Category: IndyCar Series

News and commentary on the highest level of American open-wheel racing.

OP-Ed – Does INDYCAR’s “Faux-vertaking” Rule Encourage Avoidable Contact?

Doug Patterson

Comparing the number of accidents in Formula 1 and other open-wheel series and in IndyCar in the past couple of years has me wondering if the INDYCAR overtaking rule (faux-vertaking as @MikeOpenPaddock would call it) doesn’t in fact encourage avoidable contact rather than discouraging it. There has been a lot of talk about INDYCAR’s overtaking rule on road and street courses that demands that a driver leave open the inside line in approach to a corner, and usually not in happy tones. This rule comes from Tony Cotman and the…

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IndyCar – Thoughts on the 2012 Dallara Aerodynamics

Doug Patterson

We’ve now seen the new 2012 car in both its road course trim and its oval trim. The road course package was tested at Mid-Ohio last month the Monday after the race there. This past Tuesday, test driver Dan Wheldon shook the car down in its oval trim at the Iowa Speedway. Perhaps it would be better to call it its short oval trim, as the car was still fitted with a multi-element front and rear wing and looks very much like the road course package used at Mid-Ohio. Regardless,…

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Spike Day: IndyCar race in China–Awful idea, Mexico City–Awesome idea

Mike Shaw

So as we have recently learned, there is a 90% likelihood the IZOD IndyCar Series will be racing in China during the 2012 season. The upcoming race at Motegi will be the final time the IZOD IndyCar Series will visit Japan for some time. While I will be the first to admit, Twin Ring Motegi was not a very good oval track layout—Japan is a fan base who deserve more respect. From the early days of the “IRL” to today, Japanese makes have supplied engines for teams in the IZOD…

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IndyCar – Some Perspective On Motegi Risks

Doug Patterson

There’s be a LOT of comments and worry about the radiation levels and the health risks that drivers and team personnel will be facing as they compete at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Motegi, Japan which is located 78 miles from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant which catastrophically failed during the Honshu earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I thought it might be advisable to bring some perspective as to just what the level of risk is compared to activities we take for granted and don’t even think about in…

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IndyCar – Hideki Mutoh Rides Again

Doug Patterson

The young Japanese driver that showed so much promise in 2007 in the Firestone Indy Lights series and as an Andretti Autosport driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2008 and 2009, ran what was thought to be his final season in lack-luster fashion with Newman-Haas Racing in 2010. After the 2010 IndyCar season, he returned to Japan to run in the 2011 SuperGT Championship, driving a Honda HSV-010 GT for Autobacs Racing Team Aguri. Now he’s set to return for an encore appearence in the IZOD IndyCar Series with…

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Spike Day: Free Simona!

Mike Shaw

Apologies for the quiet week, our semester started Monday. As always the school was totally disorganized, and the bookstore was inept as usual causing me to have many things to deal with. I give a quick summary of fantasy picks at the bottom of the column. There is some more pressing news to discuss first. Don’t let that Simona back in, she is keeping Americans from having a job… Is this the logical fallacy the United States government has with Simona de Silvestro? She is not alone either, this problem…

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Indy Car Returns to NASCAR Country

Doug Patterson

Written by Jim Shepka: Let’s face it, New England is the home of the Tour Modifieds. It was born here back in the 40’s and the sound can be heard running on the bullrings every Friday and Saturday night all around the region. It wasn’t until the expansion of the old road course in Loudon into the current version of the ‘Magic Mile’ that the ‘Cup’ tour was eventually brought to the masses in New England. It’s also been nearly 20 years since Indy Cars (pick your version) have run…

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Will Power, flips out, and flips off, Barnhart jumps over shark infested waters

Mike Shaw

Sunday I found myself working as a pit road spotter for Jake Query of IMS Radio. This was my first time ever doing this, what a wild race to start out. What seemed like another dull Dario run away, all went out the window on lap 118. On the TV broadcast Sato took full blame for the crash. However on pit road it seemed like the 10 also came down a little to initiate contact. “What the hell just happened?” was all Dario said on the radio after. Chip Ganassi…

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