THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Well, we entered another week with sponsorship announcements. Again the Penske Empire seems to just keep gaining financially on the competition this off season. Should anyone be shocked Penske just keeps upping the ante this off season? They (Penske) have now lost the INDYCAR Championship two seasons in a row at the last race. Penske is an operation that wants to travel the galaxy meet interesting and exotic tracks, drivers and teams, and conquer them. Darth Penske hates losing especially to his biggest rival of an…
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The latest news from the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Pro Mazda, and USF2000!
IndyCar – Panther Secures an American Driver
I don’t have much in the way of details here, but I was so excited that I couldn’t wait. Al Unser, Jr., announced the good news via twitter this evening that the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion, J.R. Hildebrand, will be piloting the #4 National Guard car for Panther Racing. Hi Everyone! JR Hildebrand is in the car for Panther. He tested all day and did a GREAT JOB! He is going to be one too watch in 2011!!! — Al Unser, Jr. via Twitter. This is fantastic! Ever since…
Read MoreINDYCAR – On Sponsorships, Cherry Picking and Penske
There has been a litany of sponsorship announcements in the last few days coming from the Penske camp. First we heard of the Shell/Penzoil deal for Helio, then comes word that Meijer had jumped ship from Andretti, and today the announcement that IZOD has joined up with the Captain. Danny Sullivan once said that “When the music stops, Roger always has a chair.” Apparently its Michael Andretti’s. One would have to wonder what the mood is like in the Andretti Autosport shop the last few weeks. Shell/Penzoil’s return to open…
Read MoreRoad to Indy – Weekly Wrap-up 11/29-12/3
Given the blossoming of weekly features we’ve seen here at OpenPaddock.net with Spike’s Indy Hump Day Report, and Shaun’s Sunday Service Park, I’ve decided to join in the fun. Every Friday (or Saturday morning) I will try to have a wrap-up of the weeks headlines from the Road to Indy. There’s been a lot of things happening so far this off-season, which is rather surprising given that a lot of driver/team combinations typically aren’t agreed upon in most ladder series until a month or so before the beginning of the…
Read MoreSpell it ‘IZOD INDYCAR’ and just stop complaining!
Just a quick commentary on the new spelling of “INDYCAR”. So the last few years the series went from “IRL” to “IndyCar” Series. Well in 2010 the series got a title sponsor in IZOD. And notice it is spelled in all capital letters. Look it up, they are not “Izod” They always use all capitals in their logo and press releases. Just go to www.IZOD.com and notice in the “About IZOD” section. The corporation’s PR staff always spell it “IZOD” So when they made up the series logo (which is…
Read MoreGarage 36 – Episode 2: Pippa Mann
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Welcome to our second episode of Garage 36, a segment devoted to covering Indy Downforce, the official fan club of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, and the Road to Indy. In this episode, we talk with the driver voted “Most Popular Driver” from the Firestone Indy Lights Seres, Pippa Mann. Pippa has been very active with the fan club throughout this year, even on weekends when she wasn’t able to be in the car, she was at the Indy Fan Zone…
Read MoreINDY Hump Day Report, On the bubble: HIV/AIDS
Normally the Indy Hump Day Report is very humorous. Filled with insight and sarcasm. Today however is World AIDS day 2010. Having grown up in the shadows of Pocono Raceway, I became a massive racing fan watching the late Tim Richmond. Richmond while better known for his amazing talent behind the primitive wheel of a NASCAR stock car in the 1980’s got his big break in Open Wheel racing. Richmond was born into wealth, and in the mid 1970’s was given a chance to hop in a friends Sprint car.…
Read MoreIndyCar – Sarah Fisher Racing: Comments from Sarah and Ed on 2011
IndyLights – Andretti Autosport and AFS Racing Part Ways
Well, this came out of left field. …at least for me. After a very successful three-year partnership, Andretti Autosport and AFS Racing have decided to end their relationship and pursue their individual paths in Firestone Indy Lights and the IZOD IndyCar Series. The partnership yielded 11 race wins and back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 with Raphael “Rafa” Matos and JR Hildebrand. Here are some quotes from the two team principals, Gary Peterson of AFS Racing and Michael Andretti of Andretti Autosport. “AFS Racing’s partnership with Andretti Autosport has certainly…
Read MoreIndyCar – Sarah Hands the Keys to Carpenter
In a move that many of us were sort of anticipating would happen for 2011, Sarah Fisher has announced her retirement as a driver and will focus her efforts on being a team owner. There was much speculation amongst us fans as to who would eventually be selected for the #67 seat, although we all knew it was NOT going to be Jay Howard. In a press conference held at the Sarah Fisher Racing shop, we find that Ed Carpenter will be racing in nine events in 2011 sporting the…
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