Author: Mike Shaw

2013 Pocono IndyCar 400 preview

Mike Shaw

So the time is now, qualifying for the Pocono IndyCar 400 is hours away. Who will walk away the 1st pole winner since Brazilian legend, Emerson Fittipaldi turned an average of  211.715 MPH the current all time Pocono track record. With Marco Andretti turning a lap over 220 MPH on July 4th, this record seems destined to be shattered. But will Marco be the man to do this?   One of the biggest issues drivers face is how to set-up for such a one of a kind facility. Obviously, being…

Read More

Nameless Performance Stage Rally – What’s in a name?

Mike Shaw

The Nameless Performance Rally came to be when Rally America removed the ‘Olympus Rally’ from their schedule for 2013.  This was largely because the organizers of Olympus wanted to move the date back to the spring after last year’s’ issues with fire danger.  When the Olympus organizers attempted to renegotiate the schedule, Rally America said they wouldn’t alter their schedule for 2013 and with no resolution (among other issues) Olympus Rally was dropped for the season.  Rally America even went to the point of enforcing a non-compete stating that if…

Read More

Where to go when coming to Pocono

Mike Shaw

So it is that magical time here in the Poconos–IndyCar has come back home to the “Tricky Triangle”! And with that, comes thousands of people who have never been here, or have not been here since George H.W. Bush was President, Oliver North was the grand marshall of the IndyCar Pocono 500, and Danny Sullivan was a winning driver. So much has changed in that time. We went from a mostly rural county, to now the most rapidly growing population of all the Commonwealth’s 67 counties. We have far more…

Read More

How Sweet it is for TK to Taste Milk!!!

Mike Shaw

While we can never have Dan Wheldon back, his hard work and brilliance lives on in these DW12 cars. He really shaped the series back to its glorious past—great racing, competition, excitement. Many of us (myself included) feared a single chassis series was the wrong direction. Considering what Dallara had produced before was less than great. I was upset the Swift concept was not picked. For now, people like myself can eat humble pie, and I’ll gladly take seconds. The DW12 is great at IMS. And perhaps the best is…

Read More

Spike’s World: Can anyone hear IndyCar?

Mike Shaw

We have all heard the saying, “If a tree fell in the woods and no one was there, would it make a sound?”. In this case, the woods are IMS, and the sounds? Everything from Carb Day coverage to Pole Day radio coverage. Did it ever make a sound? Last weekend I had to drive to Chester, Pennsylvania for an MLS game. During the rain delay at IMS, the IMS radio network informed listeners on affiliates they would be going off the air until 4:30 PM. I had it on…

Read More

World’s First? – Gravel Spec GT86 to Compete in Nameless Performance Rally

Mike Shaw

The rally world has been moving towards compact and fuel efficient 2wd cars in the last few years. This makes the sport more affordable for teams and are more relevant to what the manufacturers are selling. A good example would be the Ford Fiesta ST. As good as these cars are, many fans have said that this new era has taken away some of the “ spectacle” of rally racing and long for the days in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s when the rear wheel drive Ford Escort Mark II…

Read More

Rally America’s Verena Mei Surprises With New Co-Driver for STPR

Mike Shaw

As the days to STPR (Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally) rapidly approach, rally driver Verena Mei suddenly learned that her regular co-driver Leanne Junnila would not be available for the event. Leanne has been working hard at school and won a scholarship which gave her a rare opportunity to present at an International Design conference. As it would happen this conference that is only held once a year is the same weekend as the next round of the Rally America Championship. That didn’t leave Verena much time to get acquainted with someone…

Read More

Global Rallycross Championship Round 2 – Epic Fail!

Mike Shaw

Well this quickly became the GRC event that wasn’t.  After spending a bit of time this morning writing up a somewhat lengthy intro for the GRC X-Games Barcelona event, I sat down in front of the TV to watch the action unfold.  What greeted me wasn’t roaring 600HP rally cars, but instead a rain delay. Excuse me?  Did they really just say that?  Rally cars were sidelined because of rain?  Okay, even a rally stage can be cancelled because rain can be so heavy that emergency crews wouldn’t be as…

Read More

2013 Oregon Trail Rally – Day 3

Mike Shaw

I’m finally getting around to finishing this up. Taking the time off for a rally means having to make it up when you get back.  Still very much worth it though! Day 3 of the Oregon Trail Rally is all about speed. Those teams that survived to make it to the final day of the rally would be treated to the open rolling hills east of the Mt. Hood forest. Here the roads are smooth, fast, and flowing with hardly a tree in sight. Drivers should be able to hit…

Read More

2013 Oregon Trail Rally – Day 2

Mike Shaw

Day 2 of the Oregon Trail Rally is where the real test of vehicle strength and driver endurance would occur.  Just outside of the picturesque town of Hood River, the forest roads here are some of the most technical and the most dangerous on the Rally America calendar.  The surface is rough with large stones that can be pulled out.  A wrong pacenote here can be a very dangerous thing with giant trees and large drop offs around every corner. Ken Block was eager to gain back the time lost…

Read More