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[Officially Official: Danica Patrick joining NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/officially-official-danica-patrick-joining-nascar-nationwide-se/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/officially-official-danica-patrick-joining-nascar-nationwide-se/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/officially-official-danica-patrick-joining-nascar-nationwide-se/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Danica Patrick No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet - Click above for high-res image gallery

The "Will she, won't she" debate is over - Danica Patrick is headed for closed-wheel racing in 2010. Patrick will race a partial schedule in next year's National Nationwide series in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, and she will also participate in one ARCA race. As a driver on the No. 7 team, she will be signed through 2011 to the JR Motorsports team that's owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Rick Hendrick, Kelley Earnhardt and Tony Eury, Jr. through 2011.

This bit of news is not to say that Danica is eschewing her open-wheel career - she will also continue to race her similarly day-glo green Andretti Autosport IndyCar, also in full GoDaddy.com regalia. The NASCAR events that she will race in will be interlaced with her IndyCar schedule, before, during, and after the open-wheel season.

Danica's first stock car race will be a February 6 ARCA race in Daytona, the day before the Super Bowl. As usual, her primary sponsors will feature Patrick in a slate of new commercials during the big NFL game, and we're willing to bet that they'll have a bit of NASCAR flavor. High-res gallery of her new ride below, official press release after the jump.


Gallery: Danica Patrick NASCAR


[Source: GoDaddy.com]

Continue reading Officially Official: Danica Patrick joining NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010

Officially Official: Danica Patrick joining NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ARCADanicaDanica PatrickDanicaPatrickEarnhardtfemale racerFemaleRacerGo DaddyGoDaddyGodaddy.comhendrickhendrick motorsportsHendrickMotorsportsIndy carIndyCarNASCARnationwideNationwide seriesNationwideSeriesstock carstock car racingstock carsStockCarStockCarRacingStockCarsSuper BowlSuper bowl commercialsSuperBowlSuperBowlCommercialsTue, 08 Dec 2009 13:29:00 EST<![CDATA[ESPN: Danica Patrick close to two-year NASCAR Nationwide deal]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/espn-danica-patrick-close-to-two-year-nascar-nationwide-deal/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/espn-danica-patrick-close-to-two-year-nascar-nationwide-deal/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/espn-danica-patrick-close-to-two-year-nascar-nationwide-deal/#commentsFiled under: ,



Rumors of IndyCar's Danica Patrick dipping a toe into the stock car racing pool have been swirling for months, but a new report suggests that an end to the rumors is near. ESPN says that Patrick is on the verge of signing a NASCAR Nationwide Series contract with JR Motorsports, the operation owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Unnamed sources that spoke to ESPN call the talks "near their final phase" and comment that it'd be a "surprise if it didn't happen." In any case, don't expect a formal announcement until sometime after the Sprint Cup chase draws to a conclusion on November 22.

The potential move to JR Motorsports was made possible when driver Brad Keslowski jumped ship to join Roger Penske's NASCAR Sprint Cup team. According to ESPN, Patrick is angling to drive the number 7 car (the same number she runs in IndyCar), which would replace the current JR Motorsports number 5 car. Since Danica will continue to run the full IndyCar schedule as well, she'd be a part-time driver for JR Motorsports, sharing the race car with Junior and another unnamed driver. If the signing happens and NASCAR gives its blessing, Danica will make her first stock car appearance in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA race on Feb. 6 during the Daytona Speedweeks, and go on to drive in 12 to 13 Nationwide Series races during the 2010 season. Frankly, given NASCAR's feel for marketing and Danica's undeniable celebrity, we see no way that she won't be in place for a debut during the February Speedweeks, assuming she does indeed ink the rumored deal.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Robert Laberge/Getty]

ESPN: Danica Patrick close to two-year NASCAR Nationwide deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Brad KeslowskiBradKeslowskidanicadanica patrickDanicaPatrickESPNIndy carIndyCarJr motorsportsjr motorsports ESPNJrMotorsportsJrMotorsportsEspnnascarnationwide seriesNationwideSeriesroger penskeRogerPenskesprint cupSprintCupThu, 05 Nov 2009 10:39:00 EST<![CDATA[BREAKING: Indy chief Tony George reportedly resigns]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/breaking-indy-chief-tony-george-resigns/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/breaking-indy-chief-tony-george-resigns/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/breaking-indy-chief-tony-george-resigns/#commentsFiled under: ,



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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakinggeorgehulman georgeHulmanGeorgeindianapolisindianapolis motor speedwayindianapolismotorspeedwayindyindy carindy car seriesindy racing leagueIndyCarIndyCarSeriesIndyRacingLeagueirltonytony georgeTonyGeorgeTue, 30 Jun 2009 18:28:00 EST<![CDATA[IndyCars to go Italian? IRL in talks with Alfa Romeo]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/19/indycars-to-go-italian-irl-in-talks-with-alfa-romeo/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/19/indycars-to-go-italian-irl-in-talks-with-alfa-romeo/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/19/indycars-to-go-italian-irl-in-talks-with-alfa-romeo/#commentsFiled under: ,

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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Every year the driver who wins the Atlantic Series gets a $2 million grant earmarked towards moving up to the Champ Car World Series. Critics say it's not enough to secure a ride in the competitive racing class, but who's going to turn down a multi-million-dollar purse? Raphael Matos, that's who. The cash-strapped Brazilian driver needs the green to continue racing, but rather than take the money and run, as Steve Miller would advise, Matos is instead moving over next season to the Indy Pro Series, Atlantic's equivalent in the competing IRL framework. Andretti Green Racing is giving him a ride as a stepping-stone to the full-fat IndyCar Series for 2009. Matos may continue to drive for Team Brazil in A1GP, as well.

While the snubbed officials at Champ Car try to figure out what to do with Matos' prize money - it could go to runner-up Franck Perera - they've also got to find a replacement for Executive VP and race director Tony Cotman who is leaving his job. Cotman's departure follows that of Beaux Barfield (seriously, that's his name) who was replaced by Johnny Unser as director of the Atlantic series. That on top of four-time series champion Sebastien Bourdais' departure to race in Formula One means Champ Car racing could be running on its last set of tires before the wheels come off altogether.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Champ Car Atlantic champ turns down $2 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click image to view more shots of the street-legal Indy car

The DuPont Registry is the car shopping guide many of us use for that mission-critical research on what to buy when the good ship Powerball sails into our lives. After all, you can never be too prepared for that sort of thing. The August issue has a real gem nestled among the countless Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Lamborghinis you'd normally expect to see in the Registry's glossy pages.

It's even less practical than the most cramped exotic, too. It seats one, and that seat belonged to Eddie Cheever back in 2000. It's a Dallara Indy Car, and yes, it's 100% street legal. Back in its day, a 3.5L methanol-fueled Infiniti V8 sat behind the driver, and while the Infiniti decals still adorn the bodywork, a small-block Chevy provides motivation today. Wearing its original livery, the car's outfitted with all the required lighting, runs on pump gas, has electric start, a carbon fiber and leather-surrounded cockpit, 5 gauges and launches like a sportbike with its 2.5-second 0-60 time. In an era where the phrase "racer for the street" has become become cliché, this bad boy lives up to the description in every sense.

The car was put up for auction on eBay back in December but didn't meet reserve. The old listing's still up, where you can find additional pics, info and video.

Gallery Note: Some pictures appear distorted when first viewed because the gallery sets the preview size automatically, and the images are actually smaller than that default size. To see them in undistorted form, just click them again, and they'll reduce down to their correct original size. Apologies for the inconvenience.

[Source: DuPont Registry, August 2007 issue]

Gallery: Street Legal 2000 Dallara Indy Car

Never be late again: Street-legal Dallara Indy Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AutoblogGreen just ran a story we wanted to make sure all of our readers were aware of, so we're running it here, too. It looks like the days of hybrids being seen by some people as pure exercises in extended fuel economy are numbered. Maybe someday soon people will start to associate fuel-cell hybrids with high performance and even, dare we say it, racing.

It seems that hybrids will be hitting the track soon. A new racing series run by the recently founded Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation was announced on Wednesday. The series hopes to stage its first races by 2009. As you may have guessed, the cars in this series will be electric hybrids powered by hydrogen.

Autoextremist founder/publisher Peter M. DeLorenzo is the President and CEO of the new organization. And this isn't some rinky-dink egghead endeavor, either. Executives from Bridgestone-Firestone and Michelin, Indy Car's own Tony George, and Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series are behind this new series. It looks like a pretty powerful group. At the center of the series will be the Hydrogen 500. Click over to AB Green for the rest of the story and additional links. We'll certainly keep you posted as more info becomes available.

[Source: AB Green]

Hydrogen 500: The world's first hydrogen race coming in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>American Le Mans SeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesautobloggreenBridgestone-FirestoneHydrogen Electric Racing FederationHydrogenElectricRacingFederationIndy CarIndyCarMichelinPeter M. DeLorenzoPeterM.DelorenzoScott AthertonScottAthertonTony GeorgeTonyGeorgeFri, 12 Jan 2007 19:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Spoiler Alert: IndyCar Series races in the rain, chaos ensues]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/06/spoiler-alert-indycar-series-races-in-the-rain-chaos-ensues/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/06/spoiler-alert-indycar-series-races-in-the-rain-chaos-ensues/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/06/spoiler-alert-indycar-series-races-in-the-rain-chaos-ensues/#commentsFiled under:

The series formerly known as the IRL held its first-ever race in the rain on Sunday, in an eventful (and definitely TiVo-worthy) race at the famous Watkins Glen road course.

Details after the jump...

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: IndyCar Series races in the rain, chaos ensues

Spoiler Alert: IndyCar Series races in the rain, chaos ensues originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jun 2006 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A busy racing weekend, particularly for open-wheel fans!

North American TV broadcast times and channels from tvracer.com, all times shown as Eastern.

American Le Mans Series: Lone Star Grand Prix, Houston
A rare visit to a street circuit for the ALMS is proving tough for Champion Racing's venerable Audi R8, which only managed a fourth-place grid spot in qualifying, behind pole-sitter James Weaver's Lola (right), and the two LMP2 Porsche RS Spyders of Penske Racing. The much lighter LMP2 cars should have a good shot at an outright victory on short, tight street circuits like Houston's Reliant Park - if they can survive the bumps. Despite a recently-imposed ALMS weight penalty, the GM Racing Corvettes qualified one-two in GT1, less than a second ahead of the two Aston Martin DBR9s. Home town heroes Risi Competizione put their Ferrari F430GT at the top of the GT2 grid, with the top five GT2 cars all within a second.

The race is Friday night in Houston, and on TV Saturday. If you can't wait, listen to ALMS live radio and watch live timing and scoring at www.americanlemans.com.

Saturday, 1pm, CBS [delayed broadcast from Friday - beware spoilers!]

Lots more racing action after the jump....

Continue reading Motorsports this weekend: May 13-14

Motorsports this weekend: May 13-14 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 May 2006 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>almsamerican le mansAmericanLeMansf1formula 1formula onegrand amgrand american sports carindy 500indy carIndyCarnascarnextel cuprolex sports carFri, 12 May 2006 18:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Danica Patrick to race into bookstore near you]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/20/danica-patrick-set-to-race-into-bookstore-near-you/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/20/danica-patrick-set-to-race-into-bookstore-near-you/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/20/danica-patrick-set-to-race-into-bookstore-near-you/#commentsFiled under: ,

Indy Racing League fan favorite Danica Patrick will return to Indianapolis next month, where she hopes to improve on her fourth place finish in last year's rookie campaign. But Patrick isn't just gearing up for the race, the talented and comely racer is on the cusp of releasing her autobiography.

Danica Patrick: Crossing The Line was actually penned by biographer Laura Morton, but the racing star insists she was very much in the driver's seat during the entire writing process.

The book is slated to hit retail shelves May 25.

[Source: The Associated Press via the San Jose Mercury News; Amazon.com]

Danica Patrick to race into bookstore near you originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Apr 2006 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was a weekend marred by tragedy in motorsports, with the deaths of co-driver Joerg Bastuck in the Rally Catalunya and rookie Paul Dana in the Toyota 300 Indycar race in Florida casting a shadow over the sport.

WRC: Sebastien Loeb made it two in a row, following up his win in Rally Mexico with a victory across the pond in Spain's Catalunya Rally. Loeb (shown at right) finished with 48 seconds in hand over Kronos/Citroen teammate (and local hero) Dani Sordo. Ford's Marcus Gronholm captured the last step on the podium, after charging back from 10th place following engine problems on Friday. Full rally coverage here.

Loeb leads the championship by 9 points over Gronholm.

More weekend highlights after the jump...

Continue reading [Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: March 25-26

[Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: March 25-26 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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