IndyCar – Sato Wins Pole Position

(Saint Petersburg, Florida) At the end of this afternoon’s multi-stage Verizon IndyCar race-qualifying session, Takuma Sato of A. J. Foyt Racing had posted the fastest time and earned the Verizon P1 Award. In his #14 ABC Supply car with Honda power, Sato’s fastest lap was 1 minute, 1.8686 seconds on the damp 1.8-mile city street course. The Japanese racer, who was second-fastest here last year, bested the rest of the ‘final six’ qualifiers: Will Power in the #12 Verizon car, Ryan Hunter-Reay in the #28 DHL car, his teammate Marco…

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IndyCar – Previewing the Saint Petersburg Grand Prix

Tony Kanaan Saint Petersburg Turn 3

(Saint Petersburg, Florida) The bay-front streets of downtown Saint Petersburg, in West Central Florida, between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, are the setting for an eleventh Verizon IndyCar Series race — Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg. This city has hosted numerous races in various series, from SCCA Pro Racing’s Trans-Am Series, to American Le Mans Series, Champ Car, Formula Vee to Indy Lights. The course configurations have varied since racing began in the 1980s, but the course is east downtown, on the waterfront, between the Pier…

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IndyCar – Back On Track

sunshine and clouds in Saint Petersburg, Florida

(Saint Petersburg, Florida) We have windy, cloudy weather over Tampa Bay, where sailboats and powerboats abound, even on a Friday. This is a day of race car and truck practices for six race series, on a 1.8-mile track that winds through downtown and uses an airport runway. Canadian James Hinchcliffe was fastest in this morning’s Verizon IndyCar Series practice for Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix race. He said that his team had done its homework in the off-season and is “starting off on the right foot.” He said that this is…

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IndyCar – 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…

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F1 Soap Box – All the Noise About the Lack of Noise in F1

Ron Walker, the promoter of the F1 race in Melbourne, has been making all kinds of stink about the quieter engines that graced the streets of Albert Park.  Even before the FIA excluded the Australian Daniel Ricciardo from his podium, the newspapers were printing vitriol about the lack of engine noise.  Add this to the fact that there is growing resentment from the citizens that the Queensland government continues to shell out an exorbitant $50 million a year to subsidize the race, it would be fair to say that the…

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IndyCar – 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

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/

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Inside the Helmet – Shelby Blackstock, A Multidisciplinary Racer

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:…

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Episode 223 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

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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