Spike Day: IndyCar race in China–Awful idea, Mexico City–Awesome idea

So as we have recently learned, there is a 90% likelihood the IZOD IndyCar Series will be racing in China during the 2012 season. The upcoming race at Motegi will be the final time the IZOD IndyCar Series will visit Japan for some time. While I will be the first to admit, Twin Ring Motegi was not a very good oval track layout—Japan is a fan base who deserve more respect. From the early days of the “IRL” to today, Japanese makes have supplied engines for teams in the IZOD…

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IndyCar – Some Perspective On Motegi Risks

There’s be a LOT of comments and worry about the radiation levels and the health risks that drivers and team personnel will be facing as they compete at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Motegi, Japan which is located 78 miles from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant which catastrophically failed during the Honshu earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I thought it might be advisable to bring some perspective as to just what the level of risk is compared to activities we take for granted and don’t even think about in…

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IndyCar – Hideki Mutoh Rides Again

The young Japanese driver that showed so much promise in 2007 in the Firestone Indy Lights series and as an Andretti Autosport driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2008 and 2009, ran what was thought to be his final season in lack-luster fashion with Newman-Haas Racing in 2010. After the 2010 IndyCar season, he returned to Japan to run in the 2011 SuperGT Championship, driving a Honda HSV-010 GT for Autobacs Racing Team Aguri. Now he’s set to return for an encore appearence in the IZOD IndyCar Series with…

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IndyCar – Motegi Is Back On But With Some Twists

The Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami near the Honshu Prefecture in Japan certainly caused serious devastation throughout the entire country, and continues to be a source of chaos and disruption. Takuma Sato has been working very hard all season long to bring awareness and raise money for those who are suffering as a result, and recently on Bump Day in Indianapolis, he was signing t-shirts sold for a fundraiser for the children of Japan. You can learn more about Takuma’s and KV Racing Technologies efforts to help at http://kvracingtechnology.homestead.com/2011/2K11_About_WithYouJapan.html. Of…

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Indy Hump Day Report, On the bubble: Motegi!

Hey man, don’t Tweet-kill my buzz! Yes we all saw the IZOD INDYCAR Series get a ton of attention from a Twitter fight. Tomas Scheckter behaving like an 8th grade bully, taunting the emotionally weakest classmate on-line. Yeah sure Graham put it out there he was single, doesn’t excuse the childish behavior from the South African driver. I mean I talked about my father passing, is it then ok to make jokes about my dead father since, I mentioned it on-line? Only if you’re a total *******! While much of…

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TV – Weekend Racing Schedule for Oct 2nd and 3rd

The event list for this weekend is pretty light, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t have hours of motorsport goodness! Saturday starts with the Mustang Challenge in the “Why We Race” series on Discovery HD Theater. Its not bad way to start a Saturday morning, and its certainly better anything else that’s on now that we have no quality Saturday morning programming like Kung Fu Theater or any number of Godzilla movies. Next up is THE sportscar event of the year in North America, the Petit LeMans at Road…

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IndyCar – Versus Acknowledges History

We have complained a bit here at Open Paddock about the way the TV broadcast ignores the historic records of past greats like AJ, Mario, and even Paul Tracy when they wax poetic about the winningest driver in IndyCar history being Dixon or Hornish before him. Both Versus and ABC have been equal opportunity offenders on that count. I thought at the beginning of the season when the IRL published their first combined historic record book, that we had seen the end of this. The combined book includes all records…

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IndyCar – Daikaiju Cone Attacks Briscoe

The Land of the Rising Sun played host to the IndyCar series last night at Twin Ring Motegi. Non-typical for Motegi, the race ran the full distance without any rain. For the most part, the affair was pretty exciting. Scott Dixon started the race on pole, and the running order was established early on. Dixon and Franchitti led pretty much the entire race, but there was a bit of intrigue behind them. Briscoe, who started the race 25 points ahead in the championship, was clearly saving fuel from the start.…

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