How Sweet it is for TK to Taste Milk!!!
Spike Rogan is a contributing writer and Op-Ed columnist for Open Paddock. When not at the race track, he works in sports media for a minor league soccer club, and works in law enforcement. While we can never have Dan Wheldon back, his hard work and brilliance lives on in these DW12 cars. He really shaped the series back to its glorious past—great racing, competition, excitement. Many of us (myself included) feared a single chassis series was the... [Read More...]
Spike’s World: Can anyone hear IndyCar?
Constabul Spike Rogan: OpenPaddock’s IndyCar Op-Ed writer We have all heard the saying, “If a tree fell in the woods and no one was there, would it make a sound?”. In this case, the woods are IMS, and the sounds? Everything from Carb Day coverage to Pole Day radio coverage. Did it ever make a sound? Last weekend I had to drive to Chester, Pennsylvania for an MLS game. During the rain delay at IMS, the IMS radio network informed listeners... [Read More...]
IndyCar is back home to Pocono in 2013
More than just a chilly autumn wind blew into Pocono Raceway today–the IZOD IndyCar Series arrived with October at Long Pond today. For many this is an announcement of a lifetime 23 years in the making. To put it in perspective: Ed Carpenter was 8, Marco Andretti 2, Graham Rahal was just 9 months old, while Josef Newgarden was not born for 16 months when IndyCar last raced there. The excitement at Pocono Raceway today can not be... [Read More...]
Constable’s Corner: Parties at Long Beach, and Pocono?
Yes, it has been a long time since I last wrote to you, the fans of Open Paddock. You can thank; warrants being served, people being sued, moves involving protections from abuses being supervised, my lady friend moving (not related to the item before in any way), numerous college research papers, training at the pistol range, countless law enforcement meetings, a bad virus, locus, volcanoes, lions, tigers, bears, and a tendency to put things off as... [Read More...]
Constable’s Corner: 2012 St. Pete picks to watch
Well, we are now just a few days away from the 2012 season opener in St. Petersburg. After a highly publicized pre-season test at Sebring some things are very clear. Most notably, Lotus is light years behind Chevrolet and Honda. While some real fan favorites are with Lotus for 2012; Servia, de Silvestro, Tagliani, Bourdais, and series rookie Katherine Legge—The best time in testing was Servia who was only the 19th fastest out of 27 drivers. This... [Read More...]
The Spike has returned…to Indianapolis!!! Can you smell what The Spike…is cooking???
Well I am back—not that I really left Open Paddock. Yes, I will return for another season of Op-Ed columns for Open Paddock. Where did I go? Well, toward the end of last season I was being paid by another website to write for them. (My name not attached to the articles, but when you get paid that’s fine). I won’t name the site for the moment, it is up in the air if the site will be back. It was funded and created by a company that was... [Read More...]
Spike Day: Wag of the Finger, and Vegas predictions
So this week allow me to steal a bit from Stephen Colbert, Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger! First, Wag of the Finger to: Dollar General! So we got a great treat two weeks ago from Ed Carpenter, Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is for real. Then we got the worst news minutes later from owner Sarah Fisher, Dollar General is leaving to just focus on NASCAR. I can’t say I am shocked by this move, it has NOTHING to do with SFR. It has everything to do with... [Read More...]
Spike Day: IndyCar has a problem, and its name is Brian Barnhart (Part 2)
So where to even begin this week? Okay, for starters—penalties for open and frank views. The IZOD IndyCar Series has had a well documented problem in Race Control—it is run by a bumbling buffoon. Brian Barnhart ( TGBB for Robin Miller fans), has done just an awful job at his role this season. His right-hand man (Tony Cotman) has had some questions of his integrity with the O2 debacle in the Firestone Indy Lights Series earlier this year. What... [Read More...]
Spike Day: IndyCar race in China–Awful idea, Mexico City–Awesome idea
Start of F1 race in China. So as we have recently learned, there is a 90% likelihood the IZOD IndyCar Series will be racing in China during the 2012 season. The upcoming race at Motegi will be the final time the IZOD IndyCar Series will visit Japan for some time. While I will be the first to admit, Twin Ring Motegi was not a very good oval track layout—Japan is a fan base who deserve more respect. From the early days of the “IRL” to today, Japanese... [Read More...]
Spike Day: Free Simona!
Apologies for the quiet week, our semester started Monday. As always the school was totally disorganized, and the bookstore was inept as usual causing me to have many things to deal with. I give a quick summary of fantasy picks at the bottom of the column. There is some more pressing news to discuss first. Don’t let that Simona back in, she is keeping Americans from having a job… Is this the logical fallacy the United States government has with... [Read More...]
