Category: INDYCAR

The latest news from the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Pro Mazda, and USF2000!

Episode 161 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis week on the OpenPaddock.net Podcast, Shaun and Doug welcome special guest Sage Karam, driver of the #88 Comfort Revolution Star Mazda car for Andretti Autosport this past season. He speaks to us about how he became connected with the Andretti’s, how his 2012 season went, and his recent testing of a Firestone Indy Lights car. Sage also talks about how important it is for him to lead a normal teenage life in a public school in spite of his full-time racing career. Doug…

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USF2000 – A Look at the 2013 Schedule

Doug Patterson

Earlier today, the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda announced its 2013 race schedule. There are some significant changes from the 2012 schedule, but in all, I think they’re good ones. The series competes along side the other series within the Mazda Road to Indy program and the IZOD IndyCar Series more frequently, and there’s less of a gap between races during the summer. Last year, there were no races in June or July, meaning that teams and drivers had to wait two and a half months after the…

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Star Mazda – Road Atlanta Recap

Doug Patterson

The final race of the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear saw the checkered flags this afternoon putting a cap on the 2012 season. Gabby Chavez of JDC MotorSports won the pole position yesterday afternoon, edging out Andretti Autosports’ Sage Karam by a mere 0.05s! While the first two positions in the championship standings are already determined, Positions 3 and 4 are still hotly contested by Juncos Racing pilot Connor De Phillippi and Sage Karam. Going into this final round, Connor lead Sage by four points, 303 to 299.…

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IndyCar – Curiouser and Curiouser

Doug Patterson

On this week’s OpenPaddock Live, we ranted about the “story that would not die”, the rumors continued to fly and Tony Hulman George was seeking to purchase INDYCAR. When we saw Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star writing about it, we knew that there was more to the story that just hearsay, but a concern that Mr. Cavin raised was that as a member of the Hulman & Company Board of Directors, he couldn’t be both buyer and seller. Then today, we received the following press release from IMS announcing…

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Star Mazda – Chavez On Pole at Road Atlanta

Doug Patterson

The final round of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear takes place this afternoon at the Road Atlanta circuit outside of Braselton, GA. Jack Hawksworth, pilot for Team Pelfrey and 2012 champion, has stepped out of the car this week and is coaching Ryan Tveter who is taking his place in the #82. Jack has dominated the season, but there’s been one driver who has been consistently on his heels and on the podium, Gabby Chavez. Gabby drives the #19 CLARO/Marca Colombia/Tecpro Mazda car for JDC MotorSport and sits…

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Star Mazda – Zach Veach Interview at Road Atlanta

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBrian McKay, one of our photographers here at OpenPaddock, is down at Road Atlanta this weekend, and it pulling double-duty for us. Since he’s the only one there for us, he’s working his magic with glass and film (ok image sensor), and he’s serving as our on-site reporter. Today he caught up with Andretti Autosport driver, Zach Veach to talk with him about his experience testing the Firestone Indy Lights car last week at the Chris Griffis Mazda Road to Indy Open Test at…

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IndyLights – Firestone Indy Lights 2013 Schedule

Doug Patterson

INDYCAR released the race schedule for the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season. We already knew the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, so the details of the Indy Lights schedule really comes as no surprise. One thing I am rather surprised at is the absence of the Circuit Trois-Rivières from the schedule. Instead of racing in Canada, the Firestone Indy Lights series rejoins the IZOD IndyCar Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course the first weekend in August. This is going to make track time during the already jam-packed weekend at Mid-Ohio…

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Episode 160 — OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIf you missed it last night on ETV Live!, we had the honor of speaking with the newly signed pilot of the #9 Firestone Indy Lights racing machine for Belardi Auto Racing, Mr. Peter Dempsey. Peter shared with us his experiences struggling to find a stable ride through the end of 2011 with Andretti Autosport, racing and coaching in 2012 at Indianapolis and Detroit this past season with Younessi Racing, and ending the 2012 season with Belardi. We also asked him to do some…

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Indy Lights – Dempsey Signs With Belardi for 2013

Doug Patterson

The engines and tyres have barely had time to cool down from the The Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Test that took place yesterday and today on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield road course and we’re already seeing driver signings for 2013. Peter Dempsey has had a tough few years in the Mazda Road to Indy program, his last full-season ride being with AIM Motorsports for the 2009 Star Mazda season. In 2010, he returned to his native Ireland and ran Formula Ford events for his father’s team,…

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USF2000 and Pirelli World Challenge Are Solid with Green-Savoree

Doug Patterson

While I thoroughly enjoy the IZOD IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, I must admit that my favourite parts of the weekend are the USF2000 and World Challenge races. The USF2000 races this year have seen a huge increase in participation level, with grid sizes routinely in the high 20s and sometimes in the 30s. The SCCA World Challenge has also seen a high level of participation in its three classes. The variety of machines, Championship, Formula Continental, and Formula Enterprise cars…

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