IndyCar – Crying Wolf
For the past couple of years now, there has been much hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth by the team owners about the cost of racing, how bad the economy is, and how they might not be able to make it if the league decides to [insert change to status-quo here]. The new chassis was due to be released originally in 2011, but foot-dragging and cost complaints pushed that process back to process back a year. We looked forward to having chassis competition... [Read More...]
OP-Ed – Does INDYCAR’s “Faux-vertaking” Rule Encourage Avoidable Contact?
Comparing the number of accidents in Formula 1 and other open-wheel series and in IndyCar in the past couple of years has me wondering if the INDYCAR overtaking rule (faux-vertaking as @MikeOpenPaddock would call it) doesn’t in fact encourage avoidable contact rather than discouraging it. Marco Andretti launching over Scott Dixon in Turn 1 at St. Petersburg - Photo by Chris Jones, IndyCar.com There has been a lot of talk about INDYCAR’s... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Some Perspective On Motegi Risks
There’s be a LOT of comments and worry about the radiation levels and the health risks that drivers and team personnel will be facing as they compete at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Motegi, Japan which is located 78 miles from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant which catastrophically failed during the Honshu earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I thought it might be advisable to bring some perspective as to just what the level of risk... [Read More...]
F1 – Right! Who kidnapped my F1 and replaced it with exciting racing?
The 2011 Formula 1 season has been nothing short of spectacular, and this week’s race in China was one of the most exciting Formula 1 races I’ve seen in a very long time. Best of all, there was overtaking! And not that silly meaningless back-n-forth type of passing you see in some left-turn-only races, but well planned, well executed, well defended passes for position and even the lead! For the past few years, the Pinnacle of Motorsports... [Read More...]
OP-Ed – The 90 Minutes of Sebring
This past weekend, we here at OpenPaddock were blessed to have the ALMSChicks, Heidi and Brie covering the season opener for the American Le Mans Series and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 12 Hours of Sebring, and to have Ken Poe providing additional photos. Had it not been for them, we would have been in the dark when it comes to this most historic American sports car endurance race. This season, the series switched broadcast partners... [Read More...]
OpEd – The Knob
Throughout the past several years in IndyCar racing, the fuel knob has been a contentious point for fans, teams, drivers, and league officials. The cars had been run without the luxury of a fuel mixture knob until 2008, when it was reinstated. That lasted two years until in 2010 the league removed the knob in favour of a system where the cars could run full-rich, or leaned down for yellow-flag conditions. This ultimately put the job of fuel conservation... [Read More...]
OP-Ed – Everybody Hates Citroen – but they shouldn’t
Editors Note: Welcome our first OP-ED Contributor Alasdair Lindsay! He has wrote a brilliant piece that is a must read for all rally fans. While this is an outside source, the opinion expressed in this op-ed is that of the author. Then agian, they make us say that! By Alasdair Lindsay In the WRC, all-conquering teams and drivers usually come in pairs – Miki Biasion and Lancia, Carlos Sainz and Toyota, Tommi Makinen and Mitsubishi, Marcus Gronholm... [Read More...]
Op-Ed – Through The Viewfinder: A Different Way Of Enjoying Rally Racing
Shaun and Mike will share with you all of the events and details of last weekend’s 100 Acre Wood Rally, the 2nd stop for the Rally America National Championship, throughout the coming week. What I’d like to do is try to convince you why the sport of rallying is so incredible from a spectator’s point-of-view, and why you should NEVER forget to bring a camera even if its just the camera on your cell phone. You don’t always... [Read More...]
OP-Ed – RE: Miller, Chicago, and Scariness
Robin Miller has long been known as an antagonist and rabble-rouser in American Open-Wheel Racing, but now he’s gone too far. In his article, Miller’s Post-Chicago Notebook at SpeedTV.com, he calls the current oval-racing product from the IndyCar Series “suicidal.” Personally, that inescapable pack racing scares the hell out of me because of the reality of what can happen. … Indy car racing should be challenging and dangerous,... [Read More...]
OP-Ed – Fan Driven Segment!
Welcome to your segment of the Open Paddock main page titled OP-Ed. This is where we will publish op-ed articles written by you and display them for the world to read. OP-ed is a place where you can express yourself and your views on motorsport to a whole new level. This is your site so why shouldn’t you be able to write for it? Only rule that applies is no swearing or language that can be taken as offensive to race, religion or gender. Feel... [Read More...]
