Joe was fortunate enough to be in Sonoma for the IndyCar race at Infineon Raceway in support of the Racing for Cancer charity. While he was there, he was able to get some great photos for us. Enjoy! FIL and IICS from Infineon
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TV – Weekend racing schedule for Aug 21 and 22.
Formula 1 is still on holiday, but the ALMS is back and at Road America! That should a great event! The IZOD IndyCar Series also returns to the track, but at Sonoma. Personally, I’d love to drive this track or even watch a race there in person, but let’s be honest; its not produced the greatest racing in the world. Unfortunately, MotoGP is also in an off-week, so there’s not much other than IndyCar and ALMS on this weekend, and of course Murphy’s Law being what it is, they two…
Read MoreThe Road to Indy – An Interview with Jason Penix
IndyCar – Photos from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Here are some of the better pics from this weekend’s Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series events at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. I ended up with a TON of pics from the weekend, and these are just the ones that I picked out after a first cursory glance. Keep checking our photo gallery throughout the rest of the year, and especially during the off-season. One of the things that keeps me going through the winter is going back through my photo archives and searching for images I missed…
Read MoreIndyCar – 2012 Chassis Revealed!
This afternoon, the Indy Racing League announced their plans for the 2012 season of the IZOD IndyCar Series. There’s been a lot of buzz about what the new chassis spec would be for a number of years now. The speculations have run from a completely wide-open, run-whatcha-brung, regulation to a completely spec, single-manufacturer car. For the past year, most of the money was on the spec type of formula, but in recent weeks, comments by the league officials and especially by Randy Bernard have led many to think that perhaps…
Read MoreIndyCar – Watkins Glen Photos and an Introduction.
Unfortunately, for reasons of scheduling, work, other commitments, and financial, (mainly financial) neither Shaun, Mike, nor I could make it to Watkins Glen International this past weekend for the Camping World Grand Prix. Fortunately for us, and for you, a fellow Indy Downforce member and brilliant photographer Joe Ferrall was able to attend, and in a moment of irrationality he has agreed to join us here at OpenPaddock expanding our on-site coverage of IZOD IndyCar Series events. Please join us in welcoming Joe to the site and enjoy his photos…
Read MoreIndyCar – Saturday Wrap-up from Iowa
Saturday was a busy day at the Iowa Speedway. The qualifying session and races for the US F2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Tires powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, and the Firestone Indy Lights were all held on Saturday, which made for a packed schedule of on-track activity. I would report on the qualifying sessions for the US F2000 and the Star Mazda, but I didn’t see them. I COULDN’T see them! The track didn’t open its gates until 1:00pm, and since I was tardy…
Read MoreOp-Ed – Making a Case for the World Engine
The recent concept from Lola of using the same tub for both the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights series got me thinking. Why stop there? One of the most often used reasons for why multiple chassis and engine manufacturers are impractical for the IZOD IndyCar Series is that the loss of the economy of scale would drive up the costs too much for participation to be either attractive or profitable. Its a powerful and very well founded argument. If a manufacturer can spread the costs of development…
Read MoreEpisode 31 – Open Paddock Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin myself and Mike as we get into the lack of news this week. We wrap-up Sebring and get into a small portion of rally news. We talk about the IndyCar 2012 panel as well as some news regarding the potential Baltimore Grand Prix. F1 is on tap and we preview both St. Pete and Melbourne. McLaren “snorkel” debate is heated!!! Grab your favorite adult beverage, sit down and enjoy! Be sure to post your opinion on the McLaren “snorkel” debate…we are going to…
Read MoreIndyCar – Saavedra Joins Bryan Herta Autosport for 2010
Sebastian Saavedra who drove in the #27 AGR/AFS Firestone Indy Lights entry in 2009 has recently been announced as Bryan Herta Autosport’s second driver. Saavedra finished third in the 2009 championship after battling his teammate and eventual champion JR Hildebrand all season long. He had never raced on an oval, let alone a superspeedway, before coming to the Firestone Indy Lights series, yet he won his first oval race at Kansas in the most racing treacherous conditions I’ve ever seen. He backed up his strong oval performance with great run…
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