Indycar-Hunter-Reay Reaps Racing Rewards
Under the sparkling lights of the Auto Club Speedway grandstand towers, Ryan Hunter-Reay broke through as one of racing’s great underdog stories to win the 2012 IZOD Indycar Series Championship over Will Power, becoming the fourth driver to bring home the title for Andretti Autosport. Hunter-Reay joins Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon as drivers who have won the series championship for the fabled racing family, and the first... [Read More...]
Indycar-The Fight in Fontana
Will Power. Ryan Hunter-Reay. Helio Castroneves. Scott Dixon. These are the drivers that still (theoretically) have a shot at winning the Astor Cup as IZOD Indycar Series Champion at the World Championship to be held in Fontana, California on September 15. Of the four, only Dixon has previously won a championship. Power currently leads the standings with Hunter-Reay a tight second. Here’s a quick breakdown of the title fight contenders and scenarios. 1.... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Powering Towards the Championship
The IZOD IndyCar Series starts a stretch of three ovals this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway and with it, the prospect of a championship shift. Will Power currently leads the championship by 36 points over Target Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon. One could look at this stretch of three races as the point in the season where Dixon really takes the fight to his Penske rival. However, the number and type of ovals on the schedule this year will really... [Read More...]
Will Power, flips out, and flips off, Barnhart jumps over shark infested waters
Sunday I found myself working as a pit road spotter for Jake Query of IMS Radio. This was my first time ever doing this, what a wild race to start out. What seemed like another dull Dario run away, all went out the window on lap 118. On the TV broadcast Sato took full blame for the crash. However on pit road it seemed like the 10 also came down a little to initiate contact. “What the hell just happened?” was all Dario said on the radio after.... [Read More...]
OpEd – Blocking in Modern Motorsports
The Blocking Problem Blocking is certainly nothing new in motorsports, or racing in general for that matter. As soon as two people raced each other on foot, I’m sure that the leader blocked the person behind and probably violently. In various types of horse racing, we see blocking and crowding a competitor against the rail, and given that automobile racing is simply an extension of horse racing, its no surprise that we see blocking in modern... [Read More...]
Episode 46 – Open Paddock Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Join Mike and I as we rehash the Armco at the Glen, I mean the IZOD IndyCar race at Watkins Glen. We also get into some of the statements made over the weekend by one Randy Bernard. There are close to a million statements. We cover rally and prepare for the WRC round in Bulgaria as well as announce a German manufacturers future in the Dakar Rally. Last but not least we get into some Formula 1. We are slightly... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Flaming Texas Failure and the Decline of Safety in the IndyCar Series
Silvestro on Fire in Texas Simona de Silvestro’s effort at Texas came to an inglorious end on Saturday night. After an accident that left her stranded on track with the right sidepod spouting flames, it took the IndyCar travelling safety crew 40 seconds to extract her from the car. Apparently, the fire hose that they have attached to the safety truck failed and the fire bottles that they brought to bear on the blaze proved insufficient for... [Read More...]
Episode 35 – Open Paddock Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download This week Mike and I jump into the results from Turkey, China, and Long Beach as well as offer our opinion on Formula 1 stewards, the lack of tactics in Turkey as well as the awesomeness that is Ryan Hunter-Reay. We also discuss offer some conspiracy theories on Tony George and Bernie Ecclestone paling around China with…wait for it…investors??? As always, sit back with your favorite beverage and... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Augusta of Racing and the Beauty of Road Courses
Kaanan and Wheldon at BarberIn the past, I have made no secret that I prefer a good road course to street course racing. Problem has been that the road courses currently on the IndyCar schedule have not provided much in the way of interesting racing or overtaking. Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma may provide a picturesque background (some more than others) and a technically challenging drive, but the racing has been less than stellar. So now we... [Read More...]
IndyCar – Barber Motorsports Park Preview: The Track and Story Lines
Pre-Season Testing: Although this is the first time the IZOD IndyCar Series will actually compete at Barber Motorsports Park, it won’t be the first time drivers have seen the track. The league has been there several times for testing since their first visit in October of 2007. The drivers and teams have raved about the beauty of the circuit and grounds and facilities, and the drivers are quick to mention how much fun the course is to drive... [Read More...]
