part of the roller-coaster, man - I didn't get too up or too down with it. I tried to stay balanced throughout the year.
Coming back from Japan, I did the ALMS race for Patron and tested at Indy and at Homestead so I was able to get my mind off the last race of the season.
So when we got to Homestead, I was five points behind Scott and only three ahead of Ryan. We won the pole at Homestead but the car wasn't fast at the start. We improved the car so much in the race -- the track came to the car and the car came to the track. Had we bunched up under yellow, I would have had more fuel than them anyway and we could have given them a run for their money, but we'll never know.
When I won the championship in 2007, there were still two series, but this year it was one unified series and I got to race against everybody. That made it very special. The competition level is higher than it has ever been because everybody is under one roof now so it's great. It's extra special.
And while people want to put me in the same category as other great drivers from Scotland - Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart - as well as Graham Hill from England, I see those guys on a different level.
I'm just happy that I get to do what I get to do.
3. In His Own Words - Hideki Mutoh:
Throughout the offseason, IndyCar Series drivers will discuss their 2009 season. Here is the perspective of Hideki Mutoh of Andretti Green Racing:
This year was my second year with Andretti Green Racing and in IndyCar Series. At the beginning of this year, I decided to set a very high goal -- to win at least one race this year. I knew it would be tough, but I felt I needed to have a high goal.
Unfortunately, I couldn't accomplish my goal so I must say I am a little disappointed with my overall results. But I was able to be in the top five on the last two road courses of the season, so I am confident that I am getting much more used to handling and driving the IndyCar. I know I have learned so much from my two years in the IndyCar Series and I am eager to learn more.
I think I was able to show what I've learned from the past races and was able to "race" with all the veteran drivers this year.
The biggest regret I have this year would be my crash during qualifying at the Indy Japan race at Motegi. Not only because it was my home race, but I promised myself that I would show my best performance there in front of the fans in Japan. I was in pain on the race day, but all the cheering and support I felt from the fans helped me finish the race. I am so grateful for having such great fans and their support.
All in all, the race result was not what I wished for but I was able to realize how great my fans and IndyCar (Series) fans are, so it was a great race for me in that respect.
In every single race, I felt the strong support from my team and the pit crews and I want to thank them for their warm support. I think I had one of the best crews and their support meant a lot for me.
I cannot say much about the 2010 season but I hope I will be racing in the IndyCar Series again and can bring a win to the team.
4. Teen driver gets help from Howard:
IndyCar Series driver Jay Howard will lend his driving expertise to a music-obsessed teen with a less than stellar driving reputation as part of a promotion for MTV.
Howard, who recently signed with Sarah Fisher Racing for the 2010 season, participated in the "The Road to the Woodies" which will air beginning Oct. 28 during MTV's Real World/Road Rules (RW/RR) Challenge: The Ruins. During the challenge, a teen driver named Lauren must pass Howard's four-part driving challenge to earn a trip to the MTVu Woodie Awards in New York.
"When I learned how to drive, I was on a race track and everyone was going the same way," said Howard, the 2006 Firestone Indy Lights champion who will run a limited schedule in 2010 that includes the 2010 Indianapolis 500. "Sometimes I think driving on the interstate is more dangerous than driving on a race track. There are so many distractions for drivers today. For this lesson, we're focusing on car control and safety. There will be no texting while driving on my watch."
In a four-part, short-form "Road to the Woodies", MTV will document the Lauren's journey where she learns to improve her driving skills with the help of Howard, while her parents evaluate the results of each challenge via in-car camera technology. Each episode ends with a pass/fail report, which provides assistance to new and inexperienced drivers through an inspirational program that rewards safe drivers.
"Teens must overcome significant challenges as beginning drivers," said Lisa Bacus, vice president of marketing for American Family Insurance "The MTV campaign with IndyCar(Series) driver Jay Howard and Mindshare Entertainment illustrates the challenges real teens face and, with the use of the innovative technology of the Teen Safe Driver Program, shows how direct involvement vastly improves driving habits. Thanks to Jay for being the teen's coach throughout the series."
If Lauren completes the challenges with less than 10 points on her report, she will join Howard on the red carpet and attend the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards in NYC at the Roseland Ballroom in December.
5. IndyCar Series drivers head to SEMA:
IndyCar Series drivers Marco Andretti, Sarah Fisher and Jay Howard are among the celebrities scheduled to appear during the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Nov. 3-6.
Andretti will appear on Nov. 3 in the American Honda booth while Fisher and Howard will make appearances on Nov. 4 at the Pematex booth from 9-10 a.m. and at the Wexco Industries booth on behalf of Auto-Tex Pink from 2-3 p.m. (Fisher only).
OCT 21 2009
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Tickets on sale:
Barber Motorsports Park and Zoom Motorsports announced that tickets are now on sale for the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
Spectators can select from variety of tickets for the April 9-11 event weekend, ranging in price from $15 to $600 and are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance as prices will increase the week of the race. In addition to tickets, spectators can also purchase tent camping, motorhome camping and on-site parking. Limited quantities of these options as well as the Speed Pass ticket and Billy's Sports Grill Club ticket are available
One ticket option is the 3-Day Admission, which provides one general admission ticket for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Spectators can select to sit on a hillside or in a grandstand; both options are first come, first serve. The 3-Day Admission tickets are available for $70.
A second option is the Speed Pass, which provides three-day general admission with paddock and hot pit access. This is the only option that includes the exclusive hot pit access. The Speed Pass is available for $450 and quantities are limited.
A third option is the Billy's Sports Grill Club, which provides three day general admission and paddock access as well as access to a tented facility located at Turn 14. On-site parking and food and beverage (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks as well as beer, wine and other specialty drinks) are also included with the ticket. The Billy's Sports Grill Club tickets are available for $600 and quantities are limited.
Daily general admission tickets are also available. Friday tickets are available for $15, Saturday tickets for $40 and Sunday tickets for $50. Each option can be upgraded to include paddock access for an additional $30 per day.
Throughout the weekend, children 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Youngsters will need tickets to access the paddock area and Billy's Sports Grill Club.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, camping or on-site parking, visit www.barbermotorsports.com or call 1-800-240-2300
Oct 19 2009
WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE 2009 INDYCAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
From the Indy Racing League, indyracingleague@indycar.com
The 2009 IndyCar Series championship came down to a three-man winner-take-all battle between Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe. Here's what members of the media had to say about the title fight - which was clinched by Franchitti with his win in the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10.
Who knew?
Who knew that 300 miles would blur past without a crash, or an engine oiling the Homestead-Miami Speedway asphalt, or a piece of debris littering it? Not a single caution flag? You've got to be kidding!
Who knew, with Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe reeling off laps of 210 mph in a sizzling duel to collect a possibly decisive two-point bonus for leading the most laps, that they were flat-footing it right out of a title?
And who knew, one year ago, that a driver who abdicated his 2007 IndyCar throne and rolled snake eyes on a failed gamble on a ``second career'' in NASCAR, would not only return to IndyCar again in 2009 but rule it?
Even dapper Scot Dario Franchitti, in championship elation and after a kiss from actress/wife Ashley Judd, asked, ``Who'd have thought?''
Gary Long, Miami Herald
His head still swimming after emerging with the IndyCar Series championship, Dario Franchitti's body got the treatment Sunday as former teammate and champion Tony Kannan tossed him in the pool of a South Beach hotel, a celebratory prank he saw coming.
While that and other gut instincts were proven right in returning to the series this year after spending half of 2008 in NASCAR,Franchitti was admittedly less prescient about winning his second title in three years. The stakes had been raised quickly in his time away, he believed, and Job 1 was getting past Scott Dixon the defending champion and Chip Ganassi racing teammate.
But in surviving a grueling three-way battle with Dixon and Team Penske's Ryan Brisco, his adaptive skills became obvious, and Franchitti now aims to apply them to more title runs.
Gary Graves, USA Today
Lost in a maze of baseball and football, the Indy Racing League saw its championship go down to the dramatic wire Saturday in a first-ever caution-free race. Not one wreck. Not one debris stoppage. It was just 300 miles of full-throttle, breakneck racing around Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The winner averaged 201.4 miles per hour. Strategies had to change on the fly. Leads were swapped. Nerves and gas mileage tested. The race was done in a crisp, viewer-friendly 90 or so minutes. Then, in the final 10 laps, three drivers dueled not just for the checkered flag but for the championship of the entire season.
Dario Franchitti came from third to win both, which meant plenty of camera time for his wife, a sundress-clad Ashley Judd.
This was the racing equivalent of a high-scoring, back-and-forth, overtime Super Bowl
Dan Wetzel Yahoo.com
On the 10th day of the 10th month, Dario Franchitti's No. 10 car is reigning supreme over the Indy Racing League. Franchitti successfully emerged from one of the closest points races in series history by winning the season-ending Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Tim Reynolds, Associated Press
It was a winner-take-all scenario — the points were so close that it was likely the winner of the race would win the championship. And though Briscoe led 103 of the 200 laps on the 11/2-mile oval and Dixon led 70, Franchitti was ahead when it counted — on Lap 200.
Steven Cole Smith, Orlando Sentinel
Franchitti thought his days as a race driver were coming to an end, but team owner Chip Ganassi knew that wasn't the case. He offered Franchitti a chance to return to IndyCar as the driver of the No. 10 entry at Target/Chip Ganassi Racing where he would team with 2008 IndyCar champ Dixon.
Together, the two formed the most powerful 1-2 combination in IndyCar racing, with Franchitti winning Saturday's Firestone Indy 300 and the 2009 championship by 11 points over Dixon.
Bruce Martin, SI.com
The 2009 championship featured three deserving combatants that swapped the points lead at almost every event. Each one had moments where they seem primed to pull away, but it never happened.
In the end, it was Franchitti, the man that had not won on a 1.5-mile oval all season prior to Homestead, that came away with the crown.
It's the great payoff of a very good deal that brought Franchitti back where he belonged.
Chris Estrada, FoxSports.com
The championship was the second in three years for the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and cements his place in Indy-car history. Only Sam Hornish jr.. (2001, '02) and Dixon (2003, '08) have won multiple IndyCar titles, and Franchitti now has 23 wins when combining CART and the Indy Racing League.
Curt Cavin, Indianapolis Star
Forged over dinner-and-a-napkin, the story of Dario Franchitti's second IndyCar Series championship is basically about a driver content with his career decision-making. Moreover, it's the story of a man quite comfortable with being Dario.
John Sturbin, Racing today.com
The series couldn't ask for anything more heading into Saturday's Firestone Indy 300, the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe are separated by only eight points. Dixon and Franchitti are guaranteed the title if they win. Briscoe needs to win and a little help, but the drama is just what the open-wheel series needs.
Anthony Andro, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Their incentives may be different. But the goals of Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe are the same. Only eight points separate Dixon, Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe for the IndyCar Series championship heading into Saturday's season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's the closest three-man title race in series history, and all three could make a little history by claiming the championship.
Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star
Two teammates. One former teammate. Two power teams. Eight points between the three them. One race left. One step on the podium that really matters. Sixteen races and the Indy Racing League has again come down to the final 200 laps, this time on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Brant James, SI.com
this weekend marks the 10th time in the past 14 years - and fourth consecutive season - the championship has been decided in the final race. There have been 14 changes atop the championship rankings this year. No other racing series can claim that.
Holly Cain, aol.com
There are a host of other reasons to pay attention to the Firestone Indy 300 Saturday night, chief among them is the incredibly tight race for the championship. Scott Dixon holds an ultra-slim 15-point lead on comeback-of-the-year candidate and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti, and just 18 points over third place Penske Racing's Ryan Briscoe. Should Dixon win it would put him in some pretty elite company as a three-time champion, joining such legends as A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and any one of the Unser clan.
Dean McNulty, Toronto Sun
Three drivers, two teams, a single IndyCar Series championship trophy to be won this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With only eight points separating Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe, the reigning champion believes the math will be easy to figure. "It's pretty much whoever beats who is going to walk away with the championship," Dixon said.
Curt Cavin, Indianapolis Star
Eight points separate three drivers who've been a part of a roller-coaster IndyCar Series championship chase in which the lead has changed 14 times in 16 races. That's a lot to think about in the season finale Saturday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway. So, good luck. You'll have a better chance than the protagonists at keeping the numbers straight.
Dave Kallman, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Oct. 16, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
- IndyCar Series 2009 by the numbers
- Pair earns Schmidt's Champions Test reward:
- Carpenter, Wheldon join field for "Ironman":
- ESPN program puts spotlight on Patrick
1. IndyCar Series 2009 by the numbers: Some numbers to note about the 14th season of IndyCar series competition
• Of the 40 drivers who started at least one race, 27 earned a top-10 finish, 18 a top five and 15 wound up on the podium.
• Nine teams (if you count Will Power in a Penske Racing car as part of Team Penske) finished on the podium.
• Tony Kanaan made his 115th consecutive start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the active leader among IndyCar Series drivers.
• Scott Dixon has 32 consecutive top-10 starts, tying the series record by Sam Hornish Jr.
• Helio Castroneves has 98 top-10 and 73 top-five finishes, the most in series history. Castroneves has at least one race victory in each of the last nine seasons.
• With 110 race finishes, Castroneves ranks second to Scott Sharp (111) in running at the finish.
• Castroneves ranks second with 3,229 laps led. Hornish is the record-holder with 2,428.
• Dixon is four laps shy of 3,000 laps led. He topped the season laps led category with 815, his second straight season with at least 800 laps led (He led 899 in 2008).
• Dario Franchitti became the third driver to win multiple IndyCar Series championships. Hornish leads with three (2001, 2002, 2006), and Dixon has two (2003, 2008).
• Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe each had 13 top-five finishes, the most in the series. Franchitti led the way with 15 top 10s -- one more than Dixon.
• Briscoe tied Castroneves' single-season series record with eight runner-up finishes. He also led a series-high 13 races -- one more than Dixon.
• Briscoe, Franchitti, Dixon, Ed Carpenter and Danica Patrick paced the series with 16 races (of 17) in which they were running at the finish.
• Franchitti is the fifth different series champion in the past six years. He's also the first series title-holder not to win the Indianapolis 500 in the same year since 2004 (Kanaan).
• This is the third IndyCar Series championship and second in a row for Target Chip Ganassi racing. Dixon won the title for the team in 2003 and 2008.
• It's the third time in series history that teammates have finished 1-2 in the standings. Kanaan finished first and Dan Wheldon second for Andertti Green racing in 2004, and Wheldon won with Kanaan second for AGR in 2005.
• Franchitti beat Dixon for the title by 11 points -- the third-closest margin in series history. Buzz Calkins and Scott Sharp tied for the championship in 1996, and Hornish tied Wheldon for the title in 2006, winning by tiebreaker with the most victories during that season. Tony Stewart beat Davey Hamilton for the 1996-97 title by six points.
• Franchitti topped all competitors with five PEAK Performance Pole Awards -- one more than Briscoe.
• Twelve points separated the top three finishers - Franchitti (616), Dixon (605) and Briscoe (604) -- the third-closest margin between the top three in series history. In 2006, two points separated champion Hornish (475), Wheldon (475) and third place Castroneves (473). In 1996, six points separated co-champions Calkins and Sharp (246) and third place Robbie Buhl (240).
• The Firestone Indy 300 was a career-best fifth victory for Franchitti, who won four races en route to the 2007 IndyCar Series season title with Andretti Green Racing.
• It was the 34th IndyCar Series victory for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, tying Andretti Green Racing for No. 2 on the all-time series victory list. Team Penske/Penske Racing leads with 35.
• It was the 10th victory of the season for Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Franchitti and Dixon each with five).
• The average speed of the Firestone Indy 300 (201.420 mph) was the second-fastest in IndyCar Series history. Hornish won the race in September 2003 at California Speedway with an average speed of 207.151.
• The Firestone Indy 300 was the first caution-free race in IndyCar Series history. The previous record was one, set four times: Two laps in August 2008 at the Infineon road course, six laps in September 2003 at the California oval and one for 10 laps in August 2005 at the Pikes Peak oval and in August 2003 at the Kentucky oval.
2. Pair earns Schmidt's Champions Test reward: The two up-and-coming racing stars will get a chance to sample a Firestone Indy Lights car as they decide their plans for 2010.
Star Mazda champion Adam Christodoulou and International Formula Masters Rookie of the Year Alexander Rossi will test a car prepared by Sam Schmidt Motorsports' Firestone Indy Lights team as part of the "Champions Test" program at Putnum Park on Oct 20. The test day is awarded in recognition of the drivers' successful season in their respective series.
Christodoulou, who claimed the Star Mazda title with his win at Laguna Seca on Oct. 10, will drive a Firestone Indy Lights car for the second time in a month. The 20-year-old driver from Litchfield, England tested a car for Bryan Herta Autosport last month and is scheduled to test with Sam Schmidt Motorsports on the oval at Kentucky Speedway on Oct. 22.
Rossi, who won the Formula BMW Americas title and the BMW World Final in 2008, will drive a Firestone Indy Lights car for the first time after finishing as the top rookie in Europe's International Formula Master series. The 18-year-old American claimed three wins and five podium finishes this season.
3. Carpenter, Wheldon join field for "Ironman": Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter and Panther Racing driver Dan Wheldon are entered in the Ironman 150 TaG endurance karting event Oct. 18 at New Castle (Ind.) Motorsports Park.
Carpenter last month won the Mazda Robo-Pong 200 endurance event on the serpentine track with co-driven Nathan O'Rouke, an engineer at Vision Racing. He's also entered in the Ironman 150, which starts at 1 p.m. (EDT). The event is free and open to the public.
4. ESPN program puts spotlight on Patrick: Danica Patrick last week completed her fifth IndyCar Series season with a fifth place in the final standings.
Fans can learn more about the Roscoe, Ill., native in the Fast World of Danica Patrick, a 30-minute special program airing at 3:30 p.m. (ET) Oct. 18 on ESPN.
The program is an in-depth look at Patrick during the recently-completed IndyCar Series season, as told by her, and examines her life away from the racetrack.
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Sept. 30, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Rearview mirror: Classic IndyCar Series championship races
2. Lloyd to raise awareness, money for cancer research at HMS:
Note: Just eight points separate IndyCar Series championship leaders Scott Dixon (570 points), Dario Franchitti (565) and Ryan Briscoe (562) entering the season-ending Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will be the 10th time in 14 IndyCar Series seasons that the title will be decided at the final race. This is the fifth of a six-part series looking back at some of the classic championship races in IndyCar Series history. Today 2007: One Final Turn for Dario, Dixon
When: 2007
Who: Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon
Where: Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 9, 2007)
The story:
Dario Franchitti was in control of the IndyCar Series after nine of 17 races in 2007, with three victories, including the Indianapolis 500. Franchitti held a 65-point lead - more than a one-race gap - over Scott Dixon after winning the SunTrust Indy Challenge on June 30 at Richmond International Raceway.
It appeared Franchitti was on cruise control for his first championship after 12 years at the top level of North American open-wheel racing. But Dixon had other ideas.
2003 series champion Dixon and his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team found an ideal groove in the second half of the season, winning four of the next seven races after Richmond.
Dixon won the Motorola Indy 300 on Aug. 26 at Infineon Raceway to finally catch and replace Franchitti atop the standings, holding a four-point edge, 560-556. Franchitti regained the top spot by three points, 587-584, by finishing sixth in the penultimate race of the season, the Detroit Indy Grand Prix on Sept. 2. Dixon finished eighth after spinning while battling for the lead late in the race and nearly taking out his championship rival while his stalled car blocked the track.
The final chapter in this thrilling season was set for the PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 on Sept. 9 at Chicagoland Speedway. Sixteen previous races featuring 2,733 laps of competition had come down to one 200-lap duel between Franchitti and Dixon.
Franchitti won the pole in his Andretti Green Racing machine but lost the lead at the green flag. Meanwhile, Dixon had moved up after starting sixth and led 32 laps between Laps 135-190.
Dixon lost the lead to his teammate, Dan Wheldon, on Lap 191 but regained it on Lap 194 when Wheldon slowed on the backstretch. Franchitti's teammate Danica Patrick then spun entering pit road on the same lap, triggering the third and final caution period of the race.
In a moment of nearly perfect drama, Dixon and Franchitti lined up one-two on the restart at the end of Lap 197 as the only cars on the lead lap. Franchitti, who had worked the entire race to save fuel, then moved to the high groove to size up Dixon on Lap 198 but could not pass.
Dixon led Franchitti by .060 of a second at the white flag and needed to stay out front for just 1.5 more miles to claim his second IndyCar Series title.
As the title protagonists blazed through the first two turns and down the backstretch, fans at Chicagoland and around the world were mesmerized by the gripping tension. Then it happened in Turn 3 - one of the most unexpected moments in series history.
Dixon's car sputtered, out of fuel. Franchitti roared past for the race victory and his first North American major series championship. Dixon coasted to the line in second, his Honda engine thirsting for just one half-gallon more of ethanol.
The final margin was 13 points, Franchitti triumphing over Dixon, 637-624.
What They Say Now:
Dario Franchitti:"It was a pretty stressful time. We'd lost some points at Sonoma, and it was going to come down to whoever won the last race between Scott and I. It was Chicago, which was not one of my favorite tracks at the time. I had had some good results there, but I knew I had to win if I was to have a shot. It was all on the line. We were on the pole and the car was very fast, but I went off at the start of the race and the speed wasn't there. The two Target cars and the two Penske cars passed me, and I knew I didn't have the speed on my own to win the race. I had to use the one weapon I owned, and that was fuel-saving. All day, I saved fuel and I saved fuel. There came a point when I had gone longer than anyone else, and Scott was in the pits. I was coming around to put him a lap down and had the 23 car (Milka Duno) not been tooling around cruising under yellow, I'd a put the whole field a lap down, and it would have made my life easier in the last laps. As it was, Scott beat me to the blend line, and it was him and I for the win. The last restart, I made a run for it and tried to go to the outside, but I didn't have enough to get it done. I was sizing him up trying to get a draft on the backstretch on that last lap to see what I could make happen. Just when I was thinking about making a move on him, he ran out of fuel. It was incredible. All those laps for the whole year, it came down to the last lap. The last corner."
Scott Dixon:"2007 was totally different as far as the championship goes. We didn't have the best start of the year, but the last half we won a lot of races and we came through and we tried to chase Dario down. He had a massive point lead at the midway through the season, and we came into that race (season finale at Chicagoland) - I think we were eight points or 10 points out - knowing that whoever won the race would win the championship. Unfortunately, it came down to the last lap, last corner, and we ran out of gas. We needed a half a cup of fuel to get that championship. We were leading the race and Dario sailed on by out of Turn 4, and we lost it."
***
2. Lloyd to raise awareness, money for cancer research at HMS: HER Energy drink announced a new partnership with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing as the sponsor of the No. 40202 HER Dallara/Honda/Firestone entry to be driven by Alex Lloyd in the 2009 IndyCar Series season finale Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 10.
The car number signifies the "text to donate" number for cancer research and awareness, where fans can donate $5 to charity simply by texting the word "Stand" to 40202.
"HER is ecstatic to work with (Alex) "Pink" Lloyd again," said Brett Jacobson, CEO of HER Enterprises Inc. "He's a great sport wearing pink, and we had a great experience in May (at the Indianapolis 500). I couldn't have been more excited to find another opportunity to work with him. Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing has such an impressive legacy, and my experience working with all of them the past few weeks only confirms the great things I've heard. And their engineers and crew are remarkable. And we want to thank the IRL for allowing us to enter the #40202 number- and their getting behind such an amazing cause and call to action."
The Firestone Indy 300 will mark Lloyd's second race this season after having competed in the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year where he qualified 11th and finished 13th in the historic event. Lloyd, a native of Manchester, England, holds the distinction of being the only driver to win on both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course (Firestone Indy Lights, 2006) and famed oval (Firestone Indy Lights, 2007). He won eight of the 15 races en route to the 2007 Indy Lights championship including a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway after starting second. He also won five poles, finished in the top-five 13 times and led a total of 399 laps during his title-winning season.
The HER Energy car made its debut in the famed Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 with Lloyd's surprising first-day qualifying effort of 11th place and his 13th place finish in the 33-car field despite it being only his second IndyCar Series race to date. In addition, HER Energy, which is based in Hollywood, held a Pink Carpet event to benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. In conjunction with the Homestead race HER will hold the "Tit for Tat" PSA premiere poolside in South Beach on Friday, October 9. The invitation-only party will premiere the first of an innovative new series of Public Service Announcements written by Jaime King and Taryn Southern and presented by HER. The first installation of the edgy two minute shorts combine the talents of Emily Deschanel, Alyson Hannigan, Minka Kelly, Jaime King, Katharine McPhee and director Steve Carr to raise awareness for breast cancer prevention. At the track, HER along with BMGEP, will unveil an Interactive Infield Hospitality Lounge, complete with DJ and entertainment options.
"It's a real pleasure to have HER Energy as our sponsor for my race with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, a team that I have followed since my fellow countryman Nigel Mansell drove for them," said Alex Lloyd. "It's an exciting brand and I am very happy to continue representing them. HER Energy has seen massive growth over the last year and I look forward to helping them continue to grow their brand. I'm honored to participate in such a worthwhile cause and to help the fight against cancer. For this race I will be dusting off the pink helmet and getting another pink firesuit so I guess Pink Lloyd is back. I'm very excited to be in pink again as I had a good time with it in May and I am looking forward to getting Pink Lloyd back on track."
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season concludes Oct. 10 with the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 4 p.m. (ET) Oct. 10 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A one-hour qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 6 p.m. Oct. 9. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season concludes with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (ET).
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Sept. 29, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. The Contenders: Franchitti seeking second title
2. Fisher's party to benefit Komen for the Cure
3. Charities win again at Phil Casey Golf Tournament
1. The Contenders: Franchitti seeking second title: It was drifting toward 10 p.m. and Dario Franchitti - after a long day in which he subjected the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and himself to the 11 tight turns of the Long Beach street circuit multiple times in practice and three rounds of qualifications - was walking the 1.968-mile layout.
"I take notes. Not about the setup of the car but things I have to do," he said. "Where the bumps are. What techniques to use on certain corners."
Attention to detail has been Franchitti's calling card since well before he earned the McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year award in 1992. In part, such studiousness has led Franchitti to the brink of a second IndyCar Series championship after a year's absence to compete in stock cars.
Franchitti trails teammate Scott Dixon by five points entering the season finale -- the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe is the third man in on this title fight, sitting eight points back. Franchitti's goal is simple: finish ahead of Dixon - as he did by a whisker in the 2007 finale to win the title - and Briscoe to earn a $1 million bonus among other prizes.
It's already been a successful and memory-laden return to the series' diverse set of ovals and road/street courses at age 36 -- four victories, four pole starts, 12 top-five finishes, 470 laps led and the opportunity to become the third multi-time champion in series history.
"The end of '07, the reason I went away is because I was looking for some motivation," said Franchitti, who also recorded four victories and 13 top-five finishes in 17 races that year. "With going away, I realized how I much I missed actually what I love to do - driving in the IndyCar Series. So when I got the chance to come back with the Target team it was really a no-brainer.
"From the first lap I've really enjoyed driving the car, and ultimately for me that's what it's all about -- when you get in the car and how much I enjoy that or not. I thought at one point I would have retired maybe by the time I was 35. But I still love it. The fact I can still be competitive, I'm still out there winning races and challenging for championships, it's just fun.
"Then there are the other things like being back in the paddock being with the people I grew up with - not only driver but team members - being back with the fans and going to the places we get to go to with the unified series. It all just adds up."
Just like his major North American open-wheel racing experience that will reach 200 events at St. Petersburg (Fla.) in March 2010. A decade ago, Franchitti was involved in a down-to-the-wire race for the CART title, which he lost to Juan Montoya based on a tiebreaker (seven wins to three). In '07, he swapped the spot atop the standings with Dixon - ahead by three points -- entering the finale at Chicagoland Speedway. After running second for the final 6½ laps, he overtook Dixon's car to claim the victory and championship.
"It definitely helps you to know what to expect and deal with it better," he said. "You improve as a driver and you improve your race craft and you maybe become a bit smarter.
"I think the difference is in '04 I was able to back (then-Andretti Green Racing teammate and eventual series champion) Tony (Kanaan) up to the point of sacrificing race results. In '05, we all did the same for Dan (Wheldon). In '07, Danica (Patrick), Marco (Andretti) and especially TK did that for me. The problem right now is that Scott and I are in a championship fight, so although we want to help each other out we can't sacrifice our own race results for it. We're both in our own fight."
Franchitti projects the battle to play out to the conclusion of the 200 laps on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval, where he has three top-10 finishes (high of fourth in 2006) in five races.
"It's going to be a very close race," he said. "It's not a typical one-and-a-half mile because the corners are so tight. It's a one and a half that drives more like an Iowa. It's going to be a hell of a show at Homestead."
2. Fisher's party to benefit Komen for the Cure: IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher and singer/songwriter Danny Woods of New Kids On the Block will co-host a party at the Miami Beach nightclub, LIV, to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Oct. 8.
Fans are invited to attend join celebrities, including some of the IndyCar Series drivers that will compete alongside Fisher in the Oct. 10 Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway at the event, which will feature premier entertainment by Ross One. All proceeds from ticket sales to the even at LIV -- located in the newly renovated Fontainebleau Resort on Miami Beach -- will benefit Komen for the Cure to fund breast cancer research and community outreach programs.
"We're so excited to be partnering with Komen to help fight the war on breast cancer," said Fisher. "This is a disease that touches everyone, and we can't do enough to help. The party is a fun way to bring attention to our efforts, while raising money for Komen's programs. Hosting it with Danny Woods is going to be so much fun."
The event is part of Fisher's "On the Track for a Cause" a multi-faceted initiative to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. Fisher will turn all of her branding pink for the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Fisher will race in a pink car, wearing a pink firesuit and matching pink helmet designed by her fans. Fisher's primary sponsor Dollar General will present a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure at LIV on the pink carpet.
A big supporter of Komen, Woods has been involved in multiple fundraising events with the world's largest breast cancer organization. In between touring with his band, running his record label, Damage Records, and producing and writing songs, the singer and choreographer has been doing all he can to help the cause.
"Hopefully this will create awareness and motivate people to join in the fight against this dreadful disease," said Danny Wood, whose work with Komen for the Cure honors his mother who died from breast cancer 10 years ago. "Women need to be aware of early detection.That was the problem for my mother. By the time she found out, it was too late — and I don't want that to happen to anyone else when it could be prevented."
3. Charities win again at Phil Casey Golf Tournament: A team representing Indy Health and Fitness topped the field to win the 19th Annual Phil Casey Indy Racing Golf Tournament, in which the racing community has raised money for charities for nearly two decades.
The Indy Health and Fitness team, Dr. Rob Schroeder, Scott Kelly, Dennis Grassio and Gary Sobczak, shot a 15-under-par 57 at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course in Indianapolis to win the tournament by four shots. Three teams - One America, Indy Racing League and Winstar Farms - tied for second.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Pediatric Diabetes Center at Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno, Calif., and Target House at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.
"I really want to thank the everybody from the players to our sponsors from the racing community and volunteers for supporting this event," said Casey, consultant to the Indy Racing League. "I say that every year, but we couldn't do what we do without any of you."
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season concludes Oct. 10 with the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 4 p.m. (ET) Oct. 10 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A 90-minute qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 9. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season concludes with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (ET).
=================================================================
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Sept. 25, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Rearview mirror: Classic IndyCar Series championship races
2. Teams Testing at Homestead, Indy
3. IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights drivers race in karting event
4. Firestone Indy Lights teams begin preparations for 2010
1. Rearview Mirror: Classic IndyCar Series championship races: Just eight points separate IndyCar Series championship leaders Scott Dixon (570 points), Dario Franchitti (565) and Ryan Briscoe (562) entering the season-ending Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will be the 10th
time in 14 IndyCar Series seasons that the title will be decided at the final race. This is the third of a six-
part series looking back at some of the classic championship races in IndyCar Series history. Today: 2003: the five-man fight
When: 2003
Who: Scott Dixon, Gil de Ferran, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Sam Hornish Jr.
Where: Texas Motor Speedway (Oct. 12, 2003)
The story:
Five drivers entered the season-ending Chevy 500 on Oct. 12, 2003 at Texas Motor Speedway with a legitimate chance to win the IndyCar Series title, and each had different stories behind their title charge.
Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves were tied atop the standings with 467 points entering the finale. Dixon won his first IndyCar Series start, in March 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, which moved solely into the IndyCar Series full time from Champ Car. It was his first of three victories entering Texas. Castroneves had two victories so far in 2002 for Team Penske and looked to avenge losing the 2002 title by just 20 points to Sam Hornish Jr.
Tony Kanaan was third entering Texas -just seven points behind Dixon and Castroneves - driving for another Champ Car convert, Andretti Green Racing. He had just one victory in that season but used consistency to stay near the top.
Hornish was fourth with one race to go at 448 points with Panther Racing, 19 behind co-leaders Dixon and Castroneves. He started the defense of his two consecutive IndyCar Series titles with a significant power disadvantage, but Chevrolet introduced a new engine after the Indianapolis 500 that helped Hornish win three of the last four races before the Texas finale, including the Toyota Indy 400, the second-to-last race of the season.
De Ferran was fifth in the points entering Texas, 30 behind Dixon and Castroneves. De Ferran missed the race in Japan due to injuries suffered in a crash in Phoenix, but victories in the Indianapolis 500 and at Nashville kept him in contention with Team Penske. But he was a longshot for the title after finishing 15th at the Toyota Indy 400 at California.
The Chevy 500 at Texas was filled with mathematical possibilities for all five drivers, as the Ganassi, Penske, Panther and Andretti Green teams kept an eye on their drivers and each other. Dixon, Hornish, Kanaan and de Ferran all led significant numbers of laps during the race, and the tension grew.
Hornish's chances at a title evaporated when his engine failed on Lap 176, relegating him to a 17th-place finish. Just three laps later, two more contenders were weeded out when Castroneves and Kanaan made contact. Castroneves finished 13th in the race, Kanaan 14th.
De Ferran did everything possible that weekend, winning the pole and the race in his final IndyCar Series start. But Dixon finished second, enough to claim his first IndyCar Series title by 18 points over de Ferran, 507-489. Castroneves ended up third at 484, Kanaan fourth at 476 and Hornish fifth at 461.
What They Say Now:
Scott Dixon: "The championship chase always seems to involve quite a few of us, but 2003 was definitely a standout. It was a big year for us because it was the first year we came into competition in the IndyCar Series with the team and myself. We won quite a few races that year and were looking pretty strong. But when you go into a final race and there are five people and it's Texas, anything can happen. There was the big accident at the end, and for Gil to win his last IndyCar race and me to win the IndyCar championship was fantastic."
Gil de Ferran: "I was very much the outsider. Reason being was that I had a big accident in Phoenix and missed scoring any points in that race. And because of the accident, I broke my back and my neck, and I had to sit out round three, in Japan. Effectively, I missed two races. The race I came back was the Indianapolis 500, which I won. From there on, we were looking good and always up front. We were not particularly strong on the mile-and-a-halfs, and I had a terrible race in Chicago with one round to go. That put me in kind of an outside position with an outside chance. We had a test in Texas prior to the championship, and it was a three-day test. I remember having a conversation with Tim (Cindric) and saying really that the team should focus on Helio. Helio went to the test; I didn't go to the test. He did all the setup work. We really focused on trying to give Helio the best chance possible. It was a funny thing. I remember having a conversation with Tim, and I said, 'What do you think?' He said: 'Helio had a good test. I think we should put everything exactly like Helio found best. The whole setup, from top to bottom." So the only change I made the whole weekend was adding half a turn of front wing or something like that. The car was awesome. I qualified on the pole and won the race."
Helio Castroneves: "It was a tough championship. We had five drivers that had the possibility to win the championship. It was amazing, and Texas is an especially tough track. We were right there. I was in third place, and Gil (de Ferran) was in first. Tony Kanaan was in second place and on one of the restarts, I was trying to take advantage and push Gil, and the car slid up a little up. Tony probably came a little bit down, but it was one of those races. We got too close and our wheels got tangled. And both of us at that time lost the championship."
Sam Hornish Jr.: "It was a big year for us. Even after we beat Penske (in 2002), a lot of people were saying, 'Well, It was only Penske. It wasn't all these other guys.' It was kind of tough for me because I knew I was leaving Panther (after 2003 season). I was leading at Texas, and the engine blew up. We had the exact same thing happen at both Indianapolis and Texas, which was burning a hole in the top of the piston. At Texas, all we needed to do was go out and lead the most laps and win, and we were on track being able to do that. With 50 laps to go, we ended up having the same problem. It was a frustrating year for us, but we kept our heads up and felt, in a lot of ways, that it was about as good as it got as far as having an opportunity to win the championship."
2. Teams Testing at Homestead & Indy: Testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway next week will occupy some of the free time IndyCar Series drivers have until they report to Florida for the season-closing Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10.
Three-time defending Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and IndyCar Series championship contender Dario Franchitti will join Vitor Meira, Marco Andretti, Tomas Scheckter and E.J. Viso at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 29-30. Seven drivers will test Sept. 30 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Meira's track action will be his first since being injured in a multi-car crash during the Indianapolis 500 in May.
"We're not going for any track records. I just want to give him some seat time so he can adjust to being back in a race car after being out for so long," team owner A.J. Foyt said.
Foyt, though, didn't give the go-ahead for Meira to compete in the season-ender at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"I don't have the people to put together the proper effort for both Ryan (Hunter-Reay) and Vitor," he said. "When I made the deal with Ryan, I had told him he'd have a ride for the rest of the season because I didn't really know if Vitor would be ready. And even though Vitor has been cleared to drive, the more I thought about it I don't think having his first race back being at Miami is the best thing for Vitor. There's a lot of risk and not that much to be gained. We want to get a good start on 2010 with Vitor and do more testing over the winter so I think it's in all of our interests to have him focus on next year."
Looking to 2010 is the objective of Firestone Racing and IndyCar Series testing at the Brickyard. Castroneves and Franchitti, the 2007 Indy 500 winner, will participate in testing various Firestone Firehawk compounds on the 2.5-mile oval.
Meira, Andretti (Andretti Green Racing) and Viso (HVM Racing) are scheduled to test the effects of the removal of the rear wing end fences and the caution light between the rear wing posts on trailing cars. The yellow caution light adds about 20 pounds of drag to the car, according to Indy Racing League senior technical director Les Mactaggart. He's seeking to improve the wake of the car so a trailing car can run closer at the Speedway.
Testing (9 a.m.-5 p.m. EDT, Sept. 29 and 30) is free for spectators to watch from the stands south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.
"With more Indy 500 victories than all other tire manufacturers combined, the Firestone brand has become synonymous with the Indianapolis 500," Firestone Racing executive director Al Speyer said. "I believe the key to that success is that Firestone Racing has never become complacent. That's why we test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a yearly basis. The environment is always changing - even if it is a lot of small things, the changes add up. The cars change a little bit, and the track surface changes.
"So it's imperative that we go and track test to make sure we've got the best product possible since during the month of May, all eyes are on the IndyCar Series and its drivers, teams, partners and suppliers. And in 2010, the winner of the Indy 500 will cross the finish line on Firestone brand tires for the 61st time in the race's 94-year history."
Fans also can watch testing Sept. 30 (11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.) free at Homestead-Miami Speedway from the fourth floor of the Speedway Club. It'd be an opportune time to purchase tickets to the Firestone Indy 300, which will decide the IndyCar Series champion, and the Firestone Indy Lights race Oct. 9. Scott Dixon, who won from the pole at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval in 2008, holds a five-point lead over Franchitti, his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate. Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe is eight points off the lead.
Scheduled to be on the track are Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green Racing), Sarah Fisher (Sarah Fisher Racing), Alex Lloyd (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing), Raphael Matos (Luczo Dragon Racing), Mario Moraes (KV Racing Technology) and Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing).
"Our first year of hosting the IndyCar Series championship and we get the second-tightest points race in series history," Homsetead-Miami Speedway president Curtis Gray gushed. "Three drivers, eight points, one trophy -- and tickets for just $30 while kids under 12 are free.
"And rest assured Miami knows how to throw a championship party -- here at Homestead-Miami Speedway, up on South Beach, down in the Keys. C'mon down and see IndyCar Series history, but plan on staying a while to soak in all the racing, the tailgating, the music and the parties."
3. IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights drivers race in karting event: Dan Wheldon and Ed Carpenter lead a group of IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights competitors into the Mazda Robo-pong 200 Presented by Bridgestone on Sept. 27 at New Castle (Ind.) Motorsports Park.
The endurance karting event that includes pit stops and driver changes begins at 12:30 p.m. (EDT) at the facility visible from I-70 owned by former IndyCar Series driver Mark Dismore. The race is free for spectators.
Wheldon, a former winner of the event, will again team with Mark Dismore Jr. in the No. 4 Cometkartsales.com kart. Carpenter will co-drive the No. 20 Vision Racing entry with Nathan O'Rourke, an assistant engineer with the IndyCar Series program.
Also entered are 2006 Firestone Indy Lights champion Jay Howard (No. 0 Screaming Talent/H Power/PBIR/Maranello with Joe Paterson), Firestone Indy Lights competitors Brandon Wagner (No. 99 Wagner Racing with Travis Iles), James Davison (No. 21 Vision Racing/Bryan Herta Autosport with Brandon Newey), Gustavo Yacaman (No. 00 Crepes & Waffles-Yacaman Racing/D-Power Engines/sponyoungathletes.com with Camilo Echevarria), Martin Plowman (No. 9 Zanardi Kart USA/Sharing Success Racing/Plowey.com with Eric Morrow), and Bobby Wilson (No. 51 DFR/Supertune USA with Conor Daly).
Conquest Racing owner Eric Bachelart's son, Eliott, will compete in the No. 76 Codalta/Bachelart entry with Matt Codalata.
4. Firestone Indy Lights teams begin preparations for 2010: Even though the 2009 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway is a few weeks away, some Firestone Indy Lights drivers and teams have already begun their plans for the 2010 schedule.
Bryan Herta Autosport, RLR/Andersen Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports and AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing tested potential drivers on Sept. 15-16 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, while Bryan Herta Autosport also tested Sept. 23 at Indiana's Putnam Park.
Firestone Indy Lights rookie Martin Plowman and Star Mazda frontrunner Adam Christodoulou drove for BHA during the two testing sessions.
"We were very happy to provide Adam his first experience in an (Firestone) Indy Lights car," Bryan Herta Autosport co-owner Bryan Herta told junioropenwheeltalent.com
"He has shown this year in Star Mazda that he is a driver with great potential, and he demonstrated his speed and maturity again at the test. Adam is clearly on several teams' short list of drivers for next season, and we will be watching him closely as he tries to win the Star Mazda Championship.
Plowman, who has raced for Panther Racing this season, used the test day with the most-recent race-winning team as a gauge as he evaluates his options for next season.
"Not every team has the same philosophy, so I was able to learn a lot from the test (with BHA)," Plowman said. "It's nice to get a different perspective on things sometimes, and I was able to learn some things while getting a little more experience behind the wheel. I want to do another year in Indy Lights and this was a chance to learn from others teams on where maybe I was lacking this year and how a different team does things."
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season concludes Oct. 10 with the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 4 p.m. (ET) Oct. 10 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A one-hour qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 9. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season concludes with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (ET).
REARVIEW MIRROR: A LOOK BACK AT CLASSIC INDYCAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP RACES
Sept 2 2009
Just eight points separate IndyCar Series championship leaders Scott Dixon (570 points), Dario Franchitti (565) and Ryan Briscoe (562) entering the season-ending Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will be the 10th time in 14 IndyCar Series seasons that the title will be decided at the final race. This is the second of a six-part series looking back at some of the classic championship races in IndyCar Series history. Today, 2002: Hornish vs. Castroneves
When: 2002
Who: Sam Hornish Jr., Helio Castroneves
Where: Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 8, 2002), Texas Motor Speedway (Sept. 15, 2002)
The story:
The stage was set for an epic season when Penske Racing moved to the IndyCar Series full time starting in 2002 with two-time defending Champ Car champion Gil de Ferran and 2001 Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Panther Racing and Sam Hornish Jr., winners of the 2001 IndyCar Series title, emerged immediately as the main challengers to Penske by winning the season-opening Grand Prix of Miami on March 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with de Ferran and Castroneves finishing second and third, respectively.
Hornish, Castroneves and de Ferran occupied the top three in the point standings for the entire 15-race season. The gap between the trio in the standings was less than 20 points after eight of those 15 events.
Castroneves led teammate de Ferran by one point, 437-436, with just two races to go. Hornish was third, just eight points behind Castroneves. But Hornish capped a stirring return to the top of the standings by winning the last two races of the season. He captured the Delphi Indy 300 on Sept. 8 at Chicagoland Speedway by .0024 of a second over Al Unser Jr. and the Chevy 500 on Sept. 15 at Texas Motor Speedway by .0096 of a second over Castroneves, clinching the title by 20 points, 531-511, over Castroneves. De Ferran never got a chance to race for the title at Texas. He missed the season finale after suffering a concussion and fractured wrist in a crash Sept. 8 during the race at Chicagoland.
Hornish and Panther claimed their second consecutive IndyCar Series title despite trailing Castroneves and Penske by 61 points after the Radisson Indy 225 at Pikes Peak International Raceway on June 16, the halfway point of the season.
What They Say Now:
Sam Hornish Jr.: "Probably the biggest thing was everybody discounted what we did in 2001 and said there wasn't any competition. Since Penske got there, you guys aren't going to be able to compete anymore. And to be able to go out and silence some of the critics … I think I looked at it a little bit as we want to run well, we want to beat them (Penske), but it was more of just let's go out there and do the same things that got us the title in 2001. There were a couple of times where I made mistakes, and that kept us from having a bigger cushion at the end of the year. In 2001, we ran all but four laps that year. If I had been a little more patient (in 2002), it would have been better. There were a couple times where I was more about just being able to beat the 3 (Castroneves) and the 6 (Gil de Ferran) than worrying about the championship. So I did let a little of that get into my mind, but at the end of the day, we were still able to do what it took. I feel that we all felt that if we did the same thing as last year (2001), we ought to be able to run pretty good. I'd rather go out and win a couple of races than feel like I finished second every race and won the championship. It may not be the smartest way to think, but you never know if you're going to go out there and get an opportunity to race again. So you want to get out there, and you want to finish it off good. That's how I always looked at it. It's kind of hard for me to just sit and ride."
Helio Castroneves: "In 2002, the grand finale was at Texas. I needed to win the race, and Sam (Hornish Jr.) needed to finish third. We were battling there and it was very close, not only for the race, but for the championship. At one point, Sam went to the outside and felt something. I looked on the mirror, and he was right there. I was like, 'Dude, what are you doing?' But it was a lot of fun. It was great. Again, we ended up losing the championship again, but a great year for Team Penske."
The 2009 IndyCar Series season concludes Oct. 10 with the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 4 p.m. (ET) Oct. 10 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A one-hour qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 6 p.m. Oct. 9. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season concludes with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sept 21 2009
INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES - Sept. 21, 2009
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Stage set for "Winner-Take-All" race in South Florida
2. Rearview mirror: Classic IndyCar Series championship races
3. Fans can vote for Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race
1. Stage set for "Winner-Take-All" race in South Florida: Last month, when the IndyCar Series transitioned from the road/street course to the oval portion of the schedule, reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon predicted that the driver title would be decided in the season finale.
"It's what we expect for IndyCar," he said. "It's going to come down to the final lap, the final corner of Miami."
For the fourth consecutive year, it will be a shootout for the championship. Dixon enters the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with 570 points. Teammate Dario Franchitti is second with 565, and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe has 562.
"I guess we don't need a 'Chase (for the championship),''' Franchitti said.
It's a winner-take-all scenario for Dixon and Franchitti - as it was in 2007, when Franchitti prevailed when Dixon ran out of fuel on the final lap at Chicagoland Speedway. There are a few additional criteria for Briscoe to claim his first title based on bonus points (one for earning the PEAK Performance Pole Award and two for leading the most laps in the Firestone Indy 300).
• If Briscoe wins the pole and the race, he wins the championship.
• If Briscoe wins the race and leads the most laps, he wins the championship.
• If Briscoe wins the race, earns the pole and leads the most laps, he wins the championship.
• If Briscoe wins the race but doesn't score any bonus points, Dixon can win the title if he finishes second and leads the most laps.
• Dixon will win any tiebreaker over Briscoe.
Eight points between first and third is the second-closest margin in IndyCar Series history with one race remaining, and the five points between first and second is the fourth-closest.
"It's going to be a hell of a show at Homestead," Franchitti added.
• Dixon has two victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway (from the pole in 2008 and coming from the 12th starting position in 2003 - both years he won the series title), and two other top-five finishes in six races at the 1.5-mile oval.
• Franchitti has a high finish of fourth (2006) and a pair of seventh-place finishes in five visits to South Florida.
• Briscoe started third in the 2008 opener (his first race with Team Penske), but was involved in a Lap 127 accident and finished 19th. He finished 22nd in his only other start (2005 with Target Chip Ganassi Racing).
Dixon vaulted to the top of the standings with a victory in the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi last weekend while Briscoe's miscue exiting pit lane - in which the left-front suspension of the No. 6 car incurred damage from brushing the inside retaining wall and running over a timing line cone -- cost him position (finishing 18th) and points (the results marking a 41-point swing). Franchitti finished second for his 12th top five in 16 races.
"The good thing is that it's only eight points to Scott," said Briscoe, whose run of top-five finishes that included two victories ended at seven. "I feel real good going into Homestead. We've been strong on all the (1.5-mile ovals) this year (but) it's going to be a tough one.
"I think it's a flip of a coin really who is the favorite going there between myself, Scott or Dario. I think all of us are fully capable of winning at that track. We're just going to have to be on our game, make everything absolutely perfect, be strong."
Not by design, but the contenders will put in a day of testing on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval Sept. 25.
"It's going to be a crazy race," Dixon said. "Obviously, the three of us are going to be pushing to the maximum."
2. Rearview mirror: Classic IndyCar Series championship races: Just eight points separate IndyCar Series championship leaders Scott Dixon (570 points), Dario Franchitti (565) and Ryan Briscoe (562) entering the season-ending Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will be the 10th time in 14 IndyCar Series seasons that the title will be decided at the final race. This is the first of a six-part series looking back at some of the classic championship races in IndyCar Series history. Today: 1996-97: Stewart vs. Hamilton
When: 1996-97
Who: Tony Stewart, Davey Hamilton
Where: New Hampshire International Speedway (Aug. 17, 1997), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 11, 1997)
The story:
Tony Stewart led fellow American Davey Hamilton by seven points, 233-226, in the standings entering the second-to-last race of the season, at New Hampshire. Hamilton suffered engine failure in his AJ Foyt Power Team Racing G Force/Aurora/Goodyear on Lap 121 of the 200-lap race, finishing 17th. But Stewart couldn't capitalize after also having engine problems on Lap 174, finishing 14th in his Glidden/Menards Special G Force/Aurora/Firestone. He carried a 10-point lead, 254-244, over Hamilton into the season finale at Las Vegas.
At Las Vegas, Hamilton qualified a season-best second, Stewart third. Both drivers encountered problems during the event, neither finishing on the lead lap. Hamilton managed a seventh-place finish, one lap down. But it wasn't enough as Stewart finished 11th, four laps down, to clinch the series title by six points, 278-272, over Hamilton.
What They Say Now:
Tony Stewart: "I know the last race at Las Vegas when we won the championship, there was actually a point in the race where I hit the wall. I very lightly hit it, but those are cars that you don't normally graze the wall and don't have damage or significant damage. For Davey and I, we had both been competitive and on our game all year. For some reason, when we both ran Vegas that night - I don't know if the nerves got the best of us or what - but we both had an off night. Neither one of us were a contender to win the race, but it was a matter of who could just battle through the problems to win that night. It was one of those championships that didn't come easy. At that time, it was the pinnacle of my career. To be an Indiana kid and have the chance to race at Indy and not only to have that opportunity but to have the chance to race for an IndyCar championship. Man, it was just an unbelievable moment. And of all things and all people, to get to race against a good friend of mine, Davey Hamilton, for that championship made it that much more special. To go from Midgets and Sprint cars to all of a sudden racing in the IRL and having a shot at the championship there, it was just a dream to have that opportunity."
Davey Hamilton: "In '97 when I was against Stewart, we blew an engine in New Hampshire. That was tough for me because I knew right then I was going to lose it (championship). It wasn't going to happen. But then a few laps later, Tony had some problems, too, and he went out. So it was game back on again. It was cool. I remember fighting right down to the end at Vegas. Both of us had problems at that particular race. Neither of us finished well. We both had a terrible day. It came down to him beating me fairly. But he got it done. I'm from Idaho and a short-track guy, and being in that position was pretty cool. I had a lot of confidence going into that race (Las Vegas). I really thought we could get the job done. You know what? It's this deal where you tell yourself we got here for a reason, we got here racing the way we race. But I'll be honest, it's hard to not race just that one guy. We tried not to change anything, and I tried not to change the way I was doing anything. But at the end of the day, any time that I saw Tony or was around Tony, I always kept track of where he was. You can't help that. I'll guarantee you the guys right now, Dario, Briscoe and Dixon, they're doing the same thing. They're paying attention to the race, but they're definitely paying attention to where each other are running during the race, for sure."
3. Fans can vote for Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race: The $10,000 prize is awarded after each IndyCar Series race to the driver who best utilizes his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. This week's nominees are Scott Dixon for beating Dario Franchitti out of the pits for the lead on Lap 161, Mario Moraes for overcoming an early setback to score his third consecutive top five and Oriol Servia for a hard-fought fourth place. Fans can vote at www.indycar.com.
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season concludes Oct. 10 with the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 4 p.m. (ET) Oct. 10 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A one-hour qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 9. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season concludes with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (ET
Sept 19 2002
DIXON WINS INDY JAPAN 300, TAKES POINTS LEAD TO MIAMI
MOTEGI, Japan (Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009) - Scott Dixon claimed his fifth victory of the season, winning the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi to take over the IndyCar Series points lead with one race remaining.
Dixon, who started from the pole position and led a field-high 149 of 200 laps, took the lead for good on the 164th lap and finished 1.4475 seconds ahead of Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti. Graham Rahal finished third, while Mario Moraes, who started on the front row for the first time in his 30-plus races, overcame an early pit miscue to wind up fifth - his third consecutive top five. Danica Patrick, who won at Twin Ring Motegi last year, finished sixth.
Ryan Briscoe, who entered the race as the points leader, saw his chances winning the race and all but clinch the series championship dwindle after he made a mistake after a pit stop on Lap 106. As the No. 6 Team Penske car exited pit lane, Briscoe swerved as he lit up the tires, brushed the inside retaining wall and ran over a cone at the end of the pit lane. After multiple pit stops to repair the damage, he rejoined the race, but had dropped to 19th.
Dixon now leads the standings with 570 points, followed by Franchitti, who has 565. Briscoe, who went into the race with a 25-point lead over Franchitti and a 32-point lead over Dixon, finished 18th and has 562 points.
That's the second-closest 1-3 gap in series history (2003) and the 14th change atop the standings in the 16 races.
DAY 2 NOTEBOOK:
Brawn GP driver Jenson Button, the current point leader in Formula 1, is attending today's race as a guest of Honda.
***
Luczo Dragon Racing driver Raphael Matos fell in the hotel overnight and is driving with a sore wrist.
***
Vision Racing has created a tribute to three crew members that did not make the trip to Japan. Cardboard cutouts of Nathan O'Rourke, Dave Bishop and Dan Rushing have been taped to the team's pit stand.
INDY JAPAN 300 POST-RACE NOTES:
· This is Scott Dixon's fifth win of the season and the 21st of his IndyCar Series career. His last win came at Mid-Ohio.
· It is the 22nd win of Scott Dixon's open-wheel career tying Tony Bettenhausen, Helio Castroneves, Emerson Fittipaldi and Dario Franchitti for 16th on the list of all-time open-wheel wins.
· This is Target Chip Ganassi Racing's ninth win of the season and its 33rd win in the IndyCar Series.
· Dario Franchitti finished second, his 12th top-five finish and eighth podium finish of the season.
· Graham Rahal finished third, his fifth top-five finish of the season.
· Oriol Servia finished fourth, his best finish of the season and matching his career-best finish of fourth at Belle Isle in 2008.
· Mario Moraes finished fifth, his third-straight top-five finish.
Sept 18 2009
MOTEGI, Japan -
Ryan Briscoe had the IndyCar Series championship sewn up just past the halfway point of the Indy Japan 300. He just had to remain clear of trouble, such as a yellow cone with "end of pit road speed limit" in bold block lettering on it.
It bit the sophomore Team Penske driver, shunting his title drive heading into the season finale Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Briscoe's miscue exiting the pits on Lap 106 -- when the No. 6 car swerved, brushed the inside retaining wall and ran over the time line cone -- was costly for position and points.
Scott Dixon, who entered the seventh annual race at the 1.52-mile oval 33 points behind Briscoe in the standings, gave Target Chip Ganassi Racing its first victory in Japan. Teammate Dario Franchitti was 1.4475 seconds back and Graham Rahal finished third.
Briscoe was credited with 18th place. So it's another shootout in the season finale, with Dixon pacing the contenders with 570 points. Franchitti has 565 and Briscoe has 562. It's the second-closest 1-3 gap in series history (2003).
MOTEGI, Japan - Ryan Briscoe had the IndyCar Series championship sewn up just past the halfway point of the Indy Japan 300. He just had to remain clear of trouble, such as a yellow cone with "end of pit road speed limit" in bold block lettering on it.
It bit the sophomore Team Penske driver, shunting his title drive heading into the season finale Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Briscoe's miscue exiting the pits on Lap 106 -- when the No. 6 car swerved, brushed the inside retaining wall and ran over the time line cone -- was costly for position and points.
Scott Dixon, who entered the seventh annual race at the 1.52-mile oval 33 points behind Briscoe in the standings, gave Target Chip Ganassi Racing its first victory in Japan. Teammate Dario Franchitti was 1.4475 seconds back and Graham Rahal finished third.
Briscoe was credited with 18th place. So it's another shootout in the season finale, with Dixon pacing the contenders with 570 points. Franchitti has 565 and Briscoe has 562. It's the second-closest 1-3 gap in series history (2003).
MOTEGI, Japan - Qualifying Friday for the Indy Japan 300 IndyCar Series event on the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine and speed:
1. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 202.031
2. (5) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 201.504
3. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 201.395
4. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 200.849
5. (02) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 200.649
6. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 200.519
7. (06) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 199.703
8. (4) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 199.693
9. (18) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 199.489
10. (23) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 199.354
11. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 199.164
12. (2) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 198.907
13. (24) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 198.858
14. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 198.557
15. (14) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 198.226
16. (34) Kosuke Matsuura, Dallara-Honda, 197.921
17. (43) Roger Yasukawa, Dallara-Honda, 197.498
18. (13) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 197.443
19. (33) Robert Doornbos, Dallara-Honda, 196.756
20. (98) Stanton Barrett, Dallara-Honda, 190.878
21. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, no speed
22. (27) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, no speed
23. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, no speed
DIXON CLAIMS PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE AWARD FOR INDY JAPAN 300
MOTEGI, Japan, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 - Two-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon earned the PEAK Performance Pole Award with a dramatic qualifying run to win his first pole of the season at the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi.
Dixon, the 23rd and final driver to qualify, recorded a four-lap average of 202.031 mph to knock Mario Moraes from the top spot. More importantly, Dixon, who sits third in the championship point standings, claimed the bonus point that goes to the pole winner. He's 32 behind championship points leader Ryan Briscoe entering the penultimate race of the season.
Briscoe, driving the No. 6 Team Penske car (200.849 mph), will join Dario Franchitti (201.395), who is 25 points behind Briscoe, on Row 2. Graham Rahal (200.649) and Danica Patrick (200.519), the defending race champion, will be on Row 3. Oriol Servia qualified a season-best seventh (199.703), which also is his IndyCar Series-high on an oval. He'll be joined by two-time race winner Dan Wheldon (199.693) on Row 4.
Former Motegi winner Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan will start the race from the back of the pack. Castroneves made heavy contact with SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 4 on his third qualifying lap while Kanaan, who qualified 14th (198.560), was sent to the rear of the grid after the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car failed post-qualifying technical inspection. Andretti Green Racing driver Hideki Mutoh also will start toward the rear after the No. 27 Formula Dream car made contact with the Turn 3 SAFER Barrier on his second qualifying lap.
DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:
This is the seventh IndyCar Series event held at Twin Ring Motegi. Danica Patrick is the defending race winner. Helio Castroneves won the Peak Performance Pole Award last year. Four former IndyCar Series winners at Twin Ring Motegi -Dan Wheldon (2004-2005), Helio Castroneves (2006), Tony Kanaan (2007) and Patrick (2008) - are entered.
***
Live timing and scoring reports from Indy Japan 300 will be available on the Internet at www.indycar.com. The live timing and scoring module provides statistical information, including track segment speeds, lap information and much more. Feature stories, reports, driver quotes and notes, and photos will be posted on the site each day. More detailed information, including media advisories and VNR coordinates, is available at www.indycar.com/media. The user name is media and the password is indycar. The username and password are case-sensitive. Real-time race information is also available via twitter at www.twitter.com/indycarpr.
***
Mario Moraes carries a load of momentum into the Indy Japan 300 on Sept. 19 at Twin Ring Motegi.
Moraes, who arrived in Japan last weekend to adjust to the 13-hour (from Eastern Daylight Time) time difference and experience the culture, is among nine IndyCar Series drivers who will compete on the 1.5-mile oval for the first time. At Chicagoland Speedway on Aug. 29, Moraes recorded an IndyCar Series-high third-place finish in the No. 5 Azul Tequila/Votorantim/KV Racing Technology car. He finished fourth on the Infineon Raceway road course a week earlier.
"After the last two ovals (Kentucky and Chicagoland), we know we have a very fast car and even though the layout of the track in Motegi is different I am confident we can have a good race," he said.
The race will mark the first race at Twin Ring Motegi featuring a unified field. In the wake of unification of open-wheel racing under the IndyCar Series banner in 2008, the race dates for Twin Ring Motegi and Long Beach fell on the same weekend. The IndyCar Series regulars competed in Japan while the transitioning teams participated in the Champ Car finale.
***
E.J. Viso traveled to Tokyo to spend some time with a Venezuelan.
The HVM Racing driver attended a baseball game Sept. 13 between the Seibu Lions and the Orix Buffalos, where he met Orix infielder Alex Cabrera.
"It was a fantastic experience going to a baseball game outside the U.S. or Venezuela," Viso said. "Japanese fans are very passionate and the game was very close so we had some nice singing and shouting by both sides' fans."
***
A.J. Foyt decided to follow his doctor's advice and not make the trip to Japan after suffering an infection in his leg last month from which he has not completely recovered.
"I wanted to go to Japan and felt like I needed to go but my doctor didn't think it was a good idea because of the possibility of blood clots from the long flight," he said. "My leg is still pretty swollen and they want me to go into the hospital to get it treated and keep it elevated but I won't do that. I'd go crazy lying around in there for four to five days. Besides, I have too much to do."
Team director Larry Foyt will be the race strategist for Ryan Hunter-Reay.
***
For 2009, Firestone Racing engineers have developed a unique tire specification for the Motegi event. These Firestone Firehawk racing tires use our superspeedway (Texas, Kansas, Chicagoland) construction with compounds that are close to the grip and wear levels found in our Indianapolis 500 tires. Firestone Engineers have determined that this is the best formula for the unique, egg-shaped oval at Twin Ring Motegi.
***
Stanton Barrett's seat for the No. 98 Team 3G entry grew cold over the past four months and 11 races.
Since Barrett crashed in Turn 2 during a practice session at The Milwaukee Mile, Jaques Lazier on the ovals and 2008 Firestone Indy Lights runner-up Richard Antinucci on the road/street circuits have taken the wheel. Barrett returns to the IndyCar Series for the Indy Japan 300 this weekend at Twin Ring Motegi.
"I am thrilled to be back in IndyCar for the Japan race and plan on coming back strong," said Barrett, whose high finish of his inaugural IndyCar Series season is 12th in the opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Interush will be the primary sponsor, with a unique associate sponsor on the No. 98 car in Bantam Books' "Family Affair," a novel by Caprice Crane.
"I am excited to have this opportunity with publisher Bantam Books having "Family Affair" as one of our sponsors," said Barrett, a longtime and sought-after stuntman. "It is very exciting to share three things I love and have a passion for - the movie business, great creative novels and auto racing. For the first time in my career, I have the opportunity to run a sponsorship from someone who is part of the film industry, which I have worked in for over 22 years."
***
Luczo Dragon Racing rookie Raphael Matos has finished ninth (scoring 64 points) in each of the past three races (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Infineon Raceway road course, Chicagoland Speedway oval). The drivers with more point in those races: championship points leader Ryan Briscoe (134), Dario Franchitti (120), Scott Dixon (109), Hideki Mutoh (72), Mario Moraes (67) and Graham Rahal (66).
***
Graham Rahal will have some valued assistance when making his first start on the challenging 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi oval. Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing's Martin Pare was the engineer on Danica Patrick's winning car in 2008.
"I sure expect the McDonald's team to be competitive; our target is top five in the championship," said Pare of Rahal, who enters the penultimate IndyCar Series race of the season eighth in the standings. "It will be challenging but that's why we do this right?"
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing driver Oriol Servia will work with a new race engineer this weekend as Todd Malloy and his wife recently welcomed the birth of their second child, Ardyn. Senior engineer Craig Hampson will be the race engineer for the No. 06 car.
***
Firestone Racing engineers have developed a unique tire specification for the Twin Ring Motegi event. The Firestone Firehawk racing tires use the superspeedway (Texas, Kansas, Chicagoland) construction with compounds that are close to the grip and wear levels found in the Indianapolis 500 tires.
Honda Performance Development has set the overtake assist system for 20 pushes for a duration of 15 seconds each. There is a 10-second recharge interval.
***
IndyCar Series driver Milka Duno has been selected as a Special Achievement Honoree in the sports category as part of the NCLR ALMA Awards (8-10 p.m. EDT Sept. 18 on ABC).
Duno also will co-present the Male Actor/TV Comedy award with Rainn Wilson from the TV show "The Office."
The 11th NCLR ALMA Awards, co-hosted by film and television actors Eva Longoria Parker and George Lopez, pays tribute to Latino heritage in film, music, television and sports. September is National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Eleven Honda dealerships from Motegi to Tokyo have an interesting tie-in with the Indy Japan 300. Eleven drivers promoting the IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi have been featured through in-store multimedia platforms with a race ticket component. Take a test drive and purchase a ticket. Stop by for an oil change and purchase a ticket. The dealership name is in Japanese letters under the Honda logo on the engine cover.
Ticket-holders will occupy grandstand sections specific to their driver/dealership, with an add-on of having a group photo taken with the driver before the 200-lap race. More than 1,000 tickets were sold through the program.
STATEMENT REGARDING VERSUS COVERAGE ON DIRECTV
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 - The following is a statement from the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series, regarding VERSUS' coverage of the Indy Japan 300 on DirecTV:
"We have been in constant communication with our television partner VERSUS regarding its negotiations with DirecTV. Talks have been ongoing and, while we're hopeful for a speedy resolution, we do not anticipate coverage of the Indy Japan 300 on DirecTV this weekend.
"As announced earlier in the week, there will be comprehensive coverage of practice, qualifying and the race on IndyCar.com. We could not be happier with the partnership we have forged in just over a year with VERSUS and look forward to a long and healthy relationship. Both VERSUS and the IndyCar Series share the frustration of DirecTV subscribers and we are hopeful that the two sides will continue talks and that DirecTV subscribers will have the ability to view IndyCar Series coverage for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway."
The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues Sept. 19 with the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 10:30 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 18 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A one-hour qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 6 p.m. on Sept. 18. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast by Live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (EDT).
Media Contacts:
John Griffin, Indy Racing League, (317) 492-6579, jgriffin@indycar.com
Amy Konrath, Indy Racing League, (317) 492-6453, akonrath@indycar.com
World Wide Web: http://www.indycar.com
Sept 14 2009
For Immediate Release
INDYCAR.COM OFFERS FREE STREAMING COVERAGE OF INDY JAPAN 300
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Sept. 14, 2009) - IndyCar Series fans unable to attend the Indy Japan 300 can still watch all the on-track activity from Twin Ring Motegi via live streaming on the internet. Every practice sessions, PEAK Performance Pole qualifying and the Indy Japan 300 will be available for free on the Indy Racing League's official website, www.indycar.com.
Race day activities will be available via IndyCar Race Control presented by iRacing.com, which immerses the viewer in the on-track action with in-car camera views, real-time telemetry, Timing & Scoring and more. Again, it's free but fans must sign up at http://indycarnation.indycar.com/racecontrol/
Fans located in countries around the world that do not receive IndyCar Series event telecasts will be able to purchase a full television broadcast of IndyCar Series races on indycar.com for $3.99.
The IndyCar Series broadcast rights-holder partners, working together with the IndyCar Series, are making the telecasts available online, direct to fans in countries where no one has the rights to telecast the IndyCar Series on broadcast, cable or pay TV.
In countries where the rights are contracted to a broadcast or cable partner, the pay-per-view online product is not available, however, fans will still be able to watch IndyCar Race Control for free.
Visit the Media Center on indycar.com and check for the scheduled race event. Once the event is available you will be able to log on and determine whether you are eligible to purchase the broadcast for viewing online.
This weekend's streaming lineup (Eastern Daylight Time):
Thursday, Sept. 17
8 p.m. -- Practice for rookies and those outside the top 10 in points.
8:30 p.m. -- One-hour practice for all cars.
11:30 p.m. -- 45-minute practice for the first of two groups (second group immediately follows).
Friday, Sept. 18
2:30 a.m. -- Four-lap qualifications to set the grid.
9:30 p.m. -- Pre-race activities followed by the 200-lap race.
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues Sept. 19 with the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 10:30 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 18 by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. A one-hour qualifying show will air on VERSUS at 6 p.m. on Sept. 18. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Homestead-Miami 100 on Oct. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast by Live by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (EDT).
Aug 30 2009
FIRESTONE FIREHAWK RACE REPORT
IndyCar Series - Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300
Chicagoland Speedway - Joliet, Illinois
Saturday, August 29, 2009 - Round 15 of 17
Top-5 Finishers: 1. Ryan Briscoe; 2. Scott Dixon; 3. Mario Moraes; 4. Dario Franchitti; 5. Graham Rahal.
Race Temperatures: Track ranged from 63°-60° F (17°-16° C) and ambient from 60°-59 °F (16°-15°C).
Firestone Tire Performance Recap: Despite chilly, windy conditions, the new Firehawk tire specification for Chicagoland performed spectacularly, promoting exciting tire-to-tire racing from start to finish. Drivers were able to take their cars wherever they needed on the track, and Ryan Briscoe relied on his Firehawks to carve his way to the front and take the win by 0.0077 of a second.
From race winner Ryan Briscoe, #6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "The Firehawks were great, really held up to the cold conditions and were very consistent over a long run. No complaints."
From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "We weren't sure if last year's great Chicagoland finish could be duplicated, but it sure was tonight! It was an incredible night of racing from the drop of the green flag to start the race to the checkered flag at the end. We know the Firestone tires had a great deal to do with that. Even though it was a cold August night, the Firehawks gave the drivers the grip and consistency to run hard every single lap, and to maneuver their cars anywhere necessary to make those daring passes. What's amazing is that the top 13 finishers were closer together at the end of 300 miles (separated by 0.82 of a second) than they were at the beginning of the race. It says a lot for the tires that all the drivers felt so comfortable running two- and three-wide and so closely packed all night."
Firestone "Tire-ific" Move of the Race: This $10,000 prize is awarded after each IndyCar Series race to the driver best utilizing his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. Nominees from tonight's race are: Ryan Briscoe, for his perfectly timed winning pass on the next-to-last lap; Mario Moraes, for an impressive drive to a career-best third-place finish; and Graham Rahal, for challenging for the win before finishing a blink of the eye back in fifth. Fans can vote through Wednesday at www.indycar.com to determine the recipient. This award winner will be named at the Sept. 19 race at Twin Ring Motegi. In pre-race ceremonies tonight, Mike Conway was presented the Tire-ific award for his last-lap pass for third place last week at Infineon Raceway.
IndyCar Series
PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300
JOLIET, Ill. - Results Saturday of the PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 IndyCar Series event at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (1) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
2. (6) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
3. (8) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
4. (3) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
5. (5) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
6. (12) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
7. (9) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
8. (14) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
9. (17) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
10. (15) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
11. (7) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
12. (10) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
13. (4) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
14. (19) Sarah Fisher, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
15. (18) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
16. (16) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
17. (20) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
18. (22) Robert Doornbos, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
19. (23) Jaques Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 195, Running
20. (2) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 184, Contact
21. (21) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 155, Mechanical
22. (11) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 95, Mechanical
23. (13) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 90, Contact
Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 177.826 mph
Time of race: 1:42:34.3051
Margin of victory: 0.0077 of a second
Cautions: 3 caution flags for 23 laps
Lead changes: 18 among 6 drivers
Lap leaders: Briscoe 1-46, Dixon 47-55, Briscoe 56-59, Dixon
60, Briscoe 61-74, Castroneves 75-95, Dixon 96-102,
Castroneves 103, Dixon 104-106, Castroneves 107, Dixon 108-
112, Scheckter 113-116, Kanaan 117-123, Franchitti 124-157,
Briscoe 158-160, Dixon 161-195, Briscoe 196-197, Dixon 198,
Briscoe 199-200.
Point standings: Briscoe 550, Franchitti 525, Dixon 517,
Castroneves 383, Patrick 353, Andretti 342, Kanaan 335, Rahal
331, Wheldon 318, Wilson 316.
Aug 28 2009
PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 IndyCar Series event on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine and speed:
1. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 215.364
2. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 215.202
3. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 214.973
4. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 214.661
5. (02) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 214.556
6. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 214.494
7. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 214.470
8. (5) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 214.331
9. (06) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 214.126
10. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 214.104
11. (4) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 213.808
12. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 213.331
13. (27) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 213.256
14. (43) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 213.218
15. (18) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 213.011
16. (24) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 212.671
17. (2) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 212.387
18. (14) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 212.337
19. (67) Sarah Fisher, Dallara-Honda, 212.125
20. (13) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 211.586
21. (23) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 211.465
22. (33) Robert Doornbos, Dallara-Honda, 211.169
23. (98) Jaques Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 208.333
JOLIET, Ill. -
Qualifying Saturday for the Chicagoland 100 Firestone Indy Lights event
The 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver and speed:
1. (32) Brandon Wagner, 189.954
2. (27) Sebastian Saavedra, 189.942
3. (11) Wade Cunningham, 189.424
4. (24) Mike Potekhen, 188.938
5. (16) Pippa Mann, 188.300
6. (21) James Davison, 188.246
7. (7) James Hinchcliffe, 188.158
8. (15) Martin Plowman, 188.037
9. (28) Daniel Herrington, 187.769
10. (5) Mario Romancini, 187.631
11. (35) Charlie Kimball, 186.873
12. (37) Richard Philippe, 186.510
13. (26) J.R. Hildebrand, 183.790
14. (2) Andrew Prendeville, 177.922
15. (20) Ana Beatriz, no speed
16. (55) Rodrigo Barbosa, no speed
INDYCAR CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS TO VISIT MIAMI
Drivers and championship trophy to arrive via high-speed boat on the river
Contenders in high-speed pursuit of the IndyCar Series championship will make a stop in Miami in advance of the title-deciding race Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon - along with the championship trophy -- will arrive via high-speed boat at Finnegan's River at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, Sept. 1. Following the photo opportunity, all drivers will be available for one-on-one interviews.
In one on the most contested title races in history, there have been 13 different points leaders in 14 races - with the current difference between first and third a mere 20 points.
WHAT: Photo/Interview Opportunity
WHO: RYAN BRISCOE, Team Penske
DARIO FRANCHITTI, Target Chip Ganassi Racing
SCOTT DIXON, Target Chip Ganassi Racing
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 1
WHERE: Finnegan's River 401 SW 3rd Avenue Miami, FL 33130
BRISCOE WINS PEAK PERFORMANCE
POLE AT CHICAGOLAND
JOLIET, Ill., Friday, Aug.28, 2009 - IndyCar Series points leader Ryan Briscoe earned his fourth pole position of the season - and the crucial championship point that goes with it - by winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award for the PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Briscoe, who started from the pole in last year's race at Chicagoland, had a four-lap average of 215.364 mph in the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone to knock his teammate Helio Castroneves out of the top spot. Castroneves' No. 3 Team Penske car will start second - the third front-row 1-2 start for the teammates this season.
Dario Franchitti, who trails Briscoe by five points heading into the 200-lap race, will start third, will share Row 2 with Andretti Green Racing's Tony Kanaan (214.661), driving the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven/Oscar Meyer Big Bite car.
Franchitti's teammate and IndyCar Series championship contender Scott Dixon will start sixth
Aug 27 2009
INDYCAR SERIES ANNOUNCES MODIFICATIONS TO 2010 SCHEDULE
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 11:31 AM
From:
"Indy Racing League" <indyracingleague@indycar.com>
INDYCAR SERIES ANNOUNCES MODIFICATIONS TO 2010 SCHEDULE
INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 - Indy Racing League officials today confirmed the date for the 2010 IndyCar Series event at Kentucky Speedway and announced changes to the dates for the 2010 IndyCar Series races held at Texas Motor Speedway and Twin Ring Motegi.
"We worked with our promoter partners to ensure they had race dates that fit their needs and worked for the series as well," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League, sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series."Both Texas Motor Speedway and Twin Ring Motegi came to us in recent weeks looking to make adjustments based on various factors and we were happy to work with them to make the appropriate changes."
The Texas 550k IndyCar Series race will shift its 2010 date up a week to Saturday night, June 5, the weekend immediately follow the Indianapolis 500 to help Texas Motor Speedway keep the IndyCar Series and NASCAR Trucks doubleheader weekend intact.
"I have always been a proponent of that off week between Indy and us, but we hope the back-to-back races create even more momentum for the IndyCar Series and Texas Motor Speedway,'' Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said. "It was important for us to keep this combination weekend together because it has been a tradition at Texas Motor Speedway since we opened in 1997. We looked at a variety of options, but felt this was the best for our fans and we are appreciative of the IRL's flexibility."
The Kentucky race, which was announced as a Labor Day weekend event, will be held on Saturday night, Sept. 4, while the Indy Japan 300 will be held on Sunday, Sept. 19.
"We think we can take this race and make it even better, so we were happy the holiday weekend date was available," said Kentucky Speedway general manager Mark Simendinger. "We're thrilled with the history we've had with the IndyCar Series and next season will be no different as our event begins the closing three-race stretch of the season. With the investment we've made and will make in amenities such as camping, we think our event will make an excellent destination weekend."
The Indy Japan 300 will shift one day later to help Twin Ring Motegi take advantage of a national holiday on Sept. 20.
The complete 2010 IndyCar Series schedule:
Date Location Venue
Sunday, March 14 Brazil TBA
Sunday, March 28 Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. 1.8-mile street course
Sunday, April 11 Barber Motorsports Park 2.38-mile road course
Sunday, April 18 Streets of Long Beach, Calif. 1.968-mile street course
Saturday, May 1 Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval
Saturday, June 5* Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, June 20 Iowa Speedway .875-mile oval
Sunday, July 4Watkins Glen International 3.37-mile road course
Sunday, July 18 Streets of Toronto 1.721-mile street course
Sunday, July 25 Edmonton City Centre Airport 1.973-mile airport course
Sunday, Aug. 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2.258-mile road course
Sunday, Aug. 22 Infineon Raceway 2.245-mile road course
Saturday, Aug. 28* Chicagoland Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Saturday, Sept. 4* Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, Sept.19 Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval
Saturday, Oct. 2 Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-mile oval
* Denotes night race
Schedule Subject to Change
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues Aug. 29 with the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 9 p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. A one-hour qualifying show will be telecast by VERSUS at 6 p.m. (EDT) Aug. 28. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Chicagoland 100 on Aug. 29 at Chicagoland Speedway. The race will be telecast at 4 p.m. (EDT) on Aug. 31 by VERSUS
