An OP-ed submitted by Barry Foster, aka “MisterMedia20”, aka “trackside”, detailing plans for next year’s 60th running at Sebring. We can start to look forward to it now and make our 2011 plans accordingly. It may seem like a long time away, but 2012 is actually right around the corner for a number of those preparing to celebrate landmark anniversaries in Sebring. Next year represents the centennial anniversary for the city of Sebring, the 75th year for the Highlands County Fair, the 70th annuversary of the Sebring Regional Airport and…
Read MoreTag: Sebring
ALMS – Michelotto Test Ferrari 458 at Sebring
While the Risi Competizione 458 that raced at Sebring was headed back to the team’s Houston shop to begin preparations for Long Beach in two weeks, another 458 Italia was being purposely “beat up” at the circuit this week. The unliveried 458 arrived at the track race week from Michelotto, Ferrari’s division responsible for GT and sports prototype racing efforts and development. The car was secured in the Risi transporter, out of sight from the throng of fans and media during the race. That is until Monday when the car…
Read MoreEpisode 81 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin the crew for the 81st episode of the show! We are honoured to have Martin Plowman on the show to talk about his 2011 plans and also gives an inside look into the processes involved when hunting sponsorship. Brilliant interview and we want to thank plowey for his time! We also have the latest in INDYCAR, ALMS, Rally and F1! Sit back with your favorite beverage and enjoy the show!
Read MoreALMS – The 12 Hours of Sebring in Pictures
OpenPaddock.net was fortunate enough to have both Brie Rentz, one half of the ALMSChicks, and Ken Poe down at the Sebring International Raceway providing photography for us of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ken’s photos and some of Brie’s are on our site here under the Photo Galleries, and a TON of Brie’s pics are on our Flickr site. Here are slideshows of each of these sets. Enjoy! Photos stored locally by Ken and Brie 2011 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring – Friday Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. 2011 Mobil…
Read MoreALMSChicks – Sebring: Fan Frenzy
There is just something about the 12 Hours of Sebring. We felt it the first time we stepped foot onto the grounds, though we knew next to nothing about the historic event. It is like nothing you have ever experienced before. Every year In mid-March, people from all over the world converge on Sebring, Florida to see Audi, Porsche, Peugeot, and dozens of other brands showcase the latest in racing technology. Whether one is coming to to watch these spectacular cars or attending for the carnival-like atmosphere, there is something…
Read MoreMazda Road to Indy – Weekly Wrap-up: 3/11-3/18
This week was a busy week for the Mazda Road to Indy program! The Firestone Indy Lights series and the Star Mazda Championship series both had their pre-season “Spring Training” open tests at Barber Motorsports Park, and the US F2000 National Championship had both their final testing session, and their first two races at Sebring International Raceway. Along with the testing, we also had some late driver announcements, although I suspect we’re not finished hearing about those. Testing US F2000 The Cooper Tires Presents the US F2000 National Championship held…
Read MoreALMSChicks – Friday Sebring Report
We keep waiting for Sebring to let us down. Not because we expect it, but because we have such a great time every time we enter the gates, we keep waiting for it to level out. To not be able to get better. However, today, as usual, beyond exceeded our expectations. We ended up arriving at the track about 6:30 am this morning to pick up our credentials. After a 7 am photographers meeting, it was out to pit road to photograph the sunrise. There are many sights in…
Read MoreUSF2000 – Sebring Preview
At long last, the long, dark off-season is nearly over! This weekend, the Cooper Tires Presents the US F2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda joins the American LeMans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón at the historic Sebring International Raceway. The race at Sebring is the first of the seven-stop, nine-race USF2000 season. While the official entry list for the event is still forthcoming, we at least know who’s signed up with the series for the season. Here’s the official list of teams and drivers entered for the season so far.…
Read MoreMazda Road to Indy Wrapup: 1/29-2/5
There’s not been much in the way of announcements this past week from the Mazda Road to Indy teams and series, but there has been a lot of testing! Winning top prize for “Most Grueling Testing Program” is Juncos Racing which took their four-driver team on a three-week boot camp tour, testing at three very different tracks in three consecutive weeks. Not only does the non-stop testing give the engineers a lot of data and the drivers a lot of seat time, but it also, and more importantly, gives the…
Read MoreIndy Lights – Ostella Completes Test with Jensen MotorSport
Toronto native, David Ostella, signed on wtih Jensen MotorSport last November to run in the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights Series after competing for two years in the Star Mazda Championship with the AIM Autosport team. Ostella got his first opportunity to test a Firestone Indy Lights car down at Sebring International Raceway around the short course and laid down a best time of 58.4 s. “It was a really productive test for David and for our team. This was David’s first time driving the Indy Lights car on a road…
Read More