Tag: 2011

Mazda Road to Indy – Preparing for the Ovals

Doug Patterson

All of the various series that are part of INDYCAR and the Mazda Road to Indy program have opened their seasons with road and street courses. Beginning next weekend, though, everyone switches to oval tracks! Racing on an oval is not as easy as going fast and turning left as those who attended the USF2000 Oval Clinic earlier this month learned. This past weekend, the Star Mazda Championship, in preparation for their coming sequence of three oval races, held an open test at the Milwaukee Mile. For many drivers in…

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INDYCAR – Hunter-Reay to Replace Bruno

Shaun

Business is business right? Who says that qualifications for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 have to end on bump day? Well if you are in the Andretti Autosport camp who had two drivers fail to make the field, then qualifications do not stop until all of your cars are in the show. If your cars cannot do it on speed, then you bring out the biggest weapon of all….the wallet. It was announced today that Ryan Hunter-Reay who was bumped at the last possible moment by Andretti Autosport…

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INDYCAR – Tagliani Storms to Pole!!

Shaun

Pole position for the Indianapolis 500 has always been a big deal. The toughest four laps in motorsport to claim the honor of leading the field is on everyone’s radar. The day started very sunny and warm. Things would not be so sunny for Ryan Briscoe who would trash his car in turn 2 during morning practice. The team would scramble to get the backup car ready in time for their qualifying run. Luckily for them the 6T car was scheduled to qualify 34th. So there was plenty of time…

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F1 Soap Box – Changing the Goalposts

mike

The world of F1 has an interesting argument brewing.  The FIA is reinterpreting their rulebook and is now in the process of banning some of the exotic engine mapping techniques that the teams are using to gain downforce in the corners. Last year, Red Bull stunned the paddock by venting their engine exhausts directly onto their rear diffuser.  In qualifying, they would use a different engine map that would keep engine revs high, even when the driver was not applying throttle at all.  This allowed the car to gain additional…

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Inside The Helmet – Rusty Mitchell

Doug Patterson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | Download In this episode of Inside The Helmet, we talk with Rusty Mitchell about his beginnings in motorsports racing karts and SCCA Formula Enterprise and how he then moved up into the Star Mazda Championship. Rusty recently signed a two-race deal with Team E Racing to drive their Firestone Indy Lights car on the Streets of Long Beach and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Firestone Freedom 100 to be held on Carburetion Day, May 26. Last Friday, Rusty ran in the first…

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Episode 89 – Openpaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Shaun and Mike as they discuss the action on track at indianapolis (or lack there of) as well as all of the latest INDYCAR news. We also discuss Highcroft withdrawling from Le Mans as well as both the IRC and Rally America rounds that happened this past weekend. We also take a look at the F1 circus and have a special interview with David Uhl!

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