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[Gil de Ferran to step out of the cockpit and expand team to IndyCar]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/10/gil-de-ferran-to-step-out-of-the-cockpit-and-expand-team-to-indy/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/10/gil-de-ferran-to-step-out-of-the-cockpit-and-expand-team-to-indy/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/10/gil-de-ferran-to-step-out-of-the-cockpit-and-expand-team-to-indy/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Gil de Ferran driving his Acura AXR-02a - click above for a high-res image gallery

Shortly after grabbing the overall pole position for Saturday's American Le Mans Series Race at Mid-Ohio, Gil de Ferran announced that he would again hang up his helmet at the end of the 2009 season. Instead of driving, de Ferran intends to expand his race team, adding a second sports car in ALMS as well as a two-car effort in the IRL IndyCar series.

This is not the first de Ferran has walked away from competitive driving. He retired from the Penske IndyCar team in 2003 to take up a slot as Sporting Director of the Honda F1 team. Early in 2008 he announced his return to the cockpit with the formation of de Ferran Motorsports and took advantage of his long-time association with Honda to get a third Acura LMP2 car in 2008. This year his team, along with Highcroft Racing, lead Acura's move to LMP1. Gil and team-mate Simon Pagenaud have won the last three ALMS races and are currently second in the championship.


Gallery: Mid-Ohio 2009: De Ferran Acura ARX-02a


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Gil de Ferran to step out of the cockpit and expand team to IndyCar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:33:00 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 IndyCar Series at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

In what was the hottest day of the year so far in Southern California, a full field took to to the streets for the 35th running of the Grand Prix of Long Beach. This was the first time the event has been run with the combined teams from IRL and Champ car since the two joined forces early last year. In qualifying on Saturday, Will Power had captured pole just ahead of Dario Franchitti followed by rookie Raphael Matos and E.J. Viso. Just a day after being acquited on six accounts of tax evasion, Helio Castroneves arrived at the track to qualify in eighth place after just one practice session. Hit the jump for a recap and results from the race, and be sure to check out plenty of high-res photos in the gallery below.


Gallery: 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach



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

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:58:00 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.

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Competition is a good thing, right? If so, IndyCar racing is slated to improve within the next few years as the series branches out to include multiple engine suppliers. As it currently stands, Honda, which has been the sole engine supplier for IndyCar since 2006, will continue with its current contract through the 2010 season at least. IndyCar organizers would like to have a few new contracts in place by 2011, but the slow economy and fewer dollars earmarked for motorsports may push that date off until 2012.

In addition to Honda, which would like to stay in the series, Audi, Fiat, Porsche and Volkswagen are all currently negotiating with the racing league to offer alternative powertrain options. The current engines all displace 3.5 liters and are limited to 10,300 rpm, making about 650 horsepower running on ethanol fuel. The next contract will likely call for engines displacing 2.0 liters and feature turbocharging and direct injection. Both four cylinder and six cylinder options are being considered.

[Source: USA Today]

New Indy engine could be delayed, three manufacturers in the mix originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>indy racing leagueindycarindycar engineindycar racingindycar seriesindycar turboIndycarEngineIndycarRacingIndycarSeriesIndycarTurboIndyRacingLeagueThu, 05 Feb 2009 16:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Rahal-Letterman to quit IRL unless a sponsor steps up]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/rahal-letterman-to-quit-irl-unless-a-sponsor-steps-up/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/rahal-letterman-to-quit-irl-unless-a-sponsor-steps-up/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/rahal-letterman-to-quit-irl-unless-a-sponsor-steps-up/#commentsFiled under:


Click for a gallery of shots from the 2008 Detroit Grand Prix

Roger Penske once said "the quickest way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a large fortune." Bobby Rahal is a racer, but he's no fool, and he appears to be taking Penske's sage words to heart. Unless a company steps up in the next couple of months with a truck-load of cash, Rahal-Letterman Racing won't be fielding a car in the 2009 IRL season. Rahal has seen plenty of other teams soldier on without a sponsor over the years only to finish at the back of the pack (if they finish at all) until they go bust. Rahal doesn't plan to be in that spot now that the ethanol company that sponsored his IndyCar team has pulled out. He and his partner David Letterman want to run in IndyCar, but if no one steps up before the the season opener on April 5, they won't be fielding a team. Rahal is confident the crew can at least line up something for the Indy 500 and the firm plans to remain in business regardless of what happens on the IRL front. The team has operations in Indy Lights, Formula BMW Americas and its factory ALMS GT2 program with the new BMW M3.

Gallery: Detroit Grand Prix 08: IndyCars


[Source: TSN]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Rahal-Letterman to quit IRL unless a sponsor steps up originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:31:00 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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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.

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Scott Dixon, racing for the Target Chip Ganassi IRL team, is your pole sitter for the upcoming Indy 500. Scott took the front spot with a 4-lap average of 226.366 MPH, about 0.5 MPH faster than last year's pole sitter. Slotting in behind Dixon is his teammate, Dan Wheldon, just a fraction slower at 226.110 MPH.

The first 22 slots in the 32-car field have been decided. Dixon and Wheldon will be followed by Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick, Tony Kanann and Marco Andretti as the top six. The final 11 slots will be decided this Saturday and Sunday. The 92nd Indy 500 takes place on Sunday, May 25.

[Source: AP]

Scott Dixon grabs Indy 500 pole originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 May 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The new rule at the Indy Racing League (IRL) says the minimum weight for cars will now include the driver. That's good news for Ed Carpenter. At 165 pounds, he's the heaviest driver in the series (if anyone can call that "heavy"). On the other hand, it appears to penalize Danica Patrick -- the petite driver, the lightest in the series, can barely tip the scale over 100 pounds. The IRL insists the new rule isn't targeting Danica. Nevertheless, she's not very happy.

The weight difference is more significant than many think. In fact, it has been estimated that a 65-pound weight difference could mean as much as a 1-mph advantage during a race. To even the field, the new rule will divide the drivers into three categories. The heavy group get weight cut, while the lightest group will get ballast added - to the vehicle's chassis, not the driver's derrière. We don't want to affect Danica's swimsuit modeling career, do we?

[Source: Inside Line, Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty]

New IRL rule weighs heavy on Danica Patrick originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"In anything like this there are winners and losers and all the Champ Car teams were the losers." These are the words of Paul Stoddart, the racing team chief who campaigned his Minardi team last year in Champ Cars and previously in Formula One. Stoddart's words echo those of departed multiple champion Sebastien Bourdais; Minardi is just one of the Champ Car teams that won't be making the switch to IRL next season following the merger between Indy and Champ Cars.

In fact, most of the major teams from the Champ Car World Series won't be making the jump. As we reported earlier, Forsythe can't afford the reinvestment. Neither can Walker Racing. Newman Haas Lanigan Racing will, however, while former Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven will give it a shot, but, like Stoddart, is also looking for a way into Formula One. With the former Minardi F1 team, now known as Toro Rosso, up for sale, and Super Aguri looking not long for this world, they may have a chance. Where that leaves Champ Cars, on the other hand, is looking like little more than a footnote in American racing history as this "merger of equals" is shaping up to be about as equal as the one that dissolved between Daimler-Benz and Chrysler.

[Source: GrandPrix.com, Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty]

Champ Car teams dropping like flies following IRL merger originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The fallout from the Indy Car/Champ Car merger has begun to rear its ugly head. First, superpower team Forsythe Racing announced its departure from the scene. and now Champ Car has officially filed for bankruptcy. The disruption of the scheduled 2008 Champ Car season leaves contracts broken and bills to pay, but no event revenue to balance the budget. Bankruptcy court papers reveal that the dying series has a multitude of creditors knocking on its door. One of these is engine supplier Cosworth, which is seeking payment of $1.825 million. The compounded liabilities must add up to quite a hefty sum if the series is still in the negative even after the IRL's purchase of Champ Car's major assets. As part of the deal, Tony George is shoveling out $6 million for mobile support facilities along with a total of $4 million for the promotion and production of the 2008 Long Beach Grand Prix. Once the filing passes through court, the final edition of the contract between Indy Car and Champ Car can be inked.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Champ Car files for bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had just reported that an agreement to reunite the estranged U.S. open wheel racing series of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series was all but inked, and now it is officially official. The two sides have issues a press release revealing the IRL founder and CEO Tony George, who occasioned the split in the first place, and the owners of Champ Car have officially signed a deal to bring the two series together again. We reported already on all of the logistical hurdles that had to be jumped, not the least of which is combining the season schedules of both series. It appears that all of the wrinkles have been ironed out, and both sides will be presenting the nitty gritty details in a press conference that's just listed as "forthcoming".

Will the joined series be a force once again in motorsports? F1 is considered the pinnacle of racing on a global scale, and NASCAR is the WWE of car racing with legions of fans, while even the Le Mans Series, particularly the ALMS, has grown to become an extremely well respected series. As such, we're both curious and cautious when it comes to making predictions about open-wheel racing in the U.S., but are glad these once warring factions have buried the proverbial hatchet and will get back to racing. Thanks to everyone who sent us this tip!

[Source: IndyCar.com]

BREAKING: IRL and Champ Car unification agreement signed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bobby rahalBobbyRahalbreakingChamp CarChamp Car World SeriesChampCarChampCarWorldSeriesIndy Racing LeagueIndyRacingLeagueIRLIRL Champ Car reuniteIrlChampCarReunitetony georgeTonyGeorgeFri, 22 Feb 2008 16:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Champ Car and IRL working hard on truce for 2008 season]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/08/champ-car-and-irl-working-on-truce-for-2008-season/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/08/champ-car-and-irl-working-on-truce-for-2008-season/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/08/champ-car-and-irl-working-on-truce-for-2008-season/#commentsFiled under:

Champ Car and the Indy Racing League, the two de facto open wheel racing series in North America since CART split after the 1995 season, are reportedly close to a truce that could reunite the two series as soon as the 2008 season. AutoWeek is reporting that Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and league chairman of the IRL, along with two of his associates, flew to Motegi, Japan recently to meet with track officials about changing the date of the Motegi race on April 19th. The reason is because the IRL race conflicts with the Long Beach Grand Prix, a mainstay on the Champ Car schedule. In order to consolidate the season schedules of both series, officials from both sides are apparently working hard to resolve conflicts like this. The fact that Tony George himself would fly to Japan indicates to AutoWeek that the man responsible for the split in the first place is serious about mending what he helped rend apart. And date conflicts between races are but one obstacle among many in bringing the two series back together, though they appear to be the biggest thing in the way of a resolution that could see a unified open-wheel racing series back on track in 2008.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Champ Car and IRL working hard on truce for 2008 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cartchamp carChampCarindy racing leagueIndyRacingLeagueirltony georgeTonyGeorgetruceFri, 08 Feb 2008 13:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Detroit Grand Prix 2007 Wrap: IRL Behind the scenes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/09/detroit-grand-prix-2007-irl-behind-the-scenes/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/09/detroit-grand-prix-2007-irl-behind-the-scenes/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/09/detroit-grand-prix-2007-irl-behind-the-scenes/#commentsFiled under: ,


Marco Andretti's crew swapping gears, click for more

During the Detroit Grand Prix weekend, we got a backstage tour of the IRL paddock area and learned about some of what goes on. The tour kicked off in the tech inspection area, where every car has to go before and after each on-track session. As the cars are rolled up the ramps to the inspection platform an inspector actually lies on the floor under the ramps to check out the bottom of the car. They look for anything that should be there that isn't, things that are there that shouldn't and signs of damage.

Once the car is on the platform, it sits on four scales that check to see whether the car meets the minimum weight. At this point, ground clearances and wing heights and positions can be checked. Once that's done, the scales are actually lowered and inspectors verify that the car's floor is flat where it should be. Only after a car has passed the tech inspection is it allowed on track.

Continue the backstage tour after the jump.

Gallery: Detroit GP 2007: IRL Backstsage


Continue reading Detroit Grand Prix 2007 Wrap: IRL Behind the scenes

Detroit Grand Prix 2007 Wrap: IRL Behind the scenes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Sep 2007 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firestoneindy racing leagueIndyRacingLeagueSun, 09 Sep 2007 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Detroit Grand Prix 2007: The IRL on Belle Isle - And they're off!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/detroit-grand-prix-2007-the-irl-on-belle-isle-and-theyre-off/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/detroit-grand-prix-2007-the-irl-on-belle-isle-and-theyre-off/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/detroit-grand-prix-2007-the-irl-on-belle-isle-and-theyre-off/#commentsFiled under:


Castroneves leads Franchitti into turn 1, click for more

The first IRL race at Belle Isle in Detroit is underway and twenty laps in pole sitter Helio Castroneves Castro Neves still leads Andretti-Green's Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan. The cars are flying under the bright sunshine here in the middle of the Detroit River. Roger Penske ordered up perfect weather for this event.

Update: Results after the jump

Gallery: Detroit GP 2007: IRL race action

Continue reading Detroit Grand Prix 2007: The IRL on Belle Isle - And they're off!

Detroit Grand Prix 2007: The IRL on Belle Isle - And they're off! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Sep 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>detroit grand prixDetroitGrandPrixindy racing leagueIndyRacingLeagueSun, 02 Sep 2007 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Detroit Grand Prix 2007: IRL Sunday morning warmup photos]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/detroit-grand-prix-2007-irl-sunday-morning-warmup/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/detroit-grand-prix-2007-irl-sunday-morning-warmup/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/detroit-grand-prix-2007-irl-sunday-morning-warmup/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click the photo of polesitter Helio Castroneves for more warmup shots

The IndyCars just finished up their final warmup for todays' race on Belle Isle. Helio Castroneves ended up on top of the session, with Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti swapping their qualifying positions, coming in second and third respectively. The teams are now heading back to the paddock to finish their final preparations before they lineup on the grid at 2:30 this afternoon. 21 photos from the session can be seen in the attached gallery below.

Gallery: Detroit GP 2007: IRL Warmup

Detroit Grand Prix 2007: IRL Sunday morning warmup photos originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdetroit grand prixDetroitGrandPrixindy racing leagueIndyRacingLeagueSun, 02 Sep 2007 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Honda hearts Linux, wants cash]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/24/honda-hearts-linux-wants-cash/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/24/honda-hearts-linux-wants-cash/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/24/honda-hearts-linux-wants-cash/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Linux is pretty good at harnessing processor speed, and Chastain Motorsports is hoping to snare some of that effect to propel their Panoz/Honda to victory. The distinctive Penguin logo, "Tux," has been affixed to the nose of the 200+ MPH car in anticipation of meeting a donation goal. The famously open-source OS is applying that philosophy to sponsorship. The Tux 500 is an effort to raise $350,000 in exchange for those high-speed chilled fowl on the race car. There are perks for large donation amounts, but there is no shame in collecting lots of $1 gifts, either. It is an interesting concept, and we will be looking for the distinctive blue car when the checkered flag drops at the Indy 500. As long as the effort secures $25,000, the decals will stay on the car. Currently, donations total $7,600, and the organizers are confident that they'll at least make it to that $25K figure.

[Source: Wired]

Honda hearts Linux, wants cash originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>500hondaindianapolisindianapolis 500Indianapolis500indyindy 500indy racing leagueIndy500IndyRacingLeagueIRLleaguelinuxopen sourceOpenSourcepanozracingtux 500Tux500Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:58:00 EST