IndyLights – Firestone Freedom 100 Preview

As has been the case all season, and really the last couple of seasons, car counts continue to be low. There are only eleven entries for this year’s Firestone IndyLights Freedom 100, but among those eleven entries, there is some serious talent. At the top of the list is series veteran Carlos Muñoz. After a rocky start in the first three events of the 2012 season, he scored a P2 finish on Carburetion Day last year in what was an absolute knife fight of a race. This year, he will…

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Episode 189 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe whole gang preview the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race as Doug gets sauced on Fuzzy’s Vodka, Mr. Shaw goes on a rant about the epic failure of Global Rallycross to deal with a bit of rain, Mr. Patterson finally has Mazda Road to Indy news as we look forward to the Firestone Freedom 100 and the Night Before the 500, and Mr. Whitesell and Mr. Neely preview the Monaco Grand Prix. Show Notes for Episode 189 – May 20th, 2013 Preview Indy qualifying, 500…

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Episode 187 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadKevin has the plague this week, so Mike, Doug, and Mike are given free reign of the controls! Whitesell and Patterson debate Sato’s driving and Barfield’s non-call, we recap Indy Lights testing at IMS, BRIEFLY preview F1’s return to Europe, and Shaw brings us all the gory details of the Oregon Trail Rally and Loebs return and dominance at Rally Argentina. Show Notes Preview IndyCar – Sao Paulo has a new Mayor, despite incumbent’s attempts to block his election, and yes Virginia, it’s May!…

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Episode 185 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIndyCar leaves the Streets of Long Beach littered with bent metal and shards of carbon fiber from both the big cars and the Lights cars! Kevin and Mike Whitesell review the Grand Prix of Long Beach, Doug goes on his yearly rant about unrestrained aggression and reviews the Indy Lights race, Mike and Mike review the Formula 1 Bahrain GP, and Mr. Shaw wraps up the show with a review of the Global Rallycross event at the Brazil X-Games. Show notes and outline OP…

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Indy Lights – Unfettered Aggression and the Failures It Causes

The Firestone Indy Lights series is a dangerous time for young drivers. Many come to the series after having experienced success in the lower formula, be it in Europe, South America, or in the USF2000 and Pro Mazda championships that are part of the Mazda Road to Indy. When they get to compete in the Firestone Indy Lights series, they are so close to their goals of being an IZOD IndyCar Series driver, that bravado and excitement can often take control of their thoughts, pushing rational thinking and all the…

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IndyLights – Peter Dempsey Blog: St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park Review

Hello everyone and welcome to my first blog entry for OpenPaddock.net! My name is Peter Dempsey and I am competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series this season driving for Belardi Auto Racing in the #5 car. I will be writing weekend review blogs after each of my FIL races this season. With a busy start to 2013, this first blog consists of both my St. Petersburg review and my Barber Motorsport review. The Streets of St. Petersburg The first race of the year is always one of the most…

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Episode 184 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIt’s Rally Week! Mike Shaw gets top billing this week with his review of Rally Portugal and some news from Rally America. Jeremy Salenius joins us to talk about the Kansas City SCCA Solo season, and Kevin and Doug wrap up the show with all things open-wheel including a wrap-up of the Chinese GP, and a preview of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights races on the Streets of Long Beach. Pace Notes Lead-In Ogier and VW win 3rd straight rally Kansas…

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Episode 181 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIt’s “We love Canada night” on Open Paddock! Hinch and Hargrove mount Canadian invasion in St. Pete. Kevin and Mike2 talk about the IndyCar season opener, the full gambit of Mazda Road to Indy races at St. Pete as well as the SCCA Pro Pirelli World Challenge. Mr. Whitesell leads us through the chaos that was the F1 Malasian GP, and Mr. Shaw closes out the show with all things rally. Sit back, crack open a ice cold Labatt Blue, and enjoy! Oh, and…

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Episode 180 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMike Whitesell takes the reins as Kevin is swept off to Oz by the tornados and gives us a review of F1’s season opener in Melbourne and a preview of IndyCar’s opener at St. Pete. Doug reviews the USF2000 season opener at Sebring, and Mr. Shaw points and laughs at us for starting our seasons so darn late as he recaps the week’s news from the world of rally.

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MRTI – St. Pete Preview and Schedule

This coming weekend represents the IZOD IndyCar Series’ and Firestone Indy Lights’ season opening event, although it will represent the second race weekend for both the Pro Mazda Series Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. This will also be one of four weekends over the season in which all four INDYCAR-sanctioned series race at the same venue on the same weekend. Maybe call it four and a half with Indianapolis even though the USF2000 and Pro Mazda drivers will be at Lucas…

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