IndyCar – Shell Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston Preview

John Olsakovsky

I was “lucky” enough to latch onto tickets to Friday practice at this week’s Verizon IndyCar race at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston. You’d think I’d be excited as blue blazes to go to an IndyCar race in the same city where I live. Yeah, it’s not quite that simple.  As much as they try, the promoters of this event can’t shake one obvious fact: This is a race in a large parking lot. I snuck out of work for a few hours Friday afternoon and head to…

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Pro Mazda – Can Pigot Get His Groove Back at Houston?

Doug Patterson

The first four races of the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship, two at St. Pete and two at Barber, saw Juncos Racing’s Spencer Pigot dominate the rest of the field. In those first four races, Spencer won two poles, and in all four races set the fastest race lap, lead the most laps, and was first to take the checkers. That all changed when the Pro Mazda Championship came to Indianapolis for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis. It all went wrong for Spencer on the exit of Turn 1 on…

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Episode 237 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe Mikes and John discuss the news and rumors surrounding the 2015 IndyCar schedule, Doug joins late for the Houston GP preview and to preview the Pro Mazda race at Houston. Mr. Shaw takes us through a LOT of rally news, a review of GRC in DC, and previews of the Pikes Peak and Mt. Washington hill climbs, and WRC’s Rally Portugal. Mr. Whitesell wraps up the show with a review of the Austrian GP and the new circus-style rumors for the 2015 F1…

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Red Bull GRC Needs a Win in DC as Much as the Drivers

Mike Shaw

Today the newly re-branded Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship kicks off it’s first “normal” USA event in Washington D.C., and it is going to be LIVE on NBC.  Not NBC Sports mind you, but the main NBC network (tune in at 2PM Eastern/ 11AM Pacific).  They have promised   So why does Red Bull GRC need a win?  After a successful event in Barbados the series next stop was X-Games Austin that was quite honestly utter crap.  A combination of poor track design, multiple delays from hot headed drivers causing…

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Episode 236 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMike, Mike, and John carry on this week as Doug is away to a conference. That means a sub 2-hour show without the Professor rambling on and on. Here’s what’s on tap this week: Le Mans – A Brief Review IndyCar – Bourdais fined, JV thinks IndyCar is just swell now Rally – Ken Block Podiums in Hell, Radical WRC revamp to go ahead, GRC DC Preview Formula 1 – Ferrari wants apple and google to fix F1 because the prancing horse isn’t winning,…

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Episode 235 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOpenPaddock.net Podcast – Episode #235 for Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 IndyCar Double file restarts dropped for rest of season Texas Review More downforce than last year flaming Marco out early Wilson/Bourdais (lap 121) come together… probably Bourdais’ fault Huertas loops it in pit lane on the yellow RHR’s woes continue with oil pressure problems (lap 138) (lap 182) Ed passes Power for the lead as Will suffers understeer and lapped traffic. Last pit stop and Power incurs pit speed violation which leaves Ed +12s…

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Goikhberg stretches championship lead in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda

Josh Tons

Mikhail Goikhberg stretched his championship lead in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda series winning Round 4 and finishing second in Round 3 on Saturday, June 7 at Kansas Speedway. Goikhberg has won three of the four races this season in the No. 10 JDC Motorsports car and now leads the series with 78 points. “Overall, I’m happy with how the weekend went,” Goikhberg said. “We were a corner away from winning the first race, won the second race. I’m very happy with the car, very proud of JDC, and…

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Davison, Wilson Give TRG-AMR GS Win while Valiante, Gilsinger take ST Kansas Victory

Josh Tons

James Davidson battled throughout the final hour of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Kansas Speedway this past Saturday, to take home the win with co-driver Kris Wilson in the No. 07 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage. Wilson started from the pole and led the opening 70 minutes of the two-hour, 30-minute race. As the No. 07 pitted, Matt Plumb inherited the lead after taking over for starting driver Nick Longhi in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche 911. “It was certainly a competitive race, and I was trying…

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