Category: Featured

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In Focus – DAT GLOW!

Doug Patterson

We’re going to begin a new series of article here at OpenPaddock.net called “In Focus” were Brian McKay, Tom Turk, Brad Plant, and I will share a favourite motorsports photo from the OpenPaddock.net archives. We will discuss why we composed the image the way we did, what exposure settings we used, what techniques we deployed, and the story we wished to convey with the shot. We’re really fortunate here at OpenPaddock.net to have some seriously talented professional photographers on staff to provide us with amazing imagery for you, our readers,…

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MRTI – Andersen Promotions and MAXSpeed Group Form Alliance

Doug Patterson

Today at between practice sessions for the Pro Mazda Championship, Andersen Promotions, who owns and/or operates all three rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder program, announced a recruitment program with MAXSpeed Group who supplies of the engines used in the Rotax MAS Challenge karting series. The goal is to recruit three drivers from the Rotax MAX Challenge karting series into the Mazda Road to Indy’s USF2000 National Championship beginning with the 2015 season by offering four one-day testing scholarships. I’ll say that while this partnership is extremely valuable,…

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SCCA – Mazda MX-5 Cup Joins the Double-Header Madness in Houston

Doug Patterson
Credit: Steve Bernstein

Double-Header Madness is in the air! The Verizon IndyCar Series and the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will share the NHK Stadium parking lot with the SCCA Pro’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BF Goodrich, and every will run two! It’s a rare thing for the MX-5 Cup to join IndyCar for a race weekend, although it’s not unheard of, especially at Houston where the MX-5 Cup was a regular with CART and Champ Car. The championship points standings after four races thus far is in many ways…

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IndyCar – Shell Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston Preview

John Olsakovsky

I was “lucky” enough to latch onto tickets to Friday practice at this week’s Verizon IndyCar race at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston. You’d think I’d be excited as blue blazes to go to an IndyCar race in the same city where I live. Yeah, it’s not quite that simple.  As much as they try, the promoters of this event can’t shake one obvious fact: This is a race in a large parking lot. I snuck out of work for a few hours Friday afternoon and head to…

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Pro Mazda – Can Pigot Get His Groove Back at Houston?

Doug Patterson

The first four races of the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship, two at St. Pete and two at Barber, saw Juncos Racing’s Spencer Pigot dominate the rest of the field. In those first four races, Spencer won two poles, and in all four races set the fastest race lap, lead the most laps, and was first to take the checkers. That all changed when the Pro Mazda Championship came to Indianapolis for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis. It all went wrong for Spencer on the exit of Turn 1 on…

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Episode 237 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe Mikes and John discuss the news and rumors surrounding the 2015 IndyCar schedule, Doug joins late for the Houston GP preview and to preview the Pro Mazda race at Houston. Mr. Shaw takes us through a LOT of rally news, a review of GRC in DC, and previews of the Pikes Peak and Mt. Washington hill climbs, and WRC’s Rally Portugal. Mr. Whitesell wraps up the show with a review of the Austrian GP and the new circus-style rumors for the 2015 F1…

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Red Bull GRC Needs a Win in DC as Much as the Drivers

Mike Shaw

Today the newly re-branded Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship kicks off it’s first “normal” USA event in Washington D.C., and it is going to be LIVE on NBC.  Not NBC Sports mind you, but the main NBC network (tune in at 2PM Eastern/ 11AM Pacific).  They have promised   So why does Red Bull GRC need a win?  After a successful event in Barbados the series next stop was X-Games Austin that was quite honestly utter crap.  A combination of poor track design, multiple delays from hot headed drivers causing…

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Episode 236 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMike, Mike, and John carry on this week as Doug is away to a conference. That means a sub 2-hour show without the Professor rambling on and on. Here’s what’s on tap this week: Le Mans – A Brief Review IndyCar – Bourdais fined, JV thinks IndyCar is just swell now Rally – Ken Block Podiums in Hell, Radical WRC revamp to go ahead, GRC DC Preview Formula 1 – Ferrari wants apple and google to fix F1 because the prancing horse isn’t winning,…

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Episode 235 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOpenPaddock.net Podcast – Episode #235 for Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 IndyCar Double file restarts dropped for rest of season Texas Review More downforce than last year flaming Marco out early Wilson/Bourdais (lap 121) come together… probably Bourdais’ fault Huertas loops it in pit lane on the yellow RHR’s woes continue with oil pressure problems (lap 138) (lap 182) Ed passes Power for the lead as Will suffers understeer and lapped traffic. Last pit stop and Power incurs pit speed violation which leaves Ed +12s…

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