Dixon on Oval Testing

Last week at Fort Worth Texas.Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe enjoyed their first superspeedway oval trial with INDYCAR’s universal aero kit in a Honda manufacturer test at Texas Motor Speedway.

Dixon (above) drove the Chip Ganassi Racing car while Hinchcliffe – officially re-signed last week to a multiyear extension – was in the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry, with Honda officials closely monitoring the session on the manufacturer test day in preparation for the 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series season. Other Honda-supplied teams also had a representative on hand to watch the testing on the 1.5-mile oval.

“Today, we’re learning everything,” said Hinchcliffe, who finished second to Graham Rahal in the 2016 race at Texas Motor Speedway by 0.008 of a second, the closest finish in track history. “The kit obviously is brand new and a lot of different elements and components to it. This is our first chance as teams to take a first crack at it on a speedway. I think Scott and I were pretty impressed with it right out of the box. It does all the things that a race car should do and not a whole lot of the things that a race car shouldn’t do, which unfortunately has been something we’ve dealt with the past couple years with the (previous) aero kit. So excited to finally get some miles on it and just keep learning.”

In addition to testing for Honda, Dixon and Hinchcliffe also assisted sanctioning body INDYCAR in determining proper downforce levels to run in the 2018 race at Texas Motor Speedway. “That’s part of what we’re trying to do here today for INDYCAR,” said Hinchcliffe. “The one characteristic that I don’t think there’s much you can do about – and it can be a very good thing – is the car does seem to close up on the car it’s following much faster than the old car. There were times here, there were times at Pocono, times at Indy where you felt you just needed that last little bit of speed and you were having to pop out very late to make moves. I don’t think that is going to be an issue with this car. It seems to punch a big enough hole (in the air) and catch up to the car in front pretty well. So if we can balance that out with the mid-corner grip and mid-corner speeds, hopefully we can avoid getting into any kind of group situation that is not desired.  It’s a bit early to tell what it’s going to be like, but I think we’ll get it sorted.”

Dixon, the four-time Verizon INDYCAR Series champion who will be entering his 18th Indy car season in 2018, pointed out the differences in the new kit’s car performance compared to the aero kit used the past three seasons developed by Honda and Chevrolet. “It’s just a just a lot less grip,” said Dixon. “You’ve got to brake earlier. The car doesn’t roll the speed as fast through the corner. The power down is not as good, but you’re going down the straights faster, too. It’s a fair amount less drag. I think that some of the tracks we’re seeing an increase of about 10 mph top speed on road courses, and even today the speeds are creeping up pretty quickly compared to the last car. For me, I think it’s a welcomed adjustment. Being a universal kit is one thing that I definitely look forward to and then, secondly, the car being generally more difficult to drive is one thing that is, for me, a good thing as well.”

Manufacturer testing continues through the end of the calendar year, with team testing commencing in January. The first series-wide official test is scheduled for Feb. 9-10 at Phoenix Raceway. The 2018 Verizon INDYCAR Series season opens with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, from March 9-11

Media Information via IndyCar Media Services.

More on the 2018 IndyCar Look

The new look 2018 Indy Car style and the above reflects the Super Speedway set up.

This shot reflects the road course and shot oval configuration.

While this shot above shows it in the full Super Speedway mode.

Another shot above showing again the road course shot oval set up.

Then the Super Speedway set up.

A side full on the short oval road course look.

While again the super speedway look.

Finally the front end look in road course short oval spec.

Then finally the Super Speedway front end.

It all looks like a great redesign of the car and roll on 2018.


Photos supplied from IndyCar Media.

Alonso, Phoenix and Dixon

Alonso, Dixon Phoenix and More.

After spending the last week in Las Vegas at a Television Expo and Conference (my real job) what better thing to do than jump in the car and shoot over to Phoenix for two days it’s only a short little drive just a few hours so easy.

Worth it? Heck yes. This great one-mile dogleg oval in the desert is demanding interesting scary and cool all wrapped up into one that’s for sure. Even the pit lane for the IndyCars stretches along the main straightaway and into turn one so some teams are even pitting on a curve. Now that requires focus from the driver that’s for sure. More on that soon.

News surrounding the 101^st Indy 500 seems to be all focused around one thing ‘Alonso’ and anything about him. News from a very good source is that at the Honda simulator test he did last week before heading back to Europe for this weekends Russian F1 Grand Prix he was on it. Not in a little way either he was straight into his work and started really turning good times and positive feedback to everyone at Honda. Naturally of course come May 3rd and his private test at the speedway it might be a different ball game but the gut feeling is this guy could be on the verge of something very special indeed. I watched him last week at Alabama and his associated press conferences and I have never seen him so relaxed, so free to talk and meet the fans and that can only mean one thing to me, take note everyone this guy is here to turn heads and win a race that’s for sure.

Recently in the US Media he commented how amazed he is from the fan base in the US. He spoke of his F1 trips here where hardly anyone knew who he was, while this trip during a flight delay at a New York airport he had masses of people come up and wish him the best and complement him on the road ahead. Such a different thing for him. He is in for many different things in the coming weeks the U.S. media do things different to F1, the fans are different as well and above all the series is different but its one he is welcomed to and one he seems to be very happy with and so very relaxed about the job in hand. It all bodes well for a great showing at Indy that’s for sure. The pressure will really be on for the Andretti Autosport team as the prepare a total of six cars for the 500 that’s a massive undertaking at any time but now with the world watching on around this one driver the task will be no mean feet for the team to cope with along with looking after its regular drivers and the additional fifth car for Jack Harvey which was always planned for.

Now to Phoenix and Dixon the defending winner here and he is firmly after his first win for season 2017. On the podium every race this season but not the top step (yet) but this is a great start for him in the quest for another championship. Clearly the number one at Ganassi as well when you judge it on pure performance over his teammates in my view.

Friday saw a new twist in the Indy Car series a single two-hour practice session and then a two-hour break and then straight into qualifying.

Practice was mid afternoon and it was hot very hot and several dust storms halted the running at times as the wind built but Dixon was strong in this session and rounded out the afternoon in the sixth spot but it was last weekends race winner Newgarden that topped the afternoon timesheets.

Come qualifying and the evening cooled rapidly as the teams lined up for the single car dash. It was Helio Castroneves that simply stunned every one taking pole position "People don't realize that qualifying is extremely difficult. I took it to the limit - I had one eye closed and one eye open. Experience is a big part of this and today was really, really good. The conditions were really difficult today in practice - the gusting winds were horrendous. We worked mostly on the race setup (in practice). My engineer did a phenomenal job and obviously everybody at Team Penske - the REV Group car was really fast. Qualifying is one thing - the race is another - but I'm really confident going into tomorrow."

As for Dixon they slightly miss read how cool it was going to get and he lines up in the eight spot for the race "The ambient conditions changed a lot from practice to qualifying. We found a lot and learned that we were a bit too conservative in qualifying. We came up a little short and we know we can trim out a bit more for the race in the NTT Data No. 9. It was a little bit too easy which means we have room to go faster which is good for the race tomorrow."

Race day dawned another typical day for the area and was in the upper 20s temperature wise. 4pm saw the 100 lap race for the USAC Silver Crown Cars featuring regular visitor to the New Zealand Speedway scene Jerry Coons Jr, he was to finish the race 5^th “The big thing obviously is the change in the back straightaway. When we first started running it, we were kind of used to being really flat. You could run flat-footed through the dog leg and then back up out of it. In first practice with a full load of fuel you could flat-foot it through there, but in practice it was a little bit hairy trying to run through it flat-footed. Our car got a little bit light coming out of it, so that was probably the biggest change, just having to kind of breathe it though there.”

Bobby Santos took the win in a great last 12-lap battle amongst the top 4 cars. It was awesome to see Silver Crown cars return to the track and the history they have with this track and the return of growth to the USAC pavement series.

As the skies darked and the sun set it was time to get into the 250-lap IndyCar race and the fourth of the season for the series. Just as it had the night before as the sun went down the temperature went with it.

It was to become the story of the bright yellow car of Pagenaud that claimed this one and control the race from a pitstop that fell at just the right time. New Zealand’s Scott Dixon battled hard all race and become the “best in class” as he called it becoming the first Honda powered car home in 5^th but the big thing for Dixon fans is the points haul and the fact only Dixon and Pagenuad are to have top five finishes in every race this season. One can kinda sense where this might be heading even now.

So it was the reigning series champion Pagenaud who drove away from the field in the final half of the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix taking the race win by 9.1028 seconds over teammate Will Power and assuming the points lead after four races of the 2017 season. 

He collected his 10th win of his IndyCar career and led a Chevy sweep of the top four positions on the 1.022-mile oval that has hosted 63 Indy car races dating to 1964. It was also win No. 450 for Team Penske in all racing competitions and its 100th on Indy car ovals.

"I can't explain how excited I am," Pagenaud said. "Ovals are not my specialty - I grew up in Europe racing go-karts. I learned about ovals when I was 26 years old so I had to learn the skill and the technique that I didn't know. 

"Man, this is incredible. What a win!"

Pagenaud really took control midway through the 250-lap race, running longer while other frontrunners had to stop for fuel and tires. Pagenaud pitted on Lap 140 with a one-lap advantage on the field under a caution period caused when Takuma Sato's car made contact with the Turn 4 barrier. Pagenaud returned to the track in first place and led the final 114 laps. It certainly is a track that did not provide a lot of passing that’s for sure and there was a lot of talk about the drivers saying let us have more power and less down force here and force us to race harder and pass. Running the road course spec aero on this little oval proved that the grip was there but sadly the passing wasn’t.

Team Penske's four drivers led all 250 laps, the first time a team has paced every lap in a race since Team Penske did the same thing in the first race of Belle Isle doubleheader last year. Power led 59 laps in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet before finishing second. "It was good night considering where we've finished the last few races," said Power, whose best result this season prior to tonight was 13th. "I'm happy to finish second and get some points."

Pole sitter Helio Castroneves led 73 laps in the No. 3 REV Group Team Penske Chevy and finished fourth. Josef Newgarden, the winner of last week's Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, led two laps in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevy and ran up front most of the night until contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay forced an unscheduled pit stop and Newgarden finished ninth.

JR Hildebrand finished third in the No. 21 Fuzzy's Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet the best result for Hildebrand since his memorable runner-up finish in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 when he crashed while leading on the final lap. Hildebrand was pleased with the nights showing after he sat out last week's race at Barber Motorsports Park while a broken bone in his left hand mended from an April 9 crash in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. "The car was just awesome all day," Hildebrand said. "Excited to get the result for the team, for sure. The car was bitchin'. I think at the end of the race we had obviously one of the top three, but I think we might have had the best car on the track."

Pagenaud now holds an 18-point advantage in the championship over Scott Dixon, who moved up to second in the points table. Newgarden sits third in the standings, 26 points out of first place.

After the race Dixon said "Obviously, it was a tough night for the No. 9 NTT Data car, and all the Honda entries I think. Chevy had a leg up on us here and they showed that tonight. We tried to keep our nose clean but just didn't have anything for them tonight. Hopefully we can get some momentum back at the Grand Prix of Indy next month."

Sebastien Bourdais of Dale Coyne Racing, who led the points entering the night, was caught in a five-car incident on the opening lap when Mikhail Aleshin spun and collected the cars of Bourdais, Marco Andretti, Max Chilton and Graham Rahal in Turn 2. No drivers were injured. Bourdais finished 19th and dropped to fourth in the standings.

The Verizon IndyCar Series heads to an open test on Tuesday at Gateway Motorsports Park, where the series will race under the lights on Aug. 26^th so busy times ahead as the month of May kicks off.

The season is now and truly alive and kicking and now we will see who is strong and can cope and who gets lost along the way.

Phoenix great track that’s for sure just needed some passing added to the mix but as for the venue a gem in the sand that’s for sure.

Photos all David Turner Phoenix  2017

IndyCar the next generation and the 101st 500.

INDYCAR unveils exciting images of 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series car design.

Announced in  Indianapolis on Wednesday 29th March the exciting latest pics of the design of the car to be used in Verizon IndyCar Series competition in 2018 is coming more into focus.

INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the premier North American open-wheel racing series, released new images today of the universal aerodynamic bodywork kit that will be used by all competitors in 2018. Following along with this year's INDYCAR theme of "NEXT," the computer-generated images are the next evolution of the car's development process and provide more detail than concept sketches released in January.

"While this remains a work in progress, we are encouraged with where the development of the 2018 car stands," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations. "The look of the car is bold, the performance data from simulations is meeting targeted goals and safety enhancements built into the design will be substantial."

Frye said INDYCAR is on target to begin testing the car by mid-summer. Verizon IndyCar Series teams will still choose between Chevrolet and Honda engines for competition next season, but all cars will be outfitted with the universal kit that covers the Dallara IR-12 chassis that has been used since the 2012 season. As with the current aero kits provided by Chevrolet and Honda through the end of this season, the universal car will come in two configurations: one for superspeedway ovals and the other for street courses, road courses and short ovals. 

The supplier of the universal kit has yet to be announced, but its look is sleek and reminiscent of past Indy car favorites. Tino Belli, INDYCAR director of aerodynamic development, said the kit has been successfully reverse-designed to start with its desired appearance and build in functionality from there.

"We've been working on the aerodynamics to suit the look, rather than the other way around," Belli said.

A key component of the new car is for it to generate most of its downforce from underneath instead of on top. This will improve racing and passing opportunities by decreasing the turbulent air that the Indy car leaves in its wake.

"We're working on creating more of the downforce from the underwing," Belli said. "The hole in the floor (of the undertray on this year's car) will be sealed for the road courses and short ovals, but will still be open for the superspeedways."

Belli added that simulations show the new car meets INDYCAR's aerodynamic targets and additional safety enhancements include side impact structures in the sidepods and repositioned radiators to assist in reducing the severity of side impacts by crushing on impact.

Other noticeable features in the new car images include a lower engine cover that provides "a more traditional Indy car look," according to Belli. Turbocharger inlets are moving to the inside of the radiator inlet ducts.

The rear wing and front wing main plane are smaller in the new car look and the centerline wicker from the nose of the car to the cockpit is tapered. The rear wing in the road course/short oval configuration is lower and wider. The fins on the leading edge of the sidepods of the current car will be removed or minimized on the 2018 car.

Though there is still work to be done, Belli feels that INDYCAR has achieved "97 percent" of its goals when it set out to create the new car's look and efficiency.

Things certainly seem to be progressing and in a great way as well. Its sure to be a very exciting 12 months as we await the new design.

Expected Entires for the 101st Indy 500.

                                                           Pre race at Indy May 2016.

The field for May's 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 just got a little bigger. 

On Tuesday this week, Dale Coyne Racing announced that is bringing back Pippa Mann for the fifth straight year.

Mann's addition brings the unofficial car count for the 500 to 28 and there will be more to follow.

Remember, some teams are expected to add more cars -- and other teams could join the fray -- but here's where things stand as of Tuesday, March 28.

Team Penske will have a massive FIVE entrants: Juan Montoya, Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud.

Chip Ganassi Racing will have its series four entrants: Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.

Andretti Autosport will have four entrants: Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato and Alexander Rossi. I wonder if that may become five with drivers such as Townsend Bell  to join in as he has the past few years.

Ed Carpenter Racing will have two entrants: Ed Carpenter and J.R. Hildebrand.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports will have three entrants: James Hinchcliffe, Mikhail Aleshin and Jay Howard (sponsored by Tony Stewart Foundation).

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will have two entrants: Graham Rahal and Oriol Servia.

Dale Coyne Racing will have three entrants: Sebastian Bourdais, Ed Jones and Pippa Mann.

A.J. Foyt Racing with have two entrants:Carlos Munoz and Conor Daly. Could this increase to the three they have run in  the past few years by adding Alex Tagliani in recent times?

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will have one entrant: Sage Karam.

Juncos Racing will have one entrant (confirmed, but could still be two in the ex KV cars) with a driver to be named .

Stefan Wilson will also compete in the Indy500, but he has yet to declare a team.

Its shaping up and the 101st will be equal to any other 500 -- why because simply this its the Indy 500!

IndyCar Media Release ex Indy Car Media Services  and Indy 500 Entry as currently know and Photo ex the 100th indy 500 and the David Turner Collection

The Wilshaw Project.

As I mentioned in the closing section of my book The Mystique of Indy - The Brickyard, many things were centred around the Project 100 scheme and the redevelopment of the Speedway area not only for the 2016 running of the 100th Indy 500 but also the future of the area and the next 100 years of life at the Speedway.

Here is an update on one of the things I mentioned the Wilshaw project which is coming to Speedway in 2018. 

Momentum toward an April groundbreaking on a $37 million mixed-use development in Speedway could slow, should a group of neighboring business owners on Main Street prevail in seeking a timeout. A pair of Indianapolis developers are planning a 140-key hotel, about 90 apartments and condominiums, and retail space at the north end of Main Street called the Wilshaw project. 

Next month the Town Council and the Speedway Redevelopment Commission will cast final votes on financial incentives, but not before shopkeepers plead for a solution for what they view as a major problem waiting to happen: a parking fiasco.

The project, planned along Main Street and thoroughfare Crawfordsville Road near Indianapolis Motor Speedway, initially excited nearby business owners, said Marie Hall, owner of Three Sisters and A Trunk. Then plans for the development's parking garage changed. “I do not want to stop progress,” Hall said. “I love what they are doing in Speedway. But they need to do it right.”

Three Sisters and A Trunk owner Marie Hall worries about the impact on available parking for her customers once a $37 million development nearby is built.  

An early pitch for the project called for a $10 million parking garage with 500 spaces. The proposal suggested that the garage would be built first, to accommodate both construction workers and shopkeepers' customers during construction of the rest of the project.

But plans changed. The size of the proposed parking garage was reduced by half. "Anything that's pitched is not a deal," said Tim Jensen, a consultant for the Speedway Redevelopment Commission. The town and the developers — Scannell Properties and Loftus Robinson, which is behind the $30 million Switch mixed-use project in Fishers and the J.F. Wild Building in Indianapolis — halved the size of the parking garage to reduce costs, Jensen said.

The town plans to issue bonds to pay for the parking garage. The bonds would be paid back through a tax-increment financing district. Developers now also want to build the garage at the same time as the rest of the project to save money. Both changes have Hall and other business owners on edge. An existing parking lot would be eliminated to make way for the development, and shopkeepers fear construction workers would gobble up other available parking in the area. A petition is circulating that calls for the town to pause on the project until a better resolution to the parking situation is found.

“If they don’t address the parking, then we’ll all just die a slow death,” said Chris Hill, owner of the Dawson’s on Main restaurant, which is just south of the proposed development. The Speedway Redevelopment Commission has formed a parking committee to look for solutions. Hall, a member of the committee, is asking the town to delay construction until the commission has come up with a plan.

“If they don’t address the parking, then we’ll all just die a slow death,” says Chris Hill, owner of the Dawson’s on Main restaurant.  

The town has suggested that employees of affected businesses use a parking lot owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the other side of the roundabout on Crawfordsville Road, which would free up parking spaces near the businesses for customers. Sidewalks around the roundabout provide access to all sides. The town also is looking at additional ways to slow traffic in the area to increase safety for pedestrians crossing Crawfordsville Road. The lot is about a half-mile from most businesses on the north end of Main Street, and Hill remains concerned about safety, inclement weather and convenience. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if you can’t find parking, you aren’t going to come,” Hill said.

Another proposal calls for the Speedway Redevelopment Commission to lease parking spaces from other private lot owners. Jensen and Vince Noblet, president of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission, will discuss possible parking solutions Jan. 17 at the commission's 6 p.m. meeting at Speedway Town Hall, 1450 N. Lynhurst Drive.

Lets just hope there is plans to create a common sense approach here now and keep all this alive and progressing as its amazing to see the area change and yet retain and it would be a crying shame for it to go backward in any direction now thats for sure.

I'll keep you posted on anything I here.

Texas News and Indy Car Series News

Two big bits of news for you all here. 

First up.Announced this week in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Texas Motor Speedway will begin a major capital improvement project today consisting of a complete repave, construction of an extensive drainage system and a re-profiling of the 1.5-mile oval configuration.

The renovation will add a new layer of asphalt over the existing pavement, an expansive French drainage system on the frontstretch and backstretch, and reduce the banking in turns one and two by four degrees. Barring extensive weather delays, the project is expected to be completed by early to mid-March in advance of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Nascar doubleheader scheduled for April 7-9.

The repaving and drainage system come as a result of issues the facility was incurring in attempting to dry the racing surface, in particular this past year when both Nascar race weekends and the Verizon INDYCAR Series race were affected by weather-related delays. While the aged track surface at Texas Motor Speedway is lauded by drivers, speedway officials made the decision to repave in the best interests of their fans that had to deal with the inconveniences of the delays.

“The fans are why we are doing this,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “The old pavement no longer dried as quickly because through the years of use and weather, the asphalt became porous, kind of like a sponge. Even if we only had a brief shower it was taking us far too long to get the track dried in order to get on to the racing. We owe it to the fans to present the best possible race track so they will be assured of seeing Nascar and INDYCAR races even if we face some brief inclement weather. This will accomplish that goal.”

Lane Construction Corp. will handle the repaving project. The company has paved several prominent speedways since 2003 including such marquee facilities as Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daytona Int’l Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The repave will feature an asphalt mix similar to the surfaces at SMI sister tracks, Kentucky Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The mix used in conjunction with the construction method will aid in the track’s properties of an “aged” track.

For the installation of the French drainage system, trenches will be cut in numerous locations on the frontstretch and backstretch to provide multiple points for water to drain away from the facility more quickly and efficiently than the current system. The drainable mat installation that will tie into a continuous toe drain will aid in the drainage of the track as well.

In addition to the repaving and drainage system, Texas Motor Speedway will undergo a re-profiling in turns one and two to give the venue a more unique layout from its currently symmetrical 24-degree banking in all four turns. While turns three and four will remain unchanged, the banking of turns one and two will be decreased to 20 degrees with the racing surface width expanding from 60 to 80 feet in that section of the track.

“Due to the issues we had in 2016 with moisture and track drying, we had to take steps to correct the problems to give the fans the experience they deserve,” said Speedway Motorsports Inc. Vice President of Operations and Development Steve Swift, who is coordinating the project. “With that task at hand, we looked at what would be the best way to create more exciting racing and to correct the water issues. We are excited to put these practices in place and create another great SMI race.”

The reduced banking, which will decrease lap speeds and potentially open up additional passing opportunities in turns one and two, will provide Texas Motor Speedway with a new, distinctive layout for a 1.5-mile oval. “For years, I’ve heard the absurd comments about 1.5-mile tracks being tagged as ‘cookie-cutter’ tracks,” President Eddie Gossage said. “While nothing could be further from the truth – all 1.5-mile tracks are different – this assures once and for all that Texas Motor Speedway is unique, unlike any other track in the sport. That’s the way we like it here in No Limits, Texas.”

This will be the second full repave since Texas Motor Speedway opened in 1997. That project occurred in the summer of 2001.

Then second up on the news front from IndyCar.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Fans of the series can expect the current Dallara DW012 Indy car chassis to be used at least through the 2020 Verizon INDYCAR Series season before a new car is developed, according to Jay Frye, INDYCAR’s president of competition and operations.

The 2016 aero kit rules have been frozen for this season, so Chevrolet and Honda are not allowed to make any developmental changes to the bolt-on pieces that began on-track competition in 2015.In 2018, a standard aero kit will be used by both manufacturers with the hopes of luring a third engine participant to the series.

“We have a plan and we put this plan together and talked about it with our paddock and both Chevrolet and Honda and they are very enthusiastic about that plan,” Frye said. “Simultaneously, we have also shared this plan with other OEM prospects because we thought it would be wise for them to have equity in the direction we are going. The worst thing we could have done would be to come up with a plan and then taken it to the other OEMs and they didn’t want to do that either. We feel good about where we are, where we are going and confident we will get another OEM.”

Then something I feel all fans will agree on

Legendary open-wheel racer Dario Franchitti, who won three Indianapolis 500s as well as the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona Int’l Speedway. Franchitti will deliver the command “Drivers, start your engines” for North America’s most prestigious sports car event.

“We’re honored to have Dario Franchitti serve as the Grand Marshal for the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Daytona Int’l Speedway President Chip Wile said. “Dario has had a decorated career in open-wheel racing and conquered sports car racing’s grueling twice-around-the-clock challenge in 2008. Fans and competitors are looking forward to his starting command as we kick off Speedweeks 2017.”

A native of Scotland, Franchitti captured four INDYCAR Series championships (2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011) as well as three Indianapolis 500s (2007, 2010 and 2012). Overall, Franchitti has 265 starts in INDYCAR racing with 31 wins and 33 poles.

In the 2008 Rolex 24, Franchitti and co-drivers Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Juan Montoya captured the overall victory by a margin of two laps driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Franchitti also has a class win in the 12 Hours of Sebring.Franchitti retired from competition in 2013 but is still active in the sport, serving as a team advisor for Chip GanassiRacing with Felix Sabates.

Hard to think January is flying on by already not long until all the world Motorsport scene kicks off once again, all the very best everyone enjoy the read.

A sad day in the world

Racing world mourns death of Bryan Clauson.

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Aug. 8, 2016) - Bryan Clauson was happiest when he was behind the wheel of a race car. In fact, the happiest day of his life may have been earlier this year on May 29, when he had his best Indianapolis 500 finish in the afternoon and drove a sprint car to the feature victory at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway that night.

Clauson, 27, died Sunday evening from injuries sustained in a crash the night before at the Belleville (Kan.) Nationals midget race on the half-mile dirt oval. Clauson was airlifted to Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb., but did not survive.

"This is certainly a sad day for the racing community as a whole, and on behalf of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, we send our deepest condolences to the family of Bryan Clauson," said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Anybody who witnessed Bryan behind the wheel of a race car can attest to his elite ability, relentlessness and unbridled willingness to race anything on wheels. While he'll be remembered most as a legend of short-track racing, his participation in the Indianapolis 500 exemplifies his fearlessness, true versatility as a competitor and the pure depth of his talent as a driver."

Clauson, a resident of Noblesville, Ind., was considered the nation's top short-track dirt-car driver with four U.S. Auto Club national championships - two in sprint cars and two in midgets - as well as wins in prestigious events the likes of the Chili Bowl, Turkey Night Grand Prix and Belleville Nationals.

In the mold of old-school racers like A.J. Foyt, Gary Bettenhausen and Tony Stewart, eager and willing to race anything anywhere, Clauson set a goal in 2016 of competing in 200 races, including the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Driving the No. 88 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Honda for Dale Coyne/Jonathan Byrd's Racing, Clauson finished a career-best 23rd in this year's Indy 500 and led his first laps in the historic race.

Saturday's race at the Belleville Nationals, where Clauson was the defending champion, was the 116th on his trek toward 200. He picked up his 27th feature win this season in the midget race Wednesday night at Beloit, Kan.

"Short-track racing has always been the heart and soul of auto racing in America," said Doug Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. "Bryan Clauson combined his passion and enthusiasm for grassroots racing with a God-given talent that made him the favorite to win every time he got in a midget or sprint car. And he proved on the world's largest racing stage - by leading three laps in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - that he could use that talent in just about anything with wheels. 

"More importantly, he possessed a humility and character out of the race car that made him a person that fellow competitors and fans alike enjoyed being around," Boles added. "His spirit, his positive outlook and his thrilling talent will be missed by the entire racing community. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are with the Clauson family in this difficult time."

The native Californian earned a USAC-INDYCAR scholarship for winning the 2010 USAC national driver's title. The scholarship earned Clauson six Indy Lights starts in 2011 in a car shared with current Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Conor Daly at Sam Schmidt Motorsports while Clauson continued to race in USAC's national series. His best finish in eight career Indy Lights was third at Iowa Speedway in 2011.

Clauson won the scholarship award again in 2012, allowing him to make his Indianapolis 500 debut in 2012 with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, qualifying 31st and finishing 30th. Clauson returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2015, finishing 31st in the Indy 500 for KVSH/Jonathan Byrd's Racing.

Clauson also served as a development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2007-08, winning an ARCA race in 2007. He made 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2008, finishing second in rookie points where he teamed occasionally with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti.

Clauson is survived by his parents, Tim and Di, his sister Taylor and fiancée Lauren Stewart. Funeral arrangements are pending. A memorial service in his honor will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a date soon to be announced. 

In lieu of flowers, or to make a donation, people may direct their contributions to the USAC Benevolent Fund website at http://usacbf.org/cash-donation/ or checks should be made out to the USAC Benevolent Foundation in the name of Bryan Clauson. The address is 124 E Northfield Drive, Suite F #129, Brownsburg, IN 46112. 


Photo ex the David Turner collection Indy 2015

THe Grid for the Indy 500 100th Running

100th Running of the Indy 500 Starting Grid

Row 1

 

James Hinchcliffe

Warmup: 226.711

Lap 1: 230.885

Lap 2: 230.940

Lap 3: 230.765

Lap 4: 230.450

4 Lap Average: 230.760

 

Josef Newgarden

Warmup: 225.136

Lap 1: 231.551

Lap 2: 230.706

Lap 3: 230.320

Lap 4: 230.227

4 Lap Average: 230.700

 

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Warmup: 224.367

Lap 1: 230.595

Lap 2: 230.858

Lap 3: 230.738

Lap 4: 230.401

4 Lap Average: 230.648

Row 2

 

Townsend Bell

Warmup: 227.784

Lap 1: 230.234

Lap 2: 230.269

Lap 3: 230.649

Lap 4: 230.774

4 Lap Average: 230.481

 

Carlos Munoz

Warmup: 224.759

Lap 1: 230.135

Lap 2: 230.200

Lap 3: 230.462

Lap 4: 230.353

4 Lap Average: 230.287

 

Will Power

Warmup: 223.632

Lap 1: 230.081

Lap 2: 229.568

Lap 3: 229.517

Lap 4: 229.512

4 Lap Average: 229.669

Row 3

 

Mikhail Aleshin

Warmup: 222.427

Lap 1: 230.003

Lap 2: 229.262

Lap 3: 229.331

Lap 4: 229.653

4 Lap Average: 229.562

 

Simon Pagenaud

Warmup: 221.891

Lap 1: 229.649

Lap 2: 229.315

Lap 3: 229.000

Lap 4: 228.597

4 Lap Average: 229.139

 

Helio Castroneves

Warmup: 228.473

Lap 1: 229.690

Lap 2: 229.415

Lap 3: 228.802

Lap 4: 228.556

4 Lap Average: 229.115

Row 4

 

Oriol Servia

Warmup: 223.806

Lap 1: 229.069

Lap 2: 229.124

Lap 3: 229.163

Lap 4: 228.885

4 Lap Average: 229.060

 

Alexander Rossi

Warmup: 223.194

Lap 1: 227.498

Lap 2: 228.546

Lap 3: 228.930

Lap 4: 228.923

4 Lap Average: 228.473

 

Takuma Sato

Warmup: 220.655

Lap 1: 228.636

Lap 2: 228.000

Lap 3: 227.812

Lap 4: 227.671

4 Lap Average: 228.029

Row 5

 

Scott Dixon

Warmup: 225.302

Lap 1: 228.607

Lap 2: 228.204

Lap 3: 227.785

Lap 4: 227.373

4 Lap Average: 227.991

 

Marco Andretti

Warmup: 225.319

Lap 1: 229.150

Lap 2: 228.395

Lap 3: 227.897

Lap 4: 226.451

4 Lap Average: 227.969

 

JR Hildebrand

Warmup: 222.761

Lap 1: 228.289

Lap 2: 228.000

Lap 3: 227.569

Lap 4: 227.646

4 Lap Average: 227.876

Row 6

 

Charlie Kimball

Warmup: 227.881

Lap 1: 228.190

Lap 2: 228.024

Lap 3: 227.715

Lap 4: 227.362

4 Lap Average: 227.822

 

Juan Pablo Montoya

Warmup: 222.452

Lap 1: 228.328

Lap 2: 227.862

Lap 3: 227.559

Lap 4: 226.989

4 Lap Average: 227.684

 

Tony Kanaan

Warmup: 226.062

Lap 1: 228.208

Lap 2: 227.415

Lap 3: 227.156

Lap 4: 226.945

4 Lap Average: 227.430

Row 7

 

Sebastien Bourdais

Warmup: 221.979

Lap 1: 227.478

Lap 2: 227.403

Lap 3: 227.474

Lap 4: 227.357

4 Lap Average: 227.428

 

Ed Carpenter

Warmup: 224.310

Lap 1: 227.588

Lap 2: 227.102

Lap 3: 227.266

Lap 4: 226.949

4 Lap Average: 227.226

 

Gabby Chaves

Warmup: 222.562

Lap 1: 227.407

Lap 2: 227.417

Lap 3: 226.683

Lap 4: 227.261

4 Lap Average: 227.192

Row 8

 

Max Chilton

Warmup: 227.034

Lap 1: 227.307

Lap 2: 226.787

Lap 3: 226.555

Lap 4: 226.099

4 Lap Average: 226.686

 

Sage Karam

Warmup: 220.261

Lap 1: 227.038

Lap 2: 226.076

Lap 3: 226.390

Lap 4: 226.243

4 Lap Average: 226.436

 

Conor Daly

Warmup: 222.923

Lap 1: 226.749

Lap 2: 226.840

Lap 3: 226.232

Lap 4: 225.434

4 Lap Average: 226.312

Row 9

 

Pippa Mann

Warmup: 224.887

Lap 1: 226.469

Lap 2: 226.126

Lap 3: 225.808

Lap 4: 225.623

4 Lap Average: 226.006

 

Graham Rahal

Warmup: 223.538

Lap 1: 226.490

Lap 2: 225.962

Lap 3: 225.984

Lap 4: 224.956

4 Lap Average: 225.847

 

Matt Brabham

Warmup: 226.167

Lap 1: 225.381

Lap 2: 225.918

Lap 3: 225.742

Lap 4: 225.868

4 Lap Average: 225.727

Row 10

 

Bryan Clauson

Warmup: 225.133

Lap 1: 226.126

Lap 2: 225.765

Lap 3: 224.852

Lap 4: 224.330

4 Lap Average: 225.266

 

Spencer Pigot

Warmup: 223.260

Lap 1: 224.277

Lap 2: 224.384

Lap 3: 225.035

Lap 4: 225.699

4 Lap Average: 224.847

 

Stefan Wilson

Warmup: 222.176

Lap 1: 224.769

Lap 2: 224.676

Lap 3: 224.460

Lap 4: 224.504

4 Lap Average: 224.602

Row 11

 

Jack Hawksworth

Warmup: 222.219

Lap 1: 225.567

Lap 2: 225.159

Lap 3: 224.985

Lap 4: 222.695

4 Lap Average: 224.596

 

Buddy Lazier

Warmup: 221.158

Lap 1: 224.956

Lap 2: 222.380

Lap 3: 221.851

Lap 4: 219.496

4 Lap Average: 222.154

 

Alex Tagliani

Warmup: ---.---

Lap 1: ---.---

Lap 2: ---.---

Lap 3: ---.---

Lap 4: ---.---

4 Lap Average: ---.---