Rally – Why Toyota/Prodrive is Rumor Only

There seems to be some confusion on what exactly Prodrive are doing in terms of their rally program as of late. Is it MINI or is it Toyota or is it even Formula 1??? I can assure you as will Prodrive that they are not entering Formula 1. However, the rally program has been thrown into question with rumor that the British firm may be working with Toyota in a return to the WRC. Guess what? Not gonna happen. There are a number of things that make this a non…

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IndyCar – Saturday Wrap-up from Iowa

Saturday was a busy day at the Iowa Speedway. The qualifying session and races for the US F2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Tires powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, and the Firestone Indy Lights were all held on Saturday, which made for a packed schedule of on-track activity. I would report on the qualifying sessions for the US F2000 and the Star Mazda, but I didn’t see them. I COULDN’T see them! The track didn’t open its gates until 1:00pm, and since I was tardy…

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F1 – Fourth Team Would Hurt Mercedes

Simply put, 2010 has not been the year that Mercedes was hoping for. The team that was once Brawn GP, a team that took both the drivers title and the constructor’s title received a huge boost when they signed Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, but both drivers have struggled up to this point. Along with trying to field their own manufacturer effort, Mercedes has supplied McLaren and Force India with power plants for their challengers over the last couple years. Speculation had the German team also perhaps supplying Red Bull…

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Rally – Flash from the Past to Compete in Finland?? *UPDATE*

One of the great things the WRC has shown us the last few years is the ability for drivers to make returns for select events. For example, we had Marcus Gronholm make a cameo appearance at Rally Portugal last year and Rally Sweden this year. However not even that can top Juha Kankkunen and his attempt to run in the Rally Finland event that is coming up. The four times WRC champion is making waves in the rally world as he sits on the very edge of making a comeback…

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Episode 43 – Open Paddock Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Mike and I as we discuss the weekend that was the Canadian GP. We also cover a little Le Mans as there was the greatest sports car in the world last weekend. We talk a little Rally and a little IndyCar as well. So as is standard operating procedure, sit back with your favorite beverage and enjoy the random gripes and complaints that make up this weeks show!

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OP-Ed – Everybody Hates Citroen – but they shouldn’t

Editors Note: Welcome our first OP-ED Contributor Alasdair Lindsay! He has wrote a brilliant piece that is a must read for all rally fans. While this is an outside source, the opinion expressed in this op-ed is that of the author. Then agian, they make us say that! 😉 By Alasdair Lindsay In the WRC, all-conquering teams and drivers usually come in pairs – Miki Biasion and Lancia, Carlos Sainz and Toyota, Tommi Makinen and Mitsubishi, Marcus Gronholm and Peugeot to name a few of them. However all of these…

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F1 – Raikkonen and Buemi Rumor Mill

While we thought that the extension of Massa and Webber would put a stop to big movers and shakers this silly season, that has not stopped some other names from picking up the slack. While Kimi Raikkonen has been the subject of a number of F1 seats since his departure, Sebastian Buemi has only been linked with his seat and its defense but now finds himself the subject of perhaps a Red Bull Racing seat. Raikkonen has been linked to Renault once before after being released by Ferrari. Rumor has…

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IndyCar – RHR Extends for Iowa

While Ryan Hunter Reay’s future still remains unclear for the long term, the American has secured enough sponsorship to run at least this weekend in Iowa. The U.S. Ethanol industry has made it possible for Hunter Reay to compete in this weekends race. If you remember back when Ryan was with Rahal Letterman Racing in ’07 and ’08, he also had the ethanol sponsorship. While he is in this weekend, their are still questions for the rest of the rounds. Hunter Reay is currently sixth in the championship and is…

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Star Mazda – Iowa Preview: Return of the Daly Show

This weekend, the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear contests the fifth round, the second on an oval, of their season at the Iowa Speedway. They will be there along with every other part of the Road2Indy program and the IZOD IndyCar Series. It should make for a fantastic weekend of open-wheel racing. The last race for Star Mazda was at the O’Reilly Raceway Park where they shared the Night Before the 500 with the US F2000 National Championship and the USAC Midgets. Like with US F2000, car count is…

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USF2000 – Iowa Preview: Round 4 and the 2nd Oval of the Season

This weekend, the US F2000 National Championship Presented by Cooper Tires contests the fourth round of their season at the Iowa Speedway. They will be there along with every other part of the Road2Indy program and the IZOD IndyCar Series. It should make for a fantastic weekend of open-wheel racing. The last round for the US F2000 competitors was at the O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Saturday night prior to the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Although the car count for US F2000 in this rebirth season is not as…

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