Question of the Week – What New Driver Will Most Help IndyCar?

A new feature that we’re hoping to make a regular part of our off-season coverage is a round-table style of Q&A. Regular op-ed contributor John Olsakovsky will pose a question to those of us here at OpenPaddock, and we’ll all with our own style, option, and perspective provide a response. Once compiled, we’ll post those responses and the debate will begin! Agree with any one of us? Think we’re all off our nut? Share your opinion with us in the Comments section below! QUESTION OF THE WEEK We’re all aware…

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Episode 207 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOpenPaddock.net Podcast: Episode 207 – Tuesday, October 7th, 2013 IndyCar Houston Review Standings Local viewer video of Grand Prix of Houston crash Franchitti ruled out of Fontana race Fontana Preview 2014 IndyCar schedule set to be revealed Penske confirms Allmendinger for Fontana Alex Tagliani tabbed to replace Dario Franchitti in IndyCar season finale National Guard switches IndyCar allegiance to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing from 2014 – Racer.com Chip Ganassi Racing confirms Kanaan and Chevrolet engines for 2014 Honda: IndyCar needs third supplier MRTI Lights…

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From The Cockpit – Michael Epps’ Thoughts on Texas, Tango’s, and Flying Tyres

Editor’s Note: In our continuing From the Cockpit series, Belardi Auto Racing’s Michael Epps offers the following recap of his race weekend on the rolling hills of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. We thank Belardi Auto Racing and their drivers for their support and the excellent insights their drivers have offered us through this series of articles. At the end of the article, you’ll find links to Belardi Auto Racing’s and Michael’s social media connections. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Well, well, well. Actually I’m not…

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IndyCar – Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk is a weekly rumor/opinion section about happenings in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Pro Mazda Series and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Series. All opinions expressed within should be considered as 100% accurate and infallible, because everyone knows I’m never wrong. Houston. Wow. What an event. Taking away all the ancillary factors, Houston wasn’t a bad race. The field was pretty racy. Just go back and look at the box scores. Bourdais went from 13th to 5th. Servia went from 21st to 7th. Vautier went from 22nd…

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Episode 206 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadKevin Neely and Mike Shaw are joined by special guests John Olsakovsky, regular Op-Ed contributor to OpenPaddock.net, and USF2000 pilot for Belardi Auto Racing and friend of OpenPaddock.net Peter Portante. The boys hash out all the news in IndyCar as everyone including all of the MRTI head to Houston, the details of the Indianapolis GP opening the Month of May, and the driver swaps and additions in Indy Lights. Formula 1 heads to Korea as the WRC heads to France, and Shaw wraps things…

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IndyCar – BREAKING NEWS: Tony Kanaan to Ganassi

Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press reports that 2013 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Winner and 2004 IRL Series Champion Tony Kanaan has signed a deal to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2014. The popular Brazilian has made his free agency aspirations well known in the media since it was discovered that KV Racing Technology was having difficulty financing his 2013 effort. His name had been linked to the Ganassi seat, but also seats at Andretti Autosport, Bryan Herta Autosport, Panther Racing and a possible return to KV Racing Technology.…

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IndyLights – Conor Daly Returns to Indy Lights With Team Moore Racing

Conor Daly, who has been running a full-season in GP3 for ART Grand Prix, returns to American open-wheel racing for a encore performance in Firestone Indy Lights. Team Moore Racing announced today that the Irish-American hotshoe will be driving their #22 TMR/RUS Industrial/ALS Association Dallara in Houston. Conor has been pursuing an open-wheel career along any avenue that he can. His primary goal has always been to compete in Formula 1, and he has been racing in GP3 and GP2 this season toward that end. He hasn’t shut the door…

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IndyLights – Dempsey Is Out for the Remainder of 2013

I must admit that this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise as we’ve seen Peter Dempsey’s car running sans a primary sponsor since MidOhio. Peter, who had won the Firestone Freedom 100 in dramatic fashion in May and had several strong finishes in the races since, has run out of funds to continue the 2013 season. We’ve really appreciated having Peter on the OpenPaddock.net podcast and sharing his race weekend thoughts with us throughout the season. We’re bummed and disappointed that he’ll not be able to continue with…

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IndyCar- The business of racing 2.0

Which of these drivers would you hire? Driver A has 104 career IndyCar starts. He has 8 wins, 26 podiums, 37 Top Fives, 13 Poles, 10 Fastest Laps with a lowest full time season placing of 6th. Driver B has 82 career IndyCar starts. he has 1 win, 8 podiums, 16 Top Fives, 2 Poles, zero Fastest Laps with a best full time season placing of 7th. Driver A spent most of those starts at the helm of one of the series’ top seats. He’s been in championship contention, raced well on…

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