Tag Archives: Chip Ganassi Racing

Round 6 Preview: Detroit Grand Prix of Belle Isle

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TRACK MAP / LAYOUT:

The Month of May is complete and the run for the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship re-commences this weekend at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix of Belle Isle.  The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to the famed Belle Isle circuit for the first time since the 2008 campaign.  The event was removed from the schedule amid the economic crisis that struck the Motor City in the fall of 2008, but makes its return on the 2012 calendar.  The event is managed by Roger Penske’s organization which immediately makes the race a first class affair.  The event’s only two winners are Tony Kanaan and Justin Wilson.

PENSKE POWER RETURNS TO THE ROAD

After a disappointing Indianapolis 500, the Chevrolet powered juggernaut of Team Penske returns to the discipline they have shown dominance in 2012.  The road and street courses have fared well for Team Penske garnering four wins and four poles.  Will Power, after an especially disappointing Indianapolis 500 where he was collected in Mike Conway’s spin put a substantial dent in his points lead, looks to rebound on the tracks that he has been nearly unbeatable in his tenure at Team Penske while, after posting a 5th and 10th place finish at Indianapolis, Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves look to make up points on their Verizon Team Penske teammate.

GANASSI LOOKS TO CONTINUE INDIANAPOLIS MOJO

The four car stable of Chip Ganassi Racing spent the Month of May scratching their heads and searching for speed…until Carb Day.  Once the cars were married with their new Honda engines to be used during the race they came to life and were the dominant cars on race day.  Going back to a street course could be a different story, however, because Chevrolet has had the upper hand so far on the courses.  Dario Franchitti has struggled to find balance on the car when he must turn left and right, but winning Indy could give him the momentum boost he needs to make a run for his fifth series title.  Dixon, on the other hand, has shown great pace and ability on Road and Street courses this season with two runner-up finishes to go with some tough luck in Long Beach and Brazil.  Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball continue to run through their programs in 2012 and with decent Months of May could be poised to take a step forward.

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT LOOKS TO TURN IT AROUND

Up until Carb Day, it seemed as though Andretti Autosport had the Indianapolis 500 figured, but Race Day proved to be a different matter all together.  For the Grand Prix of Belle Isle, Andretti Autosport returns to their full-season three car stable and hopes that less is more when it comes to the rest of the season.  Andretti Autosport drivers are all very solid on the road and street courses and should contend for the top-six spots on the grid.  It is popular opinion that all three of these cars should find themselves in Victory Lane at some point in 2012.  Will Detroit be their breakthrough performance?

CHEVROLET LOOKS FOR BOUNCEBACK PERFORMANCE

It would be an understatement to say that Chevrolet was surprised at the results of the Indianapolis 500.  Sure, Chevrolet captured five of the top-10 positions in the final running order, but they had to scrape, claw, and strategize for the entire race to put themselves in competitive position with Honda.  Honda had the Chevrolet teams covered on race day, however, it’s back to a street course where Chevrolet has been so dominant in 2012 and Chevrolet is looking to make a post-Indy statement that Honda’s dominance  at the Speedway will not go unanswered.  Chevrolet and its teams will come to play this weekend.

RANDY BERNARD UNDER FIRE FROM OWNERS

In the wake of an Indianapolis 500 that should be written in the books as one of the best in the history of the race, there has been rumor that some of IndyCar’s team owners have called for CEO Randy Bernard to be removed from his high profile position.  It is unknown if these rumors are true, nor is it known on what grounds the owner(s) are calling for Bernard’s removal, but it does not matter.  Instead of celebrating an Indy 500 for the ages, IndyCar is having to put out a fire of hearsay and conjecture.  It is true that Bernard has made some mistakes in his short tenure as IndyCar’s CEO, however, he has made great strides for the sport of IndyCar Racing and the future is brighter under his watch.  Bernard constantly fights for the fans, sponsors, and the product produced on the track.  Bernard is responsible for moving on an upgrade in equipment for 2012 with the DW12 chassis and a new, exciting, engine package that has produced five amazing races.  The car can pass where the previous one could not, especially on the double-file restarts.  What Bernard does need is a liaison between the CEO and sanctioning body of INDYCAR and the drivers and owners in the Paddock.  This person must be experienced in all aspects of the sport, management, promotional, and competitive to help Bernard communicate his desires and intentions effectively to the Paddock. The bottom line, here, is that IndyCar is run by the sanctioning body and not the owners or manufacturers.  This sport has tried that before and failed miserably.  Is the new car more expensive than was originally advertised?  Yes, however, there were bound to be bumps in the road along the way.  The owners got spoiled for years because they didn’t need to buy new equipment as the spec was the same since 2003, engines included since 2006.  Let’s put all these rumors and squabbling to bed and go racing this weekend in Detroit!

Detroit Spotter Guide

All That’s Left Is 500 Miles!

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TRACK LAYOUT / MAP:

Rookie Orientation Program, Seven days of practice, Two days of qualifications, Carb Day Final Practice with Pit Stop Competition, and 500 Festival Parade…Complete.  All that is left for the IZOD IndyCar Series at Indianapolis is to run 500 Miles and find out whose face is etched on the Borg Warner trophy this time next year.  Storylines are abound on the eve of the World’s Greatest Race!

NEW CARS AND CHEVROLET VS. HONDA

The IZOD IndyCar Series debuts its new DW12 package on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in race competition for the first time on an oval.  The car has gone through substantial testing and modification to bring it to this point.  New rear wings and underwing ground effects have greatly enhanced the car’s ability at IMS.  The car drafts very well and according to drivers being ten car lengths behind in this car is like two car lengths in the car that IndyCar retired after the 2011 season.  This year’s rendition of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race could have to most passes in the history of the event, especially for the lead.  The indications are that this aero package could breed Indianapolis’ version of “pack racing” so hopefully the drivers use their heads and have a safe afternoon.  Double-file restarts have been scrapped for this year’s race for safety reasons which should help the safety factor.  This new DW12 car is still in the development stages and drivers have said that the car can be difficult in traffic so that is something to watch.  The question is which driver/team combination can find the car’s sweet spot over the course of the race’s 200 laps to make their car the best in traffic?

Returning to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 2005 is engine competition.  Series staple Honda along with returning Chevrolet and newbies Lotus have entered cars in the 2012 Indianapolis 500.  Lotus is not expected to be a factor, but Chevrolet and Honda will duke it out until the very end.  The Indianapolis 500 has often proven to be won on a game of fuel mileage strategy and the 2012 edition could be more of the same.  Through the first four races the Chevrolet twin turbo powerplant has been able to get slightly better fuel mileage than their Honda counterparts, however, all these races were on road and street courses so the engines were not constantly on the high end of the RPM meter.  Which manufacturer will emerge victorious?

PENSKE GOING FOR 16:

Roger Penske, honored at Legend’s Day in 2012, is going for his 16th Win at the Indianapolis 500 as an owner.  Penske has an unmatched record at the Speedway, a record he would undoubtedly like to build upon.  Ryan Briscoe has already won the Pole Postion for Team Penske giving Roger the first bullet fired in the race.  Briscoe is joined in the top six by teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves starting 5th and 6th respectively.  Helio Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet powered Shell V-Power Team Penske car, strives for his fourth Indianapolis 500 win;  A feat only accomplished by Rick Mears, AJ Foyt, and Al Unser while Power and Briscoe look for their first likeness on the Borg Warner Trophy.  Since 2003, when Gil de Ferran gave Penske his third straight win after returning to the race in 2001, Team Penske has won in 2006 and 2009 marking a return to victory lane every three years.  2012 would be three years since the last win.  The numbers add up, but will the results on Race Day?

GANASSI WINS CARB DAY!

The Andretti Autosport and Penske teams handily outdueled the four car Chip Ganassi Racing stable in qualifying, but, if Carb Day is any indication, Ganassi’s team should be a factor on Race Day.  Dario Franchitti topped the speed chart in final practice on Carb Day followed closely by Scott Dixon.  Dixon finished the day for Team Target by winning the Pit Stop Competition, a first for Chip Ganassi in his storied history at the Brickyard.  Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball also showed strong pace on Carb Day practice and with the DW12′s drafting ability these cars could go straight to the front!

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT POISED FOR HUGE REBOUND!

In 2011, Andretti Autosport endured possibly the most difficult month of May at Indianapolis for any team since Team Penske failed to qualify in 1995.  The 2011 Andretti Autosport cars handled well, but had no speed, ending up with Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay missing the 33 car field in qualifying and Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti making the field on Bump Day by the slimmest of margins.  Fast forward to 2012, Andretti Autosport entered the sacred ground of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway loaded for bear qualifying cars in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th separating only Team Penske in the front two rows.  James Hinchcliffe missed the Pole by a total of ten inches.  Andretti Autosport could be the team Favorited to win the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with the pace, talent, and experience of their cars and drivers.  What will 500 Miles hold?

19 YEARS IN FORMULA 1, FIRST INDIANAPOLIS 500

Formula 1 veteran Rubens Barrichello faced a steep learning curve entering the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for IndyCar’s Month of May.  Barrichello has shown well in practice and qualifying by starting 10th, but this race is a 3 1/2 hour, 500 mile marathon of an event.  The learning curve only gets steeper as Barrichello has yet to drive an IndyCar on an oval in traffic for any substantial length of time, and, thusly, has a monumental task in front of him.  Barrichello must approach Indianapolis as he has every other race and test session which is a learning experience.  Barrichello has done a remarkable job through the first four races keeping the car on the track and learning as much as he can each event.  Don’t count Barrichello out if he can keep the No. 8 KV Racing car on the track and the lead lap when it comes down to the finish.

THE…HEAT…IS…ON!!!!!!!!!!

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a history of having a say in who wins this race.  The biggest factor on race day may not be the cars, drivers, strategy, engines, or tires but the SUN!  This could be the hottest Indianapolis 500 on record making the conditions harsh on handling, driver fatigue, and engine reliability.  The drivers will have a difficult time staying hydrated and focused for the 500 miles.  Who can endure the conditions?

BOTTOM LINE:

This field, except for the two Lotus powered cars, is WIDE OPEN with a winner too tough to call and surprises could be abound once the green flag drops at around 12:15 Sunday.  Tune into ABC for all the action at 11:00 AM Eastern time!  Pull up a chair and E N J O Y!

REMEMBER OUR FALLEN HERO

For the first time since 1947, the defending Champion of the Indianapolis 500 will not be able to defend his title due to his death.  The most important part of the 2012 Indianapolis 500 is remembering the great Dan Wheldon.  Dan Wheldon loved this race more than any other and everybody knew it.  Wheldon came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2011 with a small team helmed by former Andretti Green Racing teammate Bryan Herta.  The team became sleepers qualifying sixth and triumphantly crossed the bricks first after JR Hildebrand hit the Turn 4 wall on the final lap.  Nobody thought that win would be Dan’s last.  Wheldon was more than just a top flight racecar driver, he was an ambassador for the sport of IndyCar racing always taking extra time for a photograph or an autograph for a loving fan.  Dan’s death has left holes in the lives of everybody that loves INDYCAR…holes that may never be filled.  Dan Wheldon was a fan favorite, media favorite, and competitor favorite and meant more to our sport than just about anybody.  Wheldon was slated to drive the GoDaddy.com car that James Hinchcliffe now pilots.  Instead of piloting the car, screaming in to turn 1 as the green flag drops, Dan Wheldon will be watching the Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2012 from the best seat in the house.  Alas, he will not be here with the rest of us and it hurts.  Everybody wear some Orange on Race Day in honor of the late, great Dan Wheldon!  Hope you enjoy this one, Dan, it’s going to be a great race. 

R.I.P. DAN WHELDON

 


Bubble, Bubble, Lotus In Trouble…

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As Chevrolet and Honda powered teams work through their programs leading up to Fast Friday and Pole Day, Lotus is struggling to get their cars up to competitive pace.  Team Lotus drivers Simona de Silvestro and Jean Alesi are very concerned about their lack of speed and their ability to compete in the race.  Fortunately for these drivers, there are currently only enough entries to make the 33 car field so they will make the race no matter what their qualifying speed, however they must keep a race pace within 105 percent of the leader’s speed in order to continue running during the Indianapolis 500 on May 27.  An update to the Lotus engine is in the works to, hopefully, give the marque a boost in power thus increasing the speed, however, it is unknown if such an update will be available in time to make the cars competitive in the Indianapolis 500.  IZOD IndyCar Race Director Beaux Barfield will not hesitate, for safety reasons, pulling these cars off the track if they cannot keep pace.  It is unrealistic to think that Lotus was going to come out and win the Indianapolis 500 stealing it from Chevrolet or Honda, but 500 miles of development will help the brand down the road in 2012 and beyond.  A competitive Lotus engine is very important to INDYCAR so let’s hope that they can right the ship and make some quick progress.

The field is now full for the Indianapolis 500.  Dragon Racing’s severance from Lotus is complete and they are now powered by Chevrolet.  As a result Katherine Legge got her first taste of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as she went out early in the morning on Thursday May 17 to begin her rookie orientation program where she completed Phase 1 of the three phase process.  She will be given extra time in the afternoon to, hopefully, complete Phase 2 with Phase 3 being completed on the morning of Fast Friday practice.  Sebastien Bourdais’ No. 7 McAfee sponsored car should have a Chevrolet engine married to it in time to run Fast Friday and complete his requires refresher course.  Dragon Racing is six days behind the 8-ball but they have strong engines and probably some support from Team Penske so expect them to get up to speed quickly.  They must work fast because they only have three days of track time before Miller Lite Carb Day to get it right.

An oddity of this month’s proceedings at the racetrack, other than the weather being immaculate, is the quiet demeanor of the super teams of Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing.  While Josef Newgarden, Sebastien Saavedra, and Andretti Autosport have enjoyed strong showings each day on the speed chart, the six cars Favorited to win the race have been eerily quiet so far this month.  They have shown good pace, but not lights out, amazingly quick speeds that we are accustomed.  Look for them to turn up the wick tomorrow as the boost levels on the turbo are given an upgrade for the qualifying weekend.

 

IZOD IndyCar Series: Season Preview

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 IT IS ALMOST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

Get ready IndyCar fans!  As of today there are 25 days remaining before the drop of the green flag on the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Season!  It is TIME TO GET EXCITED!  The 2012 grid could be the most evenly balanced, talented, and competitive in the history of IndyCar racing.  From top to bottom, anybody in this field could pull into victory lane and stand atop the podium on any given weekend.

Just a taste of what’s to come:

http://www.speedtv.com//video/auto-racing/indycar-penske-sebring-test-1432070750001/2#_vtop

The offseason in the aftermath of 2011 has been anything but quiet for the IZOD IndyCar Series.  The days since October 16, 2011 have been filled with pain, healing, testing, and major changes regarding those in charge of the series.  Danica Patrick has moved on to new opportunities driving stock cars in NASCAR,  Brian Barnhart has been removed from competition director and director of race control in favor of a man with the same initials, and the series has moved toward providing a safer, but still exciting, product.  Barnhart will remain technical director for the series but will no longer be making the decisions regarding how the races are officiated.  That task now falls to Beaux Barfield’s purview who promises to allow more protecting and harsher penalties for avoidable contact.  Double-file restarts have been eliminated from events and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and Auto Club Speedway for safety reasons.  Texas returns to the 550k format instead of the Twin 275k run in 2011.  New event in Qingdao, China and the return of the Belle Isle Grand Prix are exciting new opportunities for IndyCar.  Hopefully, these changes will breed closer, and safer, competition in 2012.

On March 25, the IZOD IndyCar Series paddock can finally, mercifully, move on from the tragedy surrounding Dan Wheldon and get back to racing, ironically, in St. Petersburg, Florida…the city Dan Wheldon called home while driving a car that Wheldon that contributed to so much.  Dan Wheldon’s legacy begins on the 1.8 Mile road course and its 14 turns as the new turbocharged, faster, and safer  generation IndyCar, named the DW12 in Wheldon’s honor, hits the track for the first time in competition.  The car incorporates new safety measures to prevent cars from locking wheels and becoming airborne at the speeds in which they run.  The car came in being overweight  producing greater aerodynamic drag than anticipated or expected especially on the high-speed ovals, and the weight bias is more toward the rear creating a difficult handling condition.  All that being said, the car is anticipated to be at least one second faster than the 2011 model on the track with new aerodynamic components on the way to assist the car’s handling on ovals.  No big deal because the first oval on the schedule is the Indianapolis 500 which doesn’t come until May so there is time to sort this car’s deficiencies out.  Most importantly, the car is new for everybody which puts everybody on relatively equal footing as the individual teams will be charged with discovering and unlocking the cars speed and potential.

The car is not the only thing that is new for 2012 in terms of the equipment teams will be competing with.  March 25, 2012 will mark the return of engine manufacturer competition in the IZOD IndyCar Series for the first time since 2005 when Honda, Toyota, and Chevrolet were competing for the prestigious manufacturer’s championship.  Honda remains an engine supplier for 2012, but IndyCar welcomes the return of Chevrolet and the debut of Lotus to attempt taking the Honda brand down as top power plant in the series.  All three engine manufacturers have heavy hitters that all can produce wins in 2012 and the competition should be as fierce as ever.

Manufacturer competition and a new car are only part of the plot that will make the 2012 IndyCar Season the most competitive and dramatic to date.  The depth of the driver talent in this year’s field is incredible.  Composed of drivers with multiple Indianapolis 500 rings, championships, race wins, and former Formula 1 and Champ Car veterans, this field is DEEP!  The breakdown, with team and engine alliances, is below and is the expected entry list for St. Petersburg later this month with additional entries from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, MSR INDY, and Conquest Racing expected to be on the grid by the Indianapolis 500 on May 27.

# 2 Ryan Briscoe IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet

# 3 Helio Castroneves Shell V-Power Team Penske Chevrolet

# 4 J.R. Hildebrand National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet

# 5 E.J. Viso CITGO / PDVSA KV Racing Technology Chevrolet

# 6 Katherine Legge TrueCar Dragon Racing Lotus

# 7 Sebastien Bourdais Lotus Cars Dragon Racing Lotus

# 8 Rubens Barrichello BMC / Hyundai KV Racing Technology Chevrolet

# 9 Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

# 10 Dario Franchitti Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

# 11 Tony Kanaan GEICO KV Racing Technology Chevrolet

# 12 Will Power Verizon Wireless Team Penske Chevrolet

# 14 Mike Conway ABC Supply Co. AJ Foyt Racing Honda

# 15 Takuma Sato Interush / Panasonic Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda

# 18 James Jakes ACORN Stairlifts Dale Coyne Racing Honda

# 19 Justin Wilson Sonny’s Bar-B-Que Dale Coyne Racing Honda

# 20 Ed Carpenter Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

# 22 Oriol Servia Lotus Cars Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Lotus

# 26 Marco Andretti RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet

# 27 James Hinchcliffe GoDaddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet

# 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay DHL / SunDrop Andretti Autosport Chevrolet

# 38 Graham Rahal NTB / Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

# 67 Josef Newgarden TBA Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda

# 77 Simon Pagenaud Bowers & Wilkins Sam Schmidt Honda

# 78 Simona de Silvestro Entergy HVM Racing Lotus

# 83 Charlie Kimball Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

# 98 Alex Tagliani Barracuda Networks Bryan Herta Autosport Lotus

This makes up a healthy 26 car field for St. Petersburg and, more importantly, everyone can WIN in this field.  So pull the belts tight and fire the engines because this season is going to be epic!