Indy Car Pre Season Test

                                                                              Charlie Kimball 

Its happened the first pre season test. The countdown to the new season is finally getting closer each day now. 

The roar of 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines filled the air with sweet sounds at Phoenix Raceway, day and night, as 21 Verizon IndyCar Series entries turned laps for the first time together in 2017 last week.

The first of a two-day open test for all full-season teams saw Team Penske newcomer Josef Newgarden record the fastest of 2,638 total laps turned on the 1.022-mile oval over the course of two three-hour practice sessions. The second practice came under the lights during the same time period that the Phoenix Grand Prix will take place April 29 on the short oval steeped in Indy car history.

Newgarden, who joins the 14-time Indy car champion Team Penske following five years as a rising star with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and most recently Ed Carpenter Racing, clocked the fastest lap of the day near the end of the afternoon practice at 190.129 mph (19.3511 seconds) in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Teams focused on race setups and running in packs in the night session, which was led by Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti in the No. 27 hhgregg Honda at 189.122 mph (19.4541 seconds).

"I think we had a pretty good start to today," said Newgarden, who finished a career-best fourth in the 2016 championship behind the Penske trio who are now his teammates - Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Helio Castroneves. "The car was really great off the truck, so we didn't have to do too much. We just got into our program and had a pretty easy start."

Second on the combined session speed chart was owner/driver Ed Carpenter, in the No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, at 189.990 mph in the first practice. Defending Phoenix Grand Prix champion Scott Dixon was eighth in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (187.944) and reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Pagenaud 14th in the No. 1 PPG Team Penske Chevy (186.403).

While drivers running Chevrolet engines and aero kits locked down the top four spots in the first practice, those equipped with Hondas claimed the first six positions in the night practice - led by Andretti, the third-generation Indy car racer.

"It's always encouraging (to see your name at the top)," Andretti said. "It's still early but it's a good start. What I like about it is, you obviously want to be P1, but today we really focused on the car, the car, the car. We just focused on doing our jobs and maximizing whatever we can. And we ended up all right. I have a hunch that the opposition is turned down, but you might as well be there if you can be."

Indy cars raced 61 times from 1964-2005 at Phoenix Raceway. Following a 10-year hiatus, the Verizon IndyCar Series returned last year with Dixon leading the final 155 laps to collect the 39th of his 40th career Indy car wins, which ranks fourth all-time.

Big news too from the test is that  the USAC Silver Crown Series joins Phoenix Grand Prix race weekend.

The roots of open-wheel racing will return to Phoenix Raceway as part of the Verizon IndyCar Series race weekend in April, with the announcement by track officials that the USAC Silver Crown Series will race on April 28-29 as a prelude to the Phoenix Grand Prix.

The Phoenix Copper Cup will mark the first time that Silver Crown cars will race on the 1-mile oval since 2009. In addition, the USAC .25 Midgets will compete on a temporary oval in the track's fan midway on race weekend.

"We're thrilled to add the USAC Silver Crown series to our Verizon IndyCar Series weekend," said Bryan Sperber, Phoenix Raceway president. "The series has a tremendous history here and has produced some incredible races. I'm certain this race will be a popular addition to the Phoenix Grand Prix schedule."

Heres what some of the IndyCar Series drivers had to say after day 1 of the test.

SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 1 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, 2016 Verizon Indy Car Series champion): "We reset it to zero, so here we are, another year. Last year was fantastic, but we have to use what we learned last year to do even better this year. So I'm very excited. It's the first time that I've had the opportunity to actually capitalize on such a great season, so it was a good test today. Just trying to understand everything that we learned during the winter, going slowly test after test, and hopefully we can put the package together and come back and be strong for the race here."

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): "It's great to be going and fun to be with Team Penske. It's really been an interesting offseason for me, just I've not really wanted an offseason this time around. Normally you like a little bit of a break, but this year I wanted to get going immediately, so it's been a long wait. But I feel fairly squared away with the new operation and just trying to gel a little bit with the group, the Verizon (No.) 2 car team is all new to me. They're not new to each other, so there's great continuity there, but I'm new to the group, so they're trying to understand me and I'm trying to understand them. I think we had a pretty good start to today. The car was really great off the truck, so we didn't have to do too much. We just got into our program and had a pretty easy start to the afternoon."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): "This is kind of the unofficial start of the season really for us, to get everybody out here, all the new car and driver combinations, and just the whole field on the track at the same time. You get that kind of competitive spirit going again and that excitement just for the start of the season."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, 2016 Phoenix Grand Prix winner):"It's good to be back in an Indy car. It's been a little while, so it's nice to be out running and obviously back here in Phoenix, fond memories from last year. It's always good to be back at a track that you won at. For us, big changes in the offseason. It's the second time in the Honda-powered car, first time on a short oval, which as we know is maybe not the best package to have. But all in all, it ran fairly smoothly. ... As for right now, the engine feels really good and lap times I thought for what we were doing were actually fairly decent."

TONY KANAAN (No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "It was a big change (to Honda) for us. We worked really hard to try to understand off-track how the aero kit worked, and I think we had a pretty good idea. ... No big issues, so we're still learning, learning, scanning through all the lists the engineers have to make it right when we come back. So we're not really concerned what we're going to do here today. I mean, we're here to learn as much as we can, so when we come back we can try to win this thing."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda): "I think we're pleased with the performance today. Obviously, we have to take into account that it's a test, but we worked through a lot of stuff. I don't think we were necessarily looking for speed to be honest with you, so I was a little bit surprised when we went out right away (in the night session) and did that lap time. We actually backed it up again completely on our own at the end of the session. All in all, I'm pleased with the car. I'd like in race pace to find maybe a couple of tenths to keep up with the Penskes, but we look pretty good. We're just trying to get through a long checklist of items throughout the winter. I think everyone on the United Rentals team did great job today, and just looking forward to tomorrow."

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): "It was a good start to the test. We had good cars here last year, and Josef (Newgarden) and I both qualified well and both were a factor in the race. I made a mistake in the race, otherwise I think we probably would have been on the podium. Coming here, we did a tire test here in the offseason, so we felt pretty good about where we were as a team coming in here, which I think is good for JR (Hildebrand), too, coming in, to make that transition back to fulltime guy a little easier. Chevy does have a good package here and we're thankful for that. But it's a good place for us to start. We have a good handle on this track and hopefully we can keep it rolling."

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 21 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): "I think for us, it's just about starting to build the communication, working with the new engineers on the team or on the (No.) 21 car. I feel great about the couple of guys that have been brought in, Justin Taylor and Dan Hobbs. But we're all just kind of getting familiar with each other at the same time. Definitely a nice way to be able to do that when we know that we've got a good package to start with."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda): "Very happy day, I think. ... I've been out of the car for over five months, and five months has obviously felt long, but it's a transition for the team, a lot learned and to meet the people, went to the shop and to go through a lot of stuff with engineers and etc., etc. Just like one click and then now jumping in the car, so I was happy and obviously those strong three other teammates helped me out really well for the first session. The car is there already."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 27 hhgregg Honda): "It's always encouraging (to see your name at the top). It's still early but it's a good start. What I like about it is, you obviously want to be P1, but today we really focused on the car, the car, the car. We just focused on doing our jobs and maximizing whatever we can. And we ended up all right. I have a hunch that the opposition is turned down, but you might as well be there if you can be. ... The atmosphere, a lot of it is just me. I decided for myself that, 'I'm going to do this for me. I'm going to have fun. I'm going to drive to impress myself, not anybody else.' When you drive more relaxed, you do a better job."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 DHL Honda): "It's just nice to get back to work, really. This is what we do, this is how we operate. This is how we operate mentally. Being away from the racetrack, you kind of feel like a fish out of water, so it's nice to be back and just be back into it, be back into the rhythm. I wish we were here for a race weekend or something just so you could be in this more. The test is going to fly by, but we have four cars, we're going to work together as we always do at Andretti Autosport. We're going to put together the best race car, come back with it and hopefully make for an interesting race when we come back for the Phoenix race weekend."  

Quotes and media Series from IndyCar Media

Photos from the David Turner collection

Chuck Weyant

Chuck Weyant (April 3, 1923 – January 24, 2017) was born in St Mary Ohio.

Until his death, Weyant was the oldest living Indianapolis 500 veteran. He died on January 24, 2017 at the age of 93. Weyant came from a racing family. He started out racing against his brother and father in the early 1940s before World War 2I. 

He had his first win in 1947 after the war. Weyant won track titles at Charleston and Belleville Illinois. 

He finished in the top 25 in the National points battle nine times between 1951 and 1971. He won at least 64 feature events, including 13 National events. One of his greatest victories was the 1955 Hut Hundred at the Terre Haute Action Track.

Weyant came from a racing family. He started out racing against his brother and father in the early 1940s before  the start of World War 2.
He had his first win in 1947 after the war. Weyant won track titles at Charleston and Belleville. Weyant raced in the AAA and the USAC Championship Car series in the 1952-1959 seasons, with 21 career starts, including the 1955 and 1957-1959 Indianapolis 500 Mile races.

     

Photos from USAC file along with the details of the passing of Chuck Weyant

This Weeks Indy Car Series News

Wrapping up a quite busy week in IndyCar Series news here is all the latest tit-bits for you all to keep you updated in the long off season break as well as getting excited in the countdown to the start of the 2017 season.

First up more announcements from the series and a new multiyear contract extension with Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (BATO), continuing its longtime partnership with Firestone as the official tire supplier of the Verizon IndyCar Series. The announcement extends the tire brand's involvement in open-wheel racing that dates to Ray Harroun's Firestone-equipped Marmon Wasp winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. 

"Firestone is part of the fabric of INDYCAR and its commitment to evolving performance, innovation and safety in the Verizon IndyCar Series has been remarkable," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations. "The Firestone brand has been part of our sport for more than 100 years and continues to be an integral partner in the growth of INDYCAR on and off the racetrack."

Firestone has been involved in racing competitions since the early days of the automobile, particularly at the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Alexander Rossi's win at the 100th Running of the Indy 500 last May was the 67th for Firestone - more than all other tire manufacturers combined - in the iconic race. Firestone, which returned to Indy car racing in 1995 following a 20-year hiatus, has been the sole supplier of Verizon IndyCar Series tires since 2000 and provides teams with a known, stable and reliable platform for the future of INDYCAR. 

"For more than a century, the Firestone brand has utilized racing as the ideal stage to showcase the trusted dependability of our tires," said Lisa Boggs, director of motorsports, Bridgestone Americas. "This partnership is integral to our marketing initiatives as it allows us to engage with fans via the unique, multi-faceted platform that the Verizon IndyCar Series provides, and we look forward to building upon the brand's time-tested racing legacy."

This season, following discussion with Verizon IndyCar Series teams, IndyCar and Firestone have added to the overall tire allotment at each event to increase the amount of on-track activity during practice sessions. Additionally, teams will be permitted to run one set of alternate (red-sidewall) Firestone Firehawk tires during Friday practice sessions at all road/street course events to better evaluate their capabilities for qualifying and the race.

In the world of Drivers and who is where in 2017.

Ed Carpenter Racing announced that Spencer Pigot will retain his duties as road & street course driver for the No. 20 Chevrolet for the 2017 season. After joining ECR partway through 2016 in the same role, Pigot will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 at non-oval events for the entire 2017 season. The only owner/driver in the series, Ed Carpenter, will continue to pilot the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet at all oval races.

“I'm very excited to be staying with Ed Carpenter Racing for the 2017 season,” Pigot stated. “It's a great feeling to know that I have a secure ride for all of the road and street course races so we can start preparing for the season now. I can't thank everyone at ECR, P1 Management and Rising Star Racing enough for their help getting this deal done.”

The 23-year-old from Orlando, Fla. graduated to the Verizon IndyCar Series last season after winning the 2015 Indy Lights championship. The title came with a guaranteed three-race IndyCar program, which Pigot ran in a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. Following the Indianapolis 500, Pigot transitioned to the Chevrolet-powered ECR team.

Pigot competed in the remaining seven road and street course events for ECR, scoring two Top 10 finishes along the way. In only his second event weekend in the No. 20, his ninth-place finish at Road America was the highest of all rookies. A career-best finish of 7th came at Mid-Ohio, where he was also the top-finishing ECR car. He took the checkered flag in nine out of ten races his rookie year, his streak broken only at the season finale when a mechanical issue sidelined him from competition. Pigot worked on improving from his qualifying attempts each weekend, gaining an average of six positions in every race he finished.

“I learned a lot in my rookie year and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to build on that experience. I know I have the team around me to fight at the front and that's what we'll be trying to do in 2017,” said Pigot.

Team owner Carpenter is looking forward to sharing the No. 20 with Pigot. “We are happy to have Spencer back. It was a challenging situation for him to step into the team last year mid-season as a rookie. We believe that Spencer has the potential to be a contender in this sport and we will continue to focus on maximizing that potential,” remarked Carpenter. “It is great to have some offseason left to allow us to continue that development before the season kicks off. We are anticipating a strong sophomore campaign from Spencer.”

In his second season in the Verizon INDYCAR Series, Pigot will drive all 11 road and street course events alongside JR Hildebrand, full-time driver of ECR’s No. 21 Chevrolet. Since 2014, the No. 20 has been split between Carpenter on the ovals and a second driver for the road and street races. Pigot is the first driver to have the road and street course seat of the No. 20 for a second year.

As the winningest driver in the Mazda Road to Indy, Pigot earned four scholarships from Mazda to continue his career’s momentum towards the Verizon INDYCAR Series. In five years, he won four championships and 24 races in USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. Pigot is now part of a very select group of young open-wheel drivers aligned with Rising Star Racing, an organization whose mission is to ensure the most deserving drivers get the opportunities they have earned by matching them with corporate sponsors. Pigot is represented by P1 Management, LLC, who worked with RSR to finalize the agreement with Ed Carpenter Racing.

Pigot will be in the No. 20 for the first time this year when he joins Hildebrand for a test at Sonoma Raceway on February 7. Prior to climbing back in an INDYCAR, Pigot will compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 28 and 29 with Mazda Racing. The 2017 Verizon INDYCAR Series season will open in St. Petersburg, Fla. on March 12.

After joining ECR after the 2016 Indianapolis 500, Pigot will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 Chevrolet at all road and street course events for the entirety of the 2017 season. Since 2014, the No. 20 has been split between Carpenter on the ovals and a second driver for the road and street races. Pigot is the first driver to have the road and street course seat of the No. 20 for a second year.

NAPA Auto Parts and Alexander Rossi drove into racing history by capturing the twin-checkers at the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, and the pair will again join with Andretti Autosport in 2017. The seven-race, co-primary sponsorship will see the reigning Indy 500 champion take the wheel of Andretti’s No. 98 NAPA Auto Parts Honda starting at the 2017 Verizon INDYCAR Series season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rossi will then carry NAPA Know How for races in Long Beach, Indianapolis, Road America, Watkins Glen and Sonoma.

“We are pleased to announce our continued partnership with one of the more iconic brands in all of motorsports, the Andretti brand,” stated NAPA President, Dan Askey. “We are equally excited to partner with one of the rising stars in the sport in Alexander Rossi and proud to have Alexander representing NAPA both on and off the track. We were fortunate to come on board in May of 2016 becoming a part of history as we rode along with Alexander capturing the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Andretti Autosport remains one of the elite teams in the INDYCAR Series and we look forward to what 2017 holds.”

The blue and yellow NAPA livery first entered the Andretti stable in May 2016, just in time to claim victory at the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Rossi then carried the NAPA branding on to Detroit’s double header weekend. The Indy 500 winning car and livery of Rossi can be seen on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

“NAPA is a storied, American brand and I couldn’t be more proud to announce our partnership is continuing,” said Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti. “We were pleased to have previously announced that Alexander will be returning for the full season, and now to be able to confirm that NAPA is back on board – what a great way for us to start 2017. Our relationship with NAPA came together quickly during our Month of May program last year, and it wasn’t long before the partnership was written into history books. We can’t wait to add a few more pages to history together.”

"Confirming NAPA Auto Parts is the perfect way for us to start off 2017,” said Rossi, 25. “NAPA is one of the most recognized brands in the U.S., and with over 6,000 stores, they touch every corner of our nation. In 2016, we had historic success together in the Verizon INDYCAR Series, however there is still much more to accomplish. I’m proud to have NAPA back on board the No. 98 and am motivated to carry our momentum together through 2017.”

Rossi joins teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 DHL Honda), Marco Andretti (No. 27 hhgregg Honda) and Takuma Sato (No. 26 Honda) as the battle for the 2017 Verizon INDYCAR Series championship. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         AJ Foyt Racing will run Chevrolet engines for the first time since the 2005 season, with drivers Carlos Munoz (second from right) and Conor Daly. (Courtesy: AJ Foyt Racing)(Photo: Dan R. Boyd)

More changes are afoot at AJ Foyt Racing, as the team announced Tuesday that it will be powered by Chevrolet engines for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season. “I am looking forward to what will be a new chapter for us that involves returning to an old friend in Chevrolet,” team president Larry Foyt said via release. “There are a lot of changes happening within our team this off-season and I won’t minimize the challenges, but I see a lot of potential with our plan.” In 2005, A.J. Foyt IV piloted the No. 14 ABC Supply Indy car with a Chevy engine, the last time the manufacturer was used by the team.

Announced earlier, Carlos Munoz will pilot the No. 14 and Conor Daly will drive the No. 4. Tests for both are scheduled at Sebring International Raceway later this month. “I’m glad to be back with Chevy,” said A.J. Foyt, the team’s owner and the first four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, in a release. “I’ve had a lot of success with them in the past and I’m looking forward to more success in the future.”

IndyCar kicks off its season with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 12 so not too long to go now.

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.

Indy Car Aero

Announced just last week in Detroit  came some really very interesting news on the future of Indy car as we see it.

The series is working towards a universal aerodynamic bodywork kit for all Verizon IndyCar Series cars in 2018, the development process is well under way.

Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations, unveiled a series of initial concept drawings for how the car might look during a media roundtable at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Without revealing specific details to how the cars and their accompanying aerodynamic bodywork will look when they hit the track for the 2018 season, Frye offered the first visual peek into the future at INDYCAR's NAIAS exhibit in the Motor City.

The drawings were completed months ago, but they give the first concept designs that will cover the Dallara IR-12 chassis. The images revealed will not be what the cars wind up looking like in 2018, but they provided the first public direction of the process.The series will share more details of the development process in coming weeks, including another public update following the 2017 preseason's open test Feb. 10-11 at Phoenix International Raceway. The goal is to have a car built for display at the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil in May, with on-track testing in the summer.

INDYCAR previously announced a development freeze for the upcoming season, which means teams will use the aero kits offered by Chevrolet and Honda for the 17 races. The season opens two months from today, March 12, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Then on the back of this news came even more good things for the series in the first step in revealing the series next equipment generation comes in the form of signing Dallara, the sport's longtime chassis manufacturer, to a contract extension, officials announced at the North American International Auto Show.

The multiyear agreement calls for Dallara, an Italian company with a U.S. base in Speedway, Indiana, to continue providing driver safety cells to the Verizon IndyCar Series through the 2020 season. The 2017 season marks Dallara's 20th anniversary in U.S.-based open-wheel racing.

"Dallara's continued participation in our sport provides INDYCAR and our competitors a tremendous amount of confidence," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president, competition and operations. "Dallara has been an instrumental partner in the Verizon IndyCar Series for 20 years and we are excited to extend our relationship with them."

There series will soon unveil plans for new bodywork giving the Dallara IR-12 chassis a fresh appearance for the 2018 season. Also, teams will be given more flexibility and control over parts for their cars.

"The signature of this contract is a natural extension of an intensive working relationship that has been continuing since 1997," said Giampaolo Dallara, founder and president of Dallara Automobili. "We are pleased to continue to contribute to the great success that this series deserves."

Founded in 1972 near Parma, Italy, Dallara has an enviable record of success around the world, designing and manufacturing cars for a range of different motorsports series and formulas. Dallara began its INDYCAR affiliation in 1997.

"We are all working together for a common goal and this is the reason why the possibility to work more closely with the teams excites us," said Andrea Pontremoli, CEO and general manager of Dallara Automobili. "We want to contribute concretely to their success and to that of the series."

So you want to know more about Indy Car and the series well INDYCAR is the governing body of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the premier open-wheel racing series in North America, and the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder, which includes: Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda. INDYCAR events are available to a worldwide audience through a variety of multimedia platforms, highlighted by long-term and broad-reaching partnerships with ABC and NBCSN for not only domestic US television and Media coverage but also global coverage of the series. INDYCAR is continually at the forefront of motorsports innovation with drivers, teams and tracks benefiting from safety and technological improvements such as the SAFER Barrier, SWEMS wheel and chassis component tethers, chassis enhancements, advanced aerodynamic bodywork kits, high-definition in-car cameras and E85 ethanol fuel.  

Quotes provided via IndyCar Media Services.

Don't forget to check out my books still on line at Amazon.com , Travel Tips to the Indy 500 and my thoughts on Indy and the race in The Mystique of Indy The Brickyard. Hope you enjoy them.

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.

Counting down to the 101 Already!

INDIANAPOLIS — January 2017

Dear me its still snowing out there but heck its now officially just months until the 101 yep thats right the 101st running of the Indy 500 Mile Race. Cant wait!

This week as part of the build up it was announced that Four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban will headline the annual Firestone Legends Day Concert on Saturday, May 27, the day before the 101st Indy 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. 

Tickets go on-sale Monday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. with a pre-sale for current 2017 IMS ticketholders taking place at an earlier date.

Urban’s songs have reached the top of the charts 21 times, most recently with current smash hit “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Urban has recorded eight studio albums and is the first male Country artist to debut atop the all-genre charts in the U.S., Canada and Australia. He’s won both a People’s Choice Award and an American Music Award and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. He’s also won eleven Academy of Country Music Awards, has had five consecutive platinum or multi-platinum albums and is a member of the famed Grand Ole Opry.

“Firestone Legends Day has become an awesome way to celebrate the night before the Indianapolis 500 each year and having Keith Urban headline this year’s concert is going to be fantastic,” said IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “Keith’s many chart-topping Billboard hits, along with his appreciation for racing, will give thousands of spectators a can’t miss show to help celebrate the 101st Indy 500 Race Weekend.”

“The Firestone Legends Day concert has become a much anticipated Indianapolis 500 tradition, and we are excited to partner with the Speedway to bring superstar Keith Urban to the IMS stage,” said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “This event gives us the perfect platform to showcase the hard work and trusted dependability that make up the Firestone brand, and it allows us to connect with passionate country music fans in an engaging way.”

Dustin Lynch and Clayton Anderson will be special guests and fill out the full lineup.

Roll on the merry month of May