John Olsakovsky

Dakar – Welcome to the Brutality!

January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 John Olsakovsky

The Dakar rally is an interesting beast. The format is similar to a shorter, more traditional stage rally, but it’s spread out over two weeks and the distance is far longer than any conventional stage rally. This years route is 6,000 miles for cars, bikes and quads while the big trucks have a route of about 5,000 miles. For all classes, about half the distance is non-competitive transit stages and the rest are full-on special stages. One interesting addition to this year’s Dakar is a Marathon Stage. The stage will…

IndyCar – 2015 Schedule Arrives with a Plop

October 30, 2014 John Olsakovsky

That’s right, a plop. We’re talking about the same sound that a turd makes when it lands. That’s not a particularly happy sound, and certainly not something you want to associate with the schedule announcement for a major racing series like the Verizon IndyCar Series. Unfortunately, today’s schedule announcement feels like fans were served up another big steaming pile. We all knew that 2015 would have another season ending by Labor Day, since everyone at 16th & Georgetown is afraid of NFL football. The belief is that IndyCar will suffer…

OpEd – Expressing Your Fandom

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 John Olsakovsky

A fan of any sport at some point crosses a threshold from casual enjoyment into loyalty and support, sometimes to an unhealthy extreme. Fans show off pride in their favorite team or athlete in different ways, from t-shirts to stickers to flags and memorabilia. Sports merchandising is big business, as we all know. If you’ve been to any major racing event, the teams have merchandise for sale, as well as the venue and/or the event. As a fan, buying a t-shirt or ball cap helps connect you to the event…

F1 – Suzuka: The race didn’t matter

October 6, 2014October 6, 2014 John Olsakovsky

Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix was preceded by the threat of typhoon Phanfone, which wound up being a part of the action on Sunday. Then Alonso drops his bombshell that he’ll leave Ferrari after this season. Not to be outdone, Sebastian Vettel announces that he’s leaving Infiniti Red Bull Racing. While not an official proclamation, Christian Horner let an F-bomb slip: Seb is headed to Ferrari. Phanfone didn’t show up until Sunday, with the race starting on wet tires behind the Safety Car. Rain came in and a red flag was…

OpEd – Black October

October 6, 2014October 5, 2014 John Olsakovsky

Sadly, neither of the gentlemen in this photograph are with us any longer. Today, October 6, would be Kevin’s birthday. Both passed away in the month of October, a week apart, albeit in different years. It’s only fitting that this photograph was taken in October, as well. I miss you, Kevin. Open Paddock is changing, and I’m fortunate to be along for the ride. Details aren’t mine to divulge. Stay tuned.

IndyCar – Double the Races, Double the Fun?

July 17, 2014 John Olsakovsky

Thanks to a combination of real life and inherent slacker tendencies interfering with writing about racing, I’ve neglected my personal musings about the sport I love. For my three fans, I apologize and will strive to feed you more of my BS more often. For my anti-fans, I apologize, as you’ll likely be seeing more of my BS. So let’s talk about the past two IndyCar races at Pocono and Iowa and look at the upcoming Toronto race! With the compact schedule for the Verizon IndyCar Series, the races come…

Op Ed – The Old IndyCar Bait and Switch

June 28, 2014June 28, 2014 John Olsakovsky

As Saturday’s qualifying for the first race at the Shell/Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston was abut to start, I did as always and pulled up the IndyCar timing and scoring page. And much to my delight, I see this banner. It appears that IndyCar will have live streaming on NBC Extra. I’m excited because I’m eligible for NBC Extra, and used it to watch parts of the Canadian Grand Prix on my smartphone when I was traveling. It’s great! Since my daughter is watching Frozen and keyed up for a…

IndyCar – Shell Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston Preview

June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 John Olsakovsky

I was “lucky” enough to latch onto tickets to Friday practice at this week’s Verizon IndyCar race at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston. You’d think I’d be excited as blue blazes to go to an IndyCar race in the same city where I live. Yeah, it’s not quite that simple. As much as they try, the promoters of this event can’t shake one obvious fact: This is a race in a large parking lot. I snuck out of work for a few hours Friday afternoon and head to…

The Missed Shift – Running a Marathon

May 25, 2014May 26, 2014 John Olsakovsky

I know I’m not the one that reveres the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend as a holy day. It is the single greatest day of racing, encompassing the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and Coke Zero 600. I love all three races for what they are, and each is a challenge that is unique with their genre. Monaco is antiquated and woefully ill-suited for the style of racing that is modern Formula 1. But it’s history, it’s glamor and the money keep the circus coming back. Indianapolis is… …

Laughter at Maldonado’s Expense

May 21, 2014May 21, 2014 John Olsakovsky

Maldonado arrives in Monaco. #F1 pic.twitter.com/jmdWWNx7Y4 — wtf1.co.uk (@wtf1couk) May 21, 2014 Pastor Maldonado’s shipment of spare parts arrive in Monaco ahead of FP1 pic.twitter.com/V0NUJCmX5F — Ron Dennis (@FakeRonDennis_) May 21, 2014 Props to Michael Ballaban at Jalopnik for spreading the laughs!