14:40 EST: GRC – Chevrolet Sonic Set for Debut The all new Chevrolet Sonic is set to make its Global Rallycross Championship debut at Charlotte. The Sonic will look to compete with rivals Ford but are realistic on their current position. The fact is this effort is a privateer entry with manufacturer support, but not a full team of folks like we see with the Fiestas. Head over to Racer.com and check out the story and look for the Sonic on a track near you. 10:00 EST: Formula 1 –…
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Episode 203 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadShaun, Mike W, Kevin, and Doug talk about the Singapore-ish shenanigans in NASCAR (yes, we talk a bit about NASCAR), the punishment of Scott Dixon in IndyCar, more chatter about the IMS road course, and we look at potential changes in the 2014 schedule, Doug recaps the USF2000 races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and congratulates the MidWest Division SCCA drivers who brought home hardware from the SCCA Solo Nationals. In Formula 1, Massa is out and Kimi is in, tires are still up…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Hargrove Extends Championship Lead at Laguna Seca
The Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda joined the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in Monterrey, CA to compete at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, home of the most infamous corner in North American road racing “The Corkscrew”. The young Mazda Road to Indy drivers ran two races over the weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, with open testing on Friday. Scott Hargrove came to Monterrey with 46-point lead over a resurgent Neil Alberico. Alberico, however fast he may be, has had issues with consistency…
Read MoreEpisode 202 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe OP Boyz are joined this week by Belardi Auto Racing’s Peter Portante to discuss the insanely close Indy Lights championship, relive the crazy Race 3 USF2000 start at Mid-Ohio, and preview of the up coming USF2000 race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Everyone joins in the ranting fun over the demoltion derbys that IndyCar and ALMS called races on the streets of Baltimore, we look forward to the Italian GP at Monza, and Mr. Shaw runs through the latest rally news. We also…
Read MoreIndyLights – 2013 Championship Is The Closest On Record
Never in the history of the Indy Lights series have so many drivers been so close to each other this late in the season. We’ve had seasons where a couple of drivers may still be duking it out toward the end, and there’s even been a few where there’s been three drivers with a shot at the championship, but never four and never so close! With two races left, a street race in Houston and the superspeedway in Fontana, the championship will likely fall to the driver with the broadest…
Read MoreFrom the Cockpit – Michael Epps at the Allied Building Products USF2000 Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio
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, since I’ve not written on…
Read MoreEpisode 200 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIt’s our 200th episode!!! …and in true OpenPaddock style, I’m late getting the show posted. Big thanks to Kevin for taking care of the editing process for me this week. Classes start on Monday, so this week has been chaotic to say the least. Sadly, Pechin was absent from this week’s show. He was off being a responsible dad or something. The OPEN PADDOCK 200th episode EXTRAVAGANZA! (or something like that) for Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 Presented this evening without Shaun interruption, for your…
Read MoreMRTI – MidOhio in Photos
WHEW! Finally done editing and posting the photos from the Mid-Ohio weekend. The day job can really get in the way sometimes. With the entire Mazda Road to Indy racing last weekend, it was a busy three days. I’ll have a recap of the action and a look at how the championships are shaping up soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the photos. Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires Firestone Indy Lights Series
Read MoreEpisode 198 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis week, Doug and Shaun recap their duel at the Kansas City Region SCCA Solo Event #8, Neely shares news and rumors from around the IndyCar Paddock as we all look forward to Mid-Ohio, Doug gives us the latest from the Mazda Road to Indy, Shaw reviews the New England Forest Rally and previews Rally Finland, and Whitesell leads us through the sad circus of Formula One as we head into the summer break. Show Notes: OpenPaddock.net Podcast – Episode 198, July 30th 2013…
Read MoreIndy Lights – Thoughts on the New Chassis Direction
Many were quick to post Andersen’s announcement, and by now I’m sure you’ve read the release that we’ve included below. I wanted to spend some time mulling over the implications of Andersen’s direction for the evolution of the Firestone Indy Lights chassis, a platform that is over a decade old. As I read and reflect on the announcement, there’s a couple of things that strike me: first, there isn’t really any new information that we didn’t have after the Toronto weekend, second, chassis applications have been made once already and…
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