SCCA – Fun In The Sun at Heartland Park Topeka
The third round of the Kansas City Region SCCA Solo Championship took place this past Saturday at Heartland Park Topeka on the infield tarmac on the south end of the course. With all that wide-open tarmac, the course was much faster and open, with broader corners than most autocross courses tend to be. There was a nice mix of lengthy straights, high-speed sweepers, double-apex corners, tight hairpins, and of course a couple of slalom sections. Being... [Read More...]
SCCA – First Experiences and Experienced Insights at a Solo Event
While I’ve been to the SCCA RunOffs before, I had never attended a solo event until this past Sunday. Wow! Simply, wow! I’m not sure exactly what I had expected from my first solo event (aka autocross), but I wasn’t expecting something as interesting, fun, and exciting as what I saw this past Sunday. In many respects, it reminded me of the vibe and feel of a rally. There was a mix of highly-prepped, purpose-built racing... [Read More...]
SCCA – My First Day as a Racecar Driver
INDEPENDENCE, MO (April 15, 2012), by Tim Steger — First off, as an Aerospace engineer, I don’t do thing without planning. I have had my racecar, a bone stock 93 base Miata, for about 25 days. I recruited a co-driver, who had won a trophy in the past in his own car. I figured he would help me get the car ready, then potentially help improve my driving skills. And yet, after the weeks of planning and wrench time, I realized I had more... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Welcome to Barber Motorsports Park
Hello from beautiful Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, near Birmingham. I’ve been spectating here at sports car, IndyCar, and motorcycle races since 2007, and I’ll chime-in with my agreement that this is a “gorgeous facility.” Unlike Sebring International Raceway and other race tracks you can easily call to mind, this is repeatedly referred to, year after year, as a ‘beautiful, park-like setting.’ I rolled in mid-day Thursday,... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Friday Comedic Relief
Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend! To make sure we get the best weekday started off right, we have this for you. Along with Kevin, we also have Brian McKay back at it behind the lens at Barber Motorsports Park. As we know, Alabama is true NASCAR country. The folks are some of the nicest people I have ever met but man do they love their NASCAR! Brian stopped off at a local retail store when he had this conversation with one of the clerks…enjoy!... [Read More...]
ALMSChicks – Sebring: Race Day Wrap-Up
There is just something about watching the sun come up over the track race day at Sebring International Raceway. You have the best technology that Audi, Corvette, Porsche, and Lotus can offer, practicing at speed with bright sun breaking the horizon. It’s breathtaking! We were able to watch the morning warm-up from the Gurney Terrace Pit Box Seats right behind Dyson Racing. If you are planning on attending the morning warm-up, remember to arrive... [Read More...]
ALMS – Friday and Saturday Morning Photos From Sebring
Brie and Heidi, aka the @ALMSChicks, and one of our new staff photographers for 2012, Brian McKay, have sent us the first batch of images from the 60th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Enjoy! [Show as slideshow] [View with PicLens] ... [Read More...]
ALMSChicks – Sebring: THINGS WE LEARNED AT SEBRING THE DAY BEFORE THE 12 HOURS
Beware of traffic in the Paddock between morning practice and the autograph session: And we do mean traffic. Racecars, golf carts, pedestrians, trash trucks, cars, vans, pit carts: you name it, it will be trying to get from Point A to Point B between the hours of 11 am and 12 pm. Our suggestion? Get to a side and stay there! It gets very crowded and frustrating for everyone! Tiki Tea: A new discovery of ours this year. 20 oz of Sweet Tea for $1 –... [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...]
WEC – Toyota Answers the Call
The new FiA World Endurance Championship (WEC) received a much needed shot in the arm today as Toyota officially announced their “entry” in this year’s maiden championship. The new TS030 HYBRID will still compete with a single entry at Spa and two machines at Le Mans as originally planned with maybe more on the schedule. The news was announced today and now gives the FiA the two manufacturers needed in the LMP1 division. This will... [Read More...]
