Robby Gordon 90% sure he will run the 2011 Indy 500

Per Scene Daily:

He said he is 90 percent sure he will do the Indianapolis 500 but will make the decision by March based on the sales of the Speed drink. He plans to build three cars for the Indianapolis 500, with the possibility of selling off one of the cars if he gets in comfortably on the first day.

To some, that might seem a big “if,” but for Gordon, it’s a new way of looking at trying to fund racing and continue what he’s built

Breaking Down American Drivers in IndyCar

With the announcements of three American Drivers this week in the IZOD IndyCar Series, IndyCar Garage took some time to break down the past 15 years of open wheel racing based off of American drivers who had full time rides.





If you start in 1995, the last year before the open wheel split, IndyCar had nine drivers that competed full time. Al Unser Jr, Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Robby Gordon, and Jimmy Vasser were among the notable drivers that represented the U.S.A. The late 90’s saw the Indy Racing League take its concept of American drivers and oval racing, and hit record highs of 16 in 1998, 17 in 1999 and peak at 19 in 2000. CART on the other hand, made it through 1999 with core group of American’s lead by Michael Andretti and Jimmy Vasser, but saw their total free fall in 2000 to just Andretti and Vasser. You could say that 2001 was the beginning of the end for CART American drivers, because between 2001 and 2007 just eight different American drivers participated full time in the CART/Champ Car Series. The IRL peak of 19 in 2000 didn’t last very long as 13 Americans had full time rides in 2001 and that bottomed out at three just this past year. 2011 appears to have some light at the end of the tunnel for Americans, as five men and one women appear to have full time rides and a seventh (Ed Carpenter) working toward a full season.

Media types such as Curt Cavin and Robin Miller have often said that IndyCar needs a mix of international flavor, but a strong American base with drivers on teams that can win races and championships. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard has gone on the record and said that IndyCar needs the best drivers in the world. IndyCar Garage agrees with Bernard on having the best drivers in the world, and also agrees with Cavin and Miller that Americans need a strong base. If IndyCar has 24 full-time entries like 2010, then you would think you need at least 10 full time Americans, that’s 40%. You could even go to 50% and that puts you at 12 full time American’s.


The chart below breaks down American’s from 1995 – 2010 and 2011 is tentative.

IndyCar PPG World Series - 1995 - (9) – Al Unser Jr, Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Robby Gordon, Scott Pruett, Jimmy Vasser, Eddie Cheever, Danny Sullivan, Bryan Herta,


IRL - 1996 – (13) – Scott Sharp, Buzz Calkins, Robbie Buhl, Richie Hearn, Mike Groff, Tony Stewart, Davey Hamilton, Johnny O’Connell, Lyn St. James, Buddy Lazier, John Paul Jr. , Eddie Cheever, Johnny Parsons
CART – 1996 (8) – Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr, Bobby Rahal, Bryan Herta, Scott Pruett, Parker Johnstone, Robby Gordon,


IRL – 1996-1997 (10) – Tony Stewart, Davey Hamilton, Eddie Cheever, Buddy Lazier, Buzz Calkins, Jim Guthrie, Robbie Buhl, Mike Groff, John Paul Jr, Mark Dismore
CART – 1997 (9) – Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti, Scott Pruett, Bryan Herta, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr, Parker Johnstone, Richie Hearn, P.J. Jones,

IRL – 1998 (16) – Davey Hamilton, Tony Stewart, Scott Sharp, Buddy Lazier, Jeff Ward, Eddie Cheever, John Paul Jr, Billy Boat, Sam Schmidt, Mark Dismore, Robby Unser, Robbie Buhl, Brian Tyler, Buzz Calkins, Greg Ray, Dr. Jack Miller,
CART – 1998 (10) – Jimmy Vasser, Scott Pruett, Michael Andretti, Bryan Herta, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr, Richie Hearn, Robby Gordon, P.J. Jones, Alex Barron


IRL – 1999 (17) – Greg Ray, Mark Dismore, Davey Hamilton, Sam Schmidt, Buddy Lazier, Eddie Cheever, Scott Sharp, Robby Unser, Jeff Ward, Billy Boat, Buzz Calkins, Scott Harrington, Robby McGehee, John Hollansworth Jr, Jaques Lazier, Tyce Carlson, Donnie Beechler,
CART – 1999 (8) – Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Bryan Herta, P.J. Jones, Scott Pruett, Robby Gordon, Al Unser Jr, Richie Hearn,

IRL – 2000 (19) – Buddy Lazier, Eddie Cheever, Donnie Beechler, Mark Dismore, Scott Sharp, Robbie Buhl, Al Unser Jr, Billy Boat, Jeff Ward, Robby McGehee, Greg Ray, Buzz Calkins, Jeret Schroeder, Sarah Fisher, Tyce Carlson, Jaques Lazier, Sam Hornish Jr, Davey Hamilton, Jimmy Kite,
CART – 2000 (2) – Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti,

IRL – 2001 (13) – Sam Hornish Jr, Buddy Lazier, Scott Sharp, Billy Boat, Al Unser Jr, Eddie Cheever, Buzz Calkins, Jeff Ward, Robbie Buhl, Mark Dismore, Robbie McGehee, Greg Ray, Sarah Fisher,
CART – 2001 (4) – Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Memo Gidley, Bryan Herta

IRL – 2002 (12) – Sam Hornish Jr, Alex Barron, Scott Sharp, Al Unser Jr, Buddy Lazier, Eddie Cheever, Jeff Ward, Billy Boat, Richie Hearn, George Mack, Robbie Buhl, Sarah Fisher
CART – 2002 (2) – Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti

IRL – 2003 (11) – Sam Hornish Jr, Al Unser Jr, Scott Sharp, Roger Yasukawa, Bryan Herta, Robbie Buhl, Greg Ray, Buddy Rice, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Lazier, A.J. Foyt IV
CART – 2003 (2) – Jimmy Vasser, Ryan Hunter-Reay

IRL – 2004 (7) – Buddy Rice, Sam Hornish Jr, Bryan Herta, Alex Barron, Scott Sharp, Ed Carpenter, A.J. Foyt IV,
Champ Car – 2004 (3) – A.J. Allmendinger, Jimmy Vasser, Ryan Hunter-Reay

IRL – 2005 (9) – Scott Sharp, Bryan Herta, Alex Barron, Danica Patrick, Buddy Rice, Roger Yasukawa, Ed Carpenter, A.J. Foyt IV
Champ Car – 2005 (3) – A.J. Allmendinger, Jimmy Vasser, Ryan Hunter-Reay

IRL – 2006 (8) – Sam Hornish Jr, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick, Bryan Herta, Scott Sharp, Ed Carpenter, Buddy Rice, Jeff Simmons,
Champ Car – 2006 (1) – A.J. Allmendinger

IRL – 2007 (9) – Sam Hornish Jr, Danica Patrick, Scott Sharp, Buddy Rice, Marco Andretti, A.J. Foyt IV, Ed Carpenter, Sarah Fisher, Jeff Simmons/Ryan Hunter-Reay
Champ Car – 2007 (2) – Graham Rahal, Alex Figge

INDYCAR – 2008 (7) – Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ed Carpenter, Buddy Rice, Graham Rahal, A.J. Foyt IV,

INDYCAR – 2009 (5) – Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Ryan Hunter-Reay

INDYCAR – 2010 (3) – Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick

INDYCAR – 2011 (?) – Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Graham Rahal, Charlie Kimball, J.R. Hildebrand,

TOTAL NUMBER OF AMERICAN’S IN OPEN WHEEL RACING

THROUGH THE YEARS:
1995 - PPG IndyCar World Series – 9
1996 – CART – 8 IRL – 13
1997 – CART – 9 IRL – 10
1998 – CART – 10 IRL – 16
1999 – CART – 8 IRL – 17
2000 – CART – 2 IRL – 19
2001 – CART – 4 IRL – 13
2002 – CART – 2 IRL – 12
2003 – CART – 2 IRL – 11
2004 – CCWS– 3 IRL – 7
2005 – CCWS – 3 IRL – 9
2006 – CCWS – 1 IRL – 8
2007 – CCWS – 2 IRL – 9
2008 – INDYCAR – 7
2009 – INDYCAR – 5
2010 – INDYCAR – 3
2011 – INDYCAR – ?

Ryan Hunter-Reay to sponsored by Go Daddy?

Ryan Hunter-Reay to be sponsored by Go Daddy?

One of the top Americans in the IZOD IndyCar Series is Ryan Hunter-Reay(RHR). RHR captured a victory at Long Beach last season driving in his first full season at Andretti Autosport, prior to Andretti Autosport, RHR had bounced around from Rahal-Letterman, to Vision, and A.J. Foyt Racing. Andretti Autosport signed him in the offseason of 2009 and he made immediate results with his experience and road racing skills. Fast forward to the end of 2010, IZOD leaves as the primary sponsorship of his ride and Tony Kanaan is left out in the cold at Andretti Autosport after 7-11 leaves as the primary sponsorship. Andretti Autosport, almost on the same day announces that Kanaan is free to look around for another ride and that they have resigned RHR for a two year extension, yet they haven’t announced sponsorship for RHR. Just recently Andretti Autosport released a off-season statement saying that they had intentions for four full time cars and a fifth for the Indy 500.

The recent timeline of events in the past few days has IndyCar Garage connecting the dots:

Friday at 6:46 A.M. RHR Tweets:
RyanHunterReay - On the plane westbound headed to new sponsor photo shoot and appearances, should be a fun weekend. Hope you all have a great Friday!

So we learn RHR was headed to the Go Daddy Christmas party in Scottsdale Arizona, Today we read a press release from the party, highlights are below:

Employees were also treated to some star gazing – Go Daddy Girls Danica Patrick, Jillian Michaels, Vanessa Rousso and Candice Michelle attended. Auto racing icon Michael Andretti and IndyCar star Ryan Hunter-Reay were also among the celebrities enjoying the festivities. Other special guests included “America’s Toughest Sheriff” Joe Arpaio and award-winning advertising critic Barbara Lippert.

The world’s largest Web hosting provider and domain name registrar provider recorded a 25 percent increase in sales this year, expanded with more than 400 hires, opened a data center in Singapore and now serves more than 8.6MM customers. Go Daddy is now larger than its eight closest competitors … combined!

At a time when other companies are cutting back, Go Daddy is increasing its charitable giving. The Internet powerhouse has donated more than $3.4MM in 2010, breaking last year’s record of $2.5MM.

More RHR Tweets:
December 12th 11:42 A.M. - Attended a killer Christmas party last night, like no other. Excited to work with such a great group of people. Now, headed to sunny FL

December 12th 6:30 p.m. @JacknDiet we'll have an announcement soon! You didn't miss anything, I just can't give many details.

To forecast future, RHR will be sponsored by GoDaddy.com next year and the car will be black and green, almost opposite color scheme of Danica Patrick’s.

Wrapping up an exciting two weeks of INDYCAR announcements... and forcasting more to come

INDYCAR had a plethora of announcements in the past two weeks ranging from team sponsors to series sponsors, and speculation on driver rides. IndyCar Garage puts a spin on the recent announcements and forecasts the next round of announcements coming within the next couple months.

1. Team Penske announced several new sponsors to their three car line up, including Shell sponsoring Helio at Indy, Briscoe in the IZOD livery, and Meijer, Verizon and Auto Club as associate sponsors. This is not only huge for Penske, but the series in general. For one, it gives IZOD a chance to activate its brand more through one of the top teams in INDYCAR, (yes its sad to see them leave RHR), but for Briscoe, Helio and Will Power, it allows for three of INDYCAR’s biggest stars to be marketed on a national platform, something INDYCAR needs. The shell sponsorship for Helio at Indy is also a big get, as Helio could possibly win his fourth Indy 500 this year and his car could be immortalized forever in the Indy 500 collection.

2. Sarah Fisher stepped up last week and signed an American Driver (Ed Carpenter) to driver her #67 Dollar General IndyCar. Fisher wants to focus more on starting a family and becoming a full time team owner. Sarah will be missed this year, but would be missed even more if she can’t transition her team over to 2012 with the new equipment. Additionally, Ed has stated that he hopes to find more sponsorship to run the full 2011 schedule, HELLO FUZZY’S VODKA, please kick in the additional money to fund ED! I know the sponsorship crossover of Dollar General and FUZZY’S Vodka isn’t the best, but hey… ED needs to run the whole season.

3. Mazda has stepped up and announced that they will sponsor three scholarships as part of the newly named MAZDA Road to Indy program, which is the official INDYCAR Ladder system. Champions in the USF2000 Series, Star Mazda Championship and Firestone Indy Lights now will have the opportunity to graduate into the next series and move up the ladder, which leads to the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indy 500. Starting in 2011 drivers in those three feeder series will now actually have the confidence to know that they are RACING for a spot to move up and drive at the next level. Many owners and media types have came down hard on the ladder system for not allowing drivers to move up. The Mazda scholarships change everything and now finally allow drivers see a true ROAD TO INDY. Suggestion to INDYCAR, market the heck out of the first guy who makes it all the way through each series. Early possible candidates for that include Zach Veach, Sage Karam, and possibly Conor Daly.

Now for the Silly Season drama announcements that will be coming…

Announcements that WILL HAPPEN:
Las Vegas will be announced as the series finale… it’s just a matter of sponsorship

Edmonton will return to the schedule on the July 24th date, this helps INDYCAR because of the bigger sanctioning fee

Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball will be announced as Ganassi drivers as part of a Satellite team for Ganassi.

Vitor Meira will be announced as the driver for A.J. Foyt Racing for two more years

Andretti Autosport will start to revive plans for the 2011 lineup, one that includes four cars and a one off entry for the Indy 500 as part of a five car program for Indy

Announcements that SHOULD HAPPEN
Tony Kanaan will announced as the driver for de Ferran Dragon Racing for 2011

J.R. Hildebrand will be announced as the driver for Panther Racing for 2011

Sam Hornish Jr. will announce his one off intention for the 2011 Indy 500

John Andretti will return with Andretti Autosport for the 2011 Indy 500 (fifth entry)

The Start time of the 2011 Indy 500 is moved back to 11 A.M. Eastern which puts it at noon Indiana time because of day light savings.

Announcements that MIGHT HAPPEN
Several NASCAR (Stewart, Kahne, Johnson, Busch brothers, Earnhardt Jr.) drivers have interest in becoming involved with INDYCAR in 2012, some as team owners and some as possible drivers, look for some sort of announcement regarding a stock car driver and their plans for 2012.

Robby Gordon officially announces his entry into the 2011 Indy 500

Milka Duno re-signs with Dale Coyne racing for 2011

IndyCar Garage’s Christmas list for IndyCar in 2011
INDYCAR on NETWORK TV ON NBC

More Sponsorship for American Drivers

Michael Andretti runs a one off for the 2011 Indy 500 only to be out qualified by Mario Andretti

Andretti Autosport and Sarah Fisher Racing relocate to Main Street in Speedway, Indiana as part of Speedway’s Redevelopment plan.

Three aero more aero kits are announced for 2012, giving us six different types of cars on the track powered by three different engines.

INDYCAR’s 16th street offices redo their logo on their building and rebrand it as INDYCAR and get ride of the old IRL Logo.

1 to 3 in one week = fewer D/H/F in 2012

1 to 3 in one week = fewer D/H/F in 2012

INDYCAR has taken major steps in the last week to restore the stepping stones that made it one of the most diverse and popular racing series in the early 1990’s. Last week, American manufacturer GM, announced that Chevrolet would return to INDYCAR for the first time since 2005. Just two days ago Dallara broke ground on a seven million dollar facility that will construct and develop the next generation of IndyCars. And lastly, Lotus will announce that they will be the third engine manufacturer for INDYCAR in 2012, today at the Los Angles auto show. Lotus entry into the engine competition was a walk off home run type release, as they barley made the deadline set by INDYCAR of November 16th Hawaii time.

What does all this mean?

It means that for the first time since 2005, the D/H/F that we see next to every entry at every INDYCAR race, will drastically change in 2012. INDYCAR literally has 16, hopefully 17, more entry sheets of D/H/F lined up and then when 2012 rolls around, we can see the likes of D/C/F, (Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone), or will the first letter represent the Aero Kit on the car? This would give us a C/C/F (Chevrolet/Chevrolet/Firestone), I guess if we see someone select the Dallara aero kit, stick with Honda, we will still see some D/H/F in 2012, but not the whole field. This friends, is exactly what INDYCAR needs and wants to promote growth in the series and for their sponsors.

So confirming Lotus, Chevy, and Honda as engine manufactures’, and assuming they all build their own Aero kits that gives us three and three. Dallara will produce a standard Aero Kit, that’s three and four, lets just throw in one more bonus Aero Kit producer and we now have the potential for five different looking IndyCar’s powered by three different sources.
From a Baseball standpoint, that’s hitting a triple when your just trying to put the ball in play, from a Football standpoint, that’s completing a sixty yard pass when its third and 20, and from a basketball standpoint that’s like Butler making it all the way to the NCAA Championship, ok maybe that’s a reach on the Basketball standpoint.

All in all, Randy Bernard and ICONIC team (with some help from open wheel vets Penske and Kalkhoven) has secured a very good platform for 2012 and beyond. INDYCAR still has work to do to get back to the level of the early 1990’s, but they are pointed in the right direction.

Speedway Redevelopment Commission breaks ground on the future Dallara plant

The Speedway Redevelopment Commission formally broke ground today on the future home of Italian automobile manufacturer Dallara. Dallara will relocate to Main Street in Speedway’s first redevelopment area, which is located within walking distant of turn one of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Dallara is an excellent fit for our community, as we share a mutual dedication to the racing industry, innovation and advanced technology,” said Vince Noblet, president of the SRC. “Today’s celebration truly embodies the spirit of Speedway and marks a major milestone in our town’s redevelopment vision. As the home to the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500, we are proud to be a part of the continued success of the motorsports industry in Indiana and the world.”

Dallara is expected to move into the new technology center on Main Street by the winter of 2011. This facility will eventually include an automotive production area, quality control and technical sections, an engineering center, an interactive area, a restaurant and a state of the art driving simulator.

On a cold Indiana day, with overcast skies and temperatures in the high 30’s, the Dallara groundbreaking couldn’t have been better a step for INDYCAR. “As this new Dallara facility positions Speedway for future growth, the cost-effective package that will be produced here will also position the series for growth, and will foster the tradition of innovation in open-wheel racing and the Town of Speedway,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR.

Nearly 200 people turned out for the ground breaking ceremonies at 1201 Main Street, Speedway, Indiana. Among the notables in attendance, current IZOD IndyCar drivers Graham Rahal, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Davy Hamilton, past Indy 500 Champions Al Unser Jr and Bobby Rahal, current Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, members of the Hulman-George family, and several representatives from Dallara, including Mr. Gian Paolo Dallara.

Demolition of the former building on the sit will be completed in December and will cost approximately $100,000, funded by the SRC. Construction on the new Dallara and Indy Racing Experience Facility will begin immediately after demolition concludes.

Photos: Karen Vance

Dallara ground breaking set for Tuesday, November 16th

The picture above is the home of the future Dallara plant that will produce the next generation of IndyCars

Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara will formally break ground on their new United States factory, in the heart of IndyCar country, Speedway Indiana. Dallara, which was named the 2012 chassis manufacture of the IZOD IndyCar Series, has been involved with IndyCar since 1997, in the early years of the Indy Racing League.

Mr. Gian Paolo Dallara birthday is November 16th, and he will be celebrating it at the groundbreaking ceremonies, along with several other representatives from Dallara. The Dallara factory, which will be built on Main Street in Speedway, will also have the Indy Racing Experience attached to it, and representatives from the IRE should be in attendance as well.

The announcement will also be a big boost to the Speedway Redevelopment plan. The factory is expected to produce over 70 new jobs in Speedway, and also pave the way for more companies to relocate to Speedway, Indiana as part of their master redevelopment plan. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels are also expected to be in attendance.

Randy Bernard has invited several drivers to attend the ground breaking, and Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Automobiles, is expected to attend as well. Fiat Group is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy.

Tune in to IndyCar Garage for more details and look for a special edition of IndyCar Garage Weekly the day of the ground breaking.

Major Sponorship announcement coming toward IndyCar.... Verizon?

In light of the IBJ (Indiana Business Journal) foreshadowing a major IndyCar announcement in the next two weeks, IndyCar Garage would like to go out and predict it will be Verizon Wireless.

http://www.ibj.com/indy-racing-league-signs-deal-with-brazilian-coffee-maker/PARAMS/article/22561

The link above quotes commercial division president Terry Angstadt, as saying:
“It will be a category-exclusive deal with mega activation,” said Terry Angstadt, president of IRL’s commercial division. “It will rival the [promotion] done by our series title sponsor, Izod. So it’s very exciting.”

Angstadt said he couldn’t say what category the new sponsor will fill because “that would give away who it is.” He expects the as-yet-announced sponsor to be at full speed with the open-wheel race series for the 2011 season.

Further more, Just Marketing’s Zak Brown was quoted as saying
“Izod has been extremely active in taking the IndyCar brand to the mainstream public,” said Zak Brown, president of Just Marketing International, a Zionsville-based motorsports marketing consultancy. “They’ve put millions of dollars into marketing IndyCar, which is just what the series needs.”

“I’ve not heard anything about an impending deal myself, but if it's on par with Izod, that’s certainly good news, especially in this economic environment,” Brown said.

Why does Verizon make sense?

1. They are shifting their sponsorship program away from NASCAR due to the Sprint deal

2. They will increase their involvement with Team Penske and be the primary sponsor for Team Penske next year

3. Angstadt was quoted as saying major activation, not many companies come to mind right away when you talk about major activation within IndyCar, except that Verizon has already been active with IndyCar this year, designing a mobile application for its users and putting championship points leader Will Power in commercials with Justin Alliager, who is left ride less in the Nationwide series now that Verizon is moving out of NASCAR.

Let’s hope in two weeks that IndyCar Garage is correct in their predication

The Indianapolis Buisness Journal contributed to this post

Lotus, Verizon, and Tix all look to IndyCar for Sponorship rolls

Lotus, Verizon, and Tix all look to IndyCar for Sponsorship rolls

In Sponsorship news around IndyCar, Lotus, Verizon and Tix appear set to increase or continue their roll as contributing sponsors of IndyCar.

LOTUS:
Lotus has released a statement saying that they will continue their sponsorships of KV Racing in 2011 with at least 2 full time cars, they also have confirmed they will build an Aero kit for the new 2012 IndyCar. "The 2011 IndyCar season will see Lotus continue to work with KV Racing Technology providing further technical and engineering support, fielding a minimum of two cars on the grid," said a Lotus statement.

Verizon:
It has been confirmed through Penske Racing that Verizon will end its sponsorship of Justin Allgaier in the Nationwide Series and increase their sponsorship toward Penske’s IndyCar Program. This could open t he door for all three Penske drivers , Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe, and Championship leader Will Power, to remain in the Penske stable. Tix
Tix has announced the will be a sponsor of the popular Long Beach Grand Prix in 2011. Tix is a provider of integrated box office software and online ticket sales and services for arts, entertainment and sporting events. “Tix is proud to have been selected as the official ticketing provider for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said Robert Edmison, president and CEO of Tix, Inc. “It's an honor to be associated with one of the premier motorsports events in the world and an organization that shares our dedication to providing the best possible experience for ticket buyers.

The Lbpost.com and autosport.com contributed to the information in this post.

Beatriz back in for Miami, could mark the second time IndyCar will have five women competing in one race

Beatriz back in for Miami , could mark the second time IndyCar will have five women competing in one race.

Ana Beatriz will make her fourth IZOD IndyCar Series start of the season for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
She will drive the No. 24 Roll Coater entry for the 200-lap season finale on the 1.5-mile oval. It will be her third start on an oval.
"With it being the final race of the season, we felt that Ana was the perfect choice," team co-owner Dennis Reinbold said. "We are excited about having her back with the team. She did a great job for us in Brazil, Indianapolis, and Chicago. Ana has really shown us her talent and motivation."
The Brazilian driver made her IZOD IndyCar debut at her home race in Sao Paulo in mid-March, advancing nine positions to finish 13th on the street course. She finished 21st in the Indy 500 and 24th at Chicagoland Speedway.
Along with Beatriz, females Danica Patrick, Milke Duno, Sarah Fisher, and hopefully Simona De Silverstro will be entered into the seasons last race.

Part of this article originally appeared on www.IndyCar.com

Dario Vs. Will - You decide

Dario Vs. Will ..............
Franchitti Vs. Power ..........
Oval Vs. Road Course ............
Ganassi Vs. Penske ............
Scott Vs. Aussie ............
Red Vs. Black .............

The list goes on…and on…. But the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Championship comes to one race between two drivers, those drivers, Will Power and Dario Franchitti are separated by about everything except the 12 points in the standings. Franchitti, a classic IndyCar veteran has witnessed just about everything to witness in one IndyCar career. The rise and fall of CART, transitioning into the IRL, a 2007 Championship with AGR, a failed trip into stock car land, and a revival of sorts with Ganassi, as the 2009 championship winner and 2010 Indy 500 winner. Power is the young hot shot newcomer that has rose up the ranks of Champ Car, but struggled to gain traction on ovals once the merger was complete in 2008. The former KV Racing driver, and now current series points leader, can be considered as the new captain of Roger Penske’s open wheel program. Power has captured a season high five wins this year, and also the inaugural Marion Andretti Road Course Champion, all while running his first full time season with Team Penske.

Franchitti and Power will battle it out on the 1.5 mile oval of Homestead Miami-Speedway, the site of Franchitti’s 2009 championship. History and common sense to the die hard IndyCar fan would suggest that the odds favor Franchitti, who has more experience on ovals and also the benefit of a strong team in Chip Ganassi Racing, would take the championship, but don’t count out Power. Power has run well on ovals and captured the pole at one oval this year, Iowa Speedway.

IndyCar Garage wants to know who you think will win the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Championship and why. Leave your comments on the forum section and vote under the new tab on IndyCar Garage – labeled ICG Polls.

Who will remember the Café’s do Brasil Indy?

Who will remember the Café’s do Brasil Indy?

The IZOD IndyCar Series will crown their 2010 champion on the 1.5 mile oval at Homestead, Miami Speedway. The series crowned their 2009 champion at Homestead, but prior to 2009, Homestead was usually the season opener.

The unique aspect of the 2010 race is that it will be the last one at Homestead, and it will be called the Café do Brasil Indy, after one of IndyCar’s sponsors from Brazil stepped up.

A very interesting name to call a race and a very interesting way to leave a race track.

Ron Artest drives an IndyCar

The LAPD stopped Lakers Forward Ron Artest in Los Angeles while driving this Indy Car-inspired open-cockpit car. Surprisingly, he wasn't pulled over for speeding but for an expired registration. But what is it he's driving, exactly?

The vehicle in question is an Eagle Roadster, which is essentially a street-legal Indy-style kit car, featuring a 235-hp Chrysler V6 mounted behind a two-person cockpit. The company who builds it says the 1,960-lb car will do 0-to-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 152 mph.

The $200K price is steep for something powered by a Chrysler V6, but it's so much cooler than anything Andrew Bynum drives.

This article originally appeared on TMZ

15 reasons why Ryan Briscoe will win the Kentucky 300... and few why he won't

The IZOD IndyCar Series will complete their 15th race of the 2010 season at Kentucky Motor Speedway on Saturday night at 8 EST, coverage starts at 7 EST on VERSUS. Kentucky is a 1.5 banked oval that offers some of the most exciting racing IndyCar has to offer, its one step safer than Chicago style racing, but just as exciting. IndyCar Garage will be in attendance for the Kentucky race, but from the grand stands. The IndyCar Garage crew will be taking their 3rd annual camping trip down to Sparta, Kentucky in hopes of enjoying another shootout style race , similar to last years race, where Ryan Briscoe edged Carpenter. IndyCar Garage gives you the Kentucky Preview of why Ryan Brisoce is going to win again, and a few why he won’t.

15 reasons why Briscoe will Win
1. Briscoe drives for Roger Penske… enough said
2. Briscoe won the 2009 Kentucky race… his setup should be intact
3. Briscoe sat on the pole at Texas 2010 and Chicago 2010, both 1.5 ovals
4. Briscoe won the Texas race this year
5. Briscoe started on the Chicago 2009 pole and won
6. Briscoe was nice enough to let IndyCar Garage interview him in 2008 after the Kentucky race 7. Briscoe’s wife is Nicole Briscoe and she is a pit reporter for NASCAR, but married an IndyCar driver

8. Briscoe is a nice guy
9. Briscoe drives a smart car
10. Briscoe is still trying to redeemed himself for Motegi last year
11. Briscoe is Australian and they have cool accents
12. Briscoe has just dominated 1.5 ovals, no matter how many stats you look at
13. People like Briscoe’s personality
14. Briscoe could probably beat every other IndyCar driver in wake boarding
15. Briscoe always smiles no matter what question you ask him

5 Reasons why Briscoe won’t win

1. 2010 has belonged to Dario and Briscoe’s teammate Will Power
2. Briscoe will have problems in the pit
3. Briscoe will help Will Power do whatever he can to keep the championship lead
4. Briscoe will get wrecked due to the pack racing on 1.5 ovals
5. Briscoe will get wrecked by Danica in the pits

IndyCar Garage Predications for Saturday Night
Winner – Ryan Briscoe
2nd – Scott Dixon
3rd – Dario Franchitti
4th – Will Power
5th – Ed Carpenter

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing to discuss driver lineup....PT?

Dreyer and Reinbold Racing will discuss their driver lineup for the final three races of the 2010 season tomorrow at 1 p.m. on a teleconference with the media.

All signs point to Paul Tracy being named as the team’s second driver for the reminder of the season. Dreyer and Reinbold Racing has had several drivers fill in for the injured Mike Conway since his wreck at the Indianapolis 500.

Tomas Sheckter, Ana Beatriz, Graham Rahal, Tracy, and J.R. Hildenbrand are among the notables that have had seat time with D&R.

Check IndyCar Garage tomorrow for the official announcement.

www.IndyCarGarage.com

Ryan Briscoe takes poll for Chicagoland

Ryan Briscoe captured his second pole of the 2010 season by averaging over 216 mph over the course of two laps. Briscoe was the only driver to top the 216 mph mark, and he also knocked off Dario Franchitti from pole, costing Franchitti a valuable bonus point in his chase for points leader Will Power.

Among the notable starting spots for tomorrow’s 300 lap race, Will Power starts 3rd, Marco Andretti 5th, Graham Rahal, 6th, Ryan Hunter-Reay 9th, Ed Carpenter 11th, Danica Patrick 12th, Scott Dixon 14th, Sarah Fisher 25th, Milka Duno 26th, and Simona de Silvestro 27th. Coverage starts tomorrow at 7 p.m. EST on VERSUS.
Check IndyCarGarage.com for predications for tomorrow’s race. The entire starting field is below.

1 6 Ryan Briscoe 216.36 mph
2 10 Dario Franchitti 215.75 mph
3 12 Will Power 215.661 mph
4 3 Helio Castroneves 215.588 mph
5 26 Marco Andretti 215.38 mph
6 02 Graham Rahal 215.32 mph
7 4 Dan Wheldon 215.102 mph
8 06 Hideki Mutoh 215.11 mph
9 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay 215.019 mph
10 5 Takuma Sato 215.116 mph
11 20 Ed Carpenter 214.976 mph
12 7 Danica Patrick 214.988 mph
13 11 Tony Kanaan 214.779 mph
14 19 Alex Lloyd 214.546 mph
15 9 Scott Dixon 214.31 mph
16 8 EJ Viso 214.213 mph
17 36 Tomas Scheckter 214.227 mph
18 2 Raphael Matos 214.028 mph
19 77 Alex Tagliani 214.056 mph
20 34 Bertrand Baguette 213.702 mph
21 32 Mario Moraes 213.679 mph
22 24 Ana Beatriz 213.432 mph
23 22 Justin Wilson 213.412 mph
24 14 Vitor Meira 213.125 mph
25 67 Sarah Fisher 213.14 mph
26 18 Milka Duno 212.827 mph
27 78 Simona de Silvestro 212.754 mph
28 21 Davey Hamilton 212.559 mph
29 66 Jay Howard 212.136 mph

Tony Cotman named 2012 Car/Rules Chief

Tony Cotman, the former chief steward for Champ Car from 2005 – 2008, has been named the rules/technical director for the 2012 IndyCar, according to Speedtv.

Cotman, who will oversee the direction of the 2012 rules for the new generation of IndyCar’s, has experience in a variety of roles for open wheel racing. Cotman most recently has been the chief steward of the Firestone Indy Light Series and has his own consulting company that designs new tracks across North American. Some of the quotes from Speedtv’s article are below.

Tony Cotman Quotes:

“My job is rules, prices and anything to do with the new car,”

“If I don’t like it, I’m going to fix it with the league’s support and I need to start talking to the teams because they need to be part of what is going on.”

“We’ve got to get this cluster under control and my job is to represent the owners and the series,” he said. “We have to make it very clear that Indy car is running the ship, not Dallara, or any other suppliers.

“People need to know how things are going to affect their budget and I’m all for a new car but we’ve got to be smart in doing it. We’ll see what, if anything, is useful from the car we have now than can be carried over.

“And we need to get the engine rules out there so Randy has them when he meets with interested manufacturers.”

Randy Bernard Quotes:

“I’m happy Tony has accepted this job, he’s well respected and a bright guy who has the experience of delivering a new car,” said Bernard.
“His priorities and mine are the same and that is to come up with the best competitive car for 2012.

2011 Indianapolis 500 Logo

The logo for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 – the 100th anniversary of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – was unveiled simultaneously Friday, Aug. 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and CEO Jeff Belskus revealed the logo during festivities at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum, while three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser performed the same honor at Pebble Beach, Calif., with Indy 500 winners Parnelli Jones and Danny Sullivan and legendary American open-wheel driver Dan Gurney also participating.

NASCAR Invasion of IndyCar's Schedule will have major affects on 2011

(What does two Nationwide races at Iowa mean for IndyCar?)

NASCAR’s massive shake up to its top three levels of competition for next season will likely have a huge impact on the 2011 IndyCar Schedule. IndyCar knew for sometime that this might be coming, and with NASCAR’s sagging T.V. Ratings, and visible attendance decline, it appears NASCAR is digging deeper into their bag of weapons to save their big leaky ship that they created during their boom years of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
Over the course of the last week and half, four different tracks that IndyCar will have raced on in 2010 had major announcements regarding NASCAR races or been rumored to be involved in the schedule shake up.

Let’s start from the top: Items 1 and 3 are confirmed, 2 and 4 are rumors that appear to be true.
1. Chicagoland Speedway (ISC Track) will kick off the chase next year in the Sprint Cup, this will move their date from early July to mid-August, directly impacting the late August IndyCar Race
2. Kansas Speedway(ISC Track) will pick up a second Sprint Cup date that will remove the IndyCar Series from racing at a track that they have visited since 2001

3. Kentucky Speedway (SMI Track) has been awarded a Sprint Cup date, and will be the newest track on the Sprint Cup track schedule. This race will take place on July 9th, 2011, Chicago’s old date.
4. Iowa Motor Speedway has been awarded a second Nationwide Race, to go with their original July date. The date for this race is May 22nd, which would be bump day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What does this all mean?

It means that’s Kansas is long gone, Chicagoland will need a new date, Kentucky probably needs a new date and a second Iowa race will impact attendance at IMS. IndyCar also will probably have to move their New Hampshire race, and their Baltimore race to accommodate tracks like Chicago and Kentucky.

The issue at hand is that NASCAR is dicing up their schedule to
A. save markets (Chicago) ,
B. try new markets out (Kentucky)
C. Reward markets for investing (Kansas)
D. Build on good markets (Iowa)

IndyCar probably won’t announce their schedule before August 18th, (NASCAR major announcement date) and it could probably be Labor Day weekend at Kentucky before we actually get a solid confirmation of the 2011 IndyCar Schedule.

One thing is sure, expect the unexpected for 2011, as NASCAR's mess is creating new headaches for Randy Bernard and company.

29 IndyCars ready for Chicago

Twenty-nine entries for Chicagolyand race: For the second time in three races, the sanctioning Indy Racing League has amended its rulebook to allow for a larger starting field.

Twenty-nine cars are expected at Chicagoland Speedway - the most outside of the 33 for the Indianapolis 500 - to be entered for the PEAK Antifreeze& Motor Oil Indy 300 on Aug. 28 at the 1.5-mile oval. Rule 8.1(E)(5)(f) caps the starting field at 28 cars for races other than Indianapolis, Brazil, Toronto and Mid-Ohio based on pit lane space. The rule also was amended for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance on Aug. 8 to allow for a 27th entry.

In addition to the 24 full-season entries, expected to join the initial practice session at 9:15 a.m. (local time) Aug. 27 are Davey Hamilton in the No. 21 HP de Ferran Dragon Racing car, Graham Rahal in the No. 02 Quick Trim Newman/Haas Racing car, Sarah Fisher in the No. 67 Dollar General car for Sarah Fisher Racing, Ed Carpenter in the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka car for Panther/Vision Racing, and Jay Howard in the No. 66 Service Central car for Sarah Fisher Racing.

Ed Carpenter back in for three more races

Ed Carpenter is returning to the IZOD IndyCar Series for three more races in 2010. Carpenter will drive a second car for Panther Racing with sponsorship from Fuzzy’s Premium Vodka, his sponsor from the 2010 Indy 500.

Carpenter , whose specialty is oval racing, will drive in the three domestic oval races (Kentucky, Chicago, and Homestead) that remain on the second oval portion of the schedule. Carpenter had a career best finish of second at Kentucky last year, where Ryan Briscoe edged him in the 10th closest finish in series history.

Dario Franchitti wins at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Dario Franchitti captured his second win of the 2010 season by holding off points leader Will Power. IndyCar Garage will have more coverage of the Honda 200 later tonight and tomorrow morning. Check below for how ICG did on predications for today’s race.

5^th Graham Rahal – Rahal started 25^th and battled all day but couldn’t make up enough ground and finished 20^th

4^th Ryan Hunter-Reay – Hunter-Reay had a rough first pit stop and battled back to finish 10th

3^rd Justin Wilson – Wilson tangled with E.J. Viso early and finished 27^th

2nd Will Power – Spot on pick here, Power finished 2nd

1^st Scott Dixon – Dixon was near the front all day but just didn’t have enough to get up to his teammate.

Actual results are below:

Rank	No	Name	Laps
1	10	Dario Franchitti	85
2	12	Will Power	85
3	3	Helio Castroneves	85
4	77	Alex Tagliani	85
5	9	Scott Dixon	85
6	6	Ryan Briscoe	85
7	2	Raphael Matos	85
8	78	Simona de Silvestro	85
9	26	Marco Andretti	85
10	37	Ryan Hunter-Reay	85
11	36	Bertrand Baguette	85
12	32	Mario Moraes	85
13	19	Alex Lloyd	85
14	4	Dan Wheldon	85
15	14	Vitor Meira	85
16	24	JR Hildebrand	85
17	11	Tony Kanaan	85
18	06	Hideki Mutoh	85
19	27	Adam Carroll	85
20	02	Graham Rahal	85
21	7	Danica Patrick	85
22	34	Francesco Dracone	82
23	18	Milka Duno	81
24	66	Jay Howard	38
25	5	Takuma Sato	28
26	8	EJ Viso	22
27	22	Justin Wilson	22