Most of us in America are sweating heavily from the weather. (Well most are weather related). Although the weather is not as hot as the INDYCAR Series was at the last round. The 2011 Indy 500 was by far the most exciting in years. The race finish was the most exciting since 1995, with a Pole & Bump Day that were arguably the most exciting in closer to three decades. When the checkered flag fell at the Indy 500 no one was talking about; Ryan Hunter-Reay in the 41 car,…
Read MoreAuthor: Mike Shaw
Preview; Le Mans 24 Hours
And so it begins this Saturday. The 79th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, without question the world’s greatest sports car race and arguably the world greatest racing event, 56 cars, in four classes, lapping the famed Circuit de la Sarthe at nearly 75% full throttle per lap. 28 LMP cars (Le Mans Prototype) will start. New LMP1 cars from Audi, Peugeot and Aston Martin will battle for the overall win. Even with new regulations to bridge the gap between diesel and petrol powered cars, the factory teams hold…
Read MoreFIA, ACO Announce World Endurance Championship
The FIA and the ACO, organizers of the 24 Hours at Le Mans and the Intercontinental Le Mans Championship (ILMC) have announced a World Endurance Championship starting in 2012. There will be a manufacturer’s championship and driver championship. The FIA press release stated “In establishing this new category of motorsport championship, both the FIA and ACO are keenly aware it needs to be a laboratory for innovation and the development of new technologies, allowing motor manufacturers to express, through the rigours of competition, their ability to be inventive and, as…
Read MorePart IV:New Direction Needed for IMSA-ALMS
The 2011 American Le Mans Series season will (likely) widely be remembered as the one with two very successful events, Sebring and Petit Le Mans, a very questionable television/broadcast package with ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com that fans and some media are very critical of and other than the ALMS serious fan, some other races. What’s this you say? Have you lost your mind? The season is only two races old, we’re in the Le Mans break, Lime Rock is but a month away, we got bunch a great races leading…
Read MoreOp-Ed: Spike Rogan picks the 2011 Indy 500 winner, and gives credit where it is deserved
This is a special night before the 500 Op-Ed, about the 2011 Indianapolis 500. I sadly will not be at IMS for the race this year, ask any blogger how much the track loved us in 2011. So I like many of you reading this will be forced to watch on ABC. Although I have XM and can listen to IMS radio to avoid Marty Reid making me put a golf wedge into the TV. Here are some thoughts about this year’s race, very unlikely thoughts for some. Women have…
Read MoreIndy Hump Day Report: Its the end of the 500 as we know it (and I feel fine)
So how have all the fans suddenly become shocked? Is this idea of buying rides new in INDYCAR? Do I really need to go down the list? Milka, Moraes, royalty, doctors, I think the 500 has seen a fair share of ride buying. What about 1995 with Penske? Really I find it more shocking how “shocked” fans are. I seriously find it laughable more anger is aimed at Ryan Hunter-Reay and not the rules. Remember how most of you the INDYCAR fans lobbied to “Dump Trump”? He didn’t pass to…
Read MoreThe Ally Becomes a Rival
Part III of IV on the ALMS Rocked by a sour economy, decimated by manufacturer defections and a TV deal that has been panned by fans and the media (“It’s About the Content Not the Medium”) the American Le Mans Series is in damage control mode. Yet the biggest blow to the ALMS may end up being the one thrown by its partner, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. The ACO are the organizers of the 24 Hours at Le Mans, and partners with the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and North America’s…
Read MoreIndy Hump Day Report: Who will be on the Pole this weekend?
So we are just days away from Pole Day at IMS. I myself will be driving out to finally experience Pole Day in person. I will be doing everything from; obsessively searching the venue for every possible Tim Richmond related item, to seeing how Indy fans party compared to Pocono fans, and all while working on new exclusive material for INDYCAR Nation and Open Paddock. The next week will have a great increase in exclusive coverage here at Open Paddock, so keep checking in often. Are you crying?!?! There’s no…
Read MoreWhere Do We Go Now, O’Sweet Child of Mine
The original working title of Part II of this series on the ALMS was “Out Manuvered and Out in the Cold.” Following a couple of press releases, one on the 2013 Oklahoma City race (exactly what we need, another processional street race, but that’s another story) and the return of “a” P1 team at Lime Rock, I kept wondering where are they going. What better theme for the ALMS today than Axel Rose and Slash “Sweet Child of Mine.” We all know the chorus, “Where do we go, Where do…
Read MorePart 1 Season of Discontent
“The best we get is fuzzy internet and (a) highlight show at the same time as an Indy broadcast. Come on man, that’s (expletive) shit” says one ALMS Team Manager on condition of anominity. A business/media manager for a front-running GT team tells me “you can’t sale it, none of us can now, they (expletive) tied are hands”. The “can’t sell” is there’s no high-dollar sponsor value for the current ESPN3.com and ESPN2-ABC offers. “We’re already studying GrandAm for next year. We may not finish this season. We can’t resign…
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