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Episode 215 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

January 22, 2014January 22, 2014 Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe illustrious Mr. Shaun Pechin returns to the OpenPaddock.net Podcast as he, Mr. Mike Whitesell, Mr. Mike Shaw, and Dr. Douglas Patterson stumble and stagger their way through the week’s motorsports news. We begin with a little NASCAR (that’s right!) and move into some of the changes happening in IndyCar. We also review the list of IndyCar and IndyLights drivers that will be competing in this weekend’s Rolex 24. Mr. Shaw gives us a rundown of the WRC’s first event, Rallye Monte Carlo, and…

INDYCAR – How Did We Get Here? Pt. 2 When Did It Go Sideways?

January 20, 2014January 20, 2014 Mike Shaw

(Note: Part one can be found here) Welcome back to the weird and wonderful world that is AAA and INDYCAR history. Racing through the 20’s was political, but more or less straight forward in its execution. The late 20’s bring a whole different problem. Instead of making history, AAA was finally interested in documenting its history correctly and accurately. You can decide how successful they eventually were. In 1926/1927, AAA Assistant Secretary Arthur Means, for reasons unknown, created false season tables for 1909-1915 and 1917-1919 and reworked the 1920 season …

Episode 214 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

January 19, 2014January 20, 2014 Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe’re back!! It’s a new year, and time to hack our way through all the news in motorsports.

Rally America – Exciting New Developments

January 18, 2014January 19, 2014 Mike Shaw

Yes, it is not all doom and gloom. Last week I posted an article that was admittedly a bit vague, with concern for Rally America’s national championships. Two of the 2013 champions, plus Ken Block and a few other regular national entrants stated that they are unable to continue in the 2014 national championship season. There were quite a few comments here on the site as well as on Facebook and Twitter and I must say I really appreciate hearing from all of you as passionate about the sport as…

The Missed Shift – Formula WTF-1?

January 17, 2014January 20, 2014 John Olsakovsky

OK, the title is a bit misleading. The recent happenings in the world of Formula 1 are certainly not surprising enough to warrant a true “WTF”, but they are significant. How much impact they will have on the 2014 season remains to be seen. Both of these articles came up within a very short time, so it was too good to pass up. Ecclestone steps down from F1 board Mr. Ecclestone has proposed and the board agreed that until the case has been concluded, he will step down as…

Rally America – Team O’neil 2014 Driver Announcment

January 15, 2014January 15, 2014 Josh Tons

Team O’Neil Motorsports and Ford Racing are proud to announce the return of their 2013 2wd Championship winning team for the 2014 Rally America season, with a new driver, Andrew Comerie-Picard. Andrew is the clear choice for the 2014 season, as his history in the sport clearly reflects. Andrew Comrie-Picard has won the Canadian Open Class championship, the North American Rally Championship, is a class winner on the Baja1000, and holds the fastest front-wheel-drive time on Pikes Peak. He is also a five-time X Games competitor and medalist in 2010.…

The Missed Shift – Gimmee Gimmee Gimmee!

January 15, 2014January 15, 2014 John Olsakovsky

I have a three year old, so the refrain of “I want!” and “Gimmee!” is common ’round these parts. It’s part and parcel for a child of that age, and as a parent I (as well as Mrs. Race Fan) do our best to instill non-materialistic values and quell the desire for instant gratification. Three year olds are extremely resistant to this sort of life lesson. As a middle-aged guy, I have an inner three year old that wants all kinds of things. OK, more like twelve and not three,…

TUSCC – The Stunning Corvette C7R

January 14, 2014January 14, 2014 Shaun

While the media release has already been plastered all over the internet, I thought I would at least mention and briefly talk about the Chevrolet Corvette C7R. Released yesterday in Detroit, the C7R is based off of the Corvette Stingray and the 2015 Z06. This car is beyond beautiful and I truly don’t think there are words that can describe it completely. Chevrolet announced the car had been stiffened up a bit to provide more responsive handling. The suspension is also rugged and durable in order to meet the demands…

Rally America – Serious Problems Ahead

January 11, 2014January 11, 2014 Mike Shaw

Remember last season where every major class came down to the final event to decide the championship? Two of those titles came down to the final day, and one wasn’t sealed until the final stage. It was simply epic. There were some great battles between Ken Block and David Higgins all season long. David Sterckx overcame his mechanical issues from the previous year to take the championship in Super Production and Mason Moyle had his best season yet finishing second in the class. In 2wd Brendan Reeves showed us American’s…

USCC – Thoughts on the Roar

January 9, 2014 Shaun

Well it is finally here! The 2014 Tudor United Sports Car Championship has completed the merger process and also completed their first major test in preparation for the Rolex 24 Hour race. I have said since last season that I was excited at the prospect of having both championships merged together and the exciting racing we could expect! Like a lot of folks who tuned into the great coverage of various media outlets worldwide of the Roar Before the 24 test session, I was interested in speeds and lap times…