Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing future is bright

Yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sarah Fisher confirmed her driver plans for 2012 by announcing the signing of a three year contract with American Josef Newgarden, the 2011 Indy Lights champion. The news by all accounts, was great, Sarah Fisher Racing is a small team of 17 employees and literally started from the ground up in 2008.

The even better news was that Fisher announced her team is rebranding as Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, (SFHR). The partnership of Wink Hartman and Sarah Fisher dates back to 2008, but the financial involvement of Hartman has strengthened and will allow Fisher’s Indianapolis based team to grow.

SFHR won their first race at Kentucky in 2011 with fellow American Ed Carpenter , but a bright moment was overshadowed by the departure of primary sponsor Dollar General to full-time NASCAR involvement, and later Carpenter’s formation of his own team. SFHR had their ace in the hole with Hartman.

Hartman, who owns a professional indoor soccer team and football teams in Kansas, will now be fully involved in the growth and development of the one car team piloted by Newgarden. Hartman, whose money is tied into oil, has deep pockets and according to sources, has pledged to take SFHR to the next step in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

SFHR has an engine contract in place, but has yet to announce it, is widely rumored to be partnering with Honda. SFHR should also have some exciting announcements in regards to their relocation of their new race shop. That announcement could happen at the start of the new year.
The hire of Newgarden will allow his sponsorship money from the Mazda Road to Indy to be applied to the 2012 season and will help off-set the costs of new equipment. Newgarden had five wins for SSM in 2011 in the Firestone Indy Lights series. Newgarden, 20, brings another American to the IZOD IndyCar Series, and is the immediate favorite to win Rookie of the year in 2012.

Continue to follow www.IndyCarGarage.com for updates on Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and complete coverage of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Sarah Fisher Racing Press Conference Tomorrow

Sarah Fisher Racing will have a press conference tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway on their 2012 plans. It's widely rumored that 2011 Indy Lights Champion
Josef Newgarden will use his partial sponsorship from winning the Lights Championship and become the full-time driver for SFR in 2012.

SFR also could be announcing their engine partner tomorrow as well. They have been rumored for Honda for awhile.


Newgarden tweeted late Tuesday night that he was headed to Indy the following day,

"Only one thing I like more than an empty airport, and that's an empty plane! Flying out to Dallas. Back in Indy tomorrow."


Stay tuned for more developments on SFR announcements and the location of their new race shop.

The announcment will be streamed live on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway network, through www.IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com

Hunter-Reay wins at Loudon and Power flashes the double bird!

Hunter-Reay wins at Loudon and Power flashes the double bird!

INDYCAR returned to their small bull-ring ovals at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and it was anything but dual.

It all started on lap one when Graham Rahal made contact with Mike Conway’s spinning car on lap one. Both cars were done for the day.

Dario continued to dominate the race until light rain brought out the caution.

On the restart after a lengthy caution delay, Dario Franchitti came down on Takumo Sato and hit the inside way of the front stretch. Franchitti day was done and he put all the blame on Sato in his post-race interview.

Ryan Hunter-Reay resumed the race in position number one and that would prove to be his finish position until the race was called with five laps left.

The highlights of this race will be the call by INDYCAR race control to attempt to re-start the race with five laps to go. Rain brought out the yellow again with just under 20 laps to go in the Movethatblock.com225.

Coming off turn four on the re-start with five to go, Danica Patrick spun her tires and took out multiple cars. Among the cars, Will Power, Ed Carpenter, Takumo Sato, and Danica. The race was then red-flagged. About 15 minutes passed until the checkered was displayed and Ryan Hunter-Reay was declared the race winner.

What happened in between the red flag and the checkered flag is what will keep INDYCAR in the news for a few days.

Among the highlights of ABC’s coverage was Michael Andretti’s rant directly after the restart with five to go, with Michael being quoting

“This is the worst officiating I’ve ever seen, sorry Brian, but this was bad”

“You just don’t do that , it was wetter than when they threw the yellow earlier”

“Normally Brian does a great job, but this one, he really missed it”

Among the Will Power quotes after he flipped the double bird to race control while walking next to Penske President Tim Cindric (see picture)

“I was begging him, we were begging him, please don’t go green”

(On Brian Barnhardt) “ There is no use, he makes such bad calls all the time this is gonna be it, they can’t have this guy running the show , because this was his decision that put a lot of drivers in danger and you saw how many people crashed on the front straight and it was no condition to race in, shame on him.”

“I just can’t believe they make decisions like that, I mean what are those guys up there doing, I mean they have Al Unser Jr, he’s raced, he would never race in these conditions. So to me it was disgraceful.”

(On fines coming Power’s way) “Yeah I know I lost my temper , but it was bad of me to do that, I couldn’t help it, I was so emotional about it. We had such a good day and we begged them, begged them not to do it.”

In the end Ryan Hunter-Reay captured his first race win of 2011 and the third for Andretti Autosport. As Michael Andretti , CEO of Andretti Autosport said “ This is the third race winner of the season from our team and I just have to thank our sponsors for the decision they made this year” .

A very exciting race for INDYCAR and hopefully for T.V. ratings as well.

Zach Veach heads into Mid-Ohio with momentum and fans

Zach Veach heads into Mid-Ohio with momentum and fans


Andretti Autosport driver Zach Veach continues his USF2000 summer racing schedule with a stint on his home turf at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Veach, 16, joins the full “Mazda Road to Indy” developmental ladder system in support of the IZOD IndyCar Series’ headliner at the 50-year-old racing facility. Veach has also been a guest on IndyCar Garage Weekly and was featured as part of Andretti Autosport’s Road to Indy week on www.IndyCarGarage.com

“Our season started out great, we won the first race of the season, captured poles at Sebring and really have been focused on finishing as high as possible in each race.”

Veach sits currently second in the points championship, trailing Petri Suvanto by 17 points. Veach’s teammate, Spencer Pigot, sits one point behind in third.

“It’s a good and bad thing when your teammate is really fast, you can learn from each other, but also it makes you push harder and do your best. “

Veach enters his very first race at Mid-Ohio on the heels of two straight runner-up finishes at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and at The Milwaukee Mile. The Zakosi Data Backup car No. 7 is now second in series points heading into the 13-turn 2.25 mi paved road course. Already this year, Veach has taken two race wins and three pole positions to capture the inaugural Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 Winterfest Championship. This season, he has earned three pole positions, a race win and five top-five finishes.

Mid-Ohio, a natural road course, while Veach’s home race, it’s not his preference of track. Veach prefers oval racing over road/street course racing.

“I’ve always felt more in tune on the ovals, it’s all about being smooth.”

“The USF2000 cars have little downforce so you have to almost throw the car around and get in through each turn (on road courses).”

Even though Veach’s prefers the ovals, it still will be special to race so close to home. Veach expects almost two dozen family members at this race, as well as a number of representatives from his new sponsor The Young Marines. This “home field” feel makes the 2011 Mid-Ohio all the more special to Veach, who places a strong value on family.

To follow Veach’s progress at the Mid-Ohio in Lexington, OH, live timing and scoring is available on www.usf2000timing.com or for more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com or www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

NASCAR invades IMS... but with fewer fans..

NASCAR invades IMS…..but with fewer fans…

The 18th annual Brickyard 400 rolls out this Sunday for 160 laps of Sprint Cup racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR’s first race at IMS took place in 1994 and won was by Indiana boy Jeff Gordon. From 1994 until 2007 the race played to a packed house of over 250,000 fans. The Brickyard 400 also helped finance the Indy Racing League, which split from CART in 1996. Some would say that the Brickyard 400 hurt IndyCar racing because fans could see the stars of NASCAR racing (Stewart, Gordon, and Earnhardt) at the famous 2.5 mile oval, while the stars of IndyCar racing didn’t come back to the 2.5 mile oval until the early 2000’s.

Then came 2008….

The tire debacle of 2008 happened when the NASCAR COT (Car of Tomorrow) literally tore the right rear tires off nearly ever car in the race. Drivers could barley last six laps without tires fading. Cautions were thrown every 10-12 laps and Jimmie Johnson won his second Brickyard 400 under a cloud of controversy.

If you also think back to 2008, it was the first season under unification after a nasty 12 year split in the open-wheel community. The IRL absorbed Champ Car after the 2007 season and IndyCar racing started to put back the pieces of what was left of their sport.

2008 also was the first year of the economy downturn and NASCAR was hit hard. Combined with the economy and the dislike of the COT in Sprint Cup racing, NASCAR started facing issues it hadn’t dealt with in nearly 25 years. Layoffs on all three national series, attendance issues and rating dips, all were non-factors in NASCAR’s massive popularity boom during the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

IndyCar racing, during the split years, went the direct opposite way of NASCAR. The IRL / Champ Car split lasted long enough to cripple open wheel, and in 2008 it barley resembled what it looked like in the early 1990’s.

Now, here we are, July of 2011 and NASCAR and IMS sit at major crossroads. No longer is the Brickyard 400 the highest attended race on the Sprint Cup schedule, which has been the Daytona 500 the last two years. Attendance and T.V. Ratings for the Brickyard 400 the past three years has been as followed:
2008 – 270,000 (5.1)
2009 – 180,000 (4.8)
2010 – 140,000 (4.2)
2011 – expected 100,000 (TBA)

No longer is the Brickyard 400 the anchor event at IMS, that is now reserved for the Indy 500, the way it was prior to the NASCAR invasion in 1994. While INDYCAR is still fighting for respectable T.V. Ratings and attendance everywhere, the Indy 500 appears to be headed back to where it was in the pre-split years. Attendance and T.V. Ratings for the Indy 500 the past years has been as followed:
2008 – 220,000 (4.5)
2009 – 230,000 (4.0)
2010 – 230,000 (3.6)
2011 – 300,000 (4.0)

Of course all attendance figures are estimated and IMS doesn’t release attendance figures for any of its events, so none of those numbers are official.

IMS already had major changes planned for 2012 and its “Super Weekend” for NASCAR. The Brickyard 400 will become the Crown Royal 400, and this will be announced this Thursday at 11:30 A.M. 2012 will also feature the first ever Nationwide (former Busch) Series race at IMS. The Nationwide Race will take place on Saturday and will cap a full-day of action at IMS. Sprint Cup qualifying and practice, Nationwide practice, qualifying and finally race will all take place the day before the Cup race in 2012. Also added to the 2012 slate will be the first ever Grand-Am race on the IMS road course. The expected three hour race will take place on the Friday before the Cup and Nationwide races. IMS crews are expected to work through the night to transition the road course into an oval ready track. But the real question what does this all mean?

Some of the attendance issues at the Brickyard 400 are related to over congestion of NASCAR racing in the mid-west. 18 years ago the only race within 200 miles of IMS was Michigan. Today, Chicago, Kentucky, and Michigan twice all feature Sprint Cup races. Take into account that Nationwide and Trucks race at mid-west tracks as well and you have a market that is full of tracks and races for fans to pick from. Another factor is that IMS is one of the few tracks that you can’t see every turn, combine that with NASCAR racing at IMS features little passing and often strung out follow the leader type racing.

According to reps from IMS, the relationship with NASCAR has never been better, and that was shown when their Sprint Cup points leader, Carl Edwards, and President Mike Helton were present for the 2012 Super Weekend announcement. NASCAR needs IMS now more than ever, that’s a big switch from the early 1990’s when IMS needed NASCAR for the IRL.

The underlying theme this weekend that not many NASCAR media will touch on is that the Indy 500 attendance from 2011 will literally blow the Sprint Cup attendance of the Brickyard 400 out of the water. It’s fair to say that NASCAR premiere race, the Daytona 500, blows the Indy 500 out of the water in terms of T.V. Ratings. It’s also fair to say that IndyCar racing has a long way to go before they even enter the same ballpark at NASCAR in terms of popularity, attendance, and T.V. ratings, but at least now INDYCAR is starting to defend their home turf.

Will Power cuts into Dario's Championship lead

Will Power cuts into Dario’s championship lead

Will Power won his 4th race of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season at Edmonton. Power’s win cuts Dario Franchitti lead down to 38 points with seven races left, four of which are road/street courses, Power’s specialty. Helio Castroneves finished second, his best result of the season. Castroneves now sits 9th in the points championship. Franchitti rounded out the podium with a third place finish. Scott Dixon finished a distance 23rd place after being taken out by KV Racing’s E.J. Viso. Dixon trails his teammate, Franchitti, by over 106 points and unless major breakdowns occur, it is a two driver race for the championship.


Among the other highlights of the Edmonton Race:

Paul Tracy barley completed half a lap after nearly t-boning Graham Rahal. Rahal had a flat tire after Alex Tagliani crashed into the back of his Service Central machine.

Danica Patrick finished 9th , her second best finish on a road/street course this season

Ryan Hunter-Reay appeared to have a car to win, but unsuccessfully passed Takuma Sato and received a drive-through pentaly.

Attendance seemed strong, but according to Curt Cavin, the grandstands only held around 15,000.

Sebastien Bourdais finished 6th for Dale Coyne Racing, the team’s best finish of the season.

Edmonton Race Preview & Predictions

Edmonton Race Preview and Predictions

INDYCAR makes their second trip to Canada this weekend for airport/street race in Edmonton. The IZOD IndyCar Series has lots of drama heading into this weekend’s race and IndyCar Garage breaks down the storylines to watch and predicts who could be in victory lane on Sunday afternoon.

1.Dario vs Power part II

Dario Franchitti captured his fourth victory of the 2011 season at Toronto and increased his championship lead over Will Power to 55 points, but not without plenty of drama. Franchitti spun Power out in Toronto on lap 57, and Power eventually recorded another DNF a short time later when Alex Tagliani made contact with Power’s Verizon car. Power was visually and emotionally upset after the race and his displeasure with Franchitti has hardly faded away. Power has been a master in qualifying this year on road/street courses, capturing every pole on the non-ovals. Can Power capture his 6th pole of the season? Can Power cut into Dario’s championship lead? Keep an eye on the #12 Verizon IndyCar and the #10 Target IndyCar.

2. Edmonton Race layout changes

Edmonton has been modified to a 2.24 mile 13 turn circuit, which will feature three major passing zones and two long straights. (See virtual lap below). The new layout should benefit all drivers as none of the current IZOD IndyCar drivers have driven on this layout, nor do their teams have setup packages for it. Look for lots of passing and contact with double file restarts.



3. Helio’s one year anniversary

A year ago at Edmonton (under the old layout), Helio Castroneves made a late race block on Will Power that allowed Scott Dixon to pass Power. Helio was penalized by race control for blocking and refused to serve his drive-through penalty. Dixon won the race by not even leading a lap. What happened after Helio got out of his car was seen across the nation for several days. Helio went on a rampage that included grabbing INDYCAR’s Charles Burns, who is the head of INDYCAR security. Helio eventually calmed down after Tim Cindric stepped in. Helio was fined 50k by INDYCAR. Helio’s 2011 has been the worst season in his INDYCAR career, no wins, four top 10’s and just one top five. Helio is arguably the second most popular driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series and masterful driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but those factors are hardly overshadowing his struggles in 2011. Helio would love nothing more than to capture his first win of 2011 at the site of his most embarrassing moment of 2010.



4. Rumors around INDYCAR

Several rumors are circulating around the INDYCAR paddock, good and bad. First, Danica Patrick appears to be headed to full-time NASCAR in 2012. Robin Miller of SpeedTV reported last week in his weekly mailbag that Patrick will be full-time Nationwide, part-time Sprint Cup, and one-off Indy 500 participate next season. Miller’s mailbag response was followed up the last few days with ESPN.com NASCAR reporter David Newtown responding to a question in his chat about Danica. The question and answer is below:
Q - Have you heard anything more about Danica's decision? If she comes to NASCAR will she be with JR Motorsports?
A - Still working through details, but she'll be in NASCAR next year, JR Motorsports fulltime in Cup and seven Cup races likely . . . perhaps Stewart-Haas.
Other news and rumblings around the INDYCAR paddock circle around the Las Vegas season ending race. The five million challenge for any non-INDYCAR driver to participate against INDYCAR’s regulars is starting to come into focus. Travis Pastrana, who is a former X-Game star and current part-time Nationwide driver, has publicly said he wants to try IndyCar racing, and INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard has stated he is optimistic that Pastrana could be at the season finale. Sports Car driver Joey Hand, one time INDYCAR winner Airton Dare, NASCAR Cup driver Kasey Kahne, and former INDYCAR Alex Zandari are also among the many names that have been rumored as possibly participates.

5. Predications for Sunday’s race on VERSUS at 2 p.m. EST.

Firestone Fast Six: Will Power, Scott Dixon, Oriol Servia, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves

Indy Lights Winner: Josef Newgarden

IZOD IndyCar Series top three finishers:
1. Oriol Servia
2. Will Power
3. Helio Castroneves

Dallara Building update with Stefano de Ponti

Tyler Carmichael of www.IndyCarGarage.com talked with Stefano de Ponti about the new Dallara building that will build the next generation of INDYCAR's. Watch below:

A virtual lap of Toronto

Toronto Preview & Predications

(Can Will Power repeat as race winner?)

Toronto Preview and Predications

INDYCAR travels north to Canada for the first of two races in July, both being held in the homeland of Alex Tagliani, James Hinchcliffe, and Paul Tracy. Toronto is the 9th round of the championship and signals the halfway point of schedule. IndyCar Garage breaks down the story lines to watch heading into the weekend.

1. Back to the right turns
The Honda Indy Toronto kicks off a stretch of three straight road/street courses and six of the next seven races will be non-ovals. Team Penske driver Will Power couldn’t be happier as his strength and background is non-oval racing. Power currently sits second in the point’s championship and trails leader Dario Franchitti by 20 points. This next stretch of races will have some drivers screaming that they hate road/street courses and others like Power smiling from ear to ear.

2. Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais return
Two long-time rivals will be back on a track that they both have taken the checkered flag at. Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais will return to the IZOD IndyCar Series with Tracy driving for Dragon Racing, and Bourdais back with Dale Coyne Racing. Both drivers are not behind the wheel of power-house teams, but both bring a fierce desire to win and be successful. Bourdais and Tracy are tied for 7th all-time in the INDYCAR record book with 31 wins a piece. Tracy won at Toronto in 1993 and 2003, and if he could win this weekend it would be his third win at a track in as many decades. Bourdais who captured four straight Champ-Car championships, won in 2004 the year of his first championship. Keep an eye on both drivers at they continue their storied INDYCAR careers.

3. A Sunday afternoon time slot that is prime for a good T.V. Rating
Everyone who follows INDYCAR knows that T.V. ratings are struggling, especially on VERSUS. Yes, in due to credit, attendances is up this year and so are A.B.C. ratings, but VERSUS ratings have been low since they started broadcasting INDYCAR races in 2009. Where am I going with this? INDYCAR’s race on Sunday at 2 p.m. will be up broadcast against? Let’s start with NASCAR, Nationwide running on Friday and Sprint Cup Saturday night. How about F1? Their race in Silverstone will be over at 2 EST on Sunday. The best outcome INDYCAR could hope for on Sunday is that somehow VERSUS can pull over a 1.0 T.V. rating for the Toronto race. How did the 2010 race far? It was on ABC and it pulled a .9, which is about what Milwaukee pulled this year as its replacement.

4. Dario eyes history
Dario Franchitti could make history this weekend if he takes the checkered flag after 85 laps. Dario, who currently holds a 20 point in the championship over Will Power, is tied for 9th on the all-time career win list with former Penske driver Rick Mears. Dario, with 29 wins could move into sole possession of 9th with his 30th INDYCAR win this weekend. Dario, who turned 38 in May, accent up the record books should be worth tracking as Al Unser Jr (34), Bobby Unser (35) and AL Unser (39) could be passed if Dario races into his 40’s.
Dario also could be only the second driver in the history of the Toronto race to win in three different decades, as only Michael Andretti, who the race seven times, was the first to accomplish the feat. Dario previously won at Toronto in 1999 and 2009.

5. Canadian flavor
Canadian race fans, traditionally are very passionate and dedicated about racing. Toronto is the first of two races in Canada, with Edmonton two weeks later. Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani, and James Hinchcliffe are all natives of Canada and should have rock-star type following this weekend. As James Hinchcliffe says “ I’ve been going to this race since I was 18 months old, I love this track, and I love that it’s on the schedule.”

6. Randy Bernard Quotes
Randy Bernard spoke to the Canadian media last week and was quoted on several topics most notably that Chicago and California would be on the schedule next year. We know now that California will be back on the schedule in the fall of 2012, Chicago is expected to follow, possibly the weekend after the Indy 500. Bernard also mentioned that a second Brazil race and a race in China are in the works as well. China has been rumored for awhile, and while some fans are unclear or unhappy on the series going global. China reportedly is offering huge sums of money that would help INDYCAR’s bottom line. Rumors also have China wanting to build a track that is a replica to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the track being able to hold 400,000 to 500,000 people.

7. Predications for the weekend

Indy Lights winner – Josef Newgarden

IZOD IndyCar Firestone Fast Six – Will Power , Dario Franchitti, Justin Wilson , Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon

IZOD IndyCar Series top three finishers
1st – Justin Wilson
2nd – Scott Dixon
3rd – Will Power

Former Toronto Indy winners

The IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights travel make their first of two trips into Canada in July this weekend for the Honda Toronto Indy. IndyCar Garage will have coverage throughout the weekend. Today we look at former winners of Toronto racing, dating all the way back to Bobby Unser in 1967.








Year - Winning Driver – Sanctioning body –
*denotes still active and will race this weekend

1967 – Bobby Unser - USAC
1968 – Dan Gurney - USAC
1977 – A.J. Foyt - USAC
1978 – Danny Ongais - USAC
1986 – Bobby Rahal - CART
1987 – Emerson Fittipaldi – CART
1988 – Al Unser Jr – CART
1989 – Michael Andretti – CART
1990 – Al Unser Jr – CART
1991 – Michael Andretti – CART
1992 – Michael Andretti – CART
1993 – Paul Tracy – CART *
1994 – Michael Andretti – CART
1995 – Michael Andretti – CART
1996 – Adrian Fernandez – CART
1997 – Mark Blundell – CART
1998 – Alex Zanardi – CART
1999 – Dario Franchitti *
2000 – Michael Andretti – CART
2001 – Michael Andretti – CART
2002 – Cristiano da Matta – CART
2003 – Paul Tracy – CART *
2004 – Sebastien Bourdais – Champ Car *
2005 – Justin Wilson – Champ Car *
2006 – A.J. Allmendinger – Champ Car
2007 – Will Power – Champ Car *
2009 – Dario Franchitti – INDYCAR *
2010 – Will Power – INDYCAR *

Notes:

Michael Andretti holds the record for most wins with seven.
Five former winners will participate in this weekend’s race.

Randy Bernard on the Vegas season finale

Tyler Carmichael of www.IndyCarGarage.com talked with INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard during the Texas Motor Speedway twin 275's about the 2011 season ending race at Las Vegas.

Dallara building update part 2

In the second part of our trip down main street in Speedway, Indiana, Tyler Carmichael of www.IndyCarGarage.com gives you more views of the developing Dallara building. Watch below:

Dallara building update part 1

In a two part feature, Tyler Carmichael of www.IndyCarGarage.com gives fans an update on the construction of the Dallara building that will build the next generation of IndyCar's.

Watch below:

Marco Andretti wins the Iowa Corn 250

Marco Andretti wins the Iowa Corn 250

Marco Andretti came from 17th position to capture his second career win at the Iowa Corn 250 at Iowa Motor Speedway. Andretti had late race duel with former teammate Tony Kanaan, but managed to hold for the win. Full results below:

Check www.IndyCarGarage.com tomorrow for a full race recap

1 – Marco Andretti
2 – Tony Kaanan
3 – Scott Dixon
4 – J.R. Hildebrand
5 – Dario Franchitti
6 – Ryan Briscoe
7 – Helio Castroneves
8 – Ryan Hunter-Reay
9 – James Hinchcliffe
10 – Danica Patrick
11 – Ed Carpenter
12 – Justin Wilson
13 – Alex Lloyd
14 – Oriol Servia
15 – Graham Rahal
16 – Alex Tagliani
17 – E.J. Viso
18 – Vitor Meira
19 – Takuma Sato
20 – Sebastian Saavedra
21 – Will Power
22 – Charlie Kimbal
23 – Ana Beatriz
24 – Mike Conway
25 – James Jakes

WOW qualifying at Iowa - Sato on Pole & Danica P2

WOW qualifying at Iowa – Sato on Pole & Danica P2

Qualifying Iowa Corn 250 featured several surprises. Among the biggest, Scott Dixon, Charlie Kimbal, and Graham Rahal of Ganassi.

Takumo Sato of KV Racing captured his first career IZOD IndyCar pole and Danica Patrick’s starting position is the best for her in a long long time.

The top five drivers in the championship are scattered all over the field as Dario (P6) and Power (P5) will start next to each other. Oriol Servia will start 11th, Scott Dixon 23rd , and Graham Rahal 20th. The entire field is below.

Starting Lineup for Iowa Corn 250

Row 1: Takuma Sato, Danica Patrick
Row 2: Tony Kanaan, J.R. Hildebrand
Row 3: Will Power, Dario Franchitti
Row 4: James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay
Row 5: Mike Conway, Ryan Briscoe
Row 6: Oriol Servia, Justin Wilson
Row 7: Helio Castroneves, Ed Carpenter
Row 8: Alex Tangliani, Vitor Meira
Row 9: Marco Andretti, Ana Beatriz
Row 10: E.J. Viso, Graham Rahal
Row 11: Charlie Kimbal , Alex Lloyd
Row 12: Scott Dixon , James Jakes
Row 13: Sebastian Saavedra (No time)

Iowa Corn 250 Preview

Iowa Corn 250 Preview

INDYCAR will have three of the series on display this weekend at the Iowa Motor Speedway. Star Mazda, Firestone Indy Lights, and the IZOD IndyCar Series will race on the 7/8 tri-oval track in Newton, Iowa. Tyler Carmichael of IndyCar Garage attended the Iowa race last year, when Tony Kanaan, then of Andretti Autosport, took the checkered flag for his only win of the 2010 season. Tyler breaks down the storylines heading into the weekend.

1. The points championship is back to square one

Will Power of Team Penske and Dario Franchitti of Ganassi both have scored 271 points through seven races. Both drivers have three wins, both driver for super teams, and a budding rivalry is starting between the two. Power qualified on pole at Iowa in 2010 and finished 5th. Franchitti qualified 5th, led 68 laps, but suffered a broken gear box and finished 18th, easily his worst result of 2010. Dario lead practice number one and was one tenth faster (181.403) than Power’s pole speed of a year ago. Dario has two twice at Iowa, 2007 and 2009. The next IndyCar driver in the championship is Oriol Servia, followed by Scott Dixon, and Graham Rahal. Anything can happen in the championship, but 2011 is looking like a two horse race between the two hottest drivers in the series.

2. Iowa Motor Speedway

Iowa Motor Speedway, located in Newton Iowa, is arguably one of the best tracks on the INDYCAR schedule. Iowa Motor Speedway is also the home track of the famous IndyCar blogger Pressdog, and loyal ICG member Linda W.

A short oval with high banking, Iowa provides lots of side by side action and a packed house. Attendance for Saturday’s night IZOD IndyCar race is expected to be a sellout, a far cry from the 13,000 that showed at Milwaukee last weekend. Iowa’s faculity is top notch, with hardly a bad seat in the house. INDYCAR will display the Star Mazda Series, and Firestone Indy Light Series prior to the IZOD IndyCar Series taking the track. 2011 will be the fifth race at Iowa for INDYCAR and with attendance, great racing, and a great facility; Iowa should be a mainstay on the schedule for years to come.

3. Danica’s last chance

Danica Patrick made it very clear at Texas Motor Speedway that she prefers oval racing, not the road and street courses that demand much more driver skill. Danica has finished in the top 10 , three out of the last four races and is coming off her best finish of the season (5th) at Milwaukee. If Danica fans plan to see her victory lane, Iowa offers the best chance. Danica was 4th quickest in practice one.

4. Simona De Silvestro ruled out for this weekend’s race

HVM’s Simona De Silvestro, who has several interviews with IndyCar Garage under the driver interview tab, has been ruled out of Saturday’s race due to concession like symptoms. Simona who suffered through a nasty crash at Indy, and wrecked again in qualifying at Milwaukee started experiencing the symptoms mid-week according to various reports from different media outlets. In Simona’s defense, her team is stuck in neutral with the 2003 chassis nicknamed PorkChop. HVM bought a brand new chassis for this year and it was destroyed at Indy in the turn four crash. Simona is one of the nicest drivers in the paddock, the girl needs a break.

5. Many Decisions coming

INDYCAR wants to make headway with their racing during the season, but many decisions are coming that will impact the series long term and short term. Among the decisions that we can expect INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard to announce within the next month:

The Aero Kit rules for 2012 – will they be allowed or held back for 2013?
The five drivers for the IZOD World Championship race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

6. Predications for the IZOD IndyCar Race at Iowa Motor Speedway.

I am making predications before qualifications (they start in about an hour) this weekend, as to help better my chances. Note: I was spot on with the top three at lap 196 of 225 last week at Milwaukee.

Race Winner: Scott Dixon
Runner up: Ryan Briscoe
Third: Danica Patrick

Note: I don’t know how I am leaving Dario and Power out of the top three, but call it a hunch.
Tune in later tonight for qualification results and tomorrow for your race day coverage.
http://www.indycargarage.com/
Twitter: @IndyCarGarage
Facebook: facebook.com/IndyCarGarage

Milwaukee 225 Race Recap - Live from the Mile

Milwaukee 225 post race recap
INDYCAR had a weekend full of racing at the Milwaukee Mile and Tyler Carmichael of www.IndyCarGarage.com was there to cover all the action.

1. INDYCAR racing at Milwaukee should be a mainstay

After a year off from racing, INDYCAR was the first form of racing to return to the Milwaukee Mile since its financial problems with the promoters. The racing featured over 250 race cars and lots of side by side action. Sunday’s crowd didn’t represent the true Milwaukee race community, as previous racing has shown that The Mile can be a jammed packed place to be for INDYCAR racing. Give some of the blame to the promotions company, give some more to INDYCAR who took on the promotion task, but don’t blame the racing one bit. The racing was outstanding in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Milwaukee should be a mainstay on the schedule for years to come.

2. Dario wins and pulls even with the championship

Dario Franchitti had a dominating race car on Sunday and it showed. Dario led the most laps, and clearly was hooked up throughout the race. Dario captured the two bonus points for leading the most laps and pulled even with Will Power for the IZOD IndyCar Championship. Sunday’s victory for Dario was his third of the 2011 season, moving him into a tie for 9th all-time in the IndyCar record books with IndyCar legend Rick Mears. The win was Dario’s 29th win of IndyCar style racing.

3. Big finishes by different drivers

Graham Rahal 2nd, Oriol Servia 3rd, Danica Patrick 5th, James Hinchcliff 6th, and Justin Wilson at 10th. Those five drivers made up a diverse top ten, and created drama throughout the final laps. Although Dario , Tony Kanaan, and Helio Castroneves led laps, finishes by the drivers listed above gave their teams something to ride home about. Graham continues to move up in the Championship , and media darling Danica Patrick had a good showing on a network TV race.

4. The Indy Lights controversial race

Firestone Indy Lights contested their second oval of the 2011 season, but under a cloud of controversy. On Friday, appartleny Sam Schmidt Motorsports cars #7 & #11 failed tech after qualifying. 15 minutes later, they didn’t fail tech and were allowed to retain their starting positions of 1st and 2nd. Esteban Guerrieri went on to lead every lap of the Indy Lights race, but not before Peter Dempsey pulled into road right before the green flag in protest. According to sources, both Schmidt Lights cars failed tech after the Freedom 100. The word around the Lights paddock this weekend was frustration and confusing as Schmidt cars have failed tech in the past but received no penalties. Look for this story to develop as the word starts to circulate.
5. Predication follow up

In the race preview , I had Helio as the race winner, Tony Kanaan in second and Dario finishing third. As of lap 195 I was in great shape as Helio led, TK was 2nd and Dario was third. TK spun in turn four and my predications were shot. Dario went on to win, Graham Rahal 2nd and Oriol Servia 3rd. Better luck next time.
Coming tomorrow and throughout the week: Driver post race interviews, Andretti Autosport Road To Indy driver interviews and more Randy Bernard interviews from Texas. Check out www.IndyCarGarage.com for all your INDYCAR news and notes.

Milwaukee 225 Preview

Milwaukee 225 Preview
IndyCar Garage is live at the Milwaukee Mile for qualifications and all the action on Sunday. Tyler Carmichael, moderator of www.IndyCarGarage.com breaks down the story lines to watch for this weekend.


1. Ovals get shorter at Milwaukee
INDYCAR had just one oval last year less than one mile, this year they will have three, and it starts this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile. Milwaukee took a one year break from the INDYCAR Schedule, due to financial issues with the promoter. This year, it will feature over 250 race cars and seven races in two days. Milwaukee is a very flat track and as some have described it, a road course type that requires driver skill and not flat out type racing. Marco Andretti about the Milwaukee Mile "The Venom car will start ninth tomorrow and I think we can get the job done from there. This is always a fun race but the track is really tough on equipment because there's no banking. If you get the balance off even a little bit it can hurt you. You really want to start mid-pack or better and make sure you don't go a lap down - the leaders are going to be fast. We're in the ballgame so hopefully we get it right tomorrow and have a strong finish."

2. Dario and Helio take the front row

Superpowers Ganassi and Penske will be represented on the front row with defending series champion Dario Franchitti and Team Penske veteran Helio Castroneves. Franchitti has won twice this year (St.Pete and Texas #1), while Castroneves has struggled to post a solid finish in any of the six INDYCAR races. See the full starting field below

3. Simona De Silverstro crashes in qualifying and is transported to the local hospital.

Fan favorite Simona De Silvestro of HVM Racing crashed in turn four during her two lap qualifying effort. Simona hit the outer portion of the wall and slide into the inside part of the strong straightway. Her car, AKA: Porkchop, is the team’s only car this weekend and is a 2003 Dallara, one of the oldest in the series. The team is trying to repair it for the race tomorrow, but it’s unclear on the status of the car and Simona herself. Simona had a nasty crash at Texas in 2010, Indy in 2011, and has been very mentally challenged since her wreck at Indy. With tomorrow’s race on ABC, and sponsor dollars probably big on the network TV races, don’t be surprised if Simona gets cleared, for her to participate in some form
tomorrow.

4. The third of five races will be televised live on ABC – Prerace at 3:30 EST – Green Flag 4EST
INDYCAR drew an overnight T.V. rating of 1.4 for the opener at St. Pete , and it settled at 1.2. INDYCAR drew an overnight T.V. rating of 4.3 for the Indy 500, and it settled at 4.0. The two races have ABC network T.V. in common. Versus ratings for INDYCAR this year have been down from 2010, but ABC races are up. INDYCAR needs another solid rating of over 1.0 for ROI in sponsors, and creditability as well. INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard is in the middle of contract talks for a new TV deal for 2013 and beyond, and if he wants any leverage, he needs high ratings this season. Bernard was recently quoted in the IndyStar as saying he would like to see at least eight INDYCAR races on network TV in 2013.

5. Attendance for Milwaukee

INDYCAR didn’t race the Milwaukee Mile in 2010 and it will probably show in tomorrow’s attendance. Expect race attendance to anywhere between 20,000 to 25,000. A nice re-start to regaining traction at Milwaukee but not close to the peak of 50,000 back in the early 1990’s. The sad thing is, that the racing is still outstanding at Milwaukee, but the fan base isn’t what it used to be.

6. Starting Grid for tomorrow’s Milwaukee 225
Row 1 – Dario Franchitti , Helio Castroneves
Row 2 – Scott Dixon , Tony Kanaan
Row 3 – Takuma Sato, E.J. Viso
Row 4 – Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ryan Briscoe
Row 5 – Marco Andretti, Oriol Servia
Row 6 – Ana Beatriz, Graham Rahal
Row 7 – Justin Wilson , Alex Lloyd
Row 8 – Danica Patrick, James Hinchcliffe
Row 9 – Will Power , J.R. Hildebrand
Row 10 – Alex Tagliani , Mike Conway
Row 11 – Charlie Kimball , Vitor Meira
Row 12 – James Jakes , Sebastian Saavedra
Row 13 – Ed Carpenter , Simona De Silvestro

7. Predications for the IZOD IndyCar Series race
1st – Helio Castroneves
2nd – Tony Kanaan
3rd – Dario Franchitti

Coming Tomorrow: Driver interviews and complete race day coverage of all four races

Live coverage at the Milwaukee Mile

IndyCar Garage will have live coverage from Milwaukee Mile this weekend.

Tyler Carmichael of www.IndyCarGarage.com will be on site for IZOD IndyCar Series Qualifications and throughout the day on Sunday for coverage of all four races. Tyler will also team with Doug Patterson of www.Openpaddock.net for additional coverage.

Coverage to watch for www.IndyCarGarage.com

Interviews from Andretti Autosport Mazda Road to Indy drivers: Spencer Pigot, Sage Karam, Zach Veach, and Stefan Wilson.

2004 Milwaukee Mile winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is scheduled to give us a race day preview on Sunday.

Coverage and results from the USF2000 , Star Mazda, Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series.

Follow us on Twitter @IndyCarGarage and on Facebook - Facebook.com/IndyCarGarage

Simona De Silvestro previews the Texas twin 275s

Simona De Silvestro talks with IndyCar Garage in the Texas Motor Speedway Club about what the twin 275s will be like and her thoughts on racing at Texas.

Simona De Silvestro Texas Interview part 2

Simona De Silvestro talked with IndyCar Garage at the Texas Motor Speedway prior to the twin 275's in the second part of the interview Simona talks about the future of INDYCAR and the expectations of being a young superstar in the IZOD IndyCar Series

Simona De Silvestro Texas Interview part 1

IndyCar Garage talked with Simona De Silvestro at the Texas Motor Speedway Club about road racing vs oval racing.

Randy Bernard Texas Interview Part 2

INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard talks about who gave him the idea for the Texas Twin format and about keeping a balanced schedule between ovals and road/street courses

Randy Bernard Texas Interview Part 1

INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard talked with IndyCar Garage prior to the Twin 275's. In part one of the interview Randy talks Momentum after the Indy 500 and how IndyCar can turn the page on T.V. Ratings.

Texas INDYCAR Preview

Texas INDYCAR Preview

The IZOD IndyCar Series will saddle up for two 114 lap races at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday Night. IndyCar Garage is live at Texas with coverage throughout the weekend.
Five stories to watch at Texas Motor Speedway

1. Twin races return

The last time INDYCAR had twin races, it was 1981 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Rick Mears swept both. The format of two races in the same night returns to arguably the most exciting track to watch INDYCAR racing. The first 114 lap race will start at 7:45 Central time follow by a one hour half time. During the halftime, a victory lane celebration will be for race winner #1 and then the pre-race stage will be brought back onto the front stretch for the random draw of the starting positions for the second race. Starting with the last-place finisher of race 1 and closing with the race 1 winner, each driver will walk onto stage and spin one of the 30 Firestone tires to reveal their starting position for race #2.

2. Oval Racing is exciting
INDYCAR arguably offers the most excitement and drama when they race on ovals. Texas Motor Speedway offers INDYCAR at 215 mph and allows for two and three wide pack racing. Danica Patrick is a huge fan of ovals, was quoted as “This is IndyCar racing at its best “ when asked about the racing at Texas. Oval racing at Texas also can be very dangerous, just ask Davey Hamilton of Dryer and Reinbold Racing. 10 years ago at Texas, Hamilton was involved in a scary backstretch crash that nearly paralyzed him. Hamilton was scheduled to race last year at Texas, but was unable to participate because of the lack of cars for Dragon Racing. Hamilton will get his chance tomorrow night as he prepares for his second race of the 2011 season and first at Texas since 2001.

3. Dan Wheldon is in Texas but…..

Two time Indy 500 Champion and reigning Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon will be at Texas Motor Speedway for the race on Saturday night but will be in the broadcast booth for VERSUS and not the cockpit. Wheldon, drove for Bryan Herta Autosport in a one off effort for the Indy 500, won on a last lap pass of J.R. Hildebrand, who hit the wall in turn four. Wheldon’s winning car actually is being driven by Wade Cunningham of Sam Schmidt Motorsports for this race, and it’s a 2003 model. Bottom line is that INDYCAR needs its Indy 500 champ in a full-time ride, not in the broadcast booth two weeks after he won the season’s biggest race. Wheldon turned down a one off ride at Texas with KV Racing, and also has offers from NASCAR as well. It’s likely it could be 2012 before fans see Wheldon in an INDYCAR Ride.

4. Alex Tagliani makes it two for two

Alex Tagliani of Sam Schmidt Motorsports captured his second pole of the 2011 season, and his second in a row. Tagliani was the feel good story of the Indy 500 when he started on the pole at Indy for the first time in his career. Tagliani was the only driver over 215 mph, and his teammate Wade Cunningham will start 8th, driving the same car Dan Wheldon took to victory lane two weeks ago at the Indy 500. Hopefully Tagliani can translate his qualifying good luck into a trip into victory lane.

5. Predication's for the race

Texas will have two winners, I get two chances make predication's on who will win the race. Let’s not forget that I predicated Ryan Briscoe would win last year at Texas and he took home his only victory of the 2010 season at Texas last year.

Race one
Winner: Dario Franchitti
Second: Will Power
Third: Marco Andretti

Race Two
Winner: Tony Kanaan
Second: Danica Patrick
Third: Dario Franchitti

Tune in tomorrow for more live coverage from Texas Motor Speedway. IndyCar Garage will have a pre-race interview with Simona De Silverstro and another live IndyCar Garage Weekly at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Check it out and tune in!

Mike Conway previews the Texas twin 275s

Mike Conway of Andretti Autosport talks about the Texas twin 275s

IndyCar Garage talks with Mike Conway about Indy & Oval racing

Mike Conway of Andretti Autosport talked with Tyler Carmichael of IndyCar Garage about the Indy 500 and his return to oval racing.

IndyCar Garage live coverage from Texas Motor Speedway

IndyCar Garage live coverage from Texas Motor Speedway

Tyler Carmichael, moderator of http://www.indycargarage.com/ will have live coverage of the IZOD IndyCar Series at Texas Motor Speedway this coming weekend.
Check out live radio shows of IndyCar Garage Weekly on Friday and Saturday
Interviews are scheduled with Andretti Autosport driver Mike Conway and HVM Racing Simona De Silverstro.
Follow IndyCar Garage on Twitter - @IndyCarGarage and on Facebook at IndyCarGarage

We will also have a live in race chat throughout both 114 lap races and will be your source for all INDYCAR news this weekend.

TUNE IN!

IZOD Hot Wheels Stunt - Pre-race Indy 500

The video below is the Hot Wheels stunt performed in the pre-race activities of the Indy 500. The secret driver of the stunt truck was Tanner Foust. The jump was varfied at 332 feet, smashing the previous jump of 301 feet.

Overnight T.V. ratings up from 2011 Indy 500

Per AndyHall from ESPN the Indianapolis 500 telecast on ABC overnight T.V. Ratings earned a 4.3 , that is up from the 2010 overnight rating of 4.0

Indianapolis lead all national markets with a 14.5 rating. Note, the race was tape delayed in the Indy market.

No word on final ratings, as those probably won't settle until the end of the week.

For the entire 2011 ratings thread for the IZOD IndyCar Series - click on the link below:

http://www.indycargarage.com/forum/topics/2011-tv-ratings-indy-500-now

Indy 500 Preview & Predictions

Indy 500 Preview & Predictions

IndyCar Garage caught up with several drivers that will compete in the 2011 Indy 500, check out all of the Indy 500 interviews at the Indy 500 Interviews tab or click on the link below:

http://www.indycargarage.com/video

IndyCar Garage also is predicting who win the 2011 Indy 500 and round out the top five:

1st Place : Scott Dixon – Ganassi Racing
2nd Place : Oriol Servia – Newman/Haas Racing
3rd Place : JR Hildebrand – Panther Racing
4th Place : Ryan Briscoe – Team Penske
5th Place : Marco Andretti – Andretti Autosport

Give us your Top five for the race on Sunday and follow IndyCarGarage on twitter for updates throughout the weekend!

A.J. Foyt #41 Car for Ryan Hunter-Reay

IndyCar Garage caught a sneak peak of A.J. Foyt's #41 Car for Ryan Hunter-Reay in the 2011 Indy 500.

Recapping the last 72 hours

(Danica's garage after the second rain shower)

Recapping the last 72 hours of INDYCAR

The IZOD IndyCar Series completed its second most important weekend of May 48 hours ago and a lot transpired, IndyCar Garage recaps it all.

1. Alex Tagliani captures the pole

Tagliani, driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports captures the pole in dramatic fashion during the fast nine shootout, easily the biggest story of the day correct? Well , kind of of. Still not in the race are four Andretti Autosport cars, led by the ever so interesting #7 of Danica Patrick and the #26 of Marco Andretti.

2. Simona captures a spot after a horrific crash

Simona De Silverstro, who talked with IndyCar Garage last Wednesday, somehow put her 2003 “PORKCHOP” Dallara in the race, after suffering second degree burns on her hands from a Fast Friday accident in turns 3 and 4. Simona, easily one of the most popular drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series, will compete in her second Indy 500 on Sunday.

3. Good runs for non Penske/Ganassi drivers

Drivers like Jay Howard, Dan Wheldon, Oriol Servia, Bertrand Baguette, Pippa Man and Davey Hamilton all have to happy excited to be involved in the 95th running of the Indy 500. Outside of Servia, these drivers are not full time participates in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Howard , unlucky in his last two attempts to qualify at Indy, will finally get a chance to take the green flag with 32 other cars.

4. Bump Day lives up to the hype

Bump day lived up to the hype that had been building up to it since late April, two rain delays, several big names not in the field, and rumors of Charlie Seen in the garages all were examples of how bump day played out. In the end, Danica was safe, Tracy found a way, Briscoe put the backup in, and four women will start for the second straight year. Drivers like Jakes, Matos, and sebastian Saavedra didn’t surprise many when they couldn’t find the speed, but the entire Dragon program, and the meltdown of Andretti Autosport were hardly forgone conclusions.

5. Bump day spills into Monday

In a business decision, Ryan Hunter-Reay replaces Bruno Junqueira in the #41 A.J. Foyt ABC Supply IndyCar. The decision wasn’t popular with many of the drivers, nor with many fans, but deep down you have to understand the logic behind it. This isn’t the first time it’s happened, nor will it be the last, unless Randy Bernard changes it. Hunter-Reay is an American with big-name sponsors , Junqueira is a one-off driver, but a damn good one for that matter.

Coming Thursday:
Indy 500 Preview and more Indy 500 driver interviews from media day, check it all out at http://www.indycargarage.com/

Live at Bump Day

IndyCar Garage is live at Bump day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Graham Rahal and Ana Beatriz qualified before a quick rain shower passed through. Rahal four lap average was 224.38- and Beatriz speed is 223.879, it will be interesting to see if those speeds hold up

Pippa Man Interview

IndyCar Garage had the chance to talk with Pippa Man of Conquest Racing, check out the interview below

http://www.indycargarage.com/video/pippa-man-interview

Alex Tagliani talks with IndyCar Garage about his new Helment

IndyCar Garage caught up with Sam Schmidt Motorsport driver Alex Tagliani about his new helment design, watch the video below.

Katherine Legge partners with Sam Schmidt Motorsports for possible races in 2011 and in 2012

Katherine Legge partners with Sam Schmidt Motorsports for possible races in 2011 and in preparation for 2012.
IndyCar Garage has the pleasure of talking with Katherine Legge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Katherine announced that she has partnered with Sam Schmidt Motorsports for a package of possible races for 2011 and also a program in 2012.

Check out the link below for the full interview with Katherine.

http://indycargarage.blogspot.com/2011/05/katherine-legge-talks-with-indycar.html


The goal for 2011 is to put her in events that showcase her abilities, preferably on a road/street course, because that is primary background from Champ Car. Katherine has been racing DTM sports car in Germany the past three years, prior to DTM she drove in Champ Car for two years, and she also tested a Formula one car in 2005 for Minardi, which is now team Red Bull.

We could possibly see Katherine at Toronto, Edmonton, or maybe Mid-Ohio, no races are official yet though.



Continue to follow IndyCar Garage for more coverage throughout the Month of May

IndyCar Garage Weekly returns tonight w/guest Stefano De Ponti of Dallara

IndyCar Garage Weekly returns for its 30 minute program of INDYCAR Conversation streamed live on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/IndyCarGarage-Weeky-.

Tyler Carmichael, moderator of IndyCarGarage.com will host and welcome special guest Stefano De Ponti. De Ponti is the executive director of Dallara's U.S. operation. Dallara is currently in the process of building the new INDYCAR Chassis for 2012.

Among the topics that will be covered with De Ponti, include:

Why Dallara choose Speedway, Indiana as their new and only U.S. home

The new 2012 designs that Dallara reveled on Tuesday

The features of the new building that is currently being built.

Tyler will also recap the Rookie Orientation Program that took place today at IMS. Eight rookies are scheduled to participate.

Tune in live at 6EST on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/IndyCarGarage-Weekly--

Open the gates and let the Speed start flowing - ROP / Opening Weekend Preview

Open the gates and let the Speed start flowing – ROP / Opening Weekend Preview

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May 29th, and the preparation officially starts Thursday May 12th. Officially opening day is Saturday May 14th, but Thursday May 12th will mark the first day cars take to the track, with eight rookies expected to complete Rookie Orientation Process. IndyCar Garage tells you what to watch for the first weekend of track activity.

1. Eight Rookies highlight a strong crop of newcomers

Eight rookies will try and complete ROP two days before the track officially opens for practice. Jay Howard, James Hinchcliffe, Charlie Kimball, Pippa Man, Scott Speed, James Jakes, Ho-Pin Tung and J.R. Hildebrand all will take laps at the 2.5 mile oval. Only Jay Howard has completed laps in the current IZOD IndyCar, as he failed to qualify for last year’s race with Sarah Fisher Racing. Rookies that struggle during ROP could be an early indicator of drivers on the hot seat to make the field of 33.

2. The search for speed will be immediate

Over 40 driver/car combos are confirmed, and there could possibly be one more if Sarah Fisher Racing decides to run the #57 entry. 40 represents the highest number of car/driver combos entered for the race since 2002, the year before the current car was introduced. Milka Duno, Paul Tracy, Jay Howard, and Jacque Lazier all failed to qualify on bump day, and this year that list will grow to seven, possibly eight drivers. The current car hasn’t changed much over the last year, so finding every second of speed will be very important for all teams.

3. The Weather can’t be an issue

The weather forecast looks spotty for next week, but there should be enough track time for everyone to figure out the nine year old Dallara. With the condensed, but action packed schedule in year two, (one weekend of qualifications) a big weather front that moves in could drastically impact the rookies and the hype of Pole Day/Bump Day weekend.

4. Pole Speed?

Helio hit 227 during the fast 9 shootout last year, could we see 228 or higher this year? It would be cool to see 230, but I just don’t think we’ll see much past 227 or tops 228. I am sure some of the cars will pull some high numbers in ideal temperatures and with a toe, we could possibly see 229, but for pole speed.,Expect about what we saw last year.

5. Several new livery’s will debut

With the expanded entry list of 40 car/driver combos, several cars will be sporting different looking rides. Helio Castroneves will the Shell designed car, Ryan Briscoe will be back with the IZOD car, Bruno Junqueira will carry the orange coyote colors from A.J. Foyt’s 1977 winning car, Tomas Sheckter will show off the Redline Extreme colors, Scott Speed will bring back Fuzzys Vodka on his Dragon Racing car, and Ed Carpenter will show off Dollar General for the first time in 2011. Find a spotter guide when you get to the track!

VOTE for IndyCar Garage to participate in the VIRTUAL INDY 500

VOTE for IndyCar Garage to participate in the VIRTUAL INDY 500

IndyCar Garage is now featured on http://www.indycar.com/ as part of their official blog series in preparing motorsport writers for the Virtual Indy 500. IndyCar Garage wants your vote to participate was one of the ten motorsport writers who will participate in a Virtual Indy 500 on Carb day, May 27th.

All you have to do is go to the link below and check out the information on the site.

http://blog.indycar.com/2011/05/09/should-indycar-garage-rep-for-fans-at-the-virtual-indy-500/

Scott Speed comes to INDYCAR for Indy 500

Scott Speed is ready to make his INDYCAR debut next week at rookie testing for the 2011 Indy 500.

Read the link below from Speedtv.com

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-scott-speed-set-for-indy-debut-with-dragon/

Then go ahead and read the Blog that IndyCar Garage wrote back in the summer of 2009 about the top ten drivers not in IndyCar racing.

Posted: June 11th, 2009

IndyCar Garage breaks down ten drivers that aren’t driving in the IndyCar Series and what their impact would have done or could do to the IndyCar series. This includes drivers that have raced partial schedules in years past or in the present season.

IndyCar Garage continues it’s countdown of the top ten drivers not currently driving full-time in the IndyCar Series with driver # 7
SCOTT SPEED – AMERICAN – AGE 26 – Chances of Joining the ICS = 25%

Scott Speed began karting at the age of 10 in 1993 and remained in that role until his 18th birthday in 2001. At the age of 18 he began a four year journey toward Formula 1 by moving up through their development series. At just the age of 22, Scott Speed became the first American driver since Michael Andretti to drive a F1 car as a test driver for Red Bull Racing. In 2006 Toro Rosso was created through Red Bull Racing and gave Speed a full time ride in the Formula 1 series. Speed would have a less than spectator two years in F1 as he would struggle to find the top ten in any capacity. Speed’s best finish was ninth at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2007. After his departure from F1 in mid 2007, he immetidaley started driving in the ARCA RE/MAX series for Eddie Sharp Racing. His success for Eddie Sharp Racing lead to ride with Bill Davis Racing in the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series. He now competes full time as a Sprint Cup Driver and has found moderate success as a full-time rookie.

Speed is the type of driver that should have joined the IndyCar series developmental series in 2001 after he turned 18 and been a full time driver by his early 20’s, similar to the route of Marco Andretti. Instead, in 2001 the split was in full-force and allowed Speed to progress through the F1 minor leagues and eventually have an unsuccessful attempt in F1. It should be noted that in 2004 he tested for the Red Bull Cheever Racing team in the Indy Racing League, but nothing else came of it.

When Speed’s F1 career hit the rocks, where else would you take your sponsorship, well of course NASCAR. The bottom line with Speed is that he is a young American driver with talent, and he really never had a good opportunity to join the IndyCar series. Don’t count out Speed to be in the IndyCar series at some point. Speed’s career is still very young and if the NASCAR thing doesn’t pan out, you possibly could see him back in a IndyCar

Power wins at Brazil, re-takes championship lead by 14 points

Power wins at Brazil, re-takes championship lead by 14 points

Team Penske Road Course ace Will Power captured his second win of the 2011 season and repeated his feat from the inaugural Sao Paolo race in 2010. The race was shortened due to weather and postponed from it’s original time on Sunday May 1st. Graham Rahal captured his first podium of the 2011 season with a second place finish, and Ryan Briscoe was third. Rahal currently sits 9th in the championship standings while Briscoe is 5th.

The race was televised live on VERSUS at 8:05 EST and featured a wet track that produced lots of spin offs and passing. Takuma Sato of KV Racing overtook Power on the second restart, and led several laps. When a caution from a Dario Franchitti spin, brought several leaders into the pits, Sato, along with Marco Andretti, and E.J. Viso choose not to pits. Viso quickly got around Andretti and gave KV Racing their first 1-2 combo of the entire year, but it was short lived. Viso was penalized by INDYCAR blocking and received a black flag, forcing him to the tail end of the lead lap. Sato would eventually pit for fuel and Andretti would suffer electrical issues that would force him to pit as well. Power took the lead and held on to win in the time shortened race. Graham Rahal was second, easily his best finish since winning at St. Pete in 2008. Ryan Briscoe backed up his second place effort at Long Beach, with a third place finish.
Full results are below:

1. (1) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
2. (5) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
3. (4) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
4. (6) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
5. (16) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
6. (9) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
7. (8) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
8. (10) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
9. (11) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
10. (22) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
11. (23) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
12. (3) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
13. (26) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
4. (15) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
15. (24) James Jakes, Dallara-Honda, 55, Running
16. (18) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 54, Running
17. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 53, Running
18. (2) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 50, Running
19. (20) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 48, Running
20. (13) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 46, Running
21. (7) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 46, Running
22. (21) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 46, Running
23. (17) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 46, Running
24. (25) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 31, Mechanical
25. (19) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 28, Contact
26. (12) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Honda, 20, Contact

Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 67.442
Time of Race: 02:04:05.2964
Margin of victory: 4.6723 seconds
Cautions: 6 for 21 laps
Lead changes: 2 among 3 drivers
Lap Leaders: Power 1 - 25, Sato 26-48, Power 49-55
Point Standings: Power 168, Franchitti 154, Servia 110, Conway 102, Briscoe 101, Kanaan 99, Tagliani 85, Dixon 84, Rahal 82, Sato 80.

What to watch for at Brazil

What to watch for at Brazil

The IZOD IndyCar Series enters round four of their 2011 season, traveling to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle. In 2010, this race was the season opener, it was a very exciting race, with many overtaking opportunities, 2011 looks to be just as good. The race will be televised live on VERSUS , with coverage starting at Noon EST. IndyCar Garage gives you five things to watch for heading into Brazil.

1. Will Power and everyone else
Power has started on pole for every race of 2011 and won the 2010 Brazil race with a late pass of Ryan Hunter-Reay. Power dominance early in 2011 has made him a near lock to repeat as the Mario Andretti Road-Course Champion, and even stronger effort to capture his first championship. Unless Power gets punted again by his teammate Helio Castroneves, he will be
around at the end, probably on the podium.

2. The best road/street course to pass on.
Brazil offers the longest stretch of IndyCar racing on the entire schedule, over a mile straightway awaits after turn 10, and heading into turn 11 many drivers are offered the best passing zone on the track, as Ryan Hunter-Reay found out in 2010 while running in P1.

"The circuit in Sao Paulo will be challenging. They've really repaved a lot of it and done away with some curbs. It was new last year and I think it will be pretty new again this year. It's going to keep us on our toes, being that it is a two-day weekend - practice, practice, qualify, race. It's going to happen quick and we're going to have to adapt" said Ryan Hunter-Reay .

3. Heading back home for several drivers
Five IZOD IndyCar drivers are natives of Brazil, including Helio Castroneves, Vitor Meira, Raphael Matos, Ana Beatriz, and fan favorite Tony Kanaan. Meira took home his only podium of 2010, with a third place finish, and Matos captured 4th while driving for then Deferran-Dragon Racing. Tony Kanaan is the highest of the five in the championship, as he trails only leader Dario Franchitti and second place Will Power. Watch on Sunday as the expected capacity crowd of over 50,000 cheers for their native drivers.

4. Second chance for Marco Andretti
The 2010 season started horribly for Marco Andretti, "Last year's incident took me out of the race way too early. I was disappointed I didn't get to do more in Brazil so I'm looking forward to going back. I think the Venom car and the team as a whole should be strong this weekend. We've made some big gains on street courses and the cars are starting to feel good on these types of circuits." Marco needs a strong finish to makeup for his mistake at Long Beach when he took out himself and Sebastien Bourdais in the pits, and also to get back in the championship hunt. Good news for Andretti is that Mario Moraes will not be in a IndyCar at Brazil.


5. A fourth different winner?
The IZOD IndyCar Series has had three races with three different winners, two of those, Franchitti and Power were to be expected, but the third, Mike Conway was a huge surprise two weeks ago at Long Beach. Will there be another shocking winner? Or will it be another Penske/Ganassi car visiting victory lane? Read below to see IndyCar Garage’s predications for the Fast Six and the top three finishers.

Race Predications for Sunday:
Firestone Fast Six: Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon, Justin Wilson, Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti

Podium: 1st Ryan Hunter-Reay , 2nd Tony Kanaan, 3rd, Helio Castroneves

Mazda Road to Indy: The US F2000 Oval Clinic

A lot of young drivers coming to race open-wheel cars here in the United States often underestimate the challenges of oval-track racing. Its a mistake that a lot of fans make as well frequently chanting the mantra, "Go fast, turn left, go fast, turn left..." As those of us who have followed Indy car racing over the years, there's a heck of a lot more to being successful on an oval that "go fast, turn left." As a fan, that lack of respect for ovals just results in one looking silly, but as a racer, it can result in career-ending meeting with the wall. One the biggest strengths of the Mazda Road to Indy system is that oval racing is a part of each rung of the ladder.

"The USF2000 series has prepared hundreds of drivers to advance in their careers over the past 17 years and many have climbed the ladder to the top rung of the IZOD IndyCar Series. One of our main goals is to provide complete training on all types of circuits to enable our drivers to achieve positive results as they climb today’s Mazda Road to Indy ladder. This oval clinic is an integral part of that plan. Our instructors are all experienced professionals on ovals, and some came up through the USF2000 ladder on their way to the top. The clinic will provide significant assistance to drivers and we are proud to present it for the first time." -- Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions

Drivers in the program are running ovals right from the start in the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda along with the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear beginning on the Saturday night before the Indianapolis 500 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis (*sigh*), a tricky 5/8-mile oval on the Northwest side of Indianapolis. The Firestone Indy Lights drivers face an even tougher challenge with their first oval of the season being the extremely challenging Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Always in the past, drivers new to the challenges of oval racing only had the advice of their teams or perhaps the occasional interaction with the official league driving coaches. By no means do I mean to slight the great driving coaches INDYCAR has made available, but you're not getting the intense one-on-one coaching for days on end that some of these young drivers need.

Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions which promotes the US F2000 National Championship, has created an Oval Clinic to take place at the Indianapolis Motor speedway on May 6th to give drivers new, or minimally experienced, to oval racing an intense tutorial with advice and wisdom from some seriously successful oval-track racers. The instructors for the clinic include Indianapolis 500 Mile Race winners Dan Wheldon and Al Unser, Jr., Johnny Unser, and 1998 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Steve Knapp. That's a pretty talent-laden line-up for the young up and coming drivers to tap, and in Wheldon's case, someone who been where these young drivers are now having never raced an oval before.

"When I first started with USF2000 in 1999, ovals were not only new in terms of driving but I had never seen one before. It is difficult when you come over from Europe. You underestimate the challenge of oval racing. It is not a lack of respect; it is just difficult to understand. USF2000 provided experienced drivers to help people like me utilize their knowledge and make the transition. It was a great learning experience. You need to have this type of input and be a sponge to learn all you can. USF2000 worked incredibly well for me and I am very happy to participate in the oval clinic to help up-and-coming drivers in the same way I was guided at the start of my career." -- Dan Wheldon, 2005 Indianpolis 500 Mile Race Winner

Will this help? Well, it certainly couldn't hurt! Also, the clinic attendees from US F2000 and Star Mazda will be able to apply their lessons the very next day on May 7th at the Lucas Oil Raceway. If you're going to be in town for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, I'd encourage you to make it out to Carburetion Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday to see the Firestone Freedom 100, and to Lucas Oil Raceway on Saturday night to see the US F2000, Star Mazda, and USAC Midget racers for the Night Before the 500. You won't be disappointed, and these young racers deserve our support.

Doug Patterson is the Mazda Road to Indy Editor and Chief Photographer at www.openpaddock.net and a long time member of the www.IndyCarGarage.com

Find him here at ICG as

http://www.indycargarage.com/profile/xorpheous

And on twitter www.twitter.com/xorpheous