The engines and tyres have barely had time to cool down from the The Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Test that took place yesterday and today on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield road course and we’re already seeing driver signings for 2013. Peter Dempsey has had a tough few years in the Mazda Road to Indy program, his last full-season ride being with AIM Motorsports for the 2009 Star Mazda season. In 2010, he returned to his native Ireland and ran Formula Ford events for his father’s team,…
Read MoreUSF2000 and Pirelli World Challenge Are Solid with Green-Savoree
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…
Read MoreSCCA – Photog Stinks It Up in KCR Solo Event 10
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…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Jarett Andretti to Test with Andretti Autosport at Putnam
It’s good to be an Andretti! Open-wheel racing will see yet another Andretti among it’s ranks as Jarett Andretti, son of John Andretti, will get a chance to test a USF2000 car at Putnam Park Raceway later this month. Andretti Autosport. It’s good to see Michael Andretti continue to draw in fresh, young, American drivers into the Mazda Road to Indy program. It’s worth noting that not only is Michael bringing new talent into USF2000, but he’s been good at promoting his recruited talent through the Mazda Road to Indy…
Read MoreEpisode 158 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWhile Mike is off playing with bears in the woods somewhere in the Smokey Mountains, Shaun and Doug talk about the confirmation of Red Bull Media House as the 2013 Promoter for the WRC, the reconfiguration of the WRC classes, Formula 1 silly season with Hamilton to Mercedes and Perez to McLaren, and we spend a lot of time talking about the IZOD IndyCar Series 2013 race schedule. Sit back and enjoy as we stagger, stumble, and stutter our way through this week’s motorsports…
Read MoreSpecial Edition – Spike’s Interviews at the Pocono Raceway
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis past Monday morning, the Pocono Raceway and INDYCAR invited the media out to the Tricky Triangle for an official annoucement of its return to open-wheel racing in 2013 as Round 11 on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule on Independence Day weekend. Constable Spike Rogan took time off from defending the citizens of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania from miscreants and ne’er-do-wells to attend the announcement ceremonies. Included among the dignitaries on hand were INDYCAR’s CEO Randy Bernard, CEO of the Pocono Raceway Brandon Igdalsky, and racing…
Read MoreIndyCar is back home to Pocono in 2013
More than just a chilly autumn wind blew into Pocono Raceway today–the IZOD IndyCar Series arrived with October at Long Pond today. For many this is an announcement of a lifetime 23 years in the making. To put it in perspective: Ed Carpenter was 8, Marco Andretti 2, Graham Rahal was just 9 months old, while Josef Newgarden was not born for 16 months when IndyCar last raced there. The excitement at Pocono Raceway today can not be put into words. Local newspaper reporters who have been covering…
Read MoreIndyCar – Pocono, The Tricky Triangle is Back!
Some of you in the eastern half of the US may have heard a loud detonation or felt a seismic event yesterday. That was the head out our own Spike Rogan exploding after his conversation with Christopher Mele, Executive Editor for the Pocono Record, about IZOD IndyCar Series’ return to Pocono Raceway. Spike has been leading a campaign for a LONG time advocating the return of open-wheel racing to the tricky triangle through various social-media outlets, including a dedicated page Bring IndyCar Back to Pocono. “Every chance I got to…
Read MoreRally – Exciting Changes in WRC for 2013
Contributed story by Mike Shaw Today marks the end of what must be one of the most exciting weeks in WRC history!… and none of it had to do with a rally! It all started on Wednesday when rumors at the Paris Motor Show. The final confirmation came on Thursday morning that Hyundai will re-join the WRC as a manufacturer team with their new Hyundai i20 WRC. Also at the Paris Motor Show, there was release of the new Peugeot 208 R5. This caused much debate regarding the large number…
Read MoreRally – Olympus Rally, a Fan’s Perspective
Editor’s Note: Mike Shaw has once again given us a remarkable rally article. He and his wife attended the final round of the Rally America National Championship, the Olympus Rally. This was Mike’s second rally of the year, having been to the Oregon Trail Rally earlier this year. In spite of the on-stage spectator areas being closed, the service park and super special stage still offered plenty of excitement. We welcome Mike’s contributions and encourage the rest of you to follow in his footsteps. Have an motorsports opinion, or been…
Read More