2010 IndyCar Scheduled is Released

The Indy Racing League Announced its 2010 schedule Friday night at Kentucky Motor Speedway, on the eve of the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Motor Speedway. The big news about the 2010 schedule is the different segments of tracks and the new additions/subtractions. The teams and drivers have often complained about changing the cars from road/street courses from race to race, so the league responded with 4/4/5/4 format. Four street/road courses will open the season, followed by four ovals, then back to five straight street/road course, and finish the season off with four ovals.

The additions to the schedule include a race in Brazil and Birmingham, Alabama, the subtractions include two ovals, Richmond and the famous Milwaukee Mile. Milwaukee could come back to the schedule if the financial mess can be resolved with the new promoter. Among the tracks rumored to be on the schedule but not included, Cleveland, New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Houston, and the additional race in Brazil. The schedule, while released to the public is still being finalized with the location in Brazil and the possible addition of Milwaukee.

The complete 2010 IndyCar Series schedule:
Date Location Venue
Sunday, March 14 Brazil TBA
Sunday, March 28 Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. 1.8-mile street course
Sunday, April 11 Barber Motorsports Park 2.38-mile road course
Sunday, April 18 Streets of Long Beach, Calif. 1.968-mile street course
Saturday, May 1 Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval
Saturday, June 12* Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, June 20 Iowa Speedway .875-mile oval
Sunday, July 4 Watkins Glen International 3.37-mile road course
Sunday, July 18 Streets of Toronto 1.721-mile street course
Sunday, July 25 Edmonton City Centre Airport 1.973-mile airport course
Sunday, August 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2.258-mile road course
Sunday, August 22 Infineon Raceway 2.245-mile road course
Saturday, August 28* Chicagoland Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Labor Day Weekend Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Saturday, September 18 Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval
Saturday, October 2 Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-mile oval

* Denotes night race Schedule Subject to Change

Tony Kanaan appears on PTI

Andretti Green Racing’s Tony Kanaan recently appeared on ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption yesterday to address several issues, most notably the Edmonton race in which he caught fire in the pits. Below are some of the highlights of the Interview. Kanaan will be in action this weekend as the IndyCar Series heads to Kentucky Motor Speedway for its 12th race of the season.

PTI: It was scary to watch the video of the fire, how are you physically?
TK: I am ok guys, it was very scary, I have a little bit of burns on my face, but you can’t see them because I haven’t been shaving.

PTI: What was it like to actually be on fire?
TK: Ahh, it’s pretty scary, I’ve only seen that on the TV shows ,it was a scary moment, when I felt that splash of fuel and I caught fire, it wasn’t a pleasant situation.

PTI: You said you knew you were in for it the moment you were splashed in fuel, Tony why’d you keep driving at that point?

TK: Well hears the thing, I knew I was going to catch fire, I knew it was probably going to hurt a lot of my mechanics, so my car was totally sucked and wet before it took fire, I want to make sure I didn’t burn my guys, that’s why I drove away from them. I knew I was safe in the car for a little bit, thank god all the other members of the teams helped me out and they took me out on time.

PTI: Thank you god you had your helmet visor down, I know most drivers have it up during pit stops, how much worse could this have been if you had that visor up?
TK: If I had that visor up, when that fuel splashed it landed on my hand and on my suit and it would have landed on my face, and my face would have caught fire. The safety equipment that we have, helmet, driver suits and gloves, it’s awesome. I was defiantly on fire for more than 45 seconds.

PTI: I’ll always felt that every driver out there, because of the nature of the sport, could be his last, and given that, do you guys think your nuts knowing that it could happen?
TK: I mean, that’s why we get paid what we get paid, we are a unique group of people. We don’t know that every time we get in the car, if we are going to get out of the car in one piece, ten pieces, and that’s the nature of our business and that’s what makes us so unique, I don’t think about it, that’s my job and we are in danger everywhere.

PTI: You plan to race again this weekend, are you a little bit more skittish or are you the same guy you’ve always been?
TK: Actually I am the same guy; I just want to race again. I am having such a tough year that I just want to go back.

PTI: Have people close to you, said Tony don’t do this.
TK: My mom, she actually told me to driver slower (laugh) so I don’t know how to do that.

2010 IndyCar Scheduled to be Announced

IndyCar League officials have announced that the 2010 Scheduled will be announced Friday evening during the qualification broadcast on Versus. The 2010 Schedule has been a work in progress through League Commercial President Terry Angstandt. Yesterday, league officials announced a three year partnership with Barber Motor Sports Park, introducing the IndyCar Grand Prix at Alabama. Among the tracks rumored to be possibly departing, Milwaukee is under a wealth of problems financially and possibly Homestead Motor Speedway is rumored to be gone as well.

Rexall Edmonton Indy Race Reactions

The IndyCar Series completed their 11th race of the 17th race schedule on Sunday, with Will Power capturing his first victory of the season and his first in the IndyCar Series. Team Penske teammate finished second, while news series point’s leader Scott Dixon captured third place. The IndyCar Series now moves on to Kentucky Motor Speedway next Saturday, for a night race scheduled to start at 8 p.m. IndyCarGarage breaks down six race reactions from Sunday’s Rexall Edmonton Indy at Edmonton City Centre Airport.

1. Will Power – The best IndyCar Series weekend of his career

Will Power had the best weekend of his IndyCar career, by capturing the pole on Saturday, leading the most laps in Sunday’s race, and finishing it off by capturing the checkered flags on lap 95. Power’s season has been affected by the return of Helio Castroneves from his tax evasion trial, and resulted in a non-full time ride. Power has committed to staying in the Penske Racing stable and still has three more races left in the season, for his yellow Penske Truck Rental machine. Team president, Tim Cindric was quoted after the race as saying, “we will stay the course of their current schedule for Will” after being asked if this win bought him more seat time for the remainder of the season. Regardless of how things shake out for Will, this was a great weekend for his career, and should prove to everyone he belongs full time in the series.

2. Tony Kanaan – Can’t catch a break, and it gets dangerously worse

Tony Kanaan, is arguably having one of his worst seasons as an IndyCar driver, and Sunday’s race only made things worse. Kanaan was exiting his pit on lap 34 when the full cap didn’t close properly, this result in fuel splattering all over Kanaan’s cockpit. Kanaan barley made it down the pits before the fire started. Team Penske and Ganaasi pit crews were spot on with their water buckets and awareness to see what was happening, and probably saved Kanaan from more series injuries. Kanaan admitted to having second degree burns on his hands and face, but remains positive about driving next weekend. The entire Andretti-Green Racing team has had a disappointing year, and Tony Kanaan seems to be getting the worst of it.

3. Scott Dixon recaptures the points lead

Scott Dixon finished third in Sunday’s race and with that finish, it moved him back into first place in the point’s championship. He now leads his teammate, Dario Franchitti by two points, and Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe by 13 pts. Dixon captured the 2008 championship off the strength of season high six wins. Dixon’s strength this season has been more podium finishes than wins, as he has been on the podium six out of the eleven times this year. Dixon is on pace now to secure his third series championship, as he took home the championship in 2003 and 2008.

4. Dario Franchitti calls out Marco Andretti

Dario Franchitti was quoted in his post-race interview as saying “Marco screwed me for ten laps, I helped him in Watkins Glen two races ago, and I’ll remember this one”. A rare outburst for Franchitti as his usually gentlemen like attitude is shown after races. This is not the type of the relationship the two former AGR teammates probably had envisioned, but it also offers a chance for a rivalry to be carried over into the remaining six races of the season. Andretti has struggled this year while Franchitti has flourished in his return from NASCAR. Watch these two drivers as the series heads to Kentucky.

5. Goodbye and Hello to drivers

Several drivers will be either rejoining or departing the IndyCar Series as they move onto their 12th race of the season. Paul Tracy has fulfilled his requirements with KV Racing and wants to return full time next year. Alex Tagliani and the Conquest Racing team could possibly be gone for the remaining oval portion of the schedule. Richard Antinucci could possibly be replaced by Jacque Lazier for the 3G Motor sports program. Sarah Fisher will return for her fourth race of a six race deal in the Dollar General Car. Scott Sharp’s name has been rumored to floating around for a few more races this year, as has Townsend Bells

6. On to Kentucky and the possible announcement of the 2010 schedule.

The IndyCar Series will return to Kentucky Motor Speedway on Saturday August 1st for an 8 p.m. start. This also is the date that league officials has mentioned as a possible announcement for the 2010 schedule. Kentucky will mark the first oval race since the IndyCar Series suffered through the Richmond race back in June. This will also mark the first time IndyCar officials will have the chance to show fans that the changes that they offered to the IndyCars teams for the ovals, as a chance to create better racing. All of these storylines should make for an interesting weekend at Kentucky

Rexall Edmonton Indy Preview

The IndyCar Series resumes it’s 2009 schedule with the Rexall Edmonton Indy, it will be the 11th race on of the season for the IndyCar Series. The last time the IndyCar Series was in action, we saw Dario Franchitti take the checkered flag at the Honda Indy Toronto, with Ryan Briscoe and Will Power rounding out the podium. IndyCarGarage breaks down four race previews for Sundays Race.

1. The continued dominance of the Ganassi Racing.

Ganassi Racing has been the story of 2009 with it’s talented twosome of 2008 Indy Car Series Champion Scott Dixon and 2007 IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti. Franchitti and Dixon also have been at the top of the point’s standing throughout the 2009 season. A Ganassi machine has been in victory lane seven times this season and last year at Edmonton took the checkered flag. Expect both Ganassi cars to challenge throughout the race.

2. The point’s championship heats up

The point’s championship is shaping up to be a three person race between Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, and Ryan Briscoe. Extra bonus points are awarded to the pole winner and the driver who leads the most laps. Hopefully the race doesn’t come down to the two Ganassi drivers, and Briscoe can stay competitive.

3. The last go around for the Thrilla (at least for this year)

Paul Tracy will compete in his last scheduled race for KV racing this weekend, last year Tracy finished fourth at the Edmonton race, in his only appearance in the 2008 schedule. Tracy has shown flashes of brilliance this year in the races he has appeared in. Tracy is looking for a full-time ride next year, and this is his last race to show he belongs and convince a team to pick him for next year.

4. The Danica Patrick Update

Danica Patrick has done a round of interviews in the last week and continues to address her future as “what’s best for her career”. The latest rumor is that Chip Ganassi has advised Danica on staying in the IndyCar Series. Ganassi has also said recently that he has no plans to expand to three cars. Danica will continue to dominate the headlines off the track, based off her future plans, she needs to focus on dominating on the track.

Silly Season Rumors - Edition 1

The IndyCar Series has been off for a week , as they will pick back up their schedule July 26th in Edmonton, for their third straight street/road course. To fill in for the normal race previews and race reactions, IndyCarGarage will debut their first annual Silly Season Rumors. To clarify, all of the Silly Season Rumors posted on this blog and talked about on this website by IndyCarGarage are purely speculation and offer no official word on the drivers or teams. IndyCarGarage does have a few sources around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and those insights and possible situations are explained in Silly Season Rumors Edition one.

Rumor # 1 – It all starts with the GoDaddy.com girl and Danica Patrick’s decision could dictate who goes where

Door # 1 – If Danica takes door # 1, which at this point seems to be the most logical, it would lead to a new full time IndyCar Series ride with Chip Ganassi and the Target team. Sources around Danica and Ganassi point to the Target customer audience, which is over 60% female as a huge selling point for expanding to three cars. Danica would be a huge sell for Ganassi and also would offer her the best chance to win every weekend and ultimately the Indy 500 which she said is one of her top goals. Chances of Danica taking door #1 – 60%

Door # 2 – If Danica takes door # 2, which at this point seems to be a huge flirtation, it would lead to a fulltime Nationwide/Sprint Cup Ride with one of the top NASCAR Teams. Stewart-Haas seems logical, JR Motor sports with a cross-over sponsorship with GoDaddy.com, and any other NASCAR team ready to pony up big bucks for the best equipment, which is what Danica is saying would do it. Most of Danica’s top advisors are suggesting a full time IndyCar ride, but Danica has made it no secret that she has an interest in NASCAR. Chances of Danica taking door #2 – 30%

Door # 3 – If Danica takes door # 3, it would mean she would be resigning with Andretti-Green Racing, the team which she joined three years ago after two seasons with Rahal-Letterman Racing. Andretti-Green Racing has been struggling mightily this season and all signs point to their four car team being cut in half, or possibly a reduction to three teams. There seems to be too much going within AGR at the present time for Danica to be able to accomplish her goals such as Indy and a point’s championship. Chances of Danica taking door #3 – 10%.

Rumor # 2 – Marco Andretti and his future

Marco Andretti exploded onto the IndyCar series in the 2006 Indy 500 with a runner-up finish to Sam Hornish Jr. Andretti’s career in the IndyCar series since the 2006 Indy 500 has been a roller-coaster ride. Andretti’s suffered through his sophomore season with a series of wrecks and DNF’s. Andretti bounced back in 2008 with a third place finish at Indy, and some better finishes. 2009 has been less than spectacular for Marco as the AGR team has struggled throughout the year. It’s hard to picture Marco driving for anyone else other than his father, Michael, but don’t rule out something crazy to happen. Marco’s name has been rumored as a possible driver for the new US Formula 1 team in 2010. Marco has also been rumored to possibly be starting his own race team, with funding through his grandfather, Mario Andretti. Marco’s contract is up at the end of the year and it’s hard to picture where he might land, then again it would shock no one if he was back at AGR driving for them in a two car team.

Rumor # 3 – Scott Dixon & De Ferran Motor Sports

Scott Dixon’s future could depend on what Danica Patrick decides to do. Dixon has been quoted earlier as saying that he isn’t interested in running a three car team with Ganassi, and Danica as the third driver. Dixon has experienced major success with Ganassi, so it’s hard to picture him leaving the top team in the sport in the prime of his career. De Ferran Motor Sports has been rumored to fielding a full time team in 2010, and Dixon has been rumored to be a possible candidate as their driver. Similar to Marco, no one would be shocked if Dixon is back at Ganassi next year, but don’t count on it as a sure thing.

Rumor # 4 – Paul Tracy wants to run a full 2010 season

The Thrilla, has given us some exciting moments in 2009 and wants to continue that trend into a full-time gig for 2010. Tracy has done and said all the right things this season that would lead one to think that he is a logical candidate to grab a full-time ride next year, but don’t count it as a sure thing. Tracy has stated that he would like to remain at KV Racing with Jimmy Vasser, where he has run most of his 2009 races, three to date. It remains to be seen if KV Racing is interested in running two full cars for the 2010, they currently field Mario Maroes as their primary driver and have spotted Tracy for Indy and two, soon to be three, road courses. Wherever Tracy winds up for next year, he would be good for the series full time as they continue to try recapture fans, remember, he was a Champ Car stud prior to the merger


Look for More Silly Season Rumors to come in September on IndyCarGarage.com

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Resigns

News out of Speedway, Indiana today is that Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood has resigned today. Chitwood has been involved with the IRL since it’s inception in 1996. Chitwood has served in various roles throughout his time with the Speedway, most recently as President since 2004. Chitwood's last day will be Aug. 6. He said he began considering new challenges after last year's inaugural MotoGP race at the Speedway and the start of the Centennial Era, a celebration of the first 100 years of the facility.

In a statement, Chitwood said he plans to return to his native Florida.

Jeff Belskus, who became chief executive officer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. on July 1, will assume daily responsibilities at the Speedway. The statement released by track officials said it was unclear if Chitwood's position will be filled.

Danica Patrick interviewed on Rome is Burning

The most popular driver in the IndyCar Series, Danica Patrick recently was interviewed on the Jim Rome is Burning T.V. show. Outside of the normal Rome, “Danica thanks for joining us how are you?”

Some of the highlights of the interview are listed below.

Jim Rome: On her early season success

Danica: It’s been a great season, five races into this season I’ve already had more top 5s than any other previous year. It’s been lots of fun, but we still have a ways to go, and we want to win some races

Jim Rome: have you dialed down a little bit emotional this year compared to last?

Danica: Yes, more comfortable and confident in myself, used to think that I had to prove to people that I cared about not doing well.

Jim Rome: You haven’t said so publicly, but have you made up your mind on what you’re going to do?

Danica: I haven’t made up my mind, I love IndyCar, and it’s what I am familiar with, I am having a lot of fun with the team and drivers, but I am interested in the excitement of NASCAR, the racing looks fun, and there are a lot of opportunities out there.

Jim Rome: So what is your decision going to come down to?

Danica: Probably the teams, which teams are the most interested in me and which teams can make it happen and give me the equipment to do well.

Jim Rome: People have tried and not had a lot of success, even good drivers, is it because it’s so different or just end up the wrong teams

Danica: There has to be a certain grace period to struggle, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to come over to IndyCar and be in a car that is not capable of winning and do well, so I don’t think they have been given the car that they need, the guy that has done it is Tony Stewart, he came over from IndyCar and got in good cars and did well.

Jim Rome: It seems logical, he (Tony Stewart) gets you, and you get him, have you guys had any discussion about a partnership?

Danica: I think anything is possible, I have had a lot of respect for Tony, and I’ve know him for a long time and I’ve talked to him at the racetrack and talked to him at Phoenix last year because it was local for me.

Jim Rome: You’ve spent your entire life proving people wrong, so is this just another challenge or is NASCAR different?

Danica: (pause) I think both of those comments are true, but it’s still just a racecar. You would have to learn it just like anything else, umm both of those comments are very true.

Jim Rome: What about the Indy 500, you came in 3rd, you had a great run, and did you think you had it won?

Danica: I didn’t think I had a chance to win until I got back into the garages and the engineers were down and I thought, what did I do wrong, I thought I had a decent day, but the emotion of Tony’s car be cracked up and Tony being hurt and to know that if the fuel had gone green all the day, it would have given us a chance at winning.

Jim Rome: Do you ever get the sense that people are more concerned about you look than how you driver and if so how does that make you feel

Danica: I don’t think so, you’ve seen me all done up and ready for TV, but I am pretty normal when it comes up to waking up in the morning. I don’t think my team looks at that all; they want me to go out there and give it my all. We are all out there to win.

Jim Rome: I had a burn on Jeremy Mayfield earlier in the show and I have never seen anything like that in that sport, what’s your reaction to that?

Danica: I don’t know enough about it, but from what I’ve seen, drivers need to be safe on the track and its something that needs addressed.

Jim closed by telling Danica that it was great to see her in person this time.

Honda Indy Toronto Race Reactions

The IndyCar Series finished their 10th race of the 2009 season by completing 85 laps on the streets of Toronto. Dario Franchitti captured his third win of season and also moved into first place in the point’s championship. Ryan Briscoe captured his fifth second place finish of the season and stayed in the hunt for the point’s championship. Will Power finished third in his first race back since the Indy 500. Scott Dixon and Justin Wilson rounded out the top five. IndyCarGarage breaks down six race reactions from the Honda Indy Toronto.

1. Another Ganassi win and along with another HUGE break

Dario Franchitti caught a huge break as he was preparing to make his final pit stop, the yellow came out. League officials allowed him to complete his pit stop and therefore securing his spot in the front of the field and allowing Franchitti to stay at the top after everyone cycled through for more pit stops. Franchitti definitely had a good car and was driving very well throughout the entire race, but had he not caught the caution break, he might have had to race from mid-pack in order to win. Give credit to Ganassi Racing, they have two of the top drivers in the IndyCar Series and continue to dominate in all areas of IndyCar racing.

2. Race leaders and new names toward the front

Alex Tagliani, Tomas Scheckter, Paul Tracy, Mario Moraes, and Will Power were all drivers that lead laps or were running toward the front of the pack throughout different stages of the race. This is not only good for the drivers and teams themselves, but for the series as well, because most of the 2009 season has been dominated by the main four of Dixon, Franchitti, Castroneves, and Briscoe. All of the drivers mentioned above should be back for Edmonton and hopefully more races after that as well, look for all of them to make their presences felt.

3. Paul Tracy and Helio Castroneves

Paul Tracy and Helio Castroneves were battling for position two on lap 66 as Tracy went in for the pass, they got tangled and ultimately ended the day for both drivers. Tracy appeared to have the car to catch Franchitti and also had the support of all the home-town fans. Castroneves now trails by a steep 78 points in the championship race and appears to have lost his May swagger. Paul Tracy needs to be in the IndyCar series full time as he is a great driver with a lot of fans and brings immediate story lines to the IndyCar Series. Look for the series to push this incident in the media over the course of the next race.

4. Finally a break for Ryan-Hunter Reay

Ryan-Hunter Reay finally got a break in this race, as he captured his best finish (7th) since the season-opener at St. Pete. Hunter-Reay is in his fourth race for A.J. Foyt Racing as he is on loan from Vision Racing for the remainder of the season. Hunter-Reay has brought sponsorship in the form of IZOD and proved to be a good driver when given the right equipment. A top 10 finish for Hunter-Reay was long overdue.

5. Danica Patrick and a quit sixth place finish

Danica battled all day to a respectable sixth place finish in what was her 8th top ten of the season. Patrick’s sixth place finish was the highest for an AGR machine, in a rather awful weekend for the Andretti-Green Racing four car team. Patrick remains in fifth place in the point’s championship standings and continues to have her best season to date in the IndyCar Series. Patrick’s continued development for the remainder of the season could have an impact on her off-season decisions.

6. A shuffle in the points championship chase

Dario Franchitti erased Scott Dixon’s 19 point lead in one race and overtook the top spot in the point’s championship. Franchitti picked up the standard 50 points for being the race winner, but also gained three additional points for winning the pole and leading the most race laps. Ryan Briscoe sits in third spot, just 13 points back from Franchitti. Helio Castroneves is 78 points back in fourth and Danica Patrick remains in fifth spot, 81 points back. Seven races remain in the 2009 season and the point’s championship is shaping up to be a three person race between Franchitti, Dixon, and Briscoe. Danica and Helio would both need major breaks in the remaining races of the season in the form of wins and poles, those don’t appear in the immediate horizon.

Toronto Indy Honda Race Preview

The IndyCar Series will conduct their 10th race of the 2009 season with the first ever race in Toronto sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. The last time open wheel racing was in Toronto, was 2007 when Champ Car conducted the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto, formally know as the Molson Indy Toronto. The last time the IndyCar series was in action, we saw Justin Wilson take the checkered flag for his second career IndyCar victory and the first for Dale Coyne Racing in 558 attempts over 25 years. IndyCar Garage breaks down six race observations to watch for in the upcoming race.

1. Can a Ganassi or Penske machine return to victory lane?

For the first time in 10 IndyCar races a non Ganassi or Penske machine reached the winners circle last week at Watkins Glen. Justin Wilson scored an historic victory for Dale Coyne Racing and looks to make it back to wins at Toronto. The IndyCar series has shown in road/street course races that more drivers have the opportunity to reach the winners circle, and Toronto should be no different. Wilson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway, Graham Rahal, Mario Moraes, and Marco Andretti all represent drivers that offer the best chance of reaching the winners circle in Sunday’s race. You can bet that dominate four of Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves, and Ryan Briscoe will be chopping at the bit to get back into victory lane.

2. Speaking of Penske – Will Power returns to the IndyCar Series

Will Power returns to the IndyCar Series for his fourth race of the 2009 season and the first since the 93rd Indianapolis 500. Power filled in for Helio Castroneves during his legal troubles earlier in the spring. Power sat on the pole at Long Beach and finished 2nd, he also had a strong month of May as he recorded a fifth place finish. Power is a very talented driver who came over from Champ Car in the merger. The last time Power was in victory lane was in 2008 at Long Beach and prior to that came at Toronto while driving in Champ Car. This will mark the beginning of the five races that Penske has arranged for Power to drive in, outside of Toronto, Power will appear at Edmonton, Kentucky, Sonoma, and Homestead. Look for Power to be a threat in any race he appears in driving for Team Penske.

3. Paul Tracy back in his home country and in the middle of his three race endeavor for KV Racing

Paul Tracy will be competing in his fourth race of the 2009 season and third with the KV Racing team. Tracy will sport a newly designed car for this race, as this represents his hometown race, as Tracy is a native of Canada. This also marks the first time that Tracy has raced for a team in back to back races in the IndyCar Series since the merger, it remains to see what kind of chemistry can be developed throughout the team. KV Racing has fielded Mario Moraes for the entire season and field Tracy for Indy. Tracy has stated before that he is looking for a full-time ride next year and feels that he still has competitive juices for the sport. Every race that Tracy competes in for the remainder of the season is an audition for 2010.

4. Car Count & Driver Changes

23 cars are entered for this weekend’s race which represents the highest car count we’ve had since Texas Motor Speedway. Will Power as mentioned above, rejoins the mix, Alex Tagliani is also back with Conquest Racing and lastly, Tomas Scheckter replaces Milka Duno this week in the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing program. All these moves represent more improvements for the IndyCar Series and raise the competition level. Dale Coyne, who is fresh off his first career win as an owner, recently was quoted as saying “We need this sport to grow. We do not need subsidies. The teams need to be healthy and be here and functioning properly on their own.” Coyne’s team is looking to add a second car for next year and mentioned that sponsorship does play a role in who the drives the car. We’ve have touched on this before, the car count needs to be in the high 20’s and anyone who wants to take a shot at IndyCar’s needs to be able to attempt it at a reasonable price. Without lower cost, the IndyCar Series will not attract the teams and drivers it needs to.

5. The point’s championship heats up

The point’s championship is in full swing as the IndyCar Series begins the second half of the 2009 season. Scott Dixon is back on top after a third place finish at Watkins Glen, and is poised to take home his second consecutive championship. Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe are a close 19 points behind Dixon, while Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick round out the top five. Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti represent 6th and 7th place respectively, but would need major breaks to have a shot at the championship. The racing this season hasn’t been up to par as in years past, but the championship race has been very exciting to follow. Unlike NASCAR, the IndyCar Series has a points system that works well and offers multiple points leaders throughout the season. While NASCAR’s Chase playoff style format might sound better, in all reality it doesn’t do much for fans, as they can turn into the last 10 races of the season and know whos in the mix. One of the best things IndyCar has going for it right now , is that every race counts.

6. Good Bye ABC/ESPN until 2010

The race will be the last of five races broadcast by the ABC/ESPN coverage, as the last seven races on the schedule will be carried on Versus. It remains to be seen how pleased league officials have been with the coverage this year from ABC/ESPN. From a fans perspective and coverage standpoint, Versus has been a major upgrade from previous years. Versus has went into depth on driver stories, pre-race coverage, and overall marketing of the IndyCar Series. The problem with Versus is that it’s carried on handful of cable companies basic package, this creates a problem with casual fans wanting to watch an IndyCar race. ESPN is the WALMART of sports coverage, if ESPN covered IndyCar the way they covered NASCAR, we might be see a huge spike in interest for the IndyCar Series. Coverage starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday July 12th.

Tony George Statement about his future

The following is a statement by Tony George in response to the June 30th announcement by the Board of Directors of Hulman & Company and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that a new management team will be replacing George of his current responsibilities.

“Nearly 20 years ago, I was asked by my family to represent our business as President and Chief Executive Officer. Since accepting that position, I have served at the pleasure of the board and, in doing so, I enthusiastically agreed to commit myself to stewardship of a great institution. While my service as CEO has now ended, I consider my stewardship to be a life-long appointment.

“At a board meeting a little over a month ago, the Board of Directors of Hulman & Co. and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway asked me to propose a management reorganization that would focus my duties exclusively upon the operation, promotion, and development of the Indy Racing League, which I founded in 1994 and have overseen the development of since 1996.

“At a board meeting last week, I was asked to continue as CEO of the Indy Racing League, reporting to a new President and CEO of IMS. In my view, this would have created an unnecessary bureaucratic layer between the people in the operations of the IRL and the CEO of IMS that had not previously existed. From the perspective of my experience as President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I am acutely aware that the interests of IndyCar racing as a sport, the IRL as a league, and the most important motorsports race in the world, are mutually dependant and inter-connected, both now and in the future. I did not feel that a subordinate position as ‘CEO of the IRL’ was a management vehicle which would allow me to accomplish the objectives that the family and the board requested me to pursue. I declined that position.

“Since our May board meeting, as requested, I have offered my advice to the board on management reorganization, but also and perhaps more importantly, a reorganization of our board, which would provide a structure for better governance for generations to come. It is my belief that, with the recent unification of open-wheel racing, the focus should be on the future rather than the past.

“I am encouraged that in recent conversations with my mother and Chairman of the Board, Mari George, I learned that she also sees the wisdom of taking a forward-looking approach which will provide consistent and coordinated leadership. In the near future, I will be providing a proposal for the board to evaluate. I have been assured by the Chairman that the board will engage in appropriate dialogue, with constructive give and take.

“The success of any organization relies on strong leadership from management to execute strategies that focus on achieving results, and a board whose vision is focused on owner and stakeholder returns.

“There have been many questions raised in the industry and in the media about whether any of these recent changes reflect a reduction in the commitment of our family or the IMS to the IRL or the sport of IndyCar. I have been assured by my mother that no such reduction of support or commitment is intended or anticipated. I can assure teams, sponsors, media and fans that our family is sincere in its commitment to the Indianapolis 500, the League and the sport.”

The statement concluded with the message, “At this time Tony wishes to continue to limit his communications regarding this matter to statements posted on this website.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants to drive in the Indy 500

Hendrick Motor sports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in Indianapolis on Thursday to promote the upcoming All-State 400 at the Brickyard and was supposed to receive a two-seater from fellow National Guard sponsored driver Dan Wheldon of the IndyCar Series. Rain washed out the two seater ride that Earnhardt Jr was supposed to get from Wheldon, but he did get a 10 minute driving lesson from Wheldon. Quoted as saying “he picked his brains as hard as I could”, Earnhardt Jr. also had some other interesting things to say in refence to the Indy 500.

Earnhardt Jr. dropped the bombshell that could send ripple effects throughout NASCAR and possibly have IndyCar fans playing the “what if” game. Earnhardt Jr. was quoted as saying “definitely interests me” in reference to driving in the Indy 500. He also went on to say that many NASCAR drivers would try Indy if the schedules could be resolved.

Can you imagine the post popular driver in NASCAR, driving in the most famous race in the world? Earnhardt Jr. single handily could bring the Indy 500 back to its heydays of attendance every time he set foot in IMS. Earnhardt Jr. comments also raise interesting thoughts to how would the other NASCAR drivers hold up in IndyCars.

Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, all would be names that would grab fans, national media attention, jumpstart the series, and answer the ultimate question of who are the top drivers in North America.

Wheldon to pair with Earnhardt Jr. at Indy

Dan Wheldon has brought one of NASCAR's biggest stars to the IndyCar Series... for a couple of hours. Two of the National Guard’s biggest racing stars will be sharing a ride in an IndyCar this Thursday when Panther Racing driver, and former Indianapolis 500 winner, Dan Wheldon will give NASCAR Sprint Cup star Dale Earnhardt Jr. a ride in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Both drivers will be on hand for photos and interviews following the event, which begins at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Earnhardt Jr. is in Indianapolis to promote the upcoming July 26th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Wheldon is traveling to Canada immediately after Thursday’s event for the Honda Indy Toronto IndyCar Series race, which will be held on Sunday.

The Indy Racing Experience two-seater will be in the same No. 4 National Guard livery as Wheldon drives full-time in the IndyCar Series. The event also included Earnhardt’s Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Jeff Gordon, who is also sponsored by the National Guard.

Earnhardt will also turn laps in the historic No. 16 Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special that Mauri Rose and Floyd David co-drove to victory in the 1941 Indianapolis 500. Earnhardt currently ranks 21st in the Sprint Cup standings and has collected one Top Five and three Top Ten finishes this season. He will be making his tenth career start in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard this year, and has previously recorded a best result of sixth at the race in 2006. In nine previous starts, Earnhardt Jr. has led a total of 54 laps at Indianapolis.

The Honda Indy Toronto will be broadcast live in ABC at 1 p.m.

Honda Indy Toronto Pre-Race Preview

The IndyCar Series will conduct their 10th race of the 2009 season with the first ever race in Toronto sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. The last time open wheel racing was in Toronto, was 2007 when Champ Car conducted the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto, formally know as the Molson Indy Toronto. The race was not kept on the schedule in 2008 after the merger, but was announced it would return in 2009 after Andretti Green team owner Michael Andretti purchased the assets of the Grand Prix of Toronto. Andretti teamed with Honda for naming rights, and the Honda Indy Toronto was born.

The 2007 race saw former Team Australia and current Team Penske driver Will Power take the checkered flag. Power should be making his return to the IndyCar Series after driving three of the first four races in the 2009 season. Power filled in for Helio Castroneves during his legal troubles earlier in the spring.

The race will be the last of five races broadcast by the ABC/ESPN coverage, as the last seven races on the schedule will be carried on Versus. Coverage starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday July 12th. Be sure to check out http://www.indycargarage.com/ for more race previews and discussions on the forums.

Watkins Glen Race Reactions

The IndyCar Series concluded their ninth race of the 2009 at Watkins Glen International Raceway on Sunday. Justin Wilson of Dale Coyne Racing captured a historic victory for several reasons. Wilson put Dale Coyne Racing for the first time in nearly 25 years and broke the 10 race streak of the combo of Team Penske and Ganassi Racing. IndyCarGarage breaks down five race reactions from Sunday’s race.

1. Finally a new face in the winners circle

It was great to see Dale Coyne Racing in the winner’s circle for the first time in 558 attempts. Justin Wilson provided a great addition for Coyne’s team this year, as he has proven that he is an up and coming driver in the series as showed by his dominance throughout the weekend. Most importantly about Wilson’s victory is that it provided a break from the traditional winner circle routine of a Penske or a Ganassi machine being celebrated. Wilson’s victory hopefully can open the flood gates for more drivers from more teams entering the winner’s circle or a podium finish.

2. Points Championship shakes up again

Dario Franchitti 15th place finished mixed up the points chase, as Scott Dixon now leads Ryan Briscoe and Franchitti by 19 points a piece. Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick round out the top five, with Dan Whedlon and Marco Andretti still with a outside shot of getting back in the mix. Dixon now is in position to capture his second consecutive point’s championship with his third place finish at the Glen. The Penske/Ganassi teams continue to dominate the point’s championship, but as Justin Wilson proved on Sunday, anything is possible for the remaining eight races.

3. Marco Andretti and his rough day turned top five finish

Marco Andretti had the unfortunate luck of seeing Mario Moraes early in the race on Sunday and cut a tire while battling with Moraes. Andretti used some clever pit strategy along with lucky yellows to capture a top five finish. Andretti battled all day to get back to the front and it showed with his aggressive driving and unwillingness to ride at the back of the pack. Andretti-Green Racing isn’t having a typical AGR season, and most of the focus throughout the season has been on Danica Patrick possible move to NASCAR. Marco Andretti could salvage the second half of the season for AGR with more top five finishes and keeping his mouth shut as well. Marco is a young American that needs to finish towards the top to promote interest for the series.

4. Ryan Hunter-Reay can’t catch a break

Ryan Hunter-Reay might be having one of the most unlucky season in recent memory. Hunter-Reay captured a second place finish at the season opener, but it has all been down hill since then. Sunday was no different, as Hunter-Reay failed to complete a lap, as he was caught in a traffic jam on the opening lap. The interesting thing about Hunter-Reay is that he has kept his composure throughout this tough stretch. The IndyCar Series has a young talented American in Hunter-Reay and he brings sponsorship with him as well, hopefully we can see better results out of him in the near future to promote his growth in the series.

5. The 2010 Schedule is a work in progress

News out of the IndyCar Series this weekend at Watkins Glen from Terry Angstadt, the league's president of the commercial division is that the 2010 schedule is still a work in progress. The schedule, which will be announced somewhere between the Kentucky and Mid-Ohio race, figures to be 16 – 18 races. Angstadt mentioned that the double header format at Cleveland is still in the mix, New Hampshire Motor Speedway is also a candidate, and a possibly street course around Gillette Stadium. The street course around Gillette Stadium is not a possibility until 2012. Milwaukee figures to be the odd oval out at this time, as it seems they are having problems paying their fees to both the IRL and NASCAR. However the 2010 schedule plays out in the next month, one thing remains to be seen and that is the development of new race cars. Brian Barnhardt said that news cars won’t be ready until 2012 because of research and development for the new machines. All IndyCar fans can only sit and wait for what the future holds for the series.

Watkins Glen Race Preview

The IndyCar Series enters its halfway point of the 2009 season with its first of three consecutive road/street course races. The IndyCar Series has had negative press over the past week and IndyCarGarage breaks down six observations going into the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen.

1. News, News, News, for all the wrong reasons

The IndyCar Series has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the past week. Let’s start at the top. First, the fallout from the Richmond race has been horrendous. the IndyCar series had to respond directly to drivers complaining about the lack of passing and, of course the bombshell, Tony George resigned as the CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s simple. This probably has been the worst week of news for the IndyCar series since 1996 when the Indy Racing League was announced. No other way around it, rumors throughout Indianapolis swirl about several things, but the bottom line is that the IndyCar Series needs SOME KIND of positive news out of its series. We could start with a series sponsor, or go to a higher car count, and maybe finish off with Danica announcing she is returning to open-wheel, but we don’t have any of those things. IndyCarGarage admits to everyone who follows this blog and website, this is a very tough time to be an IndyCar fan.

2. Car Count

21. That’s how many cars will be in the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen this Sunday at 1 p.m. on A.B.C. The economy is tough for everyone involved in motorsports right now, but just a year after unification the IndyCar Series has seen the car count drop off a significant amount, with several high quality drivers still sitting on the sidelines looking for rides. IndyCarGarage has touched on this subject several times and throughout the discussions on this site, the questions remains… will we ever see above 28 cars on a race to race basis?

3. Penske/Ganassi domination = anyone else want to answer the door?

Throughout the first eight races of the 2009 season, the Penske/Ganassi domination has been in full effect. The top four cars in the points championship race are from the two dominate teams in the series. The IndyCar Series is still waiting for that third team to break through and win a race in the 2009 schedule. In 2008, 10 different drivers won a race in 18 races, so far in 2009, we have four drivers in eight races. Andretti Green Racing is close with Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon and Panther Racing are a team to think about every weekend, and count in all the road course drivers from Champ Car. Let’s see a new driver win a race.

4. Paul Tracy = back in the saddle

Paul Tracy returns to the IndyCar Series for his third race of the 2009 season with KV Racing. Former IndyCar driver Jimmy Vasser will serve as race strategist and PT remains a threat to win. What this means for the IndyCar Series is that another proven driver is now involved with the series and should give them another name to talk about throughout the coverage of the race. Paul Tracy is a high possibility to replace Danica Patrick next year in the AGR stable if she would leave for Ganassi Racing, as rumored throughout the discussion boards. Paul Tracy winning a race on Sunday proves that he belongs full time in the IndyCar Series.

5. Changes to look forward to at Kentucky?

The IndyCar Series announced a number changes for the next upcoming race, which is at Kentucky Motor Speedway on August 1st at 8 p.m. Among the changes is 300 more added down force, which is designed to create more side by side racing and passing. The good news is that remains the lone positive out of the IndyCar Series in the last week. It remains to be seen what happens on August 1st at Kentucky, but if the future holds true, it should offer some more competitive racing. IndyCar Garage will be at the Kentucky race and will offer insight coverage to what the new changes bring to the series.

6. Vision racing where are you going?

With Tony George recent resignation as CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, more pressure should be on him to improve his middle of the road race team in Vision Race Team. Tony has a talented driver in Ed Carpenter, and is loaning another talented driver to A.J. Foyt Racing for the remainder of the season. Tony George needs to pick up his race team and put it in the top three to spice up the IndyCar Series. Watkins Glen provides his first opportunity