Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Danica Patrick signs multi-year deal to stay in IRL with restructured Andretti Autosport]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/danica-patrick-signs-multi-year-deal-to-stay-in-irl-with-restruc/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/danica-patrick-signs-multi-year-deal-to-stay-in-irl-with-restruc/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/danica-patrick-signs-multi-year-deal-to-stay-in-irl-with-restruc/#commentsFiled under: ,



There are plenty of reasons why Danica Patrick stays in the news. If it's not her famous temper, photo shoots for Sports Illustrated or racy television commercials, it's her impressive results on the race track. She is, after all, the first woman to win an Indy race and, after finishing third at the Brickyard this year, the most successful woman to race the Indy 500. But lately the news has centered over the future of her racing career.

Rumors first began to pop up that Danica could move on up to Formula One, initially linked with Honda and then with USF1 before Bernie Ecclestone put his foot in his mouth. Again. Most recently, however, Danica's been tipped to switch to NASCAR. But with the latest announcement, those rumors have been quashed. Well, sorta.

Announced live today in Times Square on ABC's Good Morning America, Danica has signed a "multi-year" deal (tipped to be three years) to stay in the IndyCar Series with Michael Andretti's team. The four-car squad is restructuring this year, with partners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree splitting off the race promotion arm (responsible for the races in St Petersburg and Toronto), while Michael Andretti stays on to manage the team that drops the Andretti Green Racing moniker in favor of Andretti Autosport. GoDaddy.com has signed on to continue its sponsorship of Danica's No. 7 car. Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti are locked into long-term deals for two of the other cars, while the fourth car is expected to go to former Rookie of the Year and race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.

The announcement of Danica's extended contract would seem to put an end to the NASCAR rumors for at least the next three years, but reports still suggest that the talented Miss Patrick could run a parallel schedule in the second-tier Nationwide Series while contesting the full IndyCar calendar as well. Busy beaver indeed.

[Source: Andretti Autosport]

Continue reading Danica Patrick signs multi-year deal to stay in IRL with restructured Andretti Autosport

Danica Patrick signs multi-year deal to stay in IRL with restructured Andretti Autosport originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New beginnings demand new threads, and that's just what the reunited IndyCar Series has gained with the announcement that clothing label Izod has become the league's new title sponsor.

The deal, which runs through 2015, is reportedly worth in the neighborhood of $10 million per year. Renaming the racing league as the Izod IndyCar Series, it forms part of a broad sports sponsorship initiative by parent company Phillips-Van Heusen which recently secured naming rights to the New Jersey Nets arena and the NFL Pro Hall of Fame. Last year, Izod began making inroads into Indy racing by sponsoring driver Ryan Hunter-Reay while securing a deal to become the official clothier for the IRL and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Izod's partnership with the league marks the first time the open-wheel series has had a title sponsor since search engine Northern Light withdrew in 2001. The clothing label is planning an aggressive advertising campaign, which promises to help both parties increase their visibility, an element that IndyCar desperately needs in order to step out of NASCAR's shadow and back into prominence as a premier racing series. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: IZzod IndyCar Series]

Continue reading High Speed, High Fashion: Izod secures deal as IndyCar title sponsor

High Speed, High Fashion: Izod secures deal as IndyCar title sponsor originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firestone Indy 300 IndyCar Series finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway

Although he wanted it so bad it hurt, Ryan Briscoe just couldn't buy himself a yellow flag in the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Team Penske driver was leading the season points battle with just seven laps remaining in this, the final race of the season at Homestead, and might have won the race and the championship had this been any other race. You see, fuel consumption became an issue and Briscoe had to pit with just seven laps between himself and the trophy for a splash and go. The reason? This was the first IndyCar race in history without a single yellow flag.

It's not as if these guys want to see crashes during the race, but up until today, they could always count on at least one incident to slow things down for a stretch, conserving fuel in the process. Not this time. As Briscoe pitted, Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti took the lead and never looked back. Just as in 2007, when it was Scott Dixon who had to pit and thereby relinquish the crown to Dario, Briscoe saw his hopes fade as even Dixon passed him in the race and in the final points tally. Had he been able to hold onto his lead, Briscoe would have been the sixth different IRL/IndyCar champ in the past six years.

As disappointing as it was for Briscoe, the year ended up being a good one for Franchitti, who did short stint in NASCAR before returning to IndyCar's open wheelers. Yesterday's title is Franchitti's second and the third for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. In an odd bit of meaninglessly trivial statistics, it was the 10th series win for Dario, on the 10th day of the 10th month in the number 10 car. And Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy, while Kennedy's was Lincoln. The top three in the final points tally were Franchitti (616), Dixon (605), and Briscoe (604). Due to the lack of yellows, yesterday's race at Homestead went down as the second fastest in IndyCar Series history, with an average speed of 201.420 mph.

[Photo credit: Shawn Payne/IndyCar]

Continue reading IndyCar crowns its first post-reconciliation champion (Spoiler Alert)

IndyCar crowns its first post-reconciliation champion (Spoiler Alert) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Racing fans looking for that Monaco or Long Beach-style harbor-front open-wheel racing experience on the East Coast of the United States will be pleased to learn that plans are under way to bring an IndyCar street race to Baltimore's picturesque Inner Harbor. The plan, still being assessed by local officials, would involve a four-day event at the end of the summer (book-ending the season started by the Indy 500) for at least five years starting in 2011.

Baltimore Racing Development is bringing in consultants, including two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., to evaluate the prospect, which would be based around a track running through downtown Baltimore, past Camden Yards and Oriole Park, along the Inner Harbor by the National Aquarium and past the Maryland Science Center. Organizers are looking at Indy races in St. Petersburg, Toronto and Long Beach as their model, projecting some $100 million in tourism revenue from 150,000 visitors during an four-day event that would eclipse the Preakness Stakes horse race as the biggest racing event in the area. Thanks to hoov23 for the tip!

[Source: The Baltimore Sun | Image: Stephen Munday/ALLSPORT/Getty]

REPORT: Plans under way for harborfront IndyCar Grand Prix in Baltimore originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's the end of an era for open-wheel racing in America as Indy chief Tony George has stepped down from his post. The long-time president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, George was widely seen as the impetus for the 1996 split in Indy racing that created the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the rival Champ Car series (formerly known as CART), but he was also instrumental in fostering the merger of the two championships into the new IndyCar Series over which he's presided.

During his nearly two-decade tenure as the head of the famous race track, George also brought NASCAR, Formula One and MotoGP to the speedway for the first time, vastly expanding the calendar of events at the iconic venue. However, elements within the Hulman-George company that controls the business were concerned with the amount of resources their chief executive put into the reintegrated IndyCar Series and recently asked him to reorganize the company, but Tony evidently decided to step down instead. He'll be focusing his energies on the Vision Racing team which he fields in the series, while the job he vacates will be split into two: CFO Jeffrey G Belskus will take the reins at the speedway, while chief legal counsel W Curtis Brighton will oversee the operation of the series.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]

BREAKING: Indy chief Tony George reportedly resigns originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for a high-res gallery of the ALMS practice session at Long Beach

The streets of Long Beach are playing host to the ALMS, Indy Racing League, and SCCA World Challenge GT this weekend, and things got kicked off yesterday with two practice sessions for the ALMS. Acura racers claimed the top three spots, led by David Brabham in his P1 class ARX-02a. His car set the bar with a 1:14.226 lap time followed by Adrian Fernandez in the P2 class. Brabham is coming off an overall win in St. Petersburg and was victorious in the P2 class at this venue last year.

In GT1, the Chevrolet Corvettes returned from a one race hiatus to bring back a four-class race, Olivier Beretta setting the faster time ahead of the sister car. In GT2, the Ferrari F430 GT driven by Jamie Melo barely edged out the Farnbacher Loles Porsche 911 GT3 RSR by a mere .06 seconds followed by Flying Lizard Motorsports in third. Full details on the practice session with drivers' quotes after the jump, and plenty of high-res photos captured through Autoblog's lenses in the gallery below.


Gallery: 2009 ALMS at Long Beach Practice Session


Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc

Continue reading ALMS hits the streets of Long Beach, and so does Autoblog

ALMS hits the streets of Long Beach, and so does Autoblog originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you follow the political bickering in Formula One, you may have seen a heated exchange of correspondence between the F1 drivers and the regulatory body responsible for accrediting them to race. After the FIA exponentially raised the fees for a Superlicense - the certification that the FIA grants and requires of F1 drivers - the Grand Prix Drivers Association wrote an angry letter to the ever autoerotic Max Mosley, in which they compared the fee for renewing defending champion Lewis Hamilton's Superlicense - a whopping $270,000 - to the comparatively modest $4,000 that NASCAR charges its drivers. Mosley's response? So go to NASCAR, then!

Well, not exactly. Mosley responded to the drivers' objections by saying that if they can't afford the fees, they should look for more a affordable racing series. In a clever publicity stunt, a "fictitious letter" has appeared on the IRL website answering Mosley's call by inviting the disgruntled F1 drivers to move over to the newly reunited IndyCar Series where participation costs $1,000 and includes benefits. If the idea sounds ridiculous, remember that it wasn't so long ago that prominent F1 drivers like Nigel Mansell and Mario Andretti came westward to find new challenges in American open-wheel racing. It could happen again.

[Source: IndyCar.com via F1-Live]

Open letter invites disgruntled F1 drivers to Indy Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f1fiafia superlicenseFiaSuperlicenseformula oneFormulaOnegpdagrand prix drivers associationGrandPrixDriversAssociationindy racing leagueindycarIndyRacingLeagueirlsuperlicenseFri, 20 Feb 2009 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Danica Patrick returns to pages of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yes, there's video]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/11/danica-patrick-returns-to-pages-of-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/11/danica-patrick-returns-to-pages-of-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/11/danica-patrick-returns-to-pages-of-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-i/#commentsFiled under: ,

danica patrick
Click above for gallery of Danica Patrick in this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Danica Patrick may not be doing as well on the race track as she may like, but the fetching driver is definitely winning off the track. Ms. Patrick has an endorsement deal with Go Daddy, she made FHM's top 100 Sexiest Women list, and now she's added a second appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The newly appointed Queen of Speed is taking the annual bikini mag very seriously, too, and if she has her way, this won't be her last appearance in the swimsuit spectacular. She's working out every day to keep her body fit, and the evidence of that labor is very apparent in the video posted after the jump and the gallery below. We're certain we don't have to tell you that watching Danica and her little black bikini pose on the hood of a beautiful AC Cobra is worth your time. Thanks for the tip, Scot, S!

Gallery: 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: Danica Patrick


[Source: Sports Illustrated via Fanhouse]

Continue reading Danica Patrick returns to pages of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yes, there's video

Danica Patrick returns to pages of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yes, there's video originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the past few years, the IRL has kept things simple, using just one engine supplier. Toyota, Chevrolet and Nissan (under the Infiniti moniker) bowed out of the engine game to give Honda its exclusivity in 2006. The single powerplant was supposed to make the series more of a driver's competition, and one could argue that the engine limitations did even playing field somewhat. At the same time, however, they also made the series significantly more boring.

Now with the defection of Champ Car and stubborn leadership in F1, IRL is looking to increase its relevance in open wheel racing. IRL's contract with Honda ends after 2010, and rumors indicate that the party most interested in getting a foot in the door for 2011 is the Volkswagen Group. The draw for them is the rumored return to the use of turbochargers, as well as heads-up competition between a variety of cylinder configurations. The Volkswagen group is looking to use the series to market high performance low-displacement forced induction engines that are currently under development. Since Audi gets its racing due at LeMans, perhaps any deal with the IRL will look towards increasing VW's performance stock.

[Source: Epoch Times]

Will VW join Honda as an IRL engine supplier? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Dallara Formulino

Typically, race cars - especially formula single-seaters - are designed and built for a specific series. Nobody knows that better than Dallara. The Italian motorsports engineering firm designed and fabricates the chassis for GP2, the World Series by Renault, practically the entire Formula 3 grid and the Indy Racing League, to say nothing of its occasional dabbling in Formula 1, sportscar and Grand Am racing. But now they've decided to shake things up a bit by building the Formulino.

Italian for "little formula", the idea behind the Formulino project is to give aspiring racing drivers a point of entry into the world of formula racing with a straightforward and affordable Dallara racer, similar to the ones they'd be driving in the big leagues, only smaller. Three different levels of Formulino spec are available - Base, Plus and Pro - each with different suspension and aero packages. The chassis is a carbon monocoque, outfitted with a Hewland FTR gearbox capable of handling a range of engine options up to 260 horsepower. Prices start at 38,500 euros (about $51,600 USD) for the Base model (not far off from the Formula Vee car we drove) and range up to 65k euros ($87k) for the full-on Pro model, a chassis that already approaches F3 spec. Follow the jump for the press release, and don't forget to check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Dallara Formulino


[Source: Dallara]

Continue reading Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer

Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click on the Highcroft Acura for a high res gallery from the Detroit Sports Car Challenge

The current economic climate has only just started to wreak havoc in the motorsports world, with last week's announcements that Honda is pulling out of F1 and Audi is leaving the American LeMans Series. Things are likely to get worse before they get better as other automakers, including those based in Detroit, will almost certainly cut racing programs and budgets.

What won't be affected - at least for now - are Honda's non-F1 endeavors, including its motorcycle programs, the Indy Racing League and the American Le Mans Series. The ALMS and IRL programs are both operated by Honda Performance Development out of Torrance, CA. Unlike the F1 program, the IRL engine program generates revenue from the teams that lease these engines. The Acura ALMS program will definitely continue in 2009 as the team moves up from the LMP2 to the LMP1 class. The big bummer is that Acura won't have any competition from the Audi R10, which is leaving the ALMS next year.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: F1-Live]

Honda commits to remaining motorsport programs after F1 pull out originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar teams and fans have grown accustomed to the proliferation of Italian racing car chassis as Dallara has been supplying them for the past eleven seasons, now all but exclusively. But with Honda's engine supply contract coming to a close, series organizers have been discussing new powertrain options with a number of manufacturers. Among them is Alfa Romeo, the Italian automaker widely anticipated to make a return to the North American market in the near future.

This wouldn't be the first time Alfa Romeo has provided motivation for the largely American racing series, having participated in the late 80's and early 90's with a project adopted from Ferrari. However, despite the company's deep racing heritage, Alfa Romeo does not currently compete in any major form of motorsport since the N.Technology team stopped campaigning race-prepped 156 Super Turismos in the World Touring Car Championship. The responsibility for developing the IndyCar engines - 3.5-liter V8s under the current regulations, tipped to be replaced by turbocharged fours - would presumably fall to Fiat Powertrain Technologies, headed by Paolo Martinelli, formerly head of Scuderia Ferrari's engine program. Nothing's certain, however, since IRL organizers are also rumored to be discussing a renewal with Honda as well as with Audi, Porsche and an undisclosed fifth automaker.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

IndyCars to go Italian? IRL in talks with Alfa Romeo originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officials have confirmed that the newly reunified IndyCar series is contemplating a move to turbocharged engines by 2011. The move could entice more automakers - aside from Honda, which is the only engine manufacturer currently participating in the series - to join on as well. In a meeting held this past June, IRL officials spoke with a dozen automakers about joining the series, and several sounded enthusiastic at the prospect of switching from the current naturally-aspirated V8s to smaller turbocharged engines. The new formula would call for either four or six cylinders and either one or two spools, producing as much as 750 horsepower instead of the current 650. Officials expect three or four manufacturers to sign on to the new formula, which could be announced as early as December to give the manufacturers enough time to develop the new engines.

Turbochargers had been common in American open-wheel racing, but after the IRL and Champ Cars split, the former switched to non-boosted V8s while the latter continued with turbos. The bulk of the formula for the reunited series, however, was based on the IRL regulations. Many of the drivers competing in the series have been pushing for the switch, and responded enthusiastically to the news.

[Sources: Autosport and The Indianapolis Star, Photo by Jon Ferrey/Allsport/Getty]

Indy to go turbo by 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cartchamp carsChampCarsicsindyindy racing leagueindy turboindycarindycar turboIndycarTurboIndyRacingLeagueIndyTurboirlturbochargersMon, 25 Aug 2008 07:57:00 EST<![CDATA[IndyCar Series signs new television deal with Versus]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/13/indycar-series-signs-new-television-deal-with-versus/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/13/indycar-series-signs-new-television-deal-with-versus/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/13/indycar-series-signs-new-television-deal-with-versus/#commentsFiled under:

If you're keen to follow the reunited IndyCar Series, you may want to call up your cable or satellite provider and add Versus to your package. The channel has secured the rights to broadcast the series, moving the races over from ESPN.

Although the lesser-known Versus reaches some 20 million fewer homes than ESPN, the network is expected to offer extended coverage, with pre- and post-race shows and the possibility of Indy-related programming in between races, as well. Meanwhile, ABC has renewed its contract with IRL officials to broadcast five races - including the Indy 500 - each season. While the deal with Versus might seem like a step backwards from ESPN, the stability of consistent and extended coverage could help put open-wheel racing in America back on the map.

[Source: Autosport]

IndyCar Series signs new television deal with Versus originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday we reported that Danica Patrick would test with the Honda F1 team at the end of the season. That report was a false start: Honda F1 CEO Nick Fry said there was no arrangement for Danica to test, and that she and the team have had no contact. However, Fry did say that if she wanted to test, they "would be more than happy to speak to her about it." The original source for the Danica-will-be-testing article was an Austrian newspaper interview with the same Nick Fry, which even included a time frame for the test. Something was apparently lost in translation... Thanks for the tip, NIBAL!

[Source: SpeedTV]

Correction: Honda F1 not testing Danica, but would like to originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Danica Patrick, who races for the Honda-powered Andretti-Green IRL team, has spoken of wanting to make the jump to the world's premier form of motorsport, Formula 1. Later this year, according to Honda F1 CEO Nick Fry, the team is going to give her that chance. Danica will be put into Honda's Earth Dreams F1 car in November, probably at the Barcelona or Jerez tracks in Spain, for a full-scale test. Said Fry, "We will put her into our car after the season at the latest and see how quick she is."

The recent record of IndyCar drivers succeeding on the other side of the pond is mixed. It's still too early to tell with Sebastian Bourdais at Toro Rosso, though he appears to be handling things well enough. Jacques Villeneuve did well, but Michael Andretti did not. Scott Dixon, the 2003 IRL champ and 2008 Indy 500 winner tested with Williams-BMW in 2004, but didn't get a seat. Danica's already won a place in U.S. racing history. We'll find out in November if she's fast enough to do it in Europe, as well.

[Source: Eurosport, Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty]

Danica Patrick scores full test with Honda F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for huge high-res gallery of Champ Car action from Long Beach

We already told you about the final Champ Car race, how it marks the end of the series while signaling the start of a new era in American open-wheel racing. Although we think that we might have been among only a handful of fans to have noticed the series' demise (with most eyes glued to the Danica Patrick champagne bath over in Japan), we understand that with the reunification about to commence there should be happier times ahead for open top racing aficionados in the States. We didn't want it to pass, however, without a whole bunch of photos to commemorate the occasion. Besides this year's contenders the gallery includes some atmosphere shots of the spectacle surrounding Long Beach: The Queen Mary, C-17 and FA/18 flyovers, historic CART cars and plain old scenery shots. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed taking them.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: '08 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Grand Prix: Final Champ Car race gallery originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CARTChamp carChampCarIndyCarIRLlbgplong beachlong beach grand prixLongBeachLongBeachGrandPrixWed, 23 Apr 2008 20:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Long Beach Grand Prix: People Gallery]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for high-res gallery from this weekend's LBGP

American open-wheel racing just had a pretty big weekend, in case you missed it. While one era was beginning in Japan, another was ending at America's Monte Carlo. With reunification finally about to commence, the last Champ Car (nee CART) race ever was held at the street course in downtown Long Beach. While we've already told you the outcome, we also wanted to share some more photos. Although the race should be back on the schedule for '09, this weekend's race was truly the end of an era.

After 25 years of Champ Cars and their predecessors, next year's race will bring us a series that has a female driver who is an honest-to-goodness winner. And not only is she a winner (and a part-time swimsuit model), but she is pretty hardy too. After winning the race at Motegi, she and unfortunate runner-up Helio "Dancing with the Stars" Castroneves hopped on a plane and made it back to LAX and the LBGP by the time things wrapped up on Sunday afternoon.

While we didn't get any pics of Danica or Helio, we did manage to capture a few dozen shots of some of the drivers (mostly ALMS and Champ Car), and a few of the models too. Click below to check out some of the people that made this race weekend a memorable one.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: Long Beach Grand Prix: People Gallery

Long Beach Grand Prix: People Gallery originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view high-res gallery from Indy Japan 300

The third race of the IRL season and last event before the on set of the merger was history in the making. The Indy Japan 300 was a difficult race to get off the ground though, as rainy conditions cancelled qualifying and caused postponement of the race start.

Twin Ring Motegi will now forever be the site where the first female driver won an Indy Car event. Danica Patrick sealed the deal after passing Helio Castroneves with 2 laps to go in the 200 lap race. The historical event was made possible through excellent planning and strategy on the part of the Andretti Green team. Danica sat in fourth with 4 laps to go, but fuel starvation forced Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan into the pits. Fuel level was also an issue with Castroneves, he was in conservation mode in the final laps. Thanks to the efforts of her crew, Patrick had enough fuel to maintain speed throughout the race and take her first, and hopefully not last, win in the big leagues.

Gallery: Danica Patrick wins Indy Japan 300


[Source: AP]

Danica Patrick wins Indy Japan 300 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdanica patrickDanicaPatrickhelio castronevesHelioCastronevesirlJapan 300Japan300Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Open Arms in Open Wheels: reunited IndyCar season kicks off at Homestead]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/01/open-arms-in-open-wheels-reunited-indycar-season-kicks-off-at-h/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/01/open-arms-in-open-wheels-reunited-indycar-season-kicks-off-at-h/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/01/open-arms-in-open-wheels-reunited-indycar-season-kicks-off-at-h/#commentsFiled under:


Click above for more high-res pics from the Gainsco 300

If you've got the Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway TiVo'd and are waiting to watch it, read no further. Chances are that you haven't or aren't going to, though. Because while a spirit of camaraderie prevailed at Homestead, there wasn't a large live or television audience to witness it. Bear in mind, of course, that we're talking about American oval-track racing, whose stock-car counterpart ranks as the largest spectator sport in the country... only by those standards does a headcount of some 20,000 people in the stands count as small. By any other measure, though, the inaugural race of the reunited open-wheel series was a big success, its 26-car field ranking as the largest starting grid of any race (other than the Indy 500) either of the erstwhile separated series has had since 2003.

Gallery: Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway


[Source: AutoWeek]

Continue reading Open Arms in Open Wheels: reunited IndyCar season kicks off at Homestead

Open Arms in Open Wheels: reunited IndyCar season kicks off at Homestead originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champ carChampCargainscoindy300indycarindycar racing leagueindycar seriesIndycarRacingLeagueindycarseriesirlirl cartirl champIrlCartIrlChampmiami homesteadMiamiHomesteadreunited irlReunitedIrlTue, 01 Apr 2008 10:59:00 EST