Indy Lights – Iowa Sukup 100 Review

Doug Patterson

The Sukup 100 at the Iowa Speedway marks the halfway point in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights racing season, and the third straight oval race of the season. With Karam’s win at Milwaukee, Muñoz’s lead in the championship narrowed to the point where Karam had the potential to take the lead in just one race if everything happened just right. Practice and Qualifying My expectation as the series headed to Newton Iowa was that Sage Karam would run away with the event. After all, Sage has won every time he’s…

Read More

Episode 194 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWithout Kevin’s voice of reason and professional influence, the show devolves into a rantfest by a bunch of drunks! The boys offer mad props to Plowman for his LMP2 victory at Le Mans, we review the IndyCar and Indy Lights races and news from the Iowa Speedway, Mr. Shaw leads us through the WRC news and recaps the Nameless Performance Rally (formally the Olympus Rally) and Shaun and Mike round out the show with commentary on the recent FIA tribunal involving Pirelli and Mercedes.…

Read More

Indy Lights – Dempsey’s Trial at the Mile

Doug Patterson

Coming off a great race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Firestone Freedom 100, I was really pumped heading to the Milwaukee Mile for the IndyFest. The week before the race, I was very fortunate to be able to spend eight days back in Ireland visiting friends and family. I arrived back on Tuesday the week of the race. Luckily, I was able to get over the jet lag quickly enough to be fresh for the first practice day on Thursday. The great thing about racing in Milwaukee is that…

Read More

IndyCar – Round 10: Iowa Corn Indy 250 Presented by DEKALB preview

John Olsakovsky

WHAT: Iowa Corn Indy 250 Presented by DEKALB WHERE: Iowa Speedway, Newton, IA WHO: Defending Series Champion and Race Winner Ryan Hunter-Reay looks to repeat his performance form 2012 after winning last week’s event in Milwaukee. Points leader Helio Castroneves has never won at Iowa, but he looks to break through this weekend after a 6th place finish at Iowa last season. Marco Andretti has looked poised to take another victory several times in 2013, but has suffered some sort of unfortunate ending every time. Can the former Iowa winner…

Read More

IndyLights – Dan Andersen to the Rescue! …again!

Doug Patterson

We’ve known that the Firestone Indy Lights series has been on the ropes for a couple of seasons now. Over the past seven years, the number of full-time drivers (75% minimum participation) dropped from 19 in 2007 to a scant eight this season. The number of participating teams has also plummeted from 17 to six. Of those six, there’s only four that have been competing on a regular basis: Schmidt Peterson Motorsport, Andretti Autosport, Belardi Auto Racing, and Team Moore Racing. There are several reasons for this drop in participation…

Read More

MRTI – Pro Mazda and Indy Lights Championships Take Shape at Milwaukee

Doug Patterson

The Mazda Road to Indy teams, at least the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Firestone Indy Lights Series portions of it, did battle last weekend at the oldest active racing venue in the world, the Milwaukee Mile. Traditionally, the Pro Mazda and Indy Lights races at the Mile have usually been processional affairs, but there was more racing action and passes this year than there’s been in a while. On Episode 192 of the OpenPaddock.net Podcast, we had eluded to fact that, especially in Indy Light,…

Read More

Episode 193 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe whole crew is back again! But with less ranting this time, promise. Kevin and Shaun take us through the IndyCar race at Milwaukee, Doug recaps the Pro Mazda and Indy Lights action from Milwaukee, Mike Shaw leads us through the news from the rally world, Whitesell and Pechin look at the silliness surrounding Pirelli and Mercedes GP, and we all enjoy looking forward to the 24 Hours of LeMans. Show Notes for OpenPaddock.net Podcast, Episode 193 Preview IndyCar & MRTI – IndyCarMilwaukee Mile…

Read More