Autoblog

IndyCar: Sparks fly as thrilling Indy 300 closes season [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 10:11:00 EST

2010 Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Heading into the final race of the 2010 IRL IZOD IndyCar Series Championship, early championship leader Will Power clung to a 12-point lead over the fast-closing Dario Franchitti. The two drivers had each been strong on ovals or road courses, but not both. Franchitti was crowned the oval champ, earning the A.J. Foyt trophy, while Power had won the road race crown, picking up the Mario Andretti trophy. Power had shown a level of dominance through the mid-season road and street races that made his title lead look insurmountable. But Franchitti racked up more points in the latest oval races as Power struggled to get good results.

That brought the title fight down to the last race of the season at the Miami-Homestead oval: The Cafes do Brasil Indy 300. Follow the jump to see who took the 2010 IndyCar Championship and how it came to be.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Cafes do Brasil Indy 300

[Images: Chris Graythen, Nick Laham/Getty | Alan Diaz, Terry Renna/AP]

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IndyCar: Sparks fly as thrilling Indy 300 closes season [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Indy Japan 300 settles oval championship [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Indy Japan 300 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Heading into Saturday, only two races remained in the 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season, and the championship is coming down to the wire. Team Penske's Will Power raced to an early lead in the standings, his dominating performances on the road and street courses earning him the inaugural Mario Andretti award as the road course champ.

Team Target Chip Ganassi teammates Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon headed to Japan in second and third respectively and first and second in the oval championship standings. Power's lead before the green flag waved at Twin Ring Motegi was 17 points over Dario, the same lead Franchitti has over Dixon in the race for the A.J. Foyt oval champ award. This weekend's Indy Japan 300 was crucial, with the potential to end with both championships decided even though the season's final race at Homestead is still two weeks away.

Follow the jump to see how it played out.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Kentucky Indy 300

[Images: Jonathan Ferrey, Chris Graythen/Jiji Press/AFP/Getty, Shizuo Kambayashi, Greg Baker/AP]

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IndyCar: 2010 Indy Japan 300 settles oval championship [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Las Vegas campaigning for Indy season closer

Noah Joseph — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

It's been a few years since single-seaters roared through America's Playground, but they could be back before we know it. And back in a big way, if the latest reports from the world of motorsport materialize.

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted IRL races from 1996 to 2000 and Champ Cars from 2003 to 2005, and continues to hold NASCAR races, along with a handful of racing schools and other events. The circuit's chief Bruton Smith, however, is now reportedly campaigning to get the joint open-wheel series back on track (so to speak) for next year. If successful, the Vegas oval could play host to the season finale, a slot currently held by Miami-Homestead.

The IRL is expected to announce next year's calendar on September 10 (just a few days from now), so one way or another, we'll be finding out shortly.

[Source: Autosport]

Las Vegas campaigning for Indy season closer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 comes down to fuelish decisions [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Kentucky Indy 300 from Kentucky Speedway - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the IRL IndyCar Series, the 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 was all about the number "200." It was the 200th race in IRL history. The drivers would be running 200 laps around the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway. And the speeds would be well above 200 mph as the field of 27 cars ran inches away from each other under the lights of Kentucky. Among those 27 drivers was last year's runner-up, Ed Carpenter, who still hasn't scored a full-time ride, and Paul Tracy, the fan favorite who seems to never get rusty. Maybe we'll have to start calling him Platinum Paul.

Last week's winner Dario Franchitti was making things interesting in the race for the championship by closing the gap to points leader Will Power who hasn't done as well as some of the others - including Franchitti - on ovals. Kentucky is an oval, of course, and so are Motegi and Miami, the final two races of the season. Would Power be able to get that monkey off his back? Would Franchitti take the win and close the gap even further? Would the talented and hard luck Ed Carpenter finally head to Victory Lane? Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 went down.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Kentucky Indy 300

[Images: Chris Graythen, Streeter Lecka/Getty Images | Ed Reinke, James Crisp/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 comes down to fuelish decisions [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 comes down to fuelish decisions [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 from Chicagoland Speedway - Click above for high-res image gallery

It might seem that the 2010 IndyCar championship is a foregone conclusion. After all, Team Penske's Will Power has a sizable lead in the standings and there are just four races left to run. Ah, but those four are all on ovals, and Will has never claimed the top step of the podium at an oval track. Plus, right behind Power in the race for the overall IZOD IndyCar Championship are Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon - two drivers who have considerably better luck than Power when everybody only has to turn left.

In fact, Dixon leads Franchitti in the new-for-2010 A.J. Foyt Oval Champion standings. Furthermore, Dixon basically owns this week's venue - Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois - despite never actually winning there. That might seem like a contradiction, but Scott has been the bridesmaid on five separate occasions at Chicagoland.

IndyCar's return to the ovals also means bigger fields, with 29 drivers lined up to run for the checkers on Saturday night. Among those 29 were a record five female drivers - Ana Beatriz, Milka Duno, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick and Simona de Silvestro. Would Dixon finally take the win in Chicago? Would Dario claim victory and close the gap on Power? Would one of the ladies break through and be the first across the stripe? Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 from Chicagoland Speedway played out.

Gallery: 2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 from Chicagoland Speedway

[Images: Jonathan Ferrey, Streeter Lecka/Getty Images | Skip Stewart, Nam Y. Huh, Warren Wimmer/AP]

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IndyCar: 2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Click above for high-res image gallery

Just five races remain on the 2010 Indy Racing League IndyCar schedule, and only one of those is a road course. The final four rounds of the championship will all be contested on ovals - but this weekend the drivers will be taking on Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Last race at Mid-Ohio, series points leader Will Power saw his lead shrink a bit when second place Dario Franchitti took the win. Still, Power clinched the inaugural Mario Andretti trophy for being the road course champ. Not a lot of drivers have a shot at catching the seemingly invincible super Power, but Franchitti has a better track record at Sonoma...and on ovals.

In fact, Power had a pretty nasty crash at Infineon just last year, while Franchitti claimed victory, so it was going to be interesting to see if 2010 would bring a reversal of fortune for the duo. Heading into qualifying, Power was looking to extend his consecutive pole position record and secure enough points to give him a bigger buffer going into the ovals, which haven't been as lucky for him to date. Follow the jump to see how things played out at Infineon.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma

[Images: Donald Miralle, Christian Petersen/Getty Images | George Nikitin, Rich Pedroncelli/AP]

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IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: A century of Indianapolis 500 entrants féted at Pebble

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Racing

Indianapolis 500 100th Anniversary at Pebble Beach - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 this May represented the 100th Anniversary of "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing." The unbroken streak halted a total of five years during our involvement with the two World Wars. It's hard to believe we've had this legendary race for that long, but the centennial was certainly deserving of recognition - and although perhaps a bit incongruous to some, it was celebrated in grand style at no less than the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. As America's premier race, why not have America's - and perhaps the world's - premier classic car event host the festivities?

A large class of past Indy winners and notable contenders gathered in Pebble Beach on Sunday. Take a look at our gallery and you will see most, if not all, of the entrants - many on rare special loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum:

1911 Marmon "Wasp"
1920 Peugeot 3 Litre
1928 Miller "Front Drive Special"
1934 Ringling & Henning "Wonder Bread Special"
1938 Maserati 8CTF "Boyle Valve Special"
1950 Kurtis "Cummins Diesel Special"
1953 Kurtis Kraft KK 500B "Bardahl Special" B
1961 Cooper T51 "Kimberly Cooper-Climax Special"
1961 Watson "Bowes Seal Fast Special"
1965 Lotus 38 "Powered by Ford"
1972 McLaren "Sunoco Special"

Some incredible cars with the strongest of pedigrees are in there, and the best part of this class was seeing how much things have changed while some things seem to stay the same despite the era. Take a look at the gallery below and see the evolution of Indy race cars over a century.

Gallery: Indianapolis 500 100th Anniversary at Pebble Beach

Monterey 2010: A century of Indianapolis 500 entrants féted at Pebble originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2010 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio - Click above for high-res image gallery

With just six races left on the schedule, the IndyCar Series moved to its penultimate road course event: Mid-Ohio. While series leader Will Power was in position to wrap up the inaugural Mario Andretti trophy for the series road course champion, he also had a good shot at putting the overall championship out of reach as well. While that was a pretty big deal, everyone was still talking about the crazy ending to the last race at Edmonton.

To recap, Helio Castroneves was black-flagged for taking the inside line while leading into turn 1 on a restart, but he ignored the order and stayed on track just in case. When he drove into the vicinity of victory lane three laps later, he was deflected aside. Helio jumped out of his car, looking for anyone with a headset who might be able to explain why the race leader would have to give up his hard-fought lead so late in the race. He didn't get much of an answer - at least not right away. Chief Steward Brian Barnhart reviewed the tapes and stuck to his on-field call. For good measure, he fined Castroneves $60,000 for his tantrum.

While that pretty much eliminated Helio from championship contention, there was still a race to run this weekend. Follow the jump to see how things played out at Mid-Ohio.

Gallery: 2010 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

[Images: Chris Graythen, Rick Dole, Robert Laberge/Getty Images, Jay LaPrete/AP]

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IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Helio Castroneves reportedly fined $60,000 for Edmonton tirade

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The Indy Racing League has handed down its punishment in the case of the race winner who was robbed. Following the controversial end of the IndyCar race in Edmonton last week, apparent winner Helio Castroneves drove into the pits, hopped out of his car and went after anyone wearing IRL gear. We showed you the video of the incident (now removed) a few days ago and most of you seemed to think Helio was in the right. He may have had a good reason to be upset, but the IRL stood by its decision after giving it some extra thought.

Now that they've had more than a week to mull things over, they've decided that Helio's reaction was too aggressive to go unpunished. They've slapped the charismatic driver with a $60,000 fine and put him on probation for the rest of the season. The monetary fines always hurt at some level, but it's the principle behind it that matters more here. The IRL is standing up for their decision - and their employees - and saying that if a driver has a problem with a race decision they need to use the proper channels to appeal it.

[Source: The Indianapolis Star]

Helio Castroneves reportedly fined $60,000 for Edmonton tirade originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar offers fans a chance to design 2012 aero kits

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Design/Style

2012 IndyCar Concepts - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Indy Racing League announced a "new"chassis for the 2012 season, but left open the possibility for other companies to design the "clothes" that chassis will wear. The hope was that some new names will enter the running if the teams only have to spend development dollars on the aero bits rather than designing and building a whole car. So far names like Boeing, Honda and Lotus have been mentioned, but there could be dozens of entries by the time the 2012 season starts. Would you like to add your own name to that list? The IRL has posted several renderings of the new Indy Safety Cell and is allowing you to post your designs in a gallery for all the world to see. The top design could make some hitherto unknown graphic artist famous.

You can click over to the IndyCar website to get more details or check out our gallery to download the renderings and get started on your 2012 IndyCar. The basic chassis will still be built by Dallara, which is going to open a new plant right alongside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It will be sold to teams for a fraction of what the current chassis costs, but the teams will also have to buy a new engine and bodywork to complete the package. The whole setup will still cost teams far less than in the past, with the hopes that more businesses will find it affordable to enter the 2012 IRL championship... and save open-wheel U.S. racing in the process.

Gallery: 2012 IndyCar aero kit concepts

[Source: Indy Racing League]

IndyCar offers fans a chance to design 2012 aero kits originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton offers a view to a thrill [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Canada, Racing

2010 Honda Indy Edmonton - Click above for high-res image gallery

The IndyCar Series stayed north of the border after the last race in Toronto, moving from the street circuit around the CN Tower to the City Centre Airport course in Edmonton. One of the best tracks for fans, the flat circuit offers views of most of the action from virtually any vantage point. The view the drivers were seeing going into Sunday's race was all too familiar - Will Power was back to his dominating ways, with quickest times in practice and through much of qualifying. Would last year's winner hold on for the pole? Would he capture another win, distancing himself even further from the rest of the pack in the championship standings?

Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton played out.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton

[Images: Robert Laberge, Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images, Jeff McIntosh, John Ulan/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton offers a view to a thrill [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Edmonton offers a view to a thrill [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Toronto [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Honda Indy Toronto - Click above for high-res image gallery

The IndyCar Series made a major announcement since the last race at Watkins Glen, deciding to stick with Dallara as its chassis supplier, but opening the game up a bit by allowing other manufacturers the option to supply aero packages and engines. Many think this will boil down to more of the same in IndyCar, but at least on paper, it has the potential to get more companies involved. Some of the bigger nuggets to drop from the official announcement were the new, lower prices of these 2012 IndyCar chassis and the fact that Dallara is building a plant right near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to generate a few more jobs for the state's residents and to make it quicker and easier to make chassis changes during the season. But all of that is still a couple of years off and they still had a race to run this weekend.

The 2010 Honda Indy Toronto is the second race run on this particular 1.755-mile street circuit around the Canadian city of Toronto, although there has been a major open-wheel street race in Toronto since 1967, and CART/IRL races have been held there ever since 1986. Dario Franchitti won the race in 2009 and went on to win the championship last year as well. This year, Franchitti trails Team Penske's Will Power for the points lead and after Saturday's qualifying for Toronto, the Target Chip Ganassi driver found himself fifth on the grid behind Ryan Hunter-Reay (Team IZOD Andretti Autosport) in fourth, Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) in third, Power in second and polesitter Justin Wilson of Team Z-Line Designs/DRR Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, who has posted some impressive results this year and currently stands eighth in the championship standings. Could Wilson stay out front for his first win of the season? Could Franchitti repeat from last year and possibly take the points lead for 2010? Or would Will Power place high enough to retain his lead?

Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Honda Indy Toronto played out.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Toronto

[Images: Robert Laberge, Streeter Lecka/Getty Images, Frank Gunn, Adrien Veczan/AP]

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IndyCar: 2010 Honda Indy Toronto [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus to increase involvement in Indy

Noah Joseph — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus

Lotus is back in IndyCars, and it's there to stay. After launching its own F1 team (in name, anyway) and announcing its intentions to expand further into other forms of motorsport, the legendary British firm revealed its sponsorship - together with engine partner Cosworth - of one of KV Racing's cars in the IndyCar Series, which former F1 driver Takuma Sato has been piloting (with limited success) this season.

Now Lotus is hinting at increased involvement in the series for next season and beyond, but has not indicated just what that might entail. The car it currently fields is neither built by Lotus nor powered by Cosworth: it's a Dallara chassis and a Honda engine, as per the series regulation. In fact, Lotus doesn't even run the car itself - that it leaves up to KV Racing Technology, the team run by former Champ Car chief Kevin Kalkhoven.

The Indy Racing League just recently revealed a new formula that will take effect beginning in 2012, using a Dallara chassis open to aerodynamic development by each team. The new engine formula, meanwhile, has been opened up to any manufacturer interested in pitching in, ostensibly opening the door to a Cosworth engine package. Lotus, meanwhile, may decide to develop its own aero package, but whether it would be the Malaysia-based F1 team or the England-based automaker that would spearhead the project remains to be seen.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Nick Laham/Getty]

Report: Lotus to increase involvement in Indy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: IndyCar announces "new" chassis manufacturer for 2012

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2012 Dallara IndyCar - Click above for high-res image gallery

IndyCar has broadcast its selection of a new chassis for 2012 and out of a group of entries that included BAT, Dallara, DeltaWing, Lola, and Swift, they decided to go with... drumroll... Dallara.

Perhaps it was telling that they played mostly oldies before the official live-stream, as this series seems to have a lot more history than future in many people's minds. Since the split between CART and the IRL more than a decade ago, open wheel racing in America has seen rapidly declining audiences that led to lower television revenue and a further downward spiral.

The current chassis and engine combo has made the IndyCar Series little more than a spec series, with Dallara building the chassis and Honda supplying the powerplants. Fans seem to want more competition, just like back in the day when Swift, Lola, Eagle and others were in the mix along with engine suppliers Oldsmobile, Infiniti, Cosworth, GM, et al. Well, in a bid to at least freshen the image of the league, the powers that be decided to have an open bid process to select the car of 2012.

The new engine regulations and the new chassis should go a long way towards making the series more entertaining for fans. The Dallara chassis will also help reduce costs for teams (by up to 40 percent) and the aero kits that will be available from other manufacturers will help keep a certain level of personalization for teams. The new chassis is more modern, safer and lighter at 1,380 pounds, some 185 pounds lighter than the current Dallara chassis being used. During the same press conference, it was also announced that Dallara would be building a new plant in Indianapolis to keep the car manufacturing close to home and to add jobs to the United States. Click below for gallery of the 2012 Dallara IndyCar concept.

Gallery: Dallara 2012 Indycar Concept Chassis

Breaking: IndyCar announces "new" chassis manufacturer for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:50:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway - Click above for high-res image gallery

The IndyCar Series moved on to the plains of Iowa for the eighth round of the 2010 Championship with a new points leader - Indy 500 Champ Dario Franchitti. Ryan Briscoe had moved up in the standings too, having won the last round in Texas - the race that had seen Penske return to Victory Lane and had almost seen the immolation of Simona de Silvestro. Fortunately Simona was extricated quickly enough to avoid major injuries and was in fact back in action in Iowa.

Qualifying on Saturday had seen early season dominator Will Power at the top of the charts, but he was one of the first drivers on course and had to play a long game of sit-and-wait to see if his time would stand. Follow the jump to see how the rest of qualifying played out, and to read all about the race - the 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 from Iowa Speedway.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250

[Images: Chris Trotman/Getty Images, Conrad Schmidt/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway - Click above for high-res image gallery

The IndyCar Series didn't take much of a break after the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500. Before the celebratory milk even had a chance to curdle at the corners of 500-champ Dario Franchitti's mouth, the whole Series was already headed to Texas Motor Speedway for the 2010 Firestone 550.

Dario was looking to become the third Indy 500 winner in a row to claim victory in Texas as well, although the flying Scot had never mounted the top step of the podium in the Lone Star state. In his favor was the fact that his Chip Ganassi team, along with Team Penske and Andretti Autosport, had won every single one of the last 50 oval races in the series amongst themselves.

Qualifying was held on Friday afternoon, with four-lap averages looking to be in the 212-215 mile-per-hour range. The race was going down on Saturday afternoon, but before that could happen, 26 cars needed to make it through qualifying. Follow the jump to see how it played out.

Gallery: 2010 IndyCar Firestone 550

[Images: Donald Miralle, Tom Pennington, Jonathan Ferrey and Robert Laberge | Getty Images]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar goes Turbo: 2012 engine regs open to multiple manufacturers, configurations

Noah Joseph — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The Indy Racing League has yet to announce the selection of its new chassis, but in the meantime has announced new engine regulations that will take effect in 2012.

The saga of engine suppliers in the series has been a convoluted one. During its inaugural season in 1996, carry-over engines from CART were allowed, but were replaced the following season by naturally-aspirated V8s provided by General Motors (under the Oldsmobile Aurora name) and Nissan (bearing Infiniti livery). Toyota and Honda came on board in 2003, while GM rebadged its program under Chevrolet as Oldsmobile was being shut down. Three years later Honda got the exclusive and has been supplying all the teams on the grid since, but that contract is nearing its end.

In its place, the IRL has issued a new open formula in the hope of drawing a diverse array of manufacturers to the series. For the first time since splitting with CART (with which it has since reunited), IndyCars will race under turbocharged power. Ethanol will continue to fuel the series, but beyond that, teams and engine suppliers will be free to use as many as six cylinders (in whatever configuration they choose), with displacements not exceeding 2.4 liters and power ranging between 550 and 700 horsepower.

The use of turbocharging and the variety of configurations allowed under the new formula should make for some interesting racing, and we'll be waiting to see which manufacturers jump - or pass - at the opportunity.

[Source: Autosport]

IndyCar goes Turbo: 2012 engine regs open to multiple manufacturers, configurations originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Indy 500 filled with crashes, drama [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 30 May 2010 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Indianapolis 500 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Memorial Day weekend is always a great for racing fans. Formula 1 typically has its Grand Prix of Monaco on that Sunday, (although this year it was the Turkish GP taking the calendar slot), NASCAR has the annual Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" takes the IndyCar Series to its namesake venue, the Indianapolis Speedway for the eponymous Indianapolis 500.

The 2010 Indy 500 is billed as part of the Centennial Era races, celebrating the birth of the track in 1909 and the first 500 held in 1911. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built by Indiana businessmen Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby, and Frank H. Wheeler as a testing grounds to help bolster Indiana's burgeoning automotive industry. It wasn't long before racing became the raison d'être for the facility. The original tar and gravel surface was quickly replaced by 3.2 million bricks when safety became a concern.

The first 500-mile race took place on May 30, 1911, when Ray Harroun shocked everyone, unprecedentedly going solo in his Marmon "Wasp," the rest of the field using ride-along mechanics. Harroun's car was actually considered a safety risk without that passenger, but it made up for it by introducing a major automotive safety device. The Wasp, you see, was fitted with the industry's first rearview mirror. The average speed in that first Brickyard endurance race was a stupefying 74.602 miles per hour. This year's polesitter, three-time and defending race-winner Helio Castroneves, won last year's Indy 500 at more than twice that speed, 150.318 mph.

While speeds are way up, much at Indy has remained the same. The 500 is about tradition as much as anything, and so on this Memorial Day, 33 cars once again lined up, set to challenge each other, the track, and fate - crossing the bricks 200 times to complete 500 miles around the2.5-mile-long squared oval. Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Indianapolis 500 went down in the history books.

Gallery: 2010 Indianapolis 500

[Images: Tom Strattman, Mike Groll, Darron Cummings, Jeff Roberson, Steve Metz (AP), Chris Howell, Nick Laham, Jonathan Ferrey, Robert Laberge, Chris Graythen (Getty Images)]

Continue reading 2010 Indy 500 filled with crashes, drama [SPOILERS]

2010 Indy 500 filled with crashes, drama [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 May 2010 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baltimore begins IndyCar Grand Prix prep ahead of 2011 race

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

The Indy Racing League is coming to Baltimore, and not just for the crab cakes and football. The Maryland city announced that it will be an official stop on the IRL schedule next year with a 2.4-mile loop that will snake through the heart of downtown and the inner harbor. The announcement means that around $7.8 million in state and federal funds will be used to repave the majority of the streets on the course. One road will also need to be widened in order to meet IRL regulations.

The race is slated for August 2011, and while the city says that the road work will take more than a year to complete, actual preparation for the race will take closer to four weeks. That includes the construction of 50,000 temporary grand-stand seats, though officials claim that the work will be minimally intrusive for both residents and workers in the area.

Baltimore has signed a five-year contract with the IRL, and as a result, officials forecast that it will see around $11 million in tax revenue from the partnership. Likewise, around $250 million is expected to flow into the local economy due to the races.

[Source: Baltimore Business Journal]

Baltimore begins IndyCar Grand Prix prep ahead of 2011 race originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 May 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar no longer content with crowning single champion, moving to three?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

What, Danica Patrick's inclusion in the sport isn't enough to generate sufficient interest? Guess not. Seemingly in an attempt to generate some additional excitement in the 17-race 2010 IndyCar Series schedule, Randy Bernard, first-year chief executive of the Indy Racing League, has announced that there will be three different winners after the season is done and over with. Why? We'll let Bernard explain:

After my first six weeks, I kept saying to myself we need to be able to deliver a consistent message about our sport that separates us from other forms of auto racing... What hit me is that we have the fastest and most versatile drivers and racecars in the world - and no one can deny that - and now we have to show why we're the fastest and most versatile. We have 17 events, but how do we create better story lines?

Apparently, that "consistent message" necessitates awarding a winner for both oval racing (to attract NASCAR fans?) and road racing (to attract F1 or Le Mans series fans?) in addition to the normal overall series champion.

Does this three-tiered championship earn your interest? If so, you'll be pleased to hear that a contest coming in late May will allow fans to help choose the names for the oval and road racing trophies. So far, it seems that Foyt (oval) and Andretti (road) are the leading candidates.

[Source: The New York Times | Image: Darrell Ingham/Getty]

IndyCar no longer content with crowning single champion, moving to three? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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