Tag: MRTI

USF2000 – Sebring Field Shatters Record and Expectations

Doug Patterson

I’ve been saying for a while now that the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda was going to have some great fields this season, but even my overly-optimistic fan-boy predictions were short of the mark! I had thought that we’d see mid- to high-twenties, which I thought was a bit of a stretch. Turns out, it was a gross underestimate! A total of 35 cars are signed up to contest the opening round at Sebring International Raceway this Thursday and Friday. This shatters the previous record…

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Episode 126 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis week the OpenPaddock trio prepare for their home event in southern Missouri. The 100 Acre Wood rally is back and better than ever with a great entry list of crews and cars. We give our opinions on Formula 1 including Trulli getting canned, and the launch of the new Mercedes W03. We discuss the Sarah Fisher engine situation and Doug gives us the weekly wrap up on the Mazda road to Indy. As always, thanks for the download and enjoy the show!

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MRTI – USF2000 and Star Mazda Grids Continue to Grow

Doug Patterson

While we still wait anxiously for announcements of more driver signings in the Firestone Indy Lights series, the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda and the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear continue to add new drivers and grow their grid sizes. This past week, two new drivers were announced, Henrik Furuseth for USF2000 and Ryan Tveter for Star Mazda. Let’s take a look at these two new Mazda Road to Indy drivers. Ryan Tveter Joins Team GDT in the Star Mazda Championship Ryan Tveter isn’t…

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Mazda Road to Indy – Juncos Racing Showing the Way

Doug Patterson

A few years ago, Tony George, Jr. and Jason Penix worked on building a clear and proper ladder system, the Mazda Road to Indy, that would enable young drivers to move up through the formula car ranks in the US and Canada, and eventually become one of the lucky 33 drivers to compete in the Greatest Spectacle In Racing. Once a young driver is in the Mazda Road to Indy program, talent combined with business acumen (an unfortunate necessity in motorsports today) have allowed many to rise up through the…

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Inside The Helmet – Jason Penix, King of the Mazda Road to Indy

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe had the opportunity to speak with INDYCAR’s Jason Penix. Jason was instrumental in the development of the Mazda Road to Indy Program which has grown by leaps and bounds, both in participation and in popularity. Now Jason serves as Director of Grassroots Initiatives, formally, but has been dubbed by Anders Krohn as the “Mazda Road to Indy King” during this year’s WinterFest. He gives us some insight into the history of the program, how it got started, and who the major players were…

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IndyCar – State of the Series Rebuttal

Shaun

It was just around an hour ago that Randy Bernard and the heads of INDYCAR delivered their State of the Series address. The event was a little bit cheesy but at the end of the day was a fan experience. The main purpose of this address was to layout the very short term goals and accomplishments the series has been able to achieve. I will say that seeing the leadership and some drivers/team owners was a breath of fresh air given the way we left them in 2011. While in…

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USF2000 – Winterfest PBIR Schedule

Doug Patterson

The final three races for the 2012 USF2000 Cooper Tire Winterfest take place this weekend at the Palm Beach International Raceway. Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing dominated the first three rounds at Sebring International Raceway earlier in the week, as they swept the podium in each race. Spencer Pigot leads the mini-championship thanks to his two wins in Race 1 and 2, and his second-place finish in Race 3. Teammate Matthew Brabham is right behind him with two seconds in Races 1 and 2 and a win in Race…

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Mazda Road to Indy – Juncos Racing and the Chilean Connection

Doug Patterson

The way into the Mazda Road to Indy program was broadened this week by Juncos Racing team principal Ricardo Juncos. In a recent trip to Chile, he was able to secure a deal that will give the Chilean Formula 3 champion the opportunity to come to the US, fully supported, and race for Juncos Racing in the Mazda Road to Indy program. As of now, Juncos Racing participates in the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear and the Firestone Indy Lights series, and presumably the incoming driver would be placed…

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Episode 124 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin the guys this week as they present the weekly roundup for all of your favorite motorsport series. We talk car launches and day 1 of testing for Formula 1. Honda is up to its old tricks again with engine failures in IndyCar. We also try and make sense of all the bad things happening in the WRC. IndyCar fans beware, this may be a prophetic look into your future as well, or at least how fast good momentum can come apart. Mike brings…

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