It smells like… PROGRESS! If you’re a fan of IndyCar, then you likely have already heard about Peter De Lorenzo’s article on his blog, The Autoextremist, where he claims that General Motors will make a return to the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012 along with an increase in motorsports across the board. You also likely are already aware that SpeedTV’s Marshall Pruitt and the Indianapolis Star’s Curt Cavin are both claiming extreme skepticism of the announcement. So where does this leave us fans? It leaves us in a whirlwind of…
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IndyCar – The History of the Indy Downforce Fan Club
As some of you may have already heard, we have started a new segment at OpenPaddock.net called Garage 36 in which we cover the news and happenings of Indy Downforce, the official fan club of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, and the Road to Indy. The name comes from the fact that the fan club takes over Garage 36 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Month of May. As part of our introduction to the new segment, I thought perhaps some background on the origins of the…
Read MoreIndyCar – Calendar Benefiting Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation and Racing for Kids Now Available
Its that time of year again! The 2011 IZOD IndyCar calendar is ready! When you purchase your new 2011 calender full of IndyCar goodness, you are also helping out two great charities, the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation and Racing for Kids. To order, click on the image below, or go directly to http://www.umponline.com/calendar/. Be sure to put OpenPaddock.net in the “Instructions” box. THE 2011 IZOD INDYCAR OFFICIAL WALL CALENDAR NOW AVAILABLE The Calendar That Excites Race Fans Every Day of the Year On behalf of the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation…
Read MoreFeatured – Top 10 Biggest Disappointments of 2010
So it has been some time since I have posted anything, and while 2010 is not completely over, I think we have some pretty solid contenders for top 10 disappointments of 2010. This feature is going to cover every series that we cover on the site. We all know that WRC, IndyCar, ALMS, F1, and even our beloved Rally America or Rally Car series has had some moments they would choose to forget, but we are not going to let them just yet. This list is not necessarily in the…
Read MoreGarage 36 – Ep 1: Jason Penix
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download Welcome to our newest segment here at OpenPaddock.net: Garage 36. In this segment, we will bring you the news, happenings, and inside scoop from Indy Downforce, the official fan club of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights, and the Road to Indy. You’ve heard us talk about Indy Downforce on the podcast, but now you’ll get a much closer look at the club and how being a member can greatly enhance your experience on race weekends and beyond. Our first guest…
Read MoreIndyCar – No Joy in Edmonton
Last night, it was announced that the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights races at the Edmonton City Centre Airport will not happen for 2011 in spite of its being on the confirmed schedule and an agreement between INDYCAR, Octane Racing, and the City of Edmonton. In an article from the Edmonton Sun, it was revealed that negotiations between Octane and the city had reached a terminal end. What caused the breakdown was the City of Edmonton’s late and unilateral move to alter the deal agreed to by all…
Read MoreEpisode 62 – Openpaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Doug and myself as we talk about the IndyCar Downforce Banquet and announce some exciting news! We also talk about racing Justin Wilson on iRacing. We also get into actual events that took place this weekend with Rally Spain and the Korean Grand Prix. Both saw excellent off road action and the F1 title race has been put on its head. Sit back with your favorite beverage and listen to a great conversation even though news has been hard to come by!
Read MoreOpEd – Indy Downforce Banquet Exceeds Expectations
Every year in October, after the end of the IZOD IndyCar Series season, the official fan club of the league, Indy Downforce, has their year-end banquet and celebration. Every year that I’ve been a member of the club, I’ve read the comments by others about how much they’ve enjoyed the banquet, but unfortunately I was never able to attend. Well, this year I made it a priority to go, and wow did I ever pick the right year. This year’s event was much more than just an evening banquet. INDYCAR…
Read MoreRally – FiA Shuts Block Down
Ken Block has brought his American arrogance to the WRC and today he was told to stop…well sort of. The highly popular Gymkahna 3 part 2 video has a segway vehicle that has a bumper sticker on it. On the sticker it says “Obama can’t Gymkhana”. There is nothing derogatory about it but it is funny! That sticker happened to make it onto the very bottom of Ken Block’s Ford Focus WRC and the FIA was not impressed. Block was made to remove the sticker from the car. I’m sorry,…
Read MoreRally – Leg 1 in Spain
Sebastien Loeb has taken it easy this weekend and is still leading Rally Spain by 3.8secs over future teammate and Citroen Junior driver Sebastien Ogier. Loeb’s lead does come as a surprise as the first leg has a mixture of both tarmac and gravel. The Frenchman was first on the roads and sacrificed little time because of it. Jari-Matti Latvala is currently in third which is slightly below what the team were hoping. The idea was to have JML utilize his fast gravel pace to put a lead over the…
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