Category: OP-Ed

Check out the opinions of the guys on the site and you the fans!! Post your own article here!

Question of the Week – What New Driver Will Most Help IndyCar?

Doug Patterson

A new feature that we’re hoping to make a regular part of our off-season coverage is a round-table style of Q&A. Regular op-ed contributor John Olsakovsky will pose a question to those of us here at OpenPaddock, and we’ll all with our own style, option, and perspective provide a response. Once compiled, we’ll post those responses and the debate will begin! Agree with any one of us? Think we’re all off our nut? Share your opinion with us in the Comments section below! QUESTION OF THE WEEK We’re all aware…

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IndyCar- The business of racing 2.0

John Olsakovsky

Which of these drivers would you hire? Driver A has 104 career IndyCar starts. He has 8 wins, 26 podiums, 37 Top Fives, 13 Poles, 10 Fastest Laps with a lowest full time season placing of 6th. Driver B has 82 career IndyCar starts. he has 1 win, 8 podiums, 16 Top Fives, 2 Poles, zero Fastest Laps with a best full time season placing of 7th. Driver A spent most of those starts at the helm of one of the series’ top seats. He’s been in championship contention, raced well on…

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Episode 204 – OpenPaddock.net Paddock

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadNASCAR imitates Formula One as Bowyer scratches an itch, Montoya will make an encore appearance in open-wheel racing, Kimi is confirmed at Ferrari as the 2014 calendar takes shape, and we recap the WRC Rally Australia and ERC Rally Poland. OpenPaddock.net Podcast: Episode #204 – Tuesday September 17, 2013 The continuing NASCAR saga NASCAR changes rules to deter race manipulation Jeff Gordon added to NASCAR’s Chase field IndyCar Montoya turns down Andretti IndyCar offer Juan Pablo Montoya’s return will give IndyCar a villain Munoz…

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OP-Ed – You Wanted Old-School NASCAR?

Doug Patterson

Editor’s Note: John Olsakovsky is becoming quite the regular contributor of op-ed pieces to OpenPaddock.net! This week, he shares a careful-what-you-wish-for piece concerning the recent craziness in the NASCAR world. Do you have a rant or rave you’ve been itching to share with the world? Send it to Shaun at wfp@openpaddock.net or to Doug at doug@openpaddock.net and we’ll get it posted here at OpenPaddock.net for all to read and enjoy. After all, we are all about motorsports commentary for the fans, by the fans! You Wanted Old-School NASCAR? Michael Waltrip…

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Episode 203 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadShaun, Mike W, Kevin, and Doug talk about the Singapore-ish shenanigans in NASCAR (yes, we talk a bit about NASCAR), the punishment of Scott Dixon in IndyCar, more chatter about the IMS road course, and we look at potential changes in the 2014 schedule, Doug recaps the USF2000 races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and congratulates the MidWest Division SCCA drivers who brought home hardware from the SCCA Solo Nationals. In Formula 1, Massa is out and Kimi is in, tires are still up…

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Episode 202 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe OP Boyz are joined this week by Belardi Auto Racing’s Peter Portante to discuss the insanely close Indy Lights championship, relive the crazy Race 3 USF2000 start at Mid-Ohio, and preview of the up coming USF2000 race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Everyone joins in the ranting fun over the demoltion derbys that IndyCar and ALMS called races on the streets of Baltimore, we look forward to the Italian GP at Monza, and Mr. Shaw runs through the latest rally news. We also…

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Episode 201 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe crew returns after a week hiatus (NTS: make checklist for recording podcast) to discuss the glory that was Rally Deutschland, dusty Ojibwe Forest Rally, the demolition derby that IndyCar called a race in Sonoma, and Formula 1’s return to competition at Spa! We also preview the upcoming Italian Grand Prix and the Baltimore Grand Prix. OpenPaddock.net Podcast: Episode #201 – Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 IndyCar Sonoma Quals Power returns to victory amid controversy in Sonoma IndyCar race – Racer.com Results – Standings Day…

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OpEd – Who made the #DickMove on Sunday?

Doug Patterson

Editor’s Note: Today’s OP-Ed piece comes from one of the long-time fans of the site and occasional contributor John Olsakovsky. If you have an opinion about motorsports that you’d like to share with the world, do what John did! Write up your thoughts and send it to us in an email or hit us up on Facebook! Afterall, this is motorsports commentary for the fans, BY the fans. Sunday’s GoPro Grand Prix at Sonoma was a farce. I hesitate to call it a race. Dixon said Power’s tire changer made…

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Episode 200 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIt’s our 200th episode!!! …and in true OpenPaddock style, I’m late getting the show posted. Big thanks to Kevin for taking care of the editing process for me this week. Classes start on Monday, so this week has been chaotic to say the least. Sadly, Pechin was absent from this week’s show. He was off being a responsible dad or something. The OPEN PADDOCK 200th episode EXTRAVAGANZA! (or something like that) for Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 Presented this evening without Shaun interruption, for your…

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Episode 199 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe are joined this evening by Mid-Ohio race winner and driver of the #83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing DW12 in the IZOD IndyCar Series Charlie Kimball! Shaun, Kevin, Mike, and Mike talk with Charlie about his first win and about the photo he has of him standing on the podium a step above Vettel in his early days of racing. The crew offers condolences and best wishes to Smoke, looks at the politics of IndyCar racing at COTA, and the implications of USCR’s…

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