Ford World Rally Team drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila won Rally Sweden today by 16.6sec after a tense finale to this second round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Victory in a Ford FiestaRS World Rally Car was Ford’s sixth consecutive success at the only true winter rally of the season. It was Latvala’s second win in Sweden, and it came despite his comfortable lead being slashed when he hit a rogue rock and punctured a tyre with just two more speed tests remaining before the finish. Team-matesPetter Solberg…
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USF2000 – Winterfest PBIR Schedule
The final three races for the 2012 USF2000 Cooper Tire Winterfest take place this weekend at the Palm Beach International Raceway. Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing dominated the first three rounds at Sebring International Raceway earlier in the week, as they swept the podium in each race. Spencer Pigot leads the mini-championship thanks to his two wins in Race 1 and 2, and his second-place finish in Race 3. Teammate Matthew Brabham is right behind him with two seconds in Races 1 and 2 and a win in Race…
Read MoreIndyCar – New Blocking Rule, …no wait, it’s the same one.
Well, ok. The headline is a bit misleading if I’m honest. The blocking rule in the 2012 rule book, which the teams now have, but media and fans do not as of yet, is unchanged from the 2011 rule book. The interpretation of this rule, however, looks like it will change dramatically. 9.3.Additional Provisions and Guidelines B.Blocking – A Driver must not alter his/her racing line based on the actions of pursuing Drivers or use an abnormal racing line to inhibit or prevent passing. Blocking will result in a minimum…
Read MoreMazda Road to Indy – Juncos Racing and the Chilean Connection
The way into the Mazda Road to Indy program was broadened this week by Juncos Racing team principal Ricardo Juncos. In a recent trip to Chile, he was able to secure a deal that will give the Chilean Formula 3 champion the opportunity to come to the US, fully supported, and race for Juncos Racing in the Mazda Road to Indy program. As of now, Juncos Racing participates in the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear and the Firestone Indy Lights series, and presumably the incoming driver would be placed…
Read MoreEpisode 124 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin the guys this week as they present the weekly roundup for all of your favorite motorsport series. We talk car launches and day 1 of testing for Formula 1. Honda is up to its old tricks again with engine failures in IndyCar. We also try and make sense of all the bad things happening in the WRC. IndyCar fans beware, this may be a prophetic look into your future as well, or at least how fast good momentum can come apart. Mike brings…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Cape Motorsports Dominates at Sebring
Looks as though Race #1 of the USF2000 Cooper Tires WinterFest was no fluke! The Cape Motorsports trio of Spencer Pigot, Matthew Brabham, and Trent Hindman swept the podium in all three races held at Sebring International Raceway! Today, Races #2 and #3 were held, and the trio performed just as strongly as they did yesterday. There was one exception, Matthew Brabham. Matthew finished Race #1 in P2, nearly three seconds adrift of race winner Spencer Pigot. During Race #2, he set the fast lap of the race with a…
Read MoreWRC – Ford Targets Six of the Best at Scandinavian Snowfest
Ford World Rally Team’s Nordic drivers will aim to extend the squad’s winning grip at the Swedish Rally (9 – 12 February) next week. The team has won the last five fixtures of the FIA World Rally Championship’s only true winter encounter and both Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala and Norway’s Petter Solberg have Swedish victories to their names. Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila claimed their maiden WRC victory at the Karlstad-based rally in 2008 and Solberg, now partnered by Chris Patterson, took the spoils in 2005. The Ford Fiesta RS World…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Cape Motorsports Sweeps the Winter Fest Race 1 Podium
The Cooper Tires Winter Fest, a six-race mini-series that preludes the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda, began today with qualifying for Race #1 taking place this morning and the race itself taking place late this afternoon. Cape Motorsports dominated the 20-car field with a podium sweep and Spencer Pigot leading flag to flag. In second was Matthew Brabham, son of the famous sportscar driver, Geoff Brabham, and grandson to the famous Formula 1 three-time World Driver Champion. (no pressure, though). Rounding out the podium was…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Former Supermoto rider Michael Johnson Joins JDC MotorSports
I’ve been slow in posting this driver announcement, and I’m sure that if you follow the Mazda Road to Indy program at all, you’ve heard of Michael Johnson’s signing with JDC MotorSports and that he’s a paraplegic. I was curious about Mr. Johnson’s story and wanted to do some digging and find out more about his story. As many of you know, I’m a big fan not only of auto racing, but also of motorcycle racing. This is why I find Mr. Johnson’s early career so fascinating. Thanks to the…
Read MoreThe Spike has returned…to Indianapolis!!! Can you smell what The Spike…is cooking???
Well I am back—not that I really left Open Paddock. Yes, I will return for another season of Op-Ed columns for Open Paddock. Where did I go? Well, toward the end of last season I was being paid by another website to write for them. (My name not attached to the articles, but when you get paid that’s fine). I won’t name the site for the moment, it is up in the air if the site will be back. It was funded and created by a company that was…
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