With the news that the IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS) will be returning to Loudon next year, the dreaded NASCAR track disease that we here at Open Paddock said was a series debilitating syndrome may finally be going away. It is true that we here at the site have been very critical of the IICS and their schedule that consists mainly of the cookie cutter NASCAR tracks. For one, they show next to no attendance figures, and they also do not promote “drivers” racing but instead a true test of engineering…
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The latest news from the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Pro Mazda, and USF2000!
IndyCar – Saturday Wrap-up from Iowa
Saturday was a busy day at the Iowa Speedway. The qualifying session and races for the US F2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Tires powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, and the Firestone Indy Lights were all held on Saturday, which made for a packed schedule of on-track activity. I would report on the qualifying sessions for the US F2000 and the Star Mazda, but I didn’t see them. I COULDN’T see them! The track didn’t open its gates until 1:00pm, and since I was tardy…
Read MoreIndyCar – RHR Extends for Iowa
While Ryan Hunter Reay’s future still remains unclear for the long term, the American has secured enough sponsorship to run at least this weekend in Iowa. The U.S. Ethanol industry has made it possible for Hunter Reay to compete in this weekends race. If you remember back when Ryan was with Rahal Letterman Racing in ’07 and ’08, he also had the ethanol sponsorship. While he is in this weekend, their are still questions for the rest of the rounds. Hunter Reay is currently sixth in the championship and is…
Read MoreStar Mazda – Iowa Preview: Return of the Daly Show
This weekend, the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear contests the fifth round, the second on an oval, of their season at the Iowa Speedway. They will be there along with every other part of the Road2Indy program and the IZOD IndyCar Series. It should make for a fantastic weekend of open-wheel racing. The last race for Star Mazda was at the O’Reilly Raceway Park where they shared the Night Before the 500 with the US F2000 National Championship and the USAC Midgets. Like with US F2000, car count is…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Iowa Preview: Round 4 and the 2nd Oval of the Season
This weekend, the US F2000 National Championship Presented by Cooper Tires contests the fourth round of their season at the Iowa Speedway. They will be there along with every other part of the Road2Indy program and the IZOD IndyCar Series. It should make for a fantastic weekend of open-wheel racing. The last round for the US F2000 competitors was at the O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Saturday night prior to the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Although the car count for US F2000 in this rebirth season is not as…
Read MoreIndyCar – Flaming Texas Failure and the Decline of Safety in the IndyCar Series
Silvestro on Fire in Texas Simona de Silvestro’s effort at Texas came to an inglorious end on Saturday night. After an accident that left her stranded on track with the right sidepod spouting flames, it took the IndyCar travelling safety crew 40 seconds to extract her from the car. Apparently, the fire hose that they have attached to the safety truck failed and the fire bottles that they brought to bear on the blaze proved insufficient for the task. This resulted in one of the crew members forcefully yanking Simona…
Read MoreIndyCar – Texas! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!
Everything is bigger in Texas, even the racing! The IZOD IndyCar Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway has historically been an exciting event with close side-by-side, wheel-to-wheel racing. Last year was a disappointment as we saw a procession with exception of Briscoe who darn near lapped the entire field until a caution for “debris” obliterated the huge lead he’d built. This year, however, the close racing was back! As you may remember, the league made mid-season changes to the oval aero rules, allowing the teams to use some devices…
Read MoreIndyCar – Fans and Engine Manufacturers Get Their Wish
Today the Indy Racing League issued a press release announcing their specifications for the 2012 engine formula for the IZOD IndyCar Series. The good news is that its pretty much wide open! There will be no spec engines in the next generation IndyCar. Once again, we will see competition between not only drivers and teams, but between manufacturers and engineers as well! Being a bit of an engineering geek, this has me very excited. Once again, we’ll hear multiple engine notes at Indianapolis creating beautiful chords of engineering music. Here’s…
Read MoreRoad to Indy – Night Before The 500 Summary and Photos
Summary and Quotes Saturday night, the Night Before the 500, saw the first visit to an oval for the US F2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Tires powered by Mazda and the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Unlike the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race the next day which was brutally hot, the weather was perfect. We sat in the Turn 1 grass and enjoyed the mild temps and the gentle breeze as we watched the future of open-wheel racing do battle on the 5/8-mile paved oval at the O’Reilly Raceway…
Read MoreIndyCar – Grading to the 500
Just like that it is all over. The cleaning crews are clearing the soda and beer cans, Dario has won, and we all wait until next year to see what surprises the race holds. This year was one of the most controversial five hundred mile races in a long time because of the setup of the month. The month of May has always been a month and not just a two week event. So how did it fair? Lets take a look and grade the 94th Indianapolis 500. Practice: B+…
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