It has been no secret thus far this season that Ferrari have been desperately looking for some kind of pace from their F60 car. They may have just found it with what many in the media are calling the F60B. The scarlet team have lessened the cars weight by approximately 15 kilos in order for the car to better utilize the KERS that it was built around. Items on the car including the material the seat belts are made out of have been changed in an attempt to save weight.…
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IndyCar – Vision Racing
Throughout this month Open Paddock will be highlighting the teams that are currently entered in into this years Indy 500. We will sum up the teams history at the track in a few short paragraphs as well as their projected car lineup as it stands at the time of publishing. We will start the feature and the month of May with Vision Racing. Vision Racing is currently a two car team that is owned by Tony George with his wife Laura and Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey. The team purchased assets from…
Read MoreIndyCar – May is Here!
My first experience with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was in 5thgrade. I attended practice as a class field trip and from that moment on I have always welcomed the month of May with open arms. For me there are three times of year that I absolutely cannot wait for: the holidays at the end of the year, the Formula 1 race that kicks off the season, and the month of May for the Indy 500. IMS during the month of May to me is better than Disney World. This year…
Read MoreIndyCar – What Happened to Competitive Racing?
In year’s past, the IRL Kansas race has been outstandingly exciting. Don’t believe me? Check out this video of the final laps in 2005. Fast forward to 2008. Although TCGR dominated the race up front, there was still a lot of exciting racing behind Dixon and Wheldon. The quality of the racing was still diminished as a result of the aero changes to the rear wing mandated by the league to produce more separation between the cars. This year, it was worse. The 2009 race, as you may have seen…
Read MoreIndyCar – Firestone Indy Lights at Kansas
The first oval race of the year for the Indy Racing League, as you saw in earlier articles here at Openpaddock.net, was held at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS. Oval racing with high-speed open-wheel cars is unique to IndyCar racing, and the league has two levels of competition. First is the series with which everyone is familiar, the IndyCar Series (ICS). This is the series that contests the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race every Memorial Day Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And yes, I do get goosebumps every…
Read MoreRally – WRC Calendar
Lewis Hamilton was not the only topics of discussion at the WMSC meeting held yesterday. The WRC calendar has been reviewed and some new topics have come to light. The FIA released a statement that indicated the rally courses for Indonesia and Russia were incomplete and had not passed safety inspection. This is not the kind of news the WRC is looking for. The series is having enough problems already and this will be a true test for the ISC. The FIA stated that because these rallies are not ready, they…
Read MoreF1 – Bernie Has an Idea
On the heels of the cost capping announcement from the FIA, a bright light bulb has appeared above Bernie Ecclestone’s head. He has thrown out the idea that the teams should pay back some of their 50% share of the commercial revenue to help circuits make their sanction fee payments to him. Bernie works for CVC capital partners who is the current commercial rights holder, having bought those rights from Bernie. When they purchased the rights, they took out massive loans to pay off their investment and have pumped as…
Read MoreF1 – The Future of F1?
The WMSC took the opportunity of their McLaren meeting to put the final touches on their plans for 2010. The FIA also decided that there shall be cost capped teams and unlimited budget teams. Here is a summary of what they decided. Cost capped teams shall be limited to £40 million which is higher than the original amount of £30 million proposed by Max Mosley. They shall be allowed movable aero on the front and rear wings. No rev limit shall be imposed on their engines. No limits shall be…
Read MoreIndyCar – Newman Haas on Ovals
It was a concern going in to the weekend that Newman Haas Lanigan Racing would have trouble getting Robert Doornbos up to speed on ovals. However, it has been a noticeable trend that road course drivers have an easier time learning ovals than vice versa. On top of that, Doornbos is an accomplished driver with F1 and Champ Car experience. Shocked would be the word I would use to describe my reaction to Robert’s eventual P2 in qualifying at Kansas City. Granted, Helio and Dario qualified faster than he did,…
Read MoreMcLaren Dodge Punishment
Judgement has been rendered on the McLaren “lie-gate” and the team has gotten off relatively light for a scandal that was blown into massive proportions. The team was handed a suspended three race ban. Stipulations in the verdict indicate that if any further details come to light or if the team steps out of bounds once more this year then they will be banned from competition for three races. The FIA WMSC stated that due to the “culture” change withing the organization and the fact the team admitted to lying,…
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