IndyCar – Changes Coming to Technical Inspection Processes

Doug Patterson

The Milwaukee weekend was not a good one for INDYCAR Race Control and the technical inspection process, both of which are shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. The long-standing policy of non-disclosure when it comes to rules infractions and assessed penalties has created an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust within the Firestone Indy Lights paddock and among the fan-base as well. The lack of disclosure and shrinking technical personnel roster has lead to inconsistencies, misinterpretations, and misunderstandings. While there’s still very little genuine information directly from the league, here are…

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INDYCAR, we can’t pick our fans, but we can pick our officials

Mike Shaw

So another work week is wrapping up, with a Saturday night INDYCAR race waiting for us. Don’t worry; I am not going all Rebecca Black. However, all week the biggest chatter among the INDYCAR fans on-line has been a lack of penalties to Dario Franchitti. While many fans have a very valid point that the series needs rules with consistent enforcement. “Black & White” as many have called for, would mean if you violate there is no exceptions. Well, this is more of a NASCAR like move. Once upon a…

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Star Mazda – Open Practice at Iowa Speedway

Doug Patterson

The Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear started off the competitive laps at the Iowa Speedway this afternoon with a four-hour open test/practice session. The two Juncos racing drivers Martin Scuncio in the #60 and Gustavo Menezes in the #28 topped the charts this afternoon, but not by much, after putting up times of 22.028s and 22.044s, respectively. The Team Pelfrey duo of Connor De Phillippi (#11) and Nick Andries (#81) weren’t too far back falling short of Scuncio’s time by 0.016s and 0.050s, respectively. Good enough for P3 and…

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Episode 94 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin the Openpaddock crew as they discuss the spectacle flop that was Milwaukee. They praise the racing and blast…well…everything else. We also talk the Acropolis Rally and visit Formula 1 land. As always sit back and enjoy the show!

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Rally – Citroen Drivers to Suffer McLaren Like Fate?

Shaun

We have seen this episode once before. A hot upstart young gun taking the fight to his championship winning teammate throughout the title race. A deal that was supposed to start as both drivers receiving number one treatment and now a bit of animosity begins to build as the title race heats up. Think back to 2007 when Lewis Hamilton competed his rookie season against double world champion Fernando Alonso and now look to the WRC and Sebastien Loeb/Ogier and the situations have a number of similarities. The only big…

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Indy Lights – Milwaukee Wrap-Up

Doug Patterson

Discord and dissension plagued this weekend’s Firestone Indy Lights event. The minimal car count on Saturday for qualification got smaller still on Sunday as Peter Dempsey pulled off the track refusing to take the green flag in protest to what he and his team, O2 Racing Technology, feel is favouritism shown to some teams by INDYCAR by ignoring technical violations found in post-race and post-qualifying inspections over the past years. In a release issued by the team later Sunday evening, it was revealed that not only were team officials and…

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INDYCAR – Milwaukee Thoughts

Shaun

After a year off the calendar, the Milwaukee Mile made its triumphant return to the schedule yesterday. Only thing is it was not that triumphant. While the on track product was excellent, the promotion and attendance was pathetic for a race that HAD to return to the IICS calendar by many critics opinion. If it HAD to be there, then where were all the fans? A lot of fans that actually were in attendance for the weekend said the track was more like a ghost town with some people at…

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Star Mazda – Milwaukee Wrap-Up

Doug Patterson

Like the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear ran their second oval event of the season at the Milwaukee Mile in front of the Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series team owners that are the potential future employers of the young drivers in Star Mazda. Unfortunately, and enormous downpour mid-morning on Sunday delayed the start time until after the IZOD IndyCar Series race (about 6pm local). That late start made for an extremely diminished crowd of fans. In…

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