Tag: LMP2

In Focus – DAT GLOW!

Doug Patterson

We’re going to begin a new series of article here at OpenPaddock.net called “In Focus” were Brian McKay, Tom Turk, Brad Plant, and I will share a favourite motorsports photo from the OpenPaddock.net archives. We will discuss why we composed the image the way we did, what exposure settings we used, what techniques we deployed, and the story we wished to convey with the shot. We’re really fortunate here at OpenPaddock.net to have some seriously talented professional photographers on staff to provide us with amazing imagery for you, our readers,…

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IMSA – Old Tech Versus New, Who Has the Edge at Sebring?

Doug Patterson

As with the elimination of the split in North American open wheel racing, the joining of Grand-Am and ALMS is anything but a smooth merger. The open-wheel racing scene didn’t have the equivalency issues that the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is facing as the Panoz DP-01 that the Champ Car World Series was using never saw use in the Indy Racing League, now known as the IndyCar Series. Both CCWS and IRL teams were mandated to use the same Dallara chassis, and still are. By contrast TUSCC teams may use…

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Exclusive: Le Mans 24 LMP2 Winner Martin Plowman

Shaun

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | Download We are honored to talk with Martin Plowman who recently returned from winning the 24 Hour of Le Mans race. Fantasy Football gets things started before bridging into his experience at Le Mans through the highs and lows. We talk about how important team dynamics are to win a race like Le Mans as well as pick his brain about driving one of the most iconic race courses in the world.

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IndyCar – Cross-Pollination Is a Good Thing!

Doug Patterson

Highcroft Racing, the team that has won back-to-back titles in the ALMS LMP2 class and still seeks an LMP2 class win at Le Mans, will be coming to the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2011! This first year, they will be competing at select events only in preparation for launching a full-season effort in 2012 when the new chassis and engine come to the series. This is fantastic news, if you ask me. Its exciting enough that we’re getting another quality team coming to IndyCar Racing, but seeing that team come…

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OpEd – Will the real Lotus please stand up?

Doug Patterson

Group Lotus, Team Lotus, Lotus Racing, Lotus Motorsports, Lotus Cars, Lotus Engineering… we have a whole field of Lotus and its downright confusing to us fans! To add to the confusion Group Lotus is suing Lotus Racing over the rights to use the name Team Lotus. …er? what? Yeah, that’s how I felt at first to. It would be simpler if one group was the production car wing of the larger parent company and the other group the motorsports wing. However, that’s not exactly how it is. Group Lotus has…

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ALMS – Marino Franchitti Joins Highcroft, Bummer for Mazda.

Doug Patterson

Autoweek Magazine announced today that Marino Franchitti has signed with Highcroft Racing and joins David Brabham and Simon Pagenaud as their third LMP driver for 2010. Marino had been with the Dyson team driving the Mazda powered Lola coupe for the past two seasons, but with Dyson’s 2010 plans still not completed with regards to running a second car and the 12 Hours of Sebring not too far away, Franchitti opted for a part-time ride with Highcroft as a third driver in the longer endurance races on the ALMS calender,…

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ALMS – Pagenaud Signing at Patron Highcroft Raises Questions

mike

Simon Pagenaud has signed a contract with Patron Highcroft for 2010 to replace Scott Sharp who previously left the team to start his own GT2 team. Simon will partner with David Brabham in the newly revised Acura ARX-01c LMP2 car. This will give Patron Highcroft a very impressive driver pairing. David Brabham is one of the most talented and experienced sportscar drivers of this generation. Teaming him with a very quick and capable Pagenaud only spells wins for the team. Especially since Pagenaud is a more reliable and less erratic…

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ALMS – Mid-Ohio Recap and RA Preview

Doug Patterson

Round 6 of the American Le Mans Series was contested last weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH, and I was there representing Openpaddock.net and taking in all the action. Sadly, there’s not much competition in the ALMS this year with the absence of Audi LMP1 cars and the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 cars. Now, the Acura LMP1 and LMP2 factory efforts are running away from what privateers remain. Gil De Ferran and Simon Pagenaud easily took the overall victory, …again, and trail the Patrón Highcroft Racing…

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