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Surfers Paradise in 2009?

The 2008 Nikon Indy 300 on the Streets of Surfers Paradise could be the final race on this popular circuit. It's a shame that a race that draws the size of crowd and promotions backing (see commercial below) that this race does could be on the chopping block but it comes down to season-long sponsorship deals.



It seems that this could be an ongoing issue until the series identifies itself as an international series or an American series. Many would contend that the decision has already been made, the IndyCar Series races in several international markets (Japan, Canada, Australia, talks of Mexico, etc.) but the clear majority of their races are in the United States and specifically, in the midwest. International sponsors don't want to limit themselves with a majority of US races and US sponsors don't want to lose several races per year to international markets. Granted, much of the sponsorship issues comes down to viewers, but I wonder what the sponsorship discussions would look like if it was billed as strictly American racing or strictly international (with the addition of several new international venues).

This weekends race is shaping up to be a solid race for the Aussie favorite, Will Power, who took the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award. Here's how the practice and qualifying in the days leading up to the race turned out (from IndyCar.com):

First round

(Two groups; 20 minutes per group with top six advancing)
Group 1: Ryan Hunter-Reay (1:53.1807); Alex Tagliani (1:53.4650); Vitor Meira (1:54.2486); E.J. Viso (1:54.5978); Mario Moraes (1:55.1731); Ryan Briscoe (1:55.4900).
Not advancing: Graham Rahal (1:55.6155); Oriol Servia (1:55.6628); Bruno Junqueira (1:58.0183); Ed Carpenter (1:58.7664); Townsend Bell (1:58.9264); Danica Patrick (No time).

Group 2: Will Power (1:50.4357); Tony Kanaan (1:50.6625); Justin Wilson (1:50.6966); Scott Dixon (1:50.7996); Dario Franchitti (1:51.3389); Helio Castroneves (1:51.5920).
Not advancing: Marco Andertti (1:52.2084); Hideki Mutoh (1:53.3353); Dan Wheldon (1:53.9160); Jaime Camara (1:54.0514); Buddy Rice (1:54.3489); A.J. Foyt IV (No time).

Second round

(One group; 15 minutes with top six advancing)
Advancing: 1. Dixon (1:39.2049); 2. Castroneves (1:39.6232); 3. Dario Franchitti (1:39.8594); 4. Briscoe (1:40.3121); 5. Power (1:40.4642); 6. Hunter-Reay (1:40.8848).
Not advancing: 7. Tagliani (1:41.3122); 8. Kanaan (1:41.4023); 9. Wilson (1:42.0429); 10. Viso (1:42.9185); 11. Meira (1:44.3348); 12. Moraes (1:51.5054).

Firestone Fast Six

(10-minute shootout)
1. Power (1:34.9451); 2. Dixon (1:35.7672); 3. Briscoe (1:35.8007); 4. Franchitti (1:35.9336); 5. Hunter-Reay (1:36.4030); 6. Castroneves (1:36.7425)

Porsche, Audi & Alfa Romeo Interested in the series

From Speedtv.com: |

Porsche and Alfa-Romeo didn't have much success the last time they tried Indy cars but apparently both are seriously considering coming back to the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar series. SPEEDTV.com has learned that Porsche, Alfa and Audi were the three engine manufacturers at last month's meeting here and all have shown interest in joining Honda in the series starting in 2011. Read more...

It will be exciting to see how the 2010 and 2011 seasons come together. (Not to mention next year!) I'm thrilled to see new interest in the series and think it can only mean good things. I do wish we would see some US based interest.

It's especially surprising to see Porsche and Alfa Romeo interested in returning considering the bad experiences they've had in the past with the IndyCar Series. Having said that, the IndyCar Series seems to be the best deal (value?) going in motorsports right now for drivers, sponsors and apparently manufacturers.

Matos to drive for Luczo Dragon

Luczo Dragon Racing announced today that Raphael Matos would take over the drivers seat in the number 12 Symantec car as a full-time entry to the IndyCar Series in 2009. Matos, who is from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, enters the IndyCar Series with an IndyLights Championship under his belt. Click here to learn more about Matos.

Update on the Castroneves story

CNN Story Here. What a shame for such a nice guy and for the league. Helio has plead not guilty and paid $2 million cash and signed an $8 million personal surety bond to gain his release. It seems that he has placed his trust with his finances in the hands of the wrong person. Here's to hoping the IndyCar community supports their star until proven guilty. While we can all debate his guilt or innocence one thing that we can all agree on is that he is an asset to the series and would be severely missed if he left for any reason.

We'll continue to provide updates as they're released.

Dancing his way to tax evasion??

Say it isn't so...

From the AP - Full Story Here.
MIAMI (AP) — Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and TV "Dancing With the Stars" champion Helio Castroneves was indicted Thursday on tax evasion and tax fraud charges, accused of using offshore accounts to hide millions of dollars in income from the Internal Revenue Service...

Paul Newman dies at age 83

Paul Newman passed away at age 83. See Newman Haas Lanigan statement here.

IndyCar offseason, what are you doing?

So, the season is over. Awards have been given. NASCAR is still going. What are we all supposed to do?

One thought that has been debated here on IndyCar Garage is whether or not A1GP is a good way to spend the off season of the IndyCar series for an open wheel racing fix. Our own member, Xorpheous, provided an excellent recap of the series (below)

A1GP is a bit of an experiment in motorsports. The formula for the equipment isn't too different; they're using a spec engine/chassis combo, Ferrari for both in their case, and running on a variety of purpose-built road courses. What is different about the series is how the teams are structured. Each team represents a home country so that competition and fan favoritism is played out based on nationalistic preferences rather than individual brand or driver preferences. Because of this similarity to soccer's World Cup, A1GP has taken to using the subtitle, "The World Cup of Motorsports." I must admit that the concept is compelling, but the series has struggled to make much headway worldwide.

This season may change some of that, though. Their new chassis is built by Ferrari and is based on the Ferrari F2005 Formula One chassis. Its a very sexy car, with a very sexy Ferrari engine. One smart thing that A1GP has done is to schedule their season during the off-season of most other major motorsports, excepting of course the Australian V8 Supercar series. This way, it won't conflict with the monstrous F1 machine, or lesser series such as ours, MotoGP, DTM, or NASCAR. Unfortunately, there's no one in the US that covers A1GP live, but you can stream the events live or procure the overseas broadcasts from the racing-underground.com. It really is an interesting series to watch, and a great way to get your open-wheel fix during the off-season.

The series itself is based on an interesting concept - "The World Cup of Motorsport" and is billing itself as an accessible, but glamorous, sport. The teams and drivers compete on a level playing field without financial or technical advantages.



I haven't found any broadcast station here in the US that carries the race (I'm not sure about SpeedTV, seems that they would be the only station that might) but it looks like the series streams the race live on their site. I've also seen a couple other forums where users mention other outlets like TVUPlayer that will stream the races.

The schedule has also seemed to be up in the air to some degree...the latest schedule I can find is below:

A1GP Zandvoort, Netherlands
05 October 2008

A1GP Chengdu, China

09 November 2008

A1GP Sepang, Malaysia

23 November 2008

A1GP Taupo, New Zealand

25 January 2009

A1GP Jakarta, Indonesia
08 February 2009

A1GP Gauteng, South Africa

22 February 2009

It's also worth noting that there has been some discussion of AGR joining the A1GP series as Team USA and running with Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick to provide some experience during the IndyCar offseason. Another former AOWR series driver, Robert Doornbos, will also compete in the 2008 season for Team Netherlands.

Feel free to join the discussion on the merits of the A1GP series on IndyCar Garage! While I don't plan to necessarily cover the series in this outlet, I think it's worth noting with all of the open wheel fans around these parts!

10 Questions with Milka Duno

IndyCar Garage’s Tyler Carmichael recently chatted with Dryer and Reinbold’s driver Milka Duno on a variety of topics. Read below to hear what she had to say.

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

I really don’t have a lot of free time available outside of my racing responsibilities, but when I do, I love to visit the beach. I like to give back by visiting schools, Children’s hospitals; I often serve as a guest speaker and talk to young people.

What has been the biggest adjustment on and off the track you've had to make this season?

This year has been a challenge with adjusting to my new team. Everything was new and we are still a very small team. The year has gotten better as I have started to learn from Dryer & Reinbold racing. The condition of my team has continued to get better as the season went on.

What track on the IndyCar Series schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

Indianapolis is always a fun place to visit and my personal favorite. I have enjoyed making a lot of memories at Indy.

This has been a year of first's for you with your debut at The Glen and Kentucky Speedway. How was your first road course experience in an IndyCar at the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen, then followed by Mid-Ohio? Do you prefer ovals to road courses, or vice versa?

The road courses have been a challenge because I am still adjusting to the track and we didn’t have a strong car. Practice was hard because I was still adjusting to the track. When you don’t know the track very well, it’s hard to adjust.

You have made 11 of 11 scheduled starts this year and have proven to be faster on the track. What has your success been attributed to and what does the future hold for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing next season?

My team has continued to work very hard throughout the year. Our idea is to continue racing Indy Cars and build on our team each year. Robbie Buhl has been a big help as a driver coach and friend. Our engineers work hard week in and week out. It’s great to have so much support.

You are the highest finishing female driver at the 24 hours of Daytona, what does it mean to you to hold a record like this at such a prestigious track?

It’s nice to have a record, but I want to win more races. I want to win a championship. I want to be a part of history.

Obviously, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Indianapolis 500 are two completely different races. You have competed in both, can you describe your experience racing at Daytona and how it compares to running at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

Daytona is so much different because you have to take care of the car for long period of time. Each driver drives the car differently so adjusting to the car after someone drives it is very tough.

Tell us about your first roll in a major motion picture as Kellie "Gearbox" in the Warner Bros. Speed Racer. Any chance for more acting in the off season?

It was great to be a part of something like Speed Racer. The opportunity presented itself and it was a great honor to be in a movie. I am open to all possibilities.

If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

Robbie Buhl has been working with me as a driver coach and any time that I am around him I learn something different. I would love to spend another day at Indianapolis with Robbie continue to learn more about the track and how special it is.

We had the pleasure of speaking with you briefly after the Kentucky race. It was apparent you were more than happy to visit with your fans and showed that by staying long after the race was over. We appreciated your time then and now by completing this interview. Do you have any last comments for the dedicated fans of Indycargarage.com?

Thank you for all your support and dedication. It’s very motivating to see all the fans and their support.

Chicago Preview

History:
The Chicagoland Speedway was created by a very diverse group of entrepreneurs and motorsports businessmen including Tony George, Bill France, and Dale Coyne called the Motorsports Alliance. After plans to build the track outside of Plano, Ill fell afoul of Illinois' annexation laws, Dale Coyne, who owns the Route 66 Raceway, suggested that the group take a look at a site nearby his dirt track and drag strip facility. The location near Joliet, just southwest of Chicago, was perfect for the new speedway and operations began in 2001. That first IndyCar race in 2001 was won by Jacques Lazier, but it was the 2002 race that really caught everyone's attention. Sam Hornish, Jr. won by the closest margin ever in the IndyCar Series, finishing ahead of Al Unser, Jr. by only 0.0024 s. When watching the below video of the final laps, note Helio's huge block of Cheever on the backstretch. The more things change...




This racetrack not only produced numerous close finished for the IndyCar Series, but also for the Indy Lights series. Last year, Alex Lloyd lost to his teammate Logan Gomez by the closest margin ever in any motorsports event, 0.0005 s, that's half of a millisecond!




Last Year:
Coming into the Chicagoland race last year, Dario Franchitti led Scott Dixon in the series championship by a mere three points. The championship title fought for all year long by Scott and Dario came down to a single race. Whichever driver finished ahead of the other would be the champion. All race long, the two swapped the lead with Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves, with Sam leading more often than not. In the final laps, though, it was all Scott and Dario with 3^rd place Sam Hornish a full lap down. Dario tried repeatedly to find a way to get around Dixon, but to no avail. Then in Turn 4 on the final lap, Dixon's car sputters and loses power. Dario, stunned and amazed, passes the equally stunned and amazed Dixon to claim not only the race win, but the series championship! I don't think I've ever seen as dramatic of a season finale than the 2007. Here's a view from the stands.



Was there other moments of exciting racing during last year's event? Sure there was, but it was all lost in the commotion of that final lap. As it turns out, Scott Dixon's car was about one "beer can's worth of gas" short, as Scott himself put it.

What to Watch:
This year, the championship again depends upon the result of the Chicago race. The margin isn't as close this year as it was last year, with Helio trailing Scott by 30 points. If Dixon finishes 8^th or better, the title is his regardless of what Helio does. 8^th place should not be any problem at all for Dixon who has absolutely demolished the competition on the 1.5-mile ovals this year. However, this year there will be 28 cars, not 22 cars on the track and two of those cars will be VERY hungry for a win.

This past Tuesday, Target Chip Ganassi Racing announced that in 2009 it was going to replace Dan Wheldon with Dixon's former rival Dario Franchitti. Wheldon will be moving to Panther Racing next year to drive the #4 car, which puts Vitor Meira out in the cold looking for a ride. Both Wheldon and Meira will really take the whip to their cars as they will be racing for a win and nothing else. Wheldon won't try to impede Dixon in any way, but I wouldn't look for him to go out of his way to help, either. Vitor, already an aggressive driver as he showed at Indy this year, will push his car even more this race. Whatever happens, its bound to be interesting.

As has become tradition, there will be a couple of new drivers to get a ride for the final race of the year. Driving the #41 of AJ Foyt Racing will be Frank Perera, winner of the Firestone Indy Lights race in Sonoma, and former driver of the #34 IndyCar Series car for Conquest Racing before being replaced by Jaime Camara because of sponsorship issues. The #36 car of Conquest Racing will feature Alex Tagliani with Enrique Bernoldi still on the sidelines with an injured thumb.

Returning to the racetrack this Sunday are the two part-time operations of Luzco Dragon Racing with Tomas Scheckter in the #12 Symantec car, and Sarah Fisher as owner/driver of the #67 Dollar General car for Sarah Fisher Racing. Both teams are hopeful of at least expanding their operations for next year if not running a full season. This is the last opportunity for them to make a positive impression at the track for their potential sponsors. A lot of people will be really hanging it out there on Sunday, so expect a very action packed race!

Detroit Grand Prix Preview

History:

Although open-wheel racing has been around the Detroit area pretty much since the birth of the automobile, grand prix racing didn't come to motor city until 1982 when Formula 1 held the Detroit Grand Prix, alternately called the United States Grand Prix East. Although Alain Prost took the pole, it was Irishman John Watson who claimed the victory in that first race. There were many who would eventually find their way to Indianapolis in the race including Eddie Cheever (P2), Nigel Mansell (P12), Eliseo Salazar (P17), Roberto Guerro (P18), and Raul Boesel (P23). That year was remarkable because the US played host to three Formula 1 GPs, the other two being at Long Beach (USGP West), and Las Vegas. Originally, the Detroit GP was held around the Renaissance Center downtown and the track was hard on both car and driver. The racing surface was very rough and included a railroad crossing! The circuit was also very narrow with concrete barriers surrounding the track with little run-off room. This resulted in a high level of attrition. By 1989, F1 had had enough and terminated the Detroit GP, but CART stepped in and raced at the current location, but not the current configuration, on Belle Isle. Michael Andretti won the pole of that innaugural race at Belle Isle, but at the end of the day it was Emerson Fittipaldi, winner of that year's Indianapolis 500, who emerged victorious. Belle Isle was also the location of Helio Castroneves first major open-wheel victory, finishing first in both the 2000 and 2001 GPs. 2001 was the last year for the CART races at Belle Isle, and racing didn't return until Roger Penske organized a complete revamping of the circuit in 2007. The area was made much more accessable and many of the fan areas and paddock areas were paved to avoid the mudpits that the paddock had become in previous years.



Last Year:
2007 was the first year that the IndyCar Series raced at Belle Isle, but it was not the first time for many of its drivers, including the last driver to win at Belle Isle, Helio Castroneves. Helio picked up right where he left off by taking the pole position. Sadly for Helio, he made a bold move on the #2 of Tomas Scheckter which put both of them into the tire barrier. This allowed Tony Kannan to race away to his fifth win of the season. The real story of the day, though, was the epic battle between Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon for the series championship. Dixon had a 4 point lead going into the Detroit race, but when Buddy Rice ran out of ethanol and suddenly slowed, Dixon clipped his wheel while trying to overtake him. Dixon's car then rolled into the path of Dario blocking his further progress. The AGR pit was furious with Michael Andretti yelling out immediately, "He did that on purpose!" Did he? Did he not? Its still a debate and one that will surely be revisited this weekend. Here's the clip, you be the judge.



Dixon's day was done, but Dario did get back underway and gained seven points on Dixon retaking the championship lead by 3 points with one race left in the season.

Friday Practice:
Session 1:
The morning session took place on a semi-wet track with the cars starting on treaded tires. Its likely that the teams didn't aquire much data about the track or car setup except for doing a leak check. The forecast for Saturday and Sunday, as per fellow Garager Cassie, is for sun and temps in the 80s. Right now, the temperature is a misty 69F. Not to let the whole session go by without some excitement, Marty Roth stuffs his car under the tire barrier in Turn 12. Of all people on the grid, Marty most needed the practice on this track and his run in with the barrier certainly won't help. Toward the end of the session, the track did dry out and the teams were able to run on slicks, but the track temps were still way below what they'll be come qualifying and race day.

Session 2:
The afternoon session provided better conditions with the track dry and temperatures closer to what is expected for the weekend. Helio topped the charts with a 1:13.2059. Unfortunately for Helio, the driver he's chasing for hte championship was right behind him in time. Dixon posted a 1:13.6996. Vitor Meira and Ryan Briscoe were third and fourth on the charts with the big surprise being Danica rounding out the top five. It's not surprising that Danica was fast, its surprising that she was fastest among all of her teammates including Tony Kannan. Tony was two tenths off of Danica's pace with Hideki and Marco, along with Wheldon, well back in the pack. This is the first day of practice, though, so look for TK to improve his times by qualification tomorrow afternoon. Here are the combined practice times.

What to Watch:
Watch pit road. This is where most of the passing action will take place. Although improvements were made to the Belle Isle circuit, its still narrow and a difficult track for passing. Last year many people tried, and failed. As Kannan put it, "Crazy race behind me, so I think it was a good thing to stay in the front." The first turn of the race will be very important! Being out in front at this track is key to running well. If one is stuck mid-pack, there's a high likely hood of being involved in a "racing incident" or just outright getting punted out of the way. Once the race starts, don't bother too much with the leaders. They'll be doing what they can to stay clean. That is until they come into the pits. Pit stops is where the lead will change hands. This greatly favors Penske and TCGR with their top notch pit crews and race strategists. Mid-pack will be a lot of fun to watch. Expect quite a bit of midfielder and backmarker carbon fibre to litter many of the turns. Last year was a "crash fest" as Buddy Rice put it, but this year there will be even more cars on this very narrow circuit.

9 Questions with Bia

IndyCar Garage had the opportunity to ask Ana Beatriz (Bia) a few questions about the season thus far...

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

I enjoy sports, going out with my friends, going to the movies and talking with my family and friends from Brazil on the internet.

Any hints at an IndyCar Series test or even a move up to ICS with another team for 2009?

My manager, André Ribeiro, is taking care of my future. If he thinks I am ready and there is a opportunity at Indy Car Series next year I will be there.

What has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make this season in the Indy Lights Series?

I think it was learning the ovals. Now, because of all hard work with my Healthy Choice / Sam Schmidt Motorsports team I am definitely feeling comfortable in the oval.

What track on the Indy Lights schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

I loved to race in Indianapolis. It is a magical track and it was the best race of the season so far.

You won your first Indy Lights race at Nashville this year leading 45 of 77 total laps. Describe how the win felt and what did it mean for you and your team?

It was a incredible feeling. I was so happy and thankful for all the people that supported me since I was a little girl: family, managers and sponsors. Without them it would never happen.


You've had a very impressive season so far - currently third in the standings. With three race weekends left on the schedule, will your strategy change in an attempt to bring home the championship?

I believe the best way to win this championship is to think race by race. I am a rookie driver and having a chance to win the championship this year already is just amazing but it will be a hard fight and we have strong competitors.

Much of your current points standing can be credited to a strong second half of the season, 6 top five finishes in the last 7 races. What factors can you attribute this late season success?

I can attribute this success to my team Sam Schmidt and my managers Andre Ribeiro and Augusto Cesario that are always telling me the right things to do.

If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

I would choose Helio Castroneves at Indianapolis. I would learn his secrets to win the Indy 500 and because he is a really fun guy. Maybe he would teach me how to dance as well.

Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

Thanks for all the supportive messages this year so far. I am really enjoying to race in Firestone Indy Lights and American fans are amazing.

Sonoma Preview

History:

Infineon Raceway was built in 1968 and originally named Sears Point Raceway, not after the department store, but after its location on Sears Point which is the 15,000 acre parcel of land purchased by Franklin Sears on the northern end of San Pablo Bay. The 2.52-mile natural terrain road course was first put to competition use in December of 1968 for an SCCA endurance sports car race. It wasn't long before the facility began hosting both IndyCar and NASCAR events along with the SCCA events. Among some of the first drivers at the track are legendary racing names: Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, and Al Unser, Sr. However in 1970, the track was closed by then owner Filmways and open-wheel racing didn't return until 2005 when Tony Kannan became the 2nd driver to win at Infineon, the first and only previous driver to win being Dan Gurney.





Last Year:
Last year's race was full of drama and excitement, not so much from any legitimate passing, but from several on-track scuffles. The most dramatic scuffle was between teammates Dario Franchitti and Marco Andretti. Dario was leading the race, and the series championship as Marco was exiting the pits. As they both turned into Turn 2, Marco made contact with Dario's left front wing. Marco was out of the running, and Dario's left front wing was damaged, crippling his car. When the green flag waved again, both Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves made it by Dario. Tony Kannan, Dario's teammate, ran interference for him while in 4th to protect Dario's position in the championship. This move was viewed by few as being a good teammate and by many others (most notably all the drivers behind Tony) as blatant blocking. Scott Dixon went on to win the race with Helio close on his heels. Dario limped across the line in 3rd saving valuable points for the championship. Had Kannan passed Dario and continued to race with the leaders, Scott Dixon very likely would have been the 2007 IRL champion.

Friday Practice:
Session 1:
Good news! New sponsors for a couple of drivers! Marty Roth now carries decals for the Men's Warehouse, and PCM in addition to the Visit Mexico City sponsorship will also carry the Imperial Capital Bank. The speeds and performances during Session 1 were really no surprise. Kannan topped the charts with a 1:17.3920 followed closely by Helio and Danica with Power and Briscoe rounding out the top 5. There was a couple spins by the usual suspects, but no damage was done.

Session 2:
Turn 3a claims its first victim. Hideki got loose making approaching the apex of the turn and slid out toward the wall. Fortunately, the run off area was large enough that although he bumped into the wall, most of his speed had been scrubbed off and no damage was done to the car. Watch this corner on Sunday. It will be action packed! Helio topped the 2nd session times with a 1:17.1703. The mild surprise of the session was the great performance by Oriol Servia who posted a 1:17.4712. Here's a summary of the combined practice results:

1. Helio Castroneves - 1:17.1703
2. Tony Kannan - 1:17.3920
3. Oriol Servia - 1:17:4712
4. Will Power - 1:17.5851
5. Vitor Meira - 1:17.7236

What to Watch:
In spite of having a transporter fire in the middle of Wyoming that destroyed both of Team Penske's primary cars, look for both Briscoe and Castroneves to be fast this weekend. After all, Briscoe set the current course record at 1:16.4913 to take the pole of the 2005 event. Dixon will be reasonably quick, but his performace on road courses this year is not at the level it was last year. Dixon doesn't need to win in order to mathematically clinch the championship. If he leaves this race 86 points ahead of Helio (he's +78 now), the championship is his even if all he does is show up for the starting grid and parks it at Belle Isle and Chicagoland.

This course is VERY technical, so look for the road racing skills of the drivers to really become evident. Watch how the drivers turn into Turns 2 and 3a. Both of these turns are righthanded over-crest turns. The driver needs to begin the turn long before they can see the apex. Also as the cars come up over the crest of the turn, the susupension unloads and the car becomes very light. Throttle control upon exit for these two turns will be critical. Bruno, Oriol, Wilson, and Rahal are some of the new drivers that will do well and find speed after the first few practices, but Briscoe, Helio, and Kannan will be the top three battling for the lead. Dixon will hang back, and Wheldon will struggle as usual on the twisty tracks.

A wild card to watch out for is Tomas Scheckter. He and Luzco Dragon Racing are back in town with the #12 yellow and black Symantec Special. He's never done especially well in the past at this track, but his new team really seems to have things together. In their last outings, they showed significant speed and will very likely make a top 10 finish for the first time at Infineon.

Marco will have a new paint job on his car promoting the new animated Star Wars movie coming out this weekend. Lets just hope that this year, all that expensive paint remains on his car and doesn't get rubbed off onto someone else's.

13 Questions with Will Power

Will Power answers questions about the adjustments to the IndyCar Series and what he's looking forward to in years to come.

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

Cycling, Fitness with my trainer, Playing the drums


What have you enjoyed most about the transition to the IndyCar Series?

The competition is great, have so many great drivers all on one track. I enjoyed being part of the Indianapolis 500. The variety of having ovals and road/street courses


What has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make this season in the IndyCar Series?

The oval racing – I had only one previous oval race experience at Milwaukee in 2006


What track on the IndyCar Series schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

Watkins Glen for a road/street course and Milwaukee for an oval

The series is headed to your home country in October to run at the Surfer's Paradise street course. What are you thoughts about this event, and what should first-time viewers of the event look for?

I am very happy to have it back on the schedule, first-time viewers will find it action packed.

How do you feel about the lack of Surfers on the 2009 schedule?

Not good, unfortunate because it is a good event and hopefully it will be worked out

If no agreement is reached for a Surfers event in 2009, what effect will that have on your sponsorship? Are you working on contingency plans?

No Comment


The league has been hearing input from several manufacturers regarding the new engine specs due out for 2011, and Dallara will be preparing a new chassis to be released at the same time. Has the league also asked the drivers what they'd like to see for the new car?

NO

What changes would you as a driver like to see for the new 2011 specifications?

More horsepower for road courses. A car built for both ovals and road courses. A car that is less pitch sensitive


You dominated this year's LBGP in the Panoz DP01, but for next year's GP you'll be in a Dallara. Explain how your approach to the circuit will differ in the Dallara.

Its hard to know until you get there, I was surprised that despite speed there was no real difference when we went to Edmonton.


So far, no Australian has won the Indianapolis 500. How do you like your chances to be the first?

I think the way this KVRT Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia team is progressing then in the future we have a chance.


If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?
Jimmy Vasser at Long Beach


Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

Watch carefully as this series grows more and more, I think next year could be a lot more interesting when the transition teams have got more experience.

Post Race Interview with Ryan Briscoe

10 Questions with Sarah Fisher

IndyCar Garage was fortunate enough to get a Q&A with Driver/Owner Sarah Fisher before this weekend's return to the track at Kentucky!

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

“Racing has been my life ever since I was five. When I’m not racing in the IndyCar Series, I’m out with my brother-in-law helping him with go-karts. He is 12 and is moving up the ranks so my husband and I are at the track quite a bit with him. When we aren’t racing Kyle, we can be found out at the lake or working on our house.”

You hold the record for being the fastest qualifier ever at Kentucky Speedway. You've again shown great speed leading up to this weekend at Kentucky - what makes Kentucky Speedway a place that you enjoy racing and run so well?

“Racing at KY Speedway is a lot of fun for a driver. The sweeping corners and getting on the right line entering the corners is like a rollercoaster because the corners are all different. KY Speedway has always been good to me and I call it my home track.”

Your drive to start your own race team has really allowed fans to relate to you. How did you make the decision to send pieces of your wrecked car to donors after the unfortunate exit at Indy?

“We received so much fan support that we had to do something to give back to the fans. We treated it like a wedding, when you receive a gift from someone you sent them a thank-you card and we just happen to have a little extra to send along with it.”

Where do you see Sarah Fisher Racing next year? Does the support from sponsors like Dollar General and dedicated IndyCar fans give you the feeling you will be running more races next season?

“The goal for the 2008 season was to run three races and the goal for 2009 is to run all the ovals. If we were able to secure enough sponsorship to run the entire season, that would be icing on the cake.”

What is the biggest challenge being an owner/driver? Which do you have more fun doing?

“The biggest challenge is time management. I have to keep myself very organized to make sure we have all of our ducks in a row. I’d be lying to say I didn’t enjoy the racecar driving the most. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and being an entrepreneur has brought its fair share of challenges.”

Because you’re running a shortened schedule, how does your race strategy change from a driver/team who is racing for points standings?

“Well, we really have to bank on my experience at Indy, Kentucky and Chicago because we aren’t running week in and week out. Just because we aren’t racing for the points championship doesn’t mean we aren’t going to be aggressive and give it our all. We are racing for the win just as much as much as the next person and we will do what it takes to achieve that.”

The IndyCar Series just released their 2009 schedule - was there a track that you would've liked to have been included in the list?

“I’d like for Las Vegas to be on the schedule which is where I took my rookie test. I’d like to see how much it’s changed. It’s a great place for a vacation and to see a race.”

Many athletes talk about getting into a groove or being able to zone the crowd out and control the adrenaline once "something" happens after the start of the contest. In racing, for you, what is this something?

“When I put that driver suit on I zone everything out except driving. I’m very focused. I leave the owner and other duties on the other side of the pit wall.”


If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

“I’d have to say Janet Guthrie at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She’s an idol of mine.”

Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

“Thanks for all the support. Everyone has been great to our team and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

Kentucky Preview

History:

Like the Nashville Speedway, the Kentucky Speedway is a relatively new facility. It hosted its first IndyCar Series event in 2000 during the tracks inaugural year. Winning that first race, and the second in 2001, was Buddy Lazier for Hemelgarn Racing. Sam Hornish, Jr was the only other multiple race winner at Kentucky taking the top spot in 2003 and 2006. The track was originally intended to be a site for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. When NASCAR refused to even entertain an offer by the track, the speedway, in 2005, filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and ICS. Earlier this year, the case was finally dismissed. After the dismissal of the lawsuit, the track was sold to SMI which also owns other venues that the IndyCar Series visits: Texas Motor Speedway, and Infineon Raceway.


Last Year:

Last year, Tony Kannan took the pole position and lead the first 38 laps of the race until the field pitted. Tony and his then teammate Dario Frachitti flipped positions and Dario ran in the lead. Kannan resumed the lead after the next series of pit stops which happened under green-flag conditions. Coming in for his third pitstop, Frachitti ran into teammate Danica Patrick coming into the pits putting him well back in the pack and out of contention, but still on the lead lap. Patrick, in a hurry to get back out on the track, spun on the pit-out lane. She was push-started by the safety crew only to blow out her tires and spin again, narrowly missing the safety truck. During the remainder of the race, the lead was taken at times by Dixon and AJ Foyt IV, but not for long as Kannan would always resume his position in front and lead for 131 of the 200 laps. The most inexplicable incident of the afternoon had to be Dario's failure to slow down after the checkered flag. He ran at speed up and over the back of Kosuke Matsuura's car and once again found himself looking out of the top of his car at pavement instead of sky.


What to Watch:

Sarah Fisher! This will be her first time back to the track after her tragic excursion at Indy. Having her primary sponsor fail to execute its part of their contract with Sara Fisher Racing and suffering a devastating collision with Tony Kannan, the team looked close to shutting their doors before they even got started. The support of text4cars.com and the generous donations of a great many of her fans helped keep the fledgling racing team afloat. Now the team is on much better footing with solid support from Dollar General for this week's race and the Chicagoland race.

Sarah has finished well here before, and its the track where, in 2002 with Walker racing, she became the only female driver ever to qualify in pole position. During the testing last week, she was very please with her car and her new engineer. Don't look for her to repeat her 2002 pole-winning performance, but do look for her to be in the top 10.

Other things to watch? Well, Dixon, Kannan, and Briscoe should put on one heck of a show. All three have been very fast on 1.5-mile ovals, with Briscoe coming on strong in this last half of the season. Briscoe had a disastrous start to the season, tearing up several race cars. Since his win at Milwaukee, the Briscoe Inferno has been on a rail! It seems that every track, he has speed. This week is likely to be no different. Dixon has owned just about every 1.5-mile oval the series has been at this season with wins at Homestead, Texas, and Nashville. (ok, I know, Nashville is only 1.33 miles) At the other 1.5-mile ovals, Kansas and Motegi, Dixon was very quick. He dominated both of these races losing only because of fuel. Kannan has the potential to be fast at Kentucky. He won here last year from pole, and he's had moments of speed this year. The funk that continues to pervade the AGR stable may drag him down, however. Watch what Kannan does in practice and qualifying. If he has pace, then look out!

Will others be fast and run up front? Sure they will. The other three drivers at AGR, Hideki, Marco, and Danica, all have the potential to be quick on this type of track. Certainly Helio Castroneves and Dan Wheldon can be fast as well. However, don't expect any of these drivers to be leading at the end.

12 Questions with J.R. Hildebrand

First off, tell us about yourself; what do you enjoy outside of racing?

“Well, for starters I was born and raised in Northern California, graduating from Redwood High School before moving away to get more involved in my career. I've always played sports both for fun and in competition, so I would say that being outside and active are two of my favorite things to do outside of racing.”

Congrats on your acceptance to M.I.T. Have you decided on a field of study yet? Will this mean a hiatus or even a departure from racing, or is the IRL off-season long enough to not interfere too much with the school year?

“The people at MIT have been great about everything. When I first found out I got in, they gave me two years off to pursue my racing career, and have since extended that for another year. I have every intention of going back to school to get a higher education, but will not sacrifice my career in racing to do so. I may only have one legitimate chance to be successful, and it means too much to me right now to risk messing that up, so I'm going to be careful when deciding what to do. During my senior year of high school I was taking a calculus class and had an opportunity in racing that I couldn't pass up. Unfortunately that meant I was going to be gone from school for two weeks right before finals! I think it's safe to say that I'm one of a select few drivers who have ever done differential equations at the racetrack, but that's the only way I could keep up! It's tough to do both; I found that out pretty quickly. I had planned on going into mechanical engineering, but I guess that all depends a little bit on when I go and what stage of my life or career I'm in at that time.”

In 2006, you demolished the Formula Ford 2000 series, and had a solid season in 2007 in Atlantics. Your new teammate, Daniel Herrington, hasn't enjoyed the same level of success that you have. How do you think he will fare in the remainder of this Firestone Indy Lights season, and going into 2009?

“I've worked with Daniel before, and I think he's a great addition to the team. Success is all relative; he hasn't been in one car for very long or for a long stretch, but he's been competitive and I think he's a team player. Hopefully we can work together and finish the year strong.”

Any hints at an IndyCar Series car test or even a move up to ICS with RLR or any other team for 2009?

“It's tough for everyone right now to plan down the road because the schedule is so busy, particularly for the IndyCar teams. I would love to get a chance to get in the big car, and am confident that I could do a good job, but it's tough. Right now the team and I are trying to stay intently focused on finishing the year strongly, in the hope that that puts us in good standing by season's end.”

What has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make this season in the Firestone Indy Lights Series?

“Well, the obvious answer is that driving on ovals is the biggest adjustment, but there's definitely more to it than that. It requires such a different mindset, and even that changes drastically depending on the size and speed and all that. I feel like it's much more a mental and strategic type of racing, which I've definitely come to enjoy. As one could see by looking at the results, it really mixes things up in the championship as well. So I'd say that adjusting my preparation for such a variety of circuits has been the biggest change.”

What track on the Firestone Indy Lights schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

“I think the schedule of road courses is really stout in terms of the quality of tracks. Infineon Raceway is my home track and therefore my favorite. In regards to the ovals, Indianapolis is such a special and unique track that it's hard to beat. It was quite an experience just driving there let alone racing there, definitely making it my favorite non-road course.”


You had a great outing in Kansas, taking your first and the team's first victory in the Firestone Indy Lights Series there. Indy proved to be a bit more challenging for you and your team. Any insight on why Indianapolis Motor Speedway posted a greater challenge?

“Well to be entirely fair, I would say that we were equally, if not possibly even more competitive at Indy than at Kansas in the big scheme of things! We topped the first practice there by a big margin and had a chance to win the race from 21st on the grid after having to change motors after qualifying. It's a different animal for sure, but I felt like we were very good on the whole there. If there's one race of the year I wish I could get back, it's that one.”

Two races could hardly have been run under any more different conditions than the two earlier this month at Mid-Ohio. From a driver's perspective, how do you approach these two races? How from Race 1 to Race 2, did your approach to Turn 4 (Turn 9 as the track calls it) and your racing line through the esses change?

“We were having a little bit of a tough time finding our way that weekend to start with because we hadn't tested there and we wanted to try some things in practice. So we went into qualifying and the first race still looking to improve on what we had. It took a few laps in the first race to get a handle on what we had come up with, but when it's dry you can push pretty hard right away because it's at least a relatively known quantity. For the wet race I was expecting something a bit different. I had driven the car in the wet at Sebring earlier in the year and thought it was solid, but found myself in a much lower grip situation at Mid-Ohio and got caught out by that. I should have gone in with a more conservative outlook, especially since most everyone that should have been quick in the wet went off or crashed. It was a tough weekend but we pulled out with a better standing in the championship after all of it, so that was positive.”

Back in the spring, you gave pointers to a young karter and member of the IndyCar Garage, Laura (aka TopKartGirl). Do you still play a mentor role, and have you heard of her progress this year? How important is karting to the development of an IndyCar driver now?

“I always like helping people out because I know how much I appreciated it when I got help from other drivers when I was younger. I would love to know how she's doing, but I haven't heard anything lately. I think that karting is huge, especially with more and more road and street courses being added to the schedule. It gives drivers a lot of feel for what a race car is going to feel like, and it trains a driver's reactions very well.”

You've had a solid season so far. Fourth in the championship and -51 with four races left. Any thoughts on being able to catch Antinucci and Matos?

“I think realistically they will have to have a couple of bad races to get past either of them, but I think that we will be extremely quick and competitive for the remainder of the year. I feel like the tracks suit our strengths and we will be a threat right to the end.”

If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

“Wow, that's a nearly impossible question! I'm going to take the liberty of choosing a road course and an oval; I hope that's OK! I would spend a day with Ayrton Senna at Monaco and a day with Rick Mears at Indy. Both were masters both mentally and physically in their own right, and I wish I could have the chance to witness that first hand.”

Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

“I think it's awesome that so many people are interested in what we do. I've been a fan for my entire life and still am, so to be able to take part in the sport first hand and share that with others is a great way to be involved. Thanks to everyone for all their support!”

Nashville no more for IndyCar?

The IndyCar Series failed to reach an agreement for 2009 for Nashville Superspeedway. Story here. There are also some reports that the series will instead run in Toronto. Either way, I think that the Canadian market will be very important as the ICS continues to grow. It's also worth noting that every report I saw from Edmonton discussed an enthusiastic, growing crowd attending the races. Good news for Canadian fans, ey!

Edmonton Preview

History:
The Edmonton airport circuit at the Edmonton City Centre Airport has only been in existence for just a few years, although the city of Edmonton has a history of racing dating back to the Can-Am days of the late 60's and early 70's. Roger Penske himself has won at the Edmonton International Speedway circuit in a Porsche 917 against stiff competition from Mark Donohue, Sir Jackie Stewart, and Bruce McLaren. He's not the only big name to have enjoyed racing at this too often overlooked city. During the early days of Formula Atlantics, the greatest Canadian racer to have ever put their right foot down, Gille Villenuve won twice at EIS.

The airport circuit, although not as richly steeped as its older sibling EIS, still holds amongst its list of competitors a significant number of stout drivers. The three races at this circuit, beginning in 2005, were held by the Champ Car World Series, many of whose drivers are now with us in the IndyCar Series. Those drivers returning for a fourth visit to the Edmonton Indy event are Justin Wilson (who won this event in 2006), Paul Tracy, Oriol Servia, and Mario Dominguez. Ryan Hunter-Reay competed in the 2005 event, but was out of an open-wheel ride for 2006 before his being hired by Rahal-Letterman Racing before the 2007 Mid-Ohio event. Other notable drivers from that race are its inaugural pole setter, A. J. Allmendinger who now runs in Sprint Cup, Jimmy Vasser, now part owner of KV Racing Technologies, and Sebastian Bourdais and Timo Glock who are both in Formula 1. Other drivers who will be driving this Saturday who have visited this circuit before are Bruno Junquiera, Graham Rahal, and Will Power.





Visit the official site for the Rexall Edmonton Indy for a detail facility and track map.

Thursday Practice:
Unfortunately, there was no video feed for the first session, so we have no information other than lap times, but the surprise of the afternoon has been Paul Tracy. The Thrill from West Hill has never driven a Dallara, yet he spent most of the first session among the top 10 on the speed charts. Not surprisingly, many of the new drivers to the series who have had experience at this track also put up good times with circuit veterans making up half of the top ten in Session 1.

Video is back for Session 2, and there's been a lot of spins. Bruno suffered the most with a very expensive off after a suspension failure. Danica continues to struggle on the road courses. Her best lap still can't bring her in the top 20. By the end of the session, many of the new teams and drivers had figured out the subtle differences in how the Dallara gets around the track and took 7 of the top 10 spots.

Here's the top 5 for the day:
Will Power - 1:02.3404
Oriol Servia - 1:02.3900
Helio Castroneves - 1:02.5365
Ryan Briscoe - 1:02.5831
Justin Wilson - 1:02.6220

What to Watch:
The 14-turn circuit is different than most airport circuits in that its hybrid in design. Most of the course is run on the airport's concrete runways, but a purpose-build section of asphalt road course was layed down to form turns 2 through 7. The road course section is not only a different compound, but also much narrower. This is where many of the less skilled drivers will lose time, and the great drivers will pull away. The airport part of the track, like most airport circuits, offers a very wide racing line that rewards aggressive driving styles. Because of this, look for drivers like Ryan Briscoe, and the infamous Paul Tracy to do quite well. That isn't to say that patient and precise drivers like Will Power, and Justin Wilson won't do well. The road course section is where the precise drivers will shine as opposed to the high-speed airport section.

Corners to watch for bold moves and spectacular passes are turns 1, 9, 10, 11, and 13. Turn 1 will see drivers fighting to gain a positional advantage going into turn 2 and the road course section. Many passes may start in turn 1, but not be fully complete until the exit of turn 2. Turn 9 is another competition for position corner. Drivers will be trying to maximize their exit speed in turn 9, so if two cars are close, they may end up trying to occupy the same racing line if neither driver backs down. The reason why the exit of turn 9 is so important is because of turn 10. This is a perfect corner for drivers to make a pass by braking later and going deeper into the turn than their competitors. Turns 11 and 12 are really one long double-apex right-hander that sets up similar to the turns 9 and 10 sequence. Drivers can make a pass going into 11, but the important part of the 11/12 complex is getting a good exit to make the run down to turn 13 which will be another prime location for overtaking.

Mid-Ohio Preview

History:

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, much like Watkins Glen, is steeped in racing history. The course was built in 1962 and has been the site of numerous karting, sports car, and open wheel events. Most of the racing at Mid-Ohio is sports car and motorcycle racing. Most notibly, the SCCA Runoffs were held at Mid-Ohio for 11 years between 1994 and 2005 before moving to Heartland Park in Topeka. IndyCar racing first appeared at Mid-Ohio in the CART days of 1982 through 2003 when the infamous Paul Tracy won from the pole on his way to the 2003 CART championship. The IRL returned open-wheel racing to the venue last year as a package weekend with the American Le Mans Series and the Speed World Challenge series. The same pairing of events is scheduled for this year as well. One unique feature about Mid-Ohio course is that the race start happens on the longer back stretch so there's less congestion and less carnage in the first turn after the green flag. That didn't work exactly as planned in 2007.

Last Year:

Not surprisingly, Helio Castroneves set the pole at last year's inaugural (although, not really the first IndyCar race here) Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance with a lap time of 1:06.8375 sec. Yes, I know that its typical in the IndyCar Series for the lap speed to be displayed rather than lap time, but whereas that's fine for an oval, its not meaningful for a road course. Lap time is better, trust me. However, once the race started chaos ensued. Danica Patrick was slow, perhaps on her own, perhaps because of the pace car. The debate still goes on, but the results were catastrophic for Team AGR. Tony Kannan slammed on the brakes to avoid running into the back of Danica who had to cut through the China Beach section of the track. When TK hit the brakes, he started to spin and collided with Marco Andretti. When Marco's car came to a stop, it was upside down. Both Tony and Danica would recover to finish 4th and 5th, respectively. Marco, obviously, was finished for the day. Dario Franchitti avoided the mayhem and he and Scott Dixon proceeded to run away from the field and have their own private battle as they'd had all year long. Dixon would win out in the end, with Dario trailing by just under three seconds. Helio rounded out the top three.

Last year was also the first race for Rahal Letterman Racing's new driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay. Ryan did very well for his first time out in the car finishing the race in seventh. There are still some harsh feelings toward RLR amongst the fandom for how their previous driver, Jeff Simmons, was released. Jeff was at the track with his motorhome set up for the weekend when he receieved a phone call with the bad news. Jeff will return this weekend to the Mid-Ohio venue to compete in the Firestone Indy Lights races on Saturday and Sunday.

What to Watch:

As with any road course, passing takes some planning. Drivers won't be able to pass just anywhere on the track. Look for prime passing opportunities at the entrance to T2, the Keyhole, and at the entrance to the esses in T4. The straight along Thunder Alley after the esses has the potential to provide a good braking zone as drivers go into the Carousel, but it depends upon whether the drivers can make a two-wide run through T11.

Weather will be something to watch throughout the weekend. Right now, there's a 25% chance of rain on both Saturday and Sunday. Unlike an oval race, rain will not halt a road race. Remember the St. Petersburg Grand Prix from earlier this year? Racing in the wet is not something that many of the existing IndyCar drivers have done a lot of recently. The new drivers to the series coming over from ChampCar have a lot more recent experience. If the track becomes wet, expect to see the new and old drivers much more mixed up in the standings than they've been previously. Especially be on the lookout for Justin Wilson and Oriol Servia. If the track remains dry, expect those teams most experienced with the Dallara to remain up front. It will likely be a scrap between Dixon, Briscoe, Helio, TK, and RHR. For the latest in race weather, check out the weather blog by fellow IndyCar Garage member, Cassie.

If you've never watched the Firestone Indy Lights races, this would be a great event to watch for your first time. The FIL cars will actually run two races over the weekend. The first on Saturday at 5:25pm EDT and the second on Sunday at 10:35am EDT. Unfortunately, these events aren't shown on ESPN until Thursday afternoon, but you can go to the IndyCar.com website and catch the live video stream and radio broadcast. Last year, Richard Antinucci won here inspite of Alex Lloyd taking the pole. Antinucci is now in Lloyd's #7 Lucas Oil car for Sam Schmidt Racing. Antinucci will have strong competition from last years Atlantics champion, Raphael Matos. The two drivers are separated by only 15 points in the standings, with Richard on top. However, the two young men had better keep an eye out for Antinucci's teammate, Ana Beatriz. Ana scored her first win, and the first win for any female driver, in the Indy Lights series at Nashville last weekend. In truth, this should have been her second win as she was leading the St. Petersburg GP when her teammate got into the back of her and spun her out in T1. With the confidence and momentum of her first win, look for Ana to be very strong this weekend.

Nashville Firestone Indy 200 Preview

History:
The Nashville Superspeedway, owned by Dover Motorsports, is a relatively new track, constructed in 2001. This is almost an exact opposite of the previous venue, Watkins Glen. The Glen is a road course set in the beautiful forests of upstate New York and steeped in decades of grand prix racing, whereas the Nashville Superspeedway is a new 1.3 miles of hyperfast concrete oval racing action. There are some similarities, however. Scott Dixon has been dominant at both tracks for the past two years. The IndyCar Series has held an event every year since the track was first constructed, and every one of the races have been sponsored by Firestone. Depending upon how the 2009 schedule shakes out, this may be the last IndyCar race at this venue. Firestone has already made it clear that its primary interest is in the health of the series. They'd like to see the Nashville race continue since Firestone's North American headquarters are in Nashville, but first and foremost, they would like a healthy and robust series to whom they can sell tire. One of the unique aspects of the event is its trophy. The winner will receive a genuine Gibson electric guitar custom painted for each year's event.

Last Year:
Last year's race was delayed by rain and held on Monday instead of Sunday. That certainly hurt the attendance numbers, and the TV ratings. The on-track product, thought, was out of sight! Although it was Scott Dixon sitting on the pole, Dario Franchitti jumped ahead to take an early and very dominating lead. It really looked like it was going to yet another Dario win and that his championship lead was going to extend to a near insurmountable gap. Dixon in the meantime had fallen back to third. Dixon would regain the lead for keeps by making the most impressive pass of the 2007 season, blowing by both Dario and his own teammate Dan Wheldon on the low side as the trio caught up to lapped traffic.
With a lot of racing action throughout the field, and especially up front, the 2007 Firestone Indy 200 was a great race to watch. Dario finished in 2nd, thus minimizing Scott's gain on his lead. A driver that was, if you can believe it, somewhat overlooked during the race was Danica Patrick. After posting practice times that were routinely in the top three, she qualified 7th. During the race, she stayed clean on the very green track and motored her way up to 3rd. Tony Kannan, however, found the wall in what's become an all too familiar scene: TK passing on a line that's too high on the track, swapping ends, and hitting the wall.

What to Watch:
Unfortunately, due to a tight personal schedule, there won't be time to include an analysis of the Friday practice sessions, so we'll just skip to things to watch for in this year's event. First of all is the carnage. At just 1.3 miles in length, Nashville is somewhere inbetween a short track and a superspeedway. This means that you have cars moving at superspeedway speeds of over 200 mph, but on a rather narrow, short, and concrete track with only two racable grooves. Lapped traffic comes up early and often, and was a major contributor to Scott Dixon being able to make his pass for the lead from P3 last year. Lapped traffic was also a major contributor to a few incidents including Tony Kannan's unfriendly meeting with the T2 wall. Considering the increased level of competition and aggression, and the decreased level of driver respect and restraint we've seen this year, expect another outbreak of yellow fever. Restarts will be critical! This plays well into the hands of TK and Jaime Camara. Their restart skills are fantastic, with Tony's being near legendary. On the other end of the spectrum are Danica's restart skills, or lack thereof. Once up to speed, she will be able to pick her way through the field, provided the oversteer that's plauged here all season doesn't show up again. During the restarts, however, she always seems slow, loses a couple of spots, and really bunches up the field behind her. It really wouldn't be a bad idea for her to practice those restarts once she has her qualying and race setups dialed in.

There are a number of drivers that could win this race. So far this season, there have been eight different winners of eleven different races: Dixon, Rahal, Patrick, Power, Wheldon, Briscoe, Kannan, and Hunter-Reay. We just might see a ninth unique winner. This type of track really favors Marco's style, and if he can keep from running into someone, look for Andretti 3.0 in the top 5. Vitor Meira is hungrier and faster than ever! Its really a wonder that he hasn't won a race yet this season. This could be the site of his first win. Many of the new teams and drivers are starting to really figure out ovals and the Dallara chassis. Bruno Junquiera will be fast and should be fun to watch, even if he won't be in the top 5, but drivers like EJ Viso, Oriol Servia, and Justin Wilson just might! There's a lot of parity amongst the teams and drivers, so its really hard to have n outright favorite. It should be a fun-filled, if a bit chaotic, race down in Music City.

Watkins Glen Preview

History

The Watkins Glen course, as its currently configured, was established in 1956 and hosted the Formula 1 US Grand Prix from 1961 through 1980. American Open Wheel Racing began at The Glen when they expanded the track to include the boot section in 1971. CART ran its last race at The Glen in 1981 when the track went bankrupt and open-wheel grand prix racing didn't return until 2005 when the IRL ran one of its first road course events there. Scott Dixon won that first race, ...and the second, and the third! Perhaps they should rename the track Dixon's Glen? You can read more about the history of this fantastic track at the official site for Watkins Glen. They have a great essay summarizing the history of the venue.

Last Year

Helio Castroneves took the pole with a track record time of 1:29.1919 and lead the opening laps of the race, but Dixon's menacing presence right behind him perhaps contributed to his mistake coming out of T11. The back end stepped out on Helio and he was out of the race. Dixon took over the lead and never really gave it up. Sure others just as Wheldon and Meira lead the race for a few laps as everyone cycled through the pits, but no one had anything for Dixon and he cruised to his third straight win at Watkins Glen, a feat matched only by the great Graham Hill in the 1963, 1964, and 1965 USGPs. This feat was overshadowed a bit by the post-race pit brawl as a heated discussion between Sam Hornish Jr. and Tony Kannan grew out of hand and devolved into fisticuffs between Sam Hornish Sr. and one of AGRs staffers.

Practice Sessions

Friday, Session 1

The first practice session was delayed a bit due to a bit of fog and wildlife. Anyone who remembers Christiano da Matta's tragic incident with a deer at Elkhart Lake in 2006 can fully appreciate why they delayed practice. Once the track was cleared, practice commenced with an unsurprising result of both Target Chip Gannasi Racing cars finishing in P1 and P2 followed closely by Tony Kannan and last year's pole winner and track record holder Helio Castroneves. From fifth on down, its really difficult to make any judgements on who has speed and who doesn't as the first practice is usually just a shakedown for many, but KV Racing looked very strong. Oriol Servia had the 5th fastest before spinning at the exit of T10 and just touching the inside wall with his front wing. There was no appreciable damage to the suspention and he should return for the 2nd session. His teammate Will Power also ran strong for a while, even sitting on top of the speed charts for a time, but ended up 9th fastest.

Friday, Session 2

No one is safe around Dixon, not least of all the insectile fauna around Watkins Glen. Scott was blazing fast during the second practice session, but fast as we was, he still couldn't best Helio's track record. He couldn't even shake his nemisis this season as Helio in the last minutes of the session posted a 1:30:2891 time, just 0.0944s behind Dixon. Tomorrow's qualification should make for great viewing! The surprise performer of the session was Bruno Junqueira. Its not surprising because of the driver, but because of the team. Dale Coyne Racing has not been real strong this year, and Bruno has not been shy about expressing his dissatisfaction calling the team a bunch of "club racers". In spite of all that, Bruno was eighth on the speed charts. There's one more practice session before tomorrow's qualifying run, but expect that to be a race setup shake-down. There may be a few of the backmarker teams still working on qualifying setup, but the top teams will have their work already done and be working on race setup.

What to Watch For

This is the first trip back to a twisty track since the street race at St. Petersburg, at least for the all of the competitors, and keep in mind that race was won by the young "Son of Stache" and other new IndyCar Series teams showing strong in the top 10. EJ Viso, Enrique Bernoldi, Oriol Servia, Will Power, and Justin Wilson all made the top 10. Look for these teams to be strong again at The Glen, especially KV Racing with Oriol Servia and Will Power. Both KV drivers performed extremely well in practice and will be top 5 contenders both during qualification and on race day. Lesser speed was shown by the NHL duo of Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson, but as we all know, race day performance isn't always linked to practice performance. Don't be surprised to see both solidly within the top ten if not in the top five. Dixon has owned this track since IndyCars returned in 2005. His name is the only name on the trophy! In practice, both TCGR cars were fast, and it will be a surprise if Dixon doesn't dominate the field again. Recently he's struggled at the short tracks of Iowa and Richmond, but those struggles will likely just be fuel for his drive and determination this weekend. Lets just hope that there's no extracurricular activities this year like we had last year!