Category: Sports Cars

Updates on sports car racing in European Le Mans Series, World Endurance Championship, American Le Mans Series, and United SportsCar Championship

ALMS – Photos from Petite Le Mans

Doug Patterson

While down at Road Atlanta for the final round of the 2012 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear, our photographer Brian McKay, also collected some outstanding images of the American Le Mans Series action and their final race of the season, the Petite Le Mans. This was a unique event as many of the teams brought in additional drivers from other series to compete alongside the ALMS regulars. IZOD IndyCar Series three-time champion and this year’s winner of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, Dario Franchitti, was there racing as teammate…

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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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SCCA – KCRSCCA Halloweenie Event

Doug Patterson

The Kansas City Region of the Sports Car Club of America held its final Solo event of the season this past weekend at the Metropolitan Community College Precision Driving Center. This final event was in part solo race, part masquerade ball, and all charity event. All of the profits from the event were donated to the club’s various charities as was the money raised from donations from the club’s various sponsors and partners including Patterson Prints. Attendees earned raffle tickets by bringing non-perishable food items that were donated to the…

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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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SCCA – Kansas City Region’s First Rallycross

Doug Patterson

First of all, let me say, HOLY CRAP WAS THAT A TON OF FUN!!! This past weekend the Kansas City Region of the Sports Car Club of America held its very first rallycross event. It was a new experience for everyone as only five out of the thirty participants had ever rallycrossed before. Most of the competitors were very experienced autocrossers, and there were a few like me who have only scant experience at autocross and none at rallycross. Fortunately, we did have the help of a few knowledgeable and…

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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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SCCA – Photog Stinks It Up in KCR Solo Event 10

Doug Patterson

It’s a good thing for me that Mr. Pechin didn’t show up last Sunday for the Kansas City Region of the Sports Car Club of America (KCRSCCA) Solo Event #10 held at the Metropolitan Community College Blue River Campus’s Precision Driving Center. I stunk it up!! Fill with confidence, or more accurately overconfidence, I went out to attack what I thought was going to be a fairly straightforward circuit. Dan Wheeler, the Event Chair and course designer for Event #10, created a very deceptive layout with elements that forced you…

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SCCA – Learning to DRIVE: A Look at the Kansas City Region SCCA Fall Solo Racing School

Doug Patterson

Twice every year, the Kansas City Region of the SCCA holds a Solo School in which thirty student drivers, mostly drivers with little or no experience in racing competitively, are paired with instructors to provide them with one-on-one instruction on the sport of Solo racing, or autocross, vehicle dynamics, racing lines, and the art of walking and learning a course. We followed rookie autocrosser Tim Steger through his second solo school experience. Tim attended the Spring solo school earlier in the year and competed in his Miata occasionally through the…

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