Autoblog

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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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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eBay Find of the Day: 1991 Dodge Stealth is the Indy 500 Pace Car that never was

Zach Bowman — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chrysler, Dodge, Mitsubishi

1991 Dodge Stealth Indianapolis 500 Official Car - Click above for image gallery

Way back in 1991, Chrysler was charged with providing a pace car for the 75th running of the Indianapolis 500. At the time, the company was blood brothers with Mitsubishi, and the automakers had decided it would be worth everyone's while to rebadge the popular 3000GT as a Stealth and sell it under the Dodge banner. Chrysler was thrilled to have something resembling a sports car on its dealer lots and wanted to get the word out by handing pace car duties to its newest creation. Only there was a problem. Once the public got wind that Chrysler wanted to run a Japanese-built car out front of the red, white and blue Indianapolis 500, near riots ensued, with the United Auto Workers among the most critical parties.

Chrysler pulled a 180 and decided to roll out a Viper prototype for the race, but not before it built a Stealth for pace duty. The car was dipped in some very visible yellow paint, and safety equipment like a roll cage, racing harnesses and a communication system was installed. The car was never called to pace at the Brickyard, however, having been relegated to the duty of an official festival car. Thereafter, it spent its years parked in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum instead.

Now, that very would-be pace car is up for auction on eBay. With just 8,000 miles on the clock and an opening bid of $25,000, the car is someone's chance to own one very odd piece of Detroit history - the Indy 500 pace car that never was. Check out the auction here.

Gallery: 1991 Dodge Stealth Indy 500 Pace Car

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1991 Dodge Stealth is the Indy 500 Pace Car that never was originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 May 2010 09:29:00 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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IndyCar switches up qualifying payouts for more exciting 500 pole shootout

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:21:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

With a $175,000 check going to the Peak Performance Pole winner and new rewards for the other front-row starters - plus extra IZOD IndyCar Series championship bonus points - "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" is looking to make Pole Day the Greatest Spectacle in Qualifying. In a new two-session qualifying format just announced for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, the top nine cars after the initial four-lap runs are completed will have their times erased and will go into a second 90-minute round where they need to make at least one additional pass. They will be gunnin' for not just the pole, but a cash payout more than twice what it was last year.

Besides the $175,000 check going to the pole winner, second place gets $75,000 and the final front row starter will get $50,000. In addition to the money, there are more championship points being doled out at Indy this year. Typically, the IndyCar Series rewards the Peak Performance Pole Award winner one point, but for this year's 500, the series will award points to every qualifier. Pole gets 15 points, second receives 13, third 12, and so on for spots 4-9. Positions 10-24 get four points each and everyone else gets three.

The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be claimed during the traditional four-lap runs, with each car getting up to three attempts during that time. The top nine follow that session up with the new pole shootout session, while the final nine spots will be filled on Bump Day (May 23), with four-lap qualifying attempts that could start bumping low qualifiers once 33 cars have already qualified. All of which should add just a little extra excitement to this year's Indy 500.

[Source: IndyCar Series | Image: Chris Graythen/Getty]

IndyCar switches up qualifying payouts for more exciting 500 pole shootout originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Camaro Indy 500 pace car entering limited production

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Some of the most desirable Chevrolet Camaros are the factory-made replicas to celebrate the pony car's inclusion in the racing world as a pace car. And it looks like we have yet another pace car rep to add to our growing list of potential collectibles with General Motors' announcement that it will build 200 or fewer 2010 Chevy Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Limited Edition models.

Each of the Pace Car models will be based on an SS with the RS appearance package. A 400 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine will be mated up with a six-speed automatic transmission (what, no manual?), with power put to the ground through 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. A throwback-style front grille recalls the old '67 Pace Cars, and the whole shebang will be painted in Inferno Orange, including the engine cover.

Now, for the most important bits:

Premium floor mats with accent colors
2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo decal on both doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests
2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders

Price? $41,950 (including an $850 Destination Freight Charge). Get the rest of the details in the press release after the break.

Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading 2010 Camaro Indy 500 pace car entering limited production

2010 Camaro Indy 500 pace car entering limited production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IRL unifies feeder series under "Road to Indy" banner

Noah Joseph — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Open-wheel racing in America has been in shambles for far too long. But now that CART and the IndyCar Series are back together, with the joint Indy Racing League taking steps to unify the feeder series below them.

Grouped under the "Road to Indy" initiative, the coordination brings the US Formula 2000, Star Mazda and Indy Lights championships under one umbrella, giving aspiring drivers a clear ladder up which they can ascend with the aim of breaking into the top-tier IndyCar Series.

Although the Star Mazda and USF2000 series will continue with their own schedules while the Indy Lights series continues to support IndyCar racers, all four will come together during the month-long Indy 500 extravaganza at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as the events in St Petersburg and Iowa.

[Source: IRL]

IRL unifies feeder series under "Road to Indy" banner originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gran Turismo 5 demo coming to PSN on Dec 17, GT Academy returns [w/VIDEO]

Chris Shunk — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Technology, Videos, Nissan, Toys/Games

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Just when we thought we were going to wait until the end of March to get our hands on Gran Turismo 5, our friends at Joystiq tell us that Polyphony Digital will release a demo version of hotly anticipated racing game on December 17. The demo will be available on the Playstation Network for download both in Europe and North America, giving long-patient fans a taste of what the full game will be like when it finally arrives in stores.

And as cool as it is that the demo arrives within two weeks time, even cooler is the fact that gamers will be given the opportunity to compete for some nifty prizes. All you have to do is post your best time trial by January 24, 2010. The best time from the U.S. and Canada wins a trip to the Indianapolis 500. A sweet prize, no doubt, but it doesn't come close to the top Euro prize. The best driver from select European countries gets to enter the GT Academy. After completing training the ~~lucky~~ skilled gamer will race in the European GT4 Cup in a non-virtual race-spec Nissan 370Z. How amazing is that?

It would be even better if GT5 actually shipped on December 17, but it looks like we won't be racing one of the world's best driving simulators until March at the earliest. Hit the jump to view a slick video that contains more information about the GT Academy.

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5 screen shots

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5

[Source: Joystiq]

Continue reading Gran Turismo 5 demo coming to PSN on Dec 17, GT Academy returns [w/VIDEO]

Gran Turismo 5 demo coming to PSN on Dec 17, GT Academy returns [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler Alert: 2009 Indianapolis 500 race results

John Neff — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2009 Indy 500 - Click above for high-res image gallery

On Saturday we asked you in a poll if you care about the Indianapolis 500. The number one response with 40% of the vote was, "I never cared in the first place." Well, at least one of us here at Autoblog cared enough to watch the race on TV yesterday, but that couldn't stop long stretches of napping from eating up up dozens of laps at a time. A few interesting things happened while I was awake, including perennial Indy bridesmaid Tony Kannan crashing at the Brickyard for the third time in eight appearances. I was also awoken late in the race by another crash, this time between Vitor Meira and rookie Raphael Matos. The two collided on Turn 1 and Meira's car ended up sliding along the wall on its side. We later learned the veteran driver had broken two vertebrae in his back, while Matos escaped with just a bruised knee. This isn't NASCAR, though, and we're not supposed to watch for the crashes, so I downed some caffeine after that to stay alert until the race's conclusion. Read on after the jump to find out who won this year's running of the 2009 Indianapolis 500.

Gallery: 2009 Indianapolis 500

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: 2009 Indianapolis 500 race results

Spoiler Alert: 2009 Indianapolis 500 race results originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 May 2009 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Chevy won't be offering Indy 500 Camaro Pace Car replicas

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, Specialty

The car above is the pace car for this year's Indianapolis 500, a special edition 2010 Camaro. If you want to see it in action, then you'll need to watch the race -- Chevrolet says it won't be making a pace car replica for people who don't drive on the oval. Chevy copied and sold the four previous iterations of Camaro Indy 500 pace cars thousands of times.

This time, though, a spokesman said, "In order to keep special editions special, we can't go to that well too often." Which means someone decided that a rare trip to the well would be better served by producing a Bumblebee Camaro than an Indy pace car edition, even though the original Camaro Indy 500 pace car editions still attract collectors 42 years after the fact...

Gallery: 2009 Chevy Camaro Indy Pace Car

[Source: Inside Line]

REPORT: Chevy won't be offering Indy 500 Camaro Pace Car replicas originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 May 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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POLL: Do you care about the Indy 500?

Alex Nunez — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place tomorrow at noon. ABC will provide the usual live coverage, and viewers will watch to see if pole-sitter Helio Castroneves manages to do his Spider-Man thing at the race's conclusion. Or if Danica makes history. Or maybe you're just looking for a race - and a finish - as exciting as the spectacular ending to the 2006 Indy 500.

Or maybe you don't care anymore.

Maybe you tuned out after the nasty CART/IRL split and never looked back.

So here we are, into the second season of the freshly-reunited Indy Racing League, hours away from its signature event - the most storied race in American motorsports. The starting grid boasts plenty of fast drivers. Young ones, too. Some are scions of Indy legends. But the variety pretty much ends there. Everyone's running a Dallara chassis with a Honda engine. Fast as hell, to be sure-Helio qualified with an average speed of 224.824 mph. But still, to many, the 500 now almost feels more like a habitual event instead of the massively-important, "Capital-E" Event it was prior to 1996.

So here's where we toss it to you. Do you care about Indy anymore? Did you ever? Are you planning to watch the 500? Vote after the jump, and comment away.

[Image: Jamie Squire/Getty]

Continue reading POLL: Do you care about the Indy 500?

POLL: Do you care about the Indy 500? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 May 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Go Daddy teases raciest-yet Danica Patrick ad for Indy 500

Chris Shunk — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Celebrities

GoDaddy and Danica: Click above to view the commercial after the jump

Go Daddy commercials are well known for two things: 1) Having little to do with web hosting and domains, and 2) Making use of attractive women in suggestive situations. During the Super Bowl, Go Daddy threw racer Danica Patrick into a shower with a college German instructor. The two girls theme continues with a new spot that places Ms. Patrick in a vintage Ford Mustang convertible with a sultry female police officer that seems quite excited about web hosting.

To Go Daddy's credit, there is a lot more service selling in this 30 second spot, which predictably ends with a disrobing followed by an invitation to head over to GoDaddy.com to see what happens next. Go Daddy founder and CEO Bob Parsons called the teaser and full two minute web-only spot "the hottest commercial we've ever made." No arguments here. Hit the jump to view the 30-second teaser for yourself, followed by the Go Daddy press release detailing the airtime plans during this weekend's Indianapolis 500 race.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Go Daddy teases raciest-yet Danica Patrick ad for Indy 500

VIDEO: Go Daddy teases raciest-yet Danica Patrick ad for Indy 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 May 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Return of the King: 71-year-old Richard Petty to field a team in this year's Indy 500

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Click above for an image gallery of Richard Petty's Indy 500 entry

For the first time in history, an open-wheel racecar bearing Richard Petty's classic #43 on the side and powder blue and red livery will circle the oval at the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24th. The 71-year-old Petty won't be behind the wheel, instead acting as a team owner. Driving duties will be ably handled by John Andretti, nephew of Mario Andretti, who won the Indy 500 in 1969.

Over his 35-year career as a NASCAR driver, Richard Petty won the Daytona 500 a total of 7 times, a record that stands to this day. John Andretti has raced for Petty a few times in the past and won the race at Martinsville Speedway in 1999. We're not huge fans of oval racing in general, but the tie-in with Richard Petty Motorsports will surely help the Indy 500 grab plenty of attention from NASCAR's rabid (and huge) fan base. Check out the Petty livery for yourself in our gallery below.

Gallery: Richard Petty Motorsports Indy 500

[Source: FanHouse]

Return of the King: 71-year-old Richard Petty to field a team in this year's Indy 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camaro nabs another pace car job - this time Indy 500

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Camaro Indy Pace Car

The Chevrolet Camaro and the Indy 500 have a long and storied relationship. Chevy's seminal pony car made its first trip round the Brickyard as a pace car way back in 1967 - it's first year on the market. The '67 Camaro pace car has gone on to earn iconic status in the eyes of car collectors across the country, and following that inauguration, the Camaro went on to pace the Speedway again in 1968, 1982 and 1993. All of those appearances marked something truly special in the life of General Motors' popular pony car, and 2009 will bring yet another to the fore as the newly-revived Camaro will once again pace the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24, 2009.

This isn't the first go-round for the 2009 Chevy Camaro this year; last Sunday, an orange and gray SS made its left-turn-only debut at the Daytona 500. Thanks for the tip, Dan!

Gallery: 2009 Chevy Camaro Indy Pace Car

[Source: Indianapolis 500 via Camaro5]

Camaro nabs another pace car job - this time Indy 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rahal-Letterman to quit IRL unless a sponsor steps up

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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

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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Helio Castroneves indicted on tax evasion charges

Chris Shunk — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal

Helio Castroneves has known only success in pretty much everything he's ever attempted, whether it be open-wheel racing or his fancy footwork on Dancing with the Stars. But the Brazilian-born driver is going to need more than quick feet and a knack for racing to get the Internal Revenue Service off his back. The two-time Indy 500 champ, along with his sister/business manager and lawyer, is in a world of legal hurt after being indicted by the IRS on six counts of tax evasion, which could send the talented driver to prison for up to 35 years. Castroneves was allegedly using an offshore bank account to hide millions of dollars from the U.S. government, which is a really bad idea, especially if you get caught. He received a $1 million driver agreement and $5 million licensing agreement from Penske racing for 2000-2002, and he allegedly stuffed the $5 million into an offshore account via a deferred royalty plan for which he wasn't eligible. For its part, the IRS seems intent on making an example out of Castroneves, saying "This case sends a clear message that the IRS is committed to vigorously enforcing the lax laws and stopping offshore tax evasion."

[Source: Market Watch, Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty]

Helio Castroneves indicted on tax evasion charges originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar Series signs new television deal with Versus

Noah Joseph — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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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92nd Indy 500 ends with pole-sitter Dixon taking checkered flag

John Neff — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Indy 500

New Zealand's Scott Dixon led the field at this year's 92nd Indianapolis 500 going into turn 1 of Lap 1 and, after surviving 200 laps of open wheel mayhem at the Brickyard, crossed the finish line first, 1.75 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Vitor Meira. Unfortunately, no one on the Autoblog team witnessed the win, the allure of barbecues and time spent with family this past Memorial Day weekend being too strong to resist. Perhaps that says something about the popularity of open-wheel racing in the U.S., though we suspect the 250,000 in attendance and larger television audience of the Indy 500 this year would disagree.

While Dixon and Chip Ganassi Racing took the win, all eyes were still on Danica Patrick to see if she could pull out the first win for a woman at the Brickyard coming off her victory in Japan last month. Unfortunately, a win for Danica was not meant to be, as her left-rear tire was tagged by Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe coming out of the pits. The contact spun out Patrick and did mortal damage to her rear axle. She was more than a bit miffed (wouldn't you?) and began a determined walk down pit row towards Briscoe's pit box, but a track security officer stopped her and prevented what could've been the race's biggest spectacle.

So the IndyCar Series' most famous race is in the bag, and it was the first since the IRL and Champ Car series reunited. Things are looking up for open-wheel racing in the U.S. despite our own disinterest, and the 92nd running of this year's Indianapolis 500 sounds like it was enjoyable to watch. Maybe we'll sit down for it next year.

If like us you didn't catch the race on TV, check out SpeedTV's recap video after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 Indianapolis 500

[Source: IndyStar.com]

Continue reading 92nd Indy 500 ends with pole-sitter Dixon taking checkered flag

92nd Indy 500 ends with pole-sitter Dixon taking checkered flag originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 May 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Dixon grabs Indy 500 pole

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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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VIDEO: Danica Patrick hits crew member on pit lane at Indy

Chris Tutor — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Follow the jump for video if the incident

We are soooo glad Danica Patrick hearts Autoblog, because during practice at Indy yesterday, she struck a pit crew member of a competing team. Dale Coyne Racing's Charles Buckman, the chief mechanic for Mario Moraes, suffered a concussion as well as scalp and facial cuts after being hit and then sailing over Danica's car in pit row.

According to several trackside eyewitnesses, the incident was completely not Danica's fault. Apparently, Indy's pit area was busier and more congested than usual due to a weather delay, and Buckman took one step too many to the right just as Danica was pitting. He was taken to Methodist Hospital and is expected to recover fully from his injuries. For his part, Buckman says he doesn't remember many details about the incident.

People at the track said Danica and her teammates were visibly shaken by the accident. Marco Andretti saw the accident happen, and told Sports Illustrated, "It's a dangerous situation; a crowded pit lane, a lot going on. You don't like to see that kind of thing but it's not Danica's fault. Stuff happens. Racing is dangerous. We're very concerned and hopefully it will turn out good." Thanks for the tip, Joe!

[Source: Sports Illustrated]

Continue reading VIDEO: Danica Patrick hits crew member on pit lane at Indy

VIDEO: Danica Patrick hits crew member on pit lane at Indy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 May 2008 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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