Author: Doug Patterson

Motorsports enthusiast since ...well... always. Grew up watching Mario and AJ, took my first lap around IMS in the tour bus in 1977, fell in love with anything that went fast. Currently, I work as a professor of astronomy and physics at a college in the suburbs of Kansas City, http://staff.jccc.edu/dpatter/, and own a photography business, Patterson Prints, with my wife. http://www.pattersonprints.com/

Inside The Helmet – Stefan Rzadzinski

Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode of Inside the Helmet, we get to know Firestone Indy Lights’ newest addition, Stefan Rzadzinski. Stefan is an Edmonton native currently racing in the Skip Barber Summer Series on a full scholarship resulting from his outstanding performance at the most recent Skip Barber Karting Shootout. He has a one-event deal with Davey Hamilton Racing to run both races this coming weekend in front of his home crowd at the newly reconfigured Edmonton City Centre Airport Circuit.

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IndyLights – O2 Racing Technology Appeal Denied

Doug Patterson

O2 Racing Technology Appeal Denied From uplifting to tragic, we switch gears to talk about the ugly business surrounding the conflict between INDYCAR and the O2 Racing Technology team and its owner and president Mark Olson. Earlier this month, O2RT withdrew from the Milwaukee event after growing concerns over favouritism being showed by the INDYCAR technical inspection officials. Allegations of cheating were leveled against Sam Schmidt Motorsports specifically in regards to their race-winning car at Indianapolis, and at Team Moore’s #22 machine at Barber Motorsports Park. O2 Racing Technology’s driver…

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IndyLights – Time For a Little Razzle Dazzle

Doug Patterson

Edmonton native and Skip Barber stand-out, Stefan Rzadzinski (aka “Razzle Dazzle”), gets his opportunity to race in front of his hometown crowd next weekend Edmonton’s City Centre Airport with Davey Hamilton Racing in their #32 Firestone Indy Lights car. Stefan was awarded a full scholarship in the Skip Barber Summer Series based on his performance at the Skip Barber Karting Shootout last Fall and currently sits in third place in the championship at the halfway point in the season, but he’s putting that aside for now, skipping the next Skip…

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LeMans – Lotus to Contest Full North American and International GTE Schedules

Doug Patterson

Lotus (Group Lotus, the car people, not Team Lotus the Tony Fernandez team) released news today that they will compete in a full North American and International schedule in the GT2 classe with the Lotus Evora GTE. They will race in the American Le Mans Series in a factory-backed effort through the newly formed Lotus Sport USA, and will also look toward fielding an LMP2 car by 2013. Heading up the new program are sports car racing veteran Ian Dawson and financial guru John Pritzlaff. “We are very happy to…

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IndyLights – Andretti Autosport Strikes Back

Doug Patterson

So far the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights Championship has been dominated by Sam Schmidt Motorsports. In past years, Andretti Autosport, when they were in partnership with AFS Racing, had fielded back-to-back championship winners with Raphael Matos (2008) and J.R. Hildebrand (2009). Up until the Toronto race, SSM drivers had won five of the six races, only losing the Barber race to Team Moore’s Victor Garcia (who may have been running with an illegal suspension). While there’s no doubt that the SSM staff is extremely talented, and they have been working…

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IndyLights – Q & A with Andretti Autosport’s Peter Dempsey

Doug Patterson

Peter Dempsey started out the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season with O2 Racing Technology, and got off to a great start finding the podium in the first two races and leading for a time at Long Beach. If you’re a regular reader here at OpenPaddock, or a regular listener of our podcast, you already know what happened to Peter and his team during the David Hobbs 100 at the Milwaukee Mile. Peter had already sat out of the entire 2010 racing season here in the US after becoming the winningest…

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