USF2000 Driver Blog – Portante at the Night Before the 500

The break between St. Pete and the next race at Lucas Oil Raceway has felt like an eternity. However, Lucas Oil was very much worth the wait. I mean we are racing the Night Before the 500! The whole Belardi team looked strong in the official test that took place a couple weeks ago, and we were all looking for a strong result. I was especially excited as our pace was very strong, and I was looking forward to turning my season around and gaining some momentum. Before no time,…

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IndyLights – Peter Dempsey Blog: St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park Review

Hello everyone and welcome to my first blog entry for OpenPaddock.net! My name is Peter Dempsey and I am competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series this season driving for Belardi Auto Racing in the #5 car. I will be writing weekend review blogs after each of my FIL races this season. With a busy start to 2013, this first blog consists of both my St. Petersburg review and my Barber Motorsport review. The Streets of St. Petersburg The first race of the year is always one of the most…

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USF2000 – Thoughts on St. Pete from Belardi Auto Racing’s Peter Portante

Coming off a disappointing weekend at Sebring I was very eager to get back on the track. St. Pete is one of the most challenging tracks on our calendar, as well as our first street circuit. The Indy Car races here have been fantastic and I knew that it would be a fantastic race in USF2000, especially with 31 cars! First practice was underway early in the morning. We got good laps in, and it was nice to get a feel of the track. We ended Practice One in P11.…

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Episode 177 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadTonight we’re happy to welcome to the show Peter Portante who will be piloting the #41 Intercity Lines/B&S/California Scents racing machine in the Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda for Belardi Auto Racing. Peter won the Skip Barber Race Series Championship Shootout and the MAZDASPEED Scholarship to compete for a full-season in USF2000, and chose to join Belardi Auto Racing after heavy recruitment from a number of teams. What is truly unique about Peter’s entry into formula car racing in general, and…

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Episode 163 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadShaun makes his last appearence on OpenPaddock Live before being shipped out to Qatar to pound sand and watch MotoGP racing. Joining Shaun are Mike (as always), Doug, and the new Shaun, Kevin Neely. On the docket this week: Rally WRC – the future of M-Sport. Will Nasser Al-Attiyah’s Qatar money be the team’s saving grace? WRC – Sistemas Integrales de Telecomunicacion (SIT) slated to take over timing duties for 2013. Kubica will drive the WRC Citroen C4 in two rallies this month. Back…

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Episode 160 — OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIf you missed it last night on ETV Live!, we had the honor of speaking with the newly signed pilot of the #9 Firestone Indy Lights racing machine for Belardi Auto Racing, Mr. Peter Dempsey. Peter shared with us his experiences struggling to find a stable ride through the end of 2011 with Andretti Autosport, racing and coaching in 2012 at Indianapolis and Detroit this past season with Younessi Racing, and ending the 2012 season with Belardi. We also asked him to do some…

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Indy Lights – Dempsey Signs With Belardi for 2013

The engines and tyres have barely had time to cool down from the The Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Test that took place yesterday and today on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield road course and we’re already seeing driver signings for 2013. Peter Dempsey has had a tough few years in the Mazda Road to Indy program, his last full-season ride being with AIM Motorsports for the 2009 Star Mazda season. In 2010, he returned to his native Ireland and ran Formula Ford events for his father’s team,…

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USF2000 – Road America Triple Header Sees a New Contender Emerge

The Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda held it’s first triple-header weekend this past Friday and Saturday at the historic Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, WI. The started out without surprise as the Cape Motorsports trio of Spencer Pigot, Trent Hindman, and Matthew Brabham, continued their dominance of the field during free practice. When it came time to qualify, however, Belardi Auto Racing’s Scott Anderson showed that his pace at Mid-Ohio was no fluke and took the pole in a rain-shortened qualifying session. “Coming off our recent…

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USF2000 – Belardi Auto Racing Signs Luca Forgeois and Roman Lagudi

Belardi Auto Racing is set for competition for the 2012 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. On Saturday, the team signed the 2011 USF2000 National Class champion, Luca Forgeois, and today they signed Roman Lagudi. Luca raced with Grand Am stalwarts Stevenson Motorsport and competed in the National Class in 2011 winning eight of the twelve rounds in his class. His best finish was in Race #2 on the Streets of Baltimore where he placed first in class and fifth overall in a 19-car field. “I…

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