Birmingham AL City Council Member Steven Hoyt, what are you thinking? A recent request from Zoom Motorsports, producers of motorsports events at Barber Motorsports Park, for $300,000 in support from the City of Birmingham was recently rejected via a coalition headed up by Councilor Hoyt on the grounds of Birmingham being a majority African-American populated municipality and the people who run Barber Motorsports Park and Zoom Motorsports being primarily Caucasian. The fact of the matter is Councilor Hoyt has no problem with the city directing hundreds of thousands of dollars…
Read MoreTag: INDYCAR
Episode 182 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOpen Paddock #182 – April 1st, 2013 All is quiet in motorsports we care about… Preview Indycar oval rookie testing & barber preview Loeb helping Kubica with WRC debut and Loeb takes on Pikes Peak Thailand for 2015 F1 date? Miscellaneous other stuff to keep us entertained…. Formula E says “a race in Monaco is going to happen” Michelin to supply Formula E LE MANS: Conway Lands WEC Drive With Delta-ADR GRAND-AM: Series Confirms DTM/ITR Agreement IndyCar Oval Rookies Turn Laps At Texas Daly…
Read MoreIndyCar-Round 2: Honda Grand Prix of Alabama Preview
What: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Where: Grand Prix Circuit, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL Who: Will Power looks to repeat as race winner, taking three of four visits to the circuit by IndyCar. Power’s teammate, Helio Castroneves, is the only other former winner at Barber, and comes off a strong second place finish at St. Pete. Points leader James Hinchcliffe ran well at Barber last year and in preseason testing. Hinch looks to extend his points lead early in the season. When: Race time is 3pm EDT on…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Thoughts on St. Pete from Belardi Auto Racing’s Peter Portante
Coming off a disappointing weekend at Sebring I was very eager to get back on the track. St. Pete is one of the most challenging tracks on our calendar, as well as our first street circuit. The Indy Car races here have been fantastic and I knew that it would be a fantastic race in USF2000, especially with 31 cars! First practice was underway early in the morning. We got good laps in, and it was nice to get a feel of the track. We ended Practice One in P11.…
Read MoreIndyCar-Conor Daly enters Indy 500 with Foyt
Today, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Conor Daly made the worst kept secret in IndyCar official; young Conor will pilot A.J.’s #41 entry at this year’s Indianapolis 500. Conor had a quite successful offseason test with the Foyt team, leading to speculation that he might do the entire IZOD IndyCar Series schedule as his European aspirations hung in the balance. Funding eventually materialized, leading Conor to return to Gp3 with the ART team, and even getting a shot at GP2 in Malaysia. Daly, a 21 year old from Noblesville, IN, is…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Carnage on the Streets of St. Pete
The entire Mazda Road to Indy contingent was present for the IZOD IndyCar Series season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg this past weekend, the Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, and the Firestone Indy Lights series. The Pro Mazda drivers were the only one to escape the carnage that plagued every other series on the track that weekend. For Pro Mazda and USF2000, this weekend was their second race weekend of the season, and we’re starting to see…
Read MoreIndyCar-Neely’s Nine: Field Rankings after GP St Pete
With round one of the 2013 IZOD Indycar Series down, the field now leaves the Albert Whitted Airport circuit in sunny St. Petersburg, FL for the luxurious Grand Prix Circuit at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL. We learned a good bit about 2013 in St. Pete, but increased speeds and grip at Barber should prove to separate the contenders from the pretenders as we get the real feel of how the season should play out. These rankings are nothing more than my personal opinion, and not always reflective of…
Read MoreEpisode 181 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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…
Read MoreIndyCar-No Runoff Needed: Mayor Hinchcliffe Takes GP St. Pete
In an outstanding display of racecraft, James Hinchcliffe took his first IZOD IndyCar Series victory on the Albert Whitted Airport Circuit in St. Petersburg, FL today. Hinch managed to hold off defending race champion Helio Castroneves for over 20 laps near the end of the event, giving Andretti Autosport its first win in St. Pete. Completing the podium was Marco Andretti in the #25 RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet. After starting 4th, Hinch ran up near the front of the field all day. Helio Castroneves ended the day with most…
Read MoreEpisode 180 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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.
Read More