Tag: Kansas City

SCCA – KCRSCCA Solo Event #2 Wrap-Up

Doug Patterson

Sunday’s Solo Event #2 for the Kansas City Region of the Sports Car Club of America was a tale of two heats with weather affecting Heat 2 significantly more than Heat 1. Normally, there are three heats per event with total entries often topping 100 among all classes. Sunday’s forecast of thunderstorms, however, kept many of the less dedicated racers away. With fewer contenders, the event officials reduced the normal three-heat format to two heats so that each heat would have enough course workers to keep things running smoothly. The…

Read More

SCCA – The Kansas City Region Car Show

Doug Patterson

Ok, this was really a more of a meet-n-greet than anything, but it was still cool. The Kansas City Region of the SCCA meets monthly at the American Legion in Overland Park, KS, and many at the Legion have been asking to see the cars that we race. Joe Tasler, Regional Executive for the region, arranged for several of the members to bring out their cars fully decked out in numbers, class letters, and sponsor/supporter decals. My little SVTF was out there sandwiched between a couple of beasts, but it…

Read More

IndyCar – Kansas Gets 2nd Cup Date, IndyCar Certainly Out

Doug Patterson

Well, its officially official. The Kansas Speedway has been approved for a second NASCAR Sprint Cup race for 2011. In addition to their early October date, the Kansas Speedway will also feature a race the first week of June. Its not official that Kansas is off the 2011 IndyCar schedule, but this announcement really makes it unlikely that open-wheel racing will return to Kansas City any time soon. Kansas Speedway and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced today that NASCAR has approved ISC’s request for realignment and beginning in 2011, Kansas…

Read More

Kansas Review – Open Paddock Podcast

Shaun

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Mike and Doug as they discuss the IndyCar race in Kansas. Doug was on hand for the weekend and took some amazing shots at the track and tells Mike all about the events over the weekend. Very special thanks to Doug for going out and taking some just beautiful shots of the IZOD IndyCar drivers and cars in anger! Be sure to also check out the photo gallery on a regular basis for the latest shots out of Kansas!

Read More

IndyCar – Kansas Retrospective

Doug Patterson

Let’s be honest. We may have seen the last open-wheel race at the Kansas Speedway. The track is very capable of producing great racing. If you read my preview posts discussing the history of the IZOD IndyCar Series in Kansas City, you already know that. The track is the home of some of the closest finishes and most exciting racing in the history of IndyCar racing under Indy Racing League sanction. However, the event in recent years has been poorly promoted, and as a result its been poorly attended. Estimates…

Read More

IndyCar – Live From Kansas: Quals Review

Doug Patterson

The rains from the morning finally ceased and the Kansas Speedway crew broke out the parade of trucks and the jet blowers to try and dry out the saturated track. As a result, IZOD IndyCar Series officials decided to push back the start time for qualifications from 4:30pm to 5:15pm. The delay was designed to allow teams and drivers to get at least two hours of practice time earlier in the afternoon, which was very welcome for all the competitors. Well, all perhaps except for Mario Romancini who backed his…

Read More

IndyCar – Live from Kansas: Friday Morning

Doug Patterson

Wind, thunder, lightning, and hail. Welcome to springtime in Kansas! A line of storms are moving through the area this morning dumping copious amounts of rain on the speedway flooding most of the infield. Quarter-sized hail also pounded the track this morning. Expect the morning practice session to be terminated, and it’s not likely that the afternoon session will be a go, either. The storms should move out in time for qualifications, but with no practice time, drivers new and inexperienced with oval racing will be seriously disadvantaged. In fact,…

Read More

IndyCar – Kansas Preview: Revised aero could make for revived racing

Doug Patterson

The Story Thus Far The First Oval This weekends race at the Kansas Speedway will be the first oval event of the season, and will serve as the lead-in event to the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the end of May. Not only is this the first oval race of the this season, its also the first oval race for a number of rookie drivers to the series. [aside: it seems very strange to call Takuma Sato a “rookie”.] Takuma Sato, Simona De Silvestro, and Bertrand Baguette will compete for…

Read More

IndyCar – Kansas Preview: Kansas Speedway 2007-2009

Doug Patterson

The Spring Years: 2007-2009 As exciting as the summer races at the Kansas Speedway were, the spring races have been lack-luster. During the 2007 race, the leaders ran away from the rest of the field. Dan Wheldon crossed the checkered and yellow flags ahead of the eventual season champion Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti as the race ended under caution. There was no doubt about who the winner was going to be, though. Dixon was definitely the class of the field that day. 3rd and 4th place finishers Helio Castroneves…

Read More