Well the Solo season is underway in the Kansas City Region of the SCCA, and it’s time for me to start the defense of my Street Touring FWD class championship. Some maintenance on Friday to replace the passenger side drive shaft on the Focus SVT didn’t go as planned thanks to a rounded-off nut. …and we were two nuts away from having the damned thing out, too. Oh, well, screw it. Popped the top on another beer, bolted it all together, and went to the pre-season testing session on Saturday…
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IndyCar – Relive the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Photos
Two of our top photographers, Brian McKay of TenPesos.com and Tom Turk of PiraticalPhotography.com, were down in Florida for the season opening races for the Verizon IndyCar Series, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, the Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda, and the SCCA Pro Racing Pirelli World Challenge. Yes, it was a busy weekend and a crowded race track! Brian and Tom did incredible work, and you can enjoy the fantastic racing action all over again through their photos.…
Read MoreEpisode 225 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadShaun, his co-host Mike, and his other co-host Mike (yeah, that joke never gets old) lead you through our first big open-wheel weekend with IndyCar and the Mazda Road to Indy in St. Petersburg, and Formula 1 in Malaysia. Mr. Shaw reviews the news in rally and previews WRC’s Rally Portugal and looks with excitement to his time this week down in LA with the GRC. OpenPaddock.net Podcast: Episode 225 – Tuesday, April 1st, 2014 Misc. Talk that Formula E could replace F1 in…
Read MoreIndyCar – The Value of Constructive Criticism
I will admit the idea from this article stemmed from a great conversation I was able to be a part of on Twitter yesterday afternoon. It all started with a simple tweet from @WhateverJoel: “Whatever happened to honest criticism of IndyCar? There’s too much cheerleading, or people with unrealistic expectations. As we begin the championship this weekend at St. Pete, the series has its standard momentum. Lots of buzz and excitement teamed with a new title sponsor and it would seem that everyone has a reason to be happy. The…
Read MoreIndyCar – A Glance at 2014 Season
Welcome to the start of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar series!! While I could sit and tell you every little thing that I think we should be on the lookout for, I won’t waste your time! Sadly, moving has dictated the schedule this week and is a key reason why I have missed the last two shows. I will be your Verizon IndyCar Series contributor this year and look forward to engaging with the fans over the next few months on our great series! The first major change comes from the…
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Inside The Helmet – Gabby Chaves, A Family Tradition of Motor Racing
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadGabby Chaves, driver of the #5 Belardi Auto Racing machine for the 2014 Indy Lights season visits with us and talks about his unique family racing history, his experiences racing in America versus Europe, his progress through the Mazda Road to Indy system, and his expectations for the 2014 Indy Lights season. Gabby Chaves: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gabby-Chaves/ Twitter: @GabbyChaves Website: http://http://www.gabbychaves.com/ Belardi Auto Racing: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BelardiAutoRacing Twitter: @BelardiRacing Website: http://belardiautoracing.com/
Read MoreInside the Helmet – Shelby Blackstock, A Multidisciplinary Racer
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadShelby Blackstock joins us to talk about his unique start (and late) start into the world of motorsport, how he moved up through the ranks, and how he now does double-duty as both an open-wheel racer in the Indy Lights Series Presented by Cooper Tires as well as the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Be sure to connect with Shelby and Andretti Autosport to keep track of their progress through the 2014 racing season. Shelby Blackstock: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShelbyBlackstock Twitter: @Shelbilly Website: http://shelbyblackstock.com/ Andretti Autosport:…
Read MoreInside the Helmet – Matthew Brabham Looks Back as 2013 and Ahead to 2014.
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadYour 2013 Pro Mazda Champion Matthew Brabham joins us to talk about his dominating season in Pro Mazda, how he’s adapted to the Indy Lights platform in pre-season testing, and his expectations for the 2014 Indy Lights season. Be sure to connect with Matthew Brabham and Andretti Autosport to keep track of their progress through the 2014 racing season. Matthew Brabham: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-Brabham/197733736993240 Twitter: @MattyBrabs Website: http://matthewbrabham.com/ Andretti Autosport: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrettiAutosport Twitter: @FollowAndretti Website: http://www.andrettiautosport.com/
Read MoreEpisode 223 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMike, Doug, and Mike take over the show as Fearless Leader Shaun is pulled away on other business. We review the IndyCar testing results, consider the implications of Verizon signing a long-term deal as entitlement sponsor, and review the news from the Mazda Road to Indy. Mr. Shaw shares news of Foust and Block competing in World RallyCross, and he previews the WRC Rally Portugal. Whitesell leads us through a review of the Formula One season opener at Melbourne, and we all shake our…
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