So we’re back! Here’s my field rankings after 2 rounds of the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship. This week we see some new faces as some of the existing players had a rough week. More importantly, who wins the Mario Moraes Parking award? 1. Helio Castroneves #3 AAA/Turbo Team Penske Chevrolet (previously 2nd) A 2nd place finish in St. Pete, followed by a Firestone Fast Six appearance and a 3rd place result at Barber, Helio Castroneves leaves two of his better tracks on a hot streak. Helio also leaves Barber as the…
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Indycar-Barber From A Fan’s Perspective
While riding the tram around the track at Barber Motorsports Park this past Sunday, I met two young fans wearing matching Dario and Dixon shirts. I struck up a conversation with them to discover these two young female fans were from Birmingham, and one of them has an interest in becoming a writer. I gave them my card and asked them to send me their experiences from the weekend. Well, Annika Reitenga did exactly that. Here’s the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama in her words…. Race Weekend By Annika…
Read MoreIndyCar-Post Race Party: The Drivers Own Words
Exclusive statements from drivers taken post race at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama IndyCar event. Tristan Vautier #55 Schmidt Peterson Racing Honda “It’s a little disappointing to finish tenth when you start third and run second but we showed good pace today. As a decision by the team, we did many changes between qualifying and the race to try and save the tires, but it didn’t work out that well, so it’s a good lesson to remember for next time. I made some mistakes and there was quite…
Read MoreIndyCar-Wire to Wire: Hunter-Reay Takes Barber Win
Defending IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Ryan-Hunter Reay took the first victory by a non Team Penske entry at the immaculate 2.3 mile Grand Prix course at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL today in a very exciting event. Scott Dixon took the runner up spot for the fourth consecutive time in the Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Helio Castroneves completed the podium with a strong run all day, but using up the tires late in the race to drop from the lead to third place. All this happened in front…
Read MoreIndyCar-Hunter-Reay Puts Number One in P1
BIRMINGHAM,AL- In a most surprising qualifying session, defending IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay beat out Verizon Team Penske driver Will Power for the Verizon P1 Award at the 2.38 mile Grand Prix course at Barber Motorsports Park. Will Power completes the front row with a lap of 1:07.3304. All of today’s qualifiers ran under the previous track record of 1:09.82. Group 1 was the “Death Group” this time. In fact, by the end of Round 1, every car with the exception of Ana Beatriz would have been fast enough…
Read MoreIndyCar-Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama: Practice 1
A mostly uneventful S1 ended with chart-topper Tristan Vautier sliding off in Turn 2, across the gravel trap and into a rather muddy fence area. Vautier ends the session atop the speed charts at 1:09.0120 after 15 laps of running. Honda made a strong showing during the first session with Vautier finishing P1, Scott Dixon in P2, Charlie Kimball in P3 and Will Power as the fastest Chevy in p4. Dario Franchitti rounds out the Top Five with a 1:09.3202. The top 10 times were evenly split between Chevrolet and…
Read MoreOp Ed-Not Seeing The Line For The Marbles
Birmingham AL City Council Member Steven Hoyt, what are you thinking? A recent request from Zoom Motorsports, producers of motorsports events at Barber Motorsports Park, for $300,000 in support from the City of Birmingham was recently rejected via a coalition headed up by Councilor Hoyt on the grounds of Birmingham being a majority African-American populated municipality and the people who run Barber Motorsports Park and Zoom Motorsports being primarily Caucasian. The fact of the matter is Councilor Hoyt has no problem with the city directing hundreds of thousands of dollars…
Read MoreEpisode 182 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOpen Paddock #182 – April 1st, 2013 All is quiet in motorsports we care about… Preview Indycar oval rookie testing & barber preview Loeb helping Kubica with WRC debut and Loeb takes on Pikes Peak Thailand for 2015 F1 date? Miscellaneous other stuff to keep us entertained…. Formula E says “a race in Monaco is going to happen” Michelin to supply Formula E LE MANS: Conway Lands WEC Drive With Delta-ADR GRAND-AM: Series Confirms DTM/ITR Agreement IndyCar Oval Rookies Turn Laps At Texas Daly…
Read MoreIndyCar-Round 2: Honda Grand Prix of Alabama Preview
What: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Where: Grand Prix Circuit, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL Who: Will Power looks to repeat as race winner, taking three of four visits to the circuit by IndyCar. Power’s teammate, Helio Castroneves, is the only other former winner at Barber, and comes off a strong second place finish at St. Pete. Points leader James Hinchcliffe ran well at Barber last year and in preseason testing. Hinch looks to extend his points lead early in the season. When: Race time is 3pm EDT on…
Read MoreIndyCar-Conor Daly enters Indy 500 with Foyt
Today, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Conor Daly made the worst kept secret in IndyCar official; young Conor will pilot A.J.’s #41 entry at this year’s Indianapolis 500. Conor had a quite successful offseason test with the Foyt team, leading to speculation that he might do the entire IZOD IndyCar Series schedule as his European aspirations hung in the balance. Funding eventually materialized, leading Conor to return to Gp3 with the ART team, and even getting a shot at GP2 in Malaysia. Daly, a 21 year old from Noblesville, IN, is…
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