Category: OP-Ed

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

WRC – Are They Really Arguing About Safety?

Mike Shaw

The safety argument. It’s such an easy thing to use as the basis for an argument because nobody wants to say they are against safety right?   This week is the Rally Sweden, round 2 on the WRC calendar and the only true winter rally on the schedule (although Wales has had its share of surprises with a bit of the white stuff).  Unfortunately mother nature wasn’t cooperating and unseasonably high temperatures had melted all the snow for many of the stages.  In a desperate move to keep the rally on, organizers cancelled…

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Episode 289 RallyCast – OpenPaddock.net

Mike Shaw

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe continue our segregated podcasts with episode #289, what we’re calling the Rally-Cast.  This week for your listening pleasure Doug Patterson joins Mike Shaw and Matt Kalish as we interview special guests Troy Miller and Steve Harrell who showed just how close a rally can be decided, and that sportsmanship among competitors can be more important than a victory.  We also discuss the rest of the results from Sno*Drift as well as other Rally America news.  We finish off with a short preview of WRC Sweden which…

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Rally America – The View From the Right Seat and Across the Pond by Niall Burns

Mike Shaw

Irish rally co-driver extraordinaire and friend of the show Niall Burns wanted to give us Americans some insight into how he sees rallying in the USA as both a co-driver and as a rally fan.   The View From the Right Seat and Across the Pond by Niall Burns As it is Super-Bowl weekend, I feel it is only fitting to start this article with a field sport image. You have built the best stadium in the world and you have got the top players in the sport ready to do…

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Episode 289 UMMMMCast – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Mike Shaw

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadContinuing with our segregated shows this week is Episode 289 of UMMMCast focusing on what we like to call the Unexplainable Mixed Malgamation of Motorsports Mayhem.  John takes the helm as we review the 24hrs of Daytona which saw close battles in damn near every class. In F1 news there’s a thankful driver change at Renault and finally engines get the development time they need.  We wrap it up with IndyCar news where they had a media day that apparently barely made the media.

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Episode 288 – OpenPaddock.net Rally Podcast

Mike Shaw

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadA little bit of a change up as we split off the rally podcast into it’s own episode.  Our sportscar and open-wheel podcast will be recorded later in the week.  This week hosts Mike and John are joined by “The Professor” Doug Patterson, and a special guest and friend of the show from across the pond Tom Firth.  In this episode we wrap up our views on the Dakar Rally and Robby’s DNF.  We have a lot from WRC Monte Carlo, give a quick preview Sno*Drift,…

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Episode 287 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Mike Shaw

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode we start things off with a big focus on the Dakar Rally.  We also discuss news that Rally America has a new racing class and our opinion of Bucky’s first venture into stage rally.  We also talk about the upcoming Rally Monte Carlo and Ken Block’s switch from Red Bull GRC to the FIA World Rallycross Championship.  In an odd twist Jost Capito leaves his success at VW for a CEO position at McLaren Racing. And finally in IndyCar we have differing…

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Episode 286 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Mike Shaw

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode in rally we talk about the wet and wild inaugural SCCA NW Rally Sprint at DirtFish Rally School with clips from winner Jeff Seehorn and chief organizer Kito Brielmaier.  We also discuss all the moves in the WRC (recorded before the Meeke announcement), and the new Hyundai i20 WRC 2016.  In our Ummm coverage, the F1 season ended, but the infighting continues.  In IndyCar The Mayor of Hinchtown is healed, Conor Daly finally gets the full season ride we’ve been hoping for, and…

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F1 – FiA Gets One Right

John Olsakovsky

A lot is being made of the FiA’s recent decision to allow Formula One teams choice among three available compounds of Pirelli tires.  It’s a huge change, no matter how you slice it, but on that I like.  OK, I don’t advocate slicing tires, but I do advocate options that result in differing team strategies and, ideally, better racing on track. I even appreciate the idea of keeping teams’ compound selection secret, at least from other teams.  If a team knew another teams strategy, they could counter it, and it…

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Episode 285 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Mike Shaw

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode we have special guest from the Pacific Northwest Kito Brielmaier who tells us all about the upcoming NW Rally Sprint. We also review the wet and wild Wales Rally GB and other bits of rally news. In our mixed motorsports segment we review the Mexico and Brazil GPs and finally in IndyCar we scrape the barrel to find some news.

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