Virtual 500 – Vote for Openpaddock.net!

INDYCAR has afforded motorsport writers with a unique chance to compete against their peers. The Virtual 500 is used via iRacing and will see the top 10 writers as voted on you the fans, compete with a shot at racing IZOD IndyCar drivers. Openpaddock has been submitted as a possible entrant into this amazing event. Along with the entry, INDYCAR will work with each blog/website to bring unique coverage to its fans and readers! Head on over to the link posted below and give a Facebook “like” or post a…

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INDYCAR – Rice and Panther Team for Indy

Good news this evening as Panther Racing has announced that Buddy Rice will drive the #44 machine at the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. He will team with J.R. Hildebrand for the month of May and maybe more according to Speed.com. That adds yet another defending race champ to the equation. Rice won the race in 2004 with Rahal/Letterman Racing. After two years of sports car racing in the GRAND-AM series, Rice will jump in an IndyCar for the first time since 2008. This is really a great deal…

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Episode 86 – Openpaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis is whats on tap for tonight’s recording! A pretty light schedule as the weekend was rather quiet. So as always, sit back with your favorite beverage and enjoy the show! OP #86 – April 26th, 2011 Everybody is on 3 week breaks, so the news is contrived…. IndyCar Vasser seeking to delay body kits til 2012 -Why Jimmy? Is Lotus now saying they aren’t making one? -Why is IndyCar forcing everyone to buy a Dallara body kit? -Wrong message to new partners and…

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OP-Ed – David Uhl’s “In The Beginning”

Artist David Uhl should be a name familiar to attendees of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, or at least his work should be. His piece “Glorious Failure” was selected for the cover of the official 2008 Indianapolis 500 program. This year, he was one of the three artist chosen to create cover art for this year’s 100th Anniversary Edition program. The piece he submitted is called “In The Beginning” and is a tribute to that very first epic Indianapolis 500 Mile Race held back in 1911. “After viewing hundreds of…

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Episode 85 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMike and I go through all the events of the Long Beach Grand Prix. We also discuss Rally Jordan and the IRC in Spain! Formula 1? You bet! We discuss post China news and hail the best F1 race in a long time! Sit back and relax what we hail the greatest show of all time! Channeling our inner Lewis Hamilton!

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OpenPaddock Joins Forces with the IndyCar Garage

As some of you have pointed out to us, we don’t have a forum any longer. As you further pointed out to us, you want us to have one! Instead of us trying to reinvent the wheel, we’ve joined forces with one of the more innovative IndyCar fan sites on the web, the IndyCar Garage. We have always claimed and have striven to be “Motorsports commentary for the fans, by the fans” and I believe we have succeeded in that, and our new partnership with the IndyCar Garage will only…

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INDYCAR – Pippa 500 is On!!

A great news story has finally been made official today as Pippa Mann was announced at Conquest Racing for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. Pippa is no stranger to the 2.5 mile oval and claimed pole position for the FIL Freedom 100 race last year. Her run to pole position marked the first time a female has ever held first starting spot at the yard of bricks. She will be driving the #36 car alongside Sebastian Saavedra. “Having the chance to compete in the Indy 500 is something…

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IndyLights: Long Beach 100 Recap

Last week after the Firestone Indy Lights race at Barber Motorsports Park, I went on a bit of a rant regarding the need for these young aspiring drivers to learn a modicum of control. Apparently, many of their team managers went on similar rants as this week’s race on the Streets of Long Beach was far less chaotic. To be sure there were incidents and accidents, but just your normal racing incident type of things, not the mass carnage and mayhem we saw at Barber. For a circuit that has…

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INDYCAR – Conway Checks Out of Long Beach

The IZOD IndyCar series headed out west to the city streets of Long Beach this weekend. The Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix is the most prestigous street course race in America and one that every driver has on the checklist of must wins. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power were the odds on favorites after qualifying on the front row, but some late race drama ensured that Mike Conway would take his first career win in the IICS at this historic venue. Instead of giving a lap by lap rendition of…

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IndyLights – Long Beach Qualifying and New Additions

The Firestone Indy Lights Series will be racing tomorrow in support of the IZOD IndyCar Series on the famous Streets of Long Beach, and today’s qualifying session was very exciting. Before we get to the qualifying results and the implications for the race, first let’s look at some very positive news for the series that broke this week. Two new drivers join the Firestone Indy Lights ranks, and if you’re a regular reader of OpenPaddock, you’ll know that the car count in this step on the Mazda Road to Indy…

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